Dear All,

Here comes the prologue of "The Princess & The Jerk" and as you can see, it introduces us the main two characters, but not just that. You will understand what I mean by reading it 😊

I must confess that I am thrilled at the idea of writing this story because both Viola and Sergey are characters that for long time I wanted to explore and deepen with their own story, just like Adrian and Vincent, whose story will come out soon enough. Also, this is a new adventure and journey, making me very giddy.

I really hope you will enjoy it and let me say that writing TP&TJ is a relaxing and very heart-warming experience for me. So perhaps, you will feel in the same way and share the same emotions, with an extra dash of magic fairy-dust.

The prologue will present a couple of new characters we will normally and recurrently see in the story, so be ready to spot them and drop your comments about them! I will be looking forward to reading your reactions, comments and messages, thank you very much 😊

I would like to dedicate this chapter to 1-hell-of-a-demon as a big and sincere THANK YOU my dear for your amazing comments and for the support and love you give to all of my books, thank you very, very much!

Please find a banner I created for the story, but once more let me remind you that the actors/models chosen are only for a visual effect, and they are not meant to entirely represent my characters. Then, the song picked for this part I believe somehow really suits it, particularly Viola's mood and personality. With this story expect some very nice classic music from time to time ^-^

P.s. I checked the prologue as much as possible, so I hope there won't be silly mistakes or typos...sorry if you find any.

For now, enjoy it and fairy-dust to all of you***

"I am beginning to learn that it is the sweet, simple things of life which are the real ones after all," by Laura Ingalls Wilder

VIOLA POV – FRIDAY MORNING:

The semester had not begun long ago, actually just a couple of weeks ago, but I was really happy to say another very special person became my friend, Anatoly Denisov. Adrian and I had observed him during the last months of our previous year, seeing how he changed and how, as my brother and I thought, he possibly went back to his real self. I still remember the day in which he had a fight Sergey Lebedev and other students in the corridors of the school, when he shouted out his being gay and to "suck it up", using his words. It surprised me very much, because I never believed nor imagined Anatoly could be gay. The detail didn't change anything for me, for I already made up my mind I wanted to be his friend.

I was not entirely sure why I felt in that way, but there was a feeling, as if a fairy had sprinkled magic fairy-dust on me, making me see him for the person he really was, understanding there was much more that met the eye, seeing a person who suffered silently and lonely, a person who desperately wanted to change and make up for what he had done in the past. I liked that, I believe, because I was the kind of person who would always give a second chance, even a third chance. And Anatoly surely deserved that and some of my fairy-dust. I also will always remember the first time we interacted.

He was walking fast with a hard and gloom expression, his eyes set to the floor to avoid exploding at something that probably happened, because I came to understand he had quite a thermonuclear temper. I was walking moving to the opposite direction and I was talking to Sharon, not paying much attention to my surrounding, and the same applied to him. A fairy must have touched me on the shoulder because I lifted my head and saw him crossing the corridor with an expression that hit me in a way I never expected. What had happened to him? There was not mere anger on his face, but sadness too, deep sadness, and I wanted to go there and give him a big rainbow hug. Somehow, I always pictured hugs in the rainbow colours in my mind, or sometimes, they were pink with tiny stars glittering around. I don't know why it was like that for me, but how would I be able to explain it? Nope, not possible.

Anyway, he walked in our direction and I went to say something to him, wanting to make him feel better, but two guys from our school anticipated me in not the nicest and kind way. They ran after him and pushed him to the side, clearly wanting to start an argument, and I went to say something, never liking to see people fighting, and however, Anatoly did not want to react, which I understood, given he had been told he had to repeat his last year and had to behave in a certain way. This much Adrian heard from our classmates. My brother found him interesting, saying he would not mind understanding his true nature, feeling Anatoly was not in a good place. And that also explained why I went to say something, but in the action, he got pushed against me and I fell down on the floor. Domino effect pretty much, which made me giggle actually, because sometimes I was clumsy.

However, the moment he realized what had happened, he turned around to check on me with almost a terrified expression and I just smiled, for nothing bad really happened and it hadn't been his fault. I was just in the way. Sharon went to help me to get up, but Anatoly was faster, grabbing my wrist and pulling me up in a quick, very easy move, a really torn look on his face.

"Are you OK?" He asked trying to mask his concern, his eyes quickly observing me though, realizing he somehow knew me. "Sorry, not my intention."

"Don't worry, Anatoly, nothing happened and thank you," I replied to him and his eyes widened as I spoke his name, clearly surprised I remembered it and said it without adding any silly or hurtful word to it. Why would I do that? Yes, he had behaved badly and stooped quite low with some things, but I didn't feel like judging him, because in the past months it looked like something was eating him inside, rendering him paler and more haunted than a ghost. Adri, my wonderful brother, explained he had perceived contrasting feelings and emotions coming from Anatoly, and we both believed he had faced his past nightmares, whatever they were. To be completely fair, in general I never tried to judge people, because you never knew what was going on in their minds and hearts, you never knew the inner battles they were fighting.

And he clearly was haunted by those battles and I felt like he needed a friend, but to be clear, my emotions were not out of pity. I just wanted to help him and something in him struck my attention. It was completely irrational, but the moment I got to see a glimpse of his true self, I liked him and believed we would become very good, close friends. Adrian understood what I meant, and he also was one who never ever judged people, considered his past and his nature.

