Connectors of the Two Worlds

Chapter 10

Dear Diary,

Math Contest is just a month away, and Mrs. Briones is very excited. She started to annoy and trap me in this miserable library, reading these thick Mathematics books.

I shook my head while staring at them.

Good thing, I was permitted to skip classes starting this week to focus only on one subject. But I still manage to attend a two or three of them.

Quite a rush, isn't it?

-Clan

"'Mind if I help you with that?" Alden Joe startled me with his cool voice as I was finishing my my diary passages. I hurried to close and hid it back to my bag.

I smiled full of amusement afterwards. "Joe! W-what are you doing here?"

"Helping you escape..." he answered, moving his eyebrow in a teasing way.

"What? Are you serious? That is totally not a good idea."

"Yeah right. But you promised that you'll go to my sister's party!" he hissed while reminding me.

I almost forgot about that. It's Emily's birthday today, his younger sister. But I have an errand coming on.

"I didn't promise anything..."

"But I'm still hoping you could come." He suddenly sat closer to me. To my surprise, I was trembling.

He was smiling and I swear I could fall from the seat right now. Why, he's so cute! After we that night under the Christmas lights, Joe never left my mind. The more we hang around, the more I find him comfortable to be with.

"Alright!" I hissed and closed my eyes momentarily. "Here's the thing... I haven't reviewed on this topic and you might wanna help me with it after the party. How's that?" I suggested as I was motioning the book to him.

