The Secret Luna: A Forbidden Love

The jingling of the bell could be heard round the whole school. That was my cue to leave. I stood up from my seat immediately.

My classmates all filed out of the classroom in groups, chatting and bickering about one thing or the other while I was left to walk home alone. My life has always been this way.

Ever since I was little,my parents refrained from having any close relationships or friendly chit chat with our neighbors.

These people eventually stopped approaching us because they could tell that my parents were unwilling to relate with them.

Even till my final year in high school,I still remained invincible and unnoticed.

"It's the only way we can keep you safe. Soon enough,you will understand".

That was the reply I always got from my parents anytime I confronted them for an explanation regarding why I was never allowed to mingle with my peers.Tl Gabriella. What took you so long?" She said without turning to look at me.

I wasn't surprised,it has always been like that. I guess the sharp hearing ability runs in the family.

"Hi! Mum. Nothing serious,just taking my time" I responded.

"Where is dad?"

"He's upstairs,right in his study room."

I walked over to the study room and before I could knock,he quickly opened the door slightly and closed it behind me.

It was quite obvious that he was hiding something since he never allowed me in.

"Gabby," he called out. That was the pet name he was fond of calling me.I was so close to him that my mother got jealous sometimes.

"How was your day at school?" I almost rolled my eyes at the question he asked as if he didn't know how things were.

"The usual" I said distantly. The aroma coming from the kitchen covered all my senses. The table had already been set.

I quickly rushed over to the dining table. Mum had prepared pasta and vegetables with fruit salad as a desert. But most of all,she had fried some beef.

My love for meat was beyond my own understanding. Even though we always ate it for dinner,I never lost my appetite for it.

I was about to take a piece from the bowl when I felt a stern gaze on me.

"Don't you dare touch anything with that stinky hand of yours" my mum said, almost yelling.

That was when I remembered that I hadn't cleaned up yet. I ran upstairs with my face flushed with embarrassment.

I headed back to the dining table after taking a quick shower. I was so hungry that I didn't notice the sad expression on my parents' face.

The atmosphere was so tense unlike the way it has always been,full of laughter and argument. I had to stop eating for a moment and looked at them with a questioning gaze.

"What's going on, what's with the look on your faces?"

"It's nothing dear. When are you having your final exams?" Mum asked. I could tell she was trying to avoid my question soI just played along.

"Next week,I guess. An official notice has not been issued yet" I responded with a hint of annoyance in my voice. I still don't know why they cared to ask about my school when they've never tried to visit when they were expected to.

After dinner,I helped mum do the dishes and for some reason that was unknown to me, they avoided anything that would start up a conversation.

We all went to bed early with each of us having our own thoughts.

****

I woke up late for school the next morning. I had to leave without having breakfast which made mum upset because she had to wake up early to prepare breakfast for me.

I felt bad for her but wasn't ready to be punished for my lateness and I would definitely have lunch at the school cafeteria so she shouldn't worry herself too much.

I gave her a quick hug and bolted out of the house. I had to run all the way to school and by the time I got there,I was out of breath.

The gatekeeper just ignored me when he saw me panting which was exactly what I wanted.

After all the boring lectures,I was walking over to the cafeteria. My head was full of thoughts about what I had noticed from my parents last night.

I failed to notice that I was about to walk down the stairs and by the time I did,it was too late.

I broke out in cold sweat as I saw my life flash before me. I was terrified. I closed my eyes waiting to hear my bones breaking,but it never came. Instead,I felt a warm feeling engulf me.

My eyes fluttered open to see the face of the person that had caught me.

As I met his gaze,I was captivated by his deep brown eyes and his cute face.

My goodness! I had never set my eyes on him before. His handsome face made me feel butterflies in my stomach.

I got lost in the moment until his cool voice brought me back to reality.

"Watch your step next time" I heard him say.

His voice was so thick and sounded like a bass pro. I was so amazed by the encounter with the cute young man. He had dimples and small lips which was so attractive to me. I was going to ask him his name and get to know him more but I had to hold my manners to myself so I just stared at him as I watched him leave.

I was stunned that I couldn't respond immediately. Before I could thank him,he had already walked away.

For the first time in my life,I felt excited to get to know about a person. I was surely going to find out who he was.

Gabriella walked to the school cafeteria thinking about the guy she had met by accident. She kept wishing that she would get the chance to meet him again.

Looks like her wish was about to be fulfilled. On her way back to class,she came across a group of students staring at the school notice board. She got curious and decided to check it out.

The notice board stated that all final year students should gather together at the school auditorium immediately for an important announcement.

