Sorry for the wait! I had my board exams so couldn't write.. just finished the theory papers there's still the practicals... here you go the 9th chapter.. enjoy reading :)  

6 years ago...

"You never learn your lesson, do you?" A group of school kids were holding a boy down as a tall fat boy with brown eyes and black hair hit the boy on his face.

"Argh!" The young boy tried to fight back as he struggled out of their hold and glared at them with his hazel eyes.

The other boys quickly grabbed him again and the fat one clicked his tongue.

"Tsk... tsk... tsk... Now..." he smirked as he clenched his fist and hit the poor boy again.

The boy tried to free himself but in vain.

"Hey!" A girl in her late teens shouted from behind, "What the hell are you guys doing?" She ran towards them shouting at them.

The fat one glared at her and shouted, "none of your business!"

"You brat! whom are you glaring at?" She hit on the fat boy's head.

"And whom do you think you're touching?" He tried to hit her back but she smoothly dodged his punch.

"This little brat! You're the one fighting here in your school uniform and you still dare to talk back to me?" She scolded the boy with her hands on her hips.

"Listen, woman! run away now.... you don't want to mess with us!" The other boy warned her.

The girl rolled her eyes, "oh yeah? you guys leave that boy alone and run away now, I don't fight with kids." she clicked her tongue shaking her head.

"oh yeah?" All of them surrounded her.

A few minutes later

The 7 boys were beaten into a pulp.

"And, you were saying something?" She leaned her elbow on the boy's shoulder who was being beaten by them as she looked at the boys who were now beaten up by her. "Try not to mess with your elders hmm?" she chuckled.

"Okay now let's cut the chase, here!" She took her phone out and showed them a video where the boys were ganging up and beating the boy.

"Do you want this video delivered to your principal and get expelled from your school or would you mind listening to this big sister here?" She smiled at them.

"We're sorry." The boys hung their heads as they sobbed.

"Okay now repeat after me, always respect your elders, be good kids, and go to school and do not bunk the classes doing unnecessary things! And if next time I see you guys bullying anyone, this video here will go up to your principal, not just that, I'll make you guys famous in Utube. You want me to do that?" She narrowed her eyes at them.

"No!" They shout in unison.

"Good! Now, what will you guys do?" She waved the phone screen in front of them.

"always respect your elders, be good children, and go to school and do not bunk the classes doing unnecessary things." They repeated her words.

"And?"

"We'll not bully anyone." They cried.

"Good! now get out!" She shouted.

The boys ran for their lives.

"And you, are you okay?" She turned to the victim, "should we go patch you up?" She looked at him with concern.

"Mind your own business!" The boy yelled at her.

"Oi! I just saved you 'kay? that's how you repay?" She glared at him.

"I never asked you to." He glared back at her, he then walked to where his bag was lying on the ground, picked his bag, and began to walk away.

"Oh, so you're an angry little bird, hmm?" She followed him. "by the way, I'm Teresa."

The boy kept walking completely ignoring her.

"Hey! are you ignoring me? yoohoo, angry little bird?" She shouted running after him.

"I graduated from the same school, I'm your senior! How dare you ignore me? Show some respect would you?" She complained as she swung her arms around him.

"Shut up and mind your own business!" He glared at her shrugging her hands off him and ran from there.

"What an ungrateful brat!" She muttered.

Next day

Teresa struggled to climb over the premises of the school as she tried to peek inside. Her feet slipped and she fell landing her butt on the ground, "Oww," She winced, as she tried to get up her eyes landed on a familiar face, she noticed the boy watching her. She hurriedly got up and dusted her dress, "Oh hey! angry little bird!" She waved at him.

"Don't call me that!" He glared at her.

"Then tell me your name?" She crossed her arms.

"why should I tell my name to a stranger?" he turned his back to her and began to walk away.

"This stranger saved you yesterday?" Teresa ran after him. He stopped and turned around,"Are you stalking me?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

"No! I'm looking for my bff's brother... but wait why aren't you inside the classroom? you're bunking again?" She scolded him.

"Why were you climbing from here then? Didn't you say you're our senior?" He raised his brows.

"Oh I was just reminiscing my school days, whenever we got late we climbed on from here, watchman doesn't know about this until now!" She laughed, "Anyway why aren't you inside the school?" she asked again.

"None of your business!" He rolled his eyes.

"Hey I know school is boring but you shouldn't bunk school, you should just bunk the classes instead!" She laughed at her own joke, no response from the boy.

"bad joke.. haha.." She faked a laugh.

Just then the sound of her ringtone disrupts their bickering, she glanced at the screen, it was Rina.

