Colliding Rulers

The Confrontation (2)

Third Person's P.O.V

Cale made it his job to make sure that Joshua knew of his existence. Constantly greeting Joshua whenever he saw him. Telling him that he looked handsome as they passed by each other, loud enough that other nearby students heard him. Gossip started formulating, making up twisted theories like how Joshua was two-timing.

Some people knew of Cale and Joshua's past relationship, but not everyone. Joshua's name went back and forth inside the school. Some ideas were weirder than others. Joshua was getting fed up, but he couldn't exactly tell the captain to stop. He tried it once, and doubted that it would work again. Joshua still remembered the captain's warmth when he pushed Joshua to the sink. Joshua missed the warmth, but still, he didn't want his heart to prevail.

Zack knew of the circulating rumors. He was laughing quite a bit, but when he heard the bit that Joshua still loved Cale, he almost threw a fit. Zack watched Cale's every move. From the constant greeting to the sitting with Joshua and Gevia every lunch time. He swore under his breath that that was going to be him one day. He wanted to be the one annoying Joshua.

But he needed to do a few things before he was actually free. His family might have been too cool with him transferring and moving to another continent, but with conditions. He was willing to do everything necessary to be with Joshua. He was that crazy for Joshua. He was even willing to set aside his humanity just to be with Joshua. He was determined to capture Joshua's heart.

"Isn't the captain too invested in you?" Gevia asked, a little bit worried about her friend and the captain alike. Even Gevia heard some wild rumors. She didn't like any of those, but there was no use of talking back.

She knew how people operate when it came to rumors, especially baseless ones. They would never cease fire unless something was proven. She grew accustomed to having rumors about her that she thought it was already natural to have. Joshua was a different matter and Gevia knew that, but there was still nothing that she could do except to be there for Joshua.

Joshua groaned, not wanting to see Cale, even though he felt like Cale was just right around the corner, listening to them as they had their conversation about him. Joshua could already imagine the smirk on Cale's face. His smug look that Joshua always found adorable.

"Please, no more." he buried his head into the palm of his hands, sighing louder and was a bit muffled from Gevia's point of view. She felt bad that she couldn't get in between Joshua and Cale.

They were the only ones in the music room. It was cold as winter was fast approaching. The black and white invaded their color wheel. The darkened sky and the cold wind reminded them that winter break was just around the corner. Joshua was sitting on the floor in the corner, while Gevia sat right in front of the grand piano that the school owned.

Her fingers trailed just above the white keys. Her eyes watched her own fingers graze the keys, silently itching to play a melody that she thought would be appropriate for the situation. She could hear Joshua's grunts in the background, but she gave them no attention.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened between you two?" was a question that had been asked, but avoided. Gevia already had a feeling that Joshua was going to avoid the question again, but Joshua's pause made Gevia pause as well.

They both paused, waiting. Joshua was contemplating whether it was okay. He wasn't sure how Gevia would take the story, but he knew that Geiva could be trusted. The fear of being threatened, the story of one who wasn't allowed. A story that Joshua thought he would never get to have the chance to tell. He thought he was going to die along with the story. Along with the pain.

Gevia started playing. Her fingers pushed keys, both low and high notes, combining them into one sad melody. The void inside Joshua's heart started to waver as he welcomed weird feelings - ones that he thought he would never feel- vulnerability and openness. His lips started to tremble. A letter came and he already felt like his world was crumbling down into pieces.

He was broken inside, he knew that. But he hid it so well that even he fooled himself. He threw his head back, closing his eyes to try and control his emotions. Gevia's sad melody provided comfort. Joshua listened silently to the song, enjoying it. It was a song that Gevia wrote when she felt like the world was too much.

Gevia's music began to soften up, to add more to the feel of the song. Touching a part that made Joshua shed a tear. Minor chords were Gevia's go-to when it came to sad songs. It was just about minor chords that sounded so incomplete and painful. Joshua's heart resonated with the music in despair.

"I-" Joshua took a breath in, allowing himself to take a break. It was the first time that he had a listener, aside from his mother.

"We were happy before. We understood each other even though we both lived in two different worlds." Joshua messed up his hair, letting both of his hands stay there.

He couldn't keep his eyes open as he told the story. Gevia was still playing the tune. Repeating some segments as part of her musical piece. The ambiance flowed with somber music. Gevia made sure to push the keys softly. She needed to hear the whole story. Joshua finally opened up.

"Of course, I knew of his mother's different stare. She looked so distraught when Cale introduced me to her. I could feel it in my bones that she didn't like me for her son." Joshua bit his quivering lips.

