Three days later, and Sky still couldn’t wrap his head around it. Shock wasn’t the right word. Confusion? Disbelief? He didn’t know. Everything felt like a dream he couldn’t wake up from.
Even when he slept, which he had rarely done in the past 3 days, Chris haunted him. But not in the way he used to. There were no teasing smirks, no fleeting touches, no whispered words that sent shivers down his spine. No, now it was just images. Chris standing in front of flashing caras, Chris looking exhausted at so press conference, Chris with his mother, his suit crisp, his gaze sharp, the weight of sothing Sky was sure he would never understand sitting heavily on his shoulders.
Sky had almost not recognized him. But he had spent the last two days consuming every photo, every video, every piece of news just to piece together the version of Chris he never knew.
He had always wondered. About the little things. The contacts Chris had worn when they first knew each other before he suddenly stopped using them. The hair dye he wore, the little inconsistencies, the way Chris sotis moved like soone who was too aware of himself. Why he was just so... peculiar in a certain kind of way Sky could not na.
And now? It all made sense.
Or at least, it should have.
But none of it wanted to make sense to him.
Owen wasn’t an uncommon na.
No one would suddenly just assu you were the son of the country’s richest man just because you shared the sa last na. Especially not when you applied for a scholarship into a school like theirs.
He still wanted to believe there was a mix up sowhere. But at this point, he knew he was kidding himself.
"The University categorically denies any wrongdoing in the admission process of Mr. Christopher Owen. The admission process was conducted blind, with applicant identities concealed. Further investigation is welcod and encouraged. Furthermore, the University condemns the spread of malicious rumors and unfounded accusations regarding Mr. Owen’s personal life and academic background."
Henry read the latest info from the school out of his phone.
He glanced at a quiet Noel briefly before he continued.
"As for other matters which has been brought to our notice concerning another student and the clamour for expulsion, the University understands the impact these events have had on our student body, and we encourage open and respectful dialogue while emphasizing the importance of privacy and respect for all individuals. Personal and non-academic issues are not within the jurisdiction of the university body to handle..."
The person in question was none other than Rachel.
Henry sighed, placing his phone down beside him on Sky’s bed. They were currently in the dorm room. Sky and Chris’, and Sky sat on Chris bed, his hand almost gripping the sheets.
The news about Chris had thrown their small community into disarray. With his photo everywhere, people wanted to claim they knew Chris. So while his old classmates had co out of nowhere, posting pictures, mories, anything for clout, the university mates who had never even spoken to him once also tried to dredge up whatever photos they could find.
And when a photo of him and Rachel was seen together, tagged as ’lowkey rich couple’, hinting that no wonder they looked perfect for each other even when they were wearing simple clothes, the trouble started.
Because people who recognized Rachel suddenly showed up.
The reaction had been brutal.
Comnts were flying, filled with accusations, judgnts, and a healthy dose of schadenfreude. "Fake it till you make it," one comnt read, dripping with sarcasm. "Guess the act is over." Another comnted, "Always knew she was a gold digger."
So wondered if Chris didn’t know she was lying. So thought Chris must have known. Either ways, Rachel was trending alongside Chris now. But not in a good way.
While Sky found it hard to wrap his head around it all, he had tried to reach her but to no avail.
His phone was repeatedly being blown up with ssages about Chris. Everyone was asking. Sotis, he wanted to heave his phone against the wall, other tis, he wanted to turn it off. But he could do neither. Because he was waiting.
He didn’t want to admit what he was waiting for, but he was waiting.
There were so many secrets around him. And if this hadn’t blown up like this and Noel hadn’t overreacted in shocked surprise about Rachel’s news, he and Henry wouldn’t have known he and Rachel had been sneaking around the entire ti. He also seed stunned by everything.
But at this point, what was more shocking? Knowing that soone you knew pretended to be rich? Or that they pretended to be poor when they were filthy rich?
Noel hadn’t comnted further on that issue. He had said he couldn’t reach Rachel either and that was it.
It frustrated Sky. Because Rachel was the only one else who could at least help him here. He was selfish, he knew. She had her problems but so did he.
He was going insane.
"How are you feeling?" Rain asked softly, watching her brother from the reading table where she had been sitting quietly.
Sky let out a tired laugh, rubbing his temples. "About what exactly?"
Because, at this point, it felt like the situation was changing every second.
Yesterday, it was about Chris’s admission. The day before, it was about his father. And now? Today, it seed like everyone had suddenly decided that the most important thing was the fact that he—Sky—had been Chris’s roommate.
Sky didn’t respond. He had seen the posts. The ridiculous speculation. People were connecting dots, twisting things out of proportion, wondering if he was the reason Chris had given up everything to go study in their university.
For real.
He’d been getting texts all day—so curious, so accusatory, so just outright disgusting.
"So you live in the sa room?"
"Did you ever notice anything... different?"
"You sure nothing ever happened between you two?"
"Who is the top? Who bottoms?"
It made him sick.
So school mates were even demanding Sky give them an explanation. No one knew if he was dating or not. He had carefully kept it hidden. Was it because he was hiding sothing?
"Sky... things are... getting out of hand." Henry said quietly. "People are asking. And whether you like it or not, you have to give them an answer."
Sky wanted to yell at him and ask him why the fuck did he need to do that?
But he rembered, that was his life.
That was how he had lived. Seeking validation. Doing things to please other people. Giving them whatever they needed. What they wanted.
Sky briefly looked at his sister before he let out a breath, running a hand through his hair. "It’s hard to think. Hard to process anything." He spoke slowly.
His phone started ringing again for the umpteenth ti.
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