Colliding Rulers

The Confrontation (6)

Third Person's P.O.V

"You're telling me that Aeron learned her lesson and felt guilty that she went to work under the President?" Gevia was shocked to hear the news from Joshua. She never thought that Aeron was easily moved by guilt. But Gevia didn't understand the thought that Aeron did that for her.

"Uh-huh, and I could tell that she was having fun," Joshua said.

"I can testify to that," Zack said.

Gevia hummed in response, still not accustomed to seeing Joshua with Zack. Just before, Joshua was afraid of being seen with Zack, but now- now felt so different for Gevia. She didn't want to address her awkwardness, so she ignored her own feelings and tried to associate herself with Zack.

There was still something off that she felt towards Zack. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she was reserved. She had someone following Zack, but she hadn't heard from that person yet.

"Alright. Now, where are you two off to?" Gevia asked, feeling that they had plans.

"Oh, I actually have somewhere to go. I'm so sorry." Zack looked at his wristwatch. With furrowed eyebrows, he sighed.

He didn't want to separate from Joshua so early, but he needed to go. He was needed at a conference meeting. Since they were launching a product, his presence was needed. It was a product that originated in the UK. It was their first ever off-country branch.

Joshua nodded his head, not really caring if Zack was going to be around or not. He nonchalantly waved Zack off. Zack pursed his lips, feeling that he didn't matter yet in Joshua's eyes. Gevia saw Zack's immediate shift in mood, but said nothing.

"That's okay. You can go. I'll see you tomorrow."

"A'ight."

Zack gave Gevia a smile before walking away, stopping midway and he looked back. Joshua was talking with Gevia with a smile on his face. Zack shook his head, had a content smile on his face as well before walking away. He was on his way to his car when Cale was in front of him. Zack didn't miss the part that Cale called Joshua a gold-digger. That didn't escape his ears. He loathed Cale for that.

A naive prick was with Joshua. Oh, f**k. It was Zack's thought when he heard it. From then on, he made it his goal to hate Cale on behalf of Joshua. He planned on just walking straight, but Cale left the girl he was talking to and ran after Zack. Cale's running steps were heard and Zack could already feel his anger boiling inside of him. Raging and pushing for him to throw a fit. Hoping that he could at least put a punch in.

"Hey, Zack, wait up!" Cale innocently called out to Zack. Zack stopped in his tracks, but didn't turn around to face Cale. He didn't have the will keep his anger in if he was going to be face to face with Cale. He inhaled and exhaled, calming his nerves down.

"What?" he asked back. He wanted to get this done and over with as fast as possible.

He wasn't sure for how long he was going to keep his sanity in check. It was crazy what Joshua was doing to him. Before, if Zack didn't like someone or something, he would obliterate everything, leaving no trace of it. But ever since Joshua came into his life, he has been taught that he needed to be patient and understanding. Everything wasn't going to be solved with brute force.

"You-" Zack cut Cale off. Zack closed his fists, as a sign of warning.

"You better be careful with what you say to me, otherwise I won't hold back." Zack already had a hunch about what Cale was going to say. There was no other reason as to why Cale was going to talk to him. Their possible topic could only be about Joshua.

"Man, I'm just looking out for you," Cale said.

"Get to the point before I leave." Zack hissed angrily.

Cale was confused about why Zack was so pissed at him. When they saw each other that morning, he saw Zack giggling with Joshua. There was no reason for him to dislike Cale, so Cale was at a loss for words. But he didn't want to waste Zack's time and went ahead with the warning.

"You should be careful with Joshua. He's only with you right now because of your money." Zack turned around, looking like he disagreed.

"What did you say?" Zack asked, his tone going a few pitches up.

"He took my Mom's money and then he left me after that. Don't be fooled."

Zack lunges a punch at Cale, which landed on Cale's left cheek. Cale stumbled a few steps back, touching his pained cheek. He couldn't believe that Zack punched him in the face. The pulsating pain traveled across his body, alarming his entire body. He stepped away from Zack, afraid that Zack might attack him again.

"You better shut the f**k up or else I'll needle it myself, you son of a b***h- literally son of a bitch." Cale couldn't say anything because Zack was right. He was a son of a b***h and a w***e. Zack's British accent came out like a gay person coming out of the closet. Cale gulped. He didn't mean to anger Zack.

"I-"

"Not. Another. Word." Zack hissed, pointing his finger at Cale before walking away with poise.

Cale watched Zack disappear in front of him. Silence befell on him. The stinging pain on his cheek decreased until it was no more.

"I don't understand what just happened." Cale said, not expecting a response after, but he somehow got one.

Alex was worried about Cale and decided to tail him, making sure that Cale wasn't doing anything stupid. But every little thing that Cale did was all stupid in Alex's point of view. Every time, Alex would find themselves shaking their head in disappointment. Alex was just in time to hear everything. Word by word.

Alex didn't want to step in. Cale needed that punch. He deserved that punch and Alex found themselves rooting for Zack to punch some sense into Cale's shallow mind. Alex waited until the commotion was finished before creeping behind Cale.

"Because you're not yourself." Cale slowly turned his head around to look at Alex but reverted it back to where his head was originally looking at - the fountain.

The water beautifully sparkled, creating a rainbow. The fountain looked so beautiful, but why did Cale feel so pathetic? So ugly inside? He couldn't understand anything. It seemed that the word was a whole puzzle piece that he didn't have the right ones to complete. He blinked a couple of times.

"Who am I then? I don't know anymore."

