Once Upon a Lie

Chapter 2

"You need to loosen up sometimes, Monica," and her adviser tapped her shoulder, "I know it's been hard for you,"

Monica did not know what to say. She stood there silently and smiled at her. It is not hard enough to describe her hellish life of struggling every day.

Her parents were involved in the accident of the collapse of Kale Bridge last month. She and her only brother are the ones left. If it were not for the insurance money left by her parents, she would have known how to go by day. She clenched her fist.

"Thank you. I will go now, Miss."

"Take care on your way home, Monica," and she smiled at her as if everything was all right. The sun is setting and his little brother soon needs to go to junior high school. But that money is not enough, with all the bills filling up.

"Monica, there you are!" Nikky giggled and grabbed her wrist. "We are going to have a study session in the house today! Would you like to come?" she gasped upon hearing that, but then she bit her lips.

"Well, you see, I have a prior engagement tonight, sorry," and created a peace sign.

"Awww that's too bad! You are our only hope in physics. Please help us!" Nikky pleaded and crossed the sign. Monica bit her lower lip to think.

"I'm really sorry, Nik---"

"We'll treat you to lunch tomorrow! I promise! Just come with us tonight!" Monica hesitated for a while but gave in later on.

"Hmmn, just for an hour..."

"Yesss!"

And so the two of them go straight to the house. Upon arriving, people who were struggling in academics welcomed her. They had a good time and she forgot about the time.

"Oh my gosh, I need to go now!" she said and stood up and looked at Nikky. "Your promise!" as she put her shoes on, rushing wherever she needed to go.

"Alright, take care!" and waved.

"Thank you for today!" said the students whom she helped with. She smiled and waved at them.

" Good luck for the quiz Tom!" and ran towards the station.

"Dang it, I lost track of time!" she said and kept looking at her phone for time when an unknown man bumped her and she dropped it, causing it to break.

"Oh, I'm sorry miss I did not---" and was about to help her when she glared at him with those scary expressions. He stopped. She silently picked her books that she was holding because she had to teach. He helped her.

"I'm really sorry," he said when she looked calm. Just a moment ago, she looked so spiteful and seemed in a rush. "If you want, I can treat you to a coffee to make it up---"

"It's alright, thanks!" she said cheerfully and got on the train. He watched as she rushed to the train door and got in.

'She was wearing the same uniform as I am.' he thought and smiled. "I'll see you again."

On the other hand, Monica does not have any other choice but to rush and run. She was thirty minutes late. She bit her lower lip. She really wanted to help her friends.

"I am sorry, but we cannot allow you to play..." said the organizer and, shaking her head at her.

"Please, I need to play! I am very sorry!" she pleaded and tried her best to enter the room.

"We are very sorry but we started thirty minutes ago," the organizer pitied her, but she cannot do anything too, because that is the rule, "We wish you luck next time."

"Wait a minute," someone interrupted, "Aren't you the second runner up last year in the Middle High Chess Tournament?" he asked and clapped his hands. Monica does not remember him so she knotted her forehead. She smiled.

"H- how did you know that?" she asked and blushed and was happy to see that someone remembered her.

"Because I was in third place! Don't you remember me?" he announced and grabbed her hand, "Coach, recruit her and let her play! She is good!" he said and smiled at her.

"I- I am not..." and feel shy because of his description.

"Oh come on! Don't be like that!" as if they were close, he vouches for her so that she can play.

Because of him, she was able to participate in the game. The elimination is short as this was a one-time event, and she won four times in a row, making her the challenger.

"I told you she was that good!" he said and smiled at her like a child, "You can do it, 2nd place!" she smiled upon hearing that. She cannot relax as she wanted to because she was late, but right now she is trembling so badly anticipating the next match. And it would be the finals.

'Right... I did not even get his name,' she thought to herself, 'After this match, I'll be sure to ask him!'

Not long after, she is facing a very handsome man in front of her. He looks cold, and she thinks he is better off doing some sports. His eyes are little, and he is so pale and thin.

"Uhmn... good luck," she said and he did not even smile.

'So cold!' she thought but flinched when he suddenly extended his hands to her and, say, "Let's have a good match."

Her opening is a queen's gambit, she is playing white. His demeanor is cold also. It's like she is playing with the wall.

"Uhh..." she tried to start up a conversation. She did not know what he was thinking, so she kept tapping her fingers. She is good at chess and, more so, her opponents always give away their moves. But he was very different.

"Where are you from? This is my first time seeing you in a chess competition," she said as she moved another chess piece. He looked up at her.

"I got dragged here." She thought he would not answer but he did, although it was still cold.

"Oh, I see," she said, because the atmosphere turned awkward again. She looked up and saw his beautiful features, although it was like he was made of ice. Then in the middle of the game, someone walked up in the room and he froze. He looked up at him and she noticed a familiar figure wearing a basketball jersey.

"Someone you know?" she asked and looked too.

"The time is running contestants," and the host smiled at them. And a moment of silence enveloped the two of them. The contest remained.

"Do you live here?" she gulped when he suddenly struck up a conversation.

"Yes, eight- no, nine blocks away,"

"Must be near." and turned his face into his cold expression again.

"What about you?" she asked and got a chuckie from her bag, "Here's a chocolate drink. You must be thirsty." she did not know if he was happy or not, but his expression was like asking himself if he was going to accept it or not.

