Chapter Twelve

LIAM BENJAMIN

That voice, I heard that sweet voice again. I suddenly turned to my left, and I was right in my suspicion that she was the one who spoke. She wasn’t looking at me. She was just playing on her cellphone. Wait, she wasn't there when I entered the room. Why does this untidy suddenly appear?

Quickly, I was stunned again by her side profile. I was unable to return my sight to what I was reading. Why is she still beautiful even though her side is the only one I see?

The nice shape of her little face, that button nose of hers, and her lips… Her round lips that, I think, are so soft—wait, what? What's soft? Where did I get what I thought?! When did I learn to describe the physical appearance of mixed malice?

Instantly, I seem to have forgotten the ugliness she did yesterday, and here I am, bewitching again by her breathtaking beauty.

I was just stunned when she faced me, but her eyes fixated immediately on the floor. I also looked at the thing she was looking.

I didn't see anything, so I looked up at her again while frowning. She pointed at the floor again using her cute lips. Her lips are like a delicious dessert—what the hell am I thinking about lustful thoughts?

Before I could be carried away by my thoughts, I looked again at what her lips were pointing at.

I noticed that my earphone plug was lying on the floor. I stared at it for a while and realized that the earphone wasn't plug in my phone!

I quickly removed the earphone from my ear and hid it in my pocket. Shit! What stupid thing did I do? Why didn't I think to plug it in my phone while I was putting it in my ear?!

To the extreme embarrassment I felt, I was no longer able to look at the beautiful lass next to me. I just refocused myself on reading, even though I was already feeling unwell. I try to calm down and read as if nothing happened.

I lost focus on reading when I heard her giggle. Instead, I feel deeply ashamed because she laughed at me, I felt differently.

Why do I feel peculiar? It was like there's a full sweetness on her laugh. It's nice to listen, it feels like serene music to my ears.

I could do nothing but glance at her even though I didn't want to look at her because… I don't know? But her laughter seemed to attract me to look at her again.

When I looked back, I suddenly felt this good feeling like the first time I saw her smile.

She was looking at me to while laughing, and me? Captivated again by her beautiful face. She stopped laughing and moved her chair a little closer to me, she also leaned her face close to my ear and whispered something.

“Don't worry, she didn't notice that you don't really listen to music.”

Every word that came out from her lips feels like I'm being electrified… or tickled? All the hair in my nape stood on end as she chuckled softly. I can feel her breath on my skin, which gives me more fizzing sensation. Shit! What is this woman doing to me ?!

She immediately returned her seat to its proper place. I was stoned for a damn long time, and I couldn’t react to what she did.

She turned to me again and said, “You're welcome!”

I only nodded because I no longer knew what was going on in my system, I could no longer move, and I feel like I had stiffened in my seat.

“SIR PAO IS THERE!”

A shout of one of our classmates caused me to take my eyes off Aerielle. I hid that the book I was holding now was a few pages crumpled. It seems I tightened my grip on it unconsciously because of what conjuration she did.

What's the obscure thing she possesses and everything gets weird to me when I encounter her. Maybe she's really a witch, and she uses her demonic spell to make me feel like this.

Fourth subject ends and the bell rang, it's break time hour. All of my classmates went outside like what they did yesterday. Aerielle went outside too, and she's carrying a small paper bag. Possibly, she will eat her food at the canteen, or somewhere else.

And so what? I don't care if he doesn't eat here with me—I mean here in the room. That's in my favor because there's no one will watch while I'm munching my food. And it's really nice to be alone while eating.

I took my bag from the floor and I realized that I left my lunch. Nice. I was rushing, that's why I left the house earlier because I didn't want Mom to take me. But because I'm in a hurry, I forget about it.

Why am I always unlucky?

I already feel the rumbling on my stomach, I don't want to skip lunch because I want to avoid getting an ulcer.

Maybe, I don't have a choice but to go to the canteen? I'll just hurry to buy, and then I'll come back here to the room. I don't want to eat in a crowded place because maybe every time I bite and chew they will watch me.

I left the room and searched the canteen. It wasn't far from our building, so I found it right away. As I entered the canteen, my system began to get restless. Many students lined up at the counter, some were looking for a seat, and others were chatting with their companions while eating.

As I set foot inside the canteen, almost all the students looked in my direction. I don’t know if it’s all just my hallucinations, most people here now are really staring at me.

Why are they looking at me like I did something hideous thing?

My uniform looks good. I won't be bothered to look at. I can also say that I'm not completely ugly, but why are they staring at me? Some of them are frowning at me, as if they are mocking me. There's a lewd look in every eye that I passed… I don't like this. I don't want my existence to be looked at as a sin.

I walked over to the counter even though my knees were shaking because of the uneasiness that enveloped my system.

The level of anxious in my system doubled as I was getting closer and closer to the counter to the point I'm not interested to buy anything. I'm not used to ordering food at any food establishment, so I always pack my food from home before I go somewhere else to avoid interacting with waiters or cashiers.

“What's your order, handsome?” the cashier asked with a smile when I was at the counter.

I didn't answer right away because I didn't know what to order. I feel like I've lost my hunger because of how I feel now.

“O-one F-fried chicken, o-one rice, and one b-bottled water. Take out,” I stuttered as I ordered.

The cashier started to punch my order and I saw other cashier giggling while looking at my direction. I was even more nervous and confused because they looked at me much worse, as well as those with me here in the queue. I could hear them muttering. It was as if any moment I would faint because I was suffocating by the surrounding happenings.

“He's cute!”

“What? Cute? Stupid, he's gorgeous!”

“Girl, my ovaries!”

“Hey calm down, you might fall off your panties!”

“Impregnate me, cutie pie!”

“You're crazy! Watch your mouth, he can hear you hahahaha!”

Those were just a few of the whispers I heard around while waiting for my order. Am I the one they are whispering about? If it's me, why do they say those unpleasant things to me? I don’t like what I heard, I feel like I’m being harassed.

I feel like I’m trapped in a big aquarium full of water, and I’m drowning. I could no longer breathe properly because of what was happening around me. Where is my order? Why did it take so long? It was just fried chicken and rice, and I didn't order the whole menu in the canteen!

“Fried chicken, one rice, and bottled water, take out!”

I hurriedly approached the counter for take out orders when I heard that. I immediately took my order and brisk out of the canteen.

-AndyThoughts-