Traces of Midnight Fallacies

CHAPTER NINE

When I lifted my head from the table, I felt a strange feeling. My vision was still blurred as I roamed around where I was before I rubbed it so that I could sense what was going on around me.

I felt my eyebrows narrow a bit while looking at my classmates. They are all busy doing different things. I saw some singing and joking with each other while the others were gathering and dancing. A small smile crept on my lips as I looked at them.

"This is probably the time where Charmaine was still here," I whispered to myself before my eyes searched for the familiar people.

My smile disappeared when I didn’t see their familiar traces. I haven't looked for Celeste yet because we came from a different class. I also didn’t notice Lawrence’s presence in the class, which made me shrug a bit. I felt an unfamiliar feeling in my chest, so I decided to go out of the classroom to look for them.

Celeste's presence is absent because it's class hour. I tried to look for Charmaine and Kevin to find out what they were doing now. I don't know where Lawrence is and I don't intend to look for him because he's not that important for me.

Maybe he is important for Charmaine, but for me… he is not.

The students I meet don’t even feel my presence in front of them. It seems like they didn’t see me just like what I’ve expected whenever I go into these illusions. I feel like I have a memory chip and the memories I see here are just part of the memory of the woman inside my body.

Instead of turning my attention to them, I decided to run towards the places where we used to go.

I first went to the vacant kiosks downstairs, and just as I expected, I didn’t find any students downstairs. I tried to look in the vacant rooms on the side but I didn’t see anything. I tried to look in the vacant corridors, but I saw nothing.

"How am I supposed to look for them?" I whispered to myself while staring at the vacant field.

Before I left the place where I was, I heard a moan from nowhere. Because of curiosity, I quickly searched for the source of those sounds, and when I saw the familiar figure of the man from afar, I gradually felt numbness all over my body because of shock.

I felt weakness not because of what I saw. I felt lethargy because I had so much disappointment in myself.

I saw in the farthest part of the room that I had entered the two figures of students, a man, and a woman. The man turned his back on me, but I recognized who it was and who the woman was leaning against the wall. I felt my eyes slowly drop on the sneakers she was wearing before I turned to myself and compared the sneakers I was wearing to the ones she was wearing.

When they were getting closer, I could feel my body trembling. They did nothing, but the kisses they shared seemed sensual to my ears, especially whenever I heard Charmaine moaning his name.

"K-Kevin…"

"I badly want you, Charm," Kevin whispered.

I looked away when I saw how Kevin wrapped his arms around her waist, gently caressing it.

"Charmaine, are you okay?"

I shifted in my seat when I heard Lawrence calling my name. He slowly waved his hand in my face, which I just avoided before laughing at my stupor in front of him.

"Why wouldn't I be okay?" I asked while puckering my lips.

He watched what I did for a while before he shifted in his seat and arranged his belongings.

"I'm done. Let's just meet in the class, "he said before he stood up and walked away without looking at me.

I quickly pulled my hair before I crouched at the desk while quietly complaining to myself because of what I saw between Charmaine and Kevin.

Is it possible that they continued to make love in the abandoned room? Are the things I saw before still true? Am I allowed to ask Kevin about this?

I shook my head because of what I was thinking. No, that's not okay—I mean, that's not appropriate!

Why would I ask about that? Isn't it enough for you that what you've seen a while ago is purely private? It means that if anything happened between the two of them, it just means that I'm out of that. And if it's part of their past relationship, then there's no need to interfere with it!

After I took the examination, I hurriedly ran out of the library to go back to my class. I was just in the doorway when a hug greeted me, so I couldn't help but be surprised.

"How's your exam?" Kevin asked when he faced me.

I slowly looked away at his stare before I removed his hug. He just didn't care what I did, so I still dared to stay away from him. This time, his eyebrow rose because of confusion over my actions.

"Is there a problem, Charm?" he confusedly asked, which made me shake my head.

"I've already passed it in his office. You don't need to ask, "I said before I passed him.

Subsequent classes became normal. Kevin was constantly teasing me while I, on the other hand, just remained in a daze and thought about what had happened to me earlier in the library. I didn't even have a chance to apologize to Lawrence about what happened yesterday because of the memories that entered my brain earlier.

Why, with so many memories flooding in… Why is it related to the sensual way?

I mean, does it have a big effect on her, and why even in my personality, I needed to know more about it?

"Charmaine!"

I closed my eyes because I was shocked when I heard him calling my name. We finished our last class in the afternoon. I heard from Kevin that Celeste needs to finish her class today, so we won't go home in the afternoon at the same time.

I temporarily stopped walking. A fake smile plastered on my lips when I faced him. I felt fear when I saw his serious face while looking at me, so I did nothing but pucker my lips, as usual.

"W-What's up?" I asked which made him lift his eyebrows.

