STAY , Don't Go! (COMPLETED) ✔

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Aesha

Everyone applauded. Leading the applause was our professor, who I'm with right now. I returned the mic to its stand and stepped down. As I approached my seat, I glanced at Wesley. He gave me a thumbs-up and smiled at me. I felt shy because it seemed like he liked my speech. Just a while ago, I was nervous, and now I'm done. Woah! Aesha, you made it. I smiled as I sat down in my seat, proud of myself for achieving something I didn't think I could do properly.

Five hours passed, and finally, the conference was over. Many approached me and congratulated me on my speech. It's heartwarming because they liked it. I bid farewell to our professor, to the counselor, and my fellow representatives. I grabbed my bag from the seat and was about to leave when Wesley called my name, so I turned to him.

"Aesha!" I looked at him. He was still in his seat. He stood up and approached me. "Are you going back to school right away?"

"Yes, why? I don't want to miss the lesson." I nodded. He just nodded in return. "Why? What do you need from me?"

"Well, I just want to talk to you. By the way, you're exempt from any classes today ight? So you can go home." I stared at him. Why does he want to talk to someone like me? "So, will you come with me? Don't worry, I'm not asking you out on a date. I just want to talk to you." I stared at him for a moment. Well, since I'm tired from the conference, it's good to rest my mind. Plus, Wesley seems like he has something to say, and he's nice.

"Um, okay," I said with a smile. He smiled back. He gestured for me to walk ahead. As we exited the auditorium and headed towards the parking lot, he opened his car door. "Thanks," I murmured as I got in.

"My pleasure," he said with a smile before closing the door. He then went to the driver's seat. I fastened my seatbelt. He started the engine and began driving. We were silent because I felt awkward talking to him. I didn't know what to say.

"Do you want me to turn on the stereo? It seems like we'll go deaf with the silence," he said with a laugh. But I just smiled and then looked away. He turned on the stereo, and the song "Tadhana" by Up Dharma Down played. I've sung this on Andromeda.

I was enjoying the music, not realizing we had arrived at our destination. "Where are we?" I asked. He just smiled and opened his door, then turned towards my door. He opened it, so I unfastened my seatbelt before getting out. He closed the door. I looked around. It felt like we were on a hill. I could see the streetlights still off because it was still sunny, and the cars above. It was windy, and it felt good. "It's beautiful here," I said with a smile, then glanced at Wesley leaning against his car. He had his arms crossed and was looking into the distance. Why did he bring me here? I approached him and stood beside him, leaning against the car. I looked up at him because he was tall.

"Of all the places I like, this is my favorite. Quiet, and the air feels nice. It helps clear my mind. I can distance myself from the people who disturb my thoughts. Do you know, Aesha?" He turned to me. "This place really knows me. This is where I cry, get angry, lose control, and sometimes find happiness." Hmm? Does Wesley have a problem? "I only come back here when I need to release emotions that I can't express." So, I was right; he has a problem. But why does he want to talk to me when I don't really know him well?

"Do you have a problem, Wesley?" He just nodded. "Why don't you tell your friends? Like Justine, Kyler, and Alexander. They can help you because they know you better." He laughed at what I said, so I furrowed my brows.

"How can I tell them about my problem when they are the cause of my problem? Since we were kids, we've known each other well enough to know that there are things we don't know about each other. They don't know me. The Wesley they know right now, going through their hardships, is just a part of the real me, not the whole. I'm affected, Justine and I, by what's happening to Alexander and Kyler." He paused for a moment, then looked at me again. "Even though we're like this, we still think about each other's well-being because we value it."