"Hey Addie," Ralph greeted me.
"You seem cheerful," I said gloomily.
"I have my reasons," he smiled as he sat down on the swing next to mine, "so, what do you want to talk about?"
"You and me," I slumped.
"Us?" he asked, slightly leaning towards my direction.
"Just, just you and me... No us... No we... Just you and me," I sighed. His cheery expression was now replaced with confusion.
"Are you... breaking up with me?" his eyebrows met at the center of his forehead.
I nodded silently allowing a fake tear run down my cheek.
"Could you at least tell me why?" he got off from his swing and stood in front of me. I stared at him without a sound. My tears were the only channel of emotion. He took me and put his arms around my shivering body.
"I know you've been keeping something from me," I said in a very weak voice pushing him away, "I just can't stand it. How could you?"
"But..." he attempted to explain himself.
"There's no need to explain. I'm happy for you." I sobbed loudly, comparable to a baby who dropped his pacifier as I walked away. As soon as I got inside the school building, I easily wiped off my tears and pulled myself together.
"You seem cheerful," I said gloomily.
"I have my reasons," he smiled as he sat down on the swing next to mine, "so, what do you want to talk about?"
"You and me," I slumped.
"Us?" he asked, slightly leaning towards my direction.
"Just, just you and me... No us... No we... Just you and me," I sighed. His cheery expression was now replaced with confusion.
"Are you... breaking up with me?" his eyebrows met at the center of his forehead.
I nodded silently allowing a fake tear run down my cheek.
"Could you at least tell me why?" he got off from his swing and stood in front of me. I stared at him without a sound. My tears were the only channel of emotion. He took me and put his arms around my shivering body.
"I know you've been keeping something from me," I said in a very weak voice pushing him away, "I just can't stand it. How could you?"
"But..." he attempted to explain himself.
"There's no need to explain. I'm happy for you." I sobbed loudly, comparable to a baby who dropped his pacifier as I walked away. As soon as I got inside the school building, I easily wiped off my tears and pulled myself together.
I paused before I continued to the hall, I sounded too much like Lin back there. Danger. Oh, what a mess I got myself into. I sighed and tried to catch my breath as I walked my way to the class room.
There were a few of my classmates chitchatting by the window who greeted me pleasantly. The school was still a ghost town. I greeted my classmates with a smile and excused myself.
I sat down on my seat and suddenly felt woozy.
The next thing I knew I wasn't in my classroom anymore. It didn't look like anywhere I've been. "Addie! Addie!" a crowd of paparazzi called out. They buzzed questions and took pictures as they devilishly looked at me. It went pitch dark and suddenly there was a dim light high above me that seemed to only light up a meter's radius at most. I struggled to get out but I was stuck on my chair, my hands tied behind me. "Why, Addie? Why? Or should I say Lin?" Ed said as he came stepped into the light.
"Ed... Ed..." I tried to answer him back but the only sound that my mouth was able to produce was inaudible mumbles. I heard a laugh from behind him. "It's a good thing you broke up with me. I wouldn't want to have anything to do with you." Ralph said as he came into view. I screamed, or at least I tried. Suddenly I fell into a hole and found myself in the middle of a crowd. "Addie?! Addie?!" I heard Gen's voice booming over the crowd's busy buzz. I looked around to try to catch a glimpse of her. Right now, I really needed someone to talk to. "Addie?!" her voice continued to call, "Addie!" her voice started changing "Addie." until now it was all husky and masculine.
I opened my eyes and found that I was lying on a lumpy bed. "You passed out in your classroom this morning. Too much stress won't do you any good y'know?" Terence said as soon as he noticed that I was already conscious.
"Where am I?" I said trying to restore a steady vision.
"School clinic. I'm glad you're okay," he said gripping my hand.
"Where's Ed?" I asked feebly.
The next thing I knew I wasn't in my classroom anymore. It didn't look like anywhere I've been. "Addie! Addie!" a crowd of paparazzi called out. They buzzed questions and took pictures as they devilishly looked at me. It went pitch dark and suddenly there was a dim light high above me that seemed to only light up a meter's radius at most. I struggled to get out but I was stuck on my chair, my hands tied behind me. "Why, Addie? Why? Or should I say Lin?" Ed said as he came stepped into the light.