"Yeah, cool, but I don't remember your name," he muttered out still studying me slightly confused.

"Viola," I simply replied, smiling at him and going to give him my hand for shaking it, but the other two guys rudely interrupted us and the only thing that saved the situation from escalating in a way he sure couldn't afford, was the fact I spotted a professor exiting from a class, and I immediately greeted her, being by great luck one of my favourites. "Hello Mrs. Hernandez!"

She looked at us and I saw how the two guys, whose names I didn't exactly care to recall for their not being fabulous and nice at all, stiffened and, after saying something that without doubts wasn't very kind to Anatoly, they left. He remained there as if struck by something, his shoulders slouched down and his expression very tired, clenching and unclenching his hands; his eyes once more darted at me and he gave me a quick nod, for then walking away. I believe he murmured something to me under his breath, something neither Sharon nor I heard distinctively, but I always wanted to think and trust he had thanked me, because from that day, whenever we met in the corridor, he would nod at me, to which I always replied with a wide and cheerful smile. I treasured that small gesture and found it very precious.

Until the day the new semester and our last year in school started, when Adrian and I decided to approach him. He had not been very easy and sweet at first, seeing sarcasm was one of his favourite ways of talking to people, but I did not give up. I persisted, knowing deep in my heart that I was in the right, that we would become wonderful and fabulous friends. And in a way, we were about to become, for he sure wasn't a person that could be approached normally, but I had my ways and I understood he needed a tiny push, which came with my sincere love as friend and my fairy magic.

From time to time, not to be too annoying and pushing his limit too hard, I jumped on his back, to push him a bit, to make him understand I was there. He didn't take it well at first, but he slowly seemed to accept it and well, not just accept it. I think that deep down, very deep down in his shy yet very kind heart, Anatoly didn't mind it and actually liked it. If I ever had a small feeling or doubt he would really find it bad or annoying, I would have stopped at once, respecting his space and needs; but it wasn't the case, and Adrian and I shared quite a keen instinct, my brother having a sharper one that pretty much bordered into empathy, another characteristic of him that made him the best brother out there.

I checked the reflection in the mirror hanging beside my very big closet, and the reflection smiled back at me, waving and wishing me a good day. I beamed back and fixed the hem of my new purple dress, wondering if Anatoly would like it. Sharon and I went for some shopping the other day and we had great fun, as we also discovered a new cafeteria where they served cupcakes with pink frosting and unicorn-shaped chocolates on top of it. I took a picture so I could show him, as we definitely had to go there together for a milkshake and slice of cake.

Checking if all was in order in my bedroom and telling to my Totoro plushie resting on my bed to take care of everything in my absence, I decided it was time for school. I closed the door and skipped the stairs, finding Adri in the kitchen eating something with our mother. Dad had already left, for he had to be at the clinic early for a complicated surgery, him being a talented and well-known surgeon and medical director of a private clinic.

I surprised mom by hugging her from behind and she laughed at that, turning around and giving me a kiss on the forehead.

"Viola sweetie, you surprised me and almost made me spill coffee," she said inviting me to sit at the table. "I prepared some pancakes as this morning I had the time for it. Would you like some?"

"Of course, mom, your pancakes are the best, isn't that right, Adrian?"

"Yes, Vivi, and in fact, I'm already helping myself," he replied, passing me his plate so I could take a bite and taste them. "Delicious, are they not?"

"Hmm...soooo good," I hummed, going to get some for myself, but our mother told me to just sit down and let her take care of this. Then, I remembered what she told us about the evening, about the event she had to attend with my father. "So, you and dad are going out tonight for that new gallery opening?"

"Yes, and I am sorry this time we cannot take you with us as usual, but they made the event overly exclusive and just a few are invited to it."

"It doesn't matter, tomorrow morning you will tell me what you think of that and before you leave, you must show me the dress you chose for tonight." She handed me a place full of pancakes and Adrian passed me the syrup and freshly sliced strawberries.

"Of course, and you will do my make-up as usual, because you are so much more skilled than I am," mom said sitting beside and drinking more coffee. She fixed her long strawberry blonde hair and I smiled, finding her always very beautiful, with her own original style. She was the director of a rather famous art gallery in New York and because of that, she knew pretty interesting and peculiar people and artists, taking me to every possible event or exhibition, being an artist herself. I must have taken after her all considered, for I loved drawing and creating stories, and she said I had talent for that, which was a true compliment.

"Sharon will help, because she is absolutely fabulous at that, you saw the makeup she did for me last weekend at my aerial hoop competition." Yes, my best friend was extremely good in that and loved my mother and as well my brother, having had a crush for him the past years, which anyway diminished until it completely disappeared to be then just pure and beautiful friendship. She also liked dad, but well, he was quieter, and he was very busy with his job, often attending conferences, having to prepare papers, study to keep up-to-date with everything new occurring in his specific medical field and such; but still a wonderful and loving father.

Adrian and I had been very, very lucky and blessed with them as parents and I truly loved them.

"Sharon will come over tonight, right?" I nodded at her question. "Wonderful, I will ask Delia to prepare dinner for all of you and I will try my best in baking the cookies you both like very much, is that alright?"

