Rules Of Engagement

Chapter 1 Savannah Michaelson POV Today was a big day I had bought an outfit especially for today. Today is the first day of school. My mother imports all my clothes from Paris but I went to a boutique yesterday to look for something cute to wear to school. I’ll be wearing a mid-thigh blush pink skirt tight fitted shirt, a white long sleeve crop top, a matching shacket with a pair of heeled beige boots. I was getting ready for battle, so I needed to be dressed for it as well. I feel someone’s eyes on me I groan a roll over. I was beat. "Good morning beautiful." Asher’s voice makes my head snap to the right and my eyes snap open. I groan what the hell is he doing here? “What the f**k are you doing in my bed?” I ask. The asshole is in my bed and comfortable. He chuckles… “You know they wouldn’t understand if I slept anywhere but in here with you…” he gives me a smug smile. I roll my eyes. “What time did you get in?” I ask him. “Five. I just got home from the airport…” he says. “Hmm” if I remember correctly his flight was delayed and he had to take a later flight… “So how was your trip?” He asks. I look at the ring on my ring finger before answering him. I spent the entire summer vacation with my best friends in Hawaii. “Great… It was a welcome break…” I tell him sitting up. I look at him. “You cut your hair?” he frowns. I smile and run my fingers through my hair. My hair used to hang on my lower back, but I cut it to below around my shoulder blades. “I did. I quite like it…” I tell him. He rolls his eyes and shake his head. “I liked it long… something to hold onto.” He winks. Give him a bored look. “You have fun in Chicago?” I ask him. He nods that signature smirk forming on his face. meaning he got laid. I roll my eyes typical. “She at least hot? I know you’ve got low standards but sometimes you just have the worst taste in girls.” I comment laying back down when I see it’s seven, I can sleep for another five minutes. “Of course, look I got with you, didn’t I?” he tries to goad me, but I don’t take the bait. Asher and I were each other’s firsts, we knew we would be married one day since the day I was born; Asher is two months and a day older than me. He was born June 20th and me August 21st, we hated one another but at the same time we were attracted to one another in some weird way. Our parents had high hopes for us growing up, it started with little comments about us being a cute couple, how perfect we were for each other. Then one day Asher and I were hiding in my father’s office when we heard about the company merger and how we were going to be married if we loved each other. They didn’t know what they would do if we didn’t love one another. Or who would inherit the company. Since that Asher and I pretended to be madly in love. Our families were best friends we were together everyday of our lives, we were ten at the time. We came up with a plan, we’d run the company together we’d put our hatred for one another aside to make our parents happy. We put up an even worse charade for the public. I close my eyes; I hope I go back to sleep… “We got the Melgrove project…” Asher says getting up from the bed. I sit up and look at him in shock. “What? You did?” stunned. He nods. “Yeah, I knew you wanted it.” I frown. Why would he do that for me? I look at him suspiciously. I’ve been trying for months to get my father agree to take the project. And one word from Asher and he agrees. “What do you want?” I ask him. He shrugs his shoulders walking to my ensuite. “Nothing Vana I just wanted to do something nice. Not everything is tit for tat. And besides this project makes us all a lot of money. I didn’t do it just for you… Not everything is about you. I’m going to shower. get some sleep you look like shit.” He says before closing the door. I glare at the door before smiling. There was more than one reason I wanted that project, and it wasn’t about the money. Melanie Melgrove is a surviving cancer patient; she plans to build a private hospital for homeless children and those who can’t afford chemotherapy. That’s why I wanted to get this project. I believe in her. she’s using her own money to fund the project and the hospital as well. She going to hire one of the best oncologists in the world. This project is near and dear to my heart. My aunt, my mother’s sister she died of cancer five years ago, I was named after her. I was really close to her. my father didn’t see the value in this project, I even offered to pay for the entire project if we come into any losses. I let out a sigh… and fall back onto the bed. Urg I’ve always hated the first day of school. RING… RING… RING… My phone ringing causes me to sigh. Why are the God’s so against me getting some more sleep? I pick up my phone and answer without opening my eyes. "Hello" I answer lazily... "You’re still sleeping Savy? How could you still be asleep, it’s the first day of school get up!" Navy shrieks in my ear. Navy Mason one of my closest friends, an annoying morning person an over-the-top personality and overall, a really good friend. She would take on a bull to protect one of her friends. "Navy take a chill pill. I’ll get up in a second. I’m waiting for Ash to get out of the shower. I’m just resting my eyes." I explain. That wasn’t the reason but if I