The Chronicles of Jo-kiel

TWELVE: Jophiel

"Okay, Jophy! You ready for study time?" Ruth asked as she stepped out of the bathroom I quickly shook my head as I slowly sat up on the bed. "Why?"

"I'm just exhausted" I mumbled and she chuckled, "I'm not ready to sit for hours and bury my face in a book"

She raised an eyebrow and her lip curled up in a smirk, "who was the person that said and I quote, I'm quite passionate about this course and I don't mind putting in all the efforts to study it?" she teased and I glared at her making her laugh. "Oh please, quit the dramatics and get ready for study time. And yeah, you owe me details of how it went with the president and why you came back smiling even tho your eyes were red"

A big smile graced my face at the thought of my time with Zadkiel, but I immediately wiped the smile off my face when I noticed Ruth smirking at me. I shook my head at her and began bringing out the books I'd need to study.

"Do you have a crush on the president?" Ruth asked from nowhere and I instantly choked on air. "You started smiling at the mention of him. So have you joined the 99.9 per cent of girls that are head over heels for him?"

I hit my chest repeatedly as I coughed and shook my head, "no no, I don't have a crush on him!" I managed to whisper-yell amidst the coughs but she gave me a look of disbelief and turned away. "Stop coming up with such theories, and let's leave for our studies" I hurriedly packed my books and rushed off before her.

The moment I walked outside, I leaned by the wall and exhaled loudly. I took a few moments to collect my thoughts before I started trudging to the study hall.

Ruth's words resonated over and over again in my head with each step I took, and the more it did, the more I found myself thinking of our time in the garden. Being in his arms felt so safe and so perfect, it felt like a place I wouldn't mind staying in for as long as I could.

But that doesn't mean I have a crush on him, does it? I shook my head and slapped my cheeks lightly. Of course, it doesn't.

He's the only person I've hugged apart from Ruth and Yeshua, I'm bound to feel a certain type of way. It doesn't mean I have a crush on him. It could have been anyone. It could have been Gabriel and that doesn't mean I have a crush on him.

"With the way you rushed off, I would have assumed you were trying to avoid my question" Ruth whispered into my ear and my heart leapt out of my chest. I slowly turned to her with my hand pressed against my chest and she was smiling mischievously at me. Oblivious to the mini heart attack she just caused me.

After spending a few days with Ruth, I've got an insight into the type of person she is. And one thing that makes her, HER, is her ability to get almost everything right. She says she's intuitive. I say she's very nosey.

"You are so nosey, Ruthie" I mumbled and scrunched my nose up.

"Hey! You rhymed!" she exclaimed and I gave her the side-eye but it didn't phase her a bit. "Well maybe that's why God has specially blessed me with the word of knowledge" she shrugged and I shook my head.

We continued our walk in silence till we got to the entrance of the study hall, and just as we were about to walk in she held me back. "If you have a crush on the president, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. It's ok for your heart to beat faster at the thought of him and for you to want to be with him almost all the time" she grinned and my eyes widened.

"I pray you understand all you study tonight, amen. See you later, kiddo" she patted my shoulders and walked off while I stood rooted to the spot staring at the place she stood a while ago.

"What the..." I breathed out and turned to the direction she waltzed off in but she was already out of sight. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before I walked into the hall. She sat in the second row and a big grin covered her face the moment I walked in, but I shook my head at her and took my seat in the fourth row.