I felt relieved after venting to Liam. We're not that close yet, but he offered to listen to me.
"Well, it's your fault too." He said after I finished telling him. Can I take back what I said? It didn't really make me feel better. Maybe I shouldn't have told him in the first place. I thought he wanted me to open up to him? But his words just made me even more upset.
"What about me?" I furrowed my brow.
"You shouldn't have slapped her. You know your cousin is a great pretender, you shouldn't have done that."
I let out a deep sigh. "I didn't do it on purpose. She pushed me to my limit, that's why I did it!" I explained.
"Even so, you should've thought first before doing it. Next time, instead of fighting back, you should be the one to avoid. You don't want people, especially your mom, to see you in a bad light, right? Like your mom said, you should be the one to understand. And there must be a reason why she treats you that way. If I were you, I would be the one to adjust." He continued. Why do I feel like he's becoming concerned about me? Or am I just assuming?
"So you mean I should just let her or them continue to mistreat me? All my life, I didn't fight back. I left the old Mira behind, I've changed, and I guess now is the right time to fight back. That slap meant nothing compared to what she did to me before. It was far from enough. And then you're telling me that I should be the one to adjust? I think I've been doing that my whole life." I took a deep breath to calm myself down.
He rubbed his forehead. "It's not like that. What I mean is, instead of confronting her, find a way to be on your mom's side and not your cousin's."
"And how should I do that?"
"Wait for the right moment. But for now, try to avoid it as much as you can." He suggested.
I understood what he meant, and I think he's right.
"Thank you, and I'm sorry. I guess you're right."
"No worries." He replied, looking into the distance.
"You're a little weird." I said, changing the subject.
He glanced at me for a moment and then looked back into the distance.
"You know, we all have our weirdness, and life can be quite weird. But you know what? When we encounter someone whose weirdness aligns with ours, we come together and embrace our shared uniqueness, calling it love." I literally stared at him. I said so little, but he responded with something so profound. He's really weird.
He must have noticed my confusion, so he spoke again. "That's what she said." He said without looking at me.
"Who? Jhea?" I don't know why, but that's the first thing that came out of my mouth.
This time, he looked at me, shocked.
"Jhea? How did she come into the picture?" He said with a laugh.
"Well, isn't there something between you two?" I asked.
"Maybe there is, but it's not like what you think." What? There's something, but not like what I think? Wait, I just repeated what he said. But it's so confusing!
"Well, what is it then? I've seen you two talking alone every day. What's going on between you that you have to be alone whenever you talk? Do you know how curious Sophie and I are going, trying to figure out what's going on between our friend and you? Even Ace and Ken won't say anything." I faced him because I couldn't help but be curious.
He reached and ruffled my hair. "I gotta go." He stood up and left, leaving me even more confused. That was rude, he didn't even answer me. I quickly fixed my hair that he messed up.
I returned home and found Briana gone. She must be out with Rhian again. I couldn't help but wonder how she could enjoy going out while her mom is seriously ill and seeking treatment in another country.
I went straight to my room. I tidied up my study table and noticed Liam's diary there. I couldn't resist the temptation. I brought the diary to my bed and continued reading.
I opened the diary and a name caught my eye. Hailey. No wonder she sounded familiar, she has the same name with the girl Chris' like. What a small world.
'I remember a time when she didn't mean anything to me. I didn't even know she existed. But now, she's the reason for my sleepless nights, as I stay up until 3 am, consumed by thoughts of her. It's strange how someone can go from being insignificant to becoming the center of your world in such a short time, even though they bring regret and bittersweet memories.
She becomes a distant memory, a ghost lingering in the corners of my mind. The laughter we shared, the dreams we once had together. They are all imprinted in the fabric of my past.'
I feel the pain in every word he writes. I know that as he writes, he's crying because there are traces of tears in the ink of his letters. I quickly flip to another page.
'It's funny how I was just daydreaming about running into her when suddenly, I saw her. Our eyes met, and in that moment, there was a weight of unspoken possibilities and emotions between us. I told her that I wanted her back.
I told her that I regret losing her and that I still love her, but she said it's too late now and she doesn't feel the same way anymore. I know people change and feelings change. It's not fair to hold on to something that's no longer there. But I can see through her eyes that she's lying. I know she still loves me.
I would do anything just to have her back, especially now that I found out that the guy she was with when I last saw her was just a friend.'
