What is love?

Chapter 14

The winter holiday's almost over and New Year has passed. Which means I'll be going back to school soon. Just minutes before I pack up my stuffs, dad stopped me at breakfast to give me a short lecture about what I heard on that night. Since I'm not meant to heard that, I control my facial expressions and gestures to make it look like I hadn't overheard him. I agreed to his terms and I was allowed to return to my room to pack. 

Finally, after a warm shower, my parents are ready to take me back. Today's a perfect day to return to school since today and tomorrow will be a day off - cause tomorrow's Sunday. So, I can hang out with March for a while and ask him why he disconnected with me. I do hope he's doing alright. I bet you can't imagine the happiness exploding in my heart when the school's in sight. My heart leaped at the first sight of the school turret and was absolutely bursting with excitement when we arrived at the gate. This time - to avoid any further misunderstanding like that night - I allowed my parents to help me with my stuff but only until the corridor cause that's where I met March and where he insists on helping me. My parents looked rather pleased which makes me glad. They bid me goodbye and left. 

Right after setting my trunk down beside my four poster, I'm keen on finding March. First I decided to look for him in the kitchens. Perhaps he's sneaking in a couple of cookies but he's not there. So, I decided to pocket some cookies for when I meet him. Oh and I really have to careful indoors. There's a lot of mistletoes here. And I sure don't want to break my father's pact even if it's not March I'm kissing. My second thought after the kitchens is the gardens but I've passed it a while ago while heaving my trunks and I clearly didn't spot him at all. So I followed my third thought. Maybe he's at the library, seeking warmth of the hearth fire. True to my words, there he is. Sitting rather glum and quiet near the hearth fire. I tiptoed behind him and gave him a little spook.

"BOO!"

"GAAH!" March exclaimed. March shouted so loud, he earned a dangerous hiss from the librarian. After receiving his punishment - the hissing - March proceed to slap me across the face.

"OW! What was that for?! I have enough scars on my face!" I snapped.

"For scaring me at the wrong time!" He snapped back.

To be honest, I have never see him so mad and sad at the same time. March looked away from me and continued gazing into the fire. "Y-you okay?"

"I'm fine. Now what do you want?"

"Nothing!"

"If you want nothing, then scram! Leave me alone."

"Whatever it is you're feeling March you should-"

"I decide what I should do and what I shouldn't. Just like how I decide what I will do and won't do. And I think you should leave me alone because I'll strangle you if you don't" I frowned and kept rooted to the spot, unmoved, fist clenched. "Scarlette, I said, leave me alone!"

We both sat there in silence for a long time until I finally gave up and stood up. Just after I unseated myself, I can hear March's voice speaking to me.

"Britney's taken." He muttered.

It might be just a couple of words but to me it's like a shining and super sharp dagger. That dagger of words cut through my skin, past my flesh, over my bones and dug deep into my heart, shattering it. It freezes my muscles and neurons and make me go all sweaty, pale and clammy as I gaze at him in horror. He knew. But how?

"Wh-what?" Is all I could muster.

"Britney's taken. I saw her kissing someone under a mistletoe."

"I-it might be just a classmate of hers you know. Maybe she's just following tradition careless if it's her significant other or not."