Before After

CHAPTER V

Chapter V     

Sealed

“THE competition will be held two months from now,” explained Miss Birner to Wendy and Kaiser, the three of them alone and isolated in the teacher’s office. “Two months may be a long period of time. But no amount of time will ever be sufficient to prepare. Remember, our goal here is to win. Bring home the bacon. I was informed that Crawfordsville High has been the champion for two consecutive years now, with you Kaiser, as our representative. And everyone’s expecting us to bring home the championship again this year.”

            Wendy’s gaze shifted from Miss Fate to Kaiser. And there was that emotionless face of Kaiser again. They were seated at the chairs in front of Miss Fate’s table, facing each other. And from that place, Wendy had a clear perspective of Kaiser. Now, she realized that he was becoming less of that guy who saved her in the street. He was not that guy with that boyish grin. And that was intriguing her. Was that guy with a boyish grin part of this cold, emotionless emperor in front of her? Was that a trick? What was superficial and what was profound in him? All these questions were bombarding her mind.

            “You’ll start reviewing today. Every after class, the two of you have to stay for extra two hours for the review. Kaiser, I want you to brief Wendy about all these. You’re the pro in here,” directed Miss Birner.

            Wendy blinked twice, her thoughts returning to her real predicament. ‘Review after class. The two of us.’ She couldn’t believe what she just heard. She was flabbergasted, too appalled. It felt like her universe collided with his. And she had no idea what that collision would mean.

            Kaiser just nodded without much effort, which caught Wendy’s attention again. It was as if this was boring him to death. And that disturbed Wendy. She had not seen anyone so uninterested with something as Kaiser. She thought it was unhealthy.

            Her thoughts were suddenly distracted when Miss Fate gave her a science book. She took it absentmindedly and didn’t pay attention to it. The science teacher also showed them a tall pile of science books, but she didn’t mind.

            “Start reading now guys. I’ll come back later to check up on you. I’m gonna ask you questions so be ready.” And with that, Miss Birner was out of their sight.

            An uncomfortable moment of silence took place. It seemed perpetual. The only manifested noise in that room was the ticking clock. Wendy couldn’t even breathe properly, fearing that it would disturb the silence Kaiser seemed to impose—an implicit rule between them that shouldn’t be broken. That was the feeling he was capable of making someone feel. He was that intimidating.

            Slowly, Kaiser’s bored brown gaze found hers. And that was when she realized that she had been staring at him all this time. She flushed a little at that thought, feeling ashamed. She wanted to take her eyes off him but she couldn’t. There was something so powerful and drawing in his gaze that made her clung to it. His gaze was pressuring her, but her eyes couldn’t seem to get away from this little staring game they were making.

            Kaiser inched a little closer, and automatically, she moved her head a little backward. The awkwardness she felt increased to a higher degree she didn’t think she’d ever feel.

            “W-why are you… staring at me?” finally, she managed to ask although stammering. She felt her throat dry.

            Kaiser moved closer, c*****g his head to look at her from a new angle. And she thought she saw a glint on his eyes. Was he amused? Was he irritated? Kaiser was killing her!

            “I think I should be the one to ask you that, Miss Kirst. Why are you staring at me?”

            His voice felt new to her. This was the first time he ever talked to her again after their first and last conversation the first day of classes. And it made her heart thump louder and faster. Was she nervous? Was she afraid? She couldn’t even decipher what she was feeling at the moment.

            Finally, she was able to get herself out of that trance of staring at him. She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him, trying to compose herself.

            “Well, you can breathe.”

            That was when she realized that she was actually holding her breath. She flushed right there, she knew. Drawing a deep breath, she shut her eyes tighter. She imagined her inner self pulling her own hair because of frustration.

            She opened her eyes when she was a little calmer. Then, she faced him with a more determined look. “It’s because you’re staring at me, too.”

            Kaiser’s lips twitched a little, but she couldn’t say if he smiled. “It was you who looked at me first.”

            “No!” she countered defensively.

            Kaiser’s face went blank for a second. But then, he just grinned. She was taken aback. How could he suddenly change his expressions?