"hmm, yeah?" She answered.

"you actually went to the school?" Rina yelled at her. Teresa immediately pulled the phone away from her ear, "Whoa! Calm down!" She replied.

"You went to school!" Her best friend yelled again.

"no.... hmm I'm just hanging out with my boyfriend." Teresa leaned her elbow on the boy's shoulder.

"What?" Rina shouted.

The boy glared at her.

"Hmm... yeah," Teresa replied as she gestured at the boy 'hush'. "Shh! it's my bff, she doesn't know I'm here!" She whispered.

"Oh really?" Rina shouted from behind.

"Oh my god! what are you doing here?" Teresa shouted in horror as she found Rina standing right behind her.

"That's what I want to ask Teresa! What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you not to come here?" Rina shouted at her.

"I just want to punish the brat who is troubling my bff! He needs to be punished! I won't spare him just because he is your brother!" Teresa pouted crossing her arms.

"Jeez! Teresa---" "Ethan? what are you doing here?" Rina then notices her little brother beside Teresa.

"Ethan? your brother? where?" Teresa only spotted the boy, "This angry little bird is your brother?"

From then on Teresa would visit Ethan every day and try to get the brother and sister duo talk to each other but in vain! She would use Ethan's video being bullied as he didn't want anyone to know about it, she would blackmail him and call him out to hang out with them, she did everything to bring them close but no luck! Ethan used to get irritated at first but later became Teresa's best friend, whenever he used to get in trouble in school, in return for hanging out with Rina and for not being rude whenever he met her, he used to call Teresa as his guardian and as teachers knew Teresa and Rina well he didn't have much problem calling Teresa as his guardian and make her help him out but not without earning earful lectures and few painful flicks on his forehead.

Present-day

Teresa feels someone pat her shoulder, she turns around, "yes?" but she doesn't see anyone, she turns back to talk to Ai, but again feels someone pat her, she turns back again but finds no one!

She then waits for the person to call her again and just as he taps her shoulder again, she quickly grabs his hand and twists the person's fingers, "Ouch Teresa!" He yells in pain. She immediately recognizes the voice.

"Oh my god! angry little bird! what a pleasant surprise?" Teresa smiles at her troublemaker and excitedly hugs Ethan.

"It's really a surprise seeing you here too. And for the last time, stop calling me that! I'm taller than you now." He compares their height leveling with his hands.

"Hmm, so the little bird isn't little anymore hmm? should I call you young macho man, then?" She pats his head teasingly.

"Hello, Ai." He waves at her and turns back to Teresa, "By the way, how come you guys are here?" he looks at them with a puzzled expression.

"Excuse me? you're asking us what we're doing on our own BFF's wedding? oh now that you're tall did you hit your head at the entrance door?" Teresa laughs at him.

"Very funny!" He rolls his eyes. "And what do you mean by your bff's wedding?"

"Are you kidding me? You're attending your own sister's wedding, why are you giving us that look?" Teresa narrows her eyes at him.

"What?" Ethan looks at her with a shocked face.

"So my baby brother met my baby sister?" Rihito joins them as he wraps his hand around them, pulling them in a hug.

"Rihito, what's going on here? Your bride is Rina?" Ethan asks Rihito, his brain trying to process the information.

"Yes, liked my surprise?" Rihito beams a bright smile.

"You guys know each other?" Teresa interrupts.

"yes, and I was here to attend his wedding, I didn't know the bride was Rina!" Ethan rolls his eyes.

"Hey, I wanted to surprise you." Rihito elbows him.

Just then Teresa hits Rihito.

"Ouch! what was that for?" he glares at her.

"Congratulations! Today you've actually proven you're Ryouma's best friend!" She pats his back.

"Huh? how?"

"he loves shocking people, so do you. Why didn't I know you were dating my bff? Why didn't you tell me? I received a huge shock when grandy invited to my bff's wedding and I didn't even know my best friend was dating!" She continues patting his back, more like hitting him.

"Yeah people often forget that I'm Ryouma's best friend so once in a while I tend to remind them." he winks at her and then smirks looking at Aaron.

"Oh my! you and your way with words!" Teresa rolls her eyes.

"speaking of which, where is my best friend leaving his beautiful wife?" Rihito looks around for Ryouma.

"oh don't ask me! he's been busy with his work calls, after a month's break as soon as we returned his phone is flooded with calls and messages. so he must be somewhere around here throwing his phone-s!" She replies with a sigh.

"hmm Teresa, entertain my baby brother here, I'll come in a minute." Rihito excuses himself and disappears into the hall.

