CHAPTER 11 - What ever...

The rest of the week went by peacefully. The head never showed his face to Robert again, and if they crossed paths, he would run the other way, crying.

"C'mon, you can tell me what happened!" begged Tony.

"Nothing happened, really," lied Robert, "I just asked Danny to talk to him for me."

"Then why does that guy follow you everywhere you go?" he asked, pointing at Boyet.

Robert looked and saw him hiding behind a trash bin. The kid was so tall, he looked ridiculous in his squatting position. He saw Robert looking at him and looked the other way, pretending to mind his own business.

"Don't know his problem..." said Robert. Actually, he knew Boyet has been following him since after the incident. He's really starting to piss him off. He took his handkerchief absentmindedly and wiped his face. Boyet looked at him, then he quickly stood up and went away.

"Angela was really worried about you, you know." said Tony, "I wanted to tell her not to, but then, I'd end up telling her your secret."

"It's okay, Tony," said Robert with a sigh, "she's still mad at me, but I'll think of something, besides, there really was nothing to be worried about." Robert touched his cheek. He could still feel the sting of Angela's slap. She's been ignoring him the whole week. She wasn't there in the morning even when Robert woke up real early to wait for her, and she just disappears every afternoon after classes.

"She's still not talking to you, huh?" said the other, reading his mind.

"Yeah..." said Robert with a sigh.

When classes were over, Robert went to Angela's desk and waited for her to stand up. He could feel the rest of the class staring at him. Angela took her time, the look in her face getting darker.

"Um, Angela, Mia," said Bern, slowly standing up, "I'll be leaving early today too, you guys take care, okay?" she stood up, took her things, and looked at Angela, a little uncertain.

"Ah, wait for me, Bern!" said Mia, "I've got to get home early today..." she quickly took her bag and left with her friend.

"Me too!" Tony said running after the two.

"Hey, wait!" said Angela standing up, but her friends rushed out of the room and ran across the hallway. Angela gritted her teeth. "Some friends." she said to herself. She took her bag and headed out too, Robert was suddenly beside her.

"Let's go home together." he said.

"Go away." hissed Angela.

"No." replied Robert as he stubbornly followed her out the hallway. "I said I'm sorry you know, you don't need to be angry this long!"

"Who said I'm angry at you?" Angela said. Her voice was a little loud, some of the students looked at them. "I don't want to hang out with people like you." she said, her voice lower. "You don't think about what other people feel do you?"

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, "All I did was hide away for a while, besides, I told you not to worry about me, I really am a good runner..."

"You know what disgusts me?" said Angela suddenly, looking around to make sure no one hears them, "Here's a good for nothing bastard who calls himself a man, hiding inside god-knows-where because he's too damn 'scared' to fight for himself." Robert looked hurt, but she went on. "And here we are, driving ourselves crazy looking for him, fearing the worst, when he suddenly shows up looking as dandy as ever!"

"But I didn't know you where still looking for me..." said Robert, "I told you to go home, didn't I? I told you I could take care of it by myself!"

"Is that so?" said Angela, her voice rising again, "Then why did you ask me to walk to school with you in the first place?" Robert was silent. He couldn't tell her the real reason why. "Perhaps you're a bigger pervert than that Gerbert! Thinking up of pathetic excuses just to follow a girl around!" still silent, he took a hanky from his pocket, covered his face and began to breath deeply. "What?" hissed Angela, "Are you crying now? You think that would work on me?" she gave an exasperated sigh, "Do yourself a favor will you?" she continued, "Just kill yourself and get it over with. You can't run away forever you know."

Robert slowly slid the hanky off his face. He wasn't crying. He was trying to keep his temper down. He had hit girls before when he was younger. Danny's always been the one who stopped him, but Danny wasn't there right now. Not now that this girl was lecturing him as if she knew everything about him... He looked around. The hall was empty, the rest of the students have already left. He took another deep breath and faced Angela.

"I've done that, you know." he said flatly, "It didn't work... ended up hurting the people closest to me instead." Angela looked at him surprised. "Besides," he continued, "all I wanted was a scarecrow to ward those bullies away. I didn't ask you to care for me. It was my cousin who put you up to that." he looked at Angela coldly. "Guess you're just too hung up with your infatuation with a priest."

Angela was speechless. She felt her face burning. With an angry snarl, she lifted her hand and tried to slap Robert as hard as she can. Robert caught it, his eyes not leaving hers. So cold, his stare, he seemed to be a completely different person from the cheerful wimp she knew. Angela didn't know this man, he wasn't Robert; he was someone else. She tried to pull her hand away, but the boy in front of her wouldn't let go.

"You're not really that strong are you?" he said in that flat voice. "You just know what to hit where it really hurts." he loosened his grip, Angela pulled away. "Is that what my cousin taught you?" Angela rubbed at her wrist; she didn't know what to say. "He liked you too, you know." said Robert. Angela looked at him, still that cold stare... "He wanted to tell you that but you were too busy sulking about your rejection."

"That's non of your business!" she said angrily.

"Yeah that's right, you just go ahead and sulk your life away..." he said, turning around, "Me, I'll just run away, and it's non of your business either."

Angela watched as Robert left, her temper rising, she took hold of the nearest thing she saw- in this case, an empty can of soda, and sent it flying at him. "Stupid bastard!" she yelled.

Robert turned. The look in his eyes were no longer cold. They were blank. Emotionless. Suddenly memories flashed back to Angela; of a hot summer day and a boy beneath a mango tree. They had the same eyes.

The can rushed towards Robert. "Just don't know when to stop." he thought deep inside. "I don't want to loose my temper...."

Suddenly, the can collided with something before it ever reached him. It snapped Robert out of his trance. He looked at what it hit and saw Boyet on the floor, rubbing his head.

"W-what are you doing here?!" asked Robert, surprised to see the freshman in the senior's part of the building.

"You were taking so long sir, decided to come up and fetch you." said Obet still rubbing his head.

"I'm going home..." said Robert after another rub of his hanky.

"Wait for me, sir." said Boyet, scrambling to his feet. He suddenly stopped and looked at Angela. She stared at them, dumbfounded. Boyet went to her and bowed his head. "Miss Angela," he said respectfully, "Please forgive sir Robert, he didn't mean to make you worry."

"Wha---" replied Angela, still speechless.

"And please don't make him mad," continued the boy, "he's got enough problems as it is."

With that the boy left, calling to his sir Robert. Angela watched till he disappeared down the stairs. She looked at her wrist, there was no mark left of Robert's hand. His hold was strong but gentle. She shrugs to get the thought off her head and left for home.

Outside, the campus was quiet. Most of the students have already left and only a couple of them were still standing around. The large gate was already close. Angela passed the small service entrance and saw Robert leaning on the wall outside. He looked at her, his face flushed. Their eyes met for a while, then he looked away.

"His eyes are back to normal..." thought Angela.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, "Sorry lost m'temper...."

"Sorry too." replied Angela. "Friends?" she asked. Robert looked at her. Angela reached out a hand to him. He took it and gave it a friendly shake.

"Friends." he said with a smile.

"So where's that guy a while ago?"

"Sent him home."

"He called you sir."

"Yeah, really troubled kid..."

With that, the two went home together.