Colliding Rulers

The Exchange Student (2)

Third Person's P.O.V

"I know that." Cale said, unwittingly admitting that it was finally happening. He knew that Joshua was easily loved, but he didn't expect it to be someone as influential as Zack. He couldn't exactly fathom the fact that someone finally stepped up to try and capture Joshua's heart.

He gripped his own arm harshly. His anxiety slowly rose as fake scenarios made their way to his mind. A lot of what ifs came, wrecking his mental state. Alex watched Cale's expression. Cale bit his lower lip harder until it turned very red. Alex knew that whatever they were going to say was going to be countless. Cale was too far gone into his mind to be swayed by words.

"Do you have any plans on confronting Joshua about this?" Alex asked, looking at the far distance.

The melancholic ambiance of the situation made the atmosphere lonely. There was a tugging feeling of loneliness, creaking up the door to sanity. Anxiety lingered in the background and pain etched closer and closer into the hearts of Alex and Cale. Both were troubled. Cale sighed exasperatedly.

"I don't think so. I'm so scared at the moment."

"The Cale McKinstry? I knew you'd be scared. You don't have to tell me twice." it was in the form of a tease. Alex wanted to make the situation lighter.

It was too gloomy for Alex's liking. Their lives have always been a rollercoaster ride. Money is involved in everything, even in the hearts of people.

"Oh, shut up. Aren't you the same? Scared of your dad." Cale wasn't going to back down after being ridiculed by Alex. Their friendly banter was back again and Alex could feel a sense of loosening up from Cale.

"Unlike you, I'm actually doing something about it." Alex smirked, provoking the already provoked Cale. Cale cleared his throat, looking away, guilty as charged.

"I'm still hurt, okay? It's still fresh. Give me a day or two and I'll do something about it." Cale reasoned out.

"Psh, you think you have a day? The man is already flying here. What makes you think that you have a day, huh? You know how that man moves. As fast as lightning when it comes to the people he likes."

Cale couldn't provide any counter to the statement. He knew that Alex was right. He hated how Alex was always right. It had always been like that, even before. Whatever Alex said was always the truth or what would eventually happen. It was as if Alex's words were the truth itself.

"I hate how you're so right." Alex smirked and crossed their legs.

"Of course I am. You lack knowledge and you're kind of tactless, so don't even wish to become like me." it was a double-edged sword for Alex.

It was because of that that they were so cautious of everything. Every little step needed evaluation and how it would play out. Alex was so picky when the time came, if necessary.

"Oh, shut the hell up.You're still stuck, the same as me."

Alex turned serious, and decided to just go for it.

"Why did you guys break up?" Cale took a minute to recollect himself.

"Even I don't know why. Joshua just called me one day and told me that he wanted to break up."

Alex could already think of countless reasons why Joshua would call out of nowhere and ask for a break-up. Alex may be overthinking things, but one of the things that Alex was thinking about was right. They wanted to list it out, but decided against it. They think that Cale doesn't even have the slightest idea of such horrid things.

Cale was so innocent, so pure still that he wasn't smudged with the world's dark truths. That was why Alex and Cale differed. Alex was so exposed to too many hard pills to swallow. Listing and verbalizing every possible thing could result in Cale thinking that he was being inconsiderate.

"You didn't ask why?" Cale looked at Alex with a blank stare, saying 'are you seriously asking me that?'.

"I camped outside their house to ask for the reason, but even his mom wouldn't let me in." Alex nodded, feeling stupid for even asking.

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Alex sighed.

"I didn't die, okay? Why are you saying sorry?"

"Your love died right there." Cale rolled his eyes at Alex.

Cale stood up and stretched, a smile was already on his lips. He felt light and heard. He didn't believe that the hostile Alex listened to him and came to talk to him. He liked to believe that Alex had come to where he was to be there for him. They were still friends by heart.

"Thanks, man. It helped." Alex looked away, not wanting to admit that they still had a soft spot for Cale.

"Pft, I just wanted some fresh air, but you were here so I guess it can't be helped." Cale giggled and nodded his head.

"Well, I had better head out and chase the man of my dreams. You should go to where Gevia is. Help me out."

Alex stood up as well.

"Alright." Alex wasn't going to pass up the opportunity to comfort Gevia. It was a chance that Alex wouldn't pass up.

Both Alex and Cale went to find Gevia and Joshua. Alex remembered that they had stayed inside their classroom, so they went to Alex's classroom and found Joshua and Gevia still sitting there with an awkward silence. Alex came inside first, since Cale was still having a hard time approaching Joshua.