"Absolutely wonderful, mom, thank you," I leaned over her and kissed her cheek. Delia was our housekeeper and, aside the fact she was very adorable and always had some tales or new fables she would share with me, she was wonderful in the kitchen, cooking meals that were delicious to say the least. We had her since forever, since I was very small and young, and she also babysat us when necessary, for both of my parents sometimes could be very busy with their jobs.

We ate breakfast together and after brushing our teeth and having a last look at the antique mirror hanging beside the main entrance door, Adrian and I left for school, him driving his car and letting me play the music I chose for today.

"Will you keep us company tonight or do you have any plan?"

"I shall keep you company, preciosa, is that alright with you?"

"Of course, brother," I replied clapping my hands truly happy he was going to spend the evening with us. "Some movie marathon and popcorns sound good to you?"

"Muy bien," he said winking at me, and I giggled, always enjoying hearing him speaking Spanish, his mother language, for he was originally from Chile. "What about Cameron?" He enquired, as he was my other best friend.

"He told us he cannot make it, because they are celebrating his mother's birthday and they will all go out to the restaurant." I quickly glanced at my brother and smiled already looking forward to spending the evening with him and Sharon.

I knew Adrian wasn't seeing anyone in particular, but from time to time he had dates, but for a reason or another he never seemed very interested in them, saying he still had to find the person really striking his attention. I knew Anatoly did that, but my brother said that, even though he would have not minded something with him, he had a feeling that being friends only was what they were meant to be. And of course, I did trust Adri and his sixth sense. We both joked about that with Anatoly and my brother sort of flirted sometimes, for he found Anatoly's reactions amusing and because he truly found him attractive (and he truly was!), but we stopped there.

I had to respect his space and the fact that, even if having them together would be absolutely the best, perhaps Anatoly had feelings for someone else, and obviously, I wished him the best and to find the right person. So, right, it was decided: I shall blow some fairy-dust at him later in school, that might help.

When we arrived, we noticed Anatoly's motorbike in the parking lot and so, I skipped inside school in even higher mood, happy to see him. He was at his locker, searching for a book, and I jumped at him from the back.

"Anatoly! I'm so happy to see you, good morning to you," I said, for then hopping down and giving him space. He rolled his eyes and faked a slightly annoyed expression, because I didn't miss the way he tried to control his smile as our eyes met.

"Always freaking hyper, even early in the morning, Vi. What the hell do you eat? Tell me, because I want the same."

"I'm afraid we ate the same, which consisted in our mother's homemade pancakes, hermoso," Adrian replied, smiling at him and also going to his locker. "You do look particularly good this morning, Anatoly."

"Really? I shaved, because I was beginning to look like some idiotic caveman, so that might be it," he said, never entirely realizing the fact he truly was handsome and then his eyes travelled me, thus I performed a pirouette to better show him my new dress. "Is that new? Seriously, you pick dresses that would perfectly suit Tinker Bell."

"Do you like it? I bought it the other day with Sharon, speaking of whom, you should really meet her and Cameron." As I mentioned the name of Cameron, my brother shook his head, because in a way there was something about my friend that left him not entirely convinced, especially as he voiced his dislike for Anatoly. I think he just had to get to meet him, and then he would understand why I liked him so much. I didn't like what Cameron said about Anatoly and I asked to give him a second chance, for Anatoly truly was a wonderful friend and very interesting, rather peculiar person. At least, I hope I was right in that.

"It definitely suits you, fairy-doll, and no thanks, I'll have a tea-party with them some other day, deal?" I nodded, really not wanting to push it. He had not said no to that and it already was huge progress, which made me very, very happy. As I said, Anatoly had a kind and gentle heart, which for some reasons he wished to hide.

As we walked to the class we had together, I stayed behind a moment and blew some magic fairy-dust at him, wishing him the best and to find the person who would make him feel completely loved and cherished as he needed, whoever that might be. And right as we walked to our first class, we met Sergey and his not-very-fabulous friends in the corridor, and of course, Anatoly halted and glared at him when Sergey hissed something in Russian. Words that without doubts were not nice, judging by the orc-like sneer on his face and harsh expression of his eyes. How a person could always look so annoyed and upset I will never understand; it must have been very tiring, and he must have headache for all the scowling he did. He looked like he ate super sour lemon every single day and that wasn't definitely a nice experience.

Then, he noticed us, me in particular, because his expression changed and it became more mocking than spiteful, resting his eyes on me and casting a derisive overall glare which I had already seen on his face many times. I just faced him openly, feeling both Adrian and Anatoly closing around me. What did I say before about Anatoly?

"Hey weirdo, wearing something even more ridiculous today?" I rolled my eyes at him and his lack of originality, flipping my hair back, tilting my head to the side as I made obvious to assess his boring and unoriginal look.

Sergey Lebedev had a girlfriend whose name was Audrey, quite a nice girl all in all who just spent time with people who were the complete opposite, such as him. I never understood how he could be a boyfriend because he gave me the idea of being the absolute opposite of sweetness, caring, patience and kindness, always making fun of people, always mocking and insulting. Oh well, he definitely was not my type, and I never liked the way he walked around with that constant sneer and need to bark at people. Not to mention, he sort of scared me or somehow, made me very nervous, even if I stood in front of him.

