Chapter 11

Alitha's POV

I abruptly stop talking when I saw Nikolai and Cedrick coming. Glaiza did the same too. She stops asking when she saw me eyeing behind her.

"Thank you, love." She said while lovingly looking at her boyfriend.

"You're welcome, love." They even kissed in front of me. Nikolai sit beside me. The seat became narrow as he sat down. At that size, our arms were almost touching. I felt thousands of volts of electricity once his arm stick to mine.

He hissed. "Why are you not eating? You're probably hungry you almost ran towards the counter." He said sarcastically not even looking at me.

"I waited for my friend to take a bite before me. I'm not that hungry. I just don't want to be with you."

"But seems you don't have a choice. What a good friend you really are, Miss." This time, he glanced at me. We both look at each other weighing who's the most fearful between us two.

"Definitely." I whispered. We talk normally but in my heart I am angry with him. I'm sure he is too. Just by listening to his voice I sensed that he's holding back.

"What happened to your textmate by the way?" He continued eating but he's insulting me just by the way his face twitch.

"Mind your own business, Johnson."

"I thought it was already my business since you accused me of texting you." He just stopped eating to look at me. I don't think I can eat if we quarrel like this.

"I was just asking you. I am not literally saying that it was you." My voice is just weak. So that those close to us will not hear me.

"Of all people, why me?"

"I have told you the reason already, Niko." I stopped when I heard what I called out to him. Niko? Really, Ali?

But I wasn't the only one surprised. He was also surprised and his lips were still parted a little.

"Lai.." God! You really went on, Ali.

"Niko, huh?"

"Nikolai. I.. I just remembered something that's why your name was cut off." He went back to eating and no longer spoke. And so I did the same.

But I secretly chastised myself. Why Niko? Embarrassing. You just embarrassed yourself, Ali. What would he think probably? That his name was lingering in my mind? So I said that?

It's not a big deal. When I looked at Glaiza, they were also eating quietly. But when Glaiza looked at me, she winked at me. I just close my eyes in embarrassment.

When we finished our lunch, we have decided to left the cafeteria and went back to our department. Cedrick also said goodbye and they have decided to go to their department. We are in the pathway underneath the tree when one of boys greeted me.

"Hello, Alitha." I look at him which I barely do whenever someone called me. Someone that I don't know. I ignored him. We just kept walking.

"Don't you know him?" Glaiza asked me.

"No. Why? Who is he?"

"My God, Ali. He's the only son of the owner of the malls here in our country. SG Mall. That's theirs."

SG Mall is a big mall here in our country. It also has many branches in different cities and provinces.

"Oh is that so?" I am not interested even though he is still the son of the richest man in the world.

"Yeah. And he is cute too but you didn't even smile at him." I shrugged my shoulders. Letting her know that I am not interested.

"Let's just stay here." She looked behind us. She said goodbye to Cedrick so I turned around.

Nikolai's face couldn't be painted when I looked at him. He was smoking and the smoke was constantly rising. His eyebrows meet. So the women who passed us were afraid to greet him.

"See you later, love."

"Take care."

The two have said goodbye to each other. This is what I don't like so I don't want to have a relationship. You need to be informed and you need to inform your boyfriend of everything you do. You have to say goodbye and you have to ask permission to where you are going. It is mess and hassle too. It seems that your movement is limited.

I do not like that kind of relationship. That's why I have no boyfriend ever since my world began.

Nikolai stared at me before they turned away from us. There's something in his eyes that I couldn't explain. We were already walking to our room but I still couldn't get his face out of my mind. The way he looks at me that I can't give his expression a name.

Wait. Why am I thinking of him? Why would I bother myself with his expression? Who is he by the way? I just shook my head. I just kept quiet while Glaiza was purely telling the story about her and Cedrick.

We were in the middle of discussion when I suddenly felt my cellphone vibrated in my pocket. Cell phones are not allowed during class but I can't control my curiosity. So I took the cellphone out of my pocket.

Unknown number: Ali

What?

What's with this stalker of mine?

Unknown number: I miss you

This is bullshit!

Me: what's your problem?

Unknown number: I want to see you

Me: go to hell

Unknown number: I will if you will come with me

Me: fuck off

Unknown number: ouch :(

Unknown number: why did you blocked me?

Me: so it's you again

Unknown number: please don't block me again

Me: what do you want?

Unknown number: you

Me: what's your name?

"Miss Dominique!"

I was taken aback when I heard the loud voice of our professor.

"S-sir?"

"What are the four P's of marketing?"

4P's? 4P's.. What are the 4Ps of Marketing? Jesus, Alitha! Think!

"The 4Ps of Marketing.. ahm, the 4Ps of Marketing are product, price, place and promotion."

