MATTHEW'S POV
I was taken aback by the sudden waterworks flowing down Samuel's face.
The captain still stared at me. Did he even know he was crying?
"Hey, s-so..." I frantically searched for words in my head. This scene shocked me speechless.
"Are you okay...? Was what I said hurtful?"
"Huh?" Samuel's hand flew to his cheeks and felt warm liquid seeping out of his eyes. Then, it widened as he now had both hands on his face.
'Yep, he doesn't even know he's crying.'
Samuel's face both paled and reddened at the same time. "Oh, g-geez. I guess I was too busy processing what you just said, " He laughed, something so opposite at what was going on in his eyes. "I didn't know it started going down." He wiped his tears, a smile on his face never faded.
I was uncomfortable. Did I make Samuel sad or happy? Either way, something on what I said made him cry.
"S-So... Are you okay?" I asked.
Samuel nodded and tried to regain his composure. "Y-Yeah, sorry about that. It's just..." He sniffled and rubbed his nose. He was breathing heavily and his eyes were slightly red.
"It's just...?" I urged for him to continue.
"Three people said that to me now, including you." He chuckled. "That I shouldn't put myself down."
'Three?'
"Is that why you're crying?" I furrowed my eyebrows.
"Well... I-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as we smelled something burning.
"Huh? Why is it- Oh god! I forgot about the bacon!" He stood up so quickly, I was worried he got whiplash. He ran to the kitchen and from its doorway, I could see a faint smoke materializing.
I also followed Samuel to the kitchen and the scene that unfolded was quite funny. As Samuel turned the stove off, he started waving around for the smoke to disappear. He was coughing and slapping the air, while a burnt pair of bacon stuck to the pan, the source for the smoke.
I laughed at the predicament Samuel was in, before taking pity and helping him. As we cleared out the smoke, The blond grabbed the pan and faced the black bacon. "At least the eggs are done." He mumbled, trying to be optimistic. I was stifling a laugh and Samuel was sighing.
"Well, I guess we'll only eat the eggs for today." He grumbled. And so, we have momentarily forgotten about earlier as some of the elites had gone down to see what happened.
-
I was currently in my room ruffling with my tie and messing with my ankle - which rarely hurts anymore. My jacket hung on my shoulders as I hadn't properly put them on yet. I was waiting for the call from the others if we were about to leave. I glanced at my clock and saw the time. 9:45 in the morning. As if on cue, a knock on my door was heard.
I stood up from my bed and opened the door. On the other side, Ashley, Samantha, Samuel, and Zed grinned altogether. "I thought you were about to make us late again, Martinez." Ashley teased.
"Oh, come on!" I groaned. "That was one time. Besides..." I looked at Samantha and she lowered her head, a blush was visible on her cheeks. "We still got to school in time, right?"
"Barely."
"Let's go then!" Zed chimed in. "We still have that collaboration going on."
All of us climbed down the stairs. It seemed the others were already inside the limousine. Not wanting to keep them waiting, we sped up and got inside the car.
"Is everyone here?" The principal asked us from the driver's seat. A chorus of 'yes' filled busted my eardrums. The car revved to life and we made our way towards the school.
At the car ride, I kept yawning. I think this was my tenth yawn within five minutes. Maybe jogging while having little sleep was not a good idea. Samuel noticed this.
"Regretting that short jog, Matthew?" He smirked.
I stuck my tongue out at him. "Don't make me expose your morning look, Samuel."
That made him shut up and cracked a joke to divert the topic in case anyone heard.
I couldn't suppress a smile at this. Ever since he avoided talking to me, I forgot how funny he actually was, and sometimes annoying in a good way. How good it felt when everything was back to normal, although he still didn't say the reason why he cried.
'Maybe I could bring it up later.'
Aside from Samuel joking around and Ashley contradicting every joke he made, the car ride was normal. When we arrived at school, there were no group of people at the school gate, it seemed everyone had already gone to their respective classes.
I hid my red button in my pockets, still not ready for anyone to know I was an elite. Elijah and Sasha may already know, but still, I didn't want anyone fawning over me and invading my personal space like what happened to Zed yesterday. I couldn't handle that much closure.