"Ed... Ed..." I tried to answer him back but the only sound that my mouth was able to produce was inaudible mumbles. I heard a laugh from behind him. "It's a good thing you broke up with me. I wouldn't want to have anything to do with you." Ralph said as he came into view. I screamed, or at least I tried. Suddenly I fell into a hole and found myself in the middle of a crowd. "Addie?! Addie?!" I heard Gen's voice booming over the crowd's busy buzz. I looked around to try to catch a glimpse of her. Right now, I really needed someone to talk to. "Addie?!" her voice continued to call, "Addie!" her voice started changing "Addie." until now it was all husky and masculine.
I opened my eyes and found that I was lying on a lumpy bed. "You passed out in your classroom this morning. Too much stress won't do you any good y'know?" Terence said as soon as he noticed that I was already conscious.
"Where am I?" I said trying to restore a steady vision.
"School clinic. I'm glad you're okay," he said gripping my hand.
"Where's Ed?" I asked feebly.
"I have no idea. But I'm sure he'll be here soon," he excused himself and went to get the nurse. She checked my reflexes and allowed me to go as soon as she finished. I stood up but my feet were too heavy to hold my weight. Terence quickly broke my fall by catching me with his bulky arms. "Careful there," he flashed a jerky smile.
"Thanks, but I can do it myself." I said stepping away from his protective arms. I took three wobbly steps and managed to keep myself upright. I turned and beamed at him, and he beamed back in a brotherly way. But it didn't last more than that. My body toppled as I tried to take the fourth step, luckily, someone broke my fall. But it wasn't Terence's strong arms. I looked up and found Ed looking down at me. He helped me up and guided me to the parking lot.
"Where are we going?" I said breaking the long silence between us.
"I'm going to have to bring you home," he said as he helped me down the stairs.
"I don't want to. There's still three quarters of the class to go through," I muttered struggling my way off his grip. Stubborn as I am, I got away. My wobbly feet tried to step a stair higher. One at a time, I thought.
Ed looked at me from the bottom of the staircase with a hint of worry in his eyes. He didn't argue because he always knew I'd still win.
It took me forever to reach the top of the staircase. I looked back at him and gave him a triumphant smirk. I stepped away from the stairs but I lost my balance. Gravity pulled me back.
"Eddie!" I shrieked as I lost control. With a thud, Ed broke my fall. He groaned in agony. I quickly stood up, asked for forgiveness and said a feeble thank you.
The next thing he did took me by surprise. He threw his arms around me, I could feel him shiver. "I love you," he whispered. I put my dizzy head against his chest and smiled at the sound of his heartbeat.
"Your heart is beating abnormally fast," I mentioned.
"Happens every time I see you," he said brushing his hand through my hair.
"And now I can feel mine beat a bit more harder too," I looked up to him, leaning in for a kiss. It was deep, warm, passionate kiss. He backed off gently.
The next thing he did took me by surprise. He threw his arms around me, I could feel him shiver. "I love you," he whispered. I put my dizzy head against his chest and smiled at the sound of his heartbeat.
"Your heart is beating abnormally fast," I mentioned.
"Happens every time I see you," he said brushing his hand through my hair.
"And now I can feel mine beat a bit more harder too," I looked up to him, leaning in for a kiss. It was deep, warm, passionate kiss. He backed off gently.
"I should probably get you home now," he said all flushed. This time, I simply looked at the building and nodded. He opened the door of his Corolla and led me in.
"Don't you have a class?" I asked as soon as he started the engine.
"Free period," he casually replied as he backed up the car.
"Oh," I said, followed by a long period of silence. But it wasn't at all awkward; it was weirdly warm and lovely.
"Is Ralph going to be okay with this? With us?" he suddenly asks.
"I don't know. But he has to be," I said looking through the window, "I... I broke up with him just this morning."
"Really?" he said with an intrigued smile.
