Chapter 51: I Missed You
The next day, I told Tomoe I would attend her class even though grandpa said not to. "I’ll prepare something that won’t exhaust the lady." That’s what Tomoe said before I went to school. Maybe I’ll trust her with this one, even though she made me tired almost every day before.
Kaoru was still depressed with what happened yesterday, and he’s trying to distance himself from me. "What really happened yesterday? What’s wrong with you?" I asked him, but he kept sniffing, and he looked at me with tears in his eyes. It’s making me confused if he’s really crying, or is he just acting? I sighed. "Don’t act weird in front of my friends, okay?" That’s what I told him. If he doesn’t want to let me know what happened to him, then at least he shouldn’t trouble my friends.
"Ellie! Finally, you’re here." Andy said as soon as we reached the classroom. "I need you to talk to your group for the school trip. We’re already preparing for it." He said with excitement in his voice. He’s been good with these kinds of school events. Ever since we were children, Andy has liked extracurricular activities.
It feels so fast, we only had our sports festival, and now we’re on our way to our last high school trip. "Time sure flies fast, doesn’t it?" Ace said as she greeted me with a good morning. She’s early today, but her eyes still look dead tired.
"It does, but are you okay? Are you getting plenty of rest?"
Ace nodded as she rested her head on the desk. ’She doesn’t look like it, though.’ I thought as I sat on my chair.
"You should be the one getting plenty of rest. Remember how you lost consciousness the other day?" Ace reminded me, making me wince due to embarrassment. Because of that incident, the other students are repeatedly branding me as an attention seeker. "You’re not overworking yourself with club activities, aren’t you?"
I shook my head. "I’m not. Even my coach won’t let me participate in the club activities." I sighed. Are they all worried about me? "She said I should rest well and go back with full energy next week." Even though the preliminaries are coming soon. How come coach Samantha could be this calm? Doesn’t she want the school to win the championship?
’Wait, that sounded like I’m the only one that can take them to the championship.’ When did I become so confident with myself? I should tone it down a little.
"Anyway, we’ll be in the same group, right?" I smiled as I asked Ace. We’ve been classmates for our three years in high school. Isn’t that amazing? I’m so lucky to be with her all the time since I don’t have other friends except these two. "I heard we’ll be with the advance class again."
Ace looked at me. "Are you sure you’re not celebrating?"
"W-What? I-I’m not, for real." I said. ’Why did I stutter?! It makes me look like I’m still obsessed with that jerk.’ I thought. "I’m already celebrating if we’re in the same group again."
Ace chuckled. "Too bad. I’m in another group."
I stood up quickly, which made my chair fall to the ground. "W-What? You’re joking, right?" My mind went blank as I panicked. ’H-How will I survive without Ace by my side?’ I gulped as I held onto Ace’s hands. "You’re not leaving me alone, aren’t you?"
"Stop being a drama queen, Noelle." She said as she pulled my chair up and made me sit again. "It’s because you can’t come to the school trip if you didn’t pass your special examination." I was dumbfounded after hearing that.
"W-What do you mean?"
"It means we still don’t know if you’ll be able to come with us," Andy said as he sat beside us. "I told you to put your name so you’ll have a group if you pass." Why are they acting as if I won’t pass the exam?
"T-Then why can’t I be in Ace’s group?"
Ace sighed. "Miss Valencia chose the groups." She said with no expression. ’W-What? How come? We have chosen our groups before, so why is Miss Valencia the one choosing now?’
"I can’t be away from you." I grabbed Ace’s arm. "Please, let me be in the same group as you." I’m already begging at them.
Ace and Andy looked at each other. "We want you to be able to handle everything by yourself." My forehead creased. Handle what? "I know we’ve been spoiling you. That’s why you always think that things are good if you only have the two of us. But that’s not how it will always be, Ellie." Andy said.
"There might be people here who want to become your friends too." Ace said. "And it’s Miss Valencia’s choice, so we can’t argue with that."
Andy scratched his head. "I told you not to tell her that." He said.
Ace shrugged. "It’s the truth. Miss Valencia didn’t want to create trouble since we’ll be with the advanced class. Although it’s a big mistake on her part to put Noelle in another group." She said. Learning that it was Miss Valencia’s decision, how will I complain? She’ll call me a spoiled brat again. ’Miss Valencia didn’t call me that, but I think that’s how she sees me.’
How will I enjoy that school trip if I’m not in the same group as Ace and Andy? "Don’t worry. Ryzen and your friend Kaoru will be in the same group as you." Andy said.
"But I’m not close to any of our girl classmates," I whispered to them.
"We know that. This is your chance to get close to them." Andy said.
"But they hate me."
Ace ruffled my hair. "So what? It never bothered you if you’re hated. Fuentes looks like he hates you, but you didn’t care." She said. That’s not even the same, and I don’t want people who hate me anymore!
I don’t want to go on the school trip anymore.
"Noelle, someone’s waiting for you near the gate," Carla said. It’s already dismissal, and coach Samantha told me to go home early instead of attending the club activities since I am forced to rest.
Even though I didn’t know who it was, I didn’t ask Carla since she might think I was annoying. "I’ll follow you," Kaoru said, and I didn’t retort. It’s not like I have things I need to hide from Kaoru. We walked towards the gate.
"Does the lady hates her classmates?"
Where did that come from? "They’re the one who hates me," I said. When we arrived near the gate, my forehead creased as I saw no one there. "Was she pranking me?" Other students do that to me since they despise me.
"Yo!"
My eyes widened after seeing a man on a motorcycle smiling at me. "Long time no see, Ellie." He greeted me, but I blinked thousands of times as I backed away. I gulped, ’I can’t be with this guy.’ Is what I thought as I was about to run away, but El grabbed me by the waist and pulled me towards his motorcycle.
"I’ll be borrowing her for a while." He told Kaoru, who’s also dumbfounded by what happened and couldn’t react well. At the same time, some of the students grabbed Kaoru to stop him from moving toward me.
"What is going on—"
El shoved a helmet to my head and made me ride his motorcycle. "I’ll bring her back before 7!" He told Kaoru and started to move his motorcycle, making me instinctively hold onto his waist. ’It was too fast!’
"Where are we going?!"
I didn’t see El’s face, but I can feel how he’s smiling from ear to ear right now. "You’ll know. I missed you so much, and you won’t reply to me. That’s why my only choice is to kidnap you." He said as he made his motorcycle go faster, causing my grip on his waist to tighten. It’s my first time riding a motorcycle and a speedy one!
"If I die, I’ll curse you with all my might!"
El laughed, making me sigh. ’What’s with him? Didn’t being shoot make him afraid?’ I shook my head as I looked at my side and blinked thousands of times. We’re going up, and there are no stores left to see. "Are we going up to a mountain?!" It’s my first time reaching this place, and I think it’ll be my last if I die here because of this guy’s recklessness.
"You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?"
Instead of laughing, El speeded up until we reached another upward road. The only things I can see everywhere are trees and nothing else. ’What if he’s mad at me, and he’s going to kill me somewhere quiet and throw my body away?’ I thought that as I closed my eyes while holding tightly to El’s waist. I’m really going to curse him if he starts killing me now.
When the motorcycle stopped, my grip on El’s waist tightened. ’I won’t let him off since he might throw me onto a cliff or something.’ I thought with my eyes still closed.
However, El made me let go of him. "We’re here." I heard him chuckle. "Open your eyes."
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