Chapter Ten

Daniel couldn't wait for the teacher to leave his class before he packed his book inside his backpack ready to leave.

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1". Daniel counted with the clock, and with that, he was done with classes for that day. He rushed out of the class, running to the school entrance. He had expected that was where he was going to see Alec on reaching there, he was disappointed that Alec wasn't there yet.

Daniel was beginning to pout. Once again, Alec had disappeared from him without saying a proper goodbye, and he found out that Alec wasn't the type to keep his promises.

"I so much hate you for doing this". Daniel said, entering the street, he was going to walk home.

A few meters after Daniel had walked he heard a motorbike sound coming behind him, he turned to know who it was, and it was no other person than Alec, riding beside him on another bike was Basil. They both got motorbikes of different colors. Alec's own was red, matching his hair, and Basil's was black.

Daniel couldn't help but smile at Alec, he had thought that Alec had disappeared from him again.

"What took you so long". Daniel said.

"I don't know the four walls of liberty high school, I have been looking for you through the entire school. I met this person who said his name was Simon, he told me you were already leaving". Alec said.

"Simon huh". Daniel retorted.

"Are you going to stand there, or you're going to hop in". Alec brought an extra helmet, holding it in his right hand. Daniel walked close to Alec, Alec did the honor of putting on the helmet on Daniel's head and strapping it safely in.

Daniel got on the bike and Alec started driving, he was followed by Basil at the back. The young merman didn't want to disturb his prince because he was on a mission of bringing a true love kiss home, if not, he loses everything and even his throne in Astera. Basil had wanted to be made adviser to Alec when he was made the king, but the way things have gone so far, he felt that was an impossible dream to achieve.

"Hold me like this". Alec took Daniel's hands and wrapped them around his waist, the simple action made heat rise to Daniel's cheek. He was blushing, and it was over a simple action as to Alec taking his hands and wrapping them around his waist.

"Those two are so in love, like they want to eat each other". Basil rolled his eyes. He drove with them at the back, watching every single thing that was happening in front of him.

"I, too, desire love". Basil pouted.

"I will also get love and prove, even if I don't have striking features like Alec, I can make someone fall in love with me". Basil said determined, but who would that be? Who would be able to love someone Daniel feels he is so very lame, he was lame in his appearance and also his identity; that's his name.

"Whoever will love me will look past my appearance and my name". Basil thought.

"I'm handsome, just not as handsome as Alec". Basil said out loud, frowning at Daniel and Alec.

******

Justin had been in the hospital bed for 2 weeks and still counting. He was free to go home as the doctor had said the other week, but he had refused to go home saying what if he gets another attack and doesn't survive it, that was all an excuse for Justin to get to see a familiar face. He wanted to see Daniel, the one whom he loves, to come to the hospital and visit him and possibly take care of him if the tension between them was over. But as days passed by with no chance of Daniel showing up, it felt like a thousand needles have been stabbed into Justin's heart. Justin was hurt so bad knowing very well that Daniel his best friend had forgotten him and had refused to come to see him or probably was still angry at him for kissing him

Tears rolled down Justin's cheeks. He had begun crying.

"Is this how much he hates me". Justin said, crying his eyes out until they were red and puffy.

Jasper walked in, into the room assigned to Justin.

"Is that you, Daniel". Justin said hopefully, wiping his red, puffy eyes of tears.

"Nope, I can smell it's Jasper". Justin sank more into the hospital bed.

"How long will you continue doing this to yourself? It's clear enough that Daniel wouldn't come here". Jasper said, a bit stern, as Justin had refused to go home.

"I'm the one you're suffering you know, having me to always bring you food. Why not take the hospital food since you claim you're still sick"? Jasper pushed Justin's food he had brought for him to his body.

"Easy, Jasper, that hurts". Justin furrowed his eyebrows.

"You're just lucky your parents were out of town and wouldn't be back for the next 6 months. I would have got them here, and you would have to be taken from this irritating place". Jasper said, feigning annoyance.

"Then lucky me". Justin retorted!

Another person walked into the hospital, and she came and took a seat beside Justin.

"How long do you intend to stay here". She laid her head down on Justin's chest.

"What are you doing here, Jennifer". Justin said, a bit stern.

Jasper had always hated Jennifer's guts, thinking no one else was important. She didn't even acknowledge he was there. "Who does that?". Jasper thought.

"I came to see you, bf". Jennifer placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I thought I made that clear the last time". Justin increased the harshness of his tone.

"You said it out of anger. We have been through a lot for all that to be thrown away". Jennifer looked at Justin, eyes wet with tears, but was still able to offer a smile.

"Justin I can't do without you, this past few months you haven't been in my life had been a torment. I love you so much Justin, please let's get back together". Jennifer cried.

"It hurts that I'm hurting you this bad, but it will also be unfair if I'm with you but my soul and body are with another and my mind is constantly filled with thoughts of them". Justin said with eyes wet with tears.

"So you're going to throw everything away for one person". Jennifer raised her voice.

"Jennifer, bring your voice down…this is a hospital". Jasper reminded.

"Shut your trap, Jasper". Jennifer shunned.

"Who's this person you're throwing everything we have been through for". More tears rolled down Jennifer's cheek.

She was deeply hurting, she had built all her life around Justin since they were little. She had thoughts they will go to the same college, pursue the same career or different careers, and it all ends up in both of them getting married and having kids to show their love, but Justin is about to throw away that future.

"Jennifer, I love them so much more than I can explain".

"But they're not here with you, are they?".

"They never even visited, did they?".

"Do they even know you love them?". Jennifer asked questions after questions non-stop, showing how deeply she was hurt by Justin choosing another person over her.

"They can never love you as much as I do, please let's get back together, Justin". Jennifer pleaded.