"Do you know what, Sergey? Better weird and fabulous than boring and goblin-like unpleasant as you are," I replied, my eyes directly staring at his, because one thing I learned in my years of school and throughout experiences that not always were full of hearts and stars: standing your own ground helped in these specific situations, just as ignoring comments and remarks helped in others. I looked away and flipped my hair once more, as if to dismiss him, going to loop my arms with Adrian's and Anatoly's, who was then glaring at Sergey as if ready for something. "Let's go, or we might be late for school and, Anatoly, if I'll be late because of this, on Monday I won't let you try the cookies mom will bake during the weekend."

He snorted out and muttered something I could not hear but followed my advice and we left Sergey and his friends there, feeling his hateful stare burning on the back of my head. He always managed to make me feel uncomfortable with the way he stared at me, but I tried to ignore it and let it go, knowing my brother and friend were there with me.

"Cookies?" Anatoly asked. "Seriously, Vi? I'm not like my brother who can be easily bribed with food, considered he eats like a pig."

"But you'd love them and because you are this nice, I will bring some for you on Monday, OK?" He just shrugged his shoulders, but a small smile tugged on one side of his mouth and I giggled happy. "You do have a twin brother, right? That must be so cool!"

"I have a moronic twin brother, that yes for sure," he replied in his usual way and both Adri and I laughed at that.

I believed something happened in the past, something that broke him inside and made him act in a way that broke him even more, and now, he was trying to mend it with all his will and strength. I had an idea he had a strained relationship with his brother in the past years, something I could never even imagine, but it looked like they were making progresses and slowly getting back to wherever they needed to be. I hoped from my heart it all went well and quite fast, because Anatoly needed it and surely deserved it.

"You should show me a picture one of these days," I proposed, and he didn't refuse it.

"Sure, one day I will show you that he is a moron," he said, but obviously he was very attached to his twin brother and I just smiled at that. "But Viola, don't provoke that shithead of Lebedev, alright?"

"I just told him what I thought."

"Yeah, got that, but avoid it, alright? He's a gigantic jerk and a piece of crap, I know what I am talking about, because we used to..." he dropped completely silent, his eyes slightly lost gazing at something ahead, but not really concentrating on anything in particular. Past and difficult memories must have hit him suddenly, and I stopped walking, pulling him lower so that our faces were at the same level.

"Shh, you're fabulous and you're my friend," I told him, surprising him by leaving a quick and soft kiss on his cheek. His eyes immediately widened taken aback and then grunted out he was not that gay to be called fabulous, to which I giggled. He was fabulous and no doubts about that. He went to walk away, but stopped, looking back and waiting for me.

"What are you doing there? Weren't you in a hurry to get your skinny ass in class?" Adrian and I exchanged a quick look and he nodded at me, both going to join him.

"I am very glad we became friends with him", my brother quietly murmured at me and I wrapped my arm around his.

"Me, too, Adri," I replied not able to hold my good mood and happiness.

Yes, I was really glad a fairy made us become his friends and made him accept us. As we stepped in the class, I went to look for Sharon, but instead my eyes once more caught the figure of Sergey, standing alone in the corridor and staring at me with an expression I could not understand. Was he annoyed at me for what I said before? Probably he was, which wouldn't be a big change or surprise. He always seemed annoyed at something or at someone. I averted my eyes away and followed Adrian, deciding to completely ignore him. 

SERGEY POV:

Meeting Denisov in the corridor annoyed me more than I already was and seeing him with her worsened it. Not to mention the way she glared at me as if looking at some piece of stinky and repelling trash, which I probably was in her eyes. Probably my ass. I definitely looked like that for her and what did I do to make it better? Nothing, I just did the only thing I could do and that was pushing people further away from me with my abrasive sarcasm and jerk-like tongue. God, seeing Denisov like that really made me angry and her words got me, no matter what I tried to tell myself.

But seriously, how the freaking hell was she dressed? With such a ridiculous purple and pink dress and the amount of bracelets her skinny arms always carried, her long hair having the same colour of her dress. Yeah, she looked freaking ridiculous, just like the weirdo she was and...and I was a complete piece of garbage and jerk, exactly like Anatoly Denisov called me. He wasn't that wrong about that. Sure, here I was, calling her names and such, while in truth I couldn't stop looking at her, at her smile and beautiful face, listening to her melodic and sweet voice, hearing her giggling or laughing, which was not rare, for she was one of those persons always seeing the brightest, and pink in her case, side of the life.

Ugh, Dasha was right, too, but I didn't know what to do, because in truth I was scared and even if I changed, my father would still think nothing of me, still looking at my cousin as if he were the son he always wished to have but never did, being stuck with someone like me. My cousin Sasha, the perfect and oh-so-amazing Sasha, who used to be the successful and admired captain of the school hockey's team, and who I heard graduated with top grades, who was freaking gay and the entire family celebrated it as if it was absolutely normal. He was another queer like Denisov and his brother, to boot it. What the hell was with them? Were they all on some queer spree? I hated my cousin with all myself, just as much as I loathed Denisov.

Martin and Chris stood beside, still joking about him and suggesting we could wait for him outside school and get it even, but I wasn't really listening, until they mentioned the Taylor brothers. So, I tuned my attention back to them and listened to what they had to say about Adrian and Viola Taylor, especially about her. I know they were all talking and nothing else, pretty much like myself, given the pathetic loser and coward I actually was, but still, I had to listen to them.

