School Life With You (Book 2)

24: Dauntless Protector - IV

Chapter 24 - part IV
Dauntless Protector

| Vincent Albion's POV |

After my confrontation with Chelsea, I went to an open place so I could breathe out the tension. I want to take back everything I have said, but no, I shouldn't. Dapat iwasan ko na si Chelsea bago tuluyang lumala nararamdaman ko sa kanya. Kailangang panindigan ko 'yon dahil kapag hindi, baka bumalik lang ulit ako sa dati.

"Vincent hijo," napaayos ako ng tayo nang marinig ko ang boses ni Ms. Mara na papalapit. Tumabi siya sa akin dito sa may veranda kaya naman hindi ako makatingin sa kanya.

"I heard what happened," she said. "How are you feeling?" That's the indication I had been waiting to open up to someone. Maybe Ms. Mara is the right person to whom I could tell my thoughts. I swallowed my fear of being judged and faced our adviser.

"M-miss Mara, I feel like I failed in everything," I sighed before continuing. "I failed as Chelsea's friend, I also failed again in protecting her from harm, and lastly, I failed as her admirer."

I felt a slight relieved when I let out all those words.

"Why do you think so?" Ms. Mara asked.

"Because I'm not strong enough, emotionally and mentally," I immediately told her. "I feel like I'm a coward too."

"I see," Ms. Mara nodded. "Vincent, are you a dauntless and a protector, or a protector of a dauntless?"

"W-what?" kunot-noong tanong ko kasi hindi ko nagets.

"You introduced yourself as a Dauntless right?" she asked, so I nodded. "Not just a House member of Dauntless, but you said, you're also brave."

"I... I remembered," wika ko na tila nahihiya na. Baka dapat hindi ko na lang sinabi na matapang talaga ako, kasi hindi ko naman napanindigan.

"If your life revolves around Chelsea, it's like she's the brave one, but you're still protecting her. Vincent, do you ever realize that she can survive without you?" When Ms. Mara uttered those words, I was speechless. I didn't know what to say or how to process everything.

"If that's the case, then you are a PROTECTOR of a dauntless," she added. Why is Ms. Mara's word so harsh yet I needed to hear more? "Here you are protecting Chelsea from every danger she's not worried about and is ready to face. It sounds like she's the brave one, right?"

"And I was just her protector that she didn't even need," nakatulalang sabi ko.

Biglang nagflashback sa isipan ko mga ala-ala ni Chelsea na gustong harapin ang lahat. I know she was scared, but she pushed through because Chelsea knows her goals. Takot siya pero naging matapang siya noong Freedom Spree, noong naging class president siya, noong tumakbo kami sa eleksyon, noong pumunta sila sa trap house, noong camping, at noong mga bata pa kami. Maybe Chelsea's really the brave one, not me.

"But if that's not the case," Ms. Mara said in a calm tone. I looked at her and she gave me a small assuring smile. "If your life doesn't revolve to only one person, then maybe you're the Dauntless."

"Ms. Mara, I don't think so---"

"Do you really think, that you also failed as Sean's brother?" she asked that made me wonder. "I'm sorry, I heard you two arguing earlier. I know your brotherhood isn't perfect, but I sense that you both care for each other."

"I hope that's right, Ms. Mara," I chuckled in a saddest way possible. "I've been so selfish in many decisions I've made that affected Sean directly."

"But at least you've been brave and strong enough in terms of protecting Sean and the student body of EA," she commented, trying to cheer me up.