Chapter 25

"I still have one date don't I?"

Galene stared at Drystan who was obviously out of breath. They were on their lunch break and the guys had left Galene, Serenity, and Quincey to eat in the classroom since they wanted to buy something at the cafeteria.

"Yes, we do, why? and why are you out of breath? did you run all the way here?"

Drystan could only shake his head as he hurriedly said.

"Then wait for me here after class"

"Wait! What? ZAEL!"

Before Galene could say anything, Drystan who came faster than lightning, disappeared like that too. Galene stared at Quincey and Serenity and found them staring at the now-empty doorway too.

"I'm guessing the two of you don't have any idea what that was about?"

Both Quincey and Serenity shook their heads at her.

"Not a clue"

Galene let out a sigh and continued eating her food. The trial for her parents was proceeding smoothly and since she was already discharged from the hospital, she was free to attend school again. She didn't need to move apartments too since there wasn't any threat anymore but she did agree to move once they graduated high school. 

Time flew fast and before any of them could count, a month had gone past after that. Her relationship with Drystan was still vague. Galene was waiting for him to ask her on their third date but it seemed like Drystan had forgotten about it and only remembered it now. 

Well, that one, Galene liked to think wasn't on her. After all, she was walking on eggshells around him for the past month since she was holding on to her feelings for him. Which by the way, had grown considerably. 

Galene smiled at herself when she remembered how she had admitted to herself that she couldn't live without Drystan anymore. 

"Well I guess we'll find out after classes later"

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"How could I be so stupid"

"Well, you guys had a lot going on"

"Still he did forget about it"

"What? Just because Galene was letting you touch her and kiss her, you think you two are officially together?"

Drystan who was busy fixing their instruments glared at Koa who was now laughing at him. Earlier, the guys had asked him if Galene and he already had their third date and were now officially a couple because it seemed that way.

That was when it hit him. 

They never got to go on a third date. With everything that had happened with Galene and her parents, he forgot about it and was so focused on trying to make Galene feel better. And Galene was letting him touch and kiss her so he naturally forgot that Galene had told him that she'll tell him what he wanted to hear the most after their third date.

"Well, I'll get going then, you guys better be ready when I get back"

"Alright, alright, go already"

Koa, Kenzo, and Malkiel shooed him away and Drystan gladly obliged. He was happy but nervous but mostly happy, he would have the confirmation he always wanted to hear from her. And he would be able to finally tell the whole world that she was his, and he was hers.

The guys had skipped their last two classes so when Drystan arrived, Galene was the only one left in the classroom. She was looking out the closed window, watching the school's soccer team practice. 

He could feel his heart skip another beat, it does that nowadays. Even when Galene isn't doing anything, he feels it beat and he just realizes that Galene is indeed the most beautiful person he could see. 

"You're here?"

Drystan blinked twice when he heard Galene's voice, he smiled slowly and walked towards her.

"Yeah, what were you looking at anyway?"

Galene shrugged

"Nothing in particular really, just my way of killing time"

"Sorry, did I make you wait?"

Galene chuckled before shaking her head.

"For just a few minutes"

Drystan leaned on the window frame and stared at Galene with a smile on his face. Galene nervously stared at him too.

"What? I thought you were going to ask me on a date"

"I just remembered. The day you transferred here why were you so happy when you introduced yourself?"

Galene stared at him, utter confusion plastered on her face. She tried to jog her memory of the reason as to answer Drystan's out-of-the-blue question.

"Oh right, I originally wanted the window seat but I lost to Quincey so I was kinda happy when they started the introductions with her"

"And here I thought you won a bet"

Galene laughed at Drystan but then stared at him again with a small smile on his face.

"But, how do you remember what my expression was that day?"

Drystan smiled at her before finally saying.

"Your second name caught my attention, so I was looking at you while you were introducing yourself"

Galene's eyes widened at Drystan's confession, she thought that Drystan's habit of calling her second name was purely instinct since she was calling Drystan's second name the same. She could've never known that Drystan had been observing her since day one.

