Xyrine Jean's POV
I turned to the right.
Then to the left.
I lay on my back.
Then on my stomach.
"ARG! AAAAH! WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME?! WHY CAN'T I SLEEP?!" I nearly yanked my hair out in frustration. I bolted upright as the events of last night flashed through my mind.
Flashback
Clap, clap.
We all turned toward the sound.
"Louren?" we said in unison.
"You have such a nice voice, Spade," he said with a smile, looking directly at him.
Ren approached Spade and slung an arm around his shoulder. "Yeah, dude, you didn't tell us you were hiding such a voice."
Spade frowned and shoved Ren's arm away. "Tss. Why are you just showing up now?" Spade directed his question at Louren.
"Uh, that..." Louren chuckled nervously. "I ran into someone I knew. Anyway, I'm sorry to say this, but I have bad news."
We all stared at him, a sense of dread creeping in.
"WHAT?" we chorused.
"Unfortunately, Sharina's family is on vacation now," he said, grinning. "So, there's no one there right now."
"What?" Ten exclaimed.
"Wadahel, bro?" Ren added, eyebrows knitting together.
"Fvck?!" Spade scowled.
Louren just laughed, prompting the three of them to gang up on him. Meanwhile, I was on the verge of tears out of sheer frustration. I scratched my head, feeling utterly helpless.
What kind of unlucky night is this?
I sighed heavily. "I'm going home," I told them, turning to leave.
"We'll take you!" they all offered at once, like they hadn't just been roughhousing a second ago. I rolled my eyes as they simultaneously avoided my gaze.
"Tss. What do you take me for? A child? Someone who can't go home alone?" I shot back sarcastically, spinning on my heel.
I was startled when someone suddenly grabbed my hand.
"I brought you here, so you're coming with me!" Spade declared, dragging me toward his motorcycle before I could protest.
Bathump.
Ah! Why the hell is my heart beating so loudly again?!
Since it was late and I was exhausted, I didn't argue. But my heart wouldn't stop pounding as we rode, the feeling only growing stronger.
When we finally reached home, I jumped off the bike, desperate to escape the overwhelming sensations. "I'm going inside," I said quickly, barely glancing at him as I turned away.
"...."
I had just taken a step when his voice stopped me.
"What?" I asked, turning back to him.
He just stood there, staring. Then, slowly, he stepped closer, making my heart race again.
Akk! Why does he have to get closer?
"I'm not repeating it, so listen up..." He leaned in, bringing his face close to my ear. His breath sent shivers down my spine, freezing me in place.
He grabbed the nape of my neck, pulling me closer. "You are the reason for all of this facade," he whispered.
I wanted to ask him to repeat it, but before I could, he turned me around and gently pushed me inside.
Wait...
What did he say?!
End of Flashback
"You are the reason for all of this facade."
I didn't know what he meant by that or if it even meant anything. But every time I replayed that moment, with how serious and close he was, I couldn't help but zone out.
Tss. Xyrine, this is ridiculous! As if this is the first time you've been this close to that crazy guy. But what did he really mean? There's a hidden message in what he said that I can't decode but desperately want to.
I felt like I was spiraling into madness as I paced around my room. My phone suddenly buzzed, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Who could it be now?
[1 Message received. From: 0956******
Still up?]
I quickly tossed my phone onto the bed as if it burned me. My heart raced even faster.
Wait! It's just a text, Xyrine. Why are you panicking? Aaaah! Why is his text like that?! And why is he texting me in the middle of the night in the first place?!
I paced back and forth before hesitantly picking up the phone again.
Wait, is this really his number? I didn't save his number or any messages.
The phone buzzed again.
[1 Message received. From: 0956******
I order you to respond. Idiot.]
I dropped the phone again, this time feeling faint.
Damn! What's wrong with you, Xyrine?! I slapped my cheeks and bit my lip, trying to calm my nerves before picking up the phone once more. I wasn't sure if it was him, so I decided to call. It didn't even ring once before the line picked up.
"Hello."
Bathump.
I panicked and hung up immediately. My hands were trembling as I slapped my cheeks again, harder this time.
"Shet! Why is this happening? Why won't my heart stop pounding?" I muttered, pressing a hand to my chest. The phone beeped again, and I reluctantly picked it up, dreading what I'd see next.
[1 Message received. From: 0956******
Xyrine?]
Xyrine? Eh?
"Aaaaaaaah!" I screamed into a pillow, biting it in frustration.
Seriously?! What's his problem? And Xyrine?! Since when did we get on a first-name basis with that crazy guy?!
"Aaaaaaah!" I screamed again, louder this time.
"Xyrine!"
Ella barged into my room, her face a mixture of concern and curiosity.
"Couz, what's going on? I could hear your screams from my room. Are you okay?"
I froze. "Ha? I mean, nothing! I-I just felt like screaming," I stammered, wincing at how lame I sounded.
