Crush Culture I

Giana

Alessio drives me to school that next morning and I'm thoroughly surprised, yet I'm definitely not complaining.

I don't know what made him change his mind, but I can't help the rush of excitement at the fact that he might actually be warming up to me.

I still can't get a good read on him, nor have I ever caught him glancing at me with any desire or interest. And I briefly wonder if it's because I'm not his type or if I'm not attractive enough.

The little bits of attention I've received from him are all relatively polite and all the affection is initiated by me.

He has yet to show any signs of liking me.

"I'm relatively attractive right?" I question out loud playing with the fries on my lunch tray.

"Fishing for compliments and it's only what...." Jacob checks his phone. "Noon?" He sends me a sarcastic smile from across the lunch table.

Picking up a fry I flick it at the idiots forehead, it drops to the ground but he picks it up and slips it into his mouth anyways.

"Gross." Lily and I both scrunch up our faces.

Lily is sat next to Jacob and she turns to me with an eye roll. "To answer your question. Yes. Extremely." She emphasizes.

I sigh and shake my head. "Not to women. Through the women's gaze, yes, I am attractive but I'm talking about through the male gaze." I reply seriously, needing to figure this out.

I never stopped to question the fact that I might not be as attractive as I always thought myself to be. Was it because all the men that flattered me seemed to be under my league and Alessio was out of it?

Jacob purses his lips and leans back in his chair crossing his arms and looking at me in thought. "Well you got a big ass, nice big tits, small waist, childlike face with fuck me eyes. You're extremely fuckable... So yes. I would say you're attractive -looking at it through the male gaze." He observes.

Ignoring the disturbing fact that men tend find childlike features attractive I purse my lips.

Perhaps Alessio was simply too out of my league for he didn't even remotely look at me with any sort of attraction or lust.

"Why the need for male validation or approval? Gia you're not an insecure girl. What's wrong?" Lily observes, studying me and I sigh knowing she's right.

Within the short time of knowing Alessio, he has made me extremely insecure - something I vowed to never let anyone let alone a man do.

"Shes just bummed cause her new daddy won't fuck her." Jacob chimes in, shrugging off the glare I send his way. "What? It's true."

"Fuck off, it's not like that." I spit back.

"Are you sure you're not only interested because you know you can't have him?" Lily says, ignoring Jacob-something we've learned is a must with being around the idiot.

"That's what I thought it was about at first. but now, I don't know..." I mumble, " I think I might actually... have... a crush on him." I cringe, the word tasting foreign on my tongue.

My friends laugh and start teasing me and before I know it, I'm growing annoyed with them and find myself storming out of the cafeteria and towards the literature department, where I know i'll be constantly wanted and desired.

. . .

Alessio picks me up from school which is why I have to cut William and I's hangout's short.

The other day when he surprised me by picking me up, I nearly kissed William goodbye for I was feeling bad about leaving him with another set of blue balls. Of course ,William was understanding but I could tell he was disappointed.

But it's not like I was planning to do anything with him anyways. Maybe he was hoping for me to slip my hand in his pants, something i've only tried once. But that didn't go so well, it was at a school assembly and we were sitting next to each other in the dark. I was curious, needing it for educational purposes. But the second I slipped my hand in and felt around, I bitched out and pulled away.

I knew Alessio was suspicious of William, since I'd noticed him glaring at the man a little too long in what I hoped was jealousy but I knew was his perceptive nature.

He was always so perceptive, cool and calculating. And today was no different.

He stands outside a black sports car, one I knew had the option for the roof to come off and I smile at the thought of riding with Alessio past the beach, with my hair in the wind as I blast my favorite song.

I hurry down the steps, pushing past the groups of girls standing around and ignore the way they all eye Alessio who was a sight for sore eyes, in a signature white button up, and black slacks.

His white dress shirt clung to his broad frame, with a few buttons loose at the top, showcasing a gold chain that rested against his chest. I trace over his lean muscular figure with my eyes appreciatively, wishing for the day I won't be restricted to sneaking glancing at him, like the rest of the senior girls in my grade we're currently doing.

They could all look, but the man was mine.

"Hey." Alessio doesn't look up from his phone as I near, he merely opens the passenger door for me, mumbling out a hello, before rounding the car and getting into the drivers side.

The car turns on with a roar, and I do up my seatbelt, before remembering that I did in fact have something to talk to him about. "Oh, my friends invited me out this Friday so I might not be home till a little late."

I barely get to finish my sentence before he's responding with a curt, nonchalant "No."

I pause and look up towards him, "I wasn't asking permission. I was letting you know." I inform him.

He stares ahead and his brows furrow, like the idea of someone not asking his permission was ridiculous.

I ignore his arrogance.

"I cannot have you leaving the house Friday night. I'm having some business associates over and I need you in the safety of your room all night." He replies swiftly.

I frown at the restriction. I'd never had to deal with something like this nor did I know what I needed to be kept safe from, but I had a good idea that these business associates weren't your conventional white collar businessmen.

"You understand, yes?" He hums, his hand gripping the gear shifts and we speed up, but he casts me one quick glance and that's all I need to melt.

I could let it go this one time. "Of course." I say as a small mischievous smile forms across my lips. "But only if we can put the roof down and ride past the beach on the way home."

It was cheesy, but mamá had a convertible and she'd let me stand up to embrace the few seconds of bliss that came with the fresh air and wind in my hair. It was exhilarating.

He merely frowns, "I don't know-"

"Please?" I ask turning towards him and after a moment, his broad chest heaves as he gives in, pressing the button that slowly switches the roof off before exiting the freeway.

When we drive by the beach, I kick off my shoes and carefully stand, holding onto the rim of the windshield before throwing my hands in the air. It feels so nice and freeing, I can't help but laugh and scream as Alessio drives with one hand on the wheel and a small amused smile that he tries to hide.

Our turn comes up and he makes the sharp turn before I can sit back down but his large hand comes up and he grips onto my thigh, steadying me as he rounds the corner. "Careful, Principessa."

I look up to the sky, hiding my blush from his eyes as his calloused fingers tighten on my skin ever so slightly as he makes yet another turn. His hold is firm enough to steady me, but soft enough not to hurt and the butterflies in my stomach go mad.

But the blissful moment of contact lasts only a minute, for the next thing I know, we're turning into the secluded guarded street and pulling up to the Galanti manor.

. . .