Twisted: This Instant

CHAPTER 3

[11:30am, Salvador College canteen-First day of Ren and Julia as a couple]

"Did you hear the news?"

"What is it?"

"Elize and Ren broke up! And now he is with Julia Perez!"

"Who???"

"Who is Julia Perez?"

[To: Ren

Let's break up f*cker. Now everybody wants to know who am I.]

Julia texted Ren since there's been an influx of students walking beside their classroom who are obviously checking who she is.

"Juls... are you sure with Ren??? There's other guys in our year that we can recommend..",Raya worriedly said to Julia. Meanwhile, Kisses is nodding in agreement to Raya.

Julia's phone vibrated.

[From Ren: But we've been together for only 3 hours, babe]

Julia rolled her eyes.

After 15 minutes of trying to reach the canteen, our heroine and her friends has arrived.

"Babe! What are you doing here? Aren't you injured? Do you want me to order your lunch?", Ren who was surprised to see Julia called her name out loud.

"What? You already have a new girlfriend?",Damian said. According to what Ren said in his numerous text messages to Julia that luckily Damian didn't have a concussion from the accident.

"Yeah, she's interesting.", Ren said while smirking. He then proceeded to go to where Julia and her friends are seated. Damian followed him looking puzzled.

"Why are you shouting?", Julia asked Ren who was already smiling.

"I'm actually planning to bring you a lunch but I guess it's fate that we met here instead.",Ren said.

The cousins can't help but squeel because even if they don't like Ren's image, they can't deny that he is handsome.

"*whistles* Chill, pretty boy. Since when did you like saying cheesy lines like that?", Damian said while looking flabbergasted.

"I mean, I can't stop it, because look at her disgusted face. It's so funny.", Ren said.

After a few round of teasing Julia, the newly formed group decided to get their lunch.

While eating, Aki approached their table looking grim.

"I was not able to let you off from the motor accident. You guys need to help in the garden later.", he said then then he sighed.

"Err... Sorry but it's really fine, Aki. Thanks for helping us.", Damian answered looking sorry for imposing on Aki.

"You're really dating this guy?", Aki suddenly asked Julia while pointing to Ren.

Julia was surprised that Aki talked to her that she suddenly hiccuped. She was about to nod when both Aki and Ren reached out a cup of water for her.

The two boys raised their eyebrows to each other.

Ren slightly coughed and Aki lowered his cup of water. Julia drank the water from Ren's cup.

"I guess...we are sort of dating?", Julia said suddenly sounding unsure.

"Hmm... I see..", Aki looked at both of them then he left.

"Another handsome guy! I'M THIS CLOSE TO FAINTING!",Kisses whisphered to Julia while hitting her with her elbow.

----

[1:00pm Room 410, East Building, Ren and Damian's classroom]

"Ren, how did you find her? She's so pretty!"

"And you look like you're completely in love this time!"

"It's my first time seeing Ren even make the first move!"

Ren just laughed at them and brushed them off. Damian also just laughed with how persistent their classmates was.

After a few minutes, their class started again.

[From Julia: Nice acting, do you think he is jealous?]

Ren just laughed at Julia's text message.

'Damian, jealous?', Ren thought to himself then he looked at Damian's direction.

Damian was not even bothered. He's even playing mobile games with their other classmates.

'Not happening, right?', Ren thought to himself.

[To Julia: hahaha, as if.]

-----

It was the end of their class for the day. Damian was about to leave when Ren pulled his collar.

"Where are you going? We need to help Aki in the garden right?", Ren asked Damian.

"What! Oh yeahhh, I completely forgot about it.", Damian said then he laughed while patting Ren's shoulders.

They where about to go down from their floor when one of their classmates started calling Damian.

"Hey! Damian! You took my calculator with youuu!! Give it back to me!!", their classmate, Cyan, shouted.

Damian immediately checked his bag and was surprised to see the calculator that he accidentally took. He returned it to Cyan.

Ren just raised his eyebrows and they went to the school garden.

When they arrived, Aki was already there pulling out the weeds.

"What took you so long? I thought I will finish the task they assigned to us by myself.",Aki said. He was not angry and he was obviously joking. Although other students are afraid of Aki, he is close to his own classmates and at the same time, they know how kind he is.

"Sorry Aki, Damian was really out of it. He forgot our call time and he even took Cyan's calculator.", Ren explained.

"What? Hmmm... Are you sad now that Ren has a 'real girlfriend'?", Aki teased Damian while giving him garden gloves.

Ren was surprised with what Aki said and he immediately looked at Damian's direction.

His eyes widen when he saw that Damian looks surprised. Aki was also surprised because of the silence so in order to break the ice, he tapped Damian's shoulder and said, "Wellll... It's not like you'll lose your friend?? Right, Ren? You will still hangout with him right?"

"Yes! Of course we will hangout. We're still going to my house this weekend, okay?", Ren followed up on Aki.

Because Aki is a fast-worker, they immediately finished weeding out the garden.

"It feels like Aki did the work for us... Should we treat him?", Damian whispered to Ren.

Ren who was surprised with Damian whispering to him, slightly blushed but since he was used to this, he immediately composed himself.

"Ah, don't worry about that. Someone already texted me that she will bring refreshments.", Ren said.

After 5 minutes, the person who came with the refreshments is none other than Ren's "girlfriend", Julia.

"Here, refreshments, and.....biscuits for you..", Julia shyly said while handing them their snacks.

"Woah... Thank you!", Damian said.

"Thank babe!", Ren loudly said and because of Julia's embarassment, she slightly punched his shoulder.

"Thanks... Ahh... This is an expensive drink... Can I send you the money for this?", Aki said.

Ren and Damian was surprised that the cheapskate Aki is offering to pay for their snack.

"No! No! Don't worry, Ren already paid me!" Julia assured him.

"I see..", Aki said then he even offered some of his food to Julia.

'This is a real gentleman! Unlike that Ren! How did that guy even get popular? He is a fake!' Julia thought to herself.

-----

Aki offered them to ride in their car. The group refused out of shyness and Damian said that he still had a tryout in soccer club. Ren was left with Julia and he offered to walk Julia up to the terminal. While walking, Ren told Julia what happened with Damian.

"Jealous?!? Isn't that a good sign!?", Julia said while hugging her bagpack that she placed in front of her. Julia still doesn't trust Ren.

"No.. Not really... Just like what Aki said.. What if he is just.. Concerned with our friendship..", Ren said.

"Yeah... That really happens..", Julia agreed.

It was an awkward walk with lots of bickering. When they parted, Julia thought to herself how she still can't understand how they can solve his problem. Her solutions are to either hide Ren's feelings or confess to Damian. The first solution is the most realistic but at the same time, it is also the most painful for Ren.

'Should I investigate Damian next? Why am I even bothering with this... It's not even my problem..', Julia said to herself. After all, because of the issues with her previous school and family... Forming connection is still hard for her. She is still trying to improve herself and to learn about other people too.