Note : The characters do not engage in any sexual activity until they have completed 18 years of age.
*
Ryan Warrenson sighs. The fifteen years old boy is feeling a bit depressed. He really does not like walking along the corridor by himself, surrounded by many other people who are with friends or girlfriends and boyfriends. It constantly reminds the young boy how much of a loser he is, given the fact that no one would ever want to be seen talking to or even walking near him.
It's understandable, though, given how much of a social pariah he is. Afterall, not only is his face very plain, he is also stick-thin and a complete geek. He made the mistake of regularly raising his hand to answer questions in class, and that, along with his physical appearance, resulted in Ryan becoming a heavily targeted bullying victim. And there isn't much he can do about it now.
One of the guys who would harass him the most often is Brock. Brock is a strong, large boy. He'd often shake down Ryan for his lunch money. Going to report him has never worked, since his parents were massive donors to the school, meaning he always got away with murder. It only made Broke more angry at him. Ryan would then end up getting threatened more.
Suddenly, he hears a commotion. Curious, the teenager runs towards a crowd of people forming not far away from him. He reaches there and gasps in horror. Surrounded by a bunch of older girls is a girl from his history class, Louise Oliver. The frizzy-haired, brace-wearing girl is crying, being pelted by the cheerleaders who are mocking her futile attempts at shielding her own face.
"Hey! Stop it!" Ryan shocks himself with his random courage, having never been able to yell like this at anyone before. Everyone turns to face him, equally surprised. "It's not nice to bully people, you know?" He walks towards them, legs trembling yet eyes filled with conviction, determined not to walk by someone being treated the same way he regularly is.
One of the bigger girls eventually recovers, sneering at Ryan. "And what are you going to do if we don't stop, tough guy? You think we can take us on? I can easily get Brock to pummel you." They all start laughing at that, being reminded of how the jerk regularly makes Ryan's life hell. Ryan feels himself go red in the face. Clenching his fists, he tries not to show any sign of weakness.
"Go get him to do your dirty work for you, if you want. At least he can do his dirty work by himself. You're probably too scared of getting into trouble to actually beat me up by yourself, aren't you? Cowards," he rants, getting breathless near the end. As the girls look on in shock, never having seen him react this way before, Ryan gets close to Louise, asking with concern "Are you okay, Louise? Did they hurt you anywhere?"
He then begins checking the slightly chubby girl's arms, looking for scratches or injuries. Fortunately, there is only one scrape, although her face is covered with some little bits and pieces of food. Louise, meanwhile, is blushing. No one has ever stood up for her before. "Thanks," she mumbles, trying to hide her beetroot red face. "I'm alright. Don't worry about me."
"Come on," he says, holding her hand. "Let's go to the infirmary." He glares at the bullies, leading the way for Louise, moving straight towards where the infirmary is, not leaving her side. It makes Louise feel warmth in her stomach at how he is protecting her, despite the fact that the two never had a conversation before. She has fallen in love with him without even knowing it.
Later that day, she decides to invite him to go have dinner at her house as a way to thank him for helping her. At first he thinks about politely declining the offer but she insists on it. This makes the boy awkward as he has never had dinner at somebody else's place before, but he does not want to sadden her and eventually agrees after asking for his parents' permission.
The boy is shocked when a limousine arrives to pick them up. He assumed from the way she dressed that she is from an average, middle income family like himself, but the sedan clearly proves otherwise. Louise only giggles at his shocked reaction, trying to stifle it but failing as he stares back and forth between the luxurious vehicle and her, gaping like a fish on land.
Getting inside proves to astound Ryan even further. There's a mini TV and an actual refrigerator, stocked with snacks and drinks. The chauffeur tells them to buckle their seatbelts and start driving. He has finally recovered and is now asking "So, um, your family is rich?" Once again, Louise breaks into fits of laughter, making him blush madly.
"You could say that, I guess," she replies, leaning over, resting her head on his shoulder. "My father owns several hotels, after all." He starts gaping again. "I know it's hard to believe given how I dress at school, but I want people to be nice to me because of how I act, not because I am very wealthy. And you were nice to me even before you knew it."
He gets even more shocked when they reach their destination, staring at the huge, four-storey mansion, flabbergasted. It's the most beautiful, expensive-looking place he has ever seen in his entire life. She eagerly drags him up through the garden, taking him into the building. Once inside, Ryan is now overwhelmed, surrounded by large pillars and golden tiles, and Persian carpets covering the floor.
It turns out her parents are away, meaning there are just the two of them. The family's personal chef takes some time to prepare the meal, while Louise takes Ryan on a quick tour around the first couple floors. When done, she leads him back to the living room, sitting down on a comfortable chair and indicating for him to do the same thing, which he now does.
