Colliding Rulers

Report (1)

Third Person's P.O.V

The sports event was slowly approaching. Everyone was looking forward to that. Teenagers cheering for their beloved MVPs. Inter-schools clashing together to get that championship trophy. The sports event is a two-week event. The first week is for the competition inside the school and then the second week is for the competition for schools.

Joshua was particularly ecstatic to finally see the person he had wanted to see for a very long time. He didn't have a reason to see that person because of circumstances that he could not mention. Joshua was feeling fidgety. He kept on seeing that person but he didn't have the guts to try and talk to that person. Although he knew that that person would have kept on looking at him if ever their paths crossed, neither of them were strong enough to try and strike up a conversation.

"Are you okay?" Gevia asked.

There was also something that Joshua noticed in Gevia. Gevia was more civil now. She hasn't been a problem, unlike in the first few years. Joshua could sense that something had happened to cool down Gevia's temper. The sudden change in Gevia's personality was a surprise, not only to Joshua, but also to everyone else.

Gevia would notice if Joshua wasn't okay and she would ask if he was okay. She would offer rides to Joshua, but Joshua would politely decline the offer. Joshua was still shy when it came to Gevia. He didn't want to seem like he was taking advantage of Gevia's money and kindness. He knew what his classmates and schoolmates were talking about behind their backs. It wasn't exactly pleasing to the ears, but Joshua didn't want to prove them right by distancing himself away from Gevia.

"Yes, I'm alright. You? Are you okay? You seem light these days." Gevia's eyebrows met each other, confused as to what Joshua was talking about.

"What do you mean?" Joshua chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't mind me. We still have that report to do." Gevia nodded her head, almost forgetting about that.

She felt bad that she was enjoying her time and that she had forgotten about the report. She innately slapped herself. She was leaving her academics behind because of what had been happening.

"Where do you want to do it?" Gevia asked.

Joshua feels bad that he's been declining Gevia's kind offer of giving him a ride home. He knew that Gevia's intentions were real and that it was only his mind playing tricks on him. Why should he listen to his classmates' opinions when it's only Gevia's that matters? As long as Gevia doesn't think that he's a gold digger, then everything else is nonsense.

"Gevia," Joshua's cheery tone changed into a more serious one, attracting Gevia's attention.

"What is it? Why the sudden name- what?" Gevia hugged herself, bracing herself for what Joshua might say to her.

"Do you think I'm a gold-digger by sticking with you? I can immediately distance myself if that's what you think."

There was no point in beating around the bush. That wasn't Joshua's style. Joshua believed that the more frank, the more easy it is to accept whatever it was. The more instant the pain; the truth, the faster it would dissipate. Joshua braced for the truth, ready to listen to what Gevia might have to say.

But all he got was Gevia laughing at him. Gevia was laughing obnoxiously. Joshua tilted his head to the side, unsure of what to think. He waited until Gevia stopped laughing, but it took a moment before it ended.

"Why were you laughing?"

"Oh, please. Are you underestimating my ability to logically analyze things?" Joshua blinked a couple of times.

"Huh?"

"If you were a gold-digger, you would have accepted my offering of free food. You would have asked me to give you a ride home and you would frequent my house if that was the case."

"What if, what if all of that was scripted? And me asking this would make it seem like it will make you think that this isn't scripted?"

"Woah, slow down." Gevia chuckled.

Joshua hadn't realized that he was rapping, forgetting to put in breaths in between certain phrases. He was heaving when he was done talking, catching up the unbroken breaths.

"Look, I would know. I've been there. You think I haven't had my fair share of gold diggers? Don't worry. I don't see you as one, okay? You just calm down. Are you worrying about what others might think?"

Gevia placed a comforting hand on Joshua's back. It soothed Joshua's worry and anxiety. He started to calm down and breathe normally. Gevia's soothing gesture made Alex very jealous. The glare from afar could be felt, but Gevia decided to be oblivious to the stare.

"No. I just think that maybe you're too kind to push me away." Gevia laughed again.

"Since when was I kind?"

"I don't know- wait, what's that? I feel like someone's staring."

Joshua looked around, trying to find that particular stare, and found Alex glaring at him menacingly. He felt shivers run down his spine. He knew that Alex liked Gevia, but not to the point of Alex being territorial.

She can glare like that already and they're not even an item yet. Crazy. Joshua thought to himself. But it made him smile. Alex was sweet to everyone, but a foe to Gevia. Joshua thinks that Gevia doesn't know that. Someone capable of liking so much to the point of glaring at someone who gets close to their desired ones. Alex won't do anything to him, Joshua knows.

"Oh, that's probably just my haters, and now yours too." Gevia made up an excuse.

