13 The Guardian Angel?

"I'm sorry, dad. But I think I like studying here. I like my school and my friends. Can I return to New York later? Maybe after I graduated from high school." Isla looked at her parents, nervously; thinking how they will react.

The dining room was quiet for a while. Mr. Campbell was a little shocked. His daughter never wanted to be separated from them. Why did she insisted this time? What makes her do so? When they leaved New York for Houston, they asked her if she want to continue studying at New York, staying with her sister. She said that she will live with them until she get married.

Mrs. Campbell was at a loss of words. She told Isla many times that she wanted her to return with them. Isla never go against her words since she was a little girl. What's wrong with her this time? She knows how much her mother want her to return with them. But why did she still wished to stay?

Isla keeps on staring at her parents, feeling sorry to them. From the very beginning, she knows very well how shocked they will be if she tells them she didn't want to leave Houston.

A minute of silence had passed. Mr. Campbell spoke up. "Okay. If you want to continue studying here, you can do it. But your GPA should be good enough to get you to a prestigious university."

"But how can she live here all alone? She's only 16 years old!" Mrs. Campbell asked, anxiously.

Isla hold her mother's hand. "Don't worry about me, mom. I'm not a little girl anymore. I can stay at Aunt Rene's house. If I wish, I can also stay at a hostel." She looked at her father. "Thanks, dad." She said with a small smile.

When her daughter holds her hand, Mrs. Campbell noticed something unfamiliar. She was a bit surprised. It also really caught her eyes. It was none other than a wristwatch that August gave Isla. A luxurious Rolex watch - silver colour with a rhodium dial.

"Wow! I never saw you wearing this before. How did you get it, sweetheart?" She asked Isla, curiously.

Mrs. Campbell can't shift her eyes off of the watch. "What a pretty watch!" She almost shouted. Mr. Campbell seemed to be curious too.

"It is a gift from my friend." Isla said with a soft smile. She recalled the moment August visited her house to congratulate her. She pictured his beautiful smile on her head. She was filled with happiness as if she was in a paradise. She felt like she was the most happiest person in the world!

"Which friend?" The mother asked Isla, seeming to be wary about her answer.

"Just a friend." Isla answered with a little smile on her face.

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Just before Isla falls asleep, she received a phone call from Celine.

"Hello?"

"Are you still awake, Isla?"

"Yeah. I'm about to sleep."

"I call you just in case you forgot about tomorrow's gathering at school. It will be the last before a new session. Did you remember about it?"

Isla realized that she totally forget about it. 'Why am I so absent minded?' She thought to herself.

"Oh! About that, I didn't forget." She intentionally lied because she thought that it was too late to received a earful from her perfect friend, about her being absent minded.

"That's good. Then see you there. Good night." Celine ended the phone call.

Isla stood up and approached the window. She looked up to the sky after a very long time. She never looked at the stars for the past one month because they reminded her of August.

Whenever Isla saw the stars, she was reminded of her pathetic condition. No matter how bright they shine or how beautiful they were, she can never own them nor their bright beautiful shine. She will never be able to touched them.

For her, the stars were just like August. She thought that she will never be able to have him, no matter how much she wanted him to shine only for her.

But that night, Isla feel like the stars were a little closer to her than before. She had a little hoped for owning them someday. She just need to be a little more patient. But she dared to had her hopes high because she didn't think she will be able to recover if she ever ended up broken hearted.

Isla laid down in her bed, thinking about the next day gathering. Will she see August? Will it be another beautiful day? Then she slowly closed her eyes and fell asleep.

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Hillview High School

The students were cheerful as ever. It was their last gathering for the present academic session. They will not be able to see each other for more than one month. They want to spend the little time they had to their fullest.

Isla was sitting under the big banyan tree, as usual. She was waiting for her friends, who were on their way. The sky was clear and the sun was brighter than any other day.

Isla was sweating from the side of her head, due to a very hot weather. She was staring at the ground wondering what to do during the summer break. Suddenly she noticed that someone was standing before her. She lifted her eyes to see who it was.

Isla noticed that it was Lawrence White. He was one of the popular good boys in her school and one year her senior. He was also the president of his class.

Though it was always very obvious for everyone that Lawrence had a crush on her, she never believed it was right.

Apart from his wealthy family background, Lawrence dress was simple and neat, as always. He wore a casual white t-shirt and a black jeans. His hair was combed neatly and perfectly to the left side. He had a fresh scent, as usual. He was charming and polite, also a brilliant student too. His smile was so sweet that it will be able to make every girl fell for him.

For Isla, Lawrence was a good friend who always helped her out. He used to help her whenever she had a problem at school or regarding her studies. Two years ago, when Isla attended her current school for the first time, Lawrence was the one who helped her and showed her the way to her classroom, finding a seat for her and accompanied her when she had no friends. Lawrence had a good impression on her for all the things he did for her when she was a newly transferred student.

"Here you are! I searched for you everywhere." Lawrence said with a small smile on his face.

Isla was excited. "Oh! You're here, my guardian angel!"