Chapter 22- Captive

Lanie's POV:

"Have heard of it?"

I turned my gaze to Rona after hearing her said that. We are both preparing for our class and I think we are the only one's left in our dorm, Jasleene got out first for they have a sudden meeting in their department for the celebration of the festival.

"The exchanged students had arrived yesterday," she said. "The crazy thing is, Rhoseann and Roleen are included on the exchange students that arrived, and Page as well. Actually they're looking for you but I don't know where you are. Wait, have you and Page met already?" She added.

I pretended to be busy. "Really? They are part of the exchanged students. I haven't seen even one of them yet." I lied. I don't want her to worry when she finds out that Page and I have a misunderstanding.

The closeness that Page and I have are known to all DWD's members. When I was still in Vienna, the two of us always hang out so they would definitely be surprised when they found out that there was a small fight between us.

I smiled bitterly at the thought. Just a little fight eh? I doubt that, because I'm sure that guy is keeping a big deal from me. And even though I don't like it, what is happening affects my trust in him.

"Oh well, how will you know if you have been in the Aronzagas' house for almost half of the day, right?" She teased me.

Shocked, I looked at her.

"Hello! The news has wings, the earth  has ears. The news had been already spread in Saint Augustine, about the first lady slash mother of the honorable Yshmael Marco had invited you to their house." I even frowned when she hit me on the arm. "You've a long hair out their huh, are you Rapunzel, girl?"

I want to hit her for teasing me. "I went there for the article I was going to write in The Wardens."

She just pouted her lips like a duck and her eyes lit up even more. "But nevertheless that is not what I heard."

I just frowned at her and was about to hit her but she just laugh at me like it's nothing. I got out of the room and left her unbelievably. Laughing, she chased after me and held my arm.

It would have been okay if she would have been quiet but she still teasing me and is leaning on me while holding my hand as we walked down the hallway.

I slapped his forehead. "Stop teasing me Ronamae."

The witch just winked at me but she also immediately walked away from me when she saw someone at the entrance of the dorm.

"Hey!"

I even frowned when she shouted so loud with a high pitch voice. 

She almost stumbled while rushing to get to the dorm gate. I also walked faster when I saw the reason for Rona's haste.

My smile became lesser when I saw that Page is with Rhoseann and Roleen. 

"Hey! I miss you!" Rhoseann hugged us explicitly. Her almost yellow hair looks like it is dancing.

"Hi!" Roleen greeted, raising her hand slightly. The DWD's self proclaimed escort is even more handsome.

I almost shook my head to see that our group is getting attention especially from female students looking at us. I understand them though, apart from Roleen's self proclaimed good looks, I can say that the man is really handsome. And Page is also here, besides the good looks, he also has a strong charisma. I remember that Rhoseann used to say, Page's chest is so good to lean on.

I just smiled at them, I couldn't be happy like Rona who seemed to won the lottery because I felt deprived of Page.

"Hey!" Rona bumped into me and I almost fell thanks to Page promptly supported me. "Seriously, do you two have LQ? There's even no hi's or  hello's?"

"Tss". Page's forehead wrinkled. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"Ehem!" Roleen fake a cough.

I shyly nod my head in response and take my arms off of Page little by little.

I heard him heaved a sigh. I can feel him stopping his urge of what he is feeling. It seems that even him is having a hard time with our situation, because this is the first time that we have a misunderstandings.

"It would be fun if we eat together!" Rona said energetically. She even pulled my arm but Page immediately stopped her.

"I'm getting jealous Primo." Rhoseann jokingly said. 

Page just laughed. "I'm sorry but can I borrow Lanie for a while, we really need to talk." Page answered.

"I knew it! You two is having LQ." Rona said in an amused expression while pointing at us.

I just shook my head in disbelief, I'll surely just tweak her later in the dorm.

"Okay, just follow us when you're done." Roleen said, he also grabbed the two noisy women and pulled them away.

"Let's talk." Page uttered. He slightly looked around to see if the the three are still here and spying.

I just don't know if he feels uncomfortable because we are still here in the Girls Dormitory and girls are looking at him or if someone is watching and spying at us.

"We have nothing to talk about." I said coldly and walked out of the dorm.

