Chapter 5. Indirect Kiss
1496 Words
KEYCEE'S POV
WE WERE in the classroom, working on exercises from our books. Ace was sitting in his seat, his mouth covered with a handkerchief because he occasionally coughed. He still came to class despite his condition. I didn't know he was allergic to carrots and that's the effect it had on him. Luckily, our housekeeper/nanny quickly called his doctor.
I couldn't concentrate on my work because I kept hearing him cough, though it was less frequent than last night.
I glanced at my paper; I hadn't answered a single question yet because I was still worried about him. When I heard him cough again, I quickly grabbed my phone from my bag and secretly typed a message to him.
"Are you okay?" I was about to send it when I remembered what he said on the first day of school about using phones in class.
"You're not allowed to use mobile phones in my class unless you see me using one." That's what he said before, and if he caught someone using a phone during class, he'd make them stand at the back and hold two encyclopedias in each hand while standing on tiptoes.
I couldn't help but cringe at the thought of myself in such a situation, holding encyclopedias while on tiptoes. But how could I concentrate with him like this? Like now, I heard him cough again.
I sighed and whispered, "Whatever," before sending my message to him.
I glanced at him while he was looking out the window. He didn't know I had texted him. What now? He wouldn't read it either. I'll just wait for him to look at me.
Soon enough, he looked back at us. When he looked at me, I raised my hand slightly and showed him my phone, signaling that I texted him. When I lowered my hand, I saw him take his phone from his pocket and read my text.
"Just mind your own thing!" he replied quickly.
I texted him again, saying, "I just want to know if you're okay?"
"Just do what I told you!" he replied again. Even in text, it felt like I could still hear his angry voice.
"How can I answer? I'm worried about you. I can't concentrate."
He didn't reply for a while, but I knew he read my text because he was looking at his phone screen.
"Miss Dela Vega, turn off your phone," he said to me, causing everyone in class to look at me again.
"Just give me a second, sir. It's an emergency," I said and texted him again. I heard him cough while I was typing my message.
"When you tell me you're okay, then I'll be fine and stop texting you." I sent it.
"I'm okay. Just finish your work," he replied.
I put my phone aside and looked at him again. Even though he said he's okay, it doesn't seem like it. I was about to reply, but I heard him cough again, so I stood up and approached him.
"Sir, may I go out?" He looked at me with a puzzled look. "I'll be back in . . ." I looked at my watch, "In twenty minutes," I continued. My classmates looked at me, some shocked. Who would allow their student to leave and come back after twenty minutes? "Fifteen minutes, sir?" I tried to negotiate for five minutes less, but it seemed like he still didn't agree. "Please, sir," I begged.
He shook his head and asked me to return to my seat. But because I was really worried about him, I quickly ran out.
"Promise sir, I'll be back in fifteen minutes!" I shouted as I left the room.
I ran quickly to the gate. I had no choice but to take a cab home, asking the driver to hurry so I could get home quickly.
"Yaya! Yaya! Yaya Miranda!" I shouted when I arrived home.
"Oh, dear, why did you rush here so early?" she asked when she approached me.
"Does Ace have any medicine for his allergy? Something to relieve his cough?" I asked anxiously.
"Why? Did something happen again?" Worry was evident on her face.
"No, but I think he needs to take his medicine again."
"I think it's in his room."
Yaya didn't know exactly where it was kept, so I went upstairs to find it. I'll just explain to him later why his room looked like a war zone.
When I found Ace's medicine, I quickly went back downstairs. I didn't even say goodbye to yaya because I was in a hurry. I still had to keep my promise to be back in fifteen minutes.
***
After paying the cab I rode, I quickly ran back to Sir Ace's room.
When I entered, my classmates were gone. Oh right, it's time for Physics class!
I immediately approached Sir Ace. "Sir, your medicine," I said between my heavy breaths. I was more breathless than a horse racing on the field.
"You went home because of this?" he asked in disbelief.
"I needed to. Your cough won't stop," I replied as I walked towards my seat. I took my bag and pulled out the water tumbler and approached him again to hand it to him.
"About leaving without my permission—"
"I know sir, I know," I cut him off. From his tone, I knew I needed to accept punishment right away. "You can punish me at home. For now, you need to take your medicine," I said. I was still a bit breathless from running.
He put the medicine in his mouth and drank water. Then he immediately returned my tumbler to me.
"You know sir, I used this tumbler earlier. So it's like we kissed. Indirect kiss," I said while laughing, but he just looked at me without any emotion.
"Go to your next class," he ordered.
"Okay," I responded, smiling. I was happy because he had taken his medicine, so I wouldn't worry too much about him.
"Wait," he called out to me when I was close to the door. When I faced him, he quickly threw his handkerchief at me. "You're sweaty."
"Thank you, sir." I smiled again before finally leaving his room.
I went up to the second floor for our Physics class. Luckily, our teacher checked attendance before dismissal, so I wouldn't be absent.
After our last class, I decided to text Sir Ace. "Are you okay now? Are you at home?"
I waited for him to reply, but I didn't receive anything, so I went to his classroom. He wasn't there either. Where could he be? I texted him again. "Sir, why aren't you in your classroom? Where are you?"
Still no response, so I looked for him everywhere. In the library, cafeteria, faculty room, admin building, etc. I texted him again, but he still didn't reply.
Where could he be? Could he have died from coughing? Maybe blood came out of his mouth, right? But that's impossible because I already gave him medicine.
Ace, where are you? Don't you know I'm worried? I whispered in my mind.
I called Yaya Miranda and asked if Ace was home already. She replied right away, telling me he wasn't.
I decided to ask the student assistant I saw in the faculty room, and they told me they saw Ace enter his own office.
His grandfather the owner of the school, so he has a special office here. But I've never been there before because I don't have the courage.
I immediately went to his office. It's on the third floor, so my legs hurt even more, especially since I ran earlier.
When I arrived at Sir Ace's office, the guard on duty stopped me and refused to let me in. Students aren't allowed in this office because Ace strictly instructed him not to allow anyone.
I thought of a good excuse and told him that Ace had something important for me to do. When he asked me what Ace's instructions were, I couldn't answer. But I quickly reached into my pocket to get Ace's handkerchief that he threw at me earlier.
"He told me to give this to him," I replied to the guard. "He said I should bring it and he'll send me our quizzes from earlier to distribute to my classmates," I lied. It seems like I convinced him because he immediately opened the door to let me in. "Sir Lee," I called him when I was inside his spacious office. "Sir Ace?" I called again. Still no response. "Ace?"
I scanned the room. He wasn't at his desk, nor on the couch. Didn't the student assistant and the guard say he was here?
Because his office was so large, I had to wander around inside to find where he was hiding.
I saw another door inside his office, so I approached it to open it. And when I peeked inside, I was surprised by what I saw.
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