"Please, let it be Phoenix Harmony"
Serenity silently prayed as she stare at the bands lined up on stage. All the bands were now done with their performances and they were only now waiting for the results. The second and first runner up had already been announced. And everyone was now holding their breaths as they await who the champion was.
"And now for this year's Battle of the bands champion… drumroll please"
A resounding beat of the drums echoed throughout the school and Serenity held her breath as the name of the champion was finally revealed.
🎙🎶🎙
"I knew you guys would be able to do it"
Everyone cheered as Miss Emily hugged the guys all together. Drystan was holding up the championship trophy so not to get it in between their hugs.
"Congratulations guys"
Galene said while Quincey smiled at them with her arms crossed in front of her chest,
"Who would've thought you had it in you"
She proudly jest but the guys couldn't care less about her tone.
"Our lucky charm, come here"
Koa and Kenzo pulled Galene, Quincey and Serenity into the group hug and Malkiel felt his cheeks burned when he felt Serenity beside him. He tried to sneak a glance only to find her already staring and smiling at him.
"Congratulations"
She shortly muttered to which he smiled and replied.
"Thanks"
Drystan cleared his throat that made the everyone pull out of their group hug.
"Well, one goal achieved right?"
Galene smiled at them before settling to Drystan who was now just staring at her.
"Yea well, because you guys won this, you need to practice more because you'll be the final act on the last day of the mid-year festival"
"With that on mind, Miss Emily do you think we could go around the food booths now?"
Galene asked grinning at their advisor to which the whole group anticipated her answer. Miss Emily only smiled at them and took the trophy from Drystan.
"Go! Get out of here, I'll take this to the meeting room. Just be sure to leave your instruments at the room"
Everyone smiled and cheered, Koa instantly took Drystan's guitar and Malkiel's drumsticks before he and Kenzo ran to their practice room to drop off the instruments.
"Well, let's hit the food stands"
Galene put her arm around Drystan and Quincey and lead them out of the backstage. Malkiel and Serenity were left there staring at their backs as Drystan tries to get out of Galene.
"Guess the Jasmine tea worked"
Malkiel broke the short silence between the two of them and saw that Serenity was questioningly looking at him.
"Was it that?"
"Well, no one ever offered us that before so it must be that"
Serenity smiled as she noticed how much of an effort Malkiel was making just so she wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
"Should we go after them?"
Malkiel bit his lower lip and faced Serenity.
"Actually, there's something I wanted to show you. Do you mind if we go separately from them?"
No, she didn't mind. As a matter of fact Serenity wanted for them to be alone. She couldn't explain it but she knew that she missed him and right now she just wanted him all for herself.
"Where do you have in mind?"
Serenity smiled as she answered him.
She was expecting for them to just go talk somewhere inside the rooms but Serenity's eyes widened when she saw Malkiel's safe place.
Malkiel brought her to the rooftop of the school, a place she had never been to before. The rooftop had this white benches besides an open greenhouse which had different vegetables, flowers and plants in it.
"Why had I never heard of this before?"
Malkiel laughed as he guided Serenity towards one of the benches where they both sat down.
"The teacher's rarely tell the students about this place because they might destroy the plants so only a few selected people know about this"
"And you're one of them?"
Malkiel shrugged as he smile sheepishly.
"I was a teacher's pet during my freshman year"
Serenity chuckled as she could never imagine Malkiel being a teacher's pet.
"What happened now?"
"Well, the guys happened. We were friends since grade school and they promised to behave on our freshman year here but during the second half of the school year. After we got beaten in the battle of the bands, they sorta became headaches"
"You're not included?"
Serenity stifled her laughter as Malkiel looked at her.
"Out of the four of us, I'm the nicest you know"
Serenity finally bursted out laughing when Malkiel pointed at himself. He smiled seeing her laughing wholeheartedly.
"I'm glad"
"Of what?"
Serenity smilingly asked him out of curiosity. Malkiel smiled at her before tucking a bit of her loose hair behind her ear.
"That you're smiling and laughing again"
Serenity didn't know if it was the sudden touch or Malkiel staring at her intently that made her cheeks burn.
"It'll take a while for that"
"I know"
Malkiel unconsciously said as he touch the tips of Serenity's long hair.
"I could wait Serenity, and I won't expect so you could return to how you were before"
Malkiel smiled sadly and it made Serenity's heart pound painfully.
"What?"
"I know what you're about to say and well I really don't have the heart to hear direct rejections so I just want to say it directly so it would hurt less"
Serenity abruptly stood up that made Malkiel look up at her. He was shocked to see that pain etched on Serenity's face. She was looking at him like she wanted to punch him directly in the face.
"How could you say that?"
The tone of her voice was rising and this made Malkiel panic. He abruptly stood up and tried to hold Serenity but stopped midway when he realized what he was about to do.