            “You’d never back down, would you, Miss Kirst, huh?”

            She had noted the intonation of his voice, but she couldn’t tell if he was amused or pissed with the tone he just used. But with his word choice, it seemed to her that he was threatening her. Instinctively, her brows shot up. She just couldn’t take this anymore.

            “So you’re putting me in my place now. Is that what you’re trying to do, Mr. Aldeguer?” She spoke in a tightened resolve, her teeth gnashed and her fist clenched. Suddenly, the picture of the poor nerdy girl weeping on the floor flashed on her mind. “What? Are you going to make them bully me too, just like what you let them do to that poor nerdy girl who spilled something on your expensive shoes?” She glared at him. She forced a laugh. “Really? Is that your way of making others feel that they’re inferior to you? Seriously, are you a kid? Don’t you know you’re ruining lives because of what you’re doing to other people? Oh please, grow u—“

            Her sentence was cut short when she felt Kaiser’s powerful hands seized her shoulders and squeezed it tight. The next thing she knew was that he was too near that his nose was almost touching hers. She was appalled, baffled, speechless, and unable to move. She thought that the only organ that was left working in her body was her heart, which was beating shamelessly loud. She was nervous, no doubt.

            “What are you doing?” She hissed when her reasoning kicked in. “Are you gonna hurt me? Punch me? Beat me?” She pushed him hard to free herself from his hold, but he was strong. She felt her chair moved because of the exchange of coercion, but it didn’t seem to bother him.

            “Let go of me, you moron! You’re unfathomable! You’re unbelievable! Is this how low—“

            Silence. Stillness and only silence. It seemed to her that seconds took forever. Her knees got jelly, and she felt too incompetent, too weak.

            Slowly, he felt his lips part from hers. But she could still feel the warmth he left. That warmth spread—draining her, shutting off her natural body functions. Now she was unable to breath, to move, even to blink an eye.

            “I don’t like noisy girls,” he said, too close that she could feel his breath on her cheeks. The warmth of his minty breath froze her more. “But you’re an exemption.”

            Kaiser moved away, taking steps backward before fully turning his back at her. She was left there—physically, but her psyche, her soul, her everything, was thrown to some far galaxy yet explored.

            ‘That was your first kiss.’ Her inner self told her in a matter-of-fact way. And slowly, realization came in. ‘That was my first kiss!’ And then, her psyche, her soul, her everything, came into a revolution. ‘That was my first kiss!’

            Her hands automatically pulled the nearest concrete thing near to her—that is, a book—which with all force, she threw to the walking Kaiser who was already near the door. It hit his back. And she bet it hit him hard. Kaiser turned to her, his face empty as if he didn’t do anything wrong to her. And it made her angry even more.

            “How dare you! How dare you steal my—“

            “Your first kiss?” Kaiser continued her sentence, now looking amused than ever. “Interesting. Don’t worry; it’s safe with me.”

            “What? Don’t kid me, you moron! How could you possibly do that to me?!” She marched determinedly toward him, ready to punch him to death with her own bare hands. But Kaiser had already figured what she was about to do so he had easily held her wrist and pulled her closer to him.

            “I told you I don’t like noisy girls.” His words alarmed Wendy. She didn’t want the worst thing to happen again. She struggled to pull herself out of her hold, and thankfully, she had freed herself.

            “And I don’t like you, too.” She was red in anger. She felt like she’d tear up anytime soon. This was all too much. And yet, Kaiser was standing right in front of her, acting coolly like he had never done something he should be guilty of. “Are you even sane? And so what if you don’t like noisy girls? Does that give you the right to just kiss her to shut her up? I know you’re rude, but I didn’t expect you to be this senseless!”

            Kaiser was only staring at her. She didn’t know if someone had already inculcated this to his mind, but she didn’t care. She had reached her boiling point—maybe far beyond that.

            “You’re crazy. You’re beyond crazy,” she said with gritted teeth, trying so hard to fight the tears that would soon fall from her eyes. “Do you really want me out of this school that much? Do you really like messing up with other people’s lives? Fine then! But I won’t let you use me as your piece. You’ll never win. I’ll never back down!”

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