3 Guys And A Girl

BING BING!

I look away from my seat behind the counter.

“Hey, dad.”

“Hi, sweetie. I think I might have found something you’ll like.” My father dug into his pocket and pulled out is phone. He quickly tapped some numbers, and showed me what was on the screen. A young boy, with dark olive skin smiled back at me. He was decorated in cream silk robes, embroidered with gold and colourful gems. He looked like a prince. I turned to face my father.

“Seriously? Dad, I want to find my own love, ok?” He sighed. I could tell he didn’t think I was capable of finding someone ‘worthy’ enough for me.

“So you are going to work at this cafe for the rest of your life? I think not! I have already arranged with his manager for him to see you.” I gasped, then I felt something burn inside me. Fury.

“Dad, this isn’t the 16th century! For crying out loud, I don’t even know him!” I clasped my hands over my mouth. I wished my head worked faster then my brain. He looked surprised, eyes widened. “Now you are certainly going to meet him.”

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“Come on, honey. We want him to know you ‘dig’ the whole Indian royalty thing, so get into this sari already!” My mother tugged the sari over my head. I guess I might actually like him when I meet him, but not now!

“But what if I don’t actually ‘dig’ the whole Indian thing? Maybe I just want to date a young American like me like Xavier, who I actually know and who doesn’t look 5 years younger than me?! What about that, huh?!” As I practically scream at my mother, I try to tear off the sari. She sighed at me, just like my father does. She stands up and tries to clasp me into a hug. I pull away from her, then run to the door. Not this time! I think, pulling my sari behind me. I turn around to face the marble corridor, to see two male bodyguards, who grab me, and pull me away.

“Hey!” I cry as they pull me out of the foyer. One puts a hand over my mouth. Yech. His hand cream got in my mouth and it tasted DISGUSTING. They pulled my down the front steps, and basically threw me into the limousine. I hear a screech of tyres, then we drive out the front gates.

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I think that if we are I am going to be in the car for a while, I should at least occupy myself. I pull my iPhone from my bike shorts, and press the Instagram app. I quickly look up my crushes name, Xavier Smith, and gaze at photos of him. My father looks over at me as I giggle at a photo of him naked, his private’s covered with an adorable puppy, and I immediately stop giggling, and blush. I scroll down the comments after pressing the like button. All the messages say stuff like ‘so adorbs’ and ‘give me!’ Except for one. Alicia sent it. Alicia. I frowned, because the message said; hey babe. Check my chat with u!

That’s when I realise, I should request to chat with him. I click the chat button, and search up his name, and swiftly type to him, and after awhile of me typing to nothing, I put my phone in my lap. That’s when I hear a buzz. I pick up my phone. Could it be Xavier?! Aah. Just his name makes my heart melt like chocolate. But no. Just mum, wishing me luck with the new guy. I roll my eyes, trying to not let the welled up tears in my eyes to trickle down my face. So annoying. I hear the buzz again. Xavier! I unlock my phone and go into Instagram. He replied to my messages with hey.

oh...hi.

As we chat, I realise my dad is looking out the window. I just start typing, to one of his messages about how he thinks I’m cool, when dad turns away from the window and taps me in the shoulder. “We’re here.” He says, and the car stops. I briskly type in GTG. I look out the window. I take a deep breath in, and open the door.

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The ‘king’ guy, the dad of the ‘prince’ guy, comes to greet us with open arms. He grasps dad in a hug, but when he comes to hug me, he stops in his tracks.

“Such beauty! You must be Claudia. So pretty, for an American anyway!” He starts chuckling and dad awkwardly laughs along too. I look at him, eyebrows furrowed, when a handsome boy a bit older than me clears his throat. He whispers something into the odd mans ears and the ‘king’ clasps his hands together, and him and the cute guy both bow down, arms facing the huge gold door. After a bang of doors being open, musicians with drums and cymbals and dancing ladies pile out to reveal the ‘prince’ guy in the centre of them all. The servant starts singing Prince Ali, from Aladdin, but instead of Ali, he sang Prince Hakim, and when he got to the second chorus, which I was actually enjoying for the servant was a very handsome and talented singer, the ‘king’ finally put a stop to it, and with one last blow of a kazoo, it stopped. Silence filled the air, until the servant cleared his throat again, and introduced us to Hakim. But I couldn’t help but notice the whole time he was staring at me with his gorgeous blue eyes. I blushed, until my dad nudged me and mouthed ‘introduce yourself, too!’ I scowled at him, and said

“Um... hi. I’m Claudia. May I ask a question?” The ‘king’ nodded.

