THE PRESIDENTIAL SON (English)

Chapter 8: UNEXPECTED TENSION DURING BREAKFAST

(Aya)

MISS ANDERSON is looking directly at Trei. Unlike when they were on stage during the Monday morning ceremony, her expression right now is more personal. She is not hiding the fact that she and Trei are close. Maybe because the cafeteria is almost empty and no one will care?

“What you think of is not necessarily the truth,” Trei answers. He sounds so indifferent and formal.

Miss Anderson tensed and I see the flash of hurt in her face before she schools her expression. She smiles. “Can you drop by my office after your breakfast? I have something to talk to you about.”

“I just checked the student council calendar an hour ago and there is nothing urgent in our agenda, right? Then we will just talk in next week’s Sports Fest meetings, miss Anderson.”

My eyes widen at Trei’s cold attitude. I feel the teacher’s tension and I am slightly afraid that she might slap him. I mean, if I am in her position I will definitely do it. He must have read my thoughts in my facial expression because he arches his brows at me.

“Your food will get cold. Start eating. We don’t have much time,” he tells me before grabbing his tall cup of black coffee.

“I was about to thank you for paying for me but I change my mind,” I grumble as I put a spoonful of rice and bacon in my mouth. The taste of food after not eating anything since last night is overwhelming that I almost moan.

I control myself so as not to show any reaction. After all, Trei is still staring at me while he is drinking his coffee.

“What’s going on here?” Miss Anderson suddenly asks.

I feel guilty because I almost forgot she is still there. That is how good the bacon tastes. I look up to see that her attention is now on me. Her expression is accusatory as if I am doing something that she finds offending.

“We are eating breakfast like any normal students can do in this cafeteria, miss Anderson,” Trei says dryly. “In fact, even the staff of the school and some teachers are here. And if you keep standing there they will notice and wonder why a teacher like you is here, ruining our breakfast.”

My eyes widen and I tighten my hold on my spoon and fork. Trei’s tone starts to change as he talks, from light and casual to dark and threatening. Even the way he looks at miss Anderson changed. It brings shivers down my spine. I glance up at the teacher who seems to be intimidated and hurt now. She looks at Trei’s face as if trying to find something in there. His humanity, probably. I don’t know if she found it but after a few seconds, she gives us a fake smile and said goodbye in a loud voice. She also reminds us about making sure we get to class on time like the perfect and caring teacher. Then she walks away.

I follow her with my eyes as I eat. Miss Anderson is not my teacher. My only direct encounter with her aside from today was when I rode the service van with her. “She is a complicated person, huh,” I comment aloud before I can stop myself.

“More like scheming and fake,” Trei answers with disinterest.

My gaze goes back to him. I observe his face. “Why are you like that? Why are you angry at her? Did she break your heart or something?”

He arches his brows. “She has nothing to break, Aya.”

Was he telling me that he doesn’t have a heart? Before I can ask, Trei continues, “She was using me and I was using her but I am tired of her now. She should get the hint. She’s not stupid.”

My mouth falls open. “You really… are on another level of rude, Trei Daniels.”

He doesn’t even look offended and just continues to drink his coffee. Annoyed, I eat my breakfast as fast as I can. I don’t know if he is competing with me or what but he finishes his coffee before I get to put the last spoonful of food in my mouth. We stand at the same time.

We have a stare down for a few seconds before I huff and grab the empty coffee cup from his hand. I put the cup in the tray together with the plate, glass, and utensils I used. “I’ll return these. You can just go ahead,” I say. I lift the tray and turn my back on him. I hesitate for a split second before I slightly turn to him. “Thank you for paying for my breakfast.”

He looks caught off guard, maybe because I look straight in his eyes. I don’t wait for his answer. I continue to walk away to return the tray. I don’t see Trei inside the cafeteria when I turn around. Instead, I catch miss Anderson’s sharp glare. She is sitting a few tables from the table Trei and I occupied. Her expression suddenly changes when she realizes I am looking at her. She smiles and even waves. I feel awkward so I just nod at her and quickly walk out of the cafeteria.

I am expecting that Trei already went back to the student council office without me. That is why I am surprised when I see him standing just outside the cafeteria. He is holding his phone and scrolling the screen, probably checking out his messages. For a moment I feel like my feet are nailed to the ground. I can’t move. I just look at him.

He really is taller than most boys in school. His body is wide and built like an athlete even though I know he spends most of his time inside the student council office, sitting on a swivel chair and basically ruling the whole student population. His black hair looks soft and wavy. His face is the type you will never forget once you see it. But more than all of his physical attributes, it is his commanding and intimidating aura that gives him the charisma that everyone falls over. His appeal is too strong, that even I who is usually indifferent with boys get drawn to him. Definitely against my will.

I frown, annoyed at myself for feeling this way when Trei suddenly turns my way. He arches his brow when he looks at my face.

“You are no longer hungry why do you still look like that?”

“Nothing. Why are you still here?” I answer as I walk toward him.

“Waiting for you, what else?”

“I told you to go ahead.”

“I did. I went outside the cafeteria,” Trei answers nonchalantly. He puts his phone inside his pocket and began to walk in the direction of where we came from. I follow him.

We only have a little more than one hour before the first class starts. It is no wonder that there are already numerous students walking around the campus. There are even a group of students hanging around the stone benches under the huge trees lining up the pathways between school buildings. Almost all of them turn to look at Trei as if he is some magnet that automatically attracts people no matter how busy or how far they are from him.

Unconsciously, I slow my step so we can have a huge distance between us. I let students stare at him with admiration. I don’t want to get in the way of their moment with him. I am busy trying not to look at Trei’s back when a group of girls call my name.

“Aya!”

I look and saw familiar faces. First years that always watch our afternoon volleyball practice. I smile at them and wave. They giggle and run towards me. I stop walking and face them.

“We always see you in your volleyball uniform this is the first time we saw you wearing our school uniform,” one girl says shyly.

I laugh. “Well, I am still a student just like all of you. I don’t look good in our school uniform, right? Most people say I look better in volleyball uniform.”

The girls shook their heads. “No, you still look cool! Like a model!” one girl tells me.

I smile at her. “Thank you.”

She blushes and giggles with her friends.

[So cute. I’m not that cute when I was in my first year of senior high. Well, I was never a cute girl, anyway.]

“Aya.”

My smile falls when I hear Trei’s loud and firm voice. I don’t know if it is just my imagination but it suddenly becomes quiet around us. Even the first years that I am talking to turn silent and look at him. I inhale deeply and finally turn to him too.

I didn’t notice that he stopped walking too. In fact, he is facing me. When our eyes meet he speaks again, “Stop chatting. Come here.”

The first years gasp. “You know the student council president?” one of them asks in a tiny voice.

I can feel a lot of eyes on me, probably waiting for an answer. I look at the first years apologetically, “Sorry, I have to go.”

“There is still volleyball practice later, right?”

“Of course.”

“We will watch, Aya!”

I smile. “Thank you.”

“Aya.”

I sigh when Trei calls my name aloud again. I glare at him. He doesn’t even flinch. I am tempted to call his name back but I remember his reaction when we were on the stairs. I don’t want to argue with him in front of the other students. So I just walk fast until I am in front of him. “What’s your problem?” I whisper harshly.

“Don’t walk behind me,” he says instead of answering my question. Then he turns his back on me and continues to walk. I have no choice but to walk on his side. It is so awkward, especially since I can feel the students gawking at us. The silence is replaced by murmurs.

I don’t like it, the murmurs. It sounds like a bad premonition.