Her Lies
Xylia walked out of the auditorium to meet her mother. She didn't expect a visit from her since she was busy with parties and events.
"Hello, mother. What brings you here?" She asked.
Her mother turned around to face her, crossing her arms on her chest.
"I'm here to visit my only daughter. How was your first day with those boys?"
Xylia knew that her mother had come to see the atmosphere inside the campus. She still couldn't understand her mother's reason for allowing her to stay in that school.
Ever since she started schooling, she had never experienced studying around boys. She was homeschooled initially, but after a few months, her parents decided to enroll her in an exclusive school for girls.
Her parents, especially her mother, never allowed her to mingle with the opposite sex. She was an only child, and even her cousins, her parents' nephews, were not allowed to talk to her.
When she was seven, her mother told her to be careful with other people. She noticed that all her actions were being guarded and observed by her parents. Even her friends were selected and chosen by her mother.
"Xylia, you should never trust anyone other than your father and me. Do not put your trust in your friends. Do not talk to someone you don't know. And never interact with boys."
At a young age, she never understood her parents' reason for not allowing her to be with other people. She tried to ask her mother, but she always received the same answer every time.
"It's for your own good. I'm just trying to protect you."
She was satisfied and believed everything her mother told her, but as she grew older, she started thinking differently. She felt suffocated with all the rules she had to obey. She wanted to run away many times but was scared of being alone.
She looked at her mother, who was waiting for her answer. Xylia knew she was getting impatient, so she sighed and answered her.
"It was just the first day, so I'm not really sure how to answer your question. I'm sorry, mother."
Her mother frowned and looked at her intently. She knew she was searching for something in her eyes, so she stared back at her. She wasn't lying. It was just the first day, so she wasn't sure what to feel like studying with the boys in their class.
Her mother was the first to avert her eyes. She sat down while Xylia remained standing in front of her.
"Remember the rules, Xylia. I don't want to make you remember what I told you. You just have to obey and believe my words."
"Yes, mother." Xylia answered.
Aciel was still standing by the door, listening to the mother and daughter's conversation. He frowned when he heard the last words of Xylia's mother. It was a warning, and Xylia agreed to it.
He couldn't listen anymore, and with a dark expression on his face, he proceeded and went to the rooftop.
After talking to her mother, Xylia felt throttled. She tried her best to calm herself, but her chest felt so tight, and she couldn't breathe. She held her chest, touched it with her hand, then clenched her fist.
Xylia couldn't take it, so she ran outside to get away from that place. She dashed along the hallway of the building, looking for a way out, but she couldn't find any. She continued and found the stairs, so she ran without stopping until she reached a metal door. She opened it and saw the clear blue sky in front of her; it was the rooftop.
She walked to the center and stared at the sky above. She felt pain in her chest again. It subsided earlier, only to flare up again with clearly increased intensity. She desperately tried to calm herself, but nothing helped to ignore her distress.
Aciel stared at the girl who was looking at the sky. He didn't expect to see Xylia after what he had heard from the student council's room. He was supposed to pity her, but his hatred towards her grew even more.
He saw Xylia gripping her chest, and he knew she was trying to relax. He didn't know what the rest of the conversation was, but looking at Xylia, it was definitely bad. He wanted to say something to her, so he walked towards where she was.
"Why do you always agree with other people? Is that really what you want?" Aciel asked with gritted teeth.
Xylia was startled and couldn't look at Aciel's dark expression. She didn't know he was on the rooftop. She was frustrated and wanted to run far away, but her feet brought her there.
"I-I" She stammered.
"You know I hate people like you. You seemed so perfect on the outside, but you're all broken on the inside. If you keep that attitude of yours, you'll eventually lose yourself." Aciel frowned.
"W-What do you mean?" She asked.
"Don't be naive. You are like those spoiled brats. You act gentle and nice in front of everyone, showing them a perfect image. But the truth is, it was all a lie. You just wanted attention and wanted to feel special. You wanted to show everyone that you are way above them." Aciel continued.
Xylia was surprised by his words. Was that the reason he treated her differently? She couldn't understand it earlier, but now she perfectly understood. He hated her because he thought her actions towards others were not sincere.
Aciel was wrong, but he was also right at some point. Not all of her reactions were genuine. Most of them were necessary to the situation. But he was wrong that she wanted attention. She never wanted to be treated special either.
Xylia didn't hear Aciel's other words. She just stood there staring at him. Somehow, she felt happy that someone had noticed her true self. She wasn't a perfect girl. She was being obedient because she didn't want to cause trouble and worry her parents. But in the end, it was consuming her, destroying the real her.