GABRIEL’s P.O.V.
I didn’t know what happened to us right after Claire and Kate fought with each other. The two of them became distant... Or only Claire, I guess. Because Kate is still talking to me... More like flirting with me everyday when we are having lunch at our school Cafeteria. In fact, it looks like she isn’t bother at all even though Claire is not joining us anymore. I think she knew that something is up.
Ever since the night that I fetch Claire to do our task in Biology, she started to avoid me. She never talk to me... Nor greeted me every time that we will see each other in the school hallways.
As time passes by, I knew that maybe this is all happening because of the misunderstanding that I have caused to her and to her bestfriend. And one day, I just realized that I have to finally clear things up between the three of us. I mean, I should tell them how I feel, and who I really wanted between the two of them. I need to confess to Claire as soon as possible... Maybe now, if only I can.
So I already planned everything out. I planned to do the most romantic confession of the year. And I vowed to get Claire’s sweetest yes. After our classes, I set up everything... I wanted every student of this school to witness how special this girl is for me... How special Claire is to Gabriel Elizar.
I decorated the school ground with plenty of flowers and balloons. I even borrow one of our faculty’s speaker just to play a romantic background music. Until people started to notice my work. They became curious, surrounding the place like they wanted to watch what am I going to do when the girl of my dreams had finally arrived. Until someone called her attention, leading her to the center of the field where I was waiting for her.
“Gab?” she asked, confusedly.
“C-Claire...” I stuttered out of nervousness, and the people began shouting like they are witnessing a live romantic movie.
“What is this?”
“Claire... I just... I wanted to say something... It’s about you and me.”
“What?” Her brows almost touching in confusion. “Gab, what are you talking about? What is this?”
“I like you, Claire. I really do...” I walked closer towards her direction, and I saw her gulped several times.
“But, Gab...”
“Please stop avoiding me, Claire. I know what you’re doing... Just please, stop. I can’t take this anymore. All I wanted to do is to be with you... So please.”
“Gab, you know we are friends, right? This is not for us... Please don’t make this so hard for me,” she almost pleaded.
“I’m not making this hard for you, Claire... All I wanted for you to do is to accept my love, nothing more, nothing less. I would be contented only on what you can give... Just please, accept my confession.”
“No, Gab, please don’t do this,” she whispered, maybe ashamed of rejecting me in front of all the people staring at us in here, right now.
“Why, Claire? Why shouldn’t I? You know I like you very much...”
“Gab, I do respect your feelings, but I’m afraid I couldn’t accept it. Please, I beg you... Please not in here. Let’s just talk about this somewhere else...”
She held my hands, making the students shrieked in excitement thinking that I’m making some progress even though I’m really not. If the audience is the last resource that I have to used against Claire just to make her say yes to my proposal, then I’ll gladly use them.
“Please, Claire? I really like you and I still don’t know the reason why you keep on avoiding me. Please, be my girlfriend...” I kneel down in front of her on the ground, making a huge impact to the viewers.
Shocked is visible in Claire’s eyes not because of my sudden confession, but because she saw Kate standing a few meters away from us. I feel guilty, seeing her horrified face as she just witnessed my confession to her bestfriend. But I tried my best to ignored it as much as I could. I looked up to Claire again, almost begging her to accept my offer.
“Claire, please say something. Do you like me too?” I asked once more.
Claire finally looked back at me, and she slowly shook her head. People gasped in surprise, and they all came into silence right after that. Claire looked at Kate’s direction, a worried expression plastered upon her face.
She ran towards Kate direction, leaving me all alone at the center of the crowd. They talked for a moment, before the latter one decided to ran away, tears streaming down on her face. I felt guilty, mostly humiliated by the rejection I’ve just received. If only Erevell is here...
“Gab! Let’s talk somewhere else.”
Claire grabbed my arm before I could even say anything. I think she’s mad, and I feel nervous being the reason behind the broken lines of friendship between her and her bestfriend. When we already far away from the crowd, Claire finally let go of my arm before facing me, angrily.
“Did you saw what you just did, Gab?!” she furiously asked me.
“What, Claire? I just confessed my feelings for you–”
“Fuck!” she cursed. This is the first time that I heard her did it. “You just fucking hurt my bestfriend, Gab! You hurt Kate unconsciously and now she’s mad at me!”
“Why would she be mad at you?”
“Are you kidding me?! Haven’t you noticed? Kate likes you so much, Gab... And I don’t want to be the reason of her being unhappy.”
Now I just got the confirmation that I needed. Kate does like me, I guess. Claire said it herself.
“So you helped her get close to me? Is that the reason why you don’t want me, Claire?”
“I’m sorry, Gab. I wouldn’t regret helping my bestfriend out... Ever. The only thing that I’m apologizing about right now is that I couldn’t accept your love, not because of Kate or anyone... I just, I’m not ready for this kind of relationship and commitment. We are still too young, Gab...”
“Then I’ll help you get ready, Claire!”
“No, no. You know what, let’s just stop talking about this nonsense. From now on, you and I should stay away from each other, Gab. I don’t want to give Kate more reason for her to be mad at me. I’m sorry... And goodbye, Gabriel.”
