𝐌𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓, ruel van dijk

four

𝐀 𝐔 𝐑 𝐄 𝐋 𝐈 𝐀

I get out of the bed to notice the space next to me is empty, meaning Celestine has already woken up. Today we have school and she will be going with me. I will not lie, I am absolutely not looking forward to it because Ruel will be there and she will most definitely want him to come along with us, and then they both will talk about things I know nothing about.

I go downstairs after dressing up to see Celestine sitting on the dining table, eating cereal as she scrolls through her phone. I greet her a 'good morning', before making myself a bowl of cereal too.

After we both finish eating, we get up and walk out of the house to go to school. When we reach there, the first person to meet us at the gates is - you guessed it - Ruel.

"Hey Ruel," Celestine smiles, as she hugs him. He hugs her back, and I can't help but notice the way his chin rests on top of her head with his arms wrapped around her waist tightly.

Ruel pulls back and notices me. "Hello Aurelia," is what he says, as he gives another wave of his hand, just like he did yesterday. I wave back at him, and we three walk inside the school.

"Ruel, have you heard this album?" Celestine asks him, showing him her phone. He looks at the screen and nods at her.

"Yes I have, it's one of my favorites." He tells her.

And that is all Celestine had to say to Ruel, before they get absorbed in another never-ending conversation. We continue to walk but I am completely assured they have forgotten I am next to them. I take a turn and enter another corridor, away from them as I make my way to my first class for the day.

❁

I find myself sitting on a table in the mess all by myself, with no one to accompany me. I pick on my sandwich placed on my tray, having lost all my appetite. Through all the rush of the mess, I notice Ruel's tall figure, trying to find a seat. His eyes find mine and he rushes up to me, and seats himself right next to me.

"Me and Celestine have almost every class same today," He begins, and I continue to pick on my sandwich. "The last one was different, she had Geography, so she is running a little late."

I only nod at him, before pushing the tray away from me. Looking at the sandwich is only sickening me more. I rest my head on the table.

"Are you okay?" Ruel asks.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine, I just have... tons of assignments to submit," I lie.

"You should eat your sandwich,"

"I'm not feeling hungry." I mumble, closing my eyes and taking in a deep breathe. He doesn't say anything further. I hear the noise of him opening the clear pack of the sandwich, and of chewing just after it.

"We're here Cel!" I hear Ruel shout. I pull my head up from the table to look at Celestine running up to us, balancing her tray in her hands.

"Hey guys," she says, sitting next to Ruel. He returns her with an enthusiastic reply while my reply is completely un-enthusiastic.

"Are you okay Lia?" Celestine asks, and I give the same answer I did to Ruel. She only nods at me, before diverting her attention to Ruel. I rest my head on the table and close my eyes again, trying my best to not focus on their eager voices conversing with each other. But no matter how much I try, my brain focuses on each and every word leaving their mouths, knowing what they are talking about but not having a clue about what it actually is. Completely fed up, I get up from the table and decide to go to the library.