The Moon Hiding at Dawn

Chapter 10: The Arrival of Dawn

Many twists and turns on this mediocre bed, I still find myself scratching my head. It's not an itch from an unpleasant and horrendous bed. It's an itch of confusion where numerous thoughts inhabit my head like lice, causing great irritation that I can't find myself a position to settle at. I couldn't find peace.

I wasn't able to get much sleep last night, obviously. My thoughts plagued me of possibilities of an interest which got my heart swinging and thumping around like a monkey racing to get all the fruits in the forest as if feeding a glutton of a stomach, rushing about like there's no tomorrow.

I felt stupid. Not because of the feeling but on how I am handling this matter. My paranoid ass tells me all kinds of possibilities and I'm not even denying any of it. What if she's just caring? What if she just wanted to get even? What if she really likes me?

This feels like a multiple-choice question from a topic that I have zero knowledge on. What makes it worse is that included in the options would be 'all of the above' and 'none of the above'. My brain would usually just shutdown presumptions and possibilities like artillery gunning down hordes of infantry. Back in the days, those where just dismissed with 'nah, I'm just too full of myself' and got the easy way out but lately, my mind is always like 'wait, that may be the case'.

These thoughts pestered me up until this point of day as I walk to the school, cold winds shearing against the jacket Kallen lent me. Good thing she lent me this. I unironically don't have a jacket in my wardrobe that still fits me properly and is thick enough for the cold winds.

It's unusually cloudy today, the sun continuously refusing to shower its blessings, clinging to it selfishly like a dragon guarding its gold. I guess it's just the usual season.

I arrived first to our room. Nothing surprising about that and it's basically a routine at this point . I leaned my back further and placed my feet on the desk. I stared at the ceiling as what ifs filled my head with various scenarios with her. Since when did I start having an interest with Kallen? I was pretty sure that I'd see her as a thorn to me until the end of my days. This objectively feels like a disease up to the point that I'm cursing the past me for not taking advantage of the situation where we are just extremely close. Well, we still are but...

Yeah, right... I sound like and probably am a lovesick fool at this moment.

My thoughts came crashing to an abrupt stop as Riz entered the room, sat down, and grabbed her book. I was staring at it for quite a time when she suddenly closed the book, stood-up, and sat on a chair from the row in front of me. "So, what's bothering a lovesick fool like you?"

"As if you'd know what's bothering me..." I scowled

"So you do admit being a lovesick fool." I was about to protest but the back of my mind just told me that I've devolved to an idiot who forgot to refute the 'lovesick fool' comment before even replying.

This is why I hate complex questions. Now I'm fooled by Riz, caught easily in her trap like a moth burning as it passes by an attractive flame. I tried thinking of a way to turn things around but at this point, the elapsed time already gave it off.

I released a heavy sigh. "I give up..."

"It's Kallen isn't it?"

My face shot upwards. "How did you know?" She's not secretly a psychic, isn't she?

"It was about time. It's obvious that Kallen is attracted to you. The question that remained was if you are as well. Looks like I have my answer though!" She made a pathetic attempt of a smug face just to rub salt deeper to my wounds. Nevermind. No psychics. Just idiots.

"Why does it have to be like this..."

"Don't worry. This would remain a secret between two introverts." She assured. "Just stop staring at my book for too long next time. Gives me the creeps."