FAITHFUL

Diana p.o.v

I was speechless seeing the tears falling down his face so easily as if he was in excruciating pain. My thumbs quickly went to wipe the tears on both cheeks.

"Noah.." I breathed out, hoping he would explain the reason behind the tears.

However, he just shook his head and pulled me into his arms. It was a tight hug as if he would never let me go.

"Diana... how are you able to smile with such agony in your heart ?"

I was slightly confused by his words, but I moved my hand to caress his head anyway. He was buried into my neck and I could feel the tears dripping onto my skin.

We stayed that way for half an hour. The newfound feelings in his heart might be foreign to him. As for me, I could feel the deepest feelings he buried in his heart, feeling distant and abandoned.

A boy that always there for his friends, had a small kid inside where he was hoping he is not going to be discarded. That must be the reason why we were made of each other.

We were both neglected and abandoned by our family.

"Let's start a fresh life."

We were resting our forehead against each other as our hearts beat rhythmically with the same calmness, his thumb continued to caress my fingers.

"Wherein the world everyone would have their backs on us, we will continue to love each other."

I wrapped my arms around his neck as I smiled at his words. Those words calm me. The thought of my dad's cruelty seemed not much hurtful, knowing he will always be there for me.

"You know, Ian would never turn his back on me." I told the fact playfully, and where I thought he would ask why, he smiled.

"I know." I tilted my head, not expecting that answer from him.

"How do you know ?" I asked him, genuinely confused.

"I just do."

He did not explain any further, but it must have been his natural attraction. Ian might have fallen for that.

-

It was a perfect date with Noah yesterday even with the roller coaster emotions. During all the time I spent with him, I totally forgot about the call I got from Amelia.

After the first class in the morning, I tried to call her but I was sent to a mailbox. I did not want to bother her since she could be in class, so I decided to wait until school finished.

I was studying the task given by Ian in political science earlier until I got a call. I was hoping it would be Amelia, but it was Noah instead.

Nevertheless, I smiled at the caller and picked it up.

"Hey.." I could not contain my emotion as I was happy about the call, even though I was with him the whole class earlier.

"Hey, Diana. Ethan and the others invited us to hang out tonight. You wanna go ?"

It sounded like a fun idea, so I agreed immediately.

"Sure ! It's been a while since I last saw them."

"Yeah. They were worried about you ever since I told them you're not feeling well. Alia wanted to visit you many times but I stopped her. She talks a lot and probably going to disrupt your rest if she went." I giggled, although I felt touched that Alia would do that even though we only see each other one time.

"Hey, I'm fine. After this, let her be. We live in the same dormitory anyway." I played with my pen as I told him. He sounded unsure and I tried my best to convince him it was alright.

"Fine, it just sucks that other people can spend their time with you and I don't." I laughed louder at his words.

"You're so silly. Don't we always stick together in classes ?"

"I wish I can stay next to you all the time." He confessed.

"What a baby." I giggled and he just laughed sounding abashed.

We talk for a while, and from the window I saw that the sky was turning orange, indicating that it was my time to get ready for the night.

I bid him goodbye before I went to get ready. From what Noah told me earlier, we will go to a pub again. I am honestly not a fan of alcohol after what happened the first time, but Noah assured me he will keep me by his side now.

I messaged Ian about the occasion, and he told me that Noah better take good care of me, and I smiled reading the reply. That was the first time Ian ever entrusted me to someone else. I liked that.

As I was finishing getting ready, I got a call. I immediately looked at it and saw Amelia's calling. I stopped everything I was doing and answered it.

"Hey, Amelia ! Finally, I got to hear you !"

My heart pounding, feeling relieved that she finally called. I had been feeling worried about her and I did not know that until now.

"Hey... do you have some time ?" She did not sound lively like she usually speaks. I began to feel worried again, looking at the time. It was about time for me to go, however, I would not have a good time if I keep worrying about her.

"Yeah. Do you want to meet up ?"

"Please. Come to my room."

We ended the call afterward and I immediately called Noah. He answered the call immediately.

"Sorry, Noah. I can't make it tonight. Something came up." I told him.

"What happened ?" he immediately sounded like he would be here soon at my request. I shook my head.

"Nothing serious, but I need to meet with someone. Don't worry, I will still be in the girl's dormitory." I assured him, and there was a short pause from the other side before he replied.

"Okay. If anything just calls me, okay ?" I smiled as I replied with an okay, and I ended the call and immediately walked out of my room to Amelia's. I already got the room number from her text.

Once I reached it, I knocked on the door. When it opened, I smiled as I was about to greet her, but her condition surprised me.

