Shield of the Beast.

"What are you doing here!" asked Zire while frowning his face.

Okay, Sapphire, you found him. Now what?

"Are you deaf!? Aren't you done lecturing me, lately!?" he added. I just kept silent thinking what shall I say... I stared directly into his eyes, and from what I noticed he cried. To who? And why? And why do I want to know?

"HEY SAY SOMET—!"

"I'm sorry.." this word comes out from my mouth without a hint, why? Is that what I want to say to him?

"What?" he asked, not expected that he will hear that from me.

"I'm... sorry... for what I've done earlier, I don't know what you feel and I don't have the right to judge you. So... yeah..." I explained and looked back to the flowers. There's a pause before he speaks.

"You should be.." he said, I glanced at him and he heads to the fountain and sat there. I followed him and sat next to him with one ruler gap between us.

"Why are you still here? And why are you sweating like hell?" he asked without looking at me because his eyes are focusing on his cellphone. I did not notice that I am already sweating...

"I'm searching for you. I looked everywhere, in the gym, in the old gym, in the stadium, and even in the library.."

"Tss, Why do you think I'm in a library? Does this face look like a bookworm to you?" he asked while pointing his face.

"Yeah, I don't know too, why I thought that, but I saw your friend X there.."

"You saw him?" he asked.

"Yes. I ask him if he knew where you are, but he didn't know too, and he told me that I should not bother it all, because of that incident...."I explained. I saw him looked down on the grass, rolling his thumbs.

"Did I say something, wrong?"I asked him.

"No.," he replied coldly then we became silent, thirty seconds before he speaks again.

"X is right. You know, I've never appreciated small things that other people gave to me, like what I did lately to Dora" Wait, Dora? Ahh, does she mean Cassandra?

"When my mom died because of my father because he's the cause of all of those fucking things, I grew up holding a grudge with him. I became a rebel to him since he married that fucking woman and brought into our house. Since that day, I don't give a fuck about the others, why? Why would I give any care to them, when in the first place they didn't give a shit about me? Was it worthy?" he asked with anger through his words. I knew it, his eyes full of sorrows and pain, he must be suffering this for almost years. He clenched his fist, and a tear comes out from his eyes. But still...

"But still it's not right," I said I saw him looked at me when I looked up at the sky. Looking at the clouds moving slowly as the air pushing them and change their appearance. Just like a person, with the help of someone they can change into a beautiful shape.

"It's not right to have a grudge against your father, he is still your father. Second, I don't see any good reason to not accept other things that they made just for you. You just become one of those people you hated so much.."

"I have a reason and no one will understand.." he replied and looked away. Then I put my hand on his shoulder and looked at him.

"That's why I'm here to listen.," I said then he looked at me. He looks surprised at what I said. It looks like it's the first time he heard that someone is willing to listen to him. He turned his head in front of him avoiding eye contact for too long.

"Why should I tell you my problems, white lady?" he asked while smirking again. What?

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh?' me, you can't blame me for naming you a white lady. Tss, never thought I could meet a person who is emotionless like a doll" he replied, he already knew from the start?

"How did you know?"

"Are you an idiot? It's really obvious. When we first met, you looked at me with no emotions, I thought you are a white lady, you have no emotions at all than X the cold prince. You always creep me out! Like hell!" he yelled.

"You already knew it from the start, then why didn't you bully me?" I asked.

"The fuck! For what reason?!" he yelled.

"I don't know... maybe you'll enjoy hurting me because I didn't feel anything.. like the others do, in my old school?" I explained and look away.

"Tss! What a bullshit! And what advantage I can get about that?!" he yelled. I just shrugged my shoulder.

"I'm a rebel man and a bad man, but I'm not that totally bad like my si–, I mean like totally a devil to do that!" he added. And I never expected that he will say that.

"Is that smile is true?"

I'm smiling?

"Anyways... Whenever you want to talk about something I'm always here even though you don't want some company.." I said then I stood up and when I turned to go, he stopped me by grabbing my hand. I looked at him while he's avoiding an eye contact.

"Who said I don't want... some company?" he whispered to himself.

"What do you mean?" I asked. He let out a deep sigh, and he turned his eyes to me with a serious look.

"I need your company"

---

"What!? Really?! That's new to hear!" yelled Brian while smiling so wide. We are heading outside the campus. Dad is always late coming home so I told them that I walk home with Brian. Shakira is always picked up by her father, so Brian and I always walk together after class.

I also told her about Zire, that I accepted him to be my friend, as I understand.

"Yes, so unusual. " I said.

"Yeah, 'cause you're kind Ire, even though you don't seem to notice it sometimes... or, always," said Brian, then we talk about small things and remembering that we have quizzes in Mr. Piasco tomorrow about Contemporary Issue and about the UNFCCC and other laws about global warming. Brian goes left because her house is on the other side of the road while me straight on this road, I said goodbye to her and start walking.

I am now in front of my parents' house.

Then I went inside our house.

"I'm home!" I yelled. I notice nobody's home. I called mom and no one answered she's not here. Then where's mom?

I saw a note paste in our fridge. A letter from mom, she said both of them will come home late. There's food inside the fridge all I need to do is to reheat it.

I'm not that hungry, so I decided to clean the house first. I don't know what to do since dad and mom aren't home, so I decided to study my notes for the quiz tomorrow. After I cleaned the house, I feel my stomach is growling. I reheat the food and eat it.

But where they went, in this kind of late? I hope they're fine...

It's already 8 still they're not home, I close my note. I sat down on our couch waiting for my mom and dad.

"I need your company"

I still can't forget the words he said later. But still, I don't know about his problem. But I guess it's good that he let it out lately. And I really can't believe it he already knew from the start that I don't have any emotions. But honestly, he's a little hot-headed sometimes, or always...

Then my eyes slowly closing.. the only thing I remember before I completely fall asleep is all about Zire...

He's a good guy, but he doesn't want to show it... because he's afraid to get hurt again.