Chapter 29- What Broke Her

I looked at my bedside table, it's already four in the afternoon. The hallways are busy as well as those students that are now excited because of the ball that will happen later. But for me? I was not even able to get up and get out of my dorm. I just want to rest for a while and have a break.

Until someone knocked on my door. I stood up and opened it. "Hunter?" I looked around the hallway, fortunately, the dorm was far apart and there weren't many students passing by, they are all busy for the Ball. Otherwise, Hunter and I would both be doomed.

"Why aren't you preparing?" He asked after entering my dorm. He sat down on the sofa in front of me and turned to me. "You should attend."

"I don't want to." I went back to lying on my bed and ignored him, but he approached me and pulled my arm. "What?!" I whined.

"Come, we're going somewhere." I did nothing but to follow him when he pulled me upright.

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I sighed. "What the hell are we doing here, Hunter?" We're standing in front of the Crystal falls. The crystal-clear water amuses me. As well as the beautiful underwater rocks that can be seen up here, and the beautiful trees that surround the falls.

I smiled. It's been almost a year since the last time I got here. Who would have thought that I would be part of this world? It all happened so fast I can barely keep up. I do not know if I should repent of what happened, or should I rejoice for I have understood so much and changed myself. The old me is fearful, a coward. Yet the new me is strong. But, an idiot. Why didn't I see that coming? I'm smart, but why am I so stupid when it comes to love?

"Catch up!" Hunter pushed me on the water making me scream. My whole body was enveloped with water and when I came up out of the water, I heard Hunter's loud laughter. I glared at him.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!"

He stopped laughing when he heard me scream. He sat on the ground and dipped his foot in the water. "Your world won't stop just because of what happened, Althea. This is just a plot twist on your book. A conflict, and do you think a protagonist will stop just because she's hurt? No. She's going to be much stronger than she was. Don't stop your world because they hurt you." His red eyes stared at me and I couldn't help but stare back. Hunter is too kind to me, but he's so mysterious.

I heaved a sigh. "I'm not strong--"

"Then, be strong. Not for other people, but for yourself. What about the people who also want to be a part of your world?" He asked meaningfully so I turned to him.

I walked and sat beside him. We stared at the water falling from the top of the falls. "I don't want to attend because I don't want to see him," I admit. I feel like, when I see him, I cannot control how I feel. I would lie to myself if I said I had no feelings for Isaac.

He chuckled. "But you're just shrinking your world, Althea." I could feel his eyes staring at me. Does he expect me to cry again just like what I did earlier and yesterday? But I'm not that kind of girl. I don't cry a lot; I only cry when it's too much. When I can no longer hold it back. But as much as I can, I resist crying. It hurts me, yes. But I'm not that weak.

"What happened to you?" Hunter asked, still looking at me with his confused gaze. "That you became like this... Fragile and broken."

I close my eyes and remembered everything that happened in my life. After all, there are more bad memories in my life than good. Life is cruel. Society is cruel. People are cruel. All I want was to be accepted. But when I feel like I'm finally accepted, I always end up hurting.

"My life would be better if my foster parents didn't die. Mr. and Mrs. Genovie gave me a good life when I was a kid, I didn't mind everything that people said about me, because I have them. But everything turned upside down when they died in a car accident. People hated me even more, especially when those who adopted me after my foster parents, died as well. I was said to be a curse," I explained. While remembering all that, I wanted to be angry with myself. I feel like it's all my fault.

Hunter was silent and it was as if he was waiting for what I would say next.

"So, every time someone wants to adopt me, I run away to the convention center. I don't want to cause any more problems. But then, Father Kynlee found me. He's the priest who adopted me. I thought everything will change. Instead, he turned out to be just like the other foster parents I had. He died, too. And this time it was my fault-- "

Before I could finish what, I was about to say, Hunter pulled me up and hugged me tightly. I close my eyes and tears came down from my eyes. No matter what I do, everything is still hard, and I still remember what happened.

"Hush, you don't have to hate yourself anymore." He caressed my hair. "Everything that happened, it wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault to be yourself, Althea."

When I was young, I was the center of attention because people think my eyes were cursed. Some are amused about it, but some people find it creepy and scary. They said I was a curse and everything I touch would disappear or die. But I didn't want that. I did nothing to harm other people. All I ever did is to be myself, but it turns out to be a wrong decision for society. I don't even remember who I am before these happened.

Hunter caressed my face. "You know what I like about you?" I frowned at his question, but I immediately shook my head. "You're the color of the sky in every sunset."

I couldn’t help but smile. For a minute, he helped me forget what's ahead of me. "Cringe!" I pushed him into the water as he did to me earlier, so I laughed and when he came up, he splashed me with water. He never fails to make me smile.

He went out of the water. "Let's go back. We're going to attend the Ball." My eyes widened at what he said. I shook my head and stood up.

"I don't want to." We started walking back to the Academy. But he stopped walking and turned to me.

"Be my date, Althea. Please?" I was silent and all I could stare at was his sincere face. I couldn't help but smile.

Come to think about it, Hunter has always been there for me, but I haven't done anything for him yet. Maybe this is the right time to make it up to him. After all, he's right. My world will not stop just because I was hurt. There's more to life than this. So, I nodded. "S