THE PRESIDENTIAL SON (English)

Chapter 2: MONDAY MORNING CEREMONY

(AYA)

THAT MORNING I practice harder than usual. I spike volleyballs, again and again, not stopping even when my muscles are aching. Trei’s face and his gaze keep on coming back to my mind and I want to get rid of it. Now that I am away from that office, so many questions are starting to bug me. 

Miss Anderson and Trei Daniels are in a relationship? How? Why? Since when? If my memory serves me right, he is just eighteen years old. And sure, that teacher is just in her early twenties but isn’t it against the rules for a student and a teacher to be together?

The image of the couple flashes in my head again. Miss Anderson sitting at her table. Trei standing between her spread legs. Even in that position, he was still more than a head taller than her. Not because miss Anderson is a small woman but because Trei is huge for his age. I know because I am five-ten, taller than all the girls and hundreds of boys in school. Yet he looks so much bigger than me in terms of height and body built. 

I took another ball and dribble it a few times. As I throw it in the air and ready myself for a serve the image of Trei with his unbuttoned school uniform flashes behind my eyes. The image takes me off guard and I fail to hit the ball properly. It hit the net. 

“You’re making mistakes more than usual, captain. That’s so not you.” 

I inhale sharply in surprise as I turn around. Standing at the main entrance of the gym is Millie St. James. She looks beautiful in her styled hair, light make-up, and perfectly fitted black and white with gold highlights school uniform. She looks like a fashion model but instead of choosing that path, Millie chose volleyball. She is our team’s starting setter and my best friend. 

I turn to fully face her. “What are you doing here? The ceremony is starting right?” 

She straightens and began to walk toward me. “That was why I am here. Let’s go together.”

“Uh, no thanks.”

She stops in front of me and puts her hands on her hips. “Aya. We only have months until we graduate from senior high school. You haven’t attended the opening ceremony like ever.”

“I had. Once.”

Millie narrows her eyes at me. She’s trying to look fierce but she still looks angelic to me. I can also smell her expensive perfume. Meanwhile, I am already soaking with my sweat. My face feels hot so I am sure I look like a tomato at that moment. Most of all I probably smell bad. 

Sweat threatens to fall from my brows so I grab the hem of my outer shirt, lift it to my face and wipe my sweat. 

Millie sighs in frustration. “I told you to use a towel when you are drying yourself and stop lifting your shirt. This is why your fans are always ogling you during practice.”

I laugh and shake my head as I let go of my shirt. “They watch me because I am a good player. Besides, I have a sports tank top inside my shirt. They won’t see anything I don’t want them to see.” 

Millie rolls her eyes. “Fine. Let yourself believe that you are an unattractive volleyball geek. Anyway! Come on, let’s go to the opening ceremony. I want to show you someone.”

I tense. “Who?” 

Millie smiles mischievously. “Someone I like.” Then she grabs my hand and pulls me toward the entrance. “Come on. It’s already halfway done.”

“I’m so sweaty!”

“No time for you to change. Besides you’re hot when you are sweaty Aya,” Millie says. She even dares to wink at me. I sigh and let her drag me away from the gym. 

The open-spaced area is already filled with students when we arrive. We stay at the back, meters away from the other students. Against my will, my eyes dart to the stage. Miss Anderson is currently talking through the microphone, reminding the students of the school activities that will happen for this week. But the girls are not paying attention to her. They are all craning their necks, looking past the teacher and to the line of occupied chairs at the back. 

After a while, miss Anderson ends her speech and calls in the next and last speaker: Trei Daniels.

He is wearing his black blazer with gold linings, the insignia of Golden Cross on the breast pocket. His hair is brushed up and styled. Not a single lint and wrinkle on his school uniform, even though he was doing something inappropriate with a teacher just an hour ago. He looks like a model student with a face so beautiful it actually hurts to look at him. 

The students buzz with excitement. Everyone is looking at him as he stands and walks toward miss Anderson. She gives the microphone to him and I notice that even though the teacher stares up at him with adoration in her eyes, he doesn’t spare her a single glance. Instead, he focuses on the students in front of him. 

Trei smiles. The girls swoon. I wince. His smile looks kind, confident, and charming. Yet my mind conjures his facial expression when I saw him inside miss Anderson’s office. I remember the cruel glint in his eyes when our eyes met. Who is the real Trei? That person I saw before or the student council president on that stage? I bet my scholarship it’s the former. 

The moment Trei began to speak, the whole student population quiet down. Everyone is all ears to what he has to say. I am actually surprised because all my high school life I thought the students are worshiping him because he looks like a God. But now that I see him on that stage, commanding the whole school with his calm but authoritative voice, I realize Trei Daniels is more than just his physical appearance. No wonder he won as student council president thrice in a row. 

I realize I am staring at him too much when Millie jabs my side with her elbow. “Aya, are you listening to me?” my best friend hisses. 

I blink and glance at her. “I do.” 

She arches her one brow. “I don’t think so.”

I sigh. “Fine. I’m sorry I zoned out. What were you saying?” 

“I am trying to show you the guy I am interested in.” Millie points toward the direction of the stage. She smiles as if trying to resist a giggle. 

