It's lunch time now. I went out of our classroom to go to Janice, only to be conscious of the people's stares. Why are they staring at me?
"Hey, Miel!" I heard Janice calling my name. She went towards me then she placed her hand around my left arm. "Let's go!" She said then she ran again towards the cafeteria, probably because of her favorite table.
"What's happening, Janice? Why are they staring at us?" I asked Janice after I placed the food that I ordered in our table.
"At us? They're just staring at you, I do not belong in their persons of interest." She said while eating.
"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.
"The news is all over the campus. Someone saw you getting out of Matthew's car. Now they're assuming things about you two."
"What?!" I shouted.
"Shhh. Don't shout. What just really happened if there's no romantic things happening between you and Matthew? Why are you in Matthew's car?" She asked.
"He just helped me." I said then I heave a sigh. I hit my forehead lightly out of frustration.
"Helped you? In what? In undressing your clothes----"Janice!" I hissed that made her laugh hard. "I'm sorry." He said while laughing. "You're so funny. Anyway. how did he helped you?" She asked.
"My car was stuck in the middle of the road and is in need of repair. It's just so happen that he's living in the subdivision next to mine. So he passed us by. Then he stopped in front of me and offered me a ride. It's already 6:30 in the morning that time so I was forced to accept his offer. That's all. We're not in a relationship or anything." I explained then I drank in my bottled water.
"So people are just misinterpreting everything?" She asked.
"A big yes, Janice." I said, emphasizing the word yes.
"OMG. You need to clear your name as much as possible. You know how this school works. You'll get into trouble. If Ahliya learned this, she'll bully you and the rest will imitate her." She said, worrying about me.
"I need to talk to Matthew. He needs to clear things up or else I'll take this school year as if I'm in hell." I said. I stood up and was about to leave when Janice held my hand.
"Why?" I asked.
"You should talk to him alone. To avoid another issue." She said.
"What? How is that possible? He's always with his friends." I complained.
"I'll help you." She said. She stood up and pulled me towards the exit of the cafeteria.
"How can you help me?" I asked Janice while we're walking. "Another thing is where are we going? I don't know yet where is Matthew." I said.
"You don't. But I know. C'mon, Miel did you forget that you have a friend who loves rumors? I heard they're eating in the roof top to avoid crowd since girls always try to be close with them." She explained that made me surprise.
"Where did you get those information? You know too much." I said in disbelief.
"Well, that's me. I really know many things. But of course, except academic knowledge." She said then we both laugh. "So the plan is I'll play a sound of a cat meowing and will place the speaker in the stairs in the floor below the roof top that will get the attention of Carl because I heard that he loves cat. Then, I'll enter the roof top and will hurt myself so Angelo will help me go to the clinic then boom. It's your time to talk to him. So be straight to the point, okay?" She explained while we are heading to the roof top.
"Woah. You're really good at this" I said, commending her plan.
"I know." she said proudly then she took something in her pocket. It's a small speaker which size is same as the size of a phone.
"Why do you have that in your pocket?" I asked.
"Ah this, I'm using this as a self defense. When there are bad guys approaching me, I'll play a sound of a police siren.
"You're really genius." I said. "Anyway, Will it be heard above?" I asked.
"No. unless the door in the rooftop is open. So I'll scratch something in the door so they will open it. " she answered.
"Scratch? Why would you scratch----owww." I said as I realize that she'll use scratching to make them think that it's a cat and not a human. Oh My God. I have an amazing friend.
"See?" she said. "I'll play the sound now and will scratch the door. stay here and hide." She said then she pushed me inside an empty classroom. So I just sat there and wait for her.
minutes passed and I heard someone entered the room. I was about to hide when I realize that it's Janice.
"He's coming." She whispered then she sat beside me. She's right. because we heard his footsteps towards the stairs. When the footsteps become faint, Janice stood up to confirm that it's Carl.
"Confirmed. He's Carl. Now I'll go to the roof top. If you heard us leaving, that's your sign to make your way towards the roof top and talk to Matthew. " she whispered before she leave.
"Thank you." I whispered back. " I hope this will go well." I said to myself.
I waited here for almost Five minutes before I heard Janice and Angelo talking.
" I'm sorry for disturbing you." said Janice.
"It's okay. Don't be sorry." said Angelo and that's all that I heard then the place became silent and that's when I went outside. I look outside first and look if there's someone in this floor but I saw nothing so I went towards the roof top.
"What are you doing here?" Matthew asked the moment I opened the door. He was looking down, in the endge of the roof top, probably watching the students in the ground. He just looked here because of the sound of the door when I opened it.
"Let's talk." I said.
"About what?" He asked then he looked in the ground again.
"People are assuming that there's something romantic happening between us." I started which made him look at me.
"So?" He asked then he went to the table in front of me to drink some water.
"I want you to clear my name and tell them that they're wrong." I answered.
"Why would I do that? Let them assume things. What important is you know in yourself that we're not in a relationship. And besides this will be forgotten by the people you're talking about when time comes. Like how I will try to forget my feelings for Ahliya." He said while looking at me straight in the eye that made me concious. I just can't look at him that way. My heart will pound loudly again.
"W-what are you talking about? I don't care about your feelings towards Ahliya. I'm just concerned that people will bully me since we all know that most of the students here are in favor of you and Ahliya." I explained then I looked away.
"You don't have to worry anymore, Miel. She already rejected me, meaning she doesn't want me. So I'll stop pursuing her now. You won't be in a trouble, Miel if that's what you're thinking about." He said as if he doesn't want to talk about it because he's in pain.
"I'm sorry." I said. "I'll go now." I said and was about to leave when he held my hand.
"Wait." He said. "Can you just stay here for a while? My friends are not here and I am all alone." He said with a hint of sadness that made me sad too. I just think that it's unfair. He transfered here for that Ahliya but he failed to get her. She rejected him.
"Have you ever been in love?" Matthew suddenly asked.
"Huh?- Ah. Not yet. I just like someone. But I think what I'm feeling right now is not enough to be called as love." I answered.
"Does he likes you too?" He asked then he looked at me so I looked away.
"No. He likes someone else. I was aware of that from the very beginning. But I just can't help it. He's really attractive." I said then I remember every little thing that Matthew and I did together from the very beginning.
How I bumped at him and became speechless because of his looks.

How he became my seatmate.
How he held my hand for shake hands.
How he became so talkative.
How he treated me in a restaurant and how he get me the octupus stuffed toy that I want.
I know it's funny but I confirmed that I already like him because of that.
"So we're both unlucky." He said.
"Yup. But I am not planning to fight this feeling." Especially that you're not chasing someone else anymore.
I can't tell him the last phrase. I don't want him to know it. What I'm going to do is to wait. Maybe in the things that we do, he'll like me too. Like what happened to me.