"You asked earlier if I was going to ask you on a date. This is our date Astraea, come on"

Galene couldn't fathom what Drystan had just said. She didn't understand it, did he mean that this after-school session was their date? She felt kind of disappointed if that was the case. 

Drystan took Galene's hands and led her straight to their empty club room. Galene curiously looked at Drystan.

"How is this a date exactly?"

As an answer, Drystan laughed at her.

"The moment you walked in here after not hanging out with you for days was the moment I knew my life was going to change drastically"

Galene looked at Drystan and wondered what he was doing exactly.

"And it did change, may it be good or bad days you were there. You had a larger impact on my life than you could even imagine. This realization didn't happen overnight but you don't know how much you made my life easier and I was too prideful to admit that to you"

Galene felt her mouth agape, she couldn't believe Drystan was making these confessions. This wasn't what she had in mind when Drystan asked her out on a date. Now, it was clear what he was doing. He was confessing his whole heart out to her.

"Next stop"

Drystan said shortly when he saw that Galene was left speechless. It was a sloppy idea but this was how he wanted to ask her completely. He dragged her then to the stairs just by their classroom. 

"Why here?"

Drystan looked at her before tightening the grip on her hand just enough to not hurt her.

"This was where I first saw a different side of you. Where I first saw a glimpse of all the pain you were carrying."

Galene then remembered how Drystan had protected her from El when he was about to hit her.

"And I know that it was sloppy but I wanted to tell you that I had been attracted to you since Music Camp. Even before that maybe, but the realization dawned on that day when I held you, and the thought of wanting you invaded my mind"

Galene was still speechless, she had felt that certain spark when they were walking together during Music Camp but she could have never fathom not in a thousand life that Drystan was feeling more than just that.

"It is sloppy"

That was the only thing she could say, Drystan laughed as he placed a soft kiss on the back of Galene's hand. He then pulled her again to the open area of their school where they had held the battle of the bands.

Galene's mouth fell open when she saw the band's instruments set up in the open area. The school was almost empty now but a few students who had their club activities stopped walking and were now staring at the band's setup.

Koa, Kenzo, and Malkiel were standing there with their instruments, seemingly ready to play. Drystan looked at Galene and smiled, he inhaled a lot of breath before letting go of Galene's hand and walking to the guys who handed him his guitar.

"Wait Zael"

Drystan didn't even let Galene finish what she was saying and immediately instructed the guys to start, the moment he got in front of the microphone. Koa's guitar resonated a sound that startled Galene more.

Let it out

Been building up, you better let it out

Say everything that you've been meaning now

I want it to burn

Drystan smiled in between his lines as he took in Galene's surprised expression. 

When you tell me I'm such a wreck

It isn't easy cleaning up your mess

It's like I've got a rope around my neck

She says it won't hurt

This was a song that he had made when he realized how in love he was with Galene. It was everything he wanted to tell her.

But everything you do makes my heart race

I can't even think straight

Is this just a game to you?

Reruns every night

It's always the same fight

And I think you should know

Galene stared hard at Drystan whose gaze never left hers. He was singing in front of her, in front of the remaining student body and the song that he was singing was solely meant for her. 

I hate your touch, I hate your mouth

I can't stand every single word that falls out

But you're all that I've been dreaming of

This is not another song about love

Memories of their arguments and how they met started rushing in Galene. It felt like it was only yesterday when she had decided that annoying Drystan was much better than her falling in love with him.

I hate your voice, I hate your lips

I hate how bad I wanna steal your kiss

But you're all that I've been dreaming of

This is not another song about love

Everything, this was their everything. Their very story, their untold and told feelings. This was their present and knowing this made Galene tear up. How could she not have foreseen that Drystan had written a song about them? About her?

