Volume 1 - Chapter 5: A Friend's Promise

"What is that?" Diane repeated the question more forcefully this time since Cathedra just stared at her dumbfounded.

"Uhh. . ." Cathedra averted her eyes and extracted herself from the close proximity she had with Diane. "It's my homework."

"Hmm, I never heard of homework that asks us to make our own novels, though."

Cathedra blushed. There was no going around this. Diane read what she wrote and she's just asking the question in hopes that Cathedra would respond honestly.

Cathedra couldn't bear to look at her friend in the eye from guilt weighing in her chest. She fiddled with her fingers while staring at the ground, bottling up the tears that were threating to fall."

I-I'm sorry, Diane. I-I lied. The truth is that it's a novel I was writing."

Diane's face lit up when Cathedra finally decided to tell her the truth. She stared at Cathedra, urging Cathedra with her eyes to explain further.

Doubts filled Cathedra's mind. After all those years of solitude, she managed to set aside the trauma of the countless rejections she received in the past in order to gain one friend. If she will tell Diane her peculiarity, what if her only friend in the world would forsake her? What if Cathedra would lose her?

"You don't have to be scared you know," Diane broke the silence between them, "You were pretty immersed in what you are doing that you didn't even notice me until I spoke up. I manage to read bits and pieces of what you wrote when I was sneaking up on you and I would have to say it was very interesting. It's a version of the fairy tale I have never heard of before."

"Well, it is very different from what we're all used to hearing. . ."

"So what gave you the inspiration for this plot?"

Cathedra froze in fear. This is it, the million dollar question. If she told Diane the truth, she might not believe her. But to tell a lie to a friend? That is the one thing Cathedra could never forgive herself for doing.

"The truth is, I have this weird ability . . ."

She began narrating the incident back at kindergarten. How she could see something no one else can. How the fairy tales asked her to tell the world the truth. How no one would believe her.

At first, it was difficult to let out the words, but once she started confiding in Diane, the emotions started to overflow and she couldn't stop them anymore.

Cathedra realized that she told no one about the pain she bore alone. The injustice of it felt like a seed of poison that took root inside her heart and as it gradually grew through the passage of time, it ruined her perception of life.

But letting it all out to someone who listened alleviated the pain somehow. She once felt like a balloon that was inflated to the brink of bursting but now, all the bitterness and anger seeped out and she felt relieved.

At the end of her story, she wiped away the tears that cascaded down her cheeks no matter how hard she tried to keep them from falling. Diane's expression was difficult to read, although, for the first time, Cathedra couldn't see any hint of ridicule or skepticism on her face unlike the countless times people would sneer at her and called her a tattletale and an attention seeker.

"That must have been tough," Diane patted Cathedra's head.

And that set Cathedra off.

Cathedra cried and cried so hard, she felt like her eyes were about to fall off. She was bawling so hard on Diane's chest while her precious friend stroked her hair comfortingly.

After all these years of being alone and unwanted, she finally found a friend who believed in her. After all these years of wishing, she finally found the answer to all her prayers.

Cathedra didn't know how long she cried, but it must have been long enough for lunch break to be over. The bell rang all across the school, signaling the start of the next period.

"Oh no, it's time already! We have to go!"

Diane dusted off her skirt and hurriedly slung her bag around her shoulders, ready to take off. "Goodness, I have Science next period. Ugh, I hate that teacher, I can't be late."

"We gotta run. See you later?"

Diane hesitated, "Umm, I have things I have to do later, Cathedra."

Cathedra was heartbroken. She knew it. Who was she kidding? Of course Diane wouldn't want to have anything to do with her, she was a weirdo. She already scared her off with all these talk of uncanny abilities and abnormalities.

Seeing Cathedra's crestfallen face, Diane patted her head consolingly. "I'll see you tomorrow, I promise. Same time, same place."

Cathedra's heart fluttered with hope. Diane still smiled at her. She promised she'll meet up with her tomorrow. If only Cathedra had a tail right now, she was sure it would be wagging happily as she counted the seconds until their next meeting.

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The school bell's chime marked the end of the class. Cathedra gathered up her things in about five seconds in a hurry to get out of the classroom. The longer she stayed at school, the more chances of getting picked on by the bullies who had nothing else to do today.

Cathedra dashed out of the classroom and chose the remotest route out of the school building so as not to attract any attention.

To her surprise, Diane was doing the same thing. She was walking accompanied by two guys on either side of her: one at the left, the other at the right. The dude at the left had his hair up in a man bun and was dyed with blue streaks. The other one on the right was wearing the school pants but only had a white t-shirt on, showing off his dragon tattoos that snaked all over both his arms.

Delinquents. The bad crowd.

"Diane's in trouble," Cathedra whispered to herself, trying to rein in any impulses of screaming in panic. She wanted to call for help. Someone. Anyone.

Then she remembered that no one else would help a freak like her, other than the girl who was slipping further and further away from her sight if she hesitated any longer.

If she turned around and looked for help, assuming that she managed to find someone who would help her, she might be too late and something bad might happen to Diane.

She had no choice but to follow after them.