A Hallway of Leaves

Seven

I spend the following day with Airin and Peter in fixing up last minute documents that needs to be passed to College department heads. We run off to the School of Chemical and Bioprocessing Engineering first for me, then to the School of Music for Airin, and finally to the School of Architecture for Peter. All the way, we decide to use a bicycle, knowing the countless of roads for us to simply reach one then the other. And somehow, I am glad that Peter is along with me and Airin, because that lessens one person in the planet to blabber about the most controversial and recent news.

Believe me, it is almost unbearable. All news articles and posts in social media sites are all about Brión Siadhail's retirement from the acting industry. His fans and those who don't like him, talk about it and gossip about the very reason why he is leaving. He even causes a fuzz when he posted on his official sites one of his most recent photoshoots apologizing to his fans about his decision, and might I tell you that in Facebook alone, the post reached a million within the first three hours. After all, since three years ago, Times magazine ranked him as one of the most influential people in the planet. Not to mention that he is the youngest one to rank so high such as at the seventh spot this year. That's why I am thankful enough that Airin didn't comment about it anymore; it appears that she had said everything out to Peter already, or that her most updated one hundred plus posts on her Twitter account are a proof of her reaction about the news.

But, in the end of the day, she finally didn't manage to handle it well that she sighs loudly, dropping off her shoulders when she does, as she waits for her coffee to get cold. Currently, the three of us are in 105 Café Bistro as part of Peter's treat.

"I could no longer take it," Airin says. "Everywhere we went today, everyone appears to be talking about Brión."

"He's an actor, darling," Peter chides as he let Airin leans on his shoulder and he surrounds an arm around hers. "An influential man. I feel sorry for the man that he can't live a private life at all."

I smile at the two of them as they seat across from me. I reach out for my still hot coffee and savor its warmth. For the whole day, despite everything I've done, I still couldn't get out of my head Sam's disturbing question yesterday.

Aren't you scared being alone?

Even the coffee doesn't seem to help me to feel much better.

"Hell, yeah, you're right," Airin replies, looking up at Peter with a smile and tousles his dark messy hair. "I'm glad that my boyfriend is not an actor."

He laughs. "Good thing for you." Peter, as if he remembers something, looks at me with an assuring smile. "By the way, where's Brión Siadhail's long lost brother? Is Sam entering College this year? He should have been third year now if he didn't keep on skipping it."

"Yeah!" chimes Airin. "Where's Frenchie?"

I almost choke in my coffee, but I am glad that I keep up my composure about it. I have an internal struggle about this one all of a sudden. I start asking myself about what I shall tell them. After all, they know that Brión Siadhail the actor and Sam Bryce Beltrami the childhood friend of mine, are two different people. Currently, I am struggling if I'll tell them the truth or not.

So, I decide to answer truthfully and keep few things hidden to still conceal Sam's identity as Brión Siadhail. "Well, I've heard from him last night. As usual, he didn't mention any."

"You should insist him to study as his girlfriend," Airin demands.

"He is not my boyfriend."

"Yet."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Even if that so happens, he won't listen to me."

Airin snaps her fingers as she turns to Peter. "Hear it, babe? She just thought of it as well!"