The Bad Boy's Muse

One step to friendship...

Rohan's POV

'Ding-a-ling'...

The school bell rang, probably the last class for the day. I picked up my bag and looked towards Grace, who sat demurely at her desk. She was arched backwards, her legs were curled in a Cambridge cross, she was reading one of the school text I had given to her upon request. Reading with so much apt that got me wondering how Statistics could be so interesting.

"Grace," I called out, trying to get her attention.

"Yes!" she looked up innocently from the book as she pursed her lips in annoyance.

"It's time to go home," I told her, watching as her expression changed from an annoyed one to happy.

"Really?" a smile played on her lips. I simply nodded.

"But how do I know that school is..." she trailed off, looking for the right word.

"Finished? over?" I supplied.

"Yes," she nodded her head "how do I know?".

"When you hear the last bell, it shows that school is out for that day. That's how," I sighed gently.

"Oh!" she shrugged her shoulders "Could you lend me this book?" she pointed to the Statistics textbook in her hand.

"Why?" my brows furrowed in a frown.

"Nothing. Although the book has a lot of numbers in it, it seems interesting. If you lend it to me today, I'll bring it to school tomorrow".

"Okay! suit yourself" I shrugged my shoulders and started towards the door. 

When I got to the door of the class, I noticed, much to my chagrin, that Grace was still sitting in her seat.

"Grace?" I called out.

"Yes!" she responded.

"Why are you still in your seat?" I asked.

"Nothing, I am waiting for my Aunt Harriet. She told me she will pick me up after school".

"She told you she would come to the class and pick you up?" I stared at her in amusement. Everything seemed as if she was acting, only she wasn't.

"Yes," she nodded.

"And you think she would come to the class to pick you up?" I crossed my arms.

"Well, I thought I had to stay here till she comes." she shrugged.

"Wait for her outside the school compound till she comes," I told her again.

She nodded her head and stood up and started walking towards me that was when I noticed she seemed so uncomfortable in the gown she was putting on. The Denim gown hugged all of her curves, sparing only a pair of long legs enclosed in a pantyhose for the world to see.

"You seem uncomfortable in your gown?" I glanced at her side-ways as we walked side-by-side.

She blushed to her roots and avoided my eyes.

"Are you?" I asked again.

"I am not used to exposing so much skin," she started "My Aunt Harriet had called all the clothes I brought from Bristol an abomination and insisted I come to school with this one. I really don't like it," she sighed.

"You look good in the gown," I complimented her.

"Uh... thank you" she blushed again. 

By now, we've walked past the classrooms, and we were heading towards the gate. She had remained silent throughout the walk, making me wonder if she was thinking of something or someone else, I mused. 

I sneaked a peek at her and saw how both brows furrowed in a frown. She was definitely thinking of something. I knew I had decided not to cause any trouble in my new school, not because of my parents, but because of the family I am staying with. The Gupta's had been so wonderful to me since my arrival in New York and more especially when they discovered I had a passion for the Arts, Mr Gupta had cleared the basement and helped me set up a little art studio where I could practice now and then. He was a far cry from my dad, who is always concerned about himself alone.

"So, about what you asked me in class today about being my friend..." I exhaled as she turned towards me and regarded me with a soft expression. I wanted to paint her so badly.

"If the offer is still up, I am ready to be your friend." I added.

"Hours ago, you refused to make me a friend. What caused the change of heart?" She tilted her head in surprise.

"W-well," I stuttered "first I am also an exchange student from India and I know how hard it is to make new friends especially in an environment like this and it's even harder because you've never been in a real school so I wouldn't want people to take advantage of you unjustly," I pitched, hoping silently she doesn't object to the suggestion.

"Yes. I know I am all of this Jasper but when you rejected my friendship offer I felt so bad and unwanted so forgive me If I am sceptical about accepting another friendship invitation from you." she narrowed her eyes.

Fighting the urge not to sigh, I shuffled my feet. Whoever says women with royal blood are timid may have never met one.

"Okay!" I raised my hands in defeat "I apologize. I am sorry for my conduct for the first time. Can we start afresh as friends," I gave her my best smile?

She responded with a beautiful smile showing dimpled cheek and perfectly filed dentition. 

"Could you also teach me some things I didn't understand in the statistics text?" she asked.

"Of course, Grace. I will teach you anything you want. However, you understand that you're supposed to respond in the same way. For instance, If I need help with something, you can do me the favour because we're friends," I maintained eye contact.

"Okay! that sounds great and what do I get?" she smiled coyly.

