The Trip Part-3

It was today morning, after I got back after my walk outside. I heard a whisper, it took some time to confirm the source. the sound was coming from the hilt of the handle dad gave me.

"Ray? Are you there?" I heard a familiar voice.

"Dad?" I spoke to the handle. {This feels stupid.}

"you're up?" Dad said, "I've been calling you for hours. where were you?"

"Sorry about that, I was taking a walk."

"so, how's the progress between you and rose?"

"I'll ask her out for a date today," I confirmed that no one was at the door. "By the way, what is this thing? How's this working?"

"You can call it a radio. it works only in a fixed range, I had to increase the range to talk to you. use it well."

"Wait, you didn't tell me how it works."

"oh, yeah. see, there are earplugs inside the handle. They connect with the main handle like a hub. and it needs the power to work. see you then, I am leaving for work."

"Wait, how-" I got cut off from a static noise that lasted a few seconds.

***

"Well, that's the gist of it." I explained to rose.

We were watching the teachers trying to find us. I was explaining the outside situation to Tom.

"Ray, let me talk to him." Rose said.

"Alright." I turned to the handle, "Rose wants to talk to you."

"Is it about the girls?" Tom asked her.

"Yeah." she answered. I let them talk and continued the lookout. They kept up a pretty good act. if I didn't know they were after me, I would have ignored them.

"here." Rose gave back the handle. "Now, Sarah is in on this plan as well."

"Alright." I spoke to the team as a whole. "We start now. let's go."

The plan was simple. We had to make those two follow us while Tom and Sarah set up a date for them. rose and I walked around the market. We fooled around while heading for the restaurant, where the other two were. As we entered, I spotted Tom and Sarah sitting at a table for four people, and there was an empty table for only two people near it. {nice job.} While we had our dinner there, the guest couple sat behind us.

"We didn't order this." Robert told the waiter. seems like our order arrived.

"We did.'' I turned to him. "you two must be hungry, chasing after us the entire day."

"you knew?" Isabella looked more surprised than Robert. she was kind of scared that we saw them together. Meanwhile, Robert took a bite from the food, he looked way more relaxed. "Since when?" he asked.

"actually." I flipped my chair to face him properly. "I knew from the beginning. Dad informed me that you two will be taking care of us."

"He just likes to cause chaos, doesn't he?"

"maybe. I added Tom to the plan after he told me about your… engagement."

"What about Sarah?" Isabella asked, she had regained her composure.

"well…" Sarah couldn't come up with a proper answer.

"I invited her." Tom jumped into the conversation. "It would be awkward if I chased after a couple alone."

"well." I got up, "I think we should leave you two for your date. have fun." I left the table along with Rose.

"Pay for our food as well," Tom ordered. "It was all cheap stuff."

"Okay, let's go."

After that, I took Rose to a gift shop. We parted ways with Tom and Sarah soon after we left the restaurant, so it was just us for now.

"Which one do you like more?" I asked rose.

"that one." she pointed at one of the necklaces that were sorted out.

"alright. you head outside, I'll pay for it." I gave her a little nudge. After she left, I bought some more things. As I got out, I saw Rose standing a little far from the shop. She was surrounded by some guys. they also looked like tourists, I thought they were asking for directions. it wasn't that. {damn these catcallers, I hate people like these}

"please", one guy said, "for just ten minutes."

"No." Rose had a stern voice. She was on the defensive, but as they were not touching her, she didn't hit them. as long as they keep their distance, they'll be safe from her. if I leave it as it is, we'll end up in police custody. I slowly approached the group.

"what's wrong with one coffee?" the guy got a little too close to her, "aren't you alone anyway?"

"excuse me, sir." I grabbed his wrist and reached for her. "I think it would be good for your health if you leave her alone." my grip was firm on his wrist, other guys from his group backed away.

"Are you her man?" the guy tried to twist his arm away, I let him go. "doesn't seem like it. leaving a defenseless girl alone at this time will give a bad impression, you know." {defenseless? I came here to save you, not her.} the dirty smug that he had made me want to punch him.

"Does it?" I handed the bag I had to Rose, who examined the contents with no care for this side. "Can you perhaps teach me how to be a better man? other than catcalling, that is."

Perhaps he took my sarcasm for an insult, because he looked angry. He tried a hard punch that I dodged easily. He lost his balance, and other guys from his group laughed. He went on to drop several punches and kicks, I tried not to get hit by any. The longer this went on, the harder the others laughed.

"Hey, that's enough." one of the other guys said, "you're being a joke, that kid doesn't even look bothered by your silly punches."

"but-" before the angry dude could say anything, he got slapped across his face. the other guy had hit him so hard, the angry dude calmed down.

"sorry about john." that guy said, bowing down apologetically. "He has a loose temper. I apologize on his behalf. I'd be thankful if you don't make this a big deal."

"no need to apologize." I also bowed down, not to show gratitude, but to avoid getting kicked in the head. John had attempted to strike my head, which I somehow avoided. that kick would hit the other guy instead.

"Let me go Ryan," John shouted. Looking up, I saw that Ryan had caught John mid-air. his feet didn't even budge from their place when he caught him.

"calm down before I throw you into the cell." Ryan threw John to other guys before turning to us. "you two can go on with your day. I'll handle this guy. sorry for all of this"

"Let's go." Rose held my hand and tried to pull me away, "I don't want to cause a scene here." I went with her, and held her hand tightly while we walked. After walking for a few minutes, Rose slowed down before coming to halt. I felt her fingers twitch a little, so I asked, "Want me to let go?"

"NO!" she almost crushed my hand in an attempt to stop me from leaving her hand. "I just thought you didn't like it."

"I like it." I pulled out my phone. "Have you talked to your parents yet? after getting your phone."

"no, I haven't." She tried looking for her phone.

"no need for that." I gave her my phone. "I already called them."

She talked to her parents and gave me back the phone for me to talk to her parents. She looked in deep thought while I talked to them.

"so, do I have your permission?" I asked her dad on the phone.

"You always had my permission, but just as a formality, I permit you to date my daughter." After he said that, I think we both felt a wave of cringe. "I am never doing that again" he said.

We talked a little longer after that. Both of our families were waiting for our call. I had sent them some souvenirs along with a note that said we'll be calling today. I think the parcels reached on time.

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow." I put the phone in my pocket.

"What was that about?" Rose asked, clearly puzzled. "When did you plan it all?"

"I didn't. they wanted us to date, remember? I just made an official agreement with them. give me that bag." I pulled out a box from the bag, it had two rings inside. "These rings are made from mana, they get absorbed after wearing them. I think it is a good way to make it official, at least until we are in school."

"What? wait-" rose got flustered, "like, right now?"

"Yes, or do you want to do this in front of the class?"

"No…" she took a few breaths, "Here is good enough." she held out her left hand. I put a ring on hers, then she did the same for me. We both looked at the rings, which were changing colors. they became blue, then purple, then black before finally turning red and disappearing.

"I think we should head back," Rose suggested.

As we reached the hotel, I had a question, "So... are we gonna explain this to the class."

"I think we should." After a few deep breaths, we both entered the common room. The room was again crowded, and the center of it was our teachers. They both beamed a smile when we entered. {Weird}

"Now that everyone is here, we have an announcement to make. Isabella and I are getting married." Robert announced. The class was not affected by this, they all looked like it was a normal thing.

"cool." a few people responded, "so where's our invitation?"

"aren't you guys surprised?" Isabella asked, clearly not getting that most of us knew about them.

"No." a girl said in a monotone voice, "the real surprise is these two." she pointed to us, "they just started dating." the whole class gasped in response.