Traces of Midnight Fallacies

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

I don't have an idea if he meant to miss his answer because when I sat beside him, it seems like he can get the equations in his textbook before I even get the correct answer. I didn't even teach him because it looks like he doesn't need my help.

I jokingly pinched his waist whenever I remembered what happened last night in the guest room. Celeste looked at us when she saw us, but instead of forbidding us, she just let us tease each other while we were busy carrying the three dozen cupcakes that we baked last night.

"It seems like you were in a good mood today, ah?" Kevin teased, which made me roll my eyes because of so much irritation, especially when I saw his grin. "Do you want me to remind you what happened last night?"

"Do you know that I wasted my time because of you?" I hissed.

Kevin burst into laughter when he heard what I'd said, while Celeste looked at us confusedly. She lifted her eyebrows when she turned to us while we were walking down the pathway.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked.

There was a suspicion lurking in her eyes, which made me look at Kevin, who was already looking at me. We both laughed when we saw the suspicion in Celeste's eyes, but we did nothing but continue our walk.

Cassie and her group of friends saw us while we were busy carrying our boxes of cupcakes and donuts. She smiled at us before they blocked our way. She crossed her arms before she stepped closer to us to examine the boxes that we were carrying in front of her.

"Oh, what's in that?" she asked while looking at the box I was carrying.

I let her open the box I handed her, which made her smile a bit before asking me if she could ask for a piece. I smiled at her as if I was giving her the permission she wanted. We watched her bite the cupcake she took and when I saw her widening her eyes, I knew that she was surprised at the taste of it.

"This is more flavorful compared to your previous recipe," she said, which made me smile.

Even her friends asked for my cupcakes, which I smiled and handed them what they requested. Just like her reaction, they were surprised at its taste, which made me happy. We didn’t stay that much in front of them because Celeste looked irritated at their presence.

I'm curious if she was one of those who were bullied by Cassie's group when she entered this school.

Just like we expected, the boxes of cupcakes I laid on the front desk of our class were mobbed. Of course, don’t miss the special box I intended for Lawrence, who was now silently looking at us and at the donut boxes I made.

I slowly approached his seat while holding my cupcake. I don't know, but it seems like there was a weird feeling inside my chest when I saw his eyes staring at mine. I still couldn't get close to his place when someone snatched the box I was carrying for him. My eyes almost widened when I saw my classmate open it and eat the cupcake I made for him.

"Marcus!" Macey called the name of the boy who snatched my cupcake for Lawrence.

Marcus looked at me teasingly while chewing the cupcake he had bitten before he handed it back to me. My smile that was plastered on my lips a while ago seemed to be slowly dissapearing when I looked at the cupcake that was bitten and slightly crushed because of the way he snatched it from my hand.

"I'm sorry," Marcus apologized while grinning, which irritated me because of what he had done. "I didn't have breakfast at home. I don't intend to tease you, Charm. I was just hungry."

I looked at him, annoyed, which made him chuckle at my reaction. "It's not my responsibilty to feed you, asshole!"

Some of my classmates heard what I said to him. They laughed at us because of the word that came out of my mouth for Marcus. It seems like Marcus was embarrassed by what I said, but I won't take it back. My words to him seem to be true, and they are also for him. Instead of hearing it from someone he didn’t know, why didn’t I let him hear the words he had never heard from his friends?

I grew up with respect even though my parents didn’t teach me for my sake. They let me grow up alone, but that doesn’t mean that I would grow up without respect to others. Based on his looks, it seems like he has a complete family. If his family wouldn't let him study virtues and morals, why didn't he teach himself?

He planned to answer me back, but when Macey grabbed his hand to drag him away from me, he could no longer speak. I looked at them a bit pissed because of what happened before I decided to approach Lawrence while holding the crumpled box.

I handed it to him, but it seemed like he had no plans to accept it. Before I took it back from him in front of his face, I carved a fake smile on my lips.

"I'm sorry, Lawrence," I said, which made his brows shut. "I will try to make up for you when I have vacant time."

My mouth was shut. He cut me off. "No need," he said. "I don't like your cupcakes, so don't bother yourself anymore to make me a new one again. I don't want to waste your effort."

I smiled widely because of what he said before I crouched on his desk. He looked at me, irritated, especially when he noticed the smile that crept into my lips while I was looking at him.

"You don't want to waste my effort because you don't like my cupcakes?" I asked while annoying him. It seems like my plan is working now when I saw his face furrowed because of what I'd said. "Why are you smiling whenever I left my cupcakes on your desk at dusk these past few weeks?"

His eyebrows lifted a bit because of what I’d said, but when he got my point, they slowly returned to normal. It looks like he wasn’t surprised by what I said, which made me grimace a bit while remembering the memories I had in my head while looking at him. Don't tell me he will deny it in front of my classmates who are busy listening to our conversation.

Is that something that really happened, or is it just my imagination?

"I don't remember myself smiling at your cupcakes, Miss Del Real," he denied, but it seems like he's now lying in front of us. "I bet you, you don't have an idea what I'm doing with the cupcakes you gave me last week?"

"Of course, you tried to eat it while you were alone…"

"I threw it inside the trash bin," he cuts me off.

I don't know, but why I felt this unfamilliar hurt inside my chest when I heard what he said. Is this how Charmaine felt whenever she had a face to face interaction with Lawrence?

"I let it stay inside my locker until it rots and is eaten by ants..."

"Liar!"

He smiled mockingly at me. "Do you want evidence or do you want me to drag my witness?"

