Paradoxical Love

Chapter 5: Tell me

What happened yesterday still haunts my mind as if the ideas that I should not be able to think of are filling my mind, confusing and getting insane, penetrating my subconscious, I myself can no longer imagine what I am thinking.

I'd do prevent everything that happened yesterday if only I have a time machine, unfortunately, my way of coping up is getting stressed until I'm worn out.

Lunch just ended a while ago and the next subject will start but that annoying and embarrassing event yesterday still bugging my mind.

I looked at the Student Council President, her seat's in the third row in the very column where I was sitting, dozing off here in the last corner where not even the sun could touch me at a perfect acute angle. I just don't have the proper mental health today to even listen to any discussion.

My only problem is sometimes my eyes get hurt as the blackboard's too far away I can't exactly see small letters especially integers with floating-point numbers.

Earlier I noticed her just kinda looking out the window even though our teacher's still discussing a topic. She was in the middle of deep meditation, was she also thinking about yesterday? Or she thought she had done something wrong because she's aware I would deal with her with my whole being.

Whichever of my thoughts might be true, I still cannot change what I should face. I will just confront her, I know my confrontation will be historic and be heard all across the campus.

Just imagine, the lonely delinquent Reyler subdued the Student Council President and threatened her life, I'm sure that's the exact news that I will hear spreading within the Saint Legacy University but I don't care anymore as long as my goal is realized.

That's why they mistake me for a delinquent, bad boy. I can't blame them with my cold facade, deadly glare, and emotionless inclinations. I'm a human too, having the ability to feel, be embarrassed, get hurts and so much more, they weren't perfect yet they can't seem to comprehend I'm just a shy and awkward person when it comes to socializing with other people.

Even though the Council President was thinking profoundly, our teacher called her and asked her suddenly, maybe she noticed that she's getting drowsy. Unfortunately, our instructor for today is strict when it comes to students tending to sleep while their eyes are open.

"Florentino, is Gilgamesh a hero or a king?" Our teacher picked her for a recitation. She stood up as if she was casually attending to the whole class wherein her mind's totally wandering somewhere watching the endless blue skies over the window.

What a strange behavior. But what is weirder is how she answered the teacher's sudden recitation even though she's not listening well.

"Gilgamesh was considered as a demigod who is a hero of Mesopotamian mythology and also become the true king of Sumerian city-state of Uruk." As expected from her. There is nothing wrong, her answer is correct, accurate to the point.

"Very good!" The instructor praised her, convinced she's truly focused on the discussion when it was not the case; rather she already knows all of these from the beginning, despite her hidden dark side, I can't disagree that she's the top student in the entire SLU without a doubt.

That's how our teacher continued to talk while the Council President is just staring directly at her desk, her thoughts are afloat on too much stress or whatever reason it would be.

What the heck is going on to her I'd flick her forehead and she'd be out of the cold. Just what happened to her today? And what am I doing secretly staring at her, what am I, a stalker? Why am I concern? I certainly don't fancy focusing my care on someone other than my sister and friends.

"Argh! Damn!" When I'm under a lot of stress, due to my random violent tantrum, I just stomped my feet on the front seat of my chair, which was about to break down on its lower iron threshold because I tended to trample on it whenever I was like this, or sometimes when bored.

They all looked at me and that's when I woke up again. I am to blame since I did it. 

"Uhmm sorry..." The lady sitting in front of me was so scared that she had almost wet herself. I'm about to apologize but she just went and did it herself, now I feel bad saying sorry.

No one usually dares to sit around me for my behaviors. Little did they know I'm just acting what they thought I was; a delinquent and troublemaker of the campus.

"Tsk."

I kind of acted like I'm angry, pretending to be in a bad mood for them to focus on the lesson. I noticed our professor had also caught a glimpse of my glares so he cleared his throat and made everyone participate in the class intently.

Although, I noticed something strange today; when I always grab everyone's attention, especially in this room whenever I am outraged or confused, she'd just look at me too and turns around occasionally sometimes.

But this time, she didn't budge an inch or two, she never turned her head at me today and she's still seriously staring at the blank page of her notebook.

Is she guilty of what she did or was she just not able to move on? However, the class simply lasted until I was unaware of the last minutes of the last subject.

It was about five o'clock when the hand of the clock on top of the blackboard pointed it out, it moved again and it was really about the time for our afternoon dismissal.

Anyways, the moment the last subject is over, I was about to get up to confront the Council President for a fated encounter when Ged and Ariel came to my seat.

"Hey." They greeted me and we did a few fistbumps to each other. I think they will let me know that they will be going ahead without me.

"Reyler, we'll be going now. Ariel said he needed to find a new part-time job, luckily they are still hiring in my father's company." Ged informed me. Bingo, good timing I also needed to settle things on my side they really know my schedule.

"Goodluck. Please tell your brothers and sisters to study hard, Ariel. You two, be careful." I bid farewell and they went on their way.

"Thank you so much Reyler! All right, we're leaving." He gleefully waved goodbye to me before they left.

"Next time. Sleepover." Ged added a postscript note. I just nodded in response.

Continuing the operation of the confrontation I planned out; all I have to do is walk in a casual way in my usual facade, straight to the seat of the Council President.

The next move should be, I will talk to her and call her name, then I will be dragging her out of our room to the back of the building so that I can talk to her in a secluded place. A perfect plan indeed. I do not want students to be shocked that I am terrorizing their respected Council President.