Asphyxiated just to say the least

And with your eyes, you're suffocating me

Emptied my lungs, it's getting hard to breathe

You couldn't care less

Drystan wanted to hug Galene when tears started forming in her eyes but he stood his ground. He needed to tell her everything, every single emotion left in him, he wanted her to know all of it. It might be sloppy but he wanted to lay bare every genuine feeling he had for her.

But everything you do makes my heart race

I can't even think straight

Is this just a game to you?

Reruns every night

It's always the same fight

And I think you should know

I hate your touch, I hate your mouth

I can't stand every single word that falls out

But you're all that I've been dreaming of

This is not another song about love

I hate your voice, I hate your lips

I hate how bad I wanna steal your kiss

But you're all that I've been dreaming of

This is not another song about love

Drystan knew that Galene was not like any other person he had ever met. She had scars that run deep into her veins and these scars could open at any moment. He knew that it wasn't in her very nature to open up and ask for help.

The sky fades from blue to gray

Inside she's just like an ocean, still I'm drowning

How bad I wanna sink and let it take me away

And he knew that thousands of thoughts kept on coming inside her head. That if he ever tried to learn them, he'd sink immediately but he didn't care.

I don't know why I come back, I do every time

We get close to the end, it's a finish line

Sing these words for the girl I've been dreaming of

Is this just another song about love?

All he wants is her. All he wants is for Galene to be happy and healthy by his side.

Let it out

Been building up, I better let it out

Say everything that I've been meaning now

Dreaming 'bout

I need it now

I need it now

All he wants is this present with Galene. 

I need your touch, I have no doubt

I want your love 'til it all runs out

'Cause you're all that I've been dreaming of

Is this just another song about love?

Galene took everything in, all the emotions that Drystan was pouring were evident in his voice. In the lyrics of the song that he wrote just for her. It was evident in everything he had told her since earlier. In every 'I love you' he had muttered under his breath. 

I need your voice, I need your lips

I need you bad, I wanna steal your kiss

'Cause you're all that I've been dreaming of

This is just another song about

Another song about love

What more could she ask for? Right here standing in front of her was a man who loved her so deeply, that he even made her his muse.

The song had ended and the students there were holding their breaths too as Drystan waited for Galene to finish wiping her tears. He smiled softly.

"I love you"

He stated which Galene froze at. She had heard it a million times now but something was different in the way he had told her today. It felt more magical.

"And this is where I first admitted that to myself. Where I realized that I had fallen in love with you. With someone who always finds a way to argue and annoy me. When you said my songs were the greatest, when the fireworks made your eyes sparkle, I fell deeper and that was when I knew. I knew that I was deeply, madly, truly in love with you"

Another tear fell from Galene's eyes. 

"I want to create my present and future with you. I want you to enjoy life and create happy memories that will replace all the bad ones. I just want you to let me love you for the rest of our lives. So Astraea, will you please be mine?"

Galene ran towards Drystan, she didn't care if students were watching them or if the band was still beside him. She couldn't wait anymore and she could care less. She cupped Drystan's cheeks and pulled him in for a kiss. She could hear their friends clearing their throats but once she had let him go, all she could say was.

"Took you long enough to ask. I love you too, that's a yes"

Drystan smiled and pulled Galene closer before kissing her again. Hearing those words from the girl he had always wanted felt great. He could feel his heart doing its somersault routine. He couldn't hear anything else other than his heart beating, not even the claps and cheers of the students around them.

Galene felt happy, she felt contented and for the first time in a while, she could say that she was looking forward to her future with Drystan. The bad chapter of her life won't end just yet but she can enjoy what she has right now and that was enough for her.

"Still, I'll kill you if you break my heart"

Drystan laughed wholeheartedly as he stared at Galene who was looking at him with a menacing look after she had pulled away from their kiss.

"I won't, I'll just kill myself if that ever happens"

Drystan pulled Galene tighter to him hugging her waist as he carried her. He swore that he would never fall in love again if it wasn't Galene that he was going to fall for. This was his silent promise to himself that he vowed never to break.

"I love you Galene Astraea, forever and always"