I HEAR YOU

XVII: CALVIN

"At least give the girl an explanation," Rhea mumbled begrudgingly as she pressed her hand on her forehead. She does this when she's stressed over something and at this moment, it's clear she's stressed about someone.

That Sofia would give us nothing more but troubles just as expected. I've already made the decision to not give her a chance in the publication but she still was able to get into each of our heads. As much as I hated to admit it. She has successfully fucked my thinking right now.

"You really have to stop giving me troubles," Rhea looked at me accusingly.

I chuckled but stopped.

What?

What trouble?

Me?

"The girl's just being dramatic," I replied nonchalantly.

"That girl has a name," Rhea had scowled at me. "It's Sofia. Or Sophia. Or whatever. Ugh to hell with the spelling when they sound they same!," she added almost ripping her baby hairs on her forehead out.

"I'm not the trouble here," I exclaimed.

Rhea raised her eyebrows and everyone else in the room looked at me. It doesn't take long for someone to know that they're just a second away at saying 'really'. I looked at Dan and realized I was wrong. Not everyone is looking at me. He is looking down on the floor in a trance of his own. The ones who passed the screening sit away from where Rhea and I are having the conversation but the scowl on one person at the corner they're cramped up in couldn't miss my eyes.

"Look," I made my voice a bit louder than earlier and looked at Rhea, "The girl said she's fine."

"I said," Rhea stopped to inhale too much air I assumed before she continued, "the girl has a name."

"I know," I said and returned my gaze on the issues we're working on for the semester.

"It just doesn't make sense," the voice came from the corner where the ones who passed are sitting.

I looked up and saw the boy who was scowling at me earlier. I studied his face and he looks pleasant. His uniform is neat. A typical good boy but not nerdy. An ideal guy for most girls which made me even more furious.

"You call the shots for me now?," I challenged him.

"I think it's reasonable to say that we all dream of calling the shots someday but it doesn't hurt to listen to an honest comment, or should it?," he countered. It didn't shock me that he retaliated but it made me furious just to listen to him.

He got in!

What's his problem?

What's it to him anyway?

Who is she to him?

"I suppose it doesn't," I carefully laid my words now because I seem to have a feeling he won't back down.

He stood up this time and says, "First, there were no rules other than applying the colors you gave us to make a mural. Second, there was no time limit given to us. And lastly, we all saw what she painted." He moved his gaze around the other ones who passed the screening and stopped on one particular boy who looks about 14 years old. "And like I told every one earlier on, the first mural cannot compare half as much as what she did," he ended the entire reasoning by looking me in the eyes.

Did he think I'd get scared?

"The point?," I knew what he was aiming to discuss about but I'll never admit it to anyone why I did what I did. I can only convince myself.