"Take care and have fun." was the last message Ray sent to Althea.
Today was the day Althea head to a certain place for leadership camp. She had been so excited about being able to go that Ray couldn't help but feel happy on her enthusiasm despite his worries.
"Such refreshing smile."
Ray curled up his lips as he scrolled through the pictures Althea sent him this morning. In one of the pictures, she was wearing her blue top and black skirt school uniform which she often wear during school events. As one who is relatively sensitive to weather change, she was wrapped in a dull grey jacket.
Ray hummed as he realized she has been wearing only that jacket all this time and silently took note to buy a suitable one for her when he saved up enough money.
He scrolled some more till he got his Althea-dose for the day, he turned his sight on the piles of books he used to study.
Since he already passed his exams, he suddenly has lots of free time. Unable to come up with what to do with it, however, he would either think of his possible future with Althea or simply go back to study the subjects he might need for his college.
Looking at the worn out books from the frequent usage, he plan to study today as well but...
"Sigh..."
He couldn't focus.
His mind wandered on random matters popping up such as what if the impulsive teenagers who happen to be Althea's colleagues somehow confess to her as it's her last year working in the organization, what if Althea find the weather too cold and unable to sleep, what if she wouldn't have time to talk to him and some other what ifs he normally wouldn't even bother to think about.
Sitting on his study desk, he flipped down his phone's monitor to stop looking at it but flipped it back to see if Althea might text him on her free time.
Ring ring
In the middle of flipping back and forth, his phone suddenly rang and his hopes shot through the roof of being contacted by Althea- only to find how wrong he was.
"Hello, father." He greeted.
"Mn. Today is the day your scholarship final acceptance be announced, right? Is there any news?" His father's level voice sounded.
"Not yet."
"I see."
Silence descended after the succinct talk.
"You have failed one. I hope you won't fail another." His father finally said.
"Understood."
Click.
A short, tense, no bullshit kind of talk as always.
Ray scowled as he found his dampen mood just got flung even further.
Scratching his hair in annoyance, he walked to his closet and found a pair of training suit he used to wear.
Putting them on in a flash, he walked out of his home to have a jog.
After all, what's better than physical activity to calm your mind?
Jogging in his usual pace, he marveled at his inability to focus today. First was obviously due to his worries of Althea, but the second was... because he was scared.
'Tsk.' Ray clicked his tongue. If it was the past him, he would've got rid of such burdensome feeling.
For him, fear have became a strange, unusual feeling. Since he would've not been able to live well if he can't get over it, he had exercised control on slightest of his feelings.
Moreover, he was one who had nothing to lose nor anything to fight for. Thus, failure and success was just a mere result he couldn't care less about. At most if he succeeded, his parents wouldn't scold him. While if he failed, he would suffer some more. But for him, that's it.
With physical and mental state which almost turned numb to anything whose consequences were nothing to fret about. After all, he was just living since he couldn't die.
But Althea made it different.
Any consequences related to Althea, he wouldn't be able to take it lightly. He couldn't bear to let her go, nor was he prepared to hear anything bad happening to her.
He wanted to take care of her personally, keeping close to her all the time, spoiling this girl who seemed just as lonely as he was.
And that would start from his success through this scholarship.
"Huff..." Sweat trickling down his back, he regulated his breath and paused his line of thought.
Gulping down the water he brought, he felt his phone rang.
Ding
Wondering whether it was email or Althea's message, he swiped open his phone.
And his heart which rarely ever raced thumped.