I looked at him, irritated, while he kept his smile on his lips. I don't know, but it seems like I never felt his tease behind those words that he threw at me. I don't know if he was serious or if I believe my speculations that he was lying in front of us to save his a*s.

"What did Charmaine like about you?" I asked him which made him lift his eyebrows. "You're so annoying. You can't even appreciate the efforts of other people. You're so arrogant. If it's not because of her, I will never let myself come near you."

"What are you saying?"

A grim smile crept on my lips as I looked at him. "You're just a piece of ttash for me. I regret choosing you over my ex-boyfriend, "I added before I ran out of the classroom while carrying my cupcake.

I heard my classmates calling my name from afar, but I didn't let myself turn to them. I hurriedly left my class to free myself from the embarrassment I felt because of him. I don't know why, but what he said brought some pain in my chest. I’m used to annoying other people, but when I heard that he teased me, it seemed like it was true for me. I don't know, but I feel like it's not just the words he left me earlier.

He sounds jealous and irritated, if I'm not mistaken. His reactions only changed when Marcus snatched from me the boxes I planned to give him. Is what he said true or am I just guessing everything?

It had been two hours since I left my class because of him. I know that our morning class has started as of now, and I know that Kevin takes full responsibility for my homework, so I won’t let myself worry about it while I’m still here.

I let myself lean under the tree where I was. I left my class, and that also means that I left my school to get rid of the pain I felt a while ago. I don't have an idea where I was, but this place helps me to forget my embarrassment earlier. I stayed under the tree while closing my eyes to feel the quiet surroundings. I don't know how I came here, and instead of finding out my reason, I just let myself lean on it.

I decided to escape my class today. I feel like I don't want to go to school from now on because of what happened.

Why does he need to tell all of our classmates his reason? If he can just keep it to himself, why does he need to tell everyone? Is it my fault or does it come from him?

Why do I choose to let myself admit my fault even though, on the other hand, it is his fault? I'm not at fault. I just let myself tell him what I saw in my vision when I saw him chuckling while looking at my cupcakes! He might even get angry when I spread to my classmates the giggle I heard from him when I saw him.

I slowly closed my eyes to let myself rest while I was still here, and when I felt someone grab my hand, I quickly opened my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Celeste asked before she giggled.

I was shocked when I saw my body sitting on the swing. When I felt her hand wrapped in my wrist before she lifted me, it was only then that I felt a body come out of my body. That's when I saw Charmaine, who was now irritatedly looking at her. I stood up from where I was sitting before I decided to follow wherever they intended to go.

I followed them until we reached a mart. It's not as big as the supermarket where we last shopped. It’s just small and simple. The products were neatly placed on the shelf when we entered. I turned to them, but when I saw Celeste looking for something in the fish section, it was only then that I felt confused.

"What were they doing in the fish section?" I asked myself before I followed them.

"I don't know if it will work, Celeste," Charmaine said.

It seems like she was hesitant at first at Celeste's suggestion, but Celeste pinched her waist, which made her a bit annoyed at what her friend did to her.

"This is ridicilous but it will work, Charmaine!" Celeste said. "Trust me on this!"

They kept on blabbering about their ideas until they paid for what they bought before they left the mart, holding the plastic. They were busy laughing at each other when they bumped into someone who was now irritatedly looking at them.

I saw how Celeste widened her eyes while Charmaine looked even more relaxed while looking at Lawrence as they bumped into each other.

"Aren't you looking where you're going?" Lawrence asked, a bit annoyed by what they did.

"No," Charmaine answered before she smiled softly at him. Lawrence did nothing but to roll his eyes. "Do you know why?"

"No," he answered sparingly before he passed them.

Charmaine chuckled crazily. "Because I kept my precious gaze on you."

Lawrence didn't answer her back. Charmaine felt annoyed, especially when she saw how Lawrence ignored her presence and when he turned his back on them.

"He just ignored you," Celeste teased as Charmaine's eyes darkened while looking at him. "Will you allow that, Charmaine?"

My eyes widened when I saw how Charmaine picked up the salmon from the plastic bag she and Celeste bought at the mart before she threw it at Lawrence, who was now stunned by his walk. The salmon hit his head.

"Oh-oh," Celeste chuckled at her side while Charmaine did nothing but stare at Lawrence, who was now slowly turning to them.

He asked, "What is your problem?" before he closed their distance and finally snatched Charmaine's arm. "What's your problem and what did I do to you to do this to me?"

Charmaine smiled at him mockingly, which made him mad even more. "You asked me why we weren't looking where we were going, and when I answered you, you already turned your back on us."

"It seems like it's useless what you want to say, so that I ignore you," he replied while busy looking at her. He released her hand before she stepped back. "Stay away from me, Charmaine. I will never take an interest in you, even if you do silly things in front of me. Keep that in your mind."

They watched him walk away, while I, on the other hand, stayed on their side and looked for their next thing to do. It seems like they were startled because of what he said, so that I didn't know their next step. Based on how they looked, it seems like they were scared because of what he said in front of them.

"Let's see," Charmaine whispered to herself while looking at him. "Silly things, huh?" She chuckled. "Not because you tell me to stay away from you, it doesn't mean that I will stop my silly things for you. Let's see what you will do if I ruin your plates by my silly things that you've mentioned."

Celeste looked at her, still shocked because of what she said. "What are you planning?"

Even before Charmaine replied to her, I slowly opened my eyes. I was a bit startled because of the memories I saw before I decided to get up and planned to go back to school to continue my day.

Charmaine was right. Not because you told me to stop and you always say no to me, that doesn't mean that I will stop. That's her point of view, and I will continue what she started while I'm still here.

Silly things, huh? Let's see…