We all waved and went our separate ways, except for Zed and me. We were walking towards the gym when Zed felt the need to ask, "So, everything is okay between you and Samuel now?"
I nodded in reply. "Yeah. I sort of... Comforted him in something, and everything's back to normal, I guess."
Zed huffed and chuckled. "You don't have to be vague about it, I already know you cheered Samuel up about the hat."
'Those two are captains for good reasons. One of them is mind reading.'
"You're right. It's just reflex - whenever I'm told a secret, I try my best not to share it with anybody."
Zed smiled as his eyes darted from his left sleeve to mine. "I can see that."
I gripped the red button that was in my pocket. Because of this secret, I also lost a friend. But I decided it was for the best, that they'd stay away from me and, hopefully, wouldn't find out I was enduring the fighting in the Night Fig Forest. And if I was gone... They wouldn't have to worry about me.
I already know there was a possibility of dying in battling the ventifios, much less injured from one. Sasha and Elijah could be saved from the world and burdens of the elites, that's why I didn't reveal the secret to them. If the cost of protecting them was our friendship, then so be it.
We had arrived at the gym and saw almost everyone already running. Zed and I entered the gym and everyone, while still running, turned their gazes to us. Needless to say, they were shocked that someone 'normal' was with an elite, including mister Jacob.
"Matthew? Villaroa? Why are you two together?" The gym teacher turned to me. "And you were supposed to be here an hour ago!"
'Oops, I didn't think this through.'
Since Elijah and Sasha turned their backs on me yesterday, I didn't put much effort into concealing I was an elite.
Now, I also see no need for me to hide, honestly. But I didn't want the treatment the 'normal' students would give the elites. It looked suffocating and an invasion of personal space. And I would feel uncomfortable with the stares. Just remembering the girl who tried to get Zed's attention yesterday gives me goosebumps.
Since I forgot, I was panicking for an excuse. "O-Oh, I was... Er..."
Zed came forward and to my rescue. "Matthew here has the potential to be an elite!"
To say the other students went wild would be an understatement. They all stopped running and screamed - I didn't know if it was in jealousy or if they were congratulating me. Their combined voices made me winced as it was so loud. Mister Jacob congratulated me though after shutting them up.
"What an achievement, Matthew." Mister Jacob patted my back with force, making me stumble forward. Then, the teacher asked Zed. "So, what made you see pick Matthew as an elite? Aside from his amazing speed in running, of course." Mister Jacob smiled. My self-confidence shot up once more.
"Well, that's one of the reasons." Zed agreed. "Also, let's say..." The black-haired captain grinned as he glanced at me. "Matthew has been... Saving people."
Mister Jacob gave me applause. "You've been protecting students from those bullies, ey? That's indeed a remarkable trait." He nudged me using his elbow. "And I bet if they try to run away, you always catch up to them."
I laughed at that, not because of the 'bullies' running away, But because he called the ventifios bullies. I think those creatures were more than that. Ventifios are the embodiment of chaos and destruction, yet he referred to them as mere bullies. Well, I didn't blame him, he had no idea of what happens in school once the sun sets and the moon rises.
"It's no problem, really." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I think it's just the right thing to do."
Zed smiled even wider and mister Jacob continued to compliment me with a bunch of jealous students at the side.
"Hey!" The gym teacher yelled. "Get back to running if you want to win!"
"As much as I want you to celebrate on about to be an elite, we have a collaboration to do." Mister Jacob said. I waved it off and pulled Zed to the lockers.
"Thanks for that, Zed." I said as I opened a locker. "Now I don't have to explain to anyone if I showed my red button."
"You're welcome. But you normally are more cautious than this." He commented and brought out his gym clothes. "Why did you slip up?"
I recalled the fight I had with Elijah. "I guess I didn't care so much anymore." I mumbled.
Zed looked confused at that. He didn't question what I meant, instead, he asked, "So, will you wear your red button now?"
I thought about it. There was no reason to hide being an elite anymore. But... There's still a part of me that didn't fully believe I was an elite, that I was fighting monsters that lived in the underworld.
'I'll wear the button when I'm confident enough that I'm just like the other elites.'
That meant resisting fatigue and getting stronger.
