Author's Note: And so, the Zari Mae romance arc has ended. Tsk, tsk. Just like that. Kidding.
Haha. I know this is quite a bit boring, and the fact the chapters are divided into short parts is also quite annoying... but I can't seem to write something long. There's this obsessive need to upload something. :3
Anyways, bear with it, please! Please, continue reading! I need your support! Constructive comments and criticism (not "Thank you for the chapter!" :P ) are well appreciated.
The previous chapter BTW was 2810 words total. I'll try to up my word count... So keep reading!!!!!
Much love from ME!
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“Yo!” A cheerful voice came from behind me as I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and saw Za with a bright smiling face. “Why the surprised face?”
It was now Monday, and I had not expected to meet with her by the entrance. Aside from the small patch on her cheek, she acted like nothing happened last Saturday.
“Are you okay, now?” I asked.
“I’m fine! You worry too much!”
“What about your parents? Didn’t they say anything when they saw you?”
“Ahaha! I’m actually from outside the city. I’m staying in a dormitory, so my parents don’t know about what happened.” She walked beside me as we made our way to the classroom. I was still concerned about her, but she kept on saying that she was okay.
As we entered the room, all eyes fell on us. It felt really awkward. Za didn’t seem to care as she walked to her seat with a smile still on her face. As I was about to follow her in, a hand pulled me from behind and out to the hallway. An arm twisted around my neck, as I was dragged near the stairway. Thoughts of my past flashed in my mind. Was the bullying going to start again?
As my knees felt weak from the thought, a voice whispered in my ears.
“So tell me, is it a love triangle?”
The question caught me off-guard and I lost strength in my legs. I fell down on my butt.
“Hey, you okay?” The person who grabbed me was a classmate. If I remember correctly, he sits on the front row. He helped me up, and patted my pants to removed the dust.
“Who’re you again?” I asked.
“The name’s Mark Valerie Ojario. I’m the class secretary. My hobby is collecting gossips and rumors. Nice to meet you, Paul. Just call me MV.” He took my hand and shook it. Then without letting go, he gripped it tightly and asked, “So is it a love triangle?”
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“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” I pulled my hand and shook the pain away.
“You’re asking Zari out, right?” he asked while smiling mischievously.
“No. We’re just friends.” I denied his question.
“Hmm… The volleyball club members said you were acting sweet last weekend. Then you went to the mall, just the two of you… Last week you were always together during breaks…”
“She’s just showing me around.”
“Eh… But you like her, right?”
My mouth shut tight. I couldn’t answer his question honestly. I do like her, but I couldn’t tell if it was as a friend or as something more. I’ve only known her for a week, and the incident at the mall just proves that I still don’t know a lot about her. What was her relationship with that classmate, and why does she allow him to hit her.
“Love triangle?” I whispered as my thoughts escaped my lips.
“You don’t know?” MV looked at me with an incredulous expression. “Hmm… Well they never admitted to it, but it seems like almost everyone who knows her also knows that she’s the ‘property’ of Leon.”
There’s the ‘property’ word again. Seeing my expression, he continued.
“I think you’ve figured out who Leon is. His full name is Leon Torrevilla. Smart, good looks, rich, he’s the kind of guy that girl would fall for. But he doesn’t talk to anyone in the school. A lot of people, though, saw him and Zari Mae hanging out back in first year. There was even a time when Zari got in trouble with some drunk, and Leon beat those guys up while declaring, “Hands off my property!”” He then made a pose with his back at me while looking sideways.
“If I were you, it’s better to avoid Zari. If you noticed in class, the others doesn’t really approach her unless they need her for something. It would be best to avoid the king of the forest. See what I did there? King of the forest? Lion… Leon?” He made a stupid grin as he said that joke.
As I was about to say something, the bell rang.
“Oh, it’s time already! Hurry, hurry!” He dragged me back to the classroom. As I entered the room, I saw Leon on his seat, but he was looking out the window without a care in the world. I went to my seat and my eyes met with Za’s. She made her usual cheerful smile.
As first period began, my mind was confused on what to do.