Fourty Four

CHAPTER 44

The main hall.

That morning everyone looked fine, except for Ace who had gotten his eyes blackened due to trouble sleeping last night. His mind was filled with Alicia, he was so sorry after saying the words that hurt Alicia. He was going to meet Alicia in class that day, and his brain was still searching for solutions on how he should behave when he met Alicia.

Luke appeared and tapped Ace on the shoulder, "Hi, Ace? Are you okay? Your face is pale."

Ace turned his head without interest, then looked back at the hall podium with a confused expression. He was sitting in the back row alone at the moment. Sitting with his legs crossed and occasionally fiddling with the pen in his hand. His body was in the hall, but his mind was somewhere else. He was very confused, but couldn't express it well.

Luke who saw Ace's reaction was different from his usual days frowned. He sat next to Ace, his gaze wandering around before he finally opened his mouth. "Is everything okay? Something seemed to disturb your sleep, didn't it? Say, we're friends after all."

"I don't know, I just don't know what to say."

"This has to be about Alicia, right?"

Yes, Luke knew very well that Ace had no intention of saying such harsh things to Alicia. Didn't even expect her to overhear the conversation the two of them had yesterday. But Luke in the end let his best friend do whatever he wanted.

"I'm not in the mood to talk about it," Ace ended. He was losing interest.

Not long after her chat with Luke ended, Alicia was seen entering the hall with Brittany. They looked very close. At first, Ace pretended not to notice, but that day, something strange happened. Some girls started greeting Alicia, most of them asking how the day went and other small talk. They didn't usually do that. Ace turned curious now.

Ace pulled Luke's sleeve and whispered. "Luke, what's wrong with Alicia?" When Luke turned his head, Ace lifted his chin, pointing at Alicia's sitting position with his face. "Everyone seems to be approaching her."

Luke muttered and squinted his eyes at Alicia. The view in front of him was indeed a bit different from usual. The girls in the history class suddenly approached him and tried to talk to him. "I heard she's going to join the popular girl group," Luke said. Yes, the curly-haired boy had managed to get the rumor from some girls gossiping in the dorm hallway earlier that morning.

And Acepun bent his forehead deeply. "You mean, she's going to replace Elena?"

"I don't know, I heard Jennie is another candidate and they're competing."

Ace shook his head in disbelief and turned back to Alicia and Brittany. A few girls were sitting around them and trying to make conversation. "But she doesn't look like she wants the position," Ace guessed. "Besides, she's just the new kid here. Why should she?"

Luke widened his eyes and tapped Ace on the shoulder. "You're stupid, aren't you? Alicia is the only new kid who managed to get into your car, you know, that kind of thing is a good reputation in this dormitory for her," Luke finished with a smirk. "She was the first girl to do it."

"But that girl denies it, Luke." Ace tried to contain his annoyance, so his voice sounded heavier and lower. After all, it was already like a disgrace to Ace himself. "How did the girls know?"

Luke let out a short sigh. "Ace Blake, do you know that your position here is as someone very important and all news about you will always be the main topic of the dormitory?" The hazel-haired man scratched his hair anxiously. "Ah, never mind, the point is that no matter how small, as long as it's news about you... I'm sure the whole dormitory will know."

After that, Ace no longer opened his voice. He preferred to remain silent and watch the scene before him. Alicia had just turned into the center of attention and it was all because of her. Couldn't that be a reason for him to talk to Alicia?

But suddenly Jake came and approached Alicia. With a black backpack over his shoulder, Jake looked downcast in front of Alicia.

Curiosity grew in Ace's chest when suddenly Alicia got up from the chair and left with the tall man. "Where are they going?" Ace asked curiously.

Luke just shrugged lazily. "I don't know and I don't think it's any of your business, Ace," he snapped. "You remember what you said yesterday, don't you?"

Damn. I was so curious about those two. Alicia and Jake.

***

"What's wrong, Jake? By the way, you didn't return my cell phone yesterday."

Alicia crossed her arms over her chest as soon as she and Jake reached the main hallway. Jake said there was something he wanted to say in confidence earlier and they needed a quieter space to maintain privacy. And Alicia didn't want to mince words.

Jake scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly before finally looking into Alicia's eyes. "I... I'm sorry, Alicia," he said nervously.

"Forgive you?"

Jake suddenly threw himself to the floor and knelt down. He looked down at his knees and stared guiltily at the gazzzled floor. "I didn't mean to hurt you, I just... I was just being ordered around by someone," he said half-sobbing. "I... I was ordered by someone because I thought you were holding things up."

Alicia was silent for a moment before finally opening her voice. "Who was telling you what to do all this time?" Alicia asked flatly. As if Jake's confession didn't surprise her at all.

Jake looked up, stuttering slightly as he opened his mouth in front of Alicia. But finally, the undercut-haired man said, "I... I, I was... commanded by Ace Blake."

Alicia's gray eyes rounded instantly. "Ace? You mean, the one who's been with me all this time?" Jake nodded slowly. "What did you do to me, Jake? What did he order you to do?!" her tone of voice turned impatient and curious at the same time.

Jake again looked doubtful, but he looked straight into Alicia's eyes and said,

.

.

.

"I'm the one who attacked you in hallway three, Alicia," he said hoarsely. "I... I was the one who put the iron wire around your neck. I pretended to be a girl and... I harmed you with my own hands, Alicia perth." []