"Is there something wrong between us?" he asked before he approached me, which I stepped back from. "Why do I feel like you're avoiding me?"

"I-I didn't…"

"Yes, you are," he insisted before he leaned me against the wall in the corridor.

I felt relieved when no student was walking near us. I don’t know if I need to thank him for leaning me against the wall near the stairs. It was close to the place where the miracle I had seen earlier happened.

"Did I do something wrong?" he asked.

I quickly shook my head in response to his question before my gaze dropped to his blanket hanging over his shoulder. A small smile plastered on my lips before I decided to meet his gaze again.

My conscience wouldn't put me to sleep at the thought of that matter when I was alone! I know I have to ask him about this thing!

"Do you still remember what happened between us in the place next to the place where we are now?" I boldly asked.

The frown on his forehead disappeared when he got what I was pointing at. I could see the gradual lightening of his eyes before I saw the ghost of a smile on his lips slowly appearing.

"Why?" he asked as my face turned red. "Do you want me to do it again?" he added while laughing.

I quickly shook my head, which made him laugh even harder. His face was red when he pinched my cheek, which made me even redder. I don't know why I'm feeling so hot right now. Is it because of romantic excitement? I don't know!

"Don't remind me about that thing, Charmaine," he said before he let me go and leaned against the wall beside me. "Why do you always make me feel this way?"

"F-Feel what?"

He smiled at me. "You rejected me that time. Don't you remember?" he said before I could feel him holding my hand.

I slowly lowered my eyes to his hand clasping mine before I felt my head hurt from the new memory re-entering my mind.

My eyes remained close while accepting the deep kisses Kevin was giving me. He kissed me repeatedly until I felt his hand enter my uniform blouse and forcefully remove the piece of cloth hidden in my chest. I felt him squeezing me to the side and when he successfully removed my undergarments, it was here that I realized what he wanted to happen.

I pushed him away from me, which made him shocked at what I did. Even before I could undress myself in front of him, I quickly covered myself.

"I c-can't do this with you, K-Kev," I said before I decided to pick up his blanket on my side and that's what I covered myself with. "P-Please… don't."

"I was thinking… y-you want this…"

I quickly shook my head in disapproval of what he had done. "I'm sorry… I-I'm not ready yet."

I watched him smile as he stared into the distance. My gaze dropped to our hands, which were still clasped to each other. Even if I wanted to push him away, I couldn’t either, because it seemed like someone was telling me to listen to everything he would say to me about that day.

I could feel his sadness as we both gazed at the vast field below.

"I respect you, and I hated myself for what I'd done to you that time," he said before he looked at me. "I know that you can't sacrifice yourself for what I wanted and I didn't force you to do that thing. I was carried away that time because I really like you. I'm willing to wait for you, but after what happened between us… "he sighed before he looked away. "You broke up with me."

"I can't remember…"

He smiled before he tapped me on my shoulder. "I know I'm at fault, and I'm willing to change myself. I tried to ask you for a second chance, but all you could offer me was friendship, which I accepted. "

"Kevin…"

He smiled. "That's more acceptable than you permanently burying me in oblivion," he chuckled, and I smiled back. "It's been a long time. We were both young and playful at that time, so I haven't bothered anymore."

Everything went fast when I tiptoed and decided to kiss him on his cheek. I know he was surprised at what I did, especially when I saw his reddened face when I kissed him.

"I know I have a lot of shortcomings with you, Kevin, and thank you for understanding me for the whole time. I'm not that perfect friend, but I will make sure I can make up for it too, "I said, which made him chuckle. "Thank you for being one of my best friends."

He jokingly pulled me closer to him to grant a tight hug that I reciprocated back while smiling.

"We've had closure with each other for a long time, Charmaine, and if this is the only closure I can receive every time you remember that thing… well, I'm more than willing to make you remember your rejection for me."

"Crazy-a*s," I chuckled, making him laugh.

We both jumped because we were shocked when someone intervened in our conversation. We separated in our positions when Celeste separated us.

"What's the meaning of this?" she asked, suspiciously. "Are you guys making a comeback? What about Lawrence, Charmaine?"

We did nothing but laugh at her. We both let Celeste chatter as we walked away. Our story was filled with laughter because of Celeste's rants about her business subject. I don’t know, but the atmosphere between Kevin and me seemed to lighten a bit. It seems like the memories that gradually entered my mind will play a huge part for me while I am here in this unusual world.

Just as I expected, Dad picked me up from school. We gave Kevin and Celeste a free ride to their house. Dad cheerfully welcomed my friends, especially Kevin, who purely apologized when Celeste reminded us about the past events that happened between the two of us.

Overall, my forth day in this world was truly fascinating. It's so much fun, but at the same time, it's unfortunate every time a memory enters my mind about the past of the woman inside my body.