Why is that those two cousins, Nate and Cloud are mess up? Or are they the one who"s mess up or it"s just me messed up?

My life finally became quiet after that scene when Cloud picks me up. And I already gave up as to what Cloud wrote. I just don"t understand it, eh. So I just let it be. But Nate? I"m really starting to question his life-changing decisions.

We are walking at the grounds towards where the gym is.

"You already have a band, ah. Why do you still want to be varsity in basketball?"

"So I"ll be like a hunk. You know that type that would make girls run for you." He answers with a smile.

"What are trying to say?" I confusedly ask.

"Ah well it"s something to make a lot of girls get jealous of you."

I don"t get the idea, promise.

"Get jealous? Eh, wouldn"t that make them get angry at me? And also, wouldn"t that make a lot of people mad? And then I would also have death threats?"

He laughs and then pulls me to get in the gym, "You don"t want it? So our life would be more exciting."

I darkly look at him as I sit at the bleacher, "How about I shoot you in the ring so your life would be exciting?"

"Being able to shoot through your heart is already okay for me."

"You"re corny."

He just laughs at me and kisses my forehead. He took his clothes and then told me that he was going to change clothes.

There were a lot of people in the gym. Mostly, It was girls talking and watching the tryouts while sitting in the bleacher. There were a lot of guys in basketball shirt. What does basketball have that all men like? And even girls?

The tryouts had start and I"m getting dizzy from all the running, pa.s.sing the ball and from all the fangirls crazily shouting.

"Go, Papa [1] Nate!"

I almost fallen down while sitting as I look at the person who shouted. I would have given her a glare if I didn"t notice it was Humi with her big ribbon headband. She was jumping and shouting.

Last time, it was Emotionless Guy that she wants, now it"s Nate?

They continued playing at the court until the coach had whistles causing them to disperse. Nate who was sweating so hard went back to my place.

"I"m so great, right?"

I just say, "yes" even though I didn"t understand anything. He wipe his sweat off and I would have thrown the mineral water at him so he"ll be fresh but I"ll just be wasting water.

Nate had gulp a lot of water to the point that he might just drink the bottle along. Before Nate went back to court, he whispers at me first while acting all handsome.

"If I shoot this, we"ll be dating."

***

"Come on, Ianne, please. Let"s date."

It had been a long time since a lot of people in our surrounding were giving us their glare. It"s already 7 PM and the tryouts has already ended.

"You weren"t able to shoot, eh. Isn"t that what we talk about?"

He frowns, "It was because I was distracted by you."

"And now you"re even blaming me?" I ask with my eyebrow raise.

"It"s because you"re so beautiful so I got nervous."

I smirk, "Good. But not enough. I"m going home now."

I start walking out again and I was about to exit the school gate when he shouts.

"My treat!"

Just two words... Two words and I immediately stop.

"Where are we going?" I look back at him as I pull him outside the gate, "Let"s go."

He laughs while he put his arm around me. We didn"t really walk that far as we just eat at the eatery that was near our school. We were talking and saying nonsense. I also laugh at his fail at basketball.

While we were eating, he was looking for something at my bag when he suddenly stop.

"Why?" I ask.

He took the paper that Cloud wrote last time in the pocket of my bag, "What"s this?"

I started getting nervous for unknown reason,"I-I also don"t know, eh."

"Who gave this to you?"

I was about to answer when someone pushes me so I could give them a s.p.a.ce to sit.

"Yo," Cloud greets me. He sits at my side and smiles, "Ianne."

Nate"s face became serious, "What are you doing here?"

Cloud was just smiling as he took the paper that Nate"s holding. I move a bit away from him but Cloud kept on moving closer to me. They were looking at each other that"s why I got more scared.

"He looks like an anime!"

Simultaneously, the three of us look at the girl who"s our schoolmate and it looks like she"s from the lower year level. They were in love-struck as they continue looking at us. They were laughing and even pushing each other.

"Yo," Cloud nods at the girl at the other girl in the other table, "Arigatou, pretties." [Thank you]

I got deaf when the girls began to shriek louder at what Cloud did. He"s so strong at being playboy.

