Step to You

TWENTY-ONE

Rose's POV

"He's crazy!" Elise said as she slumped onto her chair. We are now in our room, and our teacher is quite late. "I mean, he had rejected you straight into your face and now he's challenging Van to take you from him? What the actual eff?"

Resting my chin on my hands, I stared into the lunch bag on my table. I really don't understand why JK did that. After he and Van left the hallway to go to their own rooms, a student come to me and relayed what they talked about: That Van has threatened JK he's going to take me from him.

(╥﹏╥) As if I belong to JK.

"The issue is posted on the school online mag," Sue muttered, scrolling through her phone.

They both looked at me with concern. I sighed. So once again, I became the topic of gossip in HAHS. Thanks to JK and Van.

"Don't you think we should clarify this?" Sue asked. Elise shrugged at me.

I sat up straight and tapped my hand on the table. "I don't care about the gossip. Let them talk about it all they want."

They both stared at me.

"And I said I will just let myself like JK, that I will not demand anything. It will fade," I smiled. "Regarding Van... He will not take anything from JK because I was never been his in the first place."

Elise clapped me on the back, "That's my girl!"

"Okay. Let us just mind our club's business." Sue took her notebook. "The teacher's here."

"Argh. I thought there's no class," Elise muttered and Sue and I laughed.

There you go, Rose Anne. Don't let them rumor mongers come at you.

Anyway, it's only seven months before graduation, I will change school and maybe, I will forget JK by then.

Maybe it's the sign-- that I should let go of what I feel. It may not be easy, but I guess... I should.

-------

Thankfully, the gossip died just after two weeks. By the time the second to the last week of November came, people are talking about a different topic. I can now walk to class without hearing whispers and getting pointed at. I wonder if the same happened to Van and JK. Anyway, I think they aren't much affected because they're Van and JK. I mean, people won't directly point at them nor whisper audibly about them.

At home, well, it's the usual casual conversation between me and JK. I also make sure to go to school as early as possible. Sometimes, I eat breakfast in school with Elise and Sue. When Aunt Annaly asked me why, I told her we're preparing for the club.

I'm also excited for the last week of the month becaaaaause---Mom's coming back! At least I will limit the time I would see JK. Just during practice time after school.

In our club, things are pretty much different. Everything became a different story with those three popular students in the music club. I mean, everyone is now anticipating our performance. That seemed to have hyped up and motivated all the music club members because we are all putting our best foot forward for this event.

"I have finalized all the props we're going to use," Miley told me after the session for today's practice ended. She and Jennie are the ones planning about the physical phase of our performance.

What are we doing for the event?

Well---it's a musical. A story about an angel who fell in love with a human girl. At first he was guiding her from afar, but then his feelings became too strong that he disobeyed the rule of the Heavens. He started to show in her dreams, and even saved her when she was almost hit by a car. The other angels warned him that he would be punished by these acts, so he tried to restrain himself. Until one day, the girl became sick. On the day she's in the emergency room and in between life and death, he  took a bargain with God. Let the girl be healed in exchange for his wings. But there is a great consequence: angels who loses their wings become a color of the rainbow. The ending will be the angel will meet the girl, confess his love and then vanish into purple smoke.

"Jessica is still crying," Darren said. They are both freshies.

"Why?" I asked, averting my eyes from Miley's list.

"She read the script and got touched," Darren smirked. He handed me the guitar. "Prez, thank you for lending me your guitar. The sound is so lovely."

I nodded. "It's nothing. I look forward with your performance."

He blushed, then bid good bye.

"I'm going, too, Prez," Miley said and she left with Darren and Jessica.

"What's that?" Van approached.

I frowned, "I thought you already left?"

He smiled and took my bag, "The sched changed. I got two hours free. Wanna eat somewhere?"

"I'll head out Prez," Eunice said with a teasing smirk. She bid us good bye then went out too.

Now it's Van and I here. I placed the folder in the cabinet and prepared to leave.

"I crave for pizza," Van said as he walked beside me to the door. "But no one's going to eat with me."

"Fine, let's eat," I said laughing. "But, let me treat you."

"What? Why? What's the occasion?"

"Nothing. Mom gave me my allowance," I laughed.

Van laughed too, "Okay. Pizza on you then."

We were walking away from the music room when I saw Elise and Sue waiting for me.

"Let's go grab dinner, Rose!" Elise said as we approach them.

Oh, one thing I forgot to say: I have been eating out at dinner with Elise and Sue most of the time. See, I'm lessening the time I'll meet JK.

"Sure, Van and I are going to the pizzeria."

"Nice, I've been wanting some pizza since yesterday," Sue said. "Let's walk quick I'm so hungry after the rehearsal."

"No need. I got my car," Van pointed at a parked black Mercedes Benz. He unlocked the car.

"Great, we're not gonna walk!" Elise said, going in first to the backseat. Sue went in after her.

"You own this, Van?" Sue asked looking around the car's interior.

"Yes," Van started the engine. "Got this from my pay."

"Ah... So you're buying the pizza?" Elise laughed.

"Nope, I'll buy it," I said and buckled my seatbelt.

"Riiiich," my friends said together and we all laughed.

But we already set off when my phone rang.

JK is calling. I cleared my throat before swiping accept. Good thing Elise and Sue are chortling at Van's joke.

I hesitated but then chose to answer it. "Hello?"

"Hello? Where are you? You need to go home... Your mom..."