The Real Me

Chapter 11. Between Comfort And Chaos

Anastasia's Pov

The week flew by, and today is Saturday. It’s around 10 a.m., and I'm still lying in bed, avoiding campus—especially to steer clear of Gilbert.

You might be wondering what’s wrong, but I assure you, nothing is fundamentally wrong.

I just don’t feel as comfortable around him as I did before my breakdown. So, I’m trying to avoid him as much as possible.

After what happened between us on Monday after school, he’s been more attentive than I’m comfortable with. He always checks in on me and tries to make me smile, but that doesn’t bring me happiness.

I haven’t been honest with him, and my issues are still looming over me. No amount of smiling can change that.

I genuinely enjoy his company. It helps me appreciate myself a bit more, especially since I have a handsome friend like him.

But I’m keeping my distance because I don’t want Bridget to get the wrong idea and fuel the rumors that we’re dating, as we are already not in good terms.

Beatrice had mentioned the rumors to me yesterday morning, and since then, I’ve been making an effort to keep my distance from Gilbert. That’s why I’m avoiding campus today—I just don’t want to run into him.

The sound of my phone ringing snaps me out of my thoughts. I glance at the screen and see it's my mom calling.

Oh God! I hope it’s something important because I’m not ready for any awkward conversations right now.

I sit up comfortably in bed and put the phone to my ear.

“Hello,” I say softly, hearing my mom’s voice on the other end.

I take a deep breath before responding.

“Good morning, Mom,” I reply.

“Good morning! How are you?” she asks.

“I’m good, and you?” I say, absentmindedly tugging at my blanket to cover my legs.

“I’m good. I called to check up on you, and…” Suddenly, I hear a beeping sound indicating another call is coming in.

I look at my phone and see Gilbert’s name flashing on the screen. I freeze as my mom continues talking, but I can’t focus on her words.

What’s Gilbert calling me for? Or is it just one of his girls using his phone to ask me unnecessary questions again, like last time? The call ends, and I snap back to the conversation with my mom, quickly placing the phone back to my ear.

“Yes, Mama?” I respond a bit too hastily.

“I’ve been calling; where did you go?” she asks, concern lacing her voice.

“It’s the phone; I don’t know what’s wrong with it. I couldn’t hear you,” I lie.

“Oh, okay. I wanted to tell you that your dad is sending you some money. Has he called you?” she says, and I can’t help but smile.

Who doesn’t love money? I have a small amount saved that should last me until next week since I’ve been frugal.

My parents don’t have much, and I don’t want to pressure them unless it’s for something important for school.

“No one has called me,” I reply, pondering which dad she means. I have two dads now—my biological father and my stepfather, as my mom remarried after divorcing my real dad.

I don’t mind as long as they don’t bring me any drama.

“Oh, he will call you. It’s your father Andoh,” she says referring to my stepfather, and just then, I hear the beeping sound again—Gilbert is calling me again.

“Okay, Mom, I think he’s calling me, so I’ll talk to you later,” I lie again.

She responds, and I hang up after saying my goodbyes.

I quickly answer Gilbert’s call.

“Hello?” I say, recognizing his deeper-than-usual voice.

“Gilbert?” I ask to confirm it’s him.

There’s a brief silence before he replies, “You know, this is the second time you've called me by my name.” he chuckled at the end and I couldn't help the laugh that escapes me.

Really?

I hadn’t even noticed it.

“I wish I'm there to see your beautiful face as you laugh,” he teases, making my heart skip a beat.

“Uh, why did you call me?” I asked, curious about the reason behind his call.

“I missed you,” he replied, leaving me momentarily speechless, my heart racing.

He missed me?

What was I supposed to say? I didn’t even know what it felt like to miss someone.

“Oh, okay. Aren’t you supposed to be hanging out with your girlfriend?” I asked, trying to sound casual but failing miserably.

“You’re my girlfriend, so come out, and let’s take a walk,” he said, his teasing tone evident.

“Who’s your girlfriend? Please, I don’t want to die early, I'm talking about Bridget.” I replied softly, trying to keep the mood light.

“Come outside; I’m standing in front of your dorm,” he said, and I wondered how he knew I was in the dormitory.

“I’m not in there; I’m outside of the school, so, um, later,” I said, hoping he would buy my lie and leave me alone.

But I've realized that Gilbert was persistent and didn’t take no for an answer.

“Stop lying, Ana. It doesn’t suit you. If you don’t come out, then I’m coming in,” he threatened, making me grunt in frustration.

What kind of trouble was I getting into now?

“I’ll be there soon,” I muttered sluggishly.

“Okay, I’m waiting. You have only five minutes.”

I could picture his infuriatingly handsome, teasing smile.

Putting the phone down without replying, I got up and slipped on my black and white jersey, pairing it with a white t-shirt, feeling a mix of nervousness and uncertainty.

I didn’t really want to meet him, but it seemed I had no choice now.

Wait.

This is a girls' dormitory, and boys aren’t allowed in.

Ugh! Why didn’t I think of that?

I quickly picked up my phone, and to my relief, he was still on the line.

“Hello?” I called to make sure he's there.

“Yeah, are you done? You only have two minutes left.”

What the hell? He’s actually counting the minutes! There’s no way he’s getting in here.

“Um, I can’t make it right now, so let’s meet later, please,” I pleaded.

“Are you alright? Should I come in right now?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

Why would he think I’m not okay?

“I’m coming,” I said, cutting the call before he could respond, frustration bubbled within me.

I would just step outside to see him, and then I could come back inside—easy enough, right?

I slipped on my slippers and looked around the room, noticing I was alone.

Where’s Beatrice? I wondered.

As I stepped outside with my phone in hand, I spotted Gilbert standing a little distance in front of the dorm, with Bridget beside him.

They seemed to be deep in conversation. I hesitated, unsure of how to approach them, until Gilbert caught sight of me and waved me over, gesturing for me to come closer.

They stopped talking the moment I approached, leaving me to wonder if their conversation had been about me.

"Good morning!" I greeted, hoping to ease the tension that hung in the air.

"Morning," Bridget replied, her tone less than friendly, her eyes sizing me up as if I were a puzzle to solve.

Was it really necessary for her to respond like that? I thought, trying to shrug off her attitude.

Ignoring her, I turned my attention to Gilbert, who was already giving me a once-over.

"You seem okay to me," he remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice, which only made me frown.

Did I ever say I wasn’t okay?