Chapter 07 Announcement

I can’t avoid myself but to feel nervous while I’m on my way to our seat. I know that Tacia cheated on him because I stalked Paul’s social media. Three years ago, Tacia dumped him because of a guy. Paul said that on his live since I saw it while I was stalking him.

“Where did you go? You took so long!” Shia complained as I sat on my chair, I didn’t speak.

I looked at Tacia’s direction, our eyes met and she smirked at me before she talked to our classmates. I took a loud deep breath.

I grabbed my foods to eat again. I just noticed that our classmates changed their clothes. They are now wearing a sando.

If earlier, Paul was just singing alone, now Josh is singing on a second voice while he’s drumming. Josh’s voice is also good, his voice suits for the second voice. No wonder a lot of people are amazed on them. They are full of talents.

***

I can’t take my eyes off of him while they are talking, they are now sitting while talking to each other and playing with their fans. I smiled when Paul innocently played with a toy that has a lights that fan threw on them. He’s so adorable!

He looks like a child who appreciates a simple gift that somebody gave him.

His smile is contagious, it seems like whatever his feelings are, you would feel it as well because of his face expression.

“Your smile.” I looked at Shia when she whispered on my ear. I raised my eyebrows on her.

“The toy is just so cute,” I defended myself.

“The toy or the person who’s holding the toy?” she teased but I just rolled my eyes that made her laugh.

“So how’s everyone? We couldn’t get in touch to all of you these days because we were so busy for this small concert, but maybe after this, we can be active in our social media accounts again,” Paul said. He’s kinda humble, I can say their fans are so precious to him, no, to them.

“I love you, Paul!”

Paul laughed when a fan shouted, Josh and Aeron can’t avoid themselves from laughing as well.

“We also love you, everyone,” The three of them said that made the audience screamed.

“We will continue writing songs, I don’t think we can’t go here without your support to the JAP Band, so we are really grateful for having all of you. Ugh, how I wish I can hug all of you here to ensure that everyone is happy,” Paul added.

They screamed again. Social media would probably go crazy again because of his speech!

My ears hurts already!

“Paul, Tacia loves you so much!” I looked at Tacia’s direction when one of our classmates shouted.

Mine and Paul’s eyes met before he looked at Tacia’s direction and looked at me again.

“Tacia is really an attention seeker,” Shia whispered on me, I looked at her. She’s glaring at them, it’s obvious that Tacia is getting on her nerves already. I think everyone will get mad at Tacia once they knew that she’s lying on them.

“And since we’re here already, I have an important announcement to all of you.” I looked at the stage again when I heard what Paul have said.

I noticed that Josh talked to him without using his mic, he maybe did that on purpose.

“Yeah, this is the Paul I knew!” Aeron shouted lively. He looks proud of his friend while Josh is laughing while he’s shooking his head.

Like others, I’m also curious of his important announcement like what he have said, I didn’t take off my eyes off of him.

“I remember how I lost myself three years ago, maybe some of you knew about it because I once said it on my live,” he started, “That was excruciating, and I thought I couldn’t find another girl because I was so scared to love again,” he added while laughing and shooking his head,

Aeron went to his piano, it’s obvious that he’s teasing Paul by playing piano while Paul is telling us about his past.

“But then, I’ve realized after three years, someone made my heart beat again,” he said. Our eyes met, he smiled at me. I felt my heart racing again while looking at him smiling at me.

“She made me love her so much to the point that I can fight everything for her.” I can’t take my eyes off of him, he’s still looking at me while he’s talking.

Right now… I just feel like there’s no other people between us. I feel like there’s no other people here because it seems like I’m the only one he’s talking to for his eyes are focused on me.

But I suddenly got back on my senses when the fans screamed again, I saw our classmates pushing Tacia to go on the stage. When she finally went on the stage, she smiled on everyone and waved at the camera.

I turned my eyes on Paul when he walked towards Tacia’s direction. The screams became more aggressive but my mouth falls open when I noticed that Paul only passed on Tacia and he went down the stage.

My eyes widen when Paul went closer to me, he held my wrist and pulled me, I can’t do anything but to let him pull me because Tacia is watching us. Even Aeron and Josh screamed with the audience. I looked at Tacia, she’s glaring at me.

“I know all of you are shock but this girl… This girl who’s standing beside me made me feel like home. I just want you to know that this girl is mine.”

I froze on my position while looking at their fans looking at me. This is the first time that I felt this kind of feeling. Nervous, embarrassment, fear…

I looked at Paul when he held my hand, I gave him a fake smile.

“Don’t be nervous, I’m here,” he whispered.

“Uhm, sorry, Miss but can you go down? You’re not allowed to go here without our consent.” Both of us looked at Josh when he said that to Tacia who’s still standing on the side of the stage and still glaring at me.

I put my lips together to force myself not to laugh, I noticed Shia laughing endlessly on her seat, she looks enjoying the drama right now. Well, Josh just called her out in front of their fans, that was so embarrassing!

“I got your back, Bavina!” Josh shouted, I can’t suppress myself anymore and I laughed because of him. He savaged Tacia, and that was so cool!

The fans are still screaming.

“I hope you could also love her like how you loved us,” Paul said to everyone that made the audience scream more.

I just noticed now that the every cameras are focusing on my face.

“You’re so unbelievable, Paul,” Aeron commented while laughing and shooking his head and still sitting beside Josh who’s also laughing and looking at us.