"Of course, that piece of fag got friendly with that weird girl and the other, her brother and half-queer. I heard from Alexa that he goes out with both girls and guys, how can that be normal?" Martin commented as he fixed the collar of his shirt, his eyes trailing over Viola. "But she's quite hot, fucking weird and quite annoying with her naïveté, and I bet she probably never got some, but hey..."

"What the heck are you talking about? Are you forgetting about your girlfriend?" I cut his useless and quite disgusting rambling, not being in the right day and mood for that.

"She goes to a different school, so who cares if I look at someone else and play the field, right?" He scorned and Chris obviously agreed to that, while I said nothing, since I wasn't the boyfriend of the year, being with Audrey but following the steps of another one. "I also wouldn't mind getting a lesson to that Taylor smartass, because I cannot stand his attitudes." At his words, my other friend, if I really could call them as such, grew nervous and kept quiet. "What's with you?"

"I don't know, Martin, there is something about him, Adrian I mean, that gives me the creep, there is something scary in him and I don't know if I'd just get in a fight with him like that."

"What?" Martin snapped, but he thought the same and it was clear because he never actually started a fight when Adrian was around Denisov and it was just three of us. And Chris was right, granted Taylor had something in him quite creepy and eerie, especially when he looked at me with that apparently calm and ambiguous smile, as if in fact he was planning what bones to break in my body and how to break them.

"Whatever, I have class now and I'll see you later," I said curtly, tired of this crap already. Audrey texted me she would arrive later, and I still hadn't replied to her, which I had to do soon enough, or else she would start calling me or bombarding with tons of messages. I left them there and went for my class, still following the steps of Viola, seeing how her coloured hair bounced behind her back, her very slender legs wrapped around tights with stars printed on them, her giggling covering the sound of everything else and everyone else. For me, at least, for she was definitely not that loud.

I was a real piece of crap, but there wasn't much I could do about it, because it was my choice and nothing else. Yet, I kept looking at her, realizing I was beginning to appear out of place and right when we she went to step inside a class, she turned around and our eyes met. Awesome, she found out me staring at her like some jackass, but she probably thought I was just sneering at her telling myself how weird she was. And she was, in a way, but not in any bad one. She quickly glanced directly at me and then turned around, clearly deciding to ignore me and what else could she do? What else did I deserve? Oh crap, I had no idea why I got myself into this ridiculous and pathetic situation, why on earth I had to be such a coward.

One thing was sure though: self-pity would solve nothing.

I uprooted myself from there and reached the room for the first lesson, hoping it wasn't going to be too tedious and that no surprise test would ruin my day even more than this. It was only morning, so I had no idea how much worse it could get; to begin with the right food, I had a fight with my father before leaving for school, for he hadn't been happy about the result of last week's test, not to mention what the professor wrote about my attitude in school, or the fact I lost the last competition of swimming, never being able to be as perfect and successful as my cousin Sasha. And he never failed to remind me that. Never. Good thing my sister Dasha was there, too, as mom already left for work, so she cooled the situation down.

I sat at my usual place, perfectly knowing I was going to see her in my third class, and then Jonathan and another girl part of my group of friends sat beside me and when the professor stepped in the room, I pretended to pay attention to his words, not giving a flying fuck about what the other two were discussing about.

Lunch didn't manage to improve my mood and that Denisov queer had the guts to freaking flip me off in the corridors, while we met going to opposite directions, casting that so damn annoying smug smile only he could come up with, his stupid haircut and earrings making him look even more stupid. I clearly returned the favour and I would have done more, but Adrian Taylor joined him, quickly glancing at me apparently disinterested. But as I said, it was only apparently, because there was something in him that felt out of place; Chris was right indeed, and the smile Taylor threw at me only invited me to get the hell out of their air. And I did it, because I was a coward down to the marrow, which I hated more than anything else.

I sat at our usual table, my girlfriend chatting with other two girls and a guy about whatever the heck they were talking about, often my eyes trailing to another direction, understanding why she was so freaking skinny considered what she ate. And right, I had head she was freaking vegetarian. Then, I stopped thinking about that, because she was absolutely perfect like that; I shook my head, for this ridiculous whatever-it-was got on my nerves in the past months and I didn't want to call it either crush or more, like Dasha suggested the other night. I barked at her and stormed out of the living room, burying myself in my bedroom as I typically did whenever I ran away from things. A practice that occurred more frequently than I liked to admit when it came to me and my jerk self.

"Sergey baby," Audrey called for me and my eyes took in her presence, seeing she really was good looking and incredibly patient with me, honestly not understanding what she found good in me.

"What is it?" I asked not exactly thrilled, imagining what she had to say or ask.

"We are thinking about going to our usual club tonight and you'll come, right?" Of course, I would go, because if I'd say no, they would bother me with tons of questions and comments and more. I didn't have much choice, even if that club was as boring as forcefully reading "Mrs Dalloway" during our last semester. I still remember how Denisov shocked the entire class by actually saying what he thought of the book and he shocked me, too. I never knew he liked to read and that he had a functioning brain...but hey, was I complimenting that shithead? Over my dead body.