"How about you and Lin? I mean, are you two doing fine? I mean, it's taboo to cheat on someone with her own cousin," I said, wanting to get a view of his part of the story.
"Well, that's something I've been meaning to tell you," he said in an awkward tone. I looked at him with an uncertainty.
"Lin and I…-" he started.
"-Are still together, huh?" I finished with a hint of a heavy load in my voice.
"No, no, that's not it. It's just that Lin and I were never an item. All that hullabaloo was fake."
"Wha... Wha... Really?" I stuttered, thinking ahead of my reaction, wryly trying not to act too much like Lin.
"She hired me as a dietitian, a personal assistant and a stage boyfriend," he shrugged.
"So I guess we're free from anxiety," I said leaning a bit closer to him.
"Yeah," he said releasing one hand from the wheel and grabbing onto mine, "and no secrets in between. Just like before, but better," he said looking straight at where we were heading, unconsciously stabbing a sword of guilt onto my chest. And all I did was smile.
I could barely sleep that night. Aside from the high fever I just got that evening, my conscience couldn't seem to take a rest. My brain kept on replaying the words, "I love you" and "no secrets" in an alternate pattern. I promised myself to tell Ed as soon as I see him. My eyes soon gave in to the powers of Mr. Sandman, my brain tired from riding the roller coaster of thoughts.
I woke up to birds starting their morning with a happy tune. I've overslept. As soon as I realized the time, I didn't waste a second longer I got ready in 10 minutes. I grabbed a sandwich and chomped it down as I rode down in my bike. Luckily, I got inside the classroom in time.
When I arrived, my classmates all stared as I passed. They glanced menacingly at me, then at Ralph. For the rest of the morning, the whole class acted as if I wasn't there.
"Don't you have a class?" I asked as soon as he started the engine.
"Free period," he casually replied as he backed up the car.
"Oh," I said, followed by a long period of silence. But it wasn't at all awkward; it was weirdly warm and lovely.
"Is Ralph going to be okay with this? With us?" he suddenly asks.
"I don't know. But he has to be," I said looking through the window, "I... I broke up with him just this morning."
"Really?" he said with an intrigued smile.
"How about you and Lin? I mean, are you two doing fine? I mean, it's taboo to cheat on someone with her own cousin," I said, wanting to get a view of his part of the story.
"Well, that's something I've been meaning to tell you," he said in an awkward tone. I looked at him with an uncertainty.
"Lin and I…-" he started.
"-Are still together, huh?" I finished with a hint of a heavy load in my voice.
"No, no, that's not it. It's just that Lin and I were never an item. All that hullabaloo was fake."
"Wha... Wha... Really?" I stuttered, thinking ahead of my reaction, wryly trying not to act too much like Lin.
"She hired me as a dietitian, a personal assistant and a stage boyfriend," he shrugged.
"So I guess we're free from anxiety," I said leaning a bit closer to him.
"Yeah," he said releasing one hand from the wheel and grabbing onto mine, "and no secrets in between. Just like before, but better," he said looking straight at where we were heading, unconsciously stabbing a sword of guilt onto my chest. And all I did was smile.
I could barely sleep that night. Aside from the high fever I just got that evening, my conscience couldn't seem to take a rest. My brain kept on replaying the words, "I love you" and "no secrets" in an alternate pattern. I promised myself to tell Ed as soon as I see him. My eyes soon gave in to the powers of Mr. Sandman, my brain tired from riding the roller coaster of thoughts.
I woke up to birds starting their morning with a happy tune. I've overslept. As soon as I realized the time, I didn't waste a second longer I got ready in 10 minutes. I grabbed a sandwich and chomped it down as I rode down in my bike. Luckily, I got inside the classroom in time.
When I arrived, my classmates all stared as I passed. They glanced menacingly at me, then at Ralph. For the rest of the morning, the whole class acted as if I wasn't there.
My heart seemed to be dragged down into the core of the earth. As soon as the bell for the lunch break rung, I took long strides, wanting to get out of my classmates' range.
I was the first to reach the cafeteria, so lunch was an easy grab. I saw Gigi entering at the corner of my eye, but I kept walking. I settled down at the OB. I remember when I last visited the place, the time when my life got so complicated I didn't think it through of what was the best way out, and instead I used the easiest one.
