Chapter 21: Barrier
The students of La Milanosa Academy gathered at the hallway as they saw two of the most popular students together.
Few of them was surprised but most got mad and disappointed of the thought of campus bad boy's girlfriend.
"He's too handsome! Look at his jaw!"
"Wait, he's with Sandra?"
Students who were studying in the library were disturbed by the sudden appearance of the campus bad boy and campus crush.
"Seb!" She called him loudly enough for everyone to hear it. "Please, leave them away!"
"You don't have to tell me what to you!" He answered and quickly walked into the door. But before he could pull it off, someone called his name in disbelief.
"S–seb, you're here!" Halora exclaimed that has made him stop from leaving. "Wh–why are you here?" She added, afraid, trembled, and confused.
But, he looked at her coldly, gritted his teeth like an angry husband who caught his wife laughing with someone else. He controlled his anger and turned his back on Halora who was too worried about him.
"Se–Sebastian!" She nervously uttered his name yet she couldn't stop him. She looked at his broad shoulders until she saw Sandra walked closer to her.
"I guess, he needs you more than anyone else! Follow him. Tell him that nothing is going in between you and my cousin!" She convinced her as she breathed heavily.
Sandra wanted to be the girl he needed yet, she was in the middle of a crisis. She has to assure Halora that she was a trustworthy person.
Roy tapped her shoulder, "She's right, go after him, Halora."
The students gasped as they tried to hear their conversations. But what surprised them was Sandra's sudden kindness towards Halora.
Rumors quickly spread as Halora and Sandra chased after the campus bad boy. But the only thing they knew, Sandra was lying.
Through her eyes, they foresaw her intentions but they ignored the chair between a popular and a nobody high school girl.
"What is going on?" A short, cute girl murmured. When Halora finally pulled the door and went outside of the library.
She followed them until she heard a loud voice echoed around the wide field.
"SEBASTIAN WOO!"
"Please stop!" Halora held her breath, but he looked at her menacingly. Sebastian was too disappointed with the thought of her with someone else in the library.
He couldn't understand either himself. The way he responded was suspicious and unexpected.
He gasped, "Why are you here? You are supposed to be in the library with him,"
"I taught him regarding our assignment in Mathematics," she explained and clarified that she has a valid intention. "I... I've been waiting for you, but I saw you with the gang earlier."
"Why didn't you call me? How would I talk to you if I can't find you at all?"
Halora felt guilty. She knew there was a chance to call him yet, she chose not to. She was afraid that she might be ignored by him especially Seb spoke with his friends.
She looked at him deeply into his eyes, a cold breeze blew up and drifted few strands of her hair.
"I... was scared...," she paused, looked away from the bad boy's deep gaze.
Sebastian kicked off the ground with all the strength he has. Anger, hatred, and disappointment urged the bomb to explode.
He clenched his fists furiously and held her jaw. "Stay away from him!" He told her, emphasized every word he said.
Halora closed her eyes out of pain. She touched his arm, but, he was blinded by jealousy and outrage.
"I don't want to see you laugh with another boy! I... I don't understand myself, but damn!" He quickly moved his head closer to her and caressed her hair gently.
Halora was surprised by his sudden actions. "Seb...,"
"I... I am sorry! I'm so sorry for what I've done, Ha... Halora!"
"Wh–what is your problem? Y–you can tell it to me in a calm way!" She replied, stepped back away from him, and embraced herself.
The surroundings became quiet when most of the students went home. The wide oval, filled with grasses and was covered with a blue, cloudy sky.
"I am in a big trouble!"
"Pa–pardon? B–big trouble?" She imagined him with the gang members in the middle of the dark street. On the other side, a group of gangsters held baseball bats and steel.
She saw it coming, sweats flowed from her forehead, shook her head in disbelief, and exclaimed, "No! No!"
Halora held her head, tried to forget what she saw. She looked intently into his eyes until she remembered someone with the same eye color. Until she saw him soaked in blood, laid down in the ground, wounded and bruised.
"Will you going to meet with the gang members later at night?" She asked him desperately.
"Y–yes! And how did you know about it?" He narrowed his eyes, "Tell me, how did you know about it?"
He held her shoulders and stared at her round brown eyes. For a moment, he has a chance to appreciate her beauty, a natural and simple soul.
But she has to warn him, she has to save Seb from the danger! However, she was not in the right position to tell him what to do.
To avoid him from meeting his friends, Halora took a deep sigh, "Come with me! I'll be teaching you those two subjects every after class,"
Seb was surprised by her sudden gestures. She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer. "Let's go! We need to make it fast or you will get zero for today's session."
"Wh–what?! Why would I obey y–"
The next she did has made him gulped, "Wh–what are you doing? St–stop it or I will kiss you!"
Halora quickly stopped and opened her palm. A ladybug surprised both of them as she saw it landed on his chest.
"A ladybug!" She exclaimed.
"I know, and you don't have to proclaim it to the whole wide world." Seb rolled his eyes and blew it.
"Hey! I love ladybugs! Why did you blow it away?" She stomped her feet as she walked next to the campus bad boy.
He walked like he owned the entire school, hands-on his pocket, and brought his bag fashionably.
"Hurry up, Teacher Halora! We will be late in our first session,"
By that moment, it was the very first time he smiled that way. It was real, warm, and tender. There was no barrier, and it caught her attention effortlessly.
And it made her astounded and looked at his perfect, rare smile.