"Right, yeah. I forgot that you were popular. Anyway, these past few days, you just seem like you've settled down a bit, you know, a bit more calm than before." Gevia nodded her head, not even denying what Joshua said.

Even Gevia noticed that.

"That is so true. Gosh, right? I don't know. Life seems to be a bit more bearable now." Gevia shrugged it off, playing it cool so that Joshua wouldn't get the hint of Gevia and Alex hooking up from time to time.

Now that I remember, I've never really properly kissed Alex back. Gevia thought to herself. She felt proud that she could hold herself back from kissing Alex. Knowing how tempting Alex's lips were.

"I see. And to answer your question, I've just been worried that you might think-"

"Joshua, don't even think about that for a second. If I don't like you, then I don't like you. I'm not a fake b***h. If I don't like something that you're doing, chances are that I'm going to be frank with you and tell you not to do it again." Joshua smiled happily, touched that Gevia was more than just a friend. Gevia was a true friend to him.

He felt like crying. His soul was touched by someone of higher status than him. He didn't know that someone would come to understand him and not see him as a peasant. Out of joy, Joshua hugged Gevia. Gevia hugged Joshua back, finally content that a small gap had been closed between them. Though Gevia knows that once Alex gets ahold of her, Gevia would be at her mercy.

"So, where do you want to do our project? Oh, wait, can we do it at my house now?" Gevia asked once the hug was broken.

Alex's stare continued, and even more heated at the moment. The hug made Alex's jealousy flare.

"Hmm, we could." Joshua smiled shyly.

"Alright. How does after-school sound?"

"Sure! Let me call my parents and we can go."

"You still call your parents?"

It was a new thing for Gevia. Her lifestyle had so much freedom that her father didn't even know what she was doing. Gevia made sure that there were no bodyguards following her around, otherwise her privacy would be non-existent. Gevia told her father how much privacy meant to Gevia and Dave understood. But Dave did put a tracker inside Gevia's clothes, just to make sure that Gevia was safe. After all, Dave and Gevia were famous for being the Mafia Boss and for being the Mafia Boss' only daughter.

"Yes, otherwise they'd scold me for not coming home as soon as school ends."

"Oh, I see. If you don't mind me asking, you're a scholar here?" Joshua nodded his head with a big smile on his face.

"Yes,"

"And how does that work?" Gevia was genuinely interested. Never has she ever done a thing in her life out of her own accord.

"Hmm, I just have to maintain my grades and that's it." Joshua purses his lips, trying to digest the fact that he was explaining how a scholarship works to his one and only friend.

The sudden realization of social hierarchy hit Joshua in the face. But it didn't hurt, unlike before. He had already accepted the fact that Gevia was rich and that he was poor.

"Isn't that hard? I even want to flunk." Gevia sighed.

"Oh? The great Gevia wants to flunk a grade?" Gevia nodded her head.

"Well, yeah. Isn't that part of being a student? I mean, I want to but I can't. That f*****g Samson needs to know her lesson." Joshua giggled, amused by how Gevia kept on cussing at Alex freely.

"Hmm, is that all?" Joshua asks, playing Gevia.

Gevia scoffed.

"Of course. That f*****g Alex can try and win, but she won't win that easily." Joshua laughed it off, silently thinking how adorable Gevia was being. Gevia wasn't able to hint at what Joshua was talking about.

"Alright, alright."

The two talked until it was already time for their classes. While in class, Alex kept on stealing glances at Gevia and Joshua. Alex couldn't help but feel threatened by Joshua again. The two seemed closer than before. Alex was already thinking of ways to make Gevia succumb to Alex's touch.

What to do? She's not even kissing me back. Alex thought to themselves.

"That's it for today."

The class was dismissed a bit earlier than expected.

"Let me go to the restroom first," Joshua told Gevia.

"Yeah, sure, go ahead." Gevia answered without looking at Joshua and kept on scrolling through her phone.

Joshua went to the restroom, and was not surprised to see Alex leaning on the wall next to the door. Joshua smiled internally and stopped in front of Alex. The height difference didn't even make Alex flinch. Alex's aura wasn't easily shrugged off.

"I know, and you're wrong." Alex didn't budge and kept on staring at Joshua.

Joshua sighed and took out his phone. He did a couple of swipes before showing Alex what was on his screen. Alex blinked a couple of times before looking back at Joshua.

"I see," Alex said before walking away.

"Go get your girl, tiger." Joshua said and waved at Alex.

Alex stopped walking and turned their head around and saw Joshua cheering them on. Alx smiled and waved back before walking away. Alex put their hands in their pockets as they walked until Alex disappeared.

"What a possessive demon," Joshua said to himself before he did his business and went back to Gevia.

"You took longer than I expected," Gevia said.

Joshua shrugged.

"Let's go?"

"Yeah, sure."