A Definitive Guide to Boys (a novel)

Bella Rose Richardson had a reputation to uphold. For three consecutive years at South Pacific High, she had been the epitome of punctuality, her presence at school akin to clockwork precision. Yet, as fate would have it, her unwavering record was threatened on the inaugural day of her final year. The morning unfolded with picturesque serenity, nature's canvas painted with gentle clouds adrift against a vast cerulean sky. Amidst the tranquility, Bella Rose found herself in a frantic race against time, each step a gasp for air as perspiration marred her uniform. This tardiness, inconceivable in light of her pristine track record, was the consequence of a single errant alarm—a trivial misstep with potentially dire consequences. Detention or community service loomed as unwelcome prospects, stark reminders of her fallibility amidst a sea of achievements. Three blocks from the school, the gravity of her predicament intensified. The morning rituals had concluded, gates likely sealed shut against stragglers, guarded by vigilant prefects and stern security personnel. Detention was an unwelcome intrusion on her meticulously planned day, an outcome she staunchly opposed. Detention or community service wasn't on her to-do list for the day. There was no way she would be spending her afternoon in such a manner. There was too much at stake. Out of breath and out of options, she turned away from the school and gambled her reputation by sneaking her way inside, like other delinquents had done. After all, it was her last year, and nobody would know or care, right? In her pursuit of discretion, Bella Rose found herself at an impasse—an imposing wall obstructing her path, adorned with foliage concealing its summit. Doubt gnawed at her resolve as she surveyed the formidable barrier, doubts she sought to dispel with sheer determination. "There are a lot of delinquent students who do this kind of stuff... all the time. I can totally climb up there," she thought to herself. "Totally," she swallowed. Staring at the wall again, she imagined what the headlines would be tonight. A sixteen-year-old student died because of stupidity. Her mind raced with ways she could climb the wall without tearing her uniform, messing up her makeup, or hair, or her freshly pink manicured nails, or hurting herself, when a deep, raspy voice asked, "Are you climbing or just planning to stare at it all day?" Startled, she turned to see a guy standing with a stoic face, waiting for her response. He was tall, with medium-length dark black hair and a streak of blonde on the left side of his bangs, covering half his face. His pierced nose glinted in the morning sunlight. There was an ominous aura around him that screamed danger. Definitely not someone you could trust, but to her relief, he was wearing a South Pacific uniform. She smiled. "Well?" he asked impatiently. "I don't have all day." "I don't know what you mean," she replied. He rolled his eyes and furrowed his brows. "You're blocking the way. Are you going to climb or not?" "Oh, yeah, yeah. I am. Just... chill out," she held up her hand. Sizing up the wall and fuming at the irritating guy, Bella considered giving up. But the second class bell blared. With a determined reach, she began her ascent, ignoring his grumbles. Reaching the top, she perched smugly, "See? Piece of cake." He rolled his eyes and climbed up the wall with no difficulties, landing on the other side with zero effort, as if he'd done this several times. "Show off," she muttered. He dusted off his uniform and started to walk towards the school building, while she looked down and felt the world spin a bit. She was seated so high she couldn't move. "I just remembered I was afraid of heights." "He-he-hey!" Bella Rose shouted in panic. He stopped but didn't look back. "Hey! Can you help me down?" He continued walking, deaf to her pleas. "Heeeeeey!" she shouted. When he stopped in his tracks, she smiled and continued, "Caan yoou pleease heelp mee doown?" "What?" he asked. "I'm stuck." "How is that my problem?" "Just please help me down." "What for?" he scoffed. "Okay. Rude." "What for?" Bella mimicked. His lips curled on the side, making him look like the devil himself. Scary. "A hundred bucks." "WHAT?? I'm not giving you a hundred." "Okay, then," he shrugged and added, "Have fun there," he turned and held up his hand to wave."Okay, okay, okay. Wait!" she shouted desperately. "What? No pleeease?" "Please help me down," she mumbled to herself. He turned his back again and continued walking, this time he put in his ear pods and meddled with his phone. "This guy!" she fumed. With no other option, Bella Rose looked right down to see how high she was, but vertigo swirled up, making her nauseous and blurring her vision a bit. She squinted her eyes to stop."Okay, okay. You win," she snapped her eyes open and forced down a smile. He chuckled. "Two hundred." "You are despicable," she burst out. He smiled crookedly in agreement. "And for that, it's up to three hundred. Take it or leave it, Princess," he dared. Both her brows shot up, her mouth hung open to protest when he pointed a finger to stop her and added, "Four." "You monster," she muttered to herself. "Five hundred, Princess." "I said fine," she replied, annoyed, and forced out a smile. He walked back and stood there like a statue, looking at her. "Well?" "Well, what?" "Jump." "Are