I don’t know why but my hands suddenly got cold and my stomach twisted in a knot. Is she talking about the person currently speaking on stage? 

“Who?” I ask. My voice sounds weary to my ears. I’m sure she noticed that because she looks at me funny. Thankfully she decides not to comment about it. Instead, she hugs my arm and motions me to look at the stage. “There! Look,” she whispers.

I swallow and look ahead. 

“He’s so handsome I can feel his appeal and charisma from him,” Millie mutters dreamily. Then she sighs. “Just what should I do for him to notice me?” 

I am staring at Trei Daniels who now has a polite smile on his face. He looks kind at that moment.

“He’s not a good person, Millie,” I say aloud before I can stop myself. 

Millie looks at me. Surprise flashed in her eyes. “What are you talking about? Do you know Zero?”

I blink. “Zero?” 

“Yes, Zero. The guy I am telling you about.”

My mouth hangs open. “Who?” 

She urges me to look at the stage again and points to someone. “There, sitting at the back. Next to our school principal. He is the vice president of the student council and Trei Daniels’ best friend. His name is Zero Suarez. His family is one of the owners of Luxe Verde.”

“Oh.” I finally see the man she is talking about. Zero Suarez is indeed handsome. Like Trei, he looks amazing in his complete school uniform. His physical features don’t really register to me since the only thought that keeps on playing in my head is that Millie is not talking about Trei Daniels. She is not in love with Trei. 

A relieved sigh escapes my lips. Wait. Why do I feel relieved? 

“Too bad he is so aloof. Rumors say that he hates girls,” Millie says in a disappointed tone.

I try my best to focus on her. “Oh, he likes boys?” 

Millie shakes her head. “I don’t mean it like that. He’s straight but he hates girls. A woman-hater. No one knows why but he rejects everyone who confessed to him. I want to get to know him. But I don’t dare to approach him, you know. So now I am just trying to be content watching him from afar.” 

“Oh.” I glance back at the stage. But for some reason instead of looking at Zero, my eyes go to Trei Daniels. He is already wrapping up his speech. 

“How about the student council president?” I ask before I can stop myself. 

“Huh? Trei? What about him?” 

“Is he like Zero who hates women? Or does he like younger or older than him?”

“Why are you curious?” Millie asks suspiciously. 

I shrug. “I’m not really curious. I’m just trying to keep our conversation going.”

I can still feel Millie’s stare but she answers, “I have no idea. I’ve been to the same school as Trei since kindergarten. Our parents are friends but I don’t really know him well. The adults love him so much because he is Mr. perfect. You know, smart, polite, well-mannered and all that. When it comes to people his age Trei is approachable but I don’t know if it’s just me but I noticed he has this subtle way of keeping his distance from everyone.” 

“Hmm.” That’s the only reaction I can muster. I honestly don’t know what to say about that. Most of all, I don’t want to feed my curiosity any more than necessary. 

I am still staring at Trei’s face when he suddenly tilts his head and shifts his gaze. I tense when I felt like our eyes met. But that’s impossible, right? There are thousands of students here. There is no way our eyes will meet in this crowd – 

Trei stops talking. His eyes narrow and something akin to recognition and irritation stains his beautiful face. Those emotions are just there for a second before he schools his expression again. He becomes amicable again as he continues to talk. 

“Lastly, as a reminder to all the students of Golden Cross, there are places in this school that are restricted to other students due to various reasons. Don’t wander around early in the morning and don’t stay too late inside the campus unless necessary. This is to protect the order and safety of all the students.”

I suddenly feel like a strong hand is twisting my insides. My heart almost jumps out of my chest. Trei’s eyes never stray away from me as he says that. It’s as if he is telling me that he doesn’t forget what happened in miss Anderson’s office. My face heats up but I don’t look away. I don’t want him to think that he intimidates me because he does not.

He ends his speech and gives the microphone back to miss Anderson. He stays standing there for a few seconds before he turns around and goes back to his seat. I blink and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. Wait, why am I so tense? He doesn’t intimidate me! 

“Aya.”

I startle when Millie calls my name. I look at my best friend and meet her suspicious gaze. I blink. “What is it?” I ask her as casually as I can.

She just keeps staring at me. I know her enough to know that there are questions on the tip of her tongue. But then she suddenly shakes her head and when she looks at me again the suspicion is gone from her eyes. “Nothing.”

I am secretly relieved that she dropped it. “Okay. I saw the guy you like now so can I go back to the gym? I need to shower and change to my uniform before our first subject.” 

She smiles. “Okay. I’ll go with you.” 

I give her a thankful smile. Then we turn our back from the stage and start to walk away. Suddenly a shiver ran down my spine as if someone is intently watching me. I am tempted to look back but I don’t. Not only because I think I am just being paranoid but because I don’t want Millie to find me suspicious again. I don’t think I will be able to tell her what I saw in that office this morning. 

In fact, I decided to forget about it. I will pretend I don’t know anything. This way I can come back to my normal life of studying and volleyball. I can come back to a life where I don’t care about the existence of Trei Daniels.