Epitome of a Hero

How it has been for a long time

While Andrei’s cry and students chatter filled the canteen, I just stared at the one who saved me. His hair was kind of long, tied at the back of his head and his body was larger than mine, he’s our senior.

One year ahead of Tricia, I guess?

Before I can even say thank you, he rolled his menacing green eyes off of me and left the canteen.

Rude.

I smirked and just get ahead on my life rather than knowing who that guy was.

“Ms. Caprius! Andrei! To the office now!”

Ms. Rhea shouted at the other side of the canteen before I can even reach back to my friends. Here we go again…

“Tricia!” Kyle grabbed my arm and his eyes were already cloudy as he reached me. I giggled at how concerned he was for me and then there was this feeling again. My heartbeat started racing again but this time I have no sudden urge to run.

“I-I’m okay!” I told him and he pouted at me.

“I was about to run to you but what happened was so fast, I knew I couldn’t reach you in time,” he sighed, crumpling his fist together. I smiled at how genuine he looked and decided to pat his head before I leave for the office.

As I did, the flowers bloomed again and this time butterflies fluttered in my stomach. His hair was soft and patting his head made me feel warm. Kyle just looked at me, surprised at what I was doing and it was not long before I noticed Sheene and Fei supressing their little squeals.

I-                  What am I doing!?

I backed away, feeling the hot blood the rushed on my cheeks. “I-I need to go!” I run away, waving my hand at them, passing the people who I knew was gossiping about us. I don’t care though, my heart feels—my heart feels nice. I smiled as I walked towards the office where another scolding awaits.

As I entered, Andrei was crying and complaining about how he was hurt and I just showed them how uninterested I was with his shenanigans.

He sounded like a hen.

I sat down at the chair after I greeted Mr. Jonathan who was just smiling at me and Ms. Rhea who was frowning all too much.

“Is it true that you attacked him, Tricia?”

Ms. Rhea asked and I nodded. “He bumped me at the canteen and my foods fell off the ground. My two friends can testify about it. I stopped myself from lashing out on him for his acts but when he shouted at me for being coward, I lost control and threw him the tray.” I answered promptly and I noticed how surprised the two higher ups were. Why…?

“I didn’t shout at you! You’re the one who bumped on me and made it look like it was my fault!” Andrei cried and I felt disgusted. I gave him a dead faced smile and he panicked even more.

“Oh, the other guy can---

“NO! It was your fault!” he panicked.

What? I wasn’t the one who threw him out.

“Lower your voice down, Andrei!” Mr. Jonathan exclaimed causing Andrei to fall silent.

Is Andrei afraid of that green-eyed guy…?

In the end, both of us scolding but not as many as Andrei was given. Ms. Rhea even had us shake hands to end the conflict but Andrei’s ego was too high up that he didn’t agree. All of us left Mr. Jonathan’s office and I stretched my hands up, releasing all the bad energy from all the recent events.

Ahhhhhhhh~

I kind of feel good.

I walked away the room when I heard Ms. Rhea called out my name. Uh-oh.

I turned around and I was surprised of her reaction. She was already smiling at me when as she approaches.

“Hello, Tricia,” she greeted and I bowed down my head.

I should apologize once again.

I opened my mouth to apologize but before I did, Ms. Rhea patted my head and I just fell in wonder.

“I’m glad to see how you are developing. You already know how to stand for your own sake…” she said before telling me to go back on the class.

Stand for my own sake…

As I walked the corridor to find our classroom, what Ms. Rhea and what father said from the first time I met him about fending myself off echoed in my head.

What were you really doing before, Tricia…? Do you really just silenced yourself from these things…?

****

The next day, I was finding the club for Taekwondo and I walked side by side with Kyle since he insisted to accompany me.

I kept stealing glances just to see how he looks like and he was doing the same thing making me look away whenever he does.

“Uhm… Do I b-bother you?” Kyle asked and I immediately shook my head.

“No!” I answered without looking at him. I want to have a normal conversation… but it seemed like this body has its own mechanism whenever Kyle is around. I don’t act like this when its someone else.

I suddenly remembered the last time when I told Adrian to stare me dead in the eye and so he did, and I did as well. That time I felt nothing--- we were just having a staring contest and I just looked frustrated afterwards.

He asked me what was it about and I told him about what I feel whenever Kyle looks at me and he laughed so hard he could die.

You have a crush on him.

It was enough to clarify what I felt even though I know its just Tricia or I don’t know…

The horses never stopped racing in my chest and when I looked back at Kyle, he was staring at me, his eyes were amber and it was glowing as if he was so happy as he stared at me.

“Stop looking at me like that….” I mumbled feeling embarrassed. I feel like dying!

Kyle let out a nervous cough and he looked away, apologizing.

“I-I won’t do that again…”

“No!” I argued and he looked surprised. “It’s okay…”

I kind like it.

If I have to be honest to be myself, I love Kyle’s company. It feels… different.

“Here we are,” Kyle stopped at the door that leads to the taekwondo club. “I guess I’m going now.”

The boy smiled at me and I did the same. “I’ll see you later…”

He nodded and I urged him to go on but he insisted on waiting for me to go in so I did.

He’s such a sweet guy …

I grinned at myself feeling kind of joyful.

I opened the door and as soon as I have, a guy was sitting on a desk, all alone but what surprised me the most is that I have seen him before.

The green-eyed guy! He looked at me and I just stood there, wondering what he was doing in the taekwondo club all alone.