Part 3

"Thank God, we made it on time," William sighs as he glances at the installed digital clock on his car dashboard. The green numbers are currently showing 7:45, exactly fifteen minutes away before the school starts. "You won't be late for your Geometry," he adds.

He is pulling the car into the school's parking lot, the students parking lot to be specific. Smiling, I feel glad to know that he's been parking his car here, and not in the teacher’s area like he always did before these past few weeks, just because I suggested him to. I'm kind of flattered by the thought that my words somehow matter to him.

"Don't worry about me William, me being late once or twice is fine, I guess." It's not like I'm being ungrateful towards his kindness for giving me a ride to school, I just don't want to be some kind of weight for anyone, especially for someone as significant as him.

"No, you can't be late, Lou, Mr. Hudson would kill you." His reminder is automatically blasting images of a white-haired, middle-aged man who happens to be my killer Geometry teacher. "Besides, I'm the one who's late picking you up this morning, so I wanted to make it up to you."

"You want to have the last bite?" Smiling sheepishly, I offer him the last piece of pancake with a fork.

Over these past few weeks, I've been growing a habit of preparing breakfast every morning before William arrives at my house. We would usually have breakfast together before we leave for school, but the routine had to be broken this morning since William was coming unusually late today.

We're supposed to skip breakfast and just leave for school immediately if we wanted to make it to the first period, but apparently things didn't go that way with William. He insisted on bringing some pancakes in a plate for us to eat in the car, even though it meant that I had to feed him, since his hands were busy working on the steering wheel. He said he couldn't live a day without eating my cooking. And again, I'm flattered by such exaggeration.

"Of course," he responds to my offer while opening his mouth to my direction. Silently giving me a signal to bring the food piece on the fork closer to his lips. He takes the pancake into his mouth and chews with elegance. From the content look in his eyes, I can simply believe that it isn't just a sweet word when he says the pancakes are delicious.

Cooking is the only thing where I can be very confident about myself. It's not just a hobby, but also kind of my passion. I'm glad to know that William is also the type of person who prefers home cooking more than some restaurant's fancy cuisines, regardless of how thick his wallet is. I love cooking for him even more than he loves my cooking.

I carefully take the dirty empty plate that has been sitting on my lap all along our way, place it into a plastic bag I've prepared, and then put it in the dashboard locker. William hands me a bottle of water after he is done drinking from it.

"Thank you," I say before I take a few small gulps of water.

"Let's go, Baby." William opens his door and tells me that we really should get going to the class.

I put the bottle down on the bottle stand between our seats and proceed to get out of the car. After William locks his car, we walk hand in hand to the school building. I find that the hallways are pretty crowded at this hour. It's no surprise since it's no more than ten minutes before the school starts, and as always, I can easily spot out some people, mostly girls, that are busy staring at William. One of them is even winking shamelessly at him. I don't know if William notices it, but I turn my eyes down in shame, feeling uncomfortable.

I know that everything about William is stunningly gorgeous. Handsome face, stylish short black hair, silvery blue eyes, light and fair skin, tall figure with a masculine but slim built, and of course those countless dollars in his wallet are like magnets for other people. Sometimes, I'd like to think that he probably isn't meant to be with some petty existence like me. Maybe there's somebody else better for him, somewhere.

I notice the tightened grip of William's hand and I immediately look up at him in askance.

"Chin up, Lou," he never gets tired of reminding me about how he hates to see me walking with eyes cast down. He wants me to be proud of who I am, even though it's a difficult thing to do.

As we enter the locker room, I take in a group of five or six girls standing and chattering by their locker. It's not until we walk pass them that I notice how they scrunch up their noses at me. As if I am a tarnish that spoils the immaculate display of my boyfriend. But of course, I can't do anything about it, so I just leave them be and pretend that I don't get their message at all.

"Lou, I think I left my assignment in the car. I have to go get it," William says after he's done searching through his locker and his one-of-a-kind messenger bag. Not that I know much about fashion and accessories, but the silver metal crest logo on the front side of that black leather bag is identical to the ones that I saw on every door and gate at his mansion. I guess that is a 'made-by-order' stuff. "Will you be okay if I don't walk you to class?"

I can't help smiling at his question. I have experienced almost two years of bullying. Does he really think I wouldn't survive a couple minutes of walking alone from here to Geometry class? "Of course, don't worry," I answer convincingly. You see, William is nice most of the time.

"Be safe, Baby." That's all he says before heading back out to the parking lot. I close my locker door and lock it after taking some books for my first two periods. Within seconds, I come to the point where I'm about to walk pass that group of girls once again.

"Not feeling the need to walk you to class is the first sign," one of those girls is speaking up. She is the one who has ponytail and wears a blue cheerleader jacket. I keep feigning to ignore her with a thought that she may be randomly speaking to somebody else. But my effort is failing as she smirks and adds, "just wait until William completely gets bored of you."

I don't know how to respond to that, so I just walk away. And because of that, I am sure I can hear them laughing at me as I leave the locker room. The laughter is thick with mockery. I thought everyone was done with bullying me. But maybe this one is a new thing, I mean this is not anymore about homophobic instinct, but more about a particular envy upon my relationship with William.

