is this what love is?

11.

As I walk the school's hallways towards the cafeteria I get pitiful looks. I guess the news about what happened at the party spread quickly. Hate it there.

I see Celia and Vivie already waiting at the cafeteria. Just when I'm about to sit down I notice who is walking towards our table.

Jake walks slowly while hanging his head down.
I'm freezed on the spot. The familiar feeling of fear flows through me.

Then someone else appears behind him. Minho grabs Jake on the shoulder and says something.

Jake rolls his eyes and stomps out of the cafeteria. I exchange smiles with Minho before sitting down.

"We won't let Jake bother you anymore", Vivie says warmly.

I let out a sigh.

"Just don't care about him. I don't think he's gonna cause me trouble anymore. Since he got himself involved with cops this time, he doesn't dare to do anything for a while. I know him."

"Yeah, not very smart from him. He ruined his reputation completely", Celia smiles and takes a sip from her coffee.

"I have something to tell you guys", I began.

"You sure do", Vivie says, biting her lip.

"I know you guys don't know much about what Jake's and mine relationship was. Well, you didn't know the dark side of it to be clear."

"He used to be a great boyfriend. For  some time. Then he began to have things with other girls and he started to make me a bit uncomfortable. But I didn't care because... well, I was in love."

"About year and a half later I however got sick of it and broke up with him. You guys remember right?"

"I do. You just said that you didn't like him the same way anymore. I didn't know such secrets existed", Celia says quietly, "You should have broken up earlier. And you should have told us at least..."

"I'm sorry... I just wanted to forget about him. I guess I liked him too much to tell bad things about him..."

"Don't be sorry, silly girl", Vivie laughs and ruffles my hair lightly. "But why did he do all that then? He tried to call you many times and wanted to meet up, right? And then at the party too... After what you told, it seems like he didn't really care about you..?"

I let out a heavy sigh. "I wondered why as well. He told me at the party that he got attached to me because I was the only girl he ever dated who liked him for real. And I did like him a lot. Even after I broke up with him. Even after I met Ethan, I still had some sort of feelings for him."

"Whoa... that's crazy... I thought you got over him a long time ago", Celia says amused.

"Actually... Remember that day when Ethan came here and Jake asked if he could explain everything. You guys said not to go..."

"You did not..."

"I wasn't going to, but he just pulled me to a random room and I had no other choice but to stay."

Celia and Vivie both look at me with  dissapointed expressions on their faces.

"Did something happen?" Vivie breaks the silence.

"I just got a reminder that I wasn't over him yet..." I sigh and smile at my stupidness.

"But you're over him now, right??" Celia asks worry in her voice.

"For fuck's sake I am!" I huff.

Vivie still seems to think about something. I raise my brow at her.
"But you still went out with Ethan even tho you continued to like Jake..?"

"Well, ye-"

"What?"
That... that voice belongs to...

"Ethan? What brings you here?" Celia's fake-happy tone confirms that I was right.
I'm dead meat if Ethan only heard the thing that Vivie asked.