"I just… I could take us being just friends so you don't need to feel complicated anymore"
Serenity could feel the anger rising up her chest. She rarely feel angry and it wasn't an occasional occurrence but she hated that Malkiel jumped to the conclusion that she was already rejecting him just because she avoided the topic? He's just repeating what happened before when he told her to just forget about his confession.
"Are you an idiot?"
Malkiel was taken aback at the harsh tone of Serenity. It sounded like she was angry and yet her face looked like she was on the verge of crying.
"No, Serenity I…"
"Can you shut up for a second? You haven't even heard me say anything yet and you just suddenly go spouting some nonsense about me rejecting you. What happened back at the cabin would just be repeated."
Malkiel's mouth fell open, this may be the first time that he saw such anger from Serenity and he admit that it scares him. Right now, Serenity was much scarier than Quincey and Galene combined.
"But weren't you going to reject me?"
"I told you to shut up didn't I?"
Malkiel fell back to the bench as he sat there like a child being scolded.
"In the first place how did you even get to the conclusion that I would reject you. It's not like I told you directly that I didn't like you. I didn't tell you either that I hated you didn't I? So how can you be stupid enough to even think that"
Serenity stared at Malkiel who was now staring at her blankly, her eyebrows knitted as she pursed her lips into a thin line.
"If you're going to argue that I avoided you because I was going to reject you then you're wrong"
Malkiel held his breath as he waited for Serenity to finish what she was about to say.
"I avoided you because I wanted to make sure of how I felt for you and I was a bit embarrassed and awkward and well, I didn't know how to tell you "
Malkiel stood up again and stared down at Serenity.
"Tell me what?"
Serenity stared at Malkiel and for the first time she realized the height difference between them. She realized how long his eyelashes were or how his gaze seemed warm yet piercing. Was this the effect of realizing what she felt for him? She could finally see him, all of what made Malkiel. She could finally see him as a man now.
"Tell you what I really feel, what I truly felt"
"What?"
Malkiel eyed Serenity with curiosity etched in his features. He stared as Serenity took a deep breath before staring at him straight in the eyes.
"Malkiel Atlas Quintos"
Malkiel held his breath as he felt his heart beating faster. It was just his name. Serenity only uttered his full name and yet he could feel his whole system going into a frenzy.
"I do like you. Not the type of like as a friend or as a bandmate. Not the type of like for a classmate or an admiration for a wonderful person like you.
I like you. The type of like where it hurt whenever I think that I won't have you"
Malkiel couldn't let Serenity finish what she was saying. No, he couldn't wait that much anymore. He closed the distance between them and in just a matter of seconds, his lips was on hers.
His hands cupping both sides of Serenity's cheeks as his lips savor hers. Serenity's eyes widened when she realized what was happening. She held the hands cupping her cheeks and closed her eyes as all the dread and worry washed away with just a kiss from Malkiel.
It lasted only a minute but for the both of them, it felt like it lasted an eternity. So when Malkiel finally pulled away, a large smile plastered on his face was the only thing that Serenity could see.
"Serenity I like you. No, scratch that. I am in love with you."
Serenity could feel her heart pounding loudly in her chest. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. But along with the happiness she was feeling was the tiny pang of sadness and pain that she was still holding.
Malkiel quickly took notice of this.
"There's more?"
Serenity nodded at Malkiel's quick uptake. She held his hands and looked at them, she didn't want to let it go.
"I do like you and I could imagine being with you, spending my days and nights with you, kissing, hugging and holding you. But…"
Malkiel hated it, he hated it whenever there was a but in a sentence. Still, he squeezed Serenity's trembling hands tighter.
"Is it Jace?"
He asked, his voice tiny and almost quiet like he didn't want Serenity to hear it. But she did, and all she could offer was a small smile.
"The thing with Jace wasn't that easy to forget. I could feel anger and pain towards him and yet a tiny part of me knew that there was still some love for him"
He definitely hated it.
"So?"
Serenity stared at Malkiel and saw that his expression was that of a distressed one. She caressed his face lightly before Malkiel held her hands again and put it close to his chest.
"So can you wait? I want to be with you and I want to love you with no extra baggage from the past because that's what you deserved. I'll pick up the pieces that he shattered and put them back on. Because I want to love only you, I don't want to feel anything other than my love for you"
Malkiel felt a tear escape his eye, he closed them and pulled Serenity for a hug. While he was here feeling his world shatter because he was so sure that Serenity would reject him, she was doing the opposite.
She was searching for the resolve to fix herself amidst the pain. Malkiel couldn't feel anymore stupid than now.
"Malkiel?"
"I'll wait Serenity, and you don't need to push me away"
Malkiel caressed Serenity's hair as he pulled her into a tighter hug to which the lass obliged.
"I'll be by your side, I won't go anywhere else so just do what you want to do because you're my first love…
and I vow to make you my last."