1994

Poke. Poke. “Ugh. What?” Michelle said, lazily putting her head up. Apparently, the night before, she stayed up all night as she found this old arcade game, Gang Wars. Ironic. The guy she is madly in love with happens to be a gang leader. “Are you awake?” he asked. She nodded, without looking at the guy, crazily rubbing her eyes. “Yeah, yeah” she answered with a hint of annoyance her voice.

She fixed her long, wavy dark brown hair and put it in a bun. She had a flawless copper complexion, bright brown eyes that matched her hair. She looked plain and simple. She was just an average college student. “Are you awake?” he asked again. Michelle sighed heavily. He seemed to be extra annoying that day. “Yes, Tao!” she replied a little too loudly. “Good” he immediately said, “Now pay attention so you can tutor me later.” She rolled her eyes and focused on the professor.

She lazily walked around the campus. Tao was equally lazy as he walked with her. Compared to her, Tao was extremely tall. Her height only managed to reach slightly above his shoulder. He had short jet black hair pushed back and it matched well with his tired looking, chocolate brown eyes. He had the same skin complexion as her. His ears were filled with multiple piercings. In a way, he looked intimidating. He, however, was no college ordinary student. He was a notorious gang leader.

“Tao!” another tall guy shouted at him from a distance. He had dyed blonde hair, longer than Tao’s but pushed back into a pony-tail. Tao gave him a ‘what’s up’ nod. Kris returned him the same gesture. “Ay yo! So, tonight? Are you on?” Kris asked, giving him a dirty smirk. Tao looked at Michelle then back at Kris and shook his head. “Not this time, Kris” Tao responded softly. Kris’ dirty smirk was replaced with another type of smirk. “Ah, I get it, I get it. No problem!” Kris replied. Kris then looked at Michelle with a smile and left.

“Normally, you just abandon me the moment you get invited for something. "What’s new, gang leader?” she asked, mockingly emphasizing on the word ‘gang leader’. As much as Michelle hated that he was some sort of a criminal, she couldn’t let go of him, not after he saved her life. She thought back and remembered how violently she was beaten by a gang and how Tao, of all people, would save her life.

She had heard a lot of things about Tao. She heard that he single handedly beaten almost half of the rival gang and also getting arrested for killing a guy. The latter, however, was a rumor, Tao had said to her once. He explained that he was arrested to save a gang member. He was feared among a lot of people and no one dared messed with him. How did she fall in love with such a guy?

It was hard to get used to a gang leader becoming your friend and following you around but she eventually did. However, he seemed to have a different attitude that day. Tao gave a long, content sigh. “I just didn’t feel like it, okay?” he said with a warm smile. This was it. She fell in love with that smile. That heart-warming smile. Whenever he did so, which was rare, Michelle would fall deep into his mysterious but loving eyes, remembering that he was just like any other human being who can love and be loved.

“I don’t know who you are, Mr. Gang Leader Huang” she said, this time teasingly emphasizing on his surname. He gave a short laugh and looked into her eyes. There was something different about his look that moment. He neither looked angry nor intimidating. “I-I-uh-I mean” he stuttered, scratching his head. She looked at him patiently. He suddenly shook his head. “Nothing nothing” he quickly replied and walked quickly.

  Author's Note:  

  First chapter! :) Hope you all like it! Comment, criticize, etc etc <3