If I do that plan for real, won't my name be ruined even more? I don't care about anything anymore, I just have to do it; here goes nothing.

So without further ado, I commenced my scheme. I'm not nervous yet, carrying my bag on the back hanging on my left shoulder, I walked towards her. At first, only a few people noticed but my classmates somehow knew what I was after when I stood in front of her for about five seconds.

She's still daydreaming, staring at nothingness as her mind's taking her somewhere; one can tell from her blank pupils she's not feeling well. There could be a possibility she's faking it since she could expect my confrontation.

But there is something odd, why do her lips look pale? Her eyebags thicker than usual, a flicker on her forehead and she'd shut down.

I still continued the plan, everyone gasped with secrecy, many reacted the instance I placed both of my hands over her shoulders, I gazed at her using my deplorable countenance.

I'm a little bit embarrassed because my face is too close to her but I have nothing to be ashamed of. She's the only one who has a few screws loose in her head, I will not let it pass by as nothing happened, 'cause she messed with the wrong person.

"Matilda," I called her name. Upon me calling her, she also stood up but she seemed to be swinging that I could not understand, her legs were shaking with just one step, that's when I grew nervous after figuring out that maybe she's not really feeling well.

"Reyler..." She called to me with her soothing voice. This is bad, even the students on their way home took out their phones and began filming us, I'm used to it any way but I'm sure Matilda isn't. Out of consideration as well as resuming my plan, I should just pull her and drag her all the way to the elevator and bring her behind the building.

"Come with me and―" To my surprise on an unexpected event, she was about to faint but I tugged her towards me so that she would not hit her beautiful face on a corner of an armchair.

What is happening to her now? I let her lean on my chest as she breathes heavily. She was a bit heavy but I stroked her forehead, her whole face is beet-red. Could it be she has an extreme fever all along during the entire class? Such bad timing indeed.

The delinquent Reyler embraced the Student Council President while she was unconscious, what news will the witnesses spread after seeing this scene? This is a bad situation, a really serious situation.

But she would be in a rather dangerous situation if I just stand here doing nothing.

I don't have time anymore, I don't care about the people around me or anyone else. Right now, the Council President has an illness so as a student, I have to do what must, that is to take her to the clinic.

There are two emergency clinics here just in case someone is injured here in the building. The visible fault is that if even an ill or wounded person is on the sixth floor and then the clinic is on the ground floor, the person's life would get in danger before even reaching the destination.

So to fix such a flaw, what they did was also set up an infirmary on the middle floor, on the fourth floor which means just upstairs.

Having no card at hand, I voluntarily carried her like a princess in those fantasy settings I read and swiftly ran along the way the stair and to the next floor. Her legs were quite plump in touch, she also smells so nicely I could drown myself in her fragrance. But what the heck am I even thinking about? I'm not some kind of p*****t. Still, I can't believe that my first princess-carry will only go to her, the distorted Council President.

I, Reyler, rugged my own grave as I ran in the hallway carrying the Council President. Now everyone who saw us thinks I did something wrong, ruining my name again congratulations to myself. I braced myself for the strange rumors in the next days.

Nevermind the small details, I forcibly kicked the door open and calmly laid her down on the soft and comfy bed to relax her body.

I touched her forehead once again and from her temperature, she's literally burning. Does it mean since morning, she has a fever but she still chooses to stay in class? Reckless as always, she always just pushes herself to her limits.

I carefully soaked my handkerchief in a nearby faucet, folded it in four, and meticulously put it on her forehead to reduce her high temperature. In this way, she'd feel better in no time for sure.

Still, my plan would have been perfect if she hadn't just had a fever. I noticed she came back to consciousness when she moved her fingers slightly.

"Reyler...?" I guess she woke up, her eyes were still close though.

"How did you know?" I was just wondering since she's unconscious the entire time while I'm carrying her to the infirmary.

"Your scent... I know your smell." She replied. I regretted asking such an inquiry. Her answer's sinking in my head and I think that's creepy. I just frowned at what she said. Either way, she needs to rest, next time we meet, it'd be my confrontation.

"Take a rest first." I put my speech concisely.

"Thank you..." A simple word of gratitude coming from her yet why did my heart skip a beat? I have no idea what's happening to me anymore.

"It's nothing. Don't forget what you did." I reminded her that I still remember what she did. It means I want to talk to her about such an unpleasant core memory that is already imprinted on my pure innocence.

"I know, I know." She giggled and turned over to the other side facing the wall.

Even so, she rested as I told him. Good thing Kiana's already went home with her friends, and I have nothing important to do anyways.

I'm just here watching her closely. Now that I was staring at her, I was stunned by her elegance. Her long blonde hair reaching down to her chest, her beauty was unparalleled, she was like an angel, an embodiment of purity, yet I'm just complimenting her as she is the Council President, it's not like what everyone thinks, considering everyone has a darker side than what they could fathom from the outside.

Still, she removed her dignity, pride, and everything just to do that thing to me.

Please tell me why you did that...? Her eyes were close, it was gentle, behind your beauty was tranquility, even though she's a bit wild, even so, why you did that to me? I'm a good-for-nothing student, I never deserved her in the first place.

Matilda Salvador Florentino; Student Council President, why did you do such a thing without giving a reason or two? Until now she is still by my side, taking respite quietly, and I want to ask her of all the things that have been bugging my mind.