Gevia could feel Joshua's sorrow. The pain that lingered, hidden and added- it was all there. Gevia could imagine what happened next, but she said nothing. She wanted to let Joshua let it all out. She couldn't believe that social hierarchy was still a thing. She couldn't believe that it happened to her one and only friend.

"One day, when I was in Cale's room, she summoned me for a talk. I knew what she was going to talk to me about. I felt it in my guts. The hostility she showed when I was always around. She acted so differently from what Cale described." Joshua breathed out heavily, wishing that he could breathe out his grief.

"Even before I could even sit, she told me this,"

"Stay away from my son, you filthy gold-digger." Joshua was taken aback, but knew that it was going to happen either way. He was just surprised that she didn't talk to him more privately, when Cale wasn't around. Cale was taking a bath.

"Excuse me?" Joshua acted like he didn't hear her clearly.

The insult was something that Joshua didn't expect. He was on the right track. He was proven right and without a month of them knowing each other at that. They only met two weeks ago and she already couldn't handle seeing him with her son. She was fine with Cale dating someone, as long as it was with someone that had money, and status and fame.

"You heard me. Stay away from my son." Joshua looked at her directly, eyes staring at each other.

"You won't stop, will you?" Joshua asked, slumping his shoulders, showing signs that he was relaxed and not at all offended.

He had already waited for this day to come. He waited, and waited. He prepared his mental state and emotionally as well. Ever since he first saw her, he was already on the accepting stage. This was bound to happen - Joshua kept repeating in his mind, fooling himself that he was prepared.

But deep inside, he broke down. He could hear his heart shattering into trillions of pieces, but he didn't pay attention to it. He didn't want to give Cale's mother the satisfaction of letting her see that he was broken. He had his resting b***h face on, as if he had something to prove.

"I don't need you leeching off of my son. It's the money, right?" Joshua rolled his eyes, sassing her. He sighed.

"I won't leave your son-"

"I'll give you a million dollars. Leave him." Joshua clenched his jaw, in disbelief that she was still going through it.

"I'm not dating your son because of money. Now, if you'll excuse me,"

Joshua turned around, already leaving, when Cale's mother opened her mouth again, but this time, it made Joshua stop.

"Are you sure? Your mother is sickly, isn't she?" Joshua stopped in his tracks, wondering how she knew that.

"You need the money to pay her hospital bills, and here you are, flirting with my son when you could have been working?" Joshua looked down at his own two feet.

He felt worse, not because she was openly admitting that she was stalking Joshua, but because she was right. It made no sense to Joshua why people would go to such lengths just to break them up. Especially someone that should've been a clear supporter.

"Don't you need money? Why are you here?" Joshua heard the clanking of shoes getting nearer. They were slow steps. The intensity of the situation built up the more Joshua heard the heels hitting the tiles.

"You have two siblings. One little sister and one little brother."

Joshua pursed his lips. He wanted Cale to save him from the situation. He was being pressured, and he didn't like the fact that he could feel her eyes on his back, as if melting him through. His breathing shortened, and his eyes were unfocused.

"They are still in elementary, not knowing that their mother could die any moment."

"..." Joshua remained quiet. He closed his eyes, trying to block her words from engraving them into his mind. But it was already too late. He will forever remember the conversation of how he was being thrown away.

"And a father that couldn't handle parenthood and left. What a stupid father you have." Joshua couldn't talk back because, again, she was right.

Cale's mother had a way with words. Cale was singing in the shower, ignorant of what was happening. He thought that Joshua was still in his room, reading or doing something. He took his time in the shower while the love of his life was being stepped on because of poverty.

"Alright. I guess a million dollars is too small for you. Of course, my son isn't worth so little." she, with three degrading steps, was in front of Joshua and looked him in the eyes.

"I'll give you ten million dollars. Go buy a house, a car, or something. I don't f*****g care. Just go f**k someone else."

"Mom? Babe?"

When Cale got out, he was surprised that he didn't see any signs of Joshua anywhere inside his room. He hurriedly clothed himself and went to search for the love of his life. When Cale finally saw him, he was also surprised to see that his mother and the love of his life were talking. It was quite a serious conversation. His heart dropped down, not liking the atmosphere that surrounded the two.

His mother spun around and smiled sweetly, giving him a hug.

"Ooh, you smell so fresh. Are you hungry? Joshua? Are you hungry?" her facade was so believable that Cale sighed in relief.

"Yes, Mom, I'm hungry." Cale answered with a smile.

"Great. I'll let the maid know to cook you guys lunch. I'll be right back."

Cale's mother passed by Joshua and didn't forget to say the words,

"I'll send you the money tomorrow. Make sure you break up with him as soon as possible."

Gevia couldn't believe the mother's audacity to interfere with her son's affair.