“Are you guys actually royalty, because it would be a bit odd calling you that if you weren’t.” The king opened his mouth to talk, but closed it and shook his head. Awkward.

“Justin will show you to your room.” My room? I turned my head, my piercing green eyes furious widened towards him. He mouthed sorry at me, then bowed to the ‘king’, announcing he would now leave. Justin nudged my shoulder. Putting out an arm, he said “Would you like me to show you to your room now?” He asked, pretending to be posh. Playing along, I grinned then said to him “That would be... pleasant.” I took his arm, and he led me inside. Hakim smiled at me weirdly as we passed. I smiled back, eyebrows furrowed. As soon as we got through the door, he closed it shut.

“I liked your singing,” I said to him, blushing profusely. I had only ever felt this way before with Xavier, but this was different. He actually wanted to talk to me, unlike Xavier who didn’t really notice I was trying to start a conversation.

“Thanks.” He replied, then span me around. I laughed then lost my balance. I fell into his arms, and I smiled up at him. He helped me up on my feet, and took me upstairs.

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“Here we are,” says Justin, opening a door.

“I’m next door, in case you need me for anything.” He blushed, then laughed,

“God, that was cheesy!” We cracked up again, then our laughs trailed off into a blush.

“Well... I’ll see you soon... I mean later.” He looked at me as he left the doorway, then accidentally slammed into the wall. I laughed, blushing, and he began laughing too.

“See ya.”

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As I collapse onto my bed face first, I laugh with joy. Someone I loved... loved me back. At least, I think he does. I hear my phone buzz. You free tomorrow nite? I typed back, you betcha I am! So hot. I took off my sari, and opened the wardrobe, to reveal lots of multicoloured saris and a box. I opened a box, nervously. T-shirts and jeans, dresses and skirts, hoodies and shorts, and lots more casual stuff. I pulled on a sleeveless playsuit, and untied my hair. My wavy locks looked so much better out. I opened the door, and there was Hakim.

“Were you watching me change?!” I ask him. He shook his head, then a goofy smile spread across his face and he nodded.

“CREEP!” I cry, pushing him out my way. I furiously knocked on Justin’s door, and he opened it immediately. I stamped in and sat on his bed.

“What’s up?” He asked patiently after closing his door.

“That creep Hakim watched me change!”

“That is gross!” He poked out his tongue, and we laughed. There was silence for a moment, then he coughed, and I looked at him.

“I know this is kinda weird... but ever since I saw you... I feel like I’ve known you for a billion years.” He shuffled closer to me. I moved a little closer to him as well, until our faces were only half an inch away from each other.

“Same.” Our mouths opened at the same time, his blue eyes gazing into mine. But it wasn’t just my eyes he was looking into. It was my soul as well. He moved so our faces were kissing distance. I blushed, and as we silently puckered up, the door slammed open. Hakim!

“Can’t you give anyone a little privacy?!” I screamed at him, and he shook his head. He squinted at us both. Then he stared right at me. “In case you’ve forgotten, he is MY servant, not your lover.” Lover? “What do you mean, lover?” I asked him.

“I don’t have a boyfriend!” He muttered under his breath,

“Not yet at least.” I gaped at him, speechless. Justin head was in his hands. I stood up. “Do you want to tell me something or not?” I asked him.

“Father told me to remind you of our date tomorrow night.” Date?! “ OK... but only if Justin can come. AND at the movies.” He nodded, and left the room. Justin’s alarm clock beeped. “Oh! Time for dinner. I suggest you change.” I nod, then leave the room.