***

“Cheers!”

I raised our glasses, we’re currently here in Paul’s condo.

“H*ll, I was laughing endlessly when Josh called out Tacia in front of everyone. It hurts her pride!” Aeron said that made us laugh.

“She was assuming earlier, Paul haven’t even said the girl’s name, she already went on stage, she deserves it, bro,” Josh uttered before he chuckled.

“What were you thinking earlier and you said that to everyone?” All of us looked at Shia when she spoke, “I mean it’s okay to announce it but the fact that you two are just pretending… I don’t think it was a good idea since you lied on your own fans. If ever they knew that you are just pretending, what do you think will happen to Bavina? They might bash her,” she added.

I looked at Paul, I’m also agree on what Shia have said. I’m thinking about the future. I agreed to be his girlfriend but I didn’t expect that we will get to the point like this.

“Fudgee Maggy, you two are trending!”

I looked at Aeron when he spoke, I went closer to him. I saw my picture with Paul earlier while we were on stage.

“They are all shocked about your announcement, bruh,” Aeron said while reading the comments and posts from their fans.

“Sorry for causing trouble,” Paul apologized with his low voice, it’s enough for us to hear him.

“It’s better this way to prove to your Dad and Tacia that we won’t give up easily. Knowing that Tacia will always be on our way, there’s a possibility that she will stop,” I said.

“I don’t think she will stop, Tacia is Tacia,” Josh said.

Paul and I became silent. I don’t know what he’s thinking because he have been quiet ever since their concert ended. I sat near him, I looked at his phone when he got a call.

I’m sure Tacia sued Paul again on his Dad knowing Paul publicized the relationship that we have even though it’s just fake and contract.

“Let’s go, I’m going to take you home. It’s getting late,” he seriously said as he stood up.

He’s leading the way while Shia is walking behind me, she’s also silent like me.

Aeron and Josh stayed on Paul’s condo since they are still fixing something.

None of us tried to speak while we’re on our way. As we arrived in front of our house, Shia get off of the car first.

“Here,” Paul said as he handed me the cheque. I looked at the cheque and didn’t get it that made him look at me.

“That’s my pay for today,” he said while looking at me. I nodded and got the cheque before I smiled at him.

“Do you think we can continue doing this?” he asked.

I looked at him but I didn’t answer his question. I don’t know as well if I can or I’m just trying to be strong because his Dad and Tacia hurt my pride.

Paul’s POV

After announcing to everyone that I’m in a relationship, I feel like I want to stop what we’re doing. I’m not scared that no one will support us, but the fact that someone’s suffering just because I don’t wanna get married… I think it’s too much.

“Do you think we can continue doing this?” I asked.

She didn’t answer it immediately. It took a minute for her to answer me.

“I honestly don’t know. Until now, I’m still confused why I decided to do this but all I know is I want to help you except for the fact that I need a money,” she answered.

“Sorry if I publicized our fake relationship, I just don’t think they will stop if people won’t know something about us,” I said with my low voice. My conscience is killing me!

Because of what I have did, it seems like I took her privacy away from her. Her name and face is trending in social media, and I don’t find it positive!

“What had happen has already happened, we can’t do anything about it. We should just stand on what we have started, besides this is just a fake relationship, if this will end, no one will get affected between us,” she added as she looked at me.

“But you’re trending in social media… I mean I’m afraid that people would mess up with you because of that news,” I said like I’m sueing.

I’m not scared that our fake relationship would end, I’m afraid that something might happen to her.

She smiled at me, “Don’t worry about me, Paul. I also wanted this. Just make sure that you won’t get married to Tacia because if you get married with her, I’ll consider this as betrayal,” she joked that made me laugh and feel relieved.

“You’re too serious,” she added, I shooked my head.

I lowered the window of my car and started the engine.

“Hey, where are we going?! Shia is inside already!” she said while looking at me with her wide eyes. I chucked. She’s so cute!

I smiled at her, “I just want to be with someone while driving at this hour.”

She didn’t speak after that and sat properly as she looked at the window. I’m glad that she helped me that night. I’m glad that I met someone like her.

I turned my car and I drove faster, I smiled when I saw that a smile slowly formed on her face while her hair is flying because of the wind from outside.

I lower down the roof that made her look at me, her smile became bigger. She raised her hands, I bite my lower lip to stop myself from smiling as I heard her giggle. She so adorable!

“This is so fuuuun!” she shouted lively when we arrived near the beach. I drive slowly to lower my speed and to watch her enjoying the surroundings.

“Can we get off?” she asked, I nodded and stopped the car.

I laughed when she lead the way, she looks like an excited kid right now.

We can hear every strike of the water to the big rock on the sand. I watched her running towards the water. I can’t avoid just to smile while watching her.

I waved my hand when she looked back at me, she waved back that made me laugh a little.

“Paul!” she shouted, calling me.

“What?” I shouted back.

“You’re worth it! Human rights makes no sense if you won’t use it to be free!”

A smiled more when I heard what she have said. I walked towards her and held her hand.

“Since we’re here already, why don’t you try to scream? Take out all your dissatisfaction. At this moment, there’s no other people bugging you, you’re free at this moment to do all you wanted to do without worrying anyone,” she said while looking and smiling at me.

“This won’t change the fact that they won’t stop,” I answered.

“But this will somehow help you to be okay.”