David’s P.O.V.

Hours went by in a blur, and it was already our break time again. It was a good thing that we would no longer have an afternoon subject. I did not go to the campus stage anymore because I did not want to see the same setup that I saw yesterday, and who knew what else I might see there.

Upon deciding not to go home yet, I went to the Computer Room and just kill some time to surf the internet. I also opened the new e-mail account provided by my girlfriend to get their raw photos that I had to edit.

While browsing the softcopies, there was one photo that suddenly made me feel even more annoyed. It caused me to abruptly roughen my stares on the screen of the computer.

From the photo, Vanessa and Drew’s faces were almost a centimeter apart. Drew seemed to be whispering something to her, and Vanessa looked like she was having a good time while feeling some butterflies in the stomach. Jealousy had crept my heart as she was even clinging to Drew’s left arm!

My face suddenly got heated up as my muscles stiffened. Anger stirred within me as rage pulsed throughout my veins. How could she do this when she already had a boyfriend? I certainly wanted to hit someone with my fist that it balled hard enough without me knowing.

I then found myself logging out from Vanessa’s e-mail, but I printed the picture first before sauntering out of the Computer Room. I would just go to the Music Room because I wanted to release all my fury and resentment by simply banging all the drums there!

Ready to get inside, I held the doorknob of the Music Room and was ready to twist it open when I overheard that someone was there based on the hums. Out of curiosity, I slowly opened the door and silently wandered my eyes across the lower-level area to see who it was.

It was Helena.

I did not realize that I was able to finally get inside because my eyes were fixated on her. I quickly hid at the back of the chair around the corner and secretly looked at her. She was holding a guitar, and I was assuming that once she strummed the strings, she would sing. I wasn’t wrong because that was what she did.

If I die young, bury me near you

Then give me something blue

Do not forget to visit my grave

Send me away with your kisses

I frowned. Helena’s soft and captivating voice somewhat seemed familiar.

Hmm, wait… so, that means? She was the owner of the voice that I heard yesterday? She was the one who played the piano here? And she also knew how to play the guitar, huh? If I must say, she was quite talented!

But why is it that she used to sing only sad songs? Does she want to die already? No matter how hard and unfair life is, we must be grateful to live because other people were not given the opportunity to enjoy life for more years.

She unexpectedly stopped singing, and I got startled from what I was thinking when she spoke, “Hey, you don’t have to hide there!”

I was caught, and so, she left me with no other choice but to come out.

“Mr. Rivera?” Disbelief crossed her entire pretty face as light wrinkles were visible on her forehead, and it seemed like her eyeballs would soon come out of their sockets.

I must admit that she was quite attractive, and there was no point in denying it. While carrying my backpack on my left shoulder, I fixed my uniform and went to the center aisle before I slowly stepped down the stairs to come closer to her. Our Music Room was designed just like a movie theater.

“Ms. Delgado, what’s with that last name basis? You’re so formal. You can just call me David or Dave!” I pretended to laugh at her to hide what I was starting to feel. I didn’t know why but I suddenly felt uneasy with her presence. It felt awkward.

I guessed it was a different feeling… a feeling I knew nothing about.

She let out a fake smile as her magnificent green eyes never left me. Her stares were honestly intimidating—at the same time—unknowingly captivating me towards her.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I don’t want to. You’re not even my friend, and I don’t want to be friends with someone I’ve known to be my rival from the very start! Got it?” She sarcastically raised her left eyebrow at me before immediately fixing her things.

And when she was done, I did not know why but I found her gorgeous when she placed the strap of her red guitar bag on her right shoulder.

What the heck! Did I really think of her that way? I tilted my head as I dismissed my thoughts.

She was about to head straight towards the exit of the Music Room when I opened my mouth, trying to provoke her, “Ouch! Walking out again, huh?” I even held my chest to pretend that I was hurt by what she was doing.

Then, she stopped and threw me some deadly stares.

A cunning smile suddenly formed on my lips as I continued, “You know what, Miss Delgado? I should be calling you Miss Perfect. Why? Because you swept all the items correctly during our Physics exam! That was quite hard, huh? And for that, I was damnably surprised! Actually, it made me… admire you. But I was thinking that instead of Miss Perfect, I would prefer to call you something else. Hmm… would it be better to call you Miss Walkout Queen because it suited you well?” I saw her face blushed. She had rosy-white cheeks, and those even got reddish at my compliment.

But little did she know how I truly felt upon mentioning that I admired her. I wanted to beat myself up because I had a girlfriend, so why would I tell those words to her?

“You’re talking a lot of nonsense, and I can’t believe that I’m wasting my precious time here with someone like you. You’ll never worth my time!” That was what she said before finally leaving.

Still looking at the door although I could no longer see her, I found myself smiling all along. She was brusque enough to tame me that somehow, the rage that was lurking inside my chest a while ago had lessened up a bit. I then realized that because of Helena, I was able to grin.

As I went out of the Music Room, I decided not to go to the canteen yet. Maybe, I would just loiter around the school garden and breathe some fresh air.

Just a few steps went by, I quietly went inside our school’s man-made orchard to think about my relationship with Vanessa. The garden was serene enough with different vibrant flowers on its sides and some vines climbing at its roof, embracing the whole scenery.

Perhaps, I was only overthinking. Nothing was going on between the two of them.

But little did I know that the place where I thought my soul could start to breathe a new, was the same place I would soon abhor. When I was starting to freshen a little, the scene I never expected to happen would soon appear right in front of my face as I reached the midpoint of the garden. It made my blood boil all of a sudden.