She Who Loves Death ✓COMPLETE

4. Real

True enough, I do not like Marcus' idea at all. After we manage to sneak out of the class being bemused by his brother, we sit on the benches of the school's sports bleachers, planning how to deal with Malachi and his schemes.

"Are you sure that will work, Marcus?" I ask for the nth time just to make sure that doing as stupid as his plan is worth something important.

"Yup." He confidently answers. "Malachi is only like that, you know, treating me meanly, because I am always the one getting the things he wants." He explains, making my eyebrows form into frowns. "Come on Louie!" He snaps and rolls his eye. "I know I'm the one who looks like a loser compared to him—"

"Stop looking at yourself that way."

My heart stops a beat, hearing the words that tumble out of my mouth. I mean, it's something strange of me to do, telling others something motivational.

"Alam mo Louie, you're still unbelievable." He says, shaking his head while amusement dances in his eyes. "I remember exactly how coldly you treated me when we became partners during our Management and Disaster Readiness class."

"Stop making stories, Marcus." I laugh at him. "I don't remember that."

"From the looks of it, you seem to not remember anything." Marcus states confidently. "You seem to hate everything."

The curve on my lips slowly fades into thin air after hearing his prejudices about me. Like how I feel for years, my chest congests like something is stuck there to prevent me from breathing normally.

"I remember a lot of things, Marcus." I tell him before standing up from the benches so I can leave. I shove away the thoughts that sadden me. Wearing my usual blank expression, I look at him. "Aren't you coming?"

Even after giving me a reluctant look, Marcus follows me making way out of the field. Despite feeling awkward, I still link my arms around his since it's part of the plan. I just don't think this will work in getting rid of his brother from pestering me though.

"It's her. Isn't that the girl they are talking about?"

"What? The one Kai asked out? No way!"

Hearing girls in the corridors whispering almost the same things, Marcus and I look at each other, clueless of what's going on. To answer us, Malachi just appears in front of us, making me tighten my hold on Marcus' arm.

"Get your hands off of my girlfriend, nerd." He orders Marcus, eyes soaked in disdain as he looks at me.

"I am not your girlfriend. You know that it's Marcus that I like." I say, trying so hard to sound authentic enough to make everyone believe the words I spit out.

"You don't like him, Louisse. So cut this crap. I know you are just mad at me that's why you are doing this."

"Shut up, Kai. Not everything is about you. So if you could, please, from now on, stay away from us. Leave us alone."

Having said that, I quickly pull Marcus away from the crowd to make our exit from that embarrassing scenario. As soon as we are out from the watch of the crowd, I pull myself away from Marcus' arm.

"And the best actress award goes to, Louie Manuel." He muses, laughing softly at me.

"I can't believe I just did that." I say, amused but smiling in relief.

WEEKEND COMES without my notice and like the usual days, I am stuck in this little shitty apartment, doing nothing except from breathing.

Have you been stranded in an emotion you wish you can explain in hope to make others understand you but you can't because it's too hard and you're helpless? I mean, your heart feels like it has a hole so deep and you cannot fill it with anything. It feels empty. You want to cry but even your own tears keep on betraying you. They do nothing other than, like normal human beings do, forsaking you. That's what I've been for two years—living an empty life. And my only wish is for all of this to end. And death—it's the answer.