"They might not be here with me, they might not have visited, and they don't know how much I love them, but that's what I intend to do". Justin said.

"I intend to make them know how much I love them, how my whole world is built around them. It's really over between us, Jennifer". Justin added.

"I'm going to do all it takes to make Daniel love me. He will be my bf and, possibly, my future husband". Justin thought.

****

"I thought you called earlier to tell me that Daniel would be coming to visit today". Justin had said after Jennifer left. The poor girl had been crying non-stop on Justin's shoulder, begging for him to accept her back, but the young man wouldn't budge.

"You will come back begging for me to accept you back, and I wouldn't be there anymore". Jennifer had said in a fit of rage before exiting the hospital doors.

Justin had his mind set on another and how to win their love and certainly, he knew his heart never belonged to Jennifer in the first place, his heart as Justin felt as always was meant to beat beside Daniel's heart, and turns out him waiting in the hospital for a long time hoping Daniel would come to visit him won't happen after all as the days kept on passing by and no sign of Daniel showing up.

"Why isn't he here". Justin asked, he felt deplorable that Daniel still bore a grudge in his heart against him.

"How should I know". Jasper said.

"I waited for him at the school entrance, but couldn't find him. I went as far as sending him a text of the hospital address". Jasper added.

"He is still angry at me, Jasper". Tears welled up in Justin's eyes. He was about to cry again for what felt like the thousandth time that day.

"I shouldn't have kissed him that day". Justin cussed, letting go of the tears he was fighting back to hold.

"I will never be happy knowing Daniel is angry at me". Justin clutched his hair. He was in a sitting position on the hospital bed, acting like a crazed clown.

"You can't continue punishing yourself like this". Jasper walked close to his friend to console him.

"I think you should come to school tomorrow and get to talk to Daniel one on one and not hide on the hospital duvet hoping Daniel will take pity on you and come visit you". Jasper rubbed invisible circles on Justin's back.

"You're so pathetic, having to live your life in this hospital". Jasper added.

"You're right Jasper… If I want to win Daniel, I should start acting and not wait for him to come to see my sorry ass in this hospital". Justin wiped his eyes clean of tears.

"And who was talking about you winning Daniel…you know what, forget it". Jasper said, his concern was for Justin to take care of himself, not hopelessly fall in love with someone who Jasper thinks doesn't feel the same.

"But first, I think we should do one thing first". Justin stood up from the bed.

"What's that". Jasper asked surprised how all of a sudden his friend is feeling energetic. It must be the hope and the love he felt for Daniel that's pushing him on, Jasper thought.

"I think we should both go to the barbershop. I want to look good for someone when they see me". Justin smiled.

"By someone, you mean Daniel". Jasper rolled his eyes.

"You know me too well". Justin said sarcastically and with that, they both drove off to the barbershop to have their hair cut.

******

Alec drove Daniel to a barbershop, Daniel wondered what they were doing in a barbershop asked.

"Why are we here".

"That's because I want you to have a haircut". Alec said.

"Why?". Daniel asked.

"To look good". Alec said, but inside him, Alec wanted Daniel to look good for him, so he can show him off to Astera as his to-be boyfriend.

Thinking about his home, somehow the sea creature, Alec had missed his home. He had missed his brother, even though they don't talk that much. He missed his father and all the nagging. It was heartbreaking that he couldn't take the human home, as he was unable to breathe underwater.

The sea creature knows he has to prepare to live on land forever with the human and build a future with him as land will be his new home and not the sea.

Alec sighed. He shouldn't be thinking about all that, that was way into the future, the present-future was at least to get a true love kiss from Daniel and get to achieve the future he was planning for both him and Daniel.

"Hey". Daniel waved his hands on Alec's face.

"Hey". Alec came back from his daze.

"I see you're through with the haircut". Alec said, carefully inspecting Daniel's hair. The human had asked the barber to use a purple spray on his hair and cut his hair short at the side and round to the back, and allow the top to be uncut, so it can cover his face.

The purple spray made Daniel not to look that so pale as he once looked, it rather made his hair stand out over the features of his face and stood in contrast with Alec's vibrant red hair.

"I think I will add color to my hair". Basil voiced taking a sit for the barber to do his job on his hair.

"Ok". Alec said, not taking his eyes off Daniel, he felt the human looked more beautiful than the first time he saw him.

"I look good, right". Daniel smiled equally, returning Alec's stare.

"You look beautiful". Alec said, staring deeply into Daniel's cold gray eyes with his emerald green eyes.

"You both should get a room already". The barber rolled her eyes. She had been looking at both males, they have been acting cute with each other like they were a couple.

The lady owned the salon she looked to be in her mid-thirties and was the only one present, she managed it by herself. From all angles, she looked decent except for the tattoo that dragged its way from her neck to her arms and the piercing she had on her nose, ears, and eyebrows.

In no time, Basil was through with his makeover. He had his hair sprayed white so that it looked creamy just like Daniel's natural hair color before he sprayed it purple.

"You had to spray your hair to my natural hair color for you to stand out". Daniel said to Basil.

"Whatever your royal arrogance". Basil said wanting to step out of the barbershop to mistakenly bump into a curly haired guy. Basil had felt his heart beat faster than usual at the sight that the guy looked so cute especially with dimples when he awkwardly smiled at him offering his apologies for not seeing him.

"Justin". Daniel called, he was a few inches away from Basil, but he saw as the two bumped into each other.

"Daniel" Justin answered. They both stared at each other for what felt like minutes, with no one saying anything to the other, before Daniel broke the stare when he walked away.

Daniel walked out on Justin without saying anything else, Alec and Basil followed behind, but curious Basil wanted to stay back and get to know the guy with the curly hair he learned his name was Justin.