"I'm not..." but then Monica grabbed a biscuit from her bag.

"You are growling so just take it," she said on and put it on his desk. They can have a working break.

"Thanks," and smiled at her. She was... she cannot explain it. He was very handsome. Then his phone rang.

"No phone calls," Monica said, because they can eat and drink during the match as it was exhausting, but they cannot take phone calls or use their phones as they can use could to cheat. She smiled.

"Then I'm sorry I'm gonna drop off the match." He said, stood up, grabbed his things and walked away.

"Hey, wait!" she tried to stop him but the organizers had announced that the match had been forfeited and she would participate in the finals.

"Damn it, he was so good!" she bit her lips and relaxed a little. "I wonder if I can meet him again?" she asked and giggled.

"Hey, you are here again?" Katekyo grinned at her with that arrogant expression of his with his disciples. He is a self-proclaimed gangster who is a member of a known gang in the area. His looks are good too, but he is too childish.

"I don't have time for you, Katekyo," and Monica rolled her eyes before turning back to him. He smirked.

"Just you wait... I'll crush you in the finals." Monica smirked at his remark that she could not help it but grin while walking away.

"Keep dreaming," she knew that he had not been a finalist and waved at him to see the basketball match for a while.

After a while, the final match arrived. It was so intense that she could feel everyone's gaze around her.

"You're lucky that Hiro has retired from participating," she said and rolled her eyes, "To think that I need to fight you,"

"Don't be so cocky," and grinned, "You might end up crying later." but she did not mind it and waved while walking away. She has so many things in her mind that she does not want to waste her time on him.

"Where did he go?" she asked herself because her opponent forfeited. "Strange. He was almost at the finals, I almost lost to him but he disappeared with just a phone call?"

" Finalists in the Chess Competition please come to the assembly hall right now. I repeat. Finalists in the chess competition please come to the assembly hall right now."

"Oh, it's time already."

The moment she came back, Katekyo was there and behind him were two underlings.

'Tss. He is rich already. Why does he need to participate in tournaments like this?' she thought in her mind and looked at the arrogant katekyo.

"Are you ready to lose?" he asked in a mocking expression with which she laughed off.

"Mind your own business, Katekyo," and she rolled her eyes.

"Hahahaha!" and he laughed, "I sure am minding one."

"Enough with that and focus on the match," and that man stared seriously at him.

"Tss!"

But what she did not know was that it was one of his henchmen. And the winner of this game has already been decided.

'Damn it! How did he become this strong?!' she asked herself when she was put in a difficult situation. She was losing.

"haha! I just admit defeat already!" he said and she glared at him and kicked him under the table.

"In your dreams!" she said and tried to move her king away. Katekyo had taken last year's match to his heart that he had prepared for this moment for so long. Everyone is looking at them.

So, Katekyo is prepared and was what she was going to do next.

"Checkmate,"

"I can't believe this!" Monica said and clenched her fist. "It's a stalemate!"

"Yeah right," and Katekyo stood up, "But I still have one move. So..." he smiled with the most annoying smile of his.

"Argh!"

Monica could not accept the fact that she lost him that she was gnashing right now.

'My 150 dollars!!!'

"And the winner is Katekyo...!!!" and she could not contain her frustrations cry but then she could not help but cry. It feels like her pride has been stomped down and she badly needed another source of money to get away from this year's debt.

'My money! That is supposed to be mine!' she said and she looked so wasted and cried her heart out. Because she would never let anyone know she was crying over a game, or even in the face of Katekyo!

"That bastard!" she thought to herself when suddenly she heard a thug and looked back to see a familiar face.

“Who’s there?!” Monica felt the rush in her body. She could tell that it was not good that someone looked at her.

“I- I’m sorry I did not mean to---”

“You will never tell anyone about it,” she said and pointed at his chest, “If you do, I will really kill you.” and she knew his name. She had seen them in school but did not really see him personally.

***

The next day, Monica could feel her blood drain from her. It was hard enough to lose both her parents at a young age, and their insurance money was not enough. But that will not stop her from striving for something more.

"The Foundation day of St. Ishiyama High School is near. We are asked to do and set up our own booth!"

"There will be outsiders. We need to make this look perfect!"

"So what should our class do?"

*knock knock*

The door opened with the teacher and a new student.

"All right, settle down now and you can continue doing that later," the teacher asked. Monica, who is sleepy, can barely open her eyes. The teacher put her things on the table, then later on.

"Good morning miss!"

"Good morning class. Here is Mr. Shawn Rowschire. He will be joining us for next semester. Please treat him well."

"Oh my gosh he is so handsome!"

"Kyaaah!" and the class was so active because of that.

"Where would you like to sit?" and the room does not have enough empty seats, and the only one is the seat beside Monica, who is sleepy in the back.

"It seems that there is only one empty seat left. I shall go with that," he said politely.

"Oh sure!"

"Monica is so lucky to have a Mr. Shawn sat beside her," and because of that, the sleeping Monica was caught by Miss Myrna.

"Ms. Fernandez!" Ms. Myrna had shouted and she had snapped from her deep sleep only to stand up in class.

"Yes, miss?!" she asked and the whole class laughed. Shawn was looking at her and smiled.

"You never fail to amaze me," he whispered, and no one heard it.

And Miss Myrna put a palm on her forehead again. It was such a lively morning for everyone.