The school bell rung just as the professor capped his whiteboard marker. Students from all sides of the classroom sighed in relief as the end of a long exhausting day finally greeted them.

“So that’s all for today, class. Don’t forget that your essay is due next Wednesday. And ermm…Miss Nielson, please stay behind. I want to have a word with you,” Cleo’s ears perked up as her name was called across the class. All pair of eyes turned to her. She gave the professor a quick nod before ducking her head down and pretended to be extra busy with packing her stuff. When the class was finally void of any other students, Cleo stood up, grabbed her bag and made her way over to the front where her professor was watching her with careful eyes. Cleo stood by his table and began playing with the hem of her blazer when he allowed the silence to drag on for a few more minutes.

 “Hahhh…Cleo, I don’t understand. You are the only student in this class who loves English literature just as much as I do, maybe even more if god forbid,” Cleo looked up from the loose thread that she was twirling around her finger to stare at her professor in confusion.

“I-I don’t know where you’re going with this, s-sir,” Cleo stuttered.

“I’m just saying that it’s unexpected of you to be spacing out a lot during class and sometimes even miss it all together. Is something the matter?” Cleo’s heart pounded against her chest. Thinking of exactly what was the matter, Cleo’s heart ached. She missed Jonghyun and she definitely missed her best friend Alice who had been very busy these few days that it was hard for them to meet. When a flash of pink struck her mind, it made her shiver. It was not left unnoticed by the man sitting behind the big desk. He stood up and walked around the table to stand right in front of Cleo. Cleo took a step back the same time her head was turned down to avoid his eyes that were trying to read her.

“Hey..hey Cleo. You know you can tell me anything. Don’t you always approach me when you face any kind of trouble in the past?” his voice was soothing and it saddened Cleo that she was not able to let him into her problem this time.

Wait. What the hell is she talking about?

She would certainly not want to burden him with her pathetic problems. He might even think that they’re just nonsense.

“Cleo, would you like to talk this over coffee or somewhere more private?” Cleo snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at him and shot him a small smile.

“I’m fine sir. Nothing is wrong. I’m just a little down with flu that’s all. Thanks for your concern,” Cleo controlled her voice. The bow-tied man gave her a once over, as if trying to do a last minute mind-reading only to get nothing. He sighed.

“How many times must I remind you to just call me Blaine? Sir makes me sound so old,” Blaine laughed as Cleo gave him a very forced out smile. Blaine cringed slightly at the pained smile. Blaine was understanding and could easily read his students’ behaviors and mood. He was loved and looked up to by nearly all the high school students that were in any of his classes. He was simply the most approachable teacher in school. Well, maybe perhaps his extremely young age might have been a contributing factor indeed. Cleo bowed at him in gratitude before making her way to the door knowing very well that she had to escape as soon as possible before he really got the answer he was looking for.

Inhaling deeply, she walked through it. She turned her head to the left hesitantly, afraid of what she might find at the side of the door, or in her case, not find. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach when Jonghyun’s usual spot by the door was empty. She sighed. He had not been meeting her by her house or classroom for the past week. She knew that it was for the better. He not being around her would mean that Stacey and her friends would not be breathing down her neck every time.

But still, Cleo wondered why. She begged for the answer every day. Cleo tried searching for a reason. She tried looking at him but he would not even meet her gaze. He seemed normal around everyone but her. She felt as if he was purposefully distancing himself from her.

Was she the only one who was unsatisfied with his answer to their question about it?

Every day after class, she would then walk to the auditorium all alone only to find him there sitting by the piano, sometimes just pressing randomly on a key or busy texting. However once he noticed her presence, he would stop whatever he was doing immediately and gave her a troubled smile. It would then lead to him fidgeting from one foot to the other before throwing her an excuse to leave. Thus, she would then follow suit and head home.  

There was once when Cleo just climbed up onto the stage of the auditorium, their eyes met after what felt like years to her. Her heart still beats wildly like before, even more then that she was aware of her feelings for him. But just as she was about to wave and greet him with a dark blush on her cheeks, he pulled out his phone and began talking to someone, grabbed his bag and brushed past her and left through the double doors. Cleo could only stand there, dumbfounded. She was beyond confused and was hurt. In that very moment, she had never felt so lonely in her life.

Making her way to her locker, she began placing the books from her bag into the small metal cabinet. Closing it, she leaned her forehead against the cool surface calming her aching heart as she sighed. Cleo was stuck between choosing to go home straight or head over to the auditorium. But knowing her heart very well, Cleo favored the latter option.

Standing there in the nearly empty corridor for over ten minutes with her back to her locker, she pondered for a solution to her problem of always going home with an aching heart. She knew that if she were to keep that up, her aunt and uncle would definitely sort out the reason from her and she would never allow that to happen, especially now that they had in a way suspected that something was wrong.

Cleo groaned when the idea of avoiding him altogether came to mind. Knowing that that would be the easiest and the least painful way to move on, Cleo nodded her head once in finality. But as for that day, she wanted to let her mind say its final goodbye and her heart to see him for one last time up close. Therefore, in whatever courage and energy she had left, she pushed herself off the lockers.