tell her the truth, she’ll be up my ass for years to come. "He’s there with you?" she asks. I frown. She sounds weird. "Yeah, he got in around five this morning. Why do you sound like that?" I ask. “There are pictures going around of him with another girl in Chicago. They spent a lot of time together from what I could see. The whole school knows Savy.” She says softly. I groan internally. That asshole. We always keep those sorts of things private. We make sure not to go out with our dates. The main reason is because now I got to react to it. And I don’t know how I’m supposed to react. To I pretend to be angry and fight with him in front of everyone? Or do I go after the girl? how do I go after someone I don’t know? “Thank you for telling me. I’ll ask him about it, Navy…” is all I could think of to say. “Don’t worry I know exactly what to do. Can you believe it, she’s just some nobody in our class?” Navy says. I frown. “What the f**k? She’s in our class?” I ask in shock. “Yeah, someone showed pictures of her following you and Asher around its creepy to be honest.” She I frown. I have no idea who she’s talking about. I don’t really pay attention to anyone in our classes. I just go to class and walk out most of the time. And I have to give Asher most of my attention, he always does things to set me off. Last year he made sure there wasn’t enough seats in the class so I would sit on his lap and half of the class his hand was up my skirt. "I’m going to call Leigh and we’ll strategize a plan on how to get back at her for seducing Asher." She sighs. She’s sighing yet she sounds excited. The bathroom door opens, and Asher walks out in a towel around his waist. "Sure, I got to go. Asher’s done with his shower." I say. "Don’t forget to give him a talking to." she reminds. "Sure…" I say laughing. I hang up and look at Asher getting dressed. "You got something to tell me? Maybe why all of sudden you’re being nice? What happened in Chicago?" I ask him. I put my phone down and get out of bed. I walk over to where he is. I take out the clothes I plan to wear today. "I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I guess you’re going to tell me anyway?” he says his back to me as he shrugs on a pair of jeans. I feel a headache forming. "Everyone knows Asher. You were to f*****g careless. The entire school knows you cheated. What if mom and dad finds out?" He turns to me and frowns. “What the f**k are you talking about?” he asks. I sigh heavily throwing my hands in the air. f*****g asshole. "There are pictures Ash, there are pictures of you with your date all over the internet Navy just informed me, it’s a girl in our f*****g class Ash." I tell him. He frowns. “She’s from school? I could have sworn she’d told me she’s from Chicago. Oh well. you know what to do…” he tells me before grabbing a shirt. I glare at him. “You know what I’ll have to do, and you know how much I hate doing that s**t. It isn’t me. You better put your acting skills to work, to make it up to me, I promise you I’m going to make you publicly beg for my forgiveness.” I warn him. "Come on. You don’t even give a s**t about who I spend my time away from you. And why do you care, you never do any of the dirty work. Your posy does. And if the entire school knows they’ll do your work for you." he shrugs his shoulders. "You’re driving yourself to school!" I saw walking to the ensuite. "What? No, I didn’t get any sleep on the plan. You have to drive me, don’t be selfish. Vana come on." he calls after me, but I ignore him. My bathroom was a Victorian style, I loved my room was designed the exact same way. It was a birthday present from my father two years ago. I was obsessed with anything pretty and girly. I had the tattoos to prove it, I have a butterfly on my left arm, a heart with an infinity sign in it on my ring finger under my engagement ring. I have a unicorn on my left arm. None of my tattoos are very visible when I’m wearing a long sleeve or when I wore a jacket. My father would kill me if he saw them. My mother knew about them, but my father didn’t. he still believes I’m his little girl. I took a quick shower and walked to my walk-in closet I let out a sigh of relief when I see Asher went downstairs already. I really didn’t feel like speaking to him anymore. He always got on my last nerve. We couldn’t have a civil conversation without one of us getting pissed off. This morning before Navy called that we’ve spoken without screaming at one another. I got dressed and made my way downstairs. I check my i********: notifications. I see a bunch of people feeling sorry for me and some guys asking if I was single. I stand on the stairs and take a selfie of myself. I upload the picture, the caption… Excited about the first day of school… I walk down the stairs and enter the dining room; my parents and Asher sit together speaking. My dad reading the newspaper and my mother eating fruit. This is a very morning event; I walk in kissing my mom and dad on the cheek before taking a seat next to my fiancé. The maid Cece, set a plate in front me. She already knew what I wanted before I said anything… "Are you two excited for your senior year?" my father Bruce Michaelson asks. I smile brightly. "Of course, I am daddy. It’s my last year before I start college and follow in your