Chapter 12: CHAPTER TWELVE

SHE BIT the tip of her pen as she propped a hand on her chin. Sapphire was waiting for her four-hour class to end. She wanted to go home. She was afraid she might cross paths with The Warlords again, just like what happened when she went to the coffee shop. If truth be told, Sapphire was a bit annoyed with Hapi’s friends. But what annoyed her the most was that he treated her casually in front of his friends.

“He said he likes me…” she mumbled absent-mindedly. “But he did not even reprimand his friend for hitting on me…” She drew a breath and raised her head only to feel embarrassed when she saw her classmates and professor all looking at her.

What the…

“Miss Rosales, it seems to me that you are daydreaming in the middle of my class,” said Miss Ocampo, her professor. “Would you mind sharing your thoughts with us?”

Sapphire stood up and that made the whole class burst into laughter. She buried her face in her palms and silently cursed herself.

“I was just kidding.” Miss Ocampo beckoned her to sit down.

She heard her seatmates talked about her, but she decided not to pay attention to them.

Not long after that, the campus bell rang. She let out a long sigh of relief. At last, her class came to its end. Ah, the last minutes felt like an eternity.

“Okay, that’s all for today. Don’t forget to finish your book reports for the next meeting.”

“Yes, Miss…” the class said in unison, except for Sapphire.

She was packing her things up when Jane sauntered to her seat.

“Sapphire,” Jane called.

She raised her head and looked at her. “Yes?”

“Do you have a partner for the book report project?”

Sapphire shook her head.

“Then would you like to be my partner?”

She nodded.

“Great, then let’s go to the library.” Jane went back to her seat and grabbed her back.

Sapphire followed her when she went out of the classroom and headed to the library together.

“Do you have any book in mind?” Jane asked as they entered the library.

She shrugged. “Anything you want is fine with me.”

“Then let’s go with Tuesdays With Morrie.”

She gave Jane a thumbs up.

“You go find us a seat, and I’ll go get the book,” Sapphire said.

Sapphire found the book quickly and was lucky because there were two copies on the shelf. She grabbed both and went to the lounge area, where Jane was waiting for her.

“Here.” She handed Jane the book upon sitting beside her.

“Oh, glad you found two. We don’t have to share,” said Jane.

“Right.” Sapphire leaned against her seat and started reading.

She was enthralled reading the story when Jane suddenly talked to her.

“I was at KOPI-KOPI-TO this morning too.”

She gave Jane a side-way glance. “You mean the coffee shop?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Ah, I didn’t see you,” she said nonchalantly.

“I saw Piewie hitting on you…” Jane’s tone was low and cold.

Sapphire closed the book and shifted to Jane’s direction so that she could face her.

“By any chance…are you interested in him?” Sapphire asked politely. “If yes, you have nothing to worry about because I’m not interested in him.”

“I kinda expected that since you have Hapi.” Jane sneered.

She gaped at Jane. She did not know why she suddenly talked that way. Was she jealous of her? But why?

“Jane…is there something wrong?” Sapphire could not help but ask. Having a misunderstanding with someone at school was the last thing that she would want. Because she knew where it would end.

“Nothing.” Jane smiled at her.

But she was not dumb not to feel that there was something behind that smile. She had seen that kind of smile before, a lot of times. And her senses were telling her that she must stay away from Jane. People who wear that kind of smile are dangerous.

“O-oh, I see.” Sapphire rose from her seat.

“Where are you going, Sapphire?” Jane tugged her arm.

“I-I suddenly remember that I promised my mother to cook her dinner. I need to go home now. Let’s just plan about this project via e-mail.” Sapphire could not think of a better excuse than that. She grabbed her back and went out of the library.

She was about to hop on her bicycle when someone pulled her backpack from the back. Her heart raced when she saw Hapi grinning mischievously.

“You’re still here? I thought you already went home.” He let go of her bag.

“I went to the library. Why? Do you need my service?” She pouted her lips.

“No.” He waved his hand. “`Bye. Take care.”

Sapphire watched Hapi walked towards his car. She heaved a sigh and rode her bicycle out of the campus.

Why is he acting like that?

“WHAT’S with that long face?” Danna asked when she walked past her.

She plopped down on the sofa with her bag still hanged on her back.

“Did you have a bad day?” Danna asked again.

Sapphire shook her head.

“Where’s Mama?” she asked instead.

“She’s in her room, sleeping.” Danna left her alone in the living room.

She grabbed a throw pillow and hugged it. Jane made her feel anxious.

Why do I have this feeling that she’ll…Her thought was interrupted by a knock.

Sapphire’s eyes widened upon seeing Hapi standing by the doorway. She stood up and went to him.

“When did you get here?” She almost stuttered. “Why are you here?”

“Checking if you arrive home in one piece.” He grinned.

Hapi’s smiling face used to make her feel good. But today, it failed to erase the negative thoughts that she has in mind.

“You don’t have to worry about me, Master,” she said firmly.

The smile on his face was replaced by a knot on his forehead.

“What’s the matter, Sapphire?”

He was about to reach her hand, but she hid both behind her.

“If you have nothing to ask from me, then go home, Hapi. I’m tired. I want to rest.” She waved her hand dismissively.

Hapi succeeded in catching her hand this time. She tried to pull it away, but he did not let go of it.

“Come on, Sapphire, tell me…What’s wrong?”

Sapphire met his gaze. She wanted to ask him why he was doing that. Why did he have to care so much about how she feels? Her mouth opened, but she closed it afterwards. Sapphire’s mind might know what to ask, but her mouth did not do its job.

“Miss Sapphire.”

She and Hapi both flinched when they heard Alexander’s voice from a distance. Hapi freed her hand and took a few steps away from her.

She cleared her throat. “Y-yes?”

Alexander strode towards Sapphire and handed her a ruby red envelope. Its seal made of wax made it look like a royal invitation sent by the Queen of England.

“What is this for?” she asked Alexander without taking her eyes away from the envelope.

“It’s an invitation to your cousin Ruby’s eighteenth birthday,” Alexander informed her.

Sapphire arched her brow after hearing that it was Ruby’s invitation. That cousin of hers gave her an impression she was not fond of. With that thought, she returned the envelope to Alexander.

“I am not coming to her birthday party.”