"Sure," I just said, and she smiled satisfied, getting up and coming to sit right beside me, planting a kiss on my cheek, to which I didn't reply. She was used to it and thus said nothing about that.

"Alexa and I will go to do shopping for tonight," she explained more, and I felt eyes on me, belonging to her friend, who quickly winked and then bit her lower lip. I looked away pretending of not having seen anything of that. I tried talking to Audrey, but it never went in her head, saying I was just imagining things and that it was "cute" I was trying to make her jealous. In fact, I was not trying to do anything of the sort, just trying to open her eyes. I glanced at my girlfriend once more and yeah, she was good looking and quite nice all in all, and yet, I couldn't bring myself feeling real emotions.

What was wrong with me?

Her natural colour of wavy hair would have been a warm caramel brown, at shoulders length, but she dyed it very blonde just like that other annoying clone she followed, a girl named Alexa she believed being her best friend. She had eyes between grey and dark green, rather athletic body for she went to run regularly, naturally tanned skin and normally tall.

Dasha wasn't crazy about her and not for much, but for the simple reason whenever they were together, they had very little in common to discuss. My father didn't exactly approve of her because she wasn't Russian or remotely interested in learning our mother language, although he made an exception for my sister's boyfriend. Well, that was normal; the guy was OK and pleased our father with making efforts in learning our language. I think mom was the only person who had nothing against Audrey, but more against me, saying I should have behaved better. She was right without doubts, but it didn't change anything because I didn't care.

"Cool," I only replied to her. "Should I pick you or cab maybe?" I wasn't sure whether I was going to drink or not, so I guess driving wasn't an option. Yeah, I was still eighteen and theoretically I wasn't allowed to drink, and not only from the law, but from my father who was very strict; however I couldn't care less, and in that club we knew a couple of persons that closed an eye. Or maybe two.

"Cab is perfect," she cheered, leaning closer on me and resting her head on my shoulder. I should have placed my arm around her, but I couldn't bring myself to do that, so I just adjusted position for her to be more comfortable.

I looked at her once more and realized what was the real problem with me: I wasn't in love with her and I decided to date her because it was expected of me and because yeah, she was good looking and quite nice as person, never saying anything back at me or such. But I wasn't in love and that was never going to change.

When lunch was over, my friends went ahead and Audrey remained behind with me, lacing her fingers with mine. She had something to say and I realized by the way she lingered with her lunch and other things, so I patiently waited and let the others go ahead. As we walked the corridors, nobody was really around us or paying us any attention, thus I spoke first.

"What is it, Audrey? Everything OK? You wanted to talk to me," I said, and she eyed me quite surprised, for then smiling and leaning closer, pressing her body against my side and arm. She was an affectionate girl and I was just an asshole.

"You're right, I wanted to ask you something, but I wasn't sure you'd like to hear that, so..."

"Just go with that," I tried to encourage her with as much patient as I could muster, which was very little.

"Do you think today we could spend the night together? You can stay at mine, because my parents will be out of town going to visit some relatives and I need to stay at home having to prepare for Monday's test." Now I understood why she waited to be alone with me to ask that. "I guess staying at yours is not an option, because you said your father would not allow it." Her voice had grown shier and I had no idea what to say.

"I don't know, Audrey, we will see later how it goes tonight, OK? It also depends on my father, you're right, because if he will say I have to be back by a certain time, being eighteen years old will do nothing about it, unless I want to leave the house." Yeah, how demented and annoying was that? My old man was such a strict person, especially with me, and it was about to drive me out of mind, trying to defy him in every possible way. But even arguing on a daily basis was tiring and draining me very much. And that gave me another reason to hate Denisov: he had made it while I stayed here, in the same shitty spot.

"Oh, really?" She asked with quite a down expression and I sighed out silently.

"We will see, OK? Maybe I won't care about him and decide to stay with you," I said to make her less disappointed and it worked, even though I should have kept my mouth shut, well aware I was the one not having the slightest intention to spend the night with her, for more than one reason.

"I hope you can stay," she replied with a smile and I just nodded, going for my next class.

I wasn't in love with her and being physical in such way with her would have been horrible toward her, even if I already wasn't the nicest guy.

But what I tried to tell myself every day was that yes, I was a gigantic jerk and asshole, but not that much. Sometimes, it worked. Sometimes, I still felt the pathetic coward I was, cooking myself in miserable self-pity. I wondered what would take for me to break this shit and I wondered, what broke it for Denisov?

-FRIDAY EVENING-

"Are you going out with your girlfriend and those people you still call friends?" Dasha, my older sister, asked me as she lay on my bed while I decided what to wear, not exactly being in the right mood for that. I had already tossed shirts, sweaters and whatever the heck around in the room, having to then tidy the mess up.

"I already replied to that question," I said not very nicely, but she scoffed at my tone and sat up, studying me with an expression I knew too well.

"You're being very stupid and unreasonable, Seryozha," she began, and I went to stop her, but she ignored me completely. "Don't give me that look and don't try to dismiss me, because you very well know I'm damn right, but you're just so stubborn and I swear, I don't get you. Why do you waste time with them? Do you enjoy doing what you are doing? Listen to me, you can put everything behind yourself, like..."