She started walking away, and I felt empty and rejected. I went home, forcing my mind to vanished those awful memories away from my system. Maybe if Erevell is here, she will know what to do. I badly wanted to call her, but I didn’t know their number anymore. Her Mom’s contact isn’t answering, and I bet they changed their landline number too. So I just sighed, hoping that Claire would still change her mind after all of this.
Until days, weeks, and months had passed. One day, I was walking down the hallway of our school... Alone, for I haven’t got a friend anymore. I bumped into two unexpected person... Well, not literally but still, they saw me. It was Kate and her unknown guy friend. I wonder if they are dating or what for I always saw them hanging out together here inside of our school campus.
“Hey!” I greeted them, trying to hold on to the last string of hope that Kate would help me about Claire, even though I’m pretty sure that she won’t do that anymore.
“Gab...” Kate stuttered.
“Can I hangout with you? I don’t often see you and Claire together anymore...”
“Asshole...” the other guy whispered, snatching my attention.
“What did you say? What’s your problem, dude?” I asked him.
“Don’t call me that. We’re not close.”
I shook my head before returning my gaze back to Kate who’s now looking very nervous, maybe afraid of what may happen if I pushed on the tension between the two of us.
“Who is this guy?”
“Uhm... He’s Elijah. My classmate...” Kate forced a smiled to form on her lips.
“Can we talk? I want to ask you something,” I requested.
“Sure...”
Elijah held her arm, maybe trying to stop her from coming with me.
“Is there a problem?” I asked, raising one of my brows to that Elijah guy.
The two of them looked at each other, before he finally give up and let go of Kate’s arm.
“Bye. I’ll text you later,” Kate whispered and he just nodded.
We drove to the nearest park in our school, me badly wanting to enjoy the fresh air coming from the trees. We both hopped down as soon as we arrived at our destination.
“This place is nice. If only Claire is here with us...”
Kate suddenly sighed harshly, before she stopped walking for a moment. She looked down, before whispering something.
“I should go...”
“Huh? But we’d just arrived...”
“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well.”
“Oh. Maybe if Claire is here–”
She cut my statement off by turning her back on me, starting to walk out of my sight. I followed her, pulling her hand to make her stop from escaping. But that action of mine only caused me to received a hard slap on my face coming from Kate’s hand.
“Ouch. What was that for?”
“You really don’t have an idea? What the heck, Gab?! You were with me right after that stupid project of yours and my bestfriend! Only me! What happened, Gab?! Why did you suddenly changed your mind and confessed to Claire like what we have is just nothing to you?!”
“What are you saying?” I asked, trying to act innocently.
“Are you blind? Or are you that stupid?! I fucking like you, Gab! I really do! And I can’t understand why you chose Claire over me!”
“Kate, I’m sorry, okay? But I didn’t know that you feel that way about me... And Claire... I like her even before the three of us started talking to each other. That’s why I confessed to her as soon as I can... Because we’re going to leave the country soon... And I want her to be my girlfriend...” I tell her the whole truth, since Mom already told me about that thing as well.
We are going to come back to the Singapore... After graduation. And I will never see Claire ever again just like what happened to me and Erevell before.
“What?! Wow. You still got the nerve to tell me about that, huh?”
“Why? I mean... I didn’t say nor do anything for you to think that I like you... Believe me, I have nothing but good intentions when I befriended you.”
“No, Gab. You used me to get close to my bestfriend. And now you ruined everything. We aren’t even talking to each other...”
“That’s your choice! You chose to hate her rather than to listen to her!”
“So it’s my fault now?”
“No. I didn’t say that... Just... Claire didn’t do anything wrong... In fact she even avoided me these past few months... God knows how much I really wanted to talk to her.”
“Then what are you saying, Gab? Now I’m glad that I asked her to stay away from you...” she fired back.
“What?! You asked her to do that? Are you that desperate?”
Again, she slapped my face, harder this time. I felt the pain on my cheeks, and I tried my best to control my anger towards her for physically hurting me like this. I mean, even my Mom never slapped me in my face before... Even Erevell. How dare she.
“You’re nothing but a user! You just used me to get close to Claire!”
I just chuckled bitterly, controlling my anger by delivering it through my words instead.
“The two of us are just the same. Always remember that, Kate. You used your bestfriend too, right? Do you honestly think that I didn’t noticed how Claire set us up on a date? She’ll do anything for you... But you’re not that good to her. Maybe that was the reason why I chose Claire over you... Now tell me, who’s the user now?”
She suddenly burst out into tears, maybe finally realizing that what I just said is right.
“You’re a jerk,” she madly stated.
“Say whatever it is that you wanted to say. I still wouldn’t change my mind about anything. I like Claire... No, I love her. And I’ll do anything for her to love me back.”
She shook her head several times, before running away. And as she completely vanished out of my sight, I shouted out loud, badly wanted to release the mixed emotions on my chest. My confession gone wrong... Same as everything in this world. Now I can’t wait to come back in my old life again... And meet the girl whom I can treat as my safest shelter in this cruel world.