"If you have not answer correctly, I'll definitely take your cellphone, Miss Dominique! "

"Sorry, sir." It's that stalker's fault! My professor got angry. I put the cellphone back in my pocket and focused on the discussion.

"What happened to you?" We were walking to the parking lot when Glaiza asked me. "Who did you text before? Is it an emergency?"

"No. That's what I showed you this lunch. He texted me again."

"What? What did he say?" We stopped in front of my car. We didn't have an activity today so we waited for Glen. Their car is also close to mine. Nikolai's big bike is still next to my car. Glaiza noticed that.

"It is Nikolai's big bike, isn't it?"

"Yes." I looked at the wall and remembered what he had done to the signage. Did the guard notice that?

"Isn't it forbidden to park a motorbike here?"

"Yes. He broke the signage earlier." I pointed to the wall where the sign was posted.

"What?! He did that? Why?"

"I don't know. It's like he can park here. You know he was crazy then. You're still wondering."

"Yeah.By the way, the guy who texted you. Can I read the messages?" I handed her my cellphone and she reads the messages from an unknown number. She took a deep breath and covered her mouth with her hand.

"This is crazy! This guy is crazy over you."

"Don't mention it. He is a pervert. I have been planning to trace this when I reach home."

"Okay. Do that. My God, I can't believe this." But she soon smiled at me. The kind of smile that makes me nervous. She smiles like a dog.

"What?" I hissed.

"But somehow, I have this feeling that you will be having a lovelife soon, dear friend."

"What are you talking about?"

"Because men who like you are already making their moves. Earlier Gene and now that's stalker of yours who keeps on sending you messages."

"Who the hell is Gene?"

"OMG! The cute guy who greeted you earlier."

"Oh. The SG Mall heir?"

"Yeah. No other than him."

"You know me, Glaiza. I don't have time for that love life. You know my priorities in life."

"It can be synchronized. It's just time management, dear friend. You can do anything you want if you will."

"The case is I don't want to."

"That's the main problem here."

We were surprised to hear someone running toward the back of a building. In the part where students don't go much. Glaiza and I looked at each other.

"Let's see." She took my hand and pulled run to the back of the building.

"Let's not look. Don't mind them, Glai. Let me go."

"Let's just see what's in there."

"You're very curious." I could do nothing but pull her over. I followed her running toward the building. Many students are already there and are also curious. We're still crammed into the crowd because we can't see what's going on. But to our surprise, we saw two men fighting. No. One man punches another. One was already lying down while the standing man was still punching.

Is that Nikolai?

It is really him! He was sweaty and his hair was a bit messy while his fist was still clenched. This scene is not new to me, to us. He has always someone to beat up. He just stopped when Cedrick pulled him away. Cedrick looked at us and pointed us. But my gaze went to the man he beaten up and now trying to stand up.

Is it Gene? Gene the heir of SG Mall? Glaiza and I looked at each other. That is really Gene. I looked at him again. I feel pity for him. There was blood dripping from the side of his lips. He had a wound as well as his eyebrow. There's blood in it too.

I looked at Nikolai. But I was surprised to see him looking at me. He looked at me badly. His eyes full of anger but his fists were no longer clenched. What's your problem this time, spoiled brat?

I turned around and leave that place. Glaiza followed me without a word. I entered the car and decided to wait for Glen. Glaiza also went to the passenger seat. I do not know why I'm angry. I always get angry with Nikolai when he hurts someone but why is it different now? I am more than angry with him now. I despise and loathe him.

It's not that it was Gene but it is because of him. Why is he like that? Will he always hurt other people? Is no one disciplining him? Didn't his parents know he was hurting anybody here at school?

It is good to hear about bad boy. It is nice to watch in movies. Exciting to read in novels. Especially if such a bad boy is as handsome as he is. But in real world, why is it lethal to anger? Why is it choking with annoyance?

"I thought he was no longer hurting his fellow students. That's what Cedrick said. But why did he punch someone again earlier? And it was Gene Alvarez."

"Aren't you afraid of your boyfriend? This is what I was telling you, Glai. Didn't Cedrick hit back then too?"

"Exactly, Ali. Back then. That was before. Did you saw him pulling Nikolai away?" Her voice weakened the next time she spoke. "Besides we didn't know the whole story. What if Gene did something to get Nikolai angry? Cedrick said that Nikolai wouldn't hurt someone if he wasn't retaliated against."

"Can't he just stop hurting? Just talk. Talk to that someone whoever did him wrong. Not that he almost bleed the whole face of that someone because of his blows."

"Are you worried about him?" She suddenly asked me.

"Of course not!"

"Don't shout. I was just asking." But there's a playful smile in her lips.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

We heard a loud knock which caused us to look out the car window in my side.

Nikolai.

He was standing on the side of the door. Suddenly my heart jumped seeing him.