The Painful Kiss of Augustus
Prologue
"What are you doing there, August?" A voice resonated behind me.
The voice was filled with gentleness and sweetness as it carefully laid on my ears. I was certain that it was Ivy who spoke behind me. Languidly, I craned my neck to look at her. At the very sight of her timeless and mesmerizing beauty, I was fazed. She was indeed a beauty, I realized. Her face was emitting, nothing but innocence and immaculate aura. With her silky straight black hair that cascaded behind her back; her perfectly deep set of Spanish eyes; and her impeccably narrow and upturned nose, she graced to my part with an absolute touch of smile on her face.
She was Ismeralda Yvonna Cortez, the sole heiress of the Cortez Group. Her family owed the biggest Hospital in the country. Her father was Alfredo Cortez who happened to be the Director General of the World Health Organization, that was why at an early age, she needed to act accordingly just so she would not stain the name of his father. Her mother was Imelda Cortez, she was the best Psychiatrist in the country and was currently the CEO of the Cortez Group. At the early age, Ivy was trained to be modest and prim as her mother wanted her to be. As the sole heiress, she obliged to follow the steps of her parents.
We have met when we were in High School. She was a transferee that time and as the usual and cliche scenario, she was bullied and made fun. Unfortunately, the school was not open for any warm accommodation for the princess of the Cortez Group. Some were intimidated by her cold eyes but the others were just playing and wanted her cry out of melancholy. To see the tears of the princess was their trophy. On her second day, the bullying escalated as expected. She was stumbled on the ground, the whole campus shook due to the stentorian laughter of the students looking at her. But the Cortez princess did not show any emotions, instead, she stood up and shook off the dirt on her uniform. An extreme voltage surged within me like it was coercing me to dash to her part and ask her if she was really fine. Though, it was an obvious stupid question. However, I preempted that to happen. Why would I do that? Who was she? She was just nothing. Never did I care for anyone. Nor did I feel any symphaty for everyone. But something was making me confuse right now.
Weeks since Ivy arrived in our school, the bullying became worst. There was a time that Ivy did not attend her class. It was my break that time and a sudden urge of sadness pushed me to follow her. At the secluded part of the school, she sat beside the Nara Tree, crooked her knees and hugged it while her chin pushed to the top of her bended knees. My eyes widened when I saw a glint of tear rolled abruptly down to her cheek. I hid behind the Mahogany Tree just few meters away from her with my head peaking to have a sight of her. A sudden heat of sympathy percolated on my chest as I watched her cry with the silent whispers of the wind.
There was a strong magnetic force that was pulling me toward her but my movement halted when she stood up. She wiped her tears and immediately wheeled out of my sight. My eyes slowly travelled down to my hand that was holding a handkerchief. I hadn't even noticed that I was ready to lend my handkerchief for her to wipe her tears. Silently, I went back to our classroom. It wasn't easy for her, I was certain about that. Halos araw-araw akong bumubisita sa kung saan nakita ko siyang umiiyak at palagi ko naman siyang naabutan doon. It was added to my daily routine to visit her spot and take a surreptitous glimpse of her.
A month of being here, she hadn't had made friends with anyone yet. I didn't know what was the reason why the other girls did not like to be with her. I admit, she was totally intimidating. Her eyes were filled with nothing but cold expression that if you tried to talk to her, she will just respond accordingly with a timid gesture. A smirked flashed across my lips. Time travelled unnoticeably, it was like the wind passing through my senses, however, as time passed by, Ivy had not found a friend who can she be with.
