When Monday comes again, I’ve been the talk of the town. Everywhere I go, I would see someone whispering something to their friends while looking at me with hatred in their eyes or just simply giggling towards me.
Some would even approach me and ask me questions about my and Bryle’s relationship that makes me so irritated but I can’t even tell them to back off because they look like a predator ready to attack me if I say something that they wouldn’t like.
I’m just here for about three hours but I feel like going home already. The whole school is starting to become hell for me and it’s so suffocating. Thank goodness Sean is here the whole time with me, or else I’ll die in suffocation.
I feel like I’ve been pulled to the limelight so suddenly and forcefully. Since that news broke out, I never tried to contact Bryle and he also never comes back to our house and its been almost two days. I don’t know if he made some actions towards the news or what.
I have been restless since the proposal happened. My realization about the feeling I’ve been feeling towards Bryle gave a very big impact to me. Being in love with him made me feel scared, hurt, and especially, angry. Not to Bryle or anyone else but to myself. I’m angry to myself because I let this happen. I let my supposedly buffled feelings develop into something more powerful — love.
I shouldn’t feel this kind of feelings towards him because I know that this stupid feelings of mine would only hurt me in the end. I know to myself that this is just a temporary happiness. Once everything’s back to normal, just like what Bryle had said, we will go our separate ways.
Sean and I are currently inside the library again since this is the only place I can call safe for now. We are eating the food my mom cooked for us for lunch secretly at the back of the last shelf so the librarian won’t catch us and kick us out because eating is not allowed inside the library.
“Arghh! I still can’t grasp the whole idea that Bryle finally proposed to you! I didn’t even know that you’ve been dating for four months and you just introduced him to me recently!” Sean whisper-shouts beside me and I chuckle forcefully.
His smile fades when he senses that I’m not happy and looks at me with concern in his eyes. “Hey... What’s wrong? Aren’t you happy that you’re finally going to marry your man?” He asks me.
I sadly smile at him. “Of course, I’m happy. It’s just that— I don’t like the attention people are giving me right now. I feel like forced into the limelight. Bryle and I still haven’t tracked the person who posted the video and it’s making me anxious day by day. It’s like a work of a stalker. That family dinner was supposed to be private with just us...” I try to explain to Sean and he just listens to me.
“I understand what you’re feeling right now, Alwin. But don’t dwell on it too much, okay? Let Bryle handle all of that while you should think of you and Bryle’s future after the wedding.” He advices and I nod my head before travelling my eyes to the shiny gold ring on my ring finger.
I never tried to remove this since that day so no one would question me about it if I ever accidentally misplace it. If ever this ring got missing, I wouldn’t know what to do. I don’t know where to find a ring that looks like this and this ring probably costs a lot base on the shiny gold all over it.
My phone suddenly rings so I immediately pick it up before the librarian could walk up here and find us eating and breaking the law inside the library.
I look at the caller ID and my eyes go wide instantly. It’s Bryle.
I hesitantly answer the call. “H-Hello?”
[“Alwin... Where are you?”] He asks in a sweet and gentle voice.
I raise my brow at him suspiciously even though he can’t see me. “I’m inside the library. Why?”
[“Library? But it’s already lunch time, Alwin. What are you doing there? You should eat first.”]
Since when did he became concern about me? His concern smells something fishy, I can tell!
“We are currently eating right now, Bryle,” I say.
[“In the library?”] He confusedly asks from the other line.
“Yes.”
I turn my direction to Sean and sees him eavesdropping to our conversation. This idiot!
[“Why?”]
“Why? Because since that video came out, I start to become the talk of the town. People keeps approaching me just to tell me shit! I can’t have my peace anymore!”
I flinch when Sean suddenly slaps my shoulder and he mouthes me, “Be quiet.”
[“Calm down, Alwin. We’ll talk about that face to face, okay? But for now, can you please come here at the Principal’s Office?”]
“Principal’s Office? Why?”
[“Because I’m here. I’ll wait for you, okay?”] He says and hang up the call before I could even say a thing.
I sigh and start putting my lunchbox inside my bag before standing up in full height. Sean also did the same before following out of the library and into the hallway with a lot of eyes staring right at me. I ignore them all and just continue walking towards my destination. Sean didn’t ask me where I’m going anymore since he already heard it.
When we arrive outside the Principal’s Office, Sean gestures me to get inside. “Go on. I’ll just wait for you here.”
I nod my head and gently knock at the door.
“Come in!” I hear someone shouts from the inside and I immediately push the door open to reveal Bryle sitting cross-legged at the sofa like a boss.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Rochana,” I greet the Principal and she smiles at me widely.
“Good afternoon to you too, Mr. Chaidee!” She greets me back before turning to look at Bryle, “So this is the famous Alwin everyone is talking about and the lucky guy who captured your heart, Mr. Kraisee? I can tell that you have a very good sense of picking! He’s such a catch,” she says to him.
Bryle smiles proudly at her, “Of course, Mrs. Rochana. He’s a gem,” he replies to her before standing up from the sofa and walking towards me. “Alwin, come and sit,” Bryle says and pulls me towards the sofa.
“What’s going on?” I ask anxiously.
“Oh, nothing’s going on, okay? I just asked the principal if she could give you a three days excuse so we can start planning for our wedding.”
Wedding?! What the hell! Do we really have to get married? His dad and Nika already stopped pestering us so why do we have to come this far?
Please don’t make this any more harder for me! It hurts.