54 ✒ Chapter 41 : Answer me when I call you

Ethan was surprised when he saw both Center and Khein coming out from their classroom together.  Since the two were classmates, they had no other choice but to see each other's faces often. Ethan chuckled softly and waved his hand towards the two awkward guys.

"Are you two going home together?" the angel asked. Two guys with demonic auras glared at Ethan, one was annoyed and one was embarrassed.

"Like hell that would ever happen!" Center yelled and scoffed. Khein frowned but never said a word because Rei appeared from Ethan's behind, making the rebel guy remembered his dream again.

"I'm going home" Khein said and started walking away, leaving the three guys behind.

"Wait for me!" Rei shouted and rushed towards Khein. Ethan chuckled as he watched the two walked away. Center just stared at Ethan making a very fond face because of Rei and Khein.

"Let's go home together, shall we?" Center asked confidently. Ethan shook his head as a sign of 'No'

"I'm going somewhere today, just call your uncle to pick you up." Ethan said. He was making a guilty face which made Center worry.

"Can't I come with you?" Center pouted. Ethan said no.

"It's a date. Of course you can't come with me." Ethan said, and he was not lying, he would be meeting with a girl later.

"Eeth, you don't have to push me away that much. Please don't pretend." Center said with a lonely voice. Hearing Ethan lying to him that he was meeting someone than accepting the fact that his best friend would never return his feelings was more hurtful.

"If you really want to push me away that much, I will keep distance ,then. Just, please don't lie to me again." Center said. He hated it when Ethan lies because of him.

"Hey, calm down. It's true, I'm really going to meet a girl today. I'm not trying to push you away. After all you've done to me when we were younger was all in the past. I'm not holding anything grudge against you anymore. I just..." Ethan said with a smile.

"...I just want to be happy. And I know her for a long time. She's pretty and sincere. You don't have to worry about me forcing myself." Ethan explained. Center sighed and bowed his head.

He thought, 'How could you talk about a person you like in front of a person who likes you?'

"Aren't you too cruel, Eeth?" Center asked, still bowing his head, never did he realized that he was already crying.

'Say no more. Don't make him feel guilty again. Just wish him happiness.' Center kept reminding himself. He wanted to ask why Ethan couldn't love him back. He wanted to rant about how much he had done for him. Then, he realized what he had done to make the angel turned into a bad one.

'I deserve all the pain. I deserve this misery. Making him suffer for a long period of time because of my cowardly love before, this is just a scratch.' Center thought from the deepest part in his heart. He wiped his tears using the back of his hands, sniffed the tiny snot that was about to come out from his nose, looked at Ethan in the eyes and said, "Damn, you should have told me earlier. I'm so happy for you, I cried haha!"

"You better introduce her to me when she says yes. I almost forgot when I told you to let me be the first person to know when you already have someone you like." Center said as he faked a laugh.

"Go on, enjoy your date!" Center said and turned his back against his best friend. He felt like all his limbs had gone weak, his heart needed life support and his soul needed strength. It was his first love who gave him the greatest heartbreak. He decided to go to the basketball gym and let time pass by. The broken hearted, spoiled brat never wished to be spotted like a high school girl crying in the hallway so he decided to stay later than the others. He stood on the free throw lane, alongside with him was a cart loaded with balls. He started shooting and at the same time, missing every shot. Who would ever make a perfect shot when your eyes were too blurry because of the tears flowing down? The only sounds that could be heard inside the wide and empty gym were the balls bouncing on the floor and Center's loud sobbings.

"Eeth"

"Eeth"

"Eeth"

Center kept calling his best friend's name, hoping that the owner of the name would call him back.

"Ethan" Center called out once again.

"Please don't abandon me" Center begged and dropped his body on the floor,his back touching the cold floor. He covered his eyes with his one arm and bit his bottom lip.

"Ethan" Center called out helplessly.

"I'm sorry for falling inlove with you."

Outside the gym, Ethan was leaning against the cold wall. He was holding his phone and stared at someone's message that says: "Ethan, Where are you? I have something important I wanted to tell you. I want to say it personally, so can you please see me? :)"

The text was from the girl he was about to see. Ethan couldn't understand himself and he didn't know the reason why he followed Center behind. Was he feeling guilty or not? Was he being too cruel and frank? What brought him there in the first place? He didn't know and he wanted to know. He dialed the girl's number and it only took one ring before she picked the call.

"I'm really in a serious emergency right now, can you please tell me through this call?" Ethan asked with his usual angelic voice. He heard a deep breath on the other line and he knew what was going to happen next.

"Yes, I want to be your girlfriend" the girl answered on the other line. Ethan sighed and smiled bitterly, he bowed his head and gulped the lump in his throat.

"Ethan" Center called out once again. Ethan grasped his phone tightly as his heart thumped painfully. He didn't know anymore.

"Ethan, it hurts" Center said and cried. Ethan inhaled deeply and released his breath softly.

"Are you still there?" the girl on the other line asked as she never heard a single word from Ethan's mouth.

"Oh I'm sorry. I'm too surprised, I was speechless. Thank you, I'll see you tomorrow." Ethan said and ended the call. Ethan peeked at Center who was now picking up the balls. It was getting late so the spoiled brat assumed that there were fewer students around the school. He accidentally kicked one of the balls and it rolled towards the entrance direction. Center chased it and stopped when he recognized the person who picked the ball up.

"Hey" Ethan greeted his best friend with a smile and handed the ball.

"Hey" Center replied with a smile, he didn't even care if his tears were still coming out from his eyes. It was a painful sight for Ethan seeing Center cry because of him.

"Oh this? Don't mind it" Center said while letting his tears fall down rapidly.

"It will subside later on. Don't worry, it's not your fault, it's mine." Center said and grabbed the ball softly from Ethan's hands.

"Center, I'm-"

"I'll be going home first" Center said after he returned the cart on the storage area.

"You're not going to ask me why I'm here?" Ethan said with his head bowing. Center looked back at Ethan with a confused look.

"Of course not. You're way too honest I can't handle to listen everything that comes out from your mouth. I might even believe that you came here because of me." Center said and smiled.

"You've been calling out my name" Ethan said with his head constantly bowing down.

"And you never answered me. I get it already, Eeth. If you want to say you're sorry, please don't. Just be happy, that way I won't be too lonely." Center said and finally exited the place.

"But-"

"Why does it hurts so much here?" Ethan asked himself while feeling the painful beat in his heart.