"Why are you even here?" Nate says, taking Cloud"s attention, "You"re supposed to be in the house, ah?"

Cloud"s smile disappears but it appears again when he looks at me. I was surprise when he put his arm around me and pulls my body closer to his, "I just missed Ianne."

Nate frowns, "Can you get your hands off her, please?"

Cloud raises his arm above while laughing, "Sorry. So possessive."

It was quiet for a while. I look at the two that had a scary face I can feel the tense aura. I feel like I just want to stand up and run away from this two who are cousins.

My eyes widens when I felt Cloud holding my hand under the table. He gave me the paper that he took from Nate. He put his head closer to me and whispers, "Don"t let Nate see this again."

"Cloud."

Cloud and I at the same time look at Nate, who was in front of me. Cloud removes his hand at my hand before standing up.

"Fine, I"m leaving po [2]," Cloud says while laughing, "bye, Ianne."

The girls loudly shriek when Cloud went close to them and couldn"t even stand still as they were taking pictures already. When Cloud had leave, Nate and I look at each other.

"Let"s leave?" I suggest.

This time he didn"t do silly things anymore and became serious. Looks like his thinking deeply. I hug his arm but still I didn"t get any smile that made me frown. Ay, I just don"t know.  Whatever.

***

Next month would be our Foundation Week, that"s why there were a lot of people panicking because it looks liket there be a lot of activities this year.  We, the third year"s students were told to go to the auditorium so they can announce that we"ll be doing a play this year.

"This would be for charity, juniors [3]," Mrs. Soquilla announces, "There be two stories that you can pick."

Belle, the vice president of the student council was talking about the two stories we can pick. She kept on talking and talking but I didn"t even understand anything. Well, I don"t really care for these things. Hay. When will this end?

We were told to vote for the story we want. There"s even a box and a ballot that they made. What did I vote? Neither. I couldn"t remember the t.i.tle they were talking about and I couldn"t remember their plot.

We were being asks to leave the auditorium to have an early lunch. Supposedly, Nate and I wouldn"t have return back to the auditorium but we were caught by Belle. When we return, Ms. Soquilla was frowning in front.

"Juniors, I know that you don"t have any care for this but please don"t make the voting a joke."

I want to sleep.

"For now, I"m going to turn blind eye to that person who wrote, "Spongebob Squarepants" at the voting paper."

They began to laugh, while I start to sit properly.

Nate with his narrow eyes looks at me, "Was it you?"

"That wasn"t me."

I"m so sorry. I couldn"t remember the t.i.tles that"s why I wrote that. I"m so sorry.

Good thing that they didn"t made it a big deal. They have decided for the play: The Demon and The Maiden? They were talking a lot of things that I couldn"t understand. I yawn as I look at the person beside me who was already sleeping and it looks like he has a nice dream because he was smiling.

"Sweetest couple?"

My eyes widen when almost all the people inside were looking at me and Nate. I was so scared that I began to sit properly that had cause Nate"s head to fall.

"Ah -what happened?" Nate was rubbing the back of his neck while looking at our surrounding.

"Nate, Ianne?"

Our cla.s.smate began to cheer. Wait, no. Don"t. I don"t want to. What happened?

"What"s it?" Nate asks.

Belle and Ma"am Soquilla went closer to us. When I stand up, my knees were so weak that I might collapse. Can I just collapse?

"B-Belle." I look at Belle with a pleading effect. I was even frowning.

Ma"am Soquilla grasp my shoulder and smiles, "For the charity, Miss Santos?"

Oh my, blackmailing?

When I look back to see Nate, my eyes were widen when I saw him giving high five to anyone. He"s fine with it? And wait, since when did we become the sweetest couple?

"Eh, Ma"am..." I frown.

I examine the whole auditorium. All the people were looking at me and were cheering us. I"m probably deaf already. Can the floor just swallow me?

They were even forcing me. There were a lot of things that they were saying but the only thing I hear is the loud beat my heart is giving. They were all smiling. I look at Nate when he grasp my hand and nods.

