When Fate Decided to Play its Part

CHAPTER ONE;

The First Talk

She was only in her first year in high school when Althea met Tyler. He was more dazzling than the sun, one can't help but squint their eyes when they see him. Tyler was one year ahead of her.

She was 15 that time, and Tyler was 16.

Of course, as a normal teenager, Althea is also a victim of his charms. She sometimes blush when their eyes met, then hastily drag her eyes away, making the other intrigued and curious of her.

She can even still remember their first conversation like it was yesterday.

--

Lunch.

The cafeteria is full of students as usual. The place was chaotic that even scraps of foods were flying in the air. The voices of other students are loud enough to drown the conversation of others. Some looked at the noisiest group with disdain. 

Lunch is supposedly peaceful!

Althea, who was sitting alone near the corner, was busy with her books. Her foods are remained untouched on the corner. She cannot bother eating them since the her exams are coming. She's conscious about her grades. Failure is not an option for her.

Her head is bowed as she was reading and high lighting the important words and phrases and she naturally did not noticed the almost flying figure heading towards her table.

Althea's focus is topnotch, she didn't even noticed that a fight broke out.

As the flying figure, who was unfortunately kicked by his enemy, flew towards her table, another sturdy figure appeared just in time. He stopped the figure from directly crashing towards Althea's table, but because of the force, he was pushed back a little and managed to distrupt the still table of Althea.

Althea was in the middle of highlighting a sentence when her table moved. The pen was pushed upward.

Stratled, she raised her head to see what was going on. Many heads are turned towards her table and stared at the two figures in front of her. Some were laughing loudly, some were frowning since their lunch is ruined. It was too noisy that she can't make up almost the words they said.

But she still managed to caught one word; Tyler.

Suprised, Althea focused her attention at the man who was currently laughing while holding another man by his collar.

The man, who was apparently Tyler, was facing his back to her. He's body built is sturdy and the lines of his muscles are visible under his shirt.

he doing here? Althea asked herself.

head to look at her over his shoulder. Incidentally,

been crushing on him ever since she saw Tyler on the school grounds months ago. That time, too, their eyes met. As the weakest one between them, Althea was the one

naturally, she did not saw him gazing at her back with

that day. Stupid! She's usually calm and rational, but

on Althea! You have faced many men

"Hey."

low and tempting voice pulled her out

fortunately, she stopped herself.

Tyler just talked

but she her outer self remained calm, except for her traitor cheeks and ears that were

"Hey, hello." 

Thank goodness, I did not stammered, if she did, she would literally dig a hole and bury herself, or just pray for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She can't take such humiliation. Not in front of anyone, and absolutely not in front of

and hastily looked down then she pretended that she was reading. Such an

wanted to persist and stubbornly hold their gaze together but she can't handle the

smoft smile with a hidden amusement appeared on Tyler's face, only to

sit taken?" Tyler

again, but carefully avoiding his piercing eyes. She was already composed and the red tint of her ears and cheeks were already gone as if it never

thought.

hear what he was thinking, surely, she will not only have red cheeks and ears, but from toes to head, will be colored with flaming red. Her

isn't a

referring to and shook her head. She was thinking about saying it was, but she did not want to be rude. Besides, she have no friends

isn't." She

said her reply and, once

stare at her openly. She shrugged it off, thinking that he will stop looking at her later

Tyler was still looking at

uncomfortable under his gaze.

Is there something wrong with

course there

at me like that?' Althea wants to ask, but she

pretended to read her books again.

focus, she can feel Tyler's gaze on her. How can she focus?! One cannot focus if they knew that someone is staring at them. Of course she's not an exemption. Unless she was already too focused about something before they gaze hard

at her. And that the man who was staring at her is not a random person, he was the person she