you insane?! I said help me down, not help me die." "You are not going to die. It's not even that high," he threw her an exasperated look. "Just jump, Princess." "Easy for you to say." She gazed at the school building, swarming with students, wondering if she screamed loud enough, someone might hear her. "Any day now, Princess." Defeated, she threw her bag into one of the bushes below, regretting asking for help from a total stranger who was more concerned about ripping her off than actually helping her. She took a second look at him and noticed from this view he had a bandage on one of his hands and another on his shoulder. He looked untrustworthy. As far as she knew, he wouldn't even catch her, and she'd just end up six feet deep in one of these gigantic trees, never to see the light of day again. She let out a deep sigh and looked over the school building again. Her eyes landed on two students walking near them. She straightened her back, hoping that someone human enough might help her. They only needed to turn their heads toward her, wave both of her hands frantically, and they'd surely notice her. She opened her mouth to shout at them but noticed a red band on each side of the students' arms that read. Ugh, out of all people, it had to be prefects. The two prefects walked down the dirt path, talking silently. When the other prefect turned his head towards her direction, panic surged through her as she jumped off the ledge, not realizing she hadn't given the rude guy a heads up. Her face paled, wishing he'd noticed she had already jumped. She was certain that she'd fall face-first, but she felt big, warm hands on her waist instead. Her body tensed at the stranger's touch. Panic coursed through her, and a thousand different images rolled in her mind like a movie. It was almost disorienting, but somehow, the world stood still when she stared face to face with the otherworldly eyes she had ever seen. It was a twinkling spiral of green and brown with speckles of gold that sparked whenever he blinked his thick, black lashes. It was surreal to find such gorgeous eyes in the head of a person who looked like a criminal, and even more concerning when she caught a whiff of his sweet perfume. It reminded her of the beautiful flowers in her mom's green garden in the backyard when she was little. She bit her lip and let out a deep sigh, imagining how amazing it would be if he said yes. He could be her true love, the one she was hoping and waiting for. She had hoped that she'd finally be able to find who she was looking for, the one who would make her feel butterflies, happy, content, and complete. The right person who would sweep her off her feet. Her palm started to sweat at the thought of asking him directly, though. He didn't seem like someone who was into her, but maybe he was. No, no, no... It would be easy, she thought, just casually ask him out for coffee, as thanks. Surely, no one would suspect that she was going to do something crazy after that. Besides, if this didn't work out, she'd be okay with that. She wasn't really into guys who were dark and broody, but she could make an exception for the magnificent beast before her. Well, of course, minus the piercing eyes, nose piercing, and rude attitude. It's something she could work on. "I believe you owe me a thousand?" the magnificent beast asked. "I'm sorry, what?" And with that, all her senses came back, telling her 'nope'. He looked like an angel, but he was definitely the devil. "We made a deal, princess," he stepped forward, closing the gap between them, looking down at her. She didn't realize he was this tall. She liked tall guys. So maybe he's not that bad. Make up your mind, Rose. She bit her lip again and cleared her throat. "Wa-wait, what happened to five hundred?" "Not when you jump off like a maniac and almost broke my arm," he raised his hand with a bandage and added, "For a little girl, you weigh like a ton." Her eye twitched at his last comment. "Ugh, I'm sorry?" "Yeah, you should be," Bella Rose's nose flared at his reply. With all her strength, she pushed him on his chest as hard as she could to make him back off, but it only did a little. He chuckled at her attempt at a fight. She considered kicking him or stepping on one of his feet to claw out the ego from his large head but disregarded the idea, knowing that she was never going to win against this strong, hard-chested, tall psycho. "Unbelievable," she rolled her eyes at him. "I know," he smirked. Bella Rose scoffed. Yep, not feeling any ounce of true love here. She turned her back to him and picked up her bag from one of the bushes heavily, prepared to pay the guy when he stifled a laugh. "Yeah, yeah. You're hilarious," she muttered. "Uhm... hey, princess," he cleared his throat. She looked back at him with a strained face.Her brows knit in annoyance at what he was on about now, when he pointed at her skirt caught in one of the bushes. "Now that's something I don't see every day," he blurted out. It was like her world stopped spinning, and there was a lump in her throat, itching to shout at the top of its lungs until all the air inside of her ran out. Blood drained from her head and face, her hand instantly flying up in the air and onto the guy's face. Smack! "YOU p*****t!!" she shrieked and bolted towards the school building with her bag clutched in her arms, leaving behind a stunned guy.