I sigh, "Fine."

Belle gave me a smile, while the rest just gave a clap.

"Great! Let"s begin the preparation."

***

For each cla.s.s, there was a task given. Because Nate and I were the main lead, our cla.s.s was chosen to play the characters in the drama. Roxanne"s cla.s.s was a.s.signed for the props. MC"s cla.s.s for the costume. Jyonicka and Kelly"s group for the background and Sherilyn and Rizza for the makeup. Neil"s group is for the manual labor. By next month, all the task should be done.

Freshmen were in charge for the booths. Horror house for the soph.o.m.ores. While the seniors has a different activity, I think it was a mini-event and a party. [4]

There"s only one thing that I"m happy with: more time with Nate. We were practicing our lines anywhere we go. We have a lot of lines but they"re just like casual talk. We can even adlib as long as it"s related to the play.

So far, so good.

The next Sat.u.r.day, I was confuse when Nate texts me to go to their house to practice. And because I"m naive, I went to their house.

When I went there, instead of seeing a tall guy -a smiling anime-face is the one I saw.

"Yo."

I frown, "Where"s Nate?"

He grins that"s why I got nervous, "Ow, he"s not he-"

"Ah okay, bye." I turn my back and was about to leave when he pulls me inside their house.

He was looking intently at me when he corners me at the wall. He was so close that our face might exchange.

He smirks, "Playing hard to get?"

"W-what?" I was scared.

We were looking at each other. His eyes were so beautiful but Nate"s eyes are more beautiful.

Cloud came closer to my face. He can almost kiss my cheek when he whispers, "I like you, Ianne."

My eyes broaden at what I hear. I push him but he was so strong. I was still confine by his body.

"Your Nate"s cousin."

"And so?"

"I"m his girlfriend."

"So?"

What is this guy"s problem? I start to look around our surrounding. Is there no one else inside Nate"s house? Why is Cloud the only one here? And wasn"t it Nate who told me to go to their house?

"That doesn"t mean i can"t like you, right?"

My eyes were widen more when I he kiss my ears. I push him harder this time and finally he stumbles backwards. He smirks as he looks at me. Aaahhh, I"m getting weak.

I saw a crucifix at the table besides me. I grasp it as I hold it in front of him.

"Don"t come close!"

Cloud laughs as he come close.

Didn"t I say don"t come close?

I back away but it was a wall behind me. I force myself to hold the crucifix in front of him. Where"s Nate when you need him?

"Ianne, you can"t escape me with that." He grasps the crucifix while taking the chance to hold my hands. I was trying to escape his clutches but he was so strong. Am I really going to be rape?

Wait, I"m still not ready!

Cloud went closer to me and look like he was about to kiss me when he stops. What a waste of chance! I meant good.

But then, he smiles when he looks at the window as he moves back away.

"Nate"s here."

He left me standing stupidly at the door, while he sits at the sofa as if nothing happened. My eyes widen when I saw him taking Nate"s phone out of his pocket and put it at the table. So he"s the one who text? The heck?

I hear laughing when the door opens. I was about to be happy because finally I"m safe, when I stop from what I saw.

A girl... And Nate.

Nate looks at me, "W-why are you here?"

I check the girl he was with from her head to her feet while the girl also checks me back: long hair, has a narrow eyes, smooth pale skin and has a face like an angel. Her pink bra was so visible at her white shirt and it"s not that I"m judging but her outfit really lack cloth.

"Who"s that?"

I raise my eyebrow, "that"? I don"t like the att.i.tude of this girl"s tongue. My eyes narrows when I saw her holding Nate"s arm. They"re so close, ah? Super.

"Ianne, Nate"s girlfriend." I introduce myself.

The girl made an, "oh" and then smiles at me, "So it"s you," She says happily, "I was expecting someone... Beautiful."

I couldn"t help but be out of breath from what my ears heard her saying. It didn"t even look like a whisper as I think she intentionally wants me to hear it. I still smile since her smile didn"t disappear at her lips. So plastic, so annoying.

"I"m Lemaris. It"s very nice to meet you."