Devil on the Rooftop [Book 1]

Chapter 73 - Arisa -

I woke up in a panic the next morning. After having a stressful walk home, I went to bed and dreamt about Khaleel Abdul holding me hostage on the rooftop. Clearly, I wasn't over my encounter with him. That big idiot was still on my mind and for the wrong reasons. I couldn't stop thinking about our kiss and what it could have manifested into if I had let him continue. If I didn't pull away when I did, what sort of game would he have initiated? There was a moment where I gave into the delinquent. A moment where my curiosity got the better of me and I fell for his trick. I shouldn't have let go of his mouth. I should have pushed him away and forced him to focus on his task: to take me home.

Even that turned into a huge pile of mess. Loyal showed up and asked me to spill the beans. I expected him to be upset with me but he was strangely very understanding.

A private driver arrived to escort me to school. I could only assume Loyal had placed in the request. My mother wasn't too happy about it, but she let it slide once the driver offered to drop her off at her firm. I suppose she was running late, otherwise, she would have never accepted. I embraced the perks of being friends with Loyal, if that's what we were. I wasn't exactly sure yet, to be honest. I knew we liked each other but I didn't feel comfortable referring to him as my boyfriend, especially after kissing the delinquent.

I was surprised to find out that none of the rooftop losers were in school. Hino was resting for obvious reasons, Zander was suspended, and Khaleel? Well, Khaleel was missing in action. I wasn't sure if it was because of what happened between us or if something else came up. I couldn't get in touch with Loyal either. I texted a 'thank you for the car ride' but he hadn't replied back. Thankfully, I had Paulie and Krish to spend time with. We weren't close enough to confide in one another, but they exuded normality, and I needed a bit of that.

The three of us finally went to the bagel shop during lunch and enjoyed each other's company. It was a lot of fun. I finally felt like I was getting a normal high school experience. On our way back from the shop, I couldn't help keep a lookout for Loyal. I was really starting to get worried about him. He still hadn't answered my text.

I spotted Tomasia and Matilda entering the foyer together. "Thanks for a great time you guys," I said, to Krish and Paulie. "I'll see you both in class."

"Okay, see you!" Krish said.

Paulie waved.

I raced off and caught up to Matilda. I tapped her shoulder and got her and Tomasia to turn around at the same time. Neither of them looked happy to see me. I couldn't shake the awful butterflies in my stomach. It was like they were warning me about a calm before the storm. Tomasia was usually expressionless. I could never tell what she was thinking, but right now, her eyes were cold and stiff. Matilda, who was usually bright-eyed and smiling, looked defeated.

"What's going on?" I asked.

Tomasia and Matilda shot each other a look of concern. "You don't know?" the president asked me.

I shook my head. "No," I replied. "But please feel free to tell me."

"Before that happens," Matilda spoke up. "I want you to know that Khaleel told me he likes you. He said he confessed but you never said anything to me about it. I feel a bit cheated, Arisa."

I felt the ground beneath my feet shake. It was all in my head, I knew that, but if I made any sudden movements, I felt like a sinkhole was going to appear and vacuum me in. "I didn't say anything because it wasn't my place to," I replied. "His feelings are one-sided."

Tomasia cleared her throat. "We're not placing blame," she said, eyeing Matilda. "If anyone should be held accountable, it's Khaleel, for forcing his feelings on her."

I took control of my breathing, fearing that if I didn't, I might start getting angry for no reason. I could understand why Khaleel told Matilda about our kiss, but why did Tomasia have to find out? Who told her? Was it Matilda or Loyal? It couldn't possibly be Khaleel. Ugh. All these truth-tellers were starting to get on my nerves.

"They're not on speaking terms right now," Tomasia added, reading into my irritated expression. "My brother and Khaleel have always made compromises for one another, but it seems like you are the exception. I'm sure they will recover and things will go back to how they were, but you might not be around to see that."

I blinked. "What are you saying?" I asked.

"There is a lot my brother and I disagree on," Tomasia told me. "I hate how he never gives it his all during midterms and exams. I hate how he barely tries to keep an impressive grade point average. He makes it seem like he's as smart as the rest of us when in reality, he's a prodigy. Did you know that about him? I only recently found out at the end of middle school. I was so mad. I didn't talk to him for months. Like you so boldly stated before, I thought he was wasting his time and talent, being at an institution that wasn't challenging him."

I never heard Tomasia talk about her brother so much before. Truthfully, I'd never heard her say more than a few sentences at a time.

"Then he started his little side business," Tomasia went on. "And I got even more upset, mind you it had more to do with what was happening with us at home than at school, but all of it irked me in the same way. What I'm trying to say Arisa, is that my brother and I don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but we respect each other's boundaries. I don't concern myself with his side business and he doesn't disrupt the order of my student council. It's a win-win situation."

I raised my brow, still waiting for her to make a point.

"So, when you found his acceptance letter into Brown and decided to take a photo of it," Tomasia continued. "You not only jeopardized his stance at this school but his entire future, which I'm not sure if you know, directly coincides with mine."