Golden Melody

Chapter 3.1

Zatariel Wov

His pov

I tried to ignore it, but it didn't help that my classmates had started whispering.

"Dude, isn't that Exy? The one who always fails?"

"Yeah, that's her!  Totally clueless.  Fails every test, and now she's trying to get someone to help her study?  Like, what's up with that?"

"She's a total airhead, man.  And she's deaf?  Double whammy!"

"Yeah, she's deaf-deaf.  You know, like, can't hear anything.  It's kinda creepy, actually."

"Nah, she's probably just trying to get attention.  She's a total drama queen."

Their laughter filled the room, and it made my blood boil. 
How could they say that about her? 

She's not deaf-deaf, and she's definitely not dumb. 
She's struggling, but she's trying.

I slammed my hand on the desk, the sound echoing in the sudden silence. 
"Shut up!"

Everyone stared at me, their faces a mix of shock and annoyance. 

I looked over at Miexha, who was standing there, her eyes wide and her hands clenched into fists. 
She wasn't crying, but her face was pale, and her lips were trembling.

Thyron put an arm around her shoulders, patting her gently.

"Don't listen to them, baby."
His voice was soothing and protective.

A flare of jealousy hit me hard.

I watched, annoyed, as he guided her to a seat.
He turned to the rest of the class and barked,
"One more word, and you're all meeting me at the guidance office."

For a moment, I just stared at them.
And then...
I saw something that didn't make sense.
Mimi?
Teaching him?
Thyron, top 2 in our batch?
He was sitting there, looking clueless, and Mimi... was explaining things to him.

Wait... she's tutoring him?

I blinked.

Maybe Mimi's not as clueless as everyone thinks.
And I'm not the only one who sees something special in Miexha.

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day.
I packed up, my brain running on autopilot, but my thoughts were still glued to Mimi.
And, unfortunately, to Thyron.

"Exy, let's grab something to eat. I'm starving," I heard Thyron say, casually, as if he owned the world.

"InterMall?" Mimi suggested.

"Nope. Pizza" Thyron shot back, not giving her a choice.
His tone was so possessive, so... confident.

Miexha hesitated.
"Magpadeliver na lang, Ron. My dad might get mad if I go out."

"Fine, we'll order at your place. I'll stay over, and we can review it together."

Miexha laughed nervously.
"Okay, sure. Para hindi boring sa bahay."

"And I'll sleep over," Thyron added smoothly.
"Para hindi ka mabore."

I felt my stomach drop.
Sleep over?
As in... what?
Are they seriously planning to...?
My mind conjured up images of them huddled together, studying, laughing, maybe even...
No, I wouldn't even go there.

My mind spiraled into a dark, chaotic vortex of jealousy.
It was like a fire burning in my chest, consuming me with every word they exchanged.
I couldn't understand why I was so bothered.
It wasn't like I had any right to be jealous.
But the thought of them together, so close, so comfortable... it was unbearable.

I watched them leave, my gaze fixed on their retreating figures. The way Thyron held Mimi's hand, the way she leaned into him, the way they laughed together...
it was all too much.
I felt a surge of anger, a need to do something, anything, to break them apart.

To claim what was rightfully mine.

But what was mine?

What was I even feeling?
I had barely spoken to Miexha, she doesn't even want to see me, yet the thought of her with someone else, someone like Thyron, filled me with a primal rage I couldn't explain.

Thyron and Miexha, Jayson Dom at the back