CHAPTER 27

“Did Helene attend any of her classes today?” Adam asked Lexy and Arianne, who just got out of their last class, when he noticed that the woman didn’t attend her studies for the whole day.

Lexy was the first to speak. “We saw her crying while walking at the school ground a while ago. She was mumbling something as she walks and looking straight as if nobody was around her.”

“And, when we approached her, she shunned us and said that we should not pretend that we cared for her because nobody really does…” Arianne said in a knotted forehead and reached to his hand. “Tell me, Adam, did something happen to Helene?”

Adam hesitated to tell them, but he thought that Arianne and Lexy were Helene’s closest friends. If there are people that should know about what’s happening to her, it was them.

“Adam, is she okay?” Lexy asked worriedly. “It was the first time that we saw her cried like that.”

“Since she stopped talking to us, we don’t have any updates about what’s happening in her life—aside from the rumors that the two of you were seen together,” Arianne told him. Her chagrined expression says that she was worried that Helene was seen with them. “And, also, the news about what Bela did to her…”

“I apologized to her about it,” he said and sighed. “Bela is not in my control, but I have warned her about doing those things to Helene, and I’m sure that she won’t touch her again.”

“Then what could be the reason for her actions a while ago? Why didn’t she attend our classes?” it was Lexy.

“Have you tried calling her?” Adam asked.

Arianne shook her head. “But I leave her messages, but she didn’t reply on any.”

“I can’t contact her,” Lexy said. She looked so worried about Helene because she kept on biting her lips. “Where did she go?”

“President,” one of the student council staff approached Adam and gave him a smartphone. “We found it on the bleachers.”

Adam looked at the phone. It was the latest model of smartphones, and it looked new. When Adam opened it, he saw James Osburn’s photo on the lock screen. He’s familiar with the Kpop artist because he was Helene’s idol, and Adam used to search for him on the internet out of curiosity on why the woman was head over heels with him.

“It’s Helene’s new phone,” Lexy confirmed. “I saw her using that phone yesterday,” she said and got worried even more. “But why did she leave it on the bleachers?”

“The guard said that he saw Helene went out of the university earlier,” the student council staff, which Adam asked for help to find Helene informed them. “Maybe she got home early?”

“When Helene is stressed, she wanted to be alone…” Arianne said. “Maybe she locked herself in her apartment again.”

Adam decided to go to Helene’s apartment after his conversation with Arianne and Lexy. The two insisted on coming with him, but he advised them to wait for his update first if Helene was really alright. He knew why Helene is acting like this, and he has to help her.

He got out of the cab in front of Helene’s apartment. He was just about to climb the stairs going to the rooftop when he saw Helene going down. She looked fine and happy, far from what he’s expecting her to be.

“Helene?” he called her and blocked her way down the stairs. “Why did you skip your classes?”

Helene looked at him. “Adam, why are you here?” she asked with a smile. “Do you need anything from me?”

“Helene, I’m so worried about you,” he said, brows furrowed in confusion.

“I went home early because I realized that I shouldn’t be taking the issue seriously,” she said neutrally. “And, I have also decided to drop out of school.”

Adam paused. “What? Why?”

“People at school don’t like me, so why would I squeezed myself into the university that doesn’t need my presence?” she said and laughed. “It’s just a waste of time and money—” she stopped as if somebody interrupted her or called her name, but Adam didn’t hear anything. “I gotta go back. Malcolm is calling me—”

“Wait, Helene,” Adam grabbed her arm to stop her. “Why are you always with that guy? You don’t know him personally.”

“I do know him,” she said quickly. “And Malcolm is the only person that cared for me.”

***

“I was betrayed by a friend again…” Helene confessed to Malcolm while they’re having spicy beef ramen in her living room. “Do you remember Minerva? The one that recruited me on my part-time? She just used me for her benefits.”

“I knew it. That girl is no good for you,” Malcolm said and banged the chopsticks on her cup of noodles. “From the moment that I saw you with her at school, I already felt the bad aura circulating her.”

“You saw me at school?” she asked, then gasped suddenly as realizations dawned on her. “So it was really you? The man I saw at school and the Pizza parlor?”

Malcolm scratched the back of his head. “I was just checking on you—ouch!” He rubbed his cheek that she pinched. “Why did you deny that it was you?” she snarled. “I almost got crazy thinking who could be the man stalking me when all this time it was just you!”

“I just want to make sure if you’re okay,” he said and smiled at her.

“You should have told me. I wouldn’t mind,” she said and gave the man a peck in the cheeks. “I would actually love it if the man that I like picked me at school.”

Malcolm reached to touch her face. “We have forever to do that, Helene.”

Helene felt as if a warm blanket wrapped her heart. “I’m really thankful that I met you, Malcolm. I don’t know what I could be now without you…” she said and leaned on his shoulder. “I never thought that I could love someone more than I love James.”

Malcolm laughed. “Your love for James is stronger than your love for me,” he said and held her hands. “Because for him, you applied to a job that you have never done before.”

Helene looked up at him in shock. “Y-You already know…?”

Malcolm nodded. “I followed you that night,” he said and smiled sadly. “That’s why I always requested you to come home early because I don’t want you to go to that place.”

Tears fell from her eyes. “Now you knew how dirty I am—”

“For me, you’re still the Helene that I met before, and nothing can change my love for you,” he said and gave her lips a gentle but full of admiration kind of kiss.

Malcolm was the best gift from God that Helene received, and she doesn’t know if she still can leave without him…

***