He smirked and was enjoying to look at my nervous figure. "Sounds like a brilliant plan..."

~~~

The party was very fancy. An elegant dreamworld created by a five-year-old girl was held at the wide garden of the Garcias

The dreamworld was somewhat divided into two, where children were separated from the adults to their different discussions but still scattered around eating, talking and dancing at the rose garden of the Garcia Mansion. The mansion is elegantly huge and full of nature's bearings such as orchids, lilies, roses, and other varieties of flowers, fruits and landscapes that were emphasized to define its beauty.

Garcias are known to be nature lovers. The City Mayor himself, Joe's father, gained the title 'Nature Bloomer', 'City's Gardener', and the such.

After being introduced to the entitled Garcias, the iconic relatives and to the it-friends, I finally sat at a round table with myself. I started munching timidly on my meal. I was not alone. I sat with my other schoolmates that know me. But I just absentmindedly eat what I had on my plate.

I admit I'm a bit cast off in this place full of intimidating people, and repented afterwards for not dragging Wednesday. My face is tired of smiling. I even wore a very uncomfortable dress. It was from Marrianne's collection. A purple to pinkish color cocktail dress that was shimmering under the sun.

There was this groovy music playing and people started to dance. Emily's company seemed enjoying, too, as they were dancing carefreely in front and people would gladly applause at the performance. After that, she sang her favourite song, "Don't Cry for me Argentina".

Joe sat opposite to me. I am guessing that he's done entertaining the guests. He smiled sweeter than I had imagined. He wore a black suite. His hair is waved in a neat way. His face brightened as if the sun was greeting him nicely.

"What?" I asked. My face a bit flushed. Thankfully, the lights were dim enough to conceal my real expression at that moment.

"Nothing. It's just that... you look beautiful tonight," he sincerely said.

That made me blush. I lowered my head a bit and just smiled. "That's absurd..."

"I'm dead serious!" He amusingly smiled.

"It's still saying that I'm awful. Look at me!" I uttered as I looked down at my old purple casual dress with ruffles on the skirt. Marrianne gave this to me when I was fifteen. A favourite dress she wore when she had the first date with Dad.

I totally looked ridiculous and out of style. Minding the weird eye glasses, I appropriately wore them.

"It's from mother..." I told him afterwards.

To my surprise, he suddenly removed my glasses and stared back at me.

"Hey!" I protested, tried to have them back but he just hid them under the table with such cute gesture he's doing. He's smiling but his image became blurry and cloudy.

"Beautiful..." he whispered.

"I can't even see a thing..." I looked elsewhere, so profound, I had myself staring at the night sky. There, I saw heavy clouds about to release the rain, and a second of light flashed as the diminished roaring sound of thunder hurriedly followed. They somehow worried me. I looked back at Joe with my worried eyes. I suppose he had noticed it, too.

"Let's go. I'll get you home..."

We were walking down the streets talking spontaneously about the party and about Emily.

I smiled. "I've never ditched a party before. But I completely forgot that I only attend old-fashioned parties with my dad." I chuckled.

"I'm glad you made it. I really am, Clan..." Joe said.

"What would you do if I refuse to attend?"

"Hmm..." He looked up and guessed his answer. "I'd probably be stupid by saying this, but I'm willing to talk to your dad just to convince you for coming over. I can be persistent at times, you know. Especially, when I like... someone..."

I stopped at my tracks at what I heard. I looked up to him in disbelief. "W-what did you say?"

Joe stopped walking, too, his back facing me. After a brief silence, he turned around and smiled at me. "Would you like me to repeat what I just said?" he asked.

My heart suddenly yearned for that answer. I didn't know why I was so eager to hear it, but I'm just curious. I might be imagining to hear things that aren't real. I wanted to confirm. I moved closer to him with my interest lingering in my eyes. I looked at him intently. "W-what did you say?"

Joe smiled. "I like you," he answered. "I like you a lot, Clan." That was his sudden confession.

It made my heart pound tremendously. I never have felt so silly now that someone had confessed their love for me. What's wrong with me? Rex is the one that I like. But why am I feeling silly in front of him?

He sighed. "That's why I asked you those questions before..." Joe continued. "I feel like I've known you too well. I felt the urge of protecting you. I wanted to be that man who will take care of someone like you. I wanted to take care of you..."

"Joe..."

"I must be crazy." He laughed. "I know it's not yet the right time but I still confessed. I don't care anymore. I need to do this. If I'm gonna hold back, I might lose my mind entirely. I like you."

I gulped at his words. I didn't expect him to feel this way. He's a bully in school. A troublemaker. He's the son of the City Mayor. He's untouchable. But now, I'm hearing his love confession towards me. How come he's confessing his love in front of a plain girl like me? And to think that I'm in love with someone else.

"You don't need to answer," he said. "I won't be nagging at you for not answering. I'll do what it takes just to make myself worthy of your love. I'll make sure to make you feel that. I'll make sure that I show you how it feels like being loved by someone. Please let court you..."

What should you do, Clan? You already love someone else. Your best friend, Rex. But he can't return you his love. He didn't know about your feelings. And right now, someone has confessed to you his love. What will you do about it? I asked myself inside my mind.

I gulped again. I opened my mouth and tried to utter a word, but nothing came out of my mouth. Nothing was spoken. I am being invaded by the loudness of my heartbeats. What is happening to me? Why am I feeling this way?

Could it be that Joe has a special place in my heart?

"Joe... why me?" I finally decided to ask, fists curled up from side to side.

"Because I just felt it. I just woke up loving you, hoping that one day you'll see that Rex is not the only man you should consider. I like you, Clan. I don't know when, but to be honest, I love the way I'm feeling this. I'm happy when I see you happy. I really do. It breaks my heart in two when you cry for him. I just woke up feeling the urge to wipe your tears. I just feel I that I had to protect you. But I thought it's just like that. But I'm dead wrong. Because I'm feeling a little deeper than that. I like you so much..." he answered honestly. "I'm willing to wait for your answer, Clan. Please don't turn me down yet. I will wait for the right time for you to reciprocate my love. I will wait for that day..."

I slowly moved to him more. My face felt numb. I didn't know what's going on my mind, but my body is not functioning. Something changed within me after hearing his enchanting voice. I embraced him.

But I know the situation is wrong. I'm not in myself today. It's not my detached self. But this is too unreal for me. Something is not right.

I suddenly pushed him away.

"I-I'm so sorry, Clan..." he said, half-disappointed and half-confused.

"No, this is... This is wrong." I started walking away but he caught my arm and looked at me. His eyes a bit sad.

"Do you still love him?" His voice broke. Pain traced on his face and it stabbed a lot of guilt in me. I wanted to protest but I couldn't.

How could I ever think of Rex this time? I can't even remember thinking of him at this moment.

"I-I have to go..." then, I started to turn away again but he still hadn't let go of me. Now I'm stuck.

"I won't be able to see or talk to you again, will I?" he asked again, and even if I don't look I can see that he's in deep pain.

A moment had passed before I could finally answer. "Yeah..." then, I brushed off his hand gently and walked out in front of him. Out of his life eventually...

~~~

"Alfred!" Cassandra called up to her brother who suddenly rode on a ducatti bike that roared smoothly. The night is getting deep and the world neighborhood is asleep. "Where do you think you're going?" She eyed him sharply wanting some explanation that little did he mind or think he owed her.

"You heard mother, and I doubt it if you believe it's one of the nightmare wizard's tricks. It's all too real, Sandra!" he said with gritted teeth, fret so much for my fragile life.

"But it's not even clear enough to know it's soon to happen!"

"That makes it too disturbing! Can't you see? I can't let her die!" he hissed and continued roaring his bike. His mother's vision devoured his last strand of sanity. He can't let me be wasted in the hands of the wickedry. He had waited for so long to finally guard me. My impetuous hidden power shouldn't be used by their foes. It's too dangerous. His chance of coming home to Dio might slip off of his hands.

Felt defeated, Cassandra held up her hands. "Alright! Alright! Just don't get too close, young Voulner! You wouldn't want to expose her to weird things around you, would you? Okay, fine! Good riddance!" She rolled her eyes and watched her younger brother drove away in the rainy night.