15 The Other Side of Her Personality

"Wipe your tears. Can you still walk?" I asked her. She nodded as an answer to my question.

"If that's the case, then let's g-"

"No... L-Let's stay here for a little longer... I don't want them to see me like this..." Claire said while holding the hem of my shirt. I sighed before sitting beside her again.

I can see myself before when I look at her right now. In pain, struggling, and suffering.

The only difference is, I didn't cry that time. I don't know why.

I wanted to cry but my eyes didn't let me.

"Are you feeling better now?" I asked her after two minutes. She already stopped crying but it made her eyes swollen.

"Yeah, I guess..." She said weakly then smiled painfully. After all this time, she has always been vulnerable.

She has been hurting, but we failed to notice because she's good at hiding it.

"Uhm, Raver... Thank you for staying here with me... Even if you keep hiding it, you still care about other people..." Claire said then chuckled. I looked away and rolled my eyes.

"Shut up. I don't care about other people. But this matter is different." I replied to her. She looked at me, confused.

"Oh? So you already experienced this kind of thing, huh?" Claire said, staring at the lake.

"Yeah. That's why I know how you feel right now. I just don't know why you hid it from us." I said in my normal tone. She smiled fakely.

I can see that it caused her a lot of impact. Is this what's bothering her these past few days?

"I don't want to... Everyone knows me as a delightful person... So as long as I can, I will keep it to myself..." Claire answered. I sighed heavily after hearing her reason.

I see. She's the kind of person who doesn't want to bother other people with their problems because that's not her usual self.

She's the person who will keep everything to herself, over and over again, until she give up.

That is her own resolve. She was engulfed in her negative thoughts.

"But you already know, that no matter how hard you try to hide it from them, they will still find out soon enough." I said to her in a cold tone.

"Yeah, I know..." Claire replied in a weak tone. It's like she's seeing the things that will happen if that time comes.

"Then, why don't you just tell Coulyne? She's your best friend, right?" I suggested to her. She laughed awkwardly because of that.

"It's fine... I can handle this on my own..." She said then she gave me an assuring smile. I sighed.

I guess I don't have a choice. I will not interfere anymore.

"Anyway, let's go." I said before standing up. She did the same thing.

As we were walking back to the library, claire suddenly asked me a question. I don't know what is the reason she asked me that.

"Hey Raver, what will you do if you like someone, but that person is seeing someone else?" I looked at her with confusion in my eyes.

"Why'd you ask me that?" I asked back in a monotonous voice. She already know that I don't want that kind of stuff, right?

"Why? Am I not allowed? We are living in a democratic country," she answered that made me annoyed, I rolled my eyes.

"Just stop pursuing the person. After all, love is a preposterous thing." I said in a cold tone. I looked at her with my one eyebrow rose up.

"Why are you looking at me like that, huh?!" She complained with her frowning look.

"Don't tell me, you asked me that question because you like me?" I said to her in a shocked tone. Her eyes widen because of what I said.

"What are you saying?! You should be ashamed of yourself! How on earth I would like someone like you?! You will never be my type!" Claire said continuously with a disgusted face.

Why do girls have to be like this?!

"You don't have to say all that, but it's okay since you said it already." I said, looking away. She laughed because of my reaction.

When we came back inside the library, Coulyne immediately hugged Claire tightly as if they haven't seen each other for a long time.

"Where did you go? I have been looking for you! Are you okay? What happened to your eyes?!" Coulyne concernedly stare at Claire's face.

"It's nothing! Some dust just entered my eyes, you don't have to worry!" Claire said while laughing. Coulyne smiled as a relief.

"Let's go! Professor Smith and professor Jimmy might be calling us!" She added lively and held Coulyne's hand. They left me so I just sat on a chair.

This is her. This is the Claire everyone knows.

This is the only Claire she wants to show to other people.

"Thank you for letting us, Ms. Isabela. We are going now." Professor Smith said to the librarian. We are now leaving with these books to bring it in our university.

"You're always welcome, professor Smith!" Ms. Isabela said with a smile while waving her hand as a goodbye.

When we were about to leave, the two children from earlier stopped us to say goodbye. The little girl walked to Coulyne and she gave her a rose.

"Aww, this is cute! Thank you very much, Faye!" Coulyne delighfully replied. She hugged the little girl and she smiled because of it.

"You're welcome, Ate Coulyne! Are you going to come back here?" The girl asked, pouting. She really looks adorable.

"Of course! I will visit when we have something to do here, okay? So just wait for me, can you do that?" Coulyne replied to the little girl. She nodded happily.

The little boy was pulling the hem of my shirt so I turned my attention to him. He gave me a badge.

He wants me to put the badge on his shirt. I smiled at him because of that thought. He's also wearing a military hat for kids.

I put the box on the floor for a moment to talk to him. His expression became happy when he noticed that I'm going to talk to him.

"I, Major Raver Xyle Sarmiento, is giving you this badge because of your dedication and being a good boy at school." I said, putting the badge on his shirt.

He is smiling widely and his eyes are sparkling. He gave me a salute and I did the same thing.

"Thank you, sir! I will keep working hard, sir!" He passionately proclaimed. I pat his head after that.

"We are going now. Thank you for assisting us." The teacher gave professor Smith a 'Don't mention it.' look.

"Be careful on your way!" The two children shouted before we got inside of the car.

When we got inside, just like as usual, professor Jimmy turned on the radio to play some songs.