Her hair looked greasy, her face looked thin and her cheeks sunken. She looked super sick. She was wrapping herself under a scarf and went back to sit on the bed.

"Amelia, what happened to you ?" I sounded distraught at saying that, but it was astoundingly horrible. We had not met for a couple of weeks and she looked like she went through a lot of pain. It was so sad she did not tell me anything about it.

"How long have you been sick like this ? Do you need anything ?"

I immediately went towards her and crouched down in front of her, searching for her eyes. They were looking exhausted and lifeless. Panic began to surface in my heart.

"Can you bring me to a hospital ?" She requested, her voice sounding deep as if she was holding a sob. I nodded, but I did not even know where was the hospital close by. Ian never shows me where.

I was about to call Ian when Amelia suddenly held my hand. I looked at her confused, but she was looking so sad.

"Don't. I don't want anyone in school to see me like this." Her voice sounded shaky as she speaks.

"It's okay, Ian is a teacher. He's responsible to check the students." Amelia looked unsure at first, but then she nodded and I mirrored her.

I immediately called Ian, but strangely he did not pick up. I could not control my facial expression when I looked down at it.

He would usually pick up on time, but this time he did not pick up at all.

I was contemplating calling Noah, but then Amelia's condition froze me up as I saw blood coming out of her nose. She was clenching her chest and I quickly held her who was about to fall onto the ground.

"Amelia ?!" I tried to get an answer from her, but she clenched her chest so badly, her teeth grinding as she was in pain.

"Hang in there ! I'll bring you to the hospital !"

There was no time to call an ambulance, and it seemed that Amelia did not want to cause any scene or wanted any rumors about her circulating. Out of all people, she trusted me with this, so I need to respect her request but at the same time, think fast about what to do.

Therefore, I did not think twice to turn my back on her and pull her to lay on my back. I wrapped her frail arms around my neck and carried her up.

"I'll get you to the hospital, Amelia." I reassured her as I heard her erratic breathing next to my ear. I jogged through the girl's dormitory and I was glad the girls were either in their rooms or out of the dormitory. The course was all clear.

Her chest went up and down as if she was out of breath, and I was panting as well trying to race with time as Amelia's condition was worsening.

As soon as I ran out of the school gate, I immediately extended my hand to a cab that was just driving by. It halted immediately and I rushed inside, carefully putting Amelia aside.

"To the hospital, quick !" I clenched onto the seat of the driver, and he nodded hastily before pushing the gas.

-

Noah p.o.v

The pub was blaring with songs as I sat by our usual corner. I just got myself a juice, having no mood to fool around with alcohol tonight. Ever since Diana said she could not make it, I even consider not joining them tonight, but I already agreed to them.

"So, why Diana can't join us ?" Alia asked as she sat next to me. I straightened my body to converse with her properly, smiling at her.

"She said something came up. She had to be somewhere else." I told her, my eyes moved to Chris who sat down next to Alia after grabbing both of them some beverages. He heard what I said, his brows crooked in worry.

"Uh oh, that doesn't sound good." Chris said, and I looked at him with a questionable look.

"Yeah. This happened last time too with that ex-girlfriend of yours. Didn't you tell us that Eden had an eye on her ?" Alia added, and my heart was quickly surrounded with discontent as they continued to suggest that Diana was hiding something, a familiarity of the past. My smile immediately dropped.

"No way. Don't start anything." I warned them, trying to cool myself with the juice I got for myself.

"You were upset like this as well, Noah." I heard a calm voice that rarely spoke in the group. Looking up, Natasha spoke while her eyes narrowed at me as if she was reading me and my reaction.

"And what happened after that was exactly what the little voice in your head tried to tell you. You were denying yourself." I held her eyes, those unwavering eyes that I knew so well.

"It's different this time." Our eyes continued to hold each other, and I saw a glint of her eyes wavering at my definite answer.

"Uh... Chris, let's hit the dance floor !" Alia disrupt the tension with her voice, and Chris answered awkwardly as well as they both left the place, leaving me and Natasha alone. I looked away from her.

"Where's Ethan ? He was the one who planned this." I asked, getting even more eager to leave this place.

"He's somewhere, hooking up with some girl." My eyes widened upon hearing that, turning to look at her in utter disbelief. She shrugged as she downed her alcohol.

"These past few weeks, he has been on it again. I don't know what triggers it, but he slept with girls left and right like a maniac." I slammed the glass of juice onto the table after a furious gulp to finish it off before I stood up.

"I'm fucking leaving." I announced before walking out of the place.

My whole body was itching to punch Ethan in the face.