I don't know why I keep on reading. I'm only hurting myself more with every page of this diary.
'I went to her cousin's house. I asked for her help to get back with Hailey because she's the closest person I know to her, but she refused. She's angry at me for fooling and hurting her cousin. She said I have the audacity to approach her after what I did to Hailey. Well, I don't blame her. I know it's my fault and I can't blame her for treating me that way.
If there's one thing I learned today, it's to say it before you run out of time. Say what you feel before it's too late. Waiting is a foolish mistake.'
I closed the diary and set it aside. Wow, are guys really this dramatic when they write in their diaries? It's like they're even more dramatic than girls. Liam poured out almost all of his emotions.
———
I walked into the cozy coffee shop to meet Sophie and the gang. And there she was, Sophie, waiting at the front with a drink in hand.
"You took forever, Mira! Do you know how annoyed I was waiting for you here?" She exclaimed.
"It's written all over your face. Why didn't you just wait for me inside?" I retorted.
"I'm just being a obedient friend, you know. You said to wait for you outside, right?" She said, handing me her phone out of the blue.
"What am I supposed to do with this?" I asked, raising an eyebrow as I took her phone.
"Take a picture of me, quick! You made me wait for so long, so take a picture of me." She said.
Without any warning, she immediately post for the camera. "Hurry up! I need something to post on my social media." She continued.
It's tough having a friend who thinks she's an influencer. I sighed and took a picture of her.
I buried my face in the table after we placed our orders.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked.
I lifted my head and rested it on my hand. "It's my mom." I replied.
"Oh, what's the problem with your mom?" She inquired.
"I always look like the bad guy. She always takes Briana's side." I explained.
"What did you do?" She asked.
"I slapped her." I replied, keeping it brief.
"You slapped her?! Why? What did she do to you this time?" She exclaimed.
What did Briana do to me? Nothing. But she's planning to steal Ace away from Sophie. Do I need to tell her about that? I don't want to ruin her day, especially since she's happy now that her dad is coming home soon.
"I slapped her because she's been pushing my buttons too much. And then, a maid saw me slap her, and of course, Briana played the victim. The maid reported me to my mom. I feel like ever since Briana came into our house, I've been growing distant from my mom because she always pays attention to Briana." I explained, with a tinge of sadness.
"Maybe it's because your mom feels that Briana is affected by her mom's illness, and maybe she thinks Briana needs a mother figure, even though she doesn't really need one because she's not really affected. Maybe you should try to understand the situation first." She suggested.
"You know, Liam told me something similar." I said.
"Wow, you're leveling up. You're opening up to him now." She teased. She paused and her face turned serious. "But you know, I realized something. You and Liam are a good match."
I raised an eyebrow at her statement. "What are you talking about? I thought you didn't like him?"
"Not before. But now I've gotten to know Liam better. He has a good side too. I can feel it, and even though he has hurt a lot of girls in relationships, I know he can be serious." She explained.
"What does that have to do with us?" I asked.
She took a deep sigh. "Nothing. But if you ever become one of his partners, he won't deceive you."
I furrowed my brow at her words. "And why is that?"
"I just know," She said with a tone and a smile that seemed to carry a deeper meaning.
Instead of answering her, I buried my face in my palms. I don't know why, but it feels like I have no motivation and I'm feeling really down.
I felt something hit me. "Hey! Stop being such an emo!" She exclaimed.
"Shut up!" I replied, my hands still covering my face.
She tried to remove my hands from my face and placed them on the table. "Get it together. You look like a mess!"
"Sometimes, there are moments when you suddenly feel sad even without any reason," I replied.
"Just because you feel a certain way, does that mean you should act on it? Instead of frowning because you feel sad, why not just smile?" she suggested.
I tried my best to put on a smile, but it wasn't enough to please her. "A brighter smile, one that hides all the sadness." She insisted.
I smiled again, attempting to wipe away any trace of sadness from my face, but once again, it fell short of her expectations. "A more genuine smile than that." She demanded.
I smiled once more, this time with all my heart. I hoped that this would finally satisfy her, but judging by the look on her face, it seemed I had failed once again.
I let out a deep sigh. It seemed I had to do something funny to make her believe that I was truly okay now. I smiled and struck a silly pose, hoping that it would be enough to please her. I didn't know what else I could do if she still wasn't satisfied.
"How's that?" I said, still holding my pose.