"Shut the fuck up," I groaned at her and then I literally bit my tongue realizing how aggressively I had barked at her. "Sorry," I muttered out, but she shook her head, not having really minded my outburst. "Just stop right there and don't mention that queer."

"Are you for real? Do you realize our cousin is gay and that I really like Travis, his boyfriend?" She asked combing her long hair and studying her red nail polish.

"And what?"

"And you should stop being stuck with such useless prejudices and wake up, brother. Our dad went over that and welcomed Travis here in our house, and well, he already went over that when we met Ivan's girlfriend, have you forgotten that?" How to forget it? Our cousin Vanya, Sasha's older brother, sure had his own ways to get on my nerves.

"Our wonderful father of course went over this shit with our perfect cousin: it's about the great Aleksandr, the son he always wished to have," I reminded her bitterly and she sighed out loudly, getting up and walking to me, resting her hands on my arms.

"Stop with this nonsense, you know you're completely wrong and I have no idea why you think that. You make everything worse by believing in this bullshit you came up with. You always antagonize dad and you're lucky mom is so patient in trying to smooth things down. He cares about you and a lot, or else, he wouldn't try to get some sense in your head, he probably just does it in not the most effective way. You are both very stubborn." Stubborn? My father was much more than that and she should have added stricter than an Army drill sergeant.

"Dasha," I began, but he pinched my arm painfully and I cursed out loud. "Why did you do that for?"

"To wake you up," she replied defiantly, staring right into my eyes, tilting her head slightly up for she was a bit shorter than me. "Tell them you're not going and spend the evening with me. Shen cannot meet me tonight, he has to prepare for that conference I told you about and you know him, so just stay here with me or even better, we could go to the cinema." I shook my head, because I already said I was going, and they would never let it go if I changed mind like that. "Why do you care so much what they think of you? I know you hate me saying this, but I will say it anyway, because I'm your older sister and because I do care about you, differently than those friends," she pronounced that last word with quite a pointed voice and I didn't say anything, waiting for what I knew was about to come. "Anatoly made mistakes and we all know that, huge mistakes, because I still very well remember how you two messed up together. But he grew up and I heard from Natasha how much he is trying to change and make it up. I don't know what happened to him, but he changed, Seryozha, and so should you."

I groaned out very much annoyed and she knew those words would tick my mood off, but nonetheless she threw them at me, hitting the bull's eye.

"I never knew you were part of his queer fan club," I hissed out sarcastically and she massaged her forehead, shaking her head tired of my attitude.

"Whatever, brother, do what you want to do tonight," she said going to leave the room, but halting as she reached the door, her hand resting on the door-handle. "I've got no patience now to deal with your obstinate immaturity, which you're using on purpose, so go out and have fun with those people, who care nothing about you and don't make real friends." She went to open the door but stopped once more. "Why are you so afraid of being alone? Is it because you think you'll find yourself alone in school and that will be very lame or whatever your friends say about that?" I stayed there staring at her feeling like a piece of ice, her words slapping me hard in the face. "Well, you're alone there, but hey, you have me and I won't give up that easily."

With that she left the room and I stared at the door closing behind her, hearing her quiet steps walking down the corridor to reach her own bedroom. Dasha was horribly right and the truth tasted like crap, or worse actually.

As I walked down the stairs, my father intercepted me and gave me the usual lecture, telling me not to be back after a certain hour, to which I replied with absolute silence. I slammed the door behind me as see-you-later and walked down the street, deciding to actually take the subway instead of a cab; I needed some time alone to think over and digest what Dasha told me earlier, and I needed to breathe some fresh air. Audrey called me and I told her to just wait there for me, that I would be there as soon as possible. I waited for two trains, just standing there alone with my thoughts, until a message from Martin punched me back to reality.

When I arrived to the club the music was already quite loud and I walked around, searching for the table we booked, finding it in a corner and seeing they had ordered shisha. I hated that crap, but Audrey seemed to enjoy it sometimes, because Alexa liked it and found it cool, just as they thought it was nice to take videos of both of them inhaling and exhaling the thick smoke making idiotic duck-faces, for then posting it online on some social media page or whatever. Oh yeah, Alexa loved being at the centre of the attention and lived for that, doing everything in her power to gain and earn the needed attention and admiration, rendering her the last girl I would ever like or date. Other girls didn't even need to do anything to stand out; they simply were wonderful naturally and attracted attention by just being themselves.

I pushed that thought away and sat beside my girlfriend after having greeted my friends in the usual way, noticing the dress she wore. She looked very good, emphasising her body for sure, but why putting so much on display?

"Sergey baby, I'm so happy to see you," she greeted me with a kiss on my lips. "How do I look? Do you like my new dress?"

"Yeah, you look fine, but did you have to get it so short and...you know," I asked and she didn't get it, because she just smiled, and I didn't miss how some of my friends, using Dasha's tone of voice, eyed my girlfriend, not bothering to even cover that. The good thing about Audrey was that she didn't notice that herself and I knew she wore this dress mostly to impress me and make me stay at her place later; but she also bought it because her insufferable friend convinced her, having bought a worse one.

