56: C56 Chapter 56

C56 Chapter 56

Peering through Kevin's shoulder, it was Vera my eyes attached to. I flinched backward instantly after pushing Kevin's torso away and his hand fell on his sides. In a shocking face, he turned back and Vera had been there shooting him with her gaze I could interpret as repulsion.1

"Vera..." She sprinted out of the door that led to the front yard. Having an urge to clarify the real fact regarding what she just saw, I soon ran after her. That girl might have inferred that I had affair with Kevin or any other unpleasant thoughts had stimulated her to run away from me. This misunderstanding could result at the end of our friendship because I knew how much he loathed Kevin. She never tolerated me interacting with that boy. The tragedy in the library that broke me was the reason why she was overprotective.

I was not a running athlete, yet I could count on my capability in sprinting. In less than a minute, my steps had brought me to get to her side. She fully focused her sight on the street ahead. The closer the space between us was, the faster she strolled. As she did not want compromise, I impatiently pulled her hand, forcing her to cease. She rudely said the words I never thought would slip out of her mouth after she yanked back her hand.

"How did it feel being hugged by someone who almost harassed you?"

"How can you question me such a thing? It was not like what you are thinking about. I almost tumbled and he just helped me. That's it. Besides, I want to live a peaceful life without vengeance."

"Should I remind you how he vilified Reno that he was kicked out of the school?"

"He has a reason to do that." I could not prevent those words from sliding out of my lips. It was too late. Vera had caught my sentence.

"Great! You are even on his side now. What did he do to you? He must have brainwashed you," she concluded.

"Listen..." She was so mad that she did not heed my argument afterward.

The time flew so fast. It had been one week since I had a conflict with Vera. She swept me off her life. That girl always ignored me every time we bumped into the library or in other places at school. It was like I was a stranger to her. Sometimes, she just spun around and sought another way if we came across in the corridor. I was like a friend who turned into a foe for her. That was so sad. I wanted to fix our relationship. I had no idea how.

Nothing changed after two weeks. My friendship with Vera had been over. That was the people who hated us thought of. Without Vera, I had no one to talk to. It was as though I turned back in time where I was alone.

The most thrilling day finally came after two weeks of waiting. It was the day in which we would know whether or not we passed this semester. For other students, today might be just like a normal day, not special. Today will determine if I had one year left or it left me with regret as I had to stay here two more years. It was not that I did not like studying. However, staying here any longer would only create more bad memories.

The report card had been in my trembling hand. With my trembling hands, I read the result. My eyes traveled from top to bottom. I could let out of relief to skim that I passed. It meant that I just had to withstand one year ahead. As I had vowed, I had to graduate from this school with the best recognition so that I could stand at the podium delivering a commencement speech before the audience. Thinking about that made me fly over the moon. I had to make it happen.

I breathed the fresh air and strolled through the path toward the park at the back area of the school. The students I came across were all excited talking about their holiday. Some of them happily planned about spending their holiday in Bali. The others expressed that Lombok would be their destination. Even among them who came from the upper-class families had set schedules to travel to Paris or Barcelona next week.

I was not jealous. But, how could their life be so lucky? I had a place on my bucket list that I was eager to visit later when I had money. It was Derawan Island in Borneo province, my mother's hometown. It was its blue sea with the white rolling wave and the seagulls flying on its surface under the sunset or sunrise that appealed to me. I had not been there yet. From my mother's story, I could imagine and picture in my head that the island was amazingly beautiful.

I opened my eyes after I realized that I had dived too deep into the ocean of my imagination. Sitting on the bench in the park, I refreshed my mind. I could feel the breeze stroked my hair; the sun peeked through the foliage. I would linger here longer to not only get fresh air but also to keep myself off the frenzy.

I thrust my hand into my bag. I held the pendant from Reno. Not even once, I put this on my neck. The letter, I should have read the letter from him. I lost it even before I peeked inside it. I caught the step from behind and quickly kept it back in its place. A hand with a bottle of drink stretched toward me that made me enunciate the name I had never mentioned for a long time.

"Reno..." I muttered as it reminded of Reno handing me a drink here several months ago. It jerked him back.

"What?" He pulled the drink back. "Reno? It's me, Kevin. Even after he is gone, he never really leaves you. Or you never let him leave you. You both have a strong bond with each other. I don't know why, that disappoints me, to be honest."

"You both looked the same," I reasoned out

"You know what the thing I hate the most? It is when someone tells me that Reno and I look alike. We may have the same father, yet our mother is different," he asserted. I rose and went away. I quit due to his question. "Why do you like him?" I turned back

"He is my friend." I resumed my path.

"I like you." He yelled at me. I pretended not to catch what he said.

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