Chapter 15: Friends

When he heard me go out of the bathroom door, he turned to me.

My eyes immediately went down to the sketchpad he's holding. It was mine. My heart beated fast and I have no idea why.

I heard him fake a cough before returning the orange pad back to the shelf.

"Why didn't you joined them out?" I asked, the tension is building between us.

He didn't answered my question directly but I knew immediately why he stayed because of his next words.

"About what happened yesterday, please don't tell it to others. Especially I know that you're the kind who will spread rumors like wildfire," he casually placed his hands inside his pockets.

My jaw dropped. How dare he speak like that as if he knows me more than I do?! And excuse me, he's just asking me a favor and he still had the audacity to insult me.

But otherwise, I became pale. Not because I don't want to do what he wants but he reminded me of that horrific scene he had with that girl.

I hugged myself because I gad goosebumps all over. It didn't helped that we're both in the same room, alone.

"Oh, don't you fret. I will tell it to everyone in campus," that was a joke. I just wanted to see his reaction and it's payback to every humiliation he said to me.

He paled and became a little uneasy. My eyes widened in surprise. And just as I thought that I will be the only one between us who will turn pale in my whole life!

"Please," he begged, a little panicky.

I didn't said and do anything but stare and raise my brow at him.

"I'll do everything you want. Just please keep it a secret," he said.

Everything? Hmmm...

"Well, then," I held onto the doorknob. "Be friendy with me,"

I saw him clench his jaw and looked away from me. What? Don't tell me it's a hard thing to do? I even caught his adam's apple move, as if he swollowed hard.

But then he returned his gaze to me. "Okay," he said.

"Good," I smiled at him and left the room, leaving him there.

I was happy that he agreed to be friends with me.

But a lump in my throat was built when I realized the fact that he might be forced to be friends with me as a return to keep his little, dirty secret.

I took a deep breath as soon as I got out and just decided to go to the kitchen. Maybe help the maids prepare food for the guests, I guess.

I saw, from the corner of my eye m, Lucas went out as well. Though I knew he was staring straight at me since I could feel it.

I thought he was going to join his cousins outside but I was wrong. The next thing I knew, he was just right infront of me, looking for what he can help.

Ignoring him, I continued placing the food on the plates. Afterwards, I blended some juice and attempted to put it on a big mason jar.

But even before I successfully did, he took it from me. "Let me," he said.

I almost palpitated when I felt his warmth. He was so close to me that his scent is attacking my nose. It's giving me demons inside my stomach.

I faked a cough and let him do it. I just decided to transfer the plates of food in the backyard.

"You take the juice outside," the last thing I said before I disappeared im the kitchen.

That was our last interaction after I placed the food outside and just decided to lock myself in my room.

I got my laptop from my desk and brought it into my bed and placed it on my bed table.

I don't use social media that much but this day made me open it.

I visited Lucas' profile. We aren't following each other so I placed the cursor on the follow button before I debated with myself if I should press it or not.

In the end, I just closed my eyes but before I did pressed it, my notification rang and my eyes almost fell out from its socket when I saw what it was.

Lucas Javier Narvaez has requested to follow you.

Oh my Lord, don't tell me that we thought of the same effing thing?!

I accepted his friend request and threw my laptop somewhere in my bed and buried myself in my duvet.

A little while later, I took a peep on the screen and it has a notification!

Lucas: Hi, where are you?

I didn't know what to reply so I left it hanging for a while while I was busy dealing with my thumping heart.

I heard the notification sound again and he sent me, "Jiana?".

I shaked my head in frustration. My system is already a mess and I don't know why!

My hands were also shaking violently while I typed in my reply.

Me: Why do you care?

I blushed and exited our chatbox and decided to check his profile instead.

His profile picture was him in the sunset of Paris. He was on a side view and wearing wayfarers. He's not smiling and his adam's apple is evident. His hair is long and slicked back. My eyes went down to his clothes and I admit, he looks a hundred times more attractive.

He's wearing a black trenchcoat and beneath is a white button down shirt at black necktie, black pants and black leather shoes. All black from head to foot. And on his view, is the Eiffel Tower, my dream place.

He looks freakishly gorgeous with his outfit. Like he's a GQ model or something. And mind you, his side profile will make every girl's knees tremble. Plus the fact that he is in the freakishly loving country.

Then my eyes went up to his bio. "Hi stalker," it says.

I rolled my eyes at his cockiness.

He doesn't have any recent post and his last one was months ago. It was a picture of the bright city of New York.

I then went back to our chatbox and I almost fainted when he only left it read!

I want to scream.

Monday came and no replies. It was also our last interaction even though I could sometimes see him online and active.

I was listening to some good music while my journal where my poems are is infront of me. The last ones I made was still about Lucas.

And now, I tried to make another one butI am distracted with my sketchpad who is also lying infront of me.

I was so tempted to sketch the sceneo of this busy cafeteria so I drew first.

I stopped sketching for a bit to get some chicken nuggets from my tray. I took a bite from it while I was now busy thinking of what topic I can use for my next poem but in the end, I went back to drawing.

"Can I sit here?" a guy said as he stood up near the chair adjacent to me.

I nodded bluntly because I was busy.

But I can't help but be a little surprised because it is the first time someone actually asked me that. For some reason, there are really students who naturally hate me. Some are just scared because of my brothers or they are just shy. I don't mind, though. As long as I am not bothered by it.

He sat there after he saw me nod and I can suddenly feel stared at me.

I was adding some details to my drawing when I decided to look at the person who sat infront of me.

I stiffened when I saw Lucas. May naririnig pa akong bulung-bulungan kung saan at may nakikita rin akong mga matang tumutusok sa akin.

I can hear murmurs from everywhere in the room and when I looked around, I saw most of the girl's throwing daggers at me.

I then turned to Lucas.

"You never failed to give me surprises, you idiot," I thought to myself while looking at him.