We stayed there a bit, I smoked a bit of shisha even if I didn't like it, drank a couple of vodkas and went for another round, needing that feeling to wrap around my mind and senses. Audrey went to dance with two of her friends, for I wasn't much into that and anyway, I kept an eye in case someone would do something wrong. Yeah, I might not have loved her, but it didn't mean I would throw her to the wolves without a care. And of course, right after a few minutes she left, Alexa casually sat beside me, way too close for my taste, her leg brushing against mine, but when I tried to move away, I couldn't, for I already was against the end of the couch. She placed a hand on my knee, laughing at something Martin had just said and then, she clicked her glass with mine.

"You look very good tonight, Sergey," she said while sipping from the straw, somehow trying to suggest something sexual with that, but I kept my usual expression. "Why don't you dance with me later? I'm really good at that, I can show you." She was getting closer and closer, feeling her pressing her body and much more against me. Yeah, I had drunk a few vodkas but that didn't make me a complete bastard.

"I don't like dancing," I replied with a tone of voice that should have put her back to her place, but it didn't work. If anything, it triggered her because I was not giving in. Martin left for the dance floor with his girlfriend and another two guys, leaving us basically alone and I went to move away, but she anticipated me using that cursed chance, getting up and sliding on my lap, her hands going on my chest. "What are you doing?" I hissed at her, grabbing her wrists to push her away, not wanting her touching me in such way, for so many reasons I didn't even know how many to count. She only smiled like a viper and leaned closer, so I pushed her away more decisively. "What the hell are you doing? Get up now, before Audrey sees this and misunderstands it."

"There is nothing to misunderstand, Sergey, you know I like you and you know I would give you the best time ever, being a perfect girlfriend for you." I snorted at her last words. Perfect girlfriend? She would make the perfect nightmare for sure.

"Audrey is your friend," I remarked, feeling myself getting very angry.

"And what? If you two break-up, and I'm sure it won't take long because you clearly don't like her, then it will be fine, hmm? I'm just saying it, so you won't have to wait or try to guess it." I froze there on the spot once more hearing what Dasha said in my head and that moment of weakness cost me, for Alexa leaned closer and rested her red lips on my ear. "I like you and now you know it clearly. I won't give up on you," she whispered, and I swallowed down before doing something very stupid and bad, for I felt like slapping her and I knew what pain in the ass would that cause.

So, I just pushed her away and ordered her to get up at once, to which she complied only after a moment, and walked away going to join the other at the dance floor, just halting a moment to look back at me, a smile meant to lure me after her on her lips.

What the hell was I doing there?

I went to the bathroom and washed my face, my neck and rinsed my mouth, feeling a terrible taste in it. Damn...why was I stuck so much in this stupid thing I didn't even like? What scared me so much? I looked at myself in the mirror and a sneer stared back at me. What was there to lose? Nothing, I believed I had nothing to lose. But I also knew this thought would soon evaporate as snow under the sun. I washed my face again and asked myself what she was doing tonight, whether she was out on some date or not, if she maybe was meeting with Denisov.

I shook my head and left the bathroom, finding Audrey sitting on the couch and normally chatting with the adder she considered her best and sincere friend, taking selfies together and laughing at God only knew what. I looked at her and I knew what I had to do, sooner or later, and possibly better to go for the sooner. Yeah, I wasn't going to spend the night with her, because it would have been wrong, for both of us. I walked to the table and sat beside her, ignoring Alexa in everything.

"Are you OK? You look strange," Audrey asked me, and I just shook my head and let an arm go around her shoulders, because what her friend did before felt like pure betrayal and made me feel like a complete piece of shit, even if I didn't do anything.

"I'm just tired," I replied, not being able to say the truth.

No, I wasn't OK. Not one freaking bit and it was all my fault and nobody's else.

Author's chit-chat:

What are your thoughts, reactions, ideas, comments after reading the prologue introducing us their characters and their POVs for the first time?

I wanted to let you know how Viola and Anatoly "met" for the very first time and any of you imagined that? I hope you enjoyed it. Of course, as you can see, Anatoly has an important role in this story, for obvious reasons, and because, he is a character who cannot be placed in a corner.

Now, before anybody cries out saying that often girls in such stories are represented badly, negatively, let me say this is very untrue. As you already noticed in my stories, I try to represent the generality of people, from very good to very bad, be it a girl or a guy. So, yes, we have Alexa being a terrible person, but we have Viola being super sweet, Sharon also being a really nice girl, and Audrey...I cannot say much now.

Question: did any of you already imagine or suspect that Sergey already had a soft spot for our sweet Viola from the beginning?

Yes of course, I introduced Darya (or Dasha) and we had a better view on their families and some of their issues. I say some only on purpose because I cannot reveal too much at the very beginning. Adrian will reveal more of himself later on in the story. But I believe you will like Dasha.

I really hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you think of it with your comments, votes and messages: THANK YOU ^^

Stay tuned because this weekend I plan to post CH.2 of "Beyond Those Irresistible Eyes" and possibly, the first 10 edited chapters of "Fire and Ice", which you should really check out because you will find extra, new parts in them! So yeah, the Witch has been productive 😊

The next chapter of "The Princess & The Jerk" will also be posted relatively soon, I will do my best to have it done for the next following weekend. And don't be worried, this won't be just a super simple love-story, but it will give us more than that.

Thank you once more for your fantastic love, support and kindness!

Lots of Love, Magic, Hugs & Meows,
-TheWitchAndTheCat-