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As I sit down, I notice Hakim smiling creepily at me. I few minutes later, Justin comes, and sits next to me. I shuffle my seat a little closer to him, trying not to make a noise.

“You like you’re room?” The ‘king’ asks me, and it takes me a few minutes to realise he is talking to me, since Justin is squeezing my leg.

“Oh, yes. It is very nice, thank you .” The ‘king’ nods, and reminds me of our ‘date’.

“You can go home tomorrow night, but don’t forget the date! We have secured three back row seats in gold class for you lovers and Justin.” Just hearing him say ‘lovers’ in that way makes me feel sick. As I finish eating my dhal, rice, naan and poppadoms, I excuse myself and head up to my room. As soon as I’m in, I remember, XAVIER! Xavier asked me on a date tomorrow night too! Wait. No need to panic. He hasn’t said where it was going to be yet. I sigh with relief. I hear that familiar buzz. Xavier. The text is asking where I would like to go. I text him back, telling home to get a back row seat in the gold class cinema. Good to get that off my shoulders. That’s when I hear a knock.

“Room service!”

“Justin!” I laugh, and pull him into my room. He kisses me again. My lips burn with love.

“Can I ask you something?” He nods, and starts kissing my neck. It tickles, so I laugh.

“Why do you work here for these Indian guys?” He stops kissing. “I’m sorry...” I murmur.

“No no... it’s ok. Um, it’s because my parents abandoned me on their front steps and soon after they were murdered. They took me in, even though I’m from a different culture and all.” Tears welled up in his eyes. In mine too. Except mine streamed down my face like waterfalls.

“I’m so sorry.” I grasped him into a hug. He hugs back and says,

“Me too.”

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Soon after I came home from the ‘palace’, I had to get ready for the date. I was seeing three guys on the same night, at the same time. I’d make sure Hakim had to sit on the aisle seat, so I could sit next to my actual crushes. The limousine was ready for me, and this time, I didn’t have to be taken. I did it myself. I think dad was pretty shocked by this, because he embarrassingly said to me before I left, “You must really love this guy, huh?” He smiled, holding mum as I left through the door. I waved goodbye before I left, then hopped into the limousine. As he drove me to EASTWAYS cinema, I saw Xavier and Justin talking to each other by the door. I ran over to join them.

“Hi... um how do you guys know each other?” I asked them.

“Oh, we just had a chat while waiting. Did you know this guy works for the ‘prince’ here? He isn’t an actual prince but basically is, because they are related to the real Indian royal family.” Xavier explains to me. Justin winks at me.

“And we both just happen to be in the same row!” I smile and mouth thank you to him. I think he knew what the situation was. Just at that moment, it started to rain. We all rushed inside to the foyer, where Hakim was buying popcorn.“Oh! The movie is about to start!” We rushed into gold class and ordered our food. I looked at what the movie was. Love In Paris. A romantic movie? Great. On one side of me was Xavier, the other Justin. Xavier whispered in my ear, while Justin grabbed my hand and squeezed it. I told them both, “I’m just going to the toilet quickly.” I rushed out.

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As I left the cinema, I bumped into Hakim. “Oh, hi Claudia. Um, dad told me to give you this.” He shoved his bucket of popcorn into my arm, and shoved his buttery hand into his pocket. He pulled out a little velvet box. Oh no.

“Claudia Wates, I give you this ring as a symbol of love, and I hope that in the future we will be more than just boyfriend girlfriend. That we can be husband and wife.” I looked at him. “I’m really sorry, Hakim, but I don’t love you. My heart belongs to someone else.”

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I rushed outside, sobbing in the rain. I felt really guilty about Hakim even though I didn’t feel for him. I let the rain wet me, when it stopped. No, it was still raining, just not on me. I look up to see Justin with an umbrella. I jump up, and put my arms around him. He drops his umbrella. I look at it then pick it up. He takes I from me, and throws it back on the ground.

“Sorry...” I take my arms off him. “Don’t be sorry.” He says to me, barely a whisper. He pulls me close, his face close to mine. His soft lips touch mine. I kiss him back, and he lifts me into his arms. Another delicate kiss touched me, and then I realise. This must be love.