"For starters, you get to talk like a real American student, including you'll know how to relate appropriately with them. Get wardrobe advice and get to tour this beautiful country with me." I pressed my lips together, stopping myself from smiling.

"Okay, those terms are agreeable." she smiled again.

"Yeah. Let's shake to seal our agreement" I stretched out my right hand and clasped hers in mine. 

This was one step towards friendship, and I will take it.

***

Grace's POV

I lounged lazily on my bed with a smile on my face. Thoughts of Jasper; Rohan lingered in my head as I fought not to think about him. I didn't realize how much he affected me until when I got home. My thoughts had constantly strayed to him. The statistics text I was reading laid opened on my bed while I closed my eyes thinking about Rohan. His dark curls were curled perfectly. Not a single strand was out of place.

"Rohan" I whispered his name into the empty room, hugging the teddy on my bed tight. I couldn't deny it attracted me to him. 

I sighed again as I picked up my book to read. Aunt Harriet had gone back to work after picking me up from school. On the drive back, she was explaining how I could get a bus and come back home from school, informing me she would only care about that this week, after which I had to learn to take myself to school and back. 

I couldn't wait to learn how...

I couldn't wait to explore every opportunity and all of my long-hidden fantasy; rising from the bed, I went towards shelf at the corner of my room where I had stacked all of my favourite book including the book that housed my bucket list. I held the book in my hands, smiling sadly because of the fond memories I had of it. Every week, sometimes days, I and my governess Rose will take evening strolls to the park; of course she'd lie to mother and tell her she needs to teach me something environmental or a demonstration; which always worked because my mother was so determined to make sure I turn into a proper Bristol lady. The one who'd attract Dukes and Lords and Princes. 

Then, on our favourite park bench, we would write out amazing things we've read from either books or things we randomly thought about. The week before father died, we already had 22 things in my bucket list and we decided we'd use this summer to prepare finally get to them bucket list. 

But fate happened. 

I took the book with me to the bed as I opened the first page,

"I am born to be great things and not just a woman. I hold the axiom that I am the owner of my life and intend to explore it to the fullest regardless of society, pressure and family".

I smiled fondly at my tiny, hand-writing, scrawled on the first page of the book. I was only 10 when I had written it, and I was so determined to be a different English lady. 

I turned the next page; it was a photograph of I and Rose. My lips curled into a smirk as I looked at the person standing next to Rose. That could have easily passed as a boy and his mother. For my 11th birthday, Rose had promised to get me an ice-cream as a treat (because we're never allowed to take sugar). So, I had patiently waited in my room, thinking she would smuggle an ice-cream bowl to me but to my surprise, she told me we were going to the ice-cream shops ourselves. 

~~~

"How?" I stared at her in confusion "The entire Bristol will be on fire when they hear a lady went to the ice-cream shop accompanied by her governess,". 

"What if you're dressed as a boy?" she tickled me playfully "No one will pay attention to a little boy and his mom eating from a big bowl of ice-cream,". 

"That makes perfect sense if I were a boy and if you looked like a mother," I turned away in impatience, this wasn't the birthday I had envisioned. 

"If I were a boy, even just for a day, I'd roll out of bed in the morning, throw on what I wanted, then go," Miss Rose sang Beyoncé's song, twisting her body and making sultry eye movement. 

It was difficult to always to always imagine she was a governess. She had the experience, but she wasn't your regular, kind of governess and if my mother is not find out; she'd kill the both of us. 

"Drink beer with the guys," I joined in, holding my hand over my mouth in a makeshift microphone with my back against hers. 

"And chase after girls," Miss Rose piped.

"I can get with who I wanted and never get confronted for it, cos the stick up for me," I sang. 

"So, today you're going to be a boy. When you get much older, you can hold a protest than will make ice-cream shops for everyone," she stopped me just in time as I was already into the song. 

"Okay," I sighed "I trust you," I piqued. 

"Good, so we're going to do some makeovers so you can look hard like a boy and eventually, if they catch us, just tell them that, we are doing a text from Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet,".

"But nothing in Romeo and Juliet talks about changing your identity," I argued. 

"Do they know?" she narrowed her eyes "Believe me darling, people are more concerned about other people's business in this part of the world than care about who Romeo and Juliet is. So, they'd simply nod and commend my efforts in schooling you into the best, best woman on earth,".

"Alright," I clapped my hand enthusiastically "Let's go for it bébé".

So, an hour later, we were sitting across each other, stuffing ourselves with ice-cream with lots of toppings and no one gave us the slightest of attention. Thereafter, we took the picture as a proof one day in case someone wants to rebuff our claim. 

"I miss you Rose," I sighed, closing the book.

She would have known what to do...always.