Gevia was still thinking of the worst-case scenario. She couldn't speak up her mind. She was still too guilty for her to talk. She took away her own right to talk to Joshua. She thinks that Joshua won't want to be friends with her anymore, now that she's basically ruined his life. Joshua has his own fame now, and it won't be a while before it dies down.

She fidgets with her slender fingers, connecting her own thoughts with another. She wasn't aware of her surroundings, and that the class had ended. She was in too deep in her own world of blame.

I bet Joshua is blaming me right now. Gevia couldn't help but think to herself.

Joshua was, and is still, thinking of the same thing. He didn't want it to happen again. He was already so done with Cale's people and now Zack's people were adding themselves to the list. He didn't know where to start ranting. Joshua gritted his teeth, angrily hissing at himself.

It wasn't that he was attracting the wrong crowd, he was the wrong crowd. They were socially and economically at the top of the food chain, while Joshua was at the bottom. Those that watched their love story unfold judged them by their social status in life. Openly discussing it about how they weren't meant for each other as their standing were at each end of the social pyramid.

"Can I borrow Gevia for a second?" Alex tapped Joshua's shoulder to snap him out of his thoughts. Joshua slowly looked up at Alex and remembered what Cale said about Alex's dad and how he was going to kill Gevia if ever Alex was going to pursue Gevia.

That memory gave Joshua a push. They were talking about death while he was talking about others' opinions. There was nothing he could do if people thought about him like that. He can't change the opinions of others, but he could do something about how he handles the situation. He wasn't going to allow anyone to drag him down. Deep into the depths of hell.

Alex showed him the way just by appearing right in front of him. The tightness around Joshua's chest disappeared slowly, allowing him to breathe easier.

"Yes, of course." he looked at his friend and saw the guilt written all over her face, making him feel bad. He was so selfish to disappear when he was beside Gevia.

Joshua gave Gevia a pat on the shoulder, snatching Gevia's attention. Gevia looked like she was about to cry.

"Alex came for you." Gevia sluggishly nodded before standing up.

Alex grabbed Gevia's bag and proceeded to wait outside the classroom. They nudged Cale, saying that it was his time to shine and go sweep Joshua off of his feet. Cale's heart was still beating fast, nervous of what would happen. He still remembers turning his back and leaving when he saw Joshua getting off the chopper.

"Gevia, I'm okay." Joshua said to Gevia with a genuine smile. It touched Gevia's heart and gave Joshua a bear hug. Joshua hugged back and with the same intensity to let Gevia know that he wasn't going anywhere without her.

"You have fun with Alex." Gevia nodded before walking away and reuniting with Alex outside the classroom.

"Gevia," the captain said, and Gevia acknowledged his presence by nodding at him.

"You better make this count." Alex whispered to Cale.

Cale knew what he was asking from Alex. It was a very risky thing to ask for. He was asking Alex to risk Gevia's life for help. If someone saw Alex and Gevia together, words would eventually enter Alejandro's proximity. Even though Cale knew all of that, he was still not willing to risk this opportunity.

When Alex and Gevia were already far away, Cale inhaled deeply and went inside the classroom. Joshua was stretching to make his mind even clearer. He huffed, and turned around with a smile on his face. But once Joshua saw the captain, his smile faded and he was reminded of what they were.

"Captain," Joshua calmly said before grabbing his bag and going to the door. When Joshua suddenly felt a hug from behind him.

Cale's warmth knocked into Joshua's heart. Cale tightened his lock onto Joshua's body, not willing to let go.

"Say my name." air got locked into Joshua's throat. He couldn't even utter his name. It was as if a sacred name for a commoner like him to say. Feeling that he would ruin the name if he called it out using his voice.

"Let me go, captain."

Pain shot through Cale's heart, piercing it into a million pieces.

"Is everything already over, Joshua?" Joshua didn't want to say anything. Their hearts were screaming in pain at the same time.

"Captain, I thought we were friends."

"But I don't want to be friends!" Cale shouted, burying his head into the crook of Joshua's neck. Cale could feel himself tearing up. He wanted to stay like that. Feeling Joshua's presence gave him both pain and peace.

"Captain, you're being unreasonable." Joshua pried Cale's embrace away from his body before proceeding to the door.

Joshua tightly closed his eyes shut before pursing his lips. He mustered whatever courage was left inside him and turned around, almost instantly regretting it.

"Let's be friends."