The students all rushed down to the auditorium. They all knew what the outcome would be,if they ended up missing the time frame that was given to everyone to get there.

When Gabriella got to the auditorium,she noticed a group of students standing at the entrance. Suddenly,there was an uproar as three boys walked into the hall.

The girls were screaming like they had seen a celebrity while the boys were stunned.

"Isn't that Tony Edison and his gang?" One of the students said.

"I heard he's the son of Ethan Edison,one of the most influential business mogul in our country"

"It's true. There are rumors that his father was suspected of embezzling the government funds"

"Ahhh! Watch your mouth. You wouldn't want any of his die-hard fans to hear you"

"He's so handsome and rich. I wish I could take a picture of him"

"You really want to get into trouble. Don't forget that the school queen has her eyes on him"

"I wonder why he showed up here today. He's rarely seen in school except during exams"

"What else do you expect from the richest student in the school? Of course,he wouldn't mingle with the likes of us,even the school queen is finding it difficult to communicate with him"

"You're right,I guess we can only admire him from here. We don't want to step on anyone's toes"

All the gossip coming from the students drove Gabriella's curiosity to its peak. She was eager to know who the popular student was.

As she forced her way into the crowd, her eyes wandered around searching for the person until her eyes finally landed on a group of boys heading towards the front row.

She felt one of them looked familiar. She decided to move closer.

Right there,she saw the same person that had saved her life. The one person that had been on her mind for the past few hours. She suddenly felt the same feeling that she had in her stomach when she first saw him.

"Why do I feel this way?" She asked herself. The dean of the school and his personal assistant finally walked into the auditorium and everyone scrambled away to find a place to sit.

The dean took his place on the podium and started his speech.

"Good day to every student present here, it has always been an honor to be part of this prestigious school. As you all are ..........."

Gabriella could not listen to what the dean was saying. She kept staring at Tony from where she sat.

But then,she felt a sharp gaze on her. It turned out that the school queen had noticed her staring at him.

At the warning look that was directed at her,she quickly averted her gaze from Tony back to the podium.

"I hope she doesn't confront me after we leave this place" Gabriella thought to herself as she broke into cold sweat.

The one female student she had always tried to avoid at all cost,was the school queen. No female students in the school could outmatch her cruelty and so,they had to avoid her.

After all the boring welcome and encouraging speech from the principal,it was now time for the main announcement. All the students were looking forward to it. Some,on the other hand,could already tell what it was all about.

"As final year students, a valedictory service will be organized for you immediately after your exams" the principal began.

"According to the school's tradition,you all are permitted to attend with a partner of the opposite sex. Note that any form of misconduct would lead to cancellation of your exam extra credit" the principal concluded as he walked out with his personal assistant.

The auditorium immediately got busy as soon as the principal left. Two girls sitting beside Gariella started up a conversation that drew her attention.

"Have you heard? Tony and his gang organized a party for students" the first girl said.

"Yes,I heard but only the high class students are invited," replied the second girl.

"I really do want to attend. Maybe I could get his attention"the first girl said dreamingly.

"Hahahaha. You're unbelievable to think he would even glance at you. You can't even compare to the school queen".

The response of the second female student almost caused a fight between the both of them.

"Your looks also cannot raise a finger the mine"the former lashed out back.

"Well,at least,I know my place. I'm not like you slut who thinks she can seduce anybody" the latter replied angrily.

The two girls had almost exchanged blows when another girl came to separate them. It was obvious they were friends,since they both calmed down as soon as she cautioned them.

Gabriella walked out of the auditorium and saw Tony leaving with his friends. She thought he would recognize her but he just walked past her like she was never standing there in the first place.

An hour later,the students were released to go home. When Gabriella got home,she rushed up to her room, forgetting to say hi to her parents.

She brought out her cell phone,the one her parents had gotten for her after much pleading.

She sat comfortably on her bed and quickly looked up the name "Tony Edison" for any information she could get.

All that she read confirmed the gossip she had heard from school. It was also said that he wasn't in any relationship.

She was so delighted at the news and kept daydreaming about the both of them together. She was so curious in knowing everything about him she was very serious and interested in him . She was so eager to know everything so she thought deeply until she heard a knock on her door.

"Gabby,can you come downstairs? Your mother and I want to speak with you"she heard her father say.

"Alright dad. I'll be down in a jiffy" she said as she made her way to the door wondering why they wanted to talk to her about it.

The atmosphere in the living room was so tense. Tyler and Emily were waiting for their daughter,their minds filled up with thoughts of the impending danger knocking on their door. What they had been trying to avoid,was coming back to hunt them.

The worried look on their faces was replaced with a smile at the sound of footsteps approaching them.