"Maybe." I told Zed and walked towards the restroom. The captain ran up to me and we both changed into a white t-shirt and black jersey shorts that fell below our knees. Later, after putting our uniforms in the same locker we got the gym clothes from, we joined the others in running. Since I jogged earlier, a bead of sweat rolled down the side of my forehead as I finished a lap.
-
It's lunchtime, the moment I've been waiting for.
I sat on the bleachers, a cold water bottle in my hand and a white towel. I propped my elbows on my knees and tried to catch my breath. I think I need to work on my stamina again or did mister Jacob became harsher on us today?
As I was resting on the bench alone - Zed had gone to get our lunch for us from Samuel, and declined my offer to go with him - someone had sat next to me.
There was so much space to occupy on the bleachers since there weren't many of us, to begin with, so I turned to the one who decided to sit with me. My eyes widened when I remembered her.
It was that girl from yesterday who tried to get Zed's attention!
I was wondering what she was doing next to me, but I didn't try to strike up a conversation. Knowing this, she took it upon herself to do it.
"So, you're about to be an elite, huh?" She smiled. "Congratulations. I hope you keep that up until it's official."
'I'm already one though.'
But that didn't matter. What's with the sudden change of attitude? Yesterday, she got mad at me because I saved Zed from her. Something's not right here.
"Thanks... I guess." Mumbling, I took a sip of my water.
I didn't know what I did, but supposedly, thanking her was an invitation to flirt.
"So..." She scooted closer to me and bumped my shoulder. "Do you have a girlfriend?"
I almost spit out my water at that.
'Where did that question come from?!'
I chuckled nervously and put a bit of a distance between us since she was getting too close. She wasn't backing down as she moved even closer to me, her face inches from mine.
"Why are you avoiding me?" She pouted. "I don't bite."
She grazed her nails up and down on my arms, making me shiver at the sharpness of it and that I felt uncomfortable. I gave her a look before retracting my arm away from her. "I don't think I'll answer that question. Also, please put some space between us, it's improper for us to be this close."
Her eyes gleamed and became even more flirtatious. "You already speak and act like an elite! In no time, you will be one of them." She purred. I looked for anyone to get this girl off me, but it seemed everybody was busy doing their things.
I sighed and closed my eyes. I had to deal with this on my own.
I gave her a smile that was against my wishes. "I appreciate the compliments and support, but could you please move away a little bit so we can talk properly?"
She nodded eagerly. I could finally breathe without smelling her breath.
This was what I was talking about. Zed only said that I had the potential to be an elite, and the way he said it, I wasn't one of them yet, and this girl was already hitting on me. This was what I meant when I said I didn't want any special treatment. This girl got mad at me because I blocked her from Zed, who she attempted to flirt with, and now that Zed announced I was to be an elite, she suddenly asked if I was single? Something's definitely wrong here, there was no doubt about it.
"Oh, silly me!" She giggled. "You don't even know my name. Anyways, My name's Alana Jang, nice to meet you!"
I inhaled deeply. I really didn't want her to know my name for some reason, but I needed to keep up with the elites' reputation. "Likewise. And I am-"
"Matthew Martinez, I know." She cut me off.
I was shocked that she knew my name. I didn't remember if I talked to her before to the point she knew who I was. If I wasn't mistaken, we met for the first time just yesterday.
"H-How did you-"
Alana motioned to mister Jacob's direction, "He talks about you all the time and about how you could rival him in speed."
I respected mister Jacob and I was happy he noticed my hard work in the track n' field, but I hope he'd stop doing that and realize he didn't have to mention my name.
"Of course." I mumbled.
Alana placed a hand on my leg and I flinched at the action. Her nails slightly dug through my skin as she spoke, "You didn't answer my question if you have a girlfriend-" 'Because I didn't want to.' "-Does that mean your free?"
She was going too far. I didn't know her that much yet she was acting as if putting a hand on me was normal. I knew I had to say something.
I opened my mouth so she could get her hand off my leg, but someone suddenly pushed between us. Her long blonde hair swayed and danced as she had her arms outward to hide me from Alana. At this, the brown-haired girl's hand that was once near my knee returned and dropped to her side.
I looked up to see who my savior was when I suddenly inhaled a familiar scent of strawberries.