Victoria's POV
"How dare you steal my first kiss?" I hissed, shooting daggers at Oliver with my eyes.
"And why are you so stressed about it when I could tell you enjoyed it? It was just a kiss, Victory. Besides, you don't even know how to kiss." Oliver replied with a smirk that only fueled my anger.
"If you want, I can give you a kissing tutorial. Free of charge." He added, then walked away without a second glance. In that moment, I realized I had finally met someone who would never worship me. I made a silent promise to myself: I would do everything in my power to make him pay for what he had done.
"Hey! Are you alright, Victory?" Lana asked the moment we started walking toward our second class.
"Are you kidding me? After everything that happened, you're asking if I'm okay?" I shot back. My best friend just shook her head.
"I'm boiling with anger right now, Lana. I hate him with every fiber of my being, and I will make sure Oliver Prize pays," I declared. I noticed my best friend smirking at me.
"Why do you look like that? Are you on his side now?" I asked in disbelief. Lana shook her head again.
"Nope. I don't even know him. But I'm more on..." She trailed off. I could tell she had something on her mind she was afraid to say, worried I might snap at her.
"You know you can always speak your mind to me, Lana. I won't hold it against you," I said. She hesitated before continuing.
"Well... I like Oliver."
I stared at her, horrified. "What? Are you fooling me? How can you say that when I'm your best friend?"
"This is the first time someone has ever crossed the line to kiss you. I understand you were saving your first kiss for your one true love. But you're still young, Victory. I think you need to enjoy our senior year and stop being so... rigid."
I was confused by what she meant. "Why? What am I, Lana?"
She looked at me again, and this time, my best friend was actually scaring me.
"You always act so prim and proper. I think it's about time you spread your wings and enjoy life."
"You are unbelievable, Lana. This is who I am. You never complained before. If you want, you can stop talking to me and join your other friends. I enjoy my solitude anyway," I declared. I saw the hurt flash across her face.
"Victory, I know who you are, and what others think doesn't matter to me. You are the daughter of Mr. Nicklaus Winner, the richest man in the country. Everyone on campus thinks you're the luckiest girl in the universe for being born rich. Yet, they don't know how lonely your life is. You're always left alone in your mansion with only the staff for company since your parents are busy running their businesses."
"They envy your perfect beauty and glorious body, but you find it hard to believe who is genuine because you've been fooled before. That's why you have trust issues. But you have to believe me, Victory. Not everyone is wicked. There are genuine people out there willing to be your friends. They think you're above them because of your status, but I know deep down you are the most down-to-earth person I know."
"I know you always follow the rules. You're an outstanding student because you don't want to be in trouble. You always want your parents to be proud of you, but they never recognize your achievements. I can tell you're hurting inside because you hope they'll appreciate everything you've done. I think it's time to think about yourself and stop pleasing your parents."
I shook my head. There was no way I would accept that everything she said was true.
"I have a perfect life, Lana, and I'm happy being the heiress to my father's empire. I don't care what they think as long as I continue to do what I believe is best for me. I won't get angry with you because I gave you a chance to be honest about your opinion, but I regret to inform you that none of those things you said are true."
Her face fell.
"Come on, Victory. For once, you have to get out of your comfort zone and enjoy your life. Yes, you have a perfect life because you've got it all, but I'm telling you, you are miserable."
I just shrugged my shoulders.
"I don't know what you are talking about, Lana. I was happy with my life until Oliver Prize ruined my reputation. I didn't date the hot guys who begged to date me; they all respected my decision. How could someone like him do something like that?"
"I'm sure I've become the laughingstock of the campus right now," I whispered.
"Hey, I'm sorry. I know how important your first kiss is to you. Maybe he likes you, that's why he did it, right? We know all the boys here are crazy about you; maybe the new guy isn't exempt from your charm."
I laughed, wishing she was right because I wanted to prove it to Oliver's face. I wasn't interested in him. But at the back of my mind, I couldn't stop myself from feeling nervous as I realized what Oliver said might be true.
I did enjoy the kiss. Even now, I could still feel his lips on mine. I couldn't deny I had been reliving that moment. I felt knots in my stomach, but my pride took over my senses. That was why I was so angry with him, even though my knees had gone weak after he kissed me. For the first time, I experienced what they talked about in books: the butterflies in my chest and the knots in my stomach. I experienced those things while kissing Oliver.
I became angrier, feeling frustrated when we got inside our classroom for the second period. I realized Oliver Prize was still our classmate. Girls and boys were circling him, and he looked like he owned the world. Now. It used to be me. Before class started, my classmates would surround me. They would talk and praise me, never getting tired of telling me how perfect I looked and how beautiful my dress was. They appreciated everything I owned.
Right now, he had taken the spotlight from me. Our classmates were talking with him, laughing, and I could tell he was having a blast on his first day at our school. Meanwhile, I was having the worst day of my life. I could tell he was going to become the king of our school. I hated the way he ran his hands through his shiny black hair. I could tell he was having a good time stealing everything I had.
"Hi, Victory!" he said when he caught me staring at him. I wouldn't admit that I had been looking precisely at his perfect lips when he raised his head. To recover from my embarrassment, I grimaced at him and walked towards my chair without saying a single word.
"Do you happen to miss my kiss?" he asked, which made our classmates snicker.
"In your dreams, Prize. It was a nightmare having my first kiss with you," I responded when I couldn't take it anymore.
"Well, very well said, Ms. Winner. But I think you are losing this game." He said it with total confidence.
"I am not playing any of your stupid games, Prize, so you better shut up since you are new. I never lose. Can you spell my family name? It is W-I-N-N-E-R. I am a Winner, Prize. And if you think about my name, it is Victory, so you are only a prize for my win."
I hated him even more when I heard his laughter reverberate through the entire room.
"What childish thinking. Do you think because of your name you can win, Ms. Winner? News flash: it is just a name. It's how you play the game."
I fell silent because I could feel my entire body boiling with anger. I was just glad our teacher arrived, or I couldn't have controlled it anymore. I hated that I was losing myself to Oliver Prize, that I was becoming a different person because of him.
I could tell he was trying his best to provoke me. I couldn't believe he was my classmate in all of my subjects. I think the universe was playing tricks on me.