Some paper hearts were still hanging from the ceiling, a few lay messily on the floor; their colors faded to scarlet.
I ate in the deafening silence. Two pairs of footsteps started to echo down the hall.
"What did you want to talk about?" I heard Ed's voice as soon as the tapping footsteps stopped. Too much loneliness can make you hear weird stuff, I said to myself as I stared at the ceiling inside an abandoned classroom.
"It's about Addie," Ralph said in a gruff voice that told me that I wasn't at all imagining Ed's voice.
"You can't have her back," Ed said defensively.
"Oh, I don't want to have her back," Ralph laughed, "I don't want a cheat and a liar hanging around me."
"How dare you call Addie a liar?" Ed said as I heard a loud thump against the rusty lockers.
He laughed even louder, "She's a fraud. You? One of her victims. In fact, her entire being is a lie. Listen, she's Adeline Driftwood. Addie-Lin Driftwood." I could imagine Ed's angry and confused face by now. I couldn't stand listening anymore. I ran outside through an emergency door. I went straight home, and didn't even have time to think of my afternoon classes.
Maybe, Ralph's told my classmates of my double identity, too. How did he find out? How long did he know?
"Addie?" Gen's accent never failed to lighten me up.
"Hey Gen, mind if I visit?" I said as I looked out of the window.
"Dear Golly! Here? In London? Now?" she said sounding unsure.
"If it's okay. My life's kind of a mess here," I sighed.
"I don't really approve of it, but I can't deny that it would be a ton of fun to have you around. You can't keep running off to somewhere when you get caught in a mess," she said sternly.
"I know... I'm just trying to cool off..."
"Promise you're coming back to the U.S. to fix whatever mess that is right after you've cooled off," her voice instructed.
"I promise," I assured her before I dropped off the line.
I nodded at Sylvester, who in turn instructed the pilot to start the ignition. In a few a minutes, the view outside the window was all blue, the sea and the sky separated by a horizontal border.
I ate in the deafening silence. Two pairs of footsteps started to echo down the hall.
"What did you want to talk about?" I heard Ed's voice as soon as the tapping footsteps stopped. Too much loneliness can make you hear weird stuff, I said to myself as I stared at the ceiling inside an abandoned classroom.
"It's about Addie," Ralph said in a gruff voice that told me that I wasn't at all imagining Ed's voice.
"You can't have her back," Ed said defensively.
"Oh, I don't want to have her back," Ralph laughed, "I don't want a cheat and a liar hanging around me."
"How dare you call Addie a liar?" Ed said as I heard a loud thump against the rusty lockers.
He laughed even louder, "She's a fraud. You? One of her victims. In fact, her entire being is a lie. Listen, she's Adeline Driftwood. Addie-Lin Driftwood." I could imagine Ed's angry and confused face by now. I couldn't stand listening anymore. I ran outside through an emergency door. I went straight home, and didn't even have time to think of my afternoon classes.
Maybe, Ralph's told my classmates of my double identity, too. How did he find out? How long did he know?
"Addie?" Gen's accent never failed to lighten me up.
"Hey Gen, mind if I visit?" I said as I looked out of the window.
"Dear Golly! Here? In London? Now?" she said sounding unsure.
"If it's okay. My life's kind of a mess here," I sighed.
"I don't really approve of it, but I can't deny that it would be a ton of fun to have you around. You can't keep running off to somewhere when you get caught in a mess," she said sternly.
"I know... I'm just trying to cool off..."
"Promise you're coming back to the U.S. to fix whatever mess that is right after you've cooled off," her voice instructed.
"I promise," I assured her before I dropped off the line.
I nodded at Sylvester, who in turn instructed the pilot to start the ignition. In a few a minutes, the view outside the window was all blue, the sea and the sky separated by a horizontal border.
Gen was right, I do run away from my problems, I always have. I've been playing tag with the speed of light, and it's wearing me off. I'm tired of playing hide and go seek. I'm tired of this kind of life. Tag. I'm it.
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