C H A P T E R E I G H T -
F R I E N D S
-star-
A week had passed since I had my emotional breakdown.
I couldn't believe myself, how I just straight up let myself be vulnerable especially to him, the guy I would least show it to.
I hated myself and yet I couldn't help but feel my heart raise whenever I try to rewind what just happened last Friday. He was gentle with me, as if nothing between us happened.
I can't believe myself! Why can't I stop thinking about it and why can't I help but let out a smile whenever I do? This is bad. This is all Janna's fault.
Yeah, it is definitely her fault. If she hadn't said those disgusting stuff, I wouldn't be absent for a few days with a sprained foot. If she hadn't persisted those weird delusions of her I wouldn't be an airhead and trip myself.
If she hadn't even said anything at all, I wouldn't have been thinking about Marco all this time.
This is fu-kin stupid. I need to distract myself, I can't keep thinking about this or I'll do something stupid again. How can I even face him? When I literally became so vulnerable in front of him. How can I act like nothing happened?
///
Here goes! I take a long deep breath as I slid open the door to the classroom. Almost everyone's eyes were on me and I felt cornered but I gave them a glare, even though I was at the point of melting with their gaze. "What are you staring at?"
They all looked away and minded their own business. I took a glimpse to my chair and noticed he wasn't there yet. I released a breath of relief and headed to my seat when a hand stopped me.
I turned around and a girl with bob hair and jet black hair smiled at me. "Star Butterfly, can I have a moment with you?"
I nodded and took my seat whilst she took the seat opposite to mine. "I'm Xiara, the class representative. Everyone keeps urging me to ask these questions to you."
I raised a brow. "What question?"
"What's really going on between you and Marco?" she blantly said and I choked on my spit. "--what do you mean?"
"Are you dating? Because everyone thinks you both are," she shrugs and I can't help but turn red. What the hell are they thinking? First Janna, now them? Don't they know we hate each other to the core? "--We're enemies. Who the hell falls in love to someone they hate?"
She clasps her hands. "I do believe in love-hate relationship. Those seem like the most stable relationship."
"You're crazy," I say outright to her and she chuckles. "--suppose. But I wouldn't be suprised if you started liking him."
"That's bogus," I replied and she looks at me like she's staring at my soul. "--oh really? Wouldn't you like him when he was gentle with you last week? Who really knows."
"H-how do you that?"
"News spreads out fast, Star," she grins and looks behind me. "--Speaking of the devil."
I didn't get what she meant when the guy stands by my side and my eyes widen. I hope he hasn't heard anything or I would dig myself a grave. "It's you. That weird girl," he says.
Xiara chuckles. "Weird girl? No one has called me that before."
He gives her a flat look. "Get out. That's my seat."
Xiara looks at me. "It's nice talking to you, Star," she stands up and before she gets to walk away, she leans down my ear and whisper. "---does you heart beat when he's there?"
I opened my mouth but she winks and goes her merry way. I look away and tried to distract myself with my phone while the class hasn't started yet. I was used to the silence, but this time it felt awkward to me.
Should I thank him? No way! A voice on my head says and I stay shut when he speaks up. "Are you alright?"
I don't look up and pretend to be clicking some icons even if my hands were beginning to sweat. "I don't need your concern. But I'm fine."
"Don't expect me to give you any favors because I never asked for you help," I added before he could reply but he doesn't say anything and it makes me pissed off he doesn't reply but let it be.
///
"Didn't I tell you? It was fate, Star," Janna smiles at me and munches on a chip. I glare at her. "Just admit that it's your fault. Because of your bogus talk, look what happened to me."
"Oh Star. How naïve of you," she cooed. "--you wouldn't act this way if you don't like him."
I flushed red. "Am not! There's nothing to like about him!"
"Then why are you thinking about it so much?" she asks and I couldn't find myself the answer either. Why was I thinking about it so much? Was it because it was weird or was it something else?
"Anyway. I don't like him. It's just weird."
"Shouldn't you thank him or something?" Janna starts. "--what for? I'm not gonna thank him. It'll ruin me."
"Star, there's a difference between vulnerability and rudeness. What you're doing now is being rude. It wouldn't hurt to say thank you. It's normal."
"But he's my enemy!" I defended. "--it would feed off his ego. I can never admit that."