I could feel him chasing at me. He held my arm.

"Lanie."

Even though I don't want to, I feel like I want to talk to him. I could clearly see the pain in his eyes and the urge to tell me what he knows.

I'm a logical person, I also know that if he had a choice he would tell me what I should know, but I can't wait for him to open up to me, because I feel like I don't have more time to find the answer to my questions about the things that's happening.

"Maelanie."

We both looked at where the voice came from. The serious Yshmael is approaching us.

Let's talk." That's a command.

"About what?" I chose to put irritation to my voice as I answered.

"Should there be a reason for us to talk?" He asked while raising his eyebrow.

I was just stunned by what he said. What?

He glanced at Page before removing the man's hand from my arm. "I'm sorry but I need to talk to her."

I could clearly see Page's deep breathing, a sign that he was calming himself.

"Sorry Aronzaga, but there is more important thing we need to talk. Just wait for us to fix whatever we need to fix." He said, he slightly pulled me next to him.

If I hadn't really felt the tension between them I would have been surprised because they seemed to know each other.

"That's bad Seo, because I don't take orders from anyone." Yshmael sarcastically answered.

"Lil' Pup." Page tried to get my attention. "We need to talk."

I'm still upset with him, but I can see that he is really having a hard time.

I sighed as I face Yshmael. "Can you give me a few minutes."

I want to take back what I said as I saw his expression darkened.

"You're telling me to wait?" He said as if it was a sin to reject him and make him wait.

I no longer to be able to answer him when Page's cellphone suddenly rang.

I saw how Page's face became serious after looking at the screen of his cellphone.

"I'm sorry Lil' Pup, but I need to answer this, I'll see you later." He quickly turned his back on us and hurriedly walked away.

My desire to understand him disappeared immediately. As I tried to understand him, he will show me that there is really something between us.

"Looks like your boyfriend is kinda busy, so can we talk now?" Yshmael ask as his eyebrows were still raised.

I decided not to entertain his criticism and ask him. "About what?"

"Follow me." He just said and turned his back on me.

We headed down the hallway and finally exited the Girls Dormitory. We went straight to the Journalism club and I was almost deafened by the loud bang of the door when Yshmael slammed it.

Good thing that we are the only two people here.

Yshmael went straight to the mini-conference room so I just followed. Just like a while ago, he pulled out a chair in an irritated gesture and sat there.

"Your assignment." He said as he threw a small journal over the table.

I took that and read what was written. That is about the upcoming event that I will cover as a member of the club.

"Make sure that you can do your job and submit your article before the deadline." Yshmael added but his eyes remained on the flower vase on the table.

"Is that all?" I asked. I didn't know that this was the important thing he mentioned earlier 

He did not answer me so I decided to just head straight at the door.

"About that guy..." He said which stopped me.

"What about him?"

"Are you having a fight with him? You two looks like you're fighting over something. And did you invited that boyfriend of yours here?" He asked continously.

"Page is not my boyfriend." I said that made him turned his gaze to me. 

"I also have nothing to do with him being here as an exchanged student."

"He's not your boyfriend?" Yshmael just repeated what I've said.

Although I was confused by his reaction, I could not help but get irritated on him. "He's not and I don't have one."

I was even confused when Yshmael stood up shaking his head, he even laughed a little.

"W-Why?" I held the door knob when he suddenly approached me.

He also grabbed the door knob and closed the slightly open door but his hand remained there so he seemed to be holding my hand as well.

He leaned closer. "Did you know how much effort I did just to distance my self from you?

Suddenly his eyes seemed to be replaced by a strange emotion. 

Something that made my chest throb.

My mouth remained shut. I do not know what I should say.

He ran his hand over my cheek and tucked a few strands of my hair. "You're a beautiful disaster Maelanie." He almost whispered. "An accident prone, and I keep telling myself that I should avoid you, but you're like a magnet. No matter how I force myself  to stay away, a single glance from you will pull me back."

Rainbows and butterflies. I thought at first they were just imagination, not until now that I almost experienced them.

"Yshmael..." I uttered his name.

"You held me captive, Ms. Number One. Without me... knowing how."

❤