"Halora!"
"Halora!"
Yong and Robbe chased their breaths after calling her name. Halora gaped, surprised by their sudden appearance.
Her pulse stopped pounding and she looked too confused. She opened her mouth, faced the girl who asked her earlier.
She said, "Why a–are you looking for me? D–did I do something wrong to you without saying sorry?"
Halora looked too nervous. Her voice changed from being sweet to a fearful one. Her brown eyes stuck to the green grasses until she felt Roy's warm touch.
"Stay behind me, Halora. I'll handle this thing." He told her, acted like he was her new knight shining armor sent from up above.
His adam's apple flaunted when he gulped and stared at the young boy who was looking for Halora. "What do you need from her?"
A cold, deep voice echoed around the entire garden. The trees danced to the rhythm created by the cold breeze.
"If you don't know still, we are the volunteers from the Senior High Department. As part of the school's activities, we are here to invite Halora because someone is waiting for her at the marriage booth."
He explained fluently that made him, Robbe and Yong surprised. They stood for a couple of minutes, and none of them tried to speak.
Robbe opened his mouth, wide enough to catch and swallow a fly. He held his chest, stomped his right foot as he thought they succeeded with their plans.
"Idiot! Why are you smiling that way? We don't even know who wants to marry Halora!"
Yong used to hit his head but at the moment they stood before Roy, he pinched his I'm left ear until Robbe hit his arms.
"Come with us, Halora. Don't worry, nothing awful will gonna happen to you. We are all celebrating the upcoming Foundation Day, and I'm expecting you won't decline your admirer's request. Shall we?" The other girl offered her hand to Halora.
Her face was covered with red as the sun shone too bright. She was smiling the whole time while trying to convince him and Halora.
"I think, you should go and see who's your s–secret admirer, Halora! Ri–right, Yong?" He suddenly said which caught everyone's attention.
Robbe faked a smile when Roy looked at him angrily. He knew that Sebastian was the mastermind of all the things that happened to his childhood friend's life.
And now that he was around, he can protect her from anyone. He will never leave her side, no matter what.
Roy clenched his jaw out of anger. He then looked at the girl and said, "No! She's not going with you!"
He quickly took his backpack from the ground, "Excuse us!" He added that brought confusion to all of them.
"Ha–Halora!" Robbe tried to stop her but the grip on her wrist was too tight and rigid. He gasped, looked at Yong for a moment.
"Huh! We are just wasting our time and energy for this."
"Where are you going?"
"Robbe!" Yong called his name but his friend started to walk away from the school garden. He looked too disappointed by what he had witnessed.
Yong took a deep, heavy breath. He lifted his head until he met the girl's gaze. Her perfect blue eyes twinkled, a sweet, candid smile slowly formed to her thin, crimson lips.
"Sorry for his actions. He is Halora's childhood best friend, and I know he is an exaggerated type of man."
"Don't say sorry. But, we have to go right now. Til' next time and see you around!" She replied formally and walked back to the marriage booth with the guy with her.
He shook his head in dismay, slid his hands to his pocket, and walked to the cafeteria like no one knew his name.
–
The sun shone too bright. Its light has spread throughout the entire school, has meaning to the lifeless trees and flowers.
Dying plants came back to life when they obtained the exact proportion of sunlight they needed to live longer.
While thousands of dried leaves drifted by the cold wind to the ground. It looked like a sanctuary where anyone else could ever stay forever.
On the other side, after a lunch break, most of the students went onto the movie booth for new horror movies.
Few of them enjoyed the marriage, arcade, and freedom wall. Half of the population of girls confessed to their long, elusive crushes.
Crush and love confessions wiped out the rest of the students' rants and opinions. They enjoyed, manipulated the once-in-a-year activity to be with the person that adored and admired.
But, there was one girl who was just seated on the chair by herself. Instead of having fun with strangers, she stayed and obeyed his decision.
"Hmmm," Halora put her index finger to her lips. She bit it like a baby while she stared at the athletes who played at the gymnasium.
She seated on the very first row of the chairs, watched the new varsity player and Karate Master– Roy Adrian Li.
Halora enjoyed every little thing with him. She chose to walk around with her long, lost childhood best friend.
But her heart searched for something else that was hard to explain. She touched where her heart was located, she caressed it gently as her eyes glinted and stuck to the young man who waved his hands on her.
"Halora! Smile!"
Roy suddenly clicked the button as he took photographs of her. He kept it since morning, and finally, he captured her greatest, sweetest smile.
He gave her a thumbs-up, reviewed it, and stared at it for a second. "Why is it my heart feels this way? This is... not the right and the perfect moment to confess."
"Hey! Are you done?" Her sweet voice echoed around the place.
No one was around and she felt comfortable with the situation. Halora wanted everything to be in private and she never wanted to flaunt every little thing she has.
"I'll gonna change my wet t-shirt and we will go to the movie booth. Wait for me, Halora!" Roy turned off the camera as he grabbed the backpack from the bench.
He put the white towel on his shoulders, took a heavy breath as he closed his eyes, "I'll be quick!"
"Alright, as you say so."
Halora smiled at him but it was different. It seemed like a fake one but for her, she did her best to act normally.
She then moved her head sideways, observed the entire gymnasium until someone spoke from behind.
"You will be dead, sooner or later." A cold, creepy voice echoed around that gave rise to fear and worry.
She touched her pounding heart, endured her weak, sweating forehead and the terror she suddenly felt, but the presence of someone remained behind Halora.