STUDENT BODY

Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

"Could you please tell me what is going on Taylor ?" Cameron asked as he approached me and Richard while tagging alongside Ronan who is still pressing the coldpack on his jaw. I turned my look to Richard as if asking what to do. Should we finally tell the truth to them or not? Richard as if reading my mind squeezed my hand and said, "Go ahead Taylor. You can tell them. It's okay."

I returned my gaze to both Cameron and Ronan, took a deep breath, sighed and said:

"Before anything else, I would like to say sorry for what happened today. This setup was my idea. I was hoping that this will turn out okay for both of you. I have only good intentions, believe me."

I turned my focus on Ronan and continued to speak :

"Ronan, let's just forget what happened earlier. I forgive you. But let me say sorry again for giving you the wrong idea that I was encouraging your intentions to me. You are an amazing person even for a short while that I have come to know you. But the thing is I'm already seeing someone and I really really love this guy. And this guy is no other than Richard. "

For a moment, everyone got silent, trying perhaps to digest the revelation. Ronan put away his coldpack from his jaw while Cameron stood still, forming a quizzical brow and a questioning look on his face. He then focused his gaze on me and said:

"I thought you hated Richard? I thought you didn't like him at all? How and when did this happen? I'm supposed to be your best friend but it seems you didn't trust me enough with your secret."

I cannot argue with what Cameron Has just said. It was true afterall. Even though it was a mutual decision to keep our relationship a secret, Richard and I should have at least informed our respective friends.

"I have no excuse for that Cameron. I've been wanting to tell you but Richard and I decided to keep our relationship a secret. We were just waiting for the perfect timing until this happened."

"As for my feelings with Richard ? It has changed when I got to know him better during our climb few months back, here at this exact same location. I was wrong with all the prejudice I had on him. In fact, he makes me happy now. Really makes me happy. " Upon saying these words, tears began to form around my eyes but I was trying to hold the tears back as long as I could.

Richard On the other hand who was holding me entirely throughout our talk, began to speak too:

"Taylor is right. We've been secretly seeing each other and we intended to keep it that way until we graduated. But now it's out."

Richard then moved his gaze on Ronan and said:

"I saw you with Taylor last week, Ronan. I felt that something wasn't right but I just shrugged it off. Nonetheless I hit you can because I got angry and jealous when I saw you both together, and your advances to Taylor. I should have told you about him but didn't even know where to start. Looks like we're bith new tobthis pretty much awkward to talk about anyway."

I was about to add something to what Richard said but Ronan interrupted by replying to Richard :

"I didn't know about you and Taylor. Had I known, I wouldn't have made such a move. We didn't hang out that often like we used to because s9 many things happened and changed. I should have called more often after I ttransferred to another school. I've known Taylor through Jeannie but never had the chance to meet him until last week. Jeannie mentioned to me that he is still single so I got interested."

"And as for Cameron, I'm sorry for acting that way in the party. After breqking up with my girlfriend for obvious reasons, I wanted to take things slow. Our encounter was kinda too much of a rush for me and I didn't know how to react at that time."

When everyone seemed done with what they have to say, we decided to patch things up and start afresh with our friendship.

We stayed in River Heights until lunchtime. Cameron requested to borrow my car so he can drive Ronan around. I agreed. As for Richard, he was more than willing to drive me home. Even though our plan turned out to be a major disaster, in the end, we made a better and stronger bond. It was quite such a nice feeling that friends know who's loving you. As for my virginity, it can wait to be deflowered for some few months, maybe up until graduation. As long as I will do it with Richard, I'm not complaining.

THE END