As I expected, she burst into laughter. But she wasn't done yet. She took a picture of me in that silly pose.
After she snapped the photo, Ace, Ken, and Liam walked over to us. They caught me in that awkward position, so I quickly adjusted my sitting position. The two of them laughed, but Liam seemed to be holding back a smile. I blushed with embarrassment.
"What are you up to, Mira?" Ken asked with a chuckle.
"Oh, nothing. We're just having some fun." Sophie explained.
Ace sat next to Sophie, Liam sat right beside me, which caught me by surprise, and Ken sat between Ace and Liam.
"By the way, where's Jhea?" Ace asked.
"She couldn't make it because she's with her mom somewhere." I explained to Ace.
He nodded. "I see. By the way, have you guys heard about what's going on in Buzzworthy Scoop?" He changed the topic. As he said that, Liam let out a sigh.
Buzzworthy Scoop is an exclusive online journal in our school that shares all the gossip, blind items, and even confessions from students. I was featured on there once because of my makeover. The reactions were mixed, with both positive and negative comments.
Sophie and I exchanged glances because we had no idea what he was talking about. "No. What's it about?" Sophie asked.
"Check it out and you'll see," Ken instructed.
We immediately grabbed our phones and checked the page. We were left speechless and couldn't move as we read what was written.
'Liam, the nephew of the school owner, has a diary. Yes, you heard it right. A reliable source has informed us about the existence of his diary. But the shocking news is that his diary is missing. Some students speculate that it was stolen, while others believe he simply misplaced it.
The students are eager to uncover the secrets within his diary. They are curious to know if it reveals his preferences in girls or if it contains any other intriguing information. Those who have a crush on him have initiated a mission to find his diary. Can you believe it? They think that if one of them manages to return the diary to Liam, there's a chance they might catch his attention. So, to all the hopefuls who wish to join this crazy quest, good luck. May the most dedicated person prevail!'
"Is this for real? They're all crazy! But seriously Liam, you're writing a diary?" Sophie asked, shocked.
"Yeah. I just need an outlet to express my emotions, and I don't know how they found out that my diary went missing." Liam replied honestly.
As for me, I still can't believe what I read. I remain frozen in my seat, staring at the screen of my phone. Fear and anxiety consume me now. What if they find out that I have the diary? What will they do to me? Most of those who have a crush on Liam are even more sadistic than Jhea. Gosh, what have I gotten myself into?
"Mira, are you okay?" Sophie asked me.
I quickly looked away from my phone and looked at them. "Ah, yeah. I just can't believe what I read." I said.
Ken laughed. "It's okay, we felt the same way when we read it. We never thought Liam would write a diary." He said, laughing again.
"I'll just go to the restroom," I excused myself. I stood up and Sophie suddenly spoke up. "I'll come with you." I nodded and quickly walked and entered the restroom.
"Are you really okay?" She asked me.
"Of course." I replied, forcing a smile. I quickly entered a cubicle before she could say anything else. When I came out, I quickly fixed myself and looked at myself in the mirror, feeling nervous since earlier.
Sophie stopped me when we were outside the restroom. "Tell me, are you really okay? You can't fool me, I know something's wrong." I couldn't hold back anymore and faced her. Maybe I need to say it now. Maybe I need to let it all out.
I held her by the shoulders. "Promise me, you won't tell anyone."
"What is it?"
"Promise me first!" I insisted.
"Yes, I promise."
"Sophie, I have his diary."
"What?" She replied, confused.
"I have it. I have his diary," I repeated.
This time, surprise filled her face. "How? How do you have it?"
I told her everything that happened that day. "My gosh, Mira. Did you read it?"
I didn't say anything and avoided her gaze. "Mira, come on! Answer me!"
"Some parts of it." I mumbled, keeping my head down.
"My gosh! So what are you going to do?"
"What me? It's us now. Help me." I was left hanging.
She held her forehead. "It would have been okay if you returned it without reading it, but not until you read it."
"But I can still pretend, right?"
Sophie was about to speak when suddenly someone spoke behind us. "Pretend about what?"
We both froze when we saw Liam. "Liam, it's you. Have you been there all this time?" Sophie asked nervously.
"Not really. What were you guys talking about?" He asked seriously.
Sophie and I exchanged glances. At that moment, we had no idea what to do or what to say.
Does he need to know that I have his diary? I'm at a loss for what to do anymore.