Ethan throws accusing glares at Teresa, "Congratulations on your marriage! You didn't invite me!"

"Don't worry, I wasn't either!" Teresa smiles at him.

"Huh?"

She then narrates the story.

****

Ryouma returns back to the party after the call, he then notices his wife happily hugging a stranger, he arches his brows. Teresa suddenly feels chills to her bones, "hmm?" She is about to turn but Ethan pulls her close.

Teresa looks at him with questioning eyes.

"let's play a game with your husband?" He winks at her.

"No way!" Teresa shouts reflexively.

"Hey! he took you away when I wasn't around, I think I deserve to mess with him a little?" Ethan throws a challenging look at Ryouma's direction as Ryouma walks towards them.

"don't you even dare! I don't want to get in trouble!" Teresa shakes her head.

"I can trouble you a little, can't I? shall we start the game?" He smirks.

Ryouma encircles his arms around her waist and smoothly pulls her away from Ethan, "missed me wifey?" He plants a soft kiss on her cheek.

"Wow that was fast." mutters Ethan. "but..." Ethan smiles mischievously.

"Trust me, she didn't." Ethan replies with a smile, "She was happy that you weren't around and she could freely flirt with me." He winks at Teresa as she gapes at his words.

"And who might you be?" Ryouma glares at him. Teresa stiffens at the tone of his voice.

"He's--" Teresa's about to introduce him but Ethan cuts her off.

"I'm her boyfriend." He smiles at them.

Ryouma's grip tightens around Teresa, "Eh?" He narrows his eyes at Ethan.

"I am your boyfriend, right baby?" Ethan smirks at Teresa. Ouch! he nearly earns a punch from Ryouma but thanks to his sharp instinct he barely dodges it.

"Stop!" She comes in between them. She looks around and sighs in relief that no one noticed them. "dear husband, he's Rina's brother and he was just pulling a prank on you, so calm down, 'kay?" She then turns to Ethan, "had your fun? I warned you!" She glares at him.

"Sorry, I didn't know my life would be endangered. I barely managed to dodge that." Ethan sighs a relief.

"But it's true that I'm her boyfriend." Ethan again gives a mischievous smile.

"Oh, you haven't met the bride yet, right? Let's go meet your sister before you utter another nonsense." Teresa smirks at him, she very well knows Ethan wouldn't be jolly to see Rina but Rina would love to see her brother.

"I'm not!" Ethan shakes his head.

"Oh yes angry little bird, let's get you to your sister." Teresa grabs him by his neck, "be right back." She smiles at Ryouma as she drags Ethan with her. "Ouch, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm not your boyfriend, I don't even know you. Spare me, please!" Ethan shouts as Teresa drags him along holding his ears, leaving behind a confused Ryouma.

"What the hell was that?" Ryouma mutters.

"That was my cute little brother with my cute little sister." Rihito whispers in his ears. "and this is my cute jealous best friend." Rihito laughs.

"You don't want your wedding day to be your funeral, do you?" Ryouma glares at his best friend.

"Oh no! let's go attend my wedding." Rihito pulls Ryouma along with him.

***

"Why should I walk her down the aisle? Where's dad? he didn't come to attend his favorite daughter's wedding?" Ethan taunts Rina.

"Shut up, Ethan!" Teresa shouts at him. "Uncle is busy and you're here, so you will walk her down the aisle."

"Dad is busy? That's funny how can he not attend his dear daughter's wedding?" Ethan narrows his eyes at Rina.

"You can go if you want, you don't need to be here if you don't want to." Rina sighs.

"Of course, I didn't even know you were getting married. I wasn't even invited sorry for appearing on your special day." Ethan taunts again.

"Guys! Enough of you both! She wants you to stay and you want to. Can't you put your differences aside just for today?" Teresa yells at them. "Now stop being tom and jerry and be brother and sister just for today hmm?"

***

The bride walks down the aisle towards her would-be husband- the fake husband. As she reaches the end of the aisle he takes her by her hand and they face the guests to read out their vows.

"I, Rihito Carlen, take Rina Wilson to be my lawfully wedded wife for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death does us part."

"I, Rina Wilson, take Rihito Carlen to be my lawfully wedded husband for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, from this day forward until death does us part."

They slowly turn to face each other.

"What?" Rina raises her brows at her groom who is a little hesitant.

"You won't hit me after this right?" He slowly shrinks back.

"Just shut up and let's get this over with it." she rolls her eyes.

"You really won't hit me? promise?" he gives a nervous smile.

The bride pulls her groom and plants a quick kiss on his lips. "Here, done!" she rolls her eyes as the guests cheer at her boldness.