"So, what you're saying is, he kissed you and ignored you for a whole week," Ava says and I nod my head. He just ignored me in school.

"And, then, after a whole week, he gave you hickeys. There were a lot of them, girl, I saw them. Anyway, he gave you hickeys and went back to ignoring you again. Right?" Ava continues.

"What?! You saw them?" I flush.

"Of course, you didn't cover them well, Ven. The whole school saw them," Ava says smugly.

"Yeah, it's been two weeks and well, he's gone back to ignoring," I tell her, getting back on topic. Blake and Samantha are bickering over something, across the table and the crowded cafeteria effectively blocks our conversation.

"He is a jerk," Ava says after a while. I look at her pointedly before taking some fries and munching on them.

"What? I mean he thinks he can do the hell he wants to do to you and does not even care about your feelings. You, Venus, deserve better," she tells me.

"He was never my guy and I don't need a guy, Ava."

Well, I told her everything that had happened, leaving out the Jackson part and the fact I was going to Ace's home to learn painting every day after that day. I can't help but feel hurt by Ace's behaviour.

"How's it going with Noah?" Ava asks me just when my eyes find Noah next to our table, looking at me. He waves at me and I wave back before his friend tells him something and he looks away.

"Great. He's a good friend," I tell her.

"Woah, Ace is glaring at your 'good friend'," Ava says, her eyes wide but her tone super excited.

I look behind me and see Ace throwing daggers at Noah. Noah looks at his table nervously, knowing damn well that Ace was glaring at him.

"Yeah, they've always been like that," I say dryly.

"Ace is a weird guy," Ava tells and I nod along.

"Sexy, nonetheless," she adds and I feel an odd feeling settling on my chest when she says that. Am I.. jealous? Nope, can't be.

I am.

Ava looks and me knowingly and shakes her head.

When we start to leave for our next class, a hand holds my elbow. My heart beats fast but when I turn around, my face falls. I put a smile on my face anyway.

"Hey, Venus," Noah says with a boyish smile on his face. I mumble a small hi. I feel heated eyes on me and I am pretty sure who's looking at me.

"So... um, I was wondering if I could take you on a... date?" he says nervously. Cute.

Wait... a what?

"A date?" I squeak. He gives me a nervous smile, his eyes skipping to something behind me and then back at me.

"You don't have to answer me now," he says.

"Okay, I.. I will let you know by the afternoon."

I walk to Ava after waving Noah bye. He goes back to his friend too and I hear his friend cheering. My cheeks heat up a little. I don't fail to sense Ace's heated eyes on me but I do not look at him once. And I am sure he didn't hear what we said.

And I shouldn't care.

"So what did your good friend had to say?"

"He kind of.. asked me out?"

"Oh, so your good friend wants to be your boyfriend," Ava says casually as we walk to the next class. "What did you say?"

"Nothing," I bite my lip.

"What? Why?" Ava shrieks. "Oh, you like Ace, that's why," she adds.

"No, that is so not the reason."

We enter the almost filled science class and sit down at the back of the class.

"That's the exact reason, babe," Ava rolls her eyes, "but, you have to tell him something. It's not like he asked you to become his girlfriend. It's just a date. I say go for it."

I think about it.

"Okay," I tell her. I wish it was the certain brown-eyed devil who would ask me out and not Noah. I heave a sigh as I try to concentrate on the blabbering of the teacher who had already entered the class.

The day passes surprisingly fast. Noah looked excited when I told him I would go. He said he would take me out to dinner at seven. Which meant, I had to go to Ace's house earlier than I normally do.

I knock at his door and after a while, he opens it. He wears a sleeveless black shirt and gym pants. I hate it when he wears sleeveless clothes, his muscles are distracting.

And, I hate it when he catches me drooling at the sight.

"You can stare all you want, kitten, but let's get inside first?" he says smugly. I mumble 'I was not staring' before walking inside that earns a chuckle from him.

We go to the room. My eyes immediately fall on the canvas at the far end of the room. A pair of eyes are painted and surprisingly, they aren't grey. Or any other color, but blue.

I try to calm my heart, telling myself he didn't paint my eyes but some other chick's. That thought causes my heart to constrict but I am happy that he at least used some other colors. Ace notices where I am looking so he dashes to cover it.

We then walk to the other corner of the room, my spot as I like to call. Ace helps me with a new canvas. I have to say, Ace is a good teacher. And kisser. And, I didn't say it.

"Today, we will play with strokes," he announces as he hands me a brush.

That's what he said. Venus!

"Sharp-edged strokes only when the painting you're aiming for is a bit serious. Soft edges when you want to paint something happy," he says and hands me acrylic colors.

"Can I paint a sunset," I say, excitement clear in my voice. He chuckles slightly and says, "go ahead."

"I want you to use crosshatching painting technique, though," he adds before walking behind me and settling in one of the chairs, facing towards me.

I start with the sun. However, I stop when my phone rings in my pocket. I put it in the speaker before getting back to painting.

"Hello," I answer.

"Venus, tell me you didn't forget about the date. Wait are you having second thoughts?" Ava almost yells.

"No-," I start but I am cut off.

"As sexy as Ace is, Noah is sweet, okay? Besides Ace is a jerk. Though Ace and your children would be beautif-," my eyes widen and I hurriedly take my phone out to put it off the speaker.

"I am going on the date, Ava. I'll call you later," I tell her quickly before hanging up.

I don't dare to turn around and face Ace so I continue the painting.

"A date?" Ace says after some time like he couldn't understand it, his tone hard. I gulp and turn around to face him.

Jelly jelly.