footsteps… And there’s only one day until our wedding…" I say excitedly. I look at Asher. He smiles and she’s, his head. My father nods. “Have you heard about the Melgrove project?” my father asks. I nod. biting into my French toast. “I want you and Asher to take point on this project. I want you to show me that the tow of you have what it takes to run a company.” My father surprises me. Even my mother looks at my father in shock. “Bruce be reasonable, they should spend their last year of high school enjoying their youth, they’re getting married next year and starting college they won’t have another chance to enjoy their lives” My mother Carly tries to reason with my father… My father shakes his head. “Brian and I thought about this for a very long time. Anything can happen to us, and we have to make sure they’re ready to do whatever it takes to pass all their classes and handle this project. They’re going to have multiple projects to handle when they take over place running the company. We have to make sure they can handle this. They are our sole heirs Carly we need to give them as much training as we possibly can.” My father suddenly sounds sombre. I nod. “I understand daddy. I promise we’ll do our best…” I smile. Asher doesn’t say anything, but I can see his clenching his fork. Asher was eating his crazy health food. Steamed veg and chicken breasts made in the oven the way he liked it. He was upset… I could understand his anger, he was planning on still playing hockey this year. Asher was really good at it. That was one of the things he loved most. It was his father’s way of making him stop. My father on the other hand believes this was for the best. Asher was your typical jock; he got his looks from his father. From the blonde curls laying messily on his head, then the striking blue eyes and the athletic body. He was a huge guy. Whereas I had black hair I got from my father and green eyes from my mother. I had my dad’s pale skin; I did get a tan during summer vacation. "You cut your hair?" my mother asks changing the subject. "Yes, I had it done when I got home last week." I tell her. My father looks over at me and frowns. "Don’t you think it’s a little too short?" he asks. I shake my head. "No, I like it like this. I think I’ll keep it this length for a while." I say looking down not wanting him to see him disapprove of my hair cut. "So, are you playing Hockey again this season?" my mother asks Asher. He looks at her and nods. "It’s my plan. I’m hoping to get a scholarship to play in College as well." Asher says. My mother nods. “Good luck with that. Let me know when your games are, and I’ll attend.” She smiles. "When are the two of you leaving it’s almost eight?" My dad asks looking at his wristwatch. I sigh… "I’m leaving now daddy. Asher is driving himself to school…" I say getting up from my chair and walking up to my room to get my things. "You’re being a b***h again. Just let me go with you. You know if you arrive alone people are going to speak about the f*****g video." Asher says. I pause at my bedroom door. "What video?" I ask turning to him. "When I logged into the school messaging board there’s a video of me f*****g this girl." he says. I nod... To be honest I didn’t care. But with us taking over this project, if we get bad press who could kill this project. I want nothing more than to strangle him right now. He loves putting me in situations like this. And it’s my job to fix it. "You knew people were already worried about us spending the break apart and you took a f*****g s*x tape?" I ask. “You know I would never do s**t like that. Someone must have followed us. I would never do that s**t especially if it’s going to hurt the company.” He sighs and walks past me into the room. "Fine, but you’re driving… Happy couple and all…" I tell him. "Sure… Why am I not surprised. You always got to punish me when doing me a favor. When it benefits the both of us.” He grumbles, picking up his wallet and keys. He takes his backpack as well. I grab my purse and walk out my room, I knew he was right behind me. I wave bye to my parents; I grab a bowl of yogurt and fruit to eat on the way to school. I was still a little hungry. He walks over to his sports car. Of course, he got a new one. And it’s red. I get in. “You f*****g mess in my car I’m going to leave you on the side of the car. I got it last week.” He warns. I roll my eyes; I couldn’t care less. The drive to school was beyond boring. I need to plan out my year, so I’ll have time to work on this project. I was student council President, and I was in almost every elective available at our school. I was a cheerleader (To be a supportive girlfriend), I was on the dance club (Well this one is because I actually loved to dance.) and lastly, I was on the debate team (This was a suggestion from my father to help me with negotiations and running the company). “What are we going to do about this project?” I ask Asher. He shrugs his shoulders. “Honestly, I don’t know. You could drop dance and cheerleading. I’m going to have to work something out with my classes if I want to keep playing Hockey.” He says softly. I pull a face and nod. We pull up to the school. Asher sighs. We both know its time to put our game faces on. We're about to be in love and we dont have any problems.