More of Me

My class starts today. I went back to my dormitory the night before to fix my things that I'm going to use for today. Aaron is with me too, keeping his guards up just in case Henry shows up again. I could see him from the window; he's sitting at the hideout again reading a book as his pastime. We are on the fourth floor and I could say besides Aaron, the view is really beautiful up here. I'm glad that I was able to push away the guy who was sitting in this seat to claim it from him. Jo sat beside me fixing her things on the table. Ven is playing his guitar behind us.

"I thought you played the violin?" Jo asked, turning her head towards Ven.

"Is it illegal to learn another instrument now?" Ven looked directly at Jo. "I was just asking," she raised her hand in defense.

It's good to be here again.

"Later, let's eat at our favorite café," I suggested.

"That's a good idea," Jo agreed. "I'll eat as many croissants that I want to eat," she hugged herself.

A person in her late '30s entered our room. Her red stilettos click and clack on the wooden flooring. She's wearing a black coat over a gray blouse inside, she's wearing black slacks too, making her look really professional. Her hair is a cut shirt like mine. Aaron said that he really hates my new hairdo but he said that he'll wait for it to grow long again.

She placed her bag on top of the wooden table sitting in the center of the platform.

"Good morning again, soon-to-be graduates. For those who don't know me yet like the late enrollees," she averted her eyes at me, "I'm Miss Geneva Redrive your music professor," she wrote her name on the white board in front. "I'm no longer going to teach you anything, rather I'll guide you through your internship performances. She propped her hands on the edge of the table leaning towards us. "How's your vacation two months ago?" she asked warmly.

Not that great, I said to myself. I mean good because I met Aaron and my siblings are with me but the rest, I don't think so. Also, I have a lot to catch up with at the university. I enrolled really late; two months late to be exact.

"What is it Miss…?" She looked at me.

Can she read my mind?

[Dear, I can read anyone's mind. ]

I stiffened on my seat. Is she for real? I immediately placed a barrier on my mind and sent a signal to Aaron whom I saw from the corner of my eyes stood up from where he was seated.

[You should always keep a barrier in your mind, Sapphire] Aaron told me.

[Sorry. I'm still trying to get used to this whole barrier thing. I get tired easily when using a barrier.]

Miss Redrive smirked at me, sending signals all over my body like a warning sign that she's not to be little.

"Miss…?" She asked my name.

I looked around to confirm if she's pertaining to me. "Valoria," I hesitantly replied.

"Miss Valoria, were you murmuring something?"

I felt Jo's eyes on me and also Ven's.

"Did you say something?" Jo asked.

"I think she's just picking randomly," Ven seemed annoyed.

"I said that my…vacation was sort of a roller coaster ride," I answered anyway.

"Really? How?" the professor straightened her spine.

"I…" I can't speak. As if she's stopping me but because I really can't say anything.

"This is your first activity for me…well, for the rest, this is your fourth; write a song about your vacation before the semester started or maybe these past months. No matter how boring or enjoyable it was. No genre recommended. It depends on you. The length also depends on you. Curse if you want I don't care. Just write me a song," she said.

"Start." She ordered. "You may work outside if you want. I want the song by Friday when we meet again," then she left the room.

"That's it? That's our class?" I heard someone ask.

"I woke up at five am in the morning to fix my things and that's it?" I heard another one complained.

"Well…café?" Ven reminded us of my idea a while ago.

"Sorry, I have to excuse myself with that," I fixed my things on my bag.

"What? It was your idea," I heard Jo being so disappointed at me again.

"I'm sorry," I stood up from my seat and walked away from them. I heard Jo cursed for the first time towards me but she was trying to calm herself down.

I reached the ground floor where I saw Aaron walking towards me, "What was that?" he immediately asked.

"I don't know but I'm sure it's another problem," I pulled him towards an unused room down the hall. Music sheets are scattered everywhere, tables have scribbles carved and written on them. Chairs were scattered around and the board was destroyed.

"Our new professor is an Artisan," I started.

"How can you say so?" he asked.

I dropped his hand and faced him, "she spoke in my mind. She said that she could read anyone's mind," I hugged myself.

Aaron stood in front of me embracing me tight between his arms. He placed his head on my shoulder and kissed it. "Shh, she didn't do anything to you, right? She might have known that you're an Artisan too. She might just want you to know that she's one of us," he calmed me by brushing my hair.

I placed my hand on his chest pushing him slowly away from me, "I hope it was just like that," I sighed. But it doesn't feel like that. The last time I felt like this was when Henry showed up in the canteen. The way she entered my mind feels like she's a threat to me.

Aaron lifted my chin so that I could properly look at him, "You got nothing to worry, I'm here. I'll protect you." He landed his lips on mine making my knees weak. He was able to catch me with his other hand pulling me closer to him. His kiss becomes harder and harder, making me lose control. I wrapped my arms around his neck returning the kiss he's giving me. I don't really get how this pairing between two Artisans work but it's like electricity running all over my body pulling me closer towards him.

He was the first to cut the kiss, catching his breath he murmured, "We really shouldn't do it here," he chuckled. "But I can't help myself. This Artisan thing is really…something," he landed a kiss on mine again but he cut it short, "Really not here." He took a step from me. "I might not control myself, Sapphire," he smiled sweetly at me.

"I think I'm fine now," I felt my face so red that I had to lower it down for him not to see.

"You should catch your friends; they might still be waiting for you. I'll just be at the corner or somewhere," he assured me.

"Yeah, you're right. I'll go now," I said.

"I'll follow behind," he smiled.

I followed Jo and Ven to the café and found them seated at the corner of the shop in front of the glass window.

"Where did you go?" Jo asked.

"I just went to the toilet. I really had to go." I lied.

"You could've just said so. I would've come with you."

"Yeah, sorry."

Jo has her music sheet lay in front of her, same with Ven. He's still playing with the same instrument from earlier, trying to familiarize himself with the different keys. I placed my things on the available seat beside Jo and went to the counter to order a doughnut and Frappuccino. When I got back, Jo was starting to scribble words on her paper. Ven on the other hand is humming something.

"What are you humming?" I asked as I sat down.

"I don't know either." Ven sighed.

"My past months have not been that fun at all. It was boring and when something's about to come up, the girl beside me ruined it," she looked at me.

"What? Jo, you know that I…am not ready to get married," I argued.

Also, I don't really like Mark now that I realized it. I was just trying to trick myself that I like him to make things bearable. Aaron made me rethink my decisions at that moment; thank goodness he arrived on time or else I might have already been married and not hanging out with my friends in this café or I might not discover that Aaron was my destiny and not Mark.

"Seriously, it was forced. No forced marriage where people are ready," Jo's acting is quite different today. Is she mad at me because of the wedding not happening? I thought she was happy for me?

"Jo, are you alright?" I tried asking.

"What do you mean?" she asked, rolling her eyes on me.

"I don't know, you seem so…not you." Jo never gets annoyed at me. So far as I know.

"I'm fine. Excuse me," she took her things and left.

"What was that?" Ven looked surprised by the sudden action.

"I don't know…" my mouth fell open. She was fine just a while ago. What happened?

"We still have class later, right?" Ven asked.

"Yes," I feel uncomfortable.

"Jo might be stressed right now or something. She'll be fine. Don't worry," Ven started playing his guitar again. "I heard that her brother is having problems with his marriage."

"Wait, no way? How…what?"

He shrugged, "she never told me but maybe ask her and she'll answer."