Chapter 9 H

[Chapter 8]

The next day, I went to school early because we had dance practice for the opening of a big program happening before the exams. Besides, it would be our last performance before we graduate.

It was still a bit dark as we walked through the hallway, with my tall bodyguard following behind me. I was yawning while walking, hugging myself because I was cold, even though I was wearing a hoodie. Our annoying president had called us early, but in the end, he was the one who arrived late.

Also, I didn't get enough sleep because I kept thinking about what I saw last night with my bodyguard. I don't know if he checked it out or just ignored it.

From a distance, I could already hear music coming from our building. It was a song by BINI, a newly trending girl group in the Philippines. They're quite popular now, and many people are listening to them, including me. Of course, I support my fellow Filipinos! Go Philippines!

When I arrived, my classmates were already singing and dancing. But I didn't get involved because I was still sleepy. I went straight to my table, folded my arms, and slept for a while.

I woke up to the voice of one of my classmates tapping me. I looked up at them.

They handed me something, and I looked at it-coffee.

"Your bodyguard said you should drink this," they said. I frowned and looked outside the window, where I saw him leaning against the railing with his back turned.

I looked back at my classmate, took the coffee, and said, "Thank you." They nodded at me. I wanted to thank my bodyguard too, but I knew he wouldn't respond-he's so nonchalant.

Still, thank you for the coffee, even though I don't really like it. I'm not fond of coffee, but I drink it sometimes if I need warmth. I usually prefer milk in the morning.

I blew on the coffee and sipped it slowly. I felt a little better, the cold dissipating. But then my stomach growled. This is exactly why I avoid coffee; it feels like it's digging into my stomach. It wasn't painful, just weird.

I tried to ignore it and continued drinking the coffee. I didn't really have a choice. Besides, I only drink coffee occasionally, so it was okay.

My drowsiness gradually disappeared as I got entertained watching my classmates fool around. There were only a few girls here, and instead of napping, they were dancing. Andy and Levy were off to the side, seemingly working on choreography. It wasn't just the president teaching us; there were a lot of dancers in our class, so we had plenty of help.

There are four standout dancers: two guys and two girls. The president, Tiller, Andy, and Levy. They're the new friends of Tiller and are part of the dance sports and dance troupe, so they're really skilled at dancing.

That's also their livelihood because not all of us in the class are rich. Tiller and the president are wealthy, but they enjoy teaching to support themselves, even though they're already well-off. As for Andy and Levy, they work hard because they need to support their studies.

They've taught at many different schools. Despite their busy schedules, they still manage to do well in their studies. For instance, Levy is our class's top 1 despite having so much on her plate. There's also evidence that she could be the top student in the whole school, but she's just too busy.

Andy is our top 2. Like Levy, she works hard. But compared to Levy, Andy's life is more challenging. Her mother takes care of her alone and doesn't have a job, plus she has a younger sibling to care for. Sometimes, Andy brings food to sell just so she has something to eat each day. Of course, we buy it to help her out.

We all know each other's life stories; we've been together for seven years. I still laugh about when we were in 11th grade. Many of our classmates transferred, but they all came back after the first quarter. They said they weren't comfortable with their new classmates and missed the camaraderie. Plus, they didn't want to waste their talents. So while we were still in high school, they wanted to make a name for themselves.

We threw a party that day. All of us skipped school, and the next day, our teacher scolded us. But her anger faded quickly when we gave her food from our party.

A few minutes later, Amber and the rest of the gang arrived. And of course, Lyra was the last one to show up.

At exactly 6 a.m., we were all there. Just as I expected, the president was the last to arrive.

We all headed into the gym to start practice.

We were already sweating in the morning. The choreography was tough-kneeling, lying down, then jumping. I was sure my body would ache tomorrow. I'm not a dancer; I'm a singer, for goodness' sake.

"Okay, from the top. Do it right this time; I'm recording," the president said, so we got into position and started again.

We thought it was the last round, but we ended up dancing five more times before we were finally done.

Since we were practicing on the stage, I felt weak walking down the stairs from exhaustion. Suddenly, someone grabbed my hand to help me walk. I could walk just fine, but my body was in shock from the intense dancing. We hadn't danced like that in a while because we were so focused on academics.

Once I was down from the stage, I walked normally again. My classmates were still lying on the stage from exhaustion, but I needed water!

I sat on the bench because that's where my bodyguard led me. He handed me my blue tumbler, and I took it and drank. He stood beside the bench again, serious as always.

"Thank you," I said after drinking. My bodyguard is so caring!

"Can we have some, Myl?" my friends called out, approaching me since they never bring water. They sat beside me, so I handed them the tumbler, and they drank one by one.

"What time is it?" I asked my bodyguard, as my friends were still busy drinking.

"It's already 8 a.m., miss," he replied. I nodded. When I looked back at my friends, I was surprised to see them staring at my bodyguard, who was serious and quiet again.

"Your bodyguard is so handsome, Myl," Nathalie said. I cringed at her loud voice.

"Lower your voice, Nat. He might hear you," Amber scolded her.