She didn't believe a word. "Eh, why are you so red?" she asked, suspicion in her eyes.
I was about to come up with another excuse when my phone beeped again. Both of us turned to it simultaneously. A mischievous grin spread across her face as she reached for my phone before I could stop her.
"Waaaaah! No!" I shouted, lunging toward her.
"If you're still awake, go to sleep. That's an order. Goodnight. From: 0956****,"** she read aloud, her grin widening as she looked at me.
"Ah shit. What the hell?" I groaned, covering my face in embarrassment.
Ella plopped down beside me, laughing. "Blushing, screaming, awake at 1 AM. Tsk tsk, the evidence is strong."
I facepalmed, mortified. Shit. This is really embarrassing!
"Couz, tell me..." she teased, her smile wicked.
"Stop it, Ella." I snapped, my face hot with embarrassment.
"Hahaha, okay, I won't tease you anymore. But I want you to admit something," she said, turning to me with a knowing look.
"W-what is it?" I asked nervously.
"Are you... perhaps..."
"Perhaps what?" My heart raced again, knowing where this was going.
"Are you in love?"
My eyes widened at her question, and I felt all the blood rush to my head.
I shot to my feet. "ELLA! What nonsense are you talking about?!"
She burst into laughter. "Gosh, Couz, your reaction is so hilarious! it's hella cute Hahaha!"
"But be honest," she pressed, wiggling her eyebrows. "You're only making it harder for yourself if you keep it a secret."
I sighed, her words hitting a nerve. Taking a deep breath, I looked at her. "I don't know!" I blurted out.
Her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh! Seriously?"
"Aaaah! I really don't know!" I confessed, unable to meet her gaze.
"HAHAHAHA! What's wrong with you? Why are you blushing? HAHAHA! I mean, it's okay, you know? It's normal."
Arg! Didn't she say she wouldn't tease me anymore? Why does she look like she's enjoying this even more?
But what is this? I'm so confused! I don't know anymore! This whole thing is making me hyperventilate like crazy! Ghad! What I'm saying sounds so cringy, I feel like I want to disappear!
I took another deep breath and forced myself to meet her gaze again. "I'm confused. I don't know if I'm in love or what," I admitted, my cheeks burning.
Ella grinned like she had just won the lottery. "Hays, Xyrine, you're lucky to have me as your cousin. Hahahaha! Well, welcome to the club! The club of those with a crush but not crushed back! Hahahahaha!"
I groaned. "Hays! This is absurd."
She cackled. "Hahaha! Just kidding! You know, your problem is just easy, like level 1 compared to the struggles of us NBSBs."
I frowned. "So, what now?"
She gave me a mischievous grin. "Well, just confirm these ten signs."
I squinted at her. "Ten signs? That's so cringe!"
"What? Just listen!" she scolded, crossing her arms.
"Agh! Whatever."
She cleared her throat dramatically. "Okay, first—You get flustered every time you see him!"
Do I get flustered? Ugh. He just texted me, and I'm already flustered. That's crazy.
"Okay," I muttered.
"Second, your day feels incomplete when you don't see him."
Tss. He's the one ruining my day! Why would I even want to see him?
"Third, when he's around—or worse, when he's in front of you—you can't concentrate!"
Have I experienced that? I don't know. I can't remember anything!
"Fourth, every time you hear his name, your heart starts to race. Even if the person saying his name is a mile away, you can still hear it, and it makes your heart skip a beat."
Seriously? How corny.
"Fifth, you can't sleep at night thinking about him. Which is happening to you right now. Ayiie!" She poked my side, making me flinch.
"Hey! Stop that!"
She ignored me. "Sixth, you always want to talk to him. You keep waiting for his texts and calls. You stare at your phone, hoping he'll text you."
What? Like hell! I get flustered every time he texts!
"Seventh, you lose your appetite."
I scoffed. Uhm, impossible! Food is life!
"Eighth, you get annoyed when girls hover around him."
I haven't felt that yet… or have I?
"Ninth, you start assuming things. Like when he says something sweet or does something that makes your heart flutter, you fall for it. Don't be fragile, girl."
That won't happen.
"And tenth…" Her voice softened slightly. "When you start to feel hurt." She sighed. "Well, that's love. Sometimes it's happy, but most of the time, it's painful."
Painful?
I stared off into the distance, her words sinking in. "What if I haven't experienced some of those yet? Does that mean I'm not in love?"
Ella just laughed. "Well, it's too early to tell. Maybe tomorrow, or in the coming days, those signs will start showing up," she said with a knowing smirk.
I groaned, covering my face. "Ugh. I know I'm not in love! Just leave. You're only making my mind more confused!"
She opened her mouth to tease me again, but I pushed her out of my room before she could say anything else.
I leaned against my door, letting out a frustrated sigh.
But what if…
I'm in love?
Yuck.