"But he literally let go of his ego to help you. Especially when you're at fault."
"Are you guilt-tripping me?" I say to her and she grins. "--is it working?"
"Anyway, just give him a food offering or something," Janna says. "--You're a tough girl right? A real woman knows when you apologize and thank someone."
///
Stupid Janna. Twisting me with her words. Look at me, actually doing something about it just because she taunted me. Real mature of her.
I can't believe myself. What is happening to me? I'm so humiliated right now, especially if he rejects it.
I've never been rejected. I was always the one who rejects people before they do because it would make me look like a loser. I hated feeling that way and how high my ego is but if this would settle things right than maybe I could do it if I try.
I tried to find him at our classroom but he wasn't there. So I glanced around the field, the side of the field where it was only grass and trees and I found him there, sitting under the shade of a tree. Cliché---I know.
Each step I took felt heavy, like the world would collapse by each heavy step I took towards him. I wanted to seem and act cool about it but inside I was turning crazy, my heart beating erratic and nervous. I never felt like this before.
I finally got close to him and threw the offering across to him which landed on his head. He looks up and glances at me with his hazel eyes. "You really have a kink of hitting people don't you?"
He looks down to the thing thrown and looks at me again with a unfazed face. "What's this? Is there some poison laced on it?"
I clenched my fists. "You stupid idiot! Why would I give it to you if there was poison on it?!"
"Because you want to kill me?" he says like it was the obvious. I took a sigh and sat beside him--not technically like I was inches away from him. "--so why are you giving me this box of chocolates?"
"Are you confessing that you like me, Butterfly?" I was expecting him to be atleast embarrassed about it but he looked neutral like usual. I turned red like the idiot I was. "What the hell? Why would I ever like you?"
"Exactly. So what's this?" he said.
"Peace offering," I mumbled under my breath. "--can't hear you, for a loud-mouthed woman like you."
"Nevermind. Just it give back!" I hiss and scrambled to get it away from his hold but he stops me with his palm on my face. "--Easy."
"You're embarrassing me Diaz!" I grit. "--I never felt so embarrassed my whole life."
"Just shut up," he says and I watch as he opens the box. "--did you make this?"
"Why would I make something for you?" I clench my teeth and he snickers. "--the chocolate shapes are deformed. Who the hell makes chocolates like this and sells it?"
My cheeks boiled red and I try to hide it. He takes one and pops it on his mouth. "Salty. Did you mistake salt for sugar?"
"I-I did not!" I raised my voice and he covers his ears, giving me an annoyed look. "-You're too loud. It's gonna make me deaf."
"If you're gonna complain then just give it to me," I say, too embarrassed at this point but he swats my hand away. "Why would you get back something you gave to me?"
I blinked. "But it's salty. What the hell are you gonna do with it?"
"Eat it. Isn't it obvious?" he looks at me like I was crazy.
"I hate you," I say so softly.
"But t-t-ha-than---" I struggle to say it. "T-t-hank..y-y-ou."
"So you're thanking me now?" he says and pops another chocolate. "For your information, Janna forced me to do this. I would never do this willingly."
He sneers. "Sure keep on saying that Butterfly. Just accept it, you're a tsundere."
"Tsundere?" I look at him. He shrugs his shoulder. "--Just search it up online."
As time passed by, I couldn't believe I was talking this calm with Diaz. At first we were at each other's throat, and now I'm starting to think that somehow, Janna's right.
"I'm only gonna say this once," I speak up. "I'm sorry."
"I wasn't planning to try and kill you, but you humiliated me," I hugged my knees, feeling the cold wind carress my skin. "--I have such a high ego, and that really embarrassed me that I lost touch and tried putting the blame to you."
"Do you think I can forgive you?" he replies and I shrugged. "--I don't need your forgiveness. I just said what I needed to say."
"But since I have a high ego," I chuckle, facing him. "--I'll only say this once while I'm being generous. I would like a cease fire."
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean. In other words, I'd like a truce," I look at him. "--I'm not saying that I want to be your friend, but I just want to get this pass us. Like two mature teens."
"Were you ever mature?" he sneers and I nudged his sides slightly. "What do you say?"
"I'd prefer it if I didn't have someone trying to kill me, so do what you want, Butterfly."
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