Gabriella sat on the sofa right in front of her parents waiting for them to state the reason why they had summoned her.

After contemplating for a while, Tyler decided to start the conversation "your eighteenth birthday is coming up next month"

Gabriella's eyes widened in shock. She had totally forgotten about it. Receiving no response from his daughter,Tyler decided to continue "Would you be done with your exams before then?"

"Yes, it's also after the school graduation party," Gabriella replied.

"That's good. I want us to move out after your birthday" Tyler concluded rendering his daughter speechless.

Gabriella was stunned at the news. She had lived her whole life in that house,why then did her father suddenly decide to relocate.

She looked at her mother, expecting her to say something about it,but she looked calm. That means they had both agreed on it before informing me.

Before Gabriella could voice a word out,her parents quickly left the living room to avoid any questions from her. They weren't ready to explain anything to her.

Few weeks had passed since Gabriella's chat with her parents. The school graduation party was fast approaching.

A lot of students were busy looking for a partner to attend the party with them. Gabriella,on the other hand,was keeping tabs on Tony's movement until she got caught by the school queen.

While walking along the corridor in the school,she was stopped by the school queen and two of her minions.

"Why do you think you're doing,why are you stalking Tony? The school queen asked scornfully.

Gabriella had never been confronted by anybody like that so she felt great trepidation.

"Is she deaf or what?" One of the other two girls asked.

"I don't think I have seen her anywhere before or have you?" The second girl added.

"Looks like nobody to me, hahaha"the two minions bursted into laughter. The school queen got irritated at her two lackeys and flared up in rage."That's enough, that's not why we are here"

The two girls kept shut immediately as their leader turned to face the girl in front of them.

"I don't know who you are but I don't want to ever see you stalking Tony Edison again. You definitely don't want to get on my nerves" the school queen said with a menacing tone.

She walked past Gabriella, deliberately bumping into her with her lackeys.

All the passersby just stared at her. They felt she was so unlucky to have offended the wrong person.

Gabriella felt insulted. It was her first experience,so she couldn't retaliate. She could feel the gaze of everyone on her. The embarrassing feeling made her run away with teary eyes.

She bumped into Tony and his gangs on her way to the restroom and this time,he glanced at her with a sense of familiarity.

Just his luck alone is enough to make her heart shudder. She kept on staring till he was out of sight. Then,she remembered something and looked around fearfully. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw no one watching her.

"I heard the school is organizing a graduation eve party and all students are invited"

"Yeah,even the rich and popular students would be there."

This was the conversation that Gabriella heard as soon as she stepped into the class.

At that moment,she made up her mind to attend the party just to get an opportunity to see Tony.

On the night of the eve party,Gabriella stood in front of the mirror in her room,admiring her looks.

She never knew she was such a beauty. She wore the blue evening dress and silver pair of heels her mother had gotten for her as a present on her seventeenth birthday.

The blue dress complemented her skin tone,giving out a glow that couldn't be ignored. The silver heels matched her height just like that of a model.

It was the first time she was wearing the outfit. She never fancied those kinds of clothes, always putting on baggy and long-sleeve clothes.

"Be quick,Gabby or you will be late" her father said standing right at the door of her room.

Gabriella hurriedly applied a little makeup with a cherry lip gloss. She finally left her room after she was satisfied.

Tyler and Emily were stunned when they saw their daughter. They stood right at the end of the stairs,their mouths agape,as she walked closer to them.

Tyler gazed at his daughter with teary eyes. He felt a sense of accomplishment even though he knew he never offered her the life of happiness that she deserved.

Gabriella's father drove her to the party after bidding her mother goodbye.

Immediately she stepped out of the car,all the attention of the students around were drawn to her. She could clearly hear what they were whispering about. This time,she felt she was unlucky to have sharp hearing ability because their words made her nervous.

One of the lackeys of the school queen was outside at that time.

"Isn't that Tony's stalker? Why does she look so different? She said,

Gabriella walked into the party and rushed to find her place to sit. She looked around and saw Tony seated at a corner,staring right at her .

He quickly looked away when their eyes met.

"Was he looking at me?" Gabriella asked herself. She couldn't stop herself from throwing quick glances at him every time.

Later on,a girl dressed in a fiery red dress split above the knee stood beside him. The lady whispered something to him and walked away.Tony stood up a moment later and strolled towards the direction the lady had followed.

Gabriella felt compelled to follow him. Tony led her to a deserted place at the back of the building. He abruptly turned towards her direction, hiding in a corner but her shoes were still visible.

"Come out. I know you're there" Tony half yelled at her.