*Yellow by Coldplay playing*

"Look at the stars... Look how they shine for you... And everything you do... Yeah, they were all yellow..." Professor Jimmy immediately started singing.

"Ugh, that was tiring, isn't it Jimmy?" Professor Smith asked before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah. That was." Processor Jimmy replied while singing. I suddenly remembered what I saw in that room.

Is that the reason why they said it was tiring? Ugh, just forget about it.

I don't want to remember that. That was something unimaginable even Isaac Newton would never understand.

"What time are we going to take the books to the National Museum?" Coulyne asked after a few munutes or silence.

"We are going to take the books there at 10:00 in the morning. Also, if you have unused books in your house, you can bring it tomorrow." Professor Smith replied to her.

"So we are going to meet up at the university before 10:00?" Claire asked professor. I saw her nod through the rear-view mirror of the car.

"The National Museum will be the one who will distribute the books to the orphanages. So that you can rest after this community service," she explained. I sighed after I heard the word rest.

Finally, a day without any hindrance. That would be beautiful. I miss the life I used to have before I met these demons.

I wish I could bring that back. My body is not for this kind of club.

"Hey, Raver. Do you have plan during the semester break?" Coulyne suddenly asked me. I glanced at her for a second before taking my attention back to the window.

"Nothing. Maybe just rest." I said in a cold tone. She wrapped her arm around mine so I looked at her, confused.

"Do you want to spend the semester break with me?" She asked me with a wide smile written on her face.

"No way." I simply said to her in a monotonous voice. She pouted so I had to look away. She's using her trump card.

"Come on! It's going to be fun! We will go to different parks and zoo-"

"I said I don't want to. Go to those places by yourself or with anyone except me." I said to her in a dead tone while looking at her, dead in the eyes.

She brought her face close to mine and sure because of that, I could not move. Our lips might touch together if I move a little.

Isn't she embarrassed of what she's doing? We are not the only ones here in the car. This girl is really hilarious.

"Why don't you want to come with me? Are you shy? Is this the first time a girl asked you to come with he-"

"Excuse me, we're here. Get out already. Just continue what you are doing... outside." Professor Smith saved me. Coulyne smirked at me before going out of the car.

We put the boxes inside the Science Department Office. I think all the books we have collected should be enough.

"You can go home now. Just remember that we will meet up here before 10:00 in the the morning, alright?" Professor said. We nodded at her.

"Hey Raver, do you have anything to do after this?" Coulyne asked me happily. I moved away from her, disgusted.

"Stay away from me, you freak." I said in a monotonous voice. She held her stomach as she continue laughing.

"How about you Claire? Do you have anything d-"

"I'm sorry, I need to go now. I have something important to do." Claire said before leaving us behind.

I lookes at Coulyne and her face looks down. I think she already has an idea what's happening.

"There is something different about Claire. Did she tell tell you anything?" Coulyne asked after we lefr the gate of the university.

"She didn't tell me anything." I lied to her. She looks so worried about Claire.

"She's been acting like this these past few days but she's not telling me anything." Coulyne told me with a tired tone.

"I saw her crying inside the library of Richster Academy when we were collecting books. I asked her why she's crying but she told me that it's just because of dust." I looked at her and I realized.

That's why when I looked at them that time, they looked depressed.

"Whenever I ask her if she has problems, she will just answer that it's nothing and still smile..." She added.

"Maybe she's just afraid her problems will bother you." I suggested and looked at her. She gave me a sad smile.

"I thought of that many times... But her problems will never bother me... As long as I can do something for her, I will do it..." Coulyne replied. She looks like she's going to cry.

"Why don't you just tell her straight?" I asked her with one of my eyebrow rose up. She looked at me painfully.

"I have tried so many times, but nothing changed... Everything is still the same... I still feel like she's so distant from me..." She then laughed in pain.

A limousine stopped beside us. The butler came out from inside the car. Coulyne gave her small bag to him.

"Raver, if she tells you anything, tell me! Be careful on your way!" Coulyne waved her hand before getting inside the car.

The butler looked at me and smiled before going back inside the car. I sighed then continued walking.

They don't understand each other that's why they can feel the distance between them. The unbreakable line parting their paths.

Coulyne wants to help Claire but Claire's resolve is much stronger.

The barrier she made for her true self is unseen, yet invulnerable.

I wonder if Coulyne will be able to enter that barrier.

I wonder if Claire will let her.

"I'm home." I said before taking my shoes off. I have nothing to do so I'm just going to read light novels.

I was about to open the book I'm going to read, when someone texted me on my phone. I opened it and it was from Claire.

"Hello? What do you want?" I asked in my normal tone. I can hear the voices of the doctors and other people.

"Uhm, did you tell Coulyne about anything that I have told you?" She asked worriedly. I sighed heavily.

Seriously? She called me just because of that? I really hate this girl!

"I didn't tell her anything." I answered and I heard her sighed in relief.

"Just tell her already about your problem. I'm sure she will help you." I suggested to her with annoyance in my voice.

"I can't tell you the real reason why... I'm sorry..." Claire answered before she ended the call. I took a deep breath after that.

What? Is she angry with Coulyne? I really can't understand these girls.

But based on her answer, I think it will be harder for Coulyne to help her.

Coulyne will gradually lose hope if this still continues...

And just like what usually happens to friendships without communication...

The two of them will be separated, and will come back from being strangers...