"You're still you, but you're doing this differently. I don't know who you think you are, but all I'm saying is I'm disappointed in you." Alex walked to where Cale was and stood beside him, looking at the same thing. The two observed the fountain without actually observing it.

"I've never heard that come out of your mouth before. It must mean that I've really f****d up this time." Cale sighed. He felt heavy, especially his chest.

"You did, and it's going to cost you the only person that actually cares for you." Cale teared up. He finally felt the heaviness of the situation that he got himself in.

"What am I doing wrong, Alex?"

"Everything."

Alex walked away, leaving Cale to his thoughts. He walked around the school to try to think about everything. Where he went wrong with, and why Alex was so disappointed in him. Alex said that he was giving away the person that truly cared for him. Cale's mind was in shambles. Nothing made sense, and that made him perplexed.

He found a nearby bench and sat there. He didn't know where to begin. He was so lost. He closed his eyes. He felt alone. Cold. And useless. He was even disappointed in himself. He buried his face in the palm of his hands, sighing loudly, creating a muffling sound. Joshua and Gevia were around the area, talking about food. The two saw Cale, and since Gevia was still awkward about the topic, she didn't dare point it out.

"I'll go talk to him for a second." Gevia was baffled. To think that Joshua was going to talk to Cale after everything he had done. Gevia didn't stop Joshua though.

"Alright. I'll wait for you here."

"Thanks,"

Joshua walked towards Cale. Joshua could feel his heart growing heavy. He still hasn't forgotten about what Cale said to him. He will never forget it. The damage had been done and there was nothing Cale could do that would make Joshua come back to him.

"Hey," Joshua's voice made Cale flinch. He looked up and saw Joshua. Cale had mixed emotions, but he couldn't deny the fact that he missed Joshua. He wanted to hug Joshua right then and there, but after everything, he knew that they would never go back to that.

"What's up?" Cale asked in a civilized tone.

Cale's tone made Joshua relieved. He was quite glad to hear that Cale was willing to be civil with him. Joshua grabbed an envelope from his jacket's inside pocket. He handed Cale the envelope. Cale took it but with a questionable look on his face.

"What's this?" Cale asked, taking a look at the envelope.

He couldn't believe his eyes. He couldn't speak. That's when he realized where he had f****d up. He tried speaking, but no words came out of his mouth. Guilt immediately took over his body and mind. Regret was written all over his face.

"Thank you for making me realize that you don't trust me," Joshua said with so much pain. It was so painful to the point that he couldn't cry anymore. But Cale's tears were different.

It poured down on his cheeks endlessly. What was inside the envelope was the check that Cale's mother had given to Joshua before. It was untouched. There was not a time that Joshua wanted to touch the money, or use the money. He made sure to work multiple jobs to pay for their needs. He wanted to slap the reality Cale's mother that he could take care of his family without any pity from anyone.

"I thought your mother was the only big obstacle in our relationship, but I guess I'm quite thankful to your mother too. For making me realize a lot of things." Joshua had a smile on his face that Cale didn't like. It was a smile of finality.

Like Joshua was done.

"You really hurt me this time, Cale. But don't worry. I'll still talk to you, but I can't promise that I'll be decent. Please be happy with your mother."

"I'm sorry," Cale's tears weren't stopping any time soon. Gevia saw Cale crying, but couldn't hear the conversation. She couldn't see Joshua's face either, since she was facing Joshua's back.

"Goodbye to us, Cale. I wish you all the happiness."

Joshua walked away. As if Cale's world turned into slow motion, his regret flashed before his eyes. Joshua walked away slowly in his eyes. He wanted to grab Joshua's hand, and ask for forgiveness, but he couldn't. The heavy weight of regret on his body was stopping him from doing so. He could only silently cry and watch as the love of his life walked away.

Gevia witnesses the heartbreaking ending of Joshua's first ever relationship. There was nothing she could do, but to silently cheer Joshua up.

"Let's go?" there was no remorse in Joshua's expression, at all. He felt fine, externally and internally. He didn't know how much that was eating him up from the inside. Now that it was finally done, Joshua could finally breathe. As if a lump of saliva in his throat was finally gone.

"Sure," Gevia responded and the two continued their conversation like nothing happened.

They went to the cafeteria and ordered what they were talking about. Their love for food never disappeared.

"Aren't you going to ask what happened?" Joshua asked, curious why Gevia wasn't asking him all the difficult questions. He understood that Gevia didn't want to pry into his business, but he couldn't stop himself from feeling that it was from that time that he stopped Gevia from talking to those players that teased him while they were eating.

"Do you want me to ask?" Gevia asked, dodging the question completely.

"Last time, when I told you that I was okay and that I didn't need your help, you backed off and did that ever since."

Gevia quietly laughed it off. Joshua hit a bullseye with that one.

"I'm sorry that I made you think that way. But there was a reason why I told you off that time and it wasn't because we were still new as friends." Gevia tilted her gorgeous head, swaying her hair to the side. Flawlessly looking adorable.

"What was it then?"

"Well, I didn't think you'd be okay with me being gay since you did say that you are straight." Gevia nervously laughed.

"Well, about that- I, I think I'm not." Joshua clapped his hands, celebrating by acting like a crazed person. Gevia giggled.

"I knew it! I knew it! No straight person would make out with a woman that we later found out to be non-binary."

"You finally realized your own feelings?" Gevia nodded, and then nodded.

"b***h, I knew it!"

And the two decided to talk about how Gevia came to realize her own feelings.