I took a deep breath before knocking on the Head Dean's door. I should clear my thoughts first before coming inside. I should get my stories straight. No, what stories? I don't even know why they're here. I don't know what I should prepare for.
I knocked on the Head Dean's door.
"Come in." I heard his cracky voice.
"Good afternoon, Head Dean Gomez. Good Afternoon, mom and dad." I breathed nervously. "Sit down. Your parents have something to tell you."
I sat down between them. My mom's strong aura stiffened my spine. She doesn't seem so pleased with me. Did she find out that I've been missing class these past few days? My father reflects my mother's energy right now. They both look expensive. That's all I could say about them. My mother loves wearing tight black clothes to enhance her already thin figure while my father wears a dark gray suit just to make it not look like they're not going to a funeral 24/7.
"Sapphire," my mother's cold tone called my name. It sent shivers throughout my body. "I just talked to your head dean," her thin glossed lips made a tight curve to show a fake smile towards the Head Dean. "We told him about your engagement coming this month."
I felt really cold. I let my barrier down. I need the energy to keep up with her words and putting up a barrier to keep whatever evil Artisan is out there takes a lot of my energy because I'm still not used to it.
"After this final examination, you're about to take this week, you will have to come with us immediately back to France. You will meet Mark. Our shareholder's son. You need to be prepared before meeting him. Proper elegance lessons will be put in your schedule immediately." When she mentioned the name of my so-to-be-fiancé, I stopped breathing. This is it. The thing that I've been trying to avoid for years is now here.
/Sapphire, are you...alright?/
His vanilla voice in my mind again. I don't know what to feel. It's all mixed now. Scared? Mad? Tired?
/Sapphire, I'm feeling some tension from you./
Stop talking to me. I don't know how you're doing telepathy when you're not even here.
"Also," the 'also' scared me the most. "You are not to come back here. You'll be staying in France and spending time with your fiancé to get to know each other better." My mother added.
I froze. "Wait, but I'm about to graduate. Just one more semester." I looked at some support from my father but I know there will be nothing from him. He turned his eyes away from me.
"Your course is not important anyway. Plus, you just got eliminated from the musical finals, right? You don't do any good ever." She pursed her thin red lips in contempt. I want to cry but I can't show weakness in front of them. "Are you taking your medicines for your hearing by the way?"
"Yes," I lied.
/Sapphire, seriously. Text me./
I ignored his telepathy.
"Whatever, it is all already planned. That's all. Head Dean, thank you for your time." My parents stood up from their seats and went out of the room leaving me motionless on where I am.
"I know everything is hard to digest, Sapphire. But parents know best." The Head Dean tried to calm me. What is best? They don't even know the littlest thing about me. Know best? The medicine they made me drink is weakening me. If I hadn't met Aaron, I might still have a painful headache every night.
"Thanks for your concern, Principal. I'll go now." I stood up from my seat and went outside to our hideout. The fresh air hit my body softly but it just won't calm me anymore like the way it did before. I used to go there to relax but it's not working. I hugged my knees and curled into a ball hiding my face from everyone else.
"Sapphire?" a warm familiar voice seeps through my cold body. I raised my head up to see Aaron standing in front of me with worry painted on his face. A glow of light frames him as if telling me that he is all the warmth I need in my cold life but I can't even have him. I felt tears running down my face. "You're crying again?"
"Why are you even here? I thought you were in the HQ."
"Mission to protect you, remember?"
I rolled my eyes, "ugh."
"Seriously, what's wrong?"
"How'd you know I wasn't fine? It's not like I was shouting how I was feeling. How?" I wiped my tears with the end of my sweater.
"I…I felt it."
I look at him confusingly. "Felt? How?" my voice cracked.
Even he looked baffled with what he just said. "I'm not sure. I just felt heavy all of the sudden then I tried to figure out why and suddenly everything was directed to you." I don't understand what he meant but I don't think I care.
"How long have you been here?" I asked.
"Since last night. My mission is to protect you. No matter how much you push me away or don't want me here, I still need to do my mission."
Mission. That's all I am to him. I lowered my head again.
"Do you need anything?" he crouched to my level.
I didn't answer. His sweet voice isn't so sweet after all. I'm just a thing for him to get rid of after. I'm just a mission that needed to be ticked on his long list. I'm just another girl he had to save.
"I want to be alone, please. Seriously, leave." I said without looking at him.
He pondered to himself for a moment. "Fine, I'm a text away if you need me."
I need you. I always need you. But you're not a text away for me to have you forever. After this week, you're no longer a sight away either. You'll disappear as fast as you came into life. I'll forget about you. In fact, you shouldn't be that hard to forget. I just met you two weeks ago. You shouldn't be that hard to forget. I heard his footsteps getting farther away from me. Yes, walk away and don't ever come back.