"But it's true," Nathalie insisted. I just rolled my eyes. It's true, though. My bodyguard has foreign blood, so his good looks stand out. He looks like a male lead straight out of a book.

"Okay, everyone, back to the classroom. Class is about to start!" the president yelled, so we all stood up, not wanting to be late for our first subject.

Nathalie and Lyra grabbed both of my arms while Amber clung to Lyra's other arm, so we walked closely together like fools.

I glanced at my bodyguard, who was walking smoothly, just following behind us.

We arrived at the classroom, and we quickly changed our shirts since we weren't allowed to remove all our clothes here.

While changing, I was surprised when a large suit suddenly covered me. I looked up and saw my bodyguard holding it, looking away as if trying to avoid seeing anything. I shook my head. He's so overprotective. It's fine not to cover me; everyone else is busy changing too. Besides, I was still wearing my bra.

After I finished changing, he left. My friends immediately gave me curious looks.

"Your guard is super overprotective, huh? Aren't they supposed to come to you only when needed, not approach you randomly?" Lyra asked, raising an eyebrow. I shrugged.

"How would I know? Ask him yourself."

She rolled her eyes while Amber smirked and shook her head. Nathalie raised an eyebrow but had a grin on her face. They were teasing me again.

They only stopped teasing me when our teacher arrived.

"Did you just finish practice?" she asked us.

"Yes, ma'am!" we all replied in unison. It was true, after all.

"I see. Well, I won't hold class today. I'll just give you your reviewer. The principal told me you had practice early. Keep up the good work, class! You're doing great. Go ahead and rest for your next subject. Goodbye, class!"

"Thank you, ma'am!"

She smiled before leaving. I sighed in relief and let out my exhaustion, resting my head on my desk and closing my eyes for a nap. I should sleep so I'll have energy later.

I only woke up when Lyra tapped me, letting me know our next teacher had arrived, one who was very strict. Even though I was still sleepy, I listened to the lecture. I understood what was being taught. But since our teacher was very serious, she made us write an essay on two yellow pads, back-to-back.

I didn't have a hard time, though. After about an hour, I finished. I passed my paper, folded my arms on my desk again, and slept. I only woke up when the classroom started to get noisy.

"You're sleeping well," Amber commented, painting in her sketchbook. I yawned and looked around for Lyra and Nathalie.

"Where are they?" I asked Amber. She knew who I was referring to, so she answered.

"They bought food with your bodyguard. They included him because they didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I joined Lyra and the others in case you were looking for food. Your bodyguard also bought your snacks."

I nodded and just stared off to fight off my drowsiness. I'd already had enough rest since I slept for several hours.

"We're here!" I turned to the person who shouted upon entering the classroom. It was Nathalie and Lyra, followed by my bodyguard carrying a cellophane bag that looked like it had my food.

He came over and placed it on my desk. I smiled when I peeked inside-two crispy tacos, a burger, and of course, my lemonade.

"Thank you!" I said happily. He nodded at me and then left again.

"I really think your bodyguard has a crush on you. How old is he again?" Lyra suddenly asked, causing me to stop reaching for my snack and look at her with a grimace.

"He's so cold, and you think he has a crush on me? And if you're curious about his age again, he's already 28," I replied, resuming grabbing my food and eating. This was the second time they asked about his age.

"Oh, that's fine! A 10-year age gap is no big deal. He's not that old, so you two could have lots of kids," she teased, causing me to choke on my food.

"What the heck, Lyra?!"

"What? We might be surprised to find out the two of you are married. I sense something between you two. I can see it happening in the future," she said with a grin, which made Amber and Nathalie laugh. I just rolled my eyes. Teasing again, huh? Just because I'm NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth)?

"Stop talking nonsense, Lyra. He's my bodyguard, so it's normal for him to take care of me. That's what my grandpa instructed him to do."

"But what if you fall for him? You're always so bitter when we talk about our boyfriends. You might even be the first one to get married among us. I always read stories like that in the news," Lyra continued. I just sighed.

"I don't know, Lyra. Don't try to plan my life for me. It's not like you're the one in charge of my future."

"Maybe. My mom once told me a story about a friend who fell in love with her bodyguard," she added, but I just shrugged it off and continued eating.

I really get annoyed when that topic comes up. It's frustrating, and that's why I don't like joining their conversations about their boyfriends.

Love? Tsk! I don't like romantic love. I still have trauma when it comes to that kind of love. What happened to my family had a big impact on me. If I ever fall in love, I'll probably just keep it to myself. I don't want to get hurt and end up like my mom, who almost went crazy because of what my shameless father did.

Not only did he refuse to marry her, but he also denied us as his children. He was the one at fault, as he got my mom pregnant when she was still a student. My worthless father, who was my mom's teacher when she entered college, got her pregnant.

And the reason he didn't want to marry her or give us his last name was because he already had a family. He made my mom his mistress and cheated again with another student. He is utterly shameless. I could never let him back into our lives. I'll do everything I can to keep him away from us.

Let him try, and he'll have to deal with me. Our blood may be the only thing that proves we're his children, but that's where it ends. He's not family! Because of him, my mom's life was ruined. If he ever tries to come back, there will be bloodshed!