She would just try to talk to him one last time before avoiding him till the day the boys decided to finally leave the school.

Securing her bag straps over her shoulders, Cleo walked down the corridor towards the back gate. Once her feet crossed over the thin crooked line between concrete and soil, anxiety spread through her limbs as she began wondering what he would do later to escape her yet again. Cleo kicked the dried brown leaves watching them take off in the wind. Listening to the squashing sound the damp soil was making under her feet, she tried pushing all her thoughts away. She knew just how sensitive she could get. She could easily get all teary eyed over something as insignificant as a one minute angst advertisement on television.

“Ahh gawd…” Cleo wiped the tears that had trailed down her cheeks with the sleeve of her blazer.

Jonghyun.

She admitted to no one in particular that she really missed him. She swore she had never missed anyone so much before. What the hell had he done to her? Is this what love is? Is this what they feel when the person you love avoids you for god knows what reasons? Despite all that, ever since he avoided her, she was able to avoid all kinds of physical abuses from Stacey and her friends. She guessed the distance from her and Jonghyun might be for the better after all.

But that did not mean that she was not frustrated by his attitude towards her. Did she say something to him? She did not remember saying anything harsh to him. The last time they actually spoke more than two words to one another was when they were in that girl’s lavatory with Stacey and company. Thinking back to that day, she might have left the scene rather abruptly. Yet Cleo knew that nothing that had happened would cause him to avoid her like the plaque.  Still, she could not blame him. In fact, there was nothing to blame him for as no one, not even he was disturbed by his sudden change of attitude apart from Cleo, herself.

Cleo kicked the leaves extra hard, letting out her frustrations. Kick after kick, her eyes began to tear once again. She froze when a small gleam of light bounced off the soil and attracted her attention. How the hell did the soil reflect the sunlight?

Blinking her tears back, something sparkled amongst the dirt of the forest floor. Cleo stiffened as she caught a glimpse of a thin silver chain. She felt her breath leaving her. She stared hard at the object, not believing her eyes. Bending down till she was on her knees despite the soil that was slightly damp from the drizzle during lunch, she brushed aside the dirt and dried leaves. Picking up the delicate object off the ground and placing it gingerly onto her open sweaty palm, she gasped as it caught the sunlight once again.

“The necklace.”

XXX

The double doors to the auditorium flew open making the boy by the piano jump. He turned and watched as the girl dashed her way to where he stood. His eyes grew wide as she did not stop and ran straight to his chest, clutching his sides as she pulled him closer to her.  Jonghyun was taken off-guard as his arms swung by his sides due to the impact. He was beyond shock as he had never seen this side of the female student before.

“Y-you’re early today—“she cut him off before he could finish his sentence hurriedly.

“I found it, Jonghyun,” she gasped into his chest as she cried. Jonghyun pushed her shoulders gently to see her face. Her eyes were wide as she smiled at him, tears collecting at the corners of her eyes. Blush coloured her cheeks and Jonghyun found it absolutely stunning.

“You found it?” Jonghyun chuckled as he eyed the object in her fist that was on his chest. She nodded; wiping her tears away with her other hand.

“And?” Jonghyun chuckled as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

“I love you,” Jonghyun’s eyes widened. He stared at the girl in his arms in absolute disbelief. He sure was fed with all those unexpected sides of her as he held her in his arms.

“I swore to myself that I won’t but I can’t help but to acknowledge these feelings,” she whispered softly but Jonghyun heard her loud and clear.

“I love you Jonghyun. Gawd I love you too,” the girl blushed as she tipped her head back and closed the distance between herself and the boy before her without much hesitation. Jonghyun stiffened. He was definitely taken off guard as her soft lips met his but he soon recovered and chuckled slightly under his breath as he placed a hand on the small of her back while the other cradled her head lovingly, deepening the kiss.

“I’m glad you feel the same way I do,” he whispered against her lips, smiling.

The crumpled love letter fell to the floor between them as Alice wounded both her arms around Jonghyun's neck, absorbing herself into the kiss.

Cleo stood by the door, her eyes glued to the two on stage. She could literally feel her heart crashed into her chest and fell to the pit of her stomach in sharp jaggered pieces, cutting her inside out. Tears soon filled the gaps between her lids before pouring down her cheeks. She was completely silent as the tears constantly spill as Jonghyun spun Alice around, their laughter fading in the background as her mind wailed and screamed in pure agony.  Her hands flew to cover as a trembled whimper escaped her lips. Her gaze quickly fell to her feet just as Jonghyun leaned forward to kiss Alice once again. Glancing at them one last time through her tears she her heels. She closed the door quietly behind her, not wanting to make her presence known to the two inside.

With a choked out sob, she ran far away from the auditorium, her arms wrapped tightly around her as if she might just fall apart then and there, Jonghyun’s silver necklace tangled tightly around her right fist.

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OH GAWD! I'VE WAITED SOOOOO LONG TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER! WOOTS!

HAHAHAHAHA

I hope it's sad enough. I thought this chapter through for quite a loooong time. hehehehehe *giggles*

Me happppppiiieeee. Alryt. Hope you enjoy the fic so far.hehe cya on the next chapter!^~^