I enter the classroom quietly, not even making my footsteps heard by anyone. I don't like to be bold, and I'm content with being just a background. I know William won't ever like it, but I can't fight my basic instinct. I even always wish the ground could drag me in every time William chooses to randomly kiss me in the middle of a crowded hallway.

"Louis," someone calls me when I'm about to sit on my usual spot at the back of the class.

I turn around to find a tall, raven-haired boy standing not further than two feet away from me. His thick, black-framed glasses serve him the image of a nerdy boy. And yes, he is a nerd. He is the smartest person I know, other than my boyfriend of course. He studies like thrice harder than any other students. I know it because he was once my best friend. His name is Tim.

"Tim, please, you know I can't talk to you," I beg him to call off whatever he is about to say to me.

"No, Louis, just for a second, please," he insists.

"What do you want?" I decide to give him a chance, because I know he doesn't have another class to share with me where there's no William in it. And he knows that he can't go anywhere near me with William around.

"Please break up with him, Louis," he says mindlessly. This is one of those rare moments where Tim can be so mindless about his words, and I should have seen it coming.

"No, but thanks for your suggestion," I give him a curt response, "and we're done talking."

"Louis, that psycho is a cheating bastard. He will dump you! I don't want you to get hurt. Please listen," Tim hisses, trying so hard to suppress the volume of his voice. That is understandable for I know that Tim isn't one who loves the spotlight as well.

"Stop it, Tim. You don't know him. He is not like that." I'm so done with him. I thought I could give him another chance to be my best friend once again. "I should have listened to William when he banned me from talking to you, because all that you do is badmouth my boyfriend." I claim a seat as a silent signal to let Tim know that this conversation is over and I don't plan to make another one.

"You can ask Mikey yourself! Ask him what that manipulative jerk did before and after you got together," Tim adds.

"Please just go, Tim," I think I'm already tired of begging him, "leave me alone." He shoots me with a hard glare before he finally leaves me in silence. He clearly is disappointed in me, but Tim doesn't understand that he is wrong.

William can't be a cheater. Yes, he had been close with Mikey back then, I even thought they were dating. But in fact, they were not. William told me that when he asked me to be his boyfriend. Besides, with the way William keeping his firm grip on me, I can bet that he would go insane if I ever slip through his fingers. Then how can this idea of him cheating be possible?

"Good morning," I look up to find a perfect smile curving on a cute face of Ivan. I don't know that we share the same Geometry class. "Can I sit here?" He gestures the seat right in front of me.

"It's vacant, of course," I nod. What does he want? We barely ever spoke to each other before.

He doesn't start speaking until he sits himself down and takes a full good minute observing my face. Feeling uncomfortable, I turn my gaze down to avoid his eyes. I don't know what to say to make him stop staring. I'm not used to scold anyone, really.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being rude," Ivan finally realizes what his eyes are impolitely doing. He looks around to note that the teacher's table is still not present. It's unusual for Mr. Hudson to be late.

"It's alright," I respond to rip his attention off of Mr. Hudson's table. I mean, he couldn't be greeting me just to ask if the chair before me is empty. He must have something to say to me, right? "So, uh, what's up?"

His smile spreads immediately and it succeeds in making me grow nervous. Did I ask a strange question? Or did I just make a weird gesture? "You are so pretty and adorable, Louis," his remark startles me. "Now that I'm this close, I can easily see what William sees in you."

"Wh- what are you ta..." I stutter an incomplete question. Compliments are not something that I can easily get used to, even the ones from William.

"Do you want to ask what I was doing at his house yesterday?" He smirks.

My eyes open wider at that. "Yes, please," I reply in reflex, "w-what were you doing?"

"Well, if I were you, I wouldn't bother too much about it," he gives a vague statement. "Let's just say that William and I were just doing business where money was involved. So, be at ease because I don't plan to steal your boyfriend."

"I- I'm sorry," I stutter absent-mindedly. I don't really know what I am apologizing for. But maybe I was unintentionally letting my unnecessary suspicion to show, and if I really did, he must feel offended. So, I guess I need to apologize.

He chuckles at my response. "You're one of a kind, Louis."

I'm not sure whether to take it as another compliment or a taunt. Ivan is one of those rare people who I find so difficult to read. I learn this from just a few minutes talking with him. He is playful from the outside, but I can't really tell if it's the same in the inside. It's like there's always a hidden meaning in everything he says, and he provides hints to it between his sentence arrangement. Like he never asks away straight questions, nor gives away straight answers.

"Do you love William?" he asks.

I don't give an immediate response even though I already know the answer without having to think. His question may sound random, but it can't help sending me silent for a moment. Contemplating about what he is trying to say or simply guessing about his motive in asking. I feel like I'm being forced into a test, and it gets me nervous.

"Yes, I do," I finally answer and decide to go on his word play.

"Have you ever had sex with him?"

"What?!" I almost get choked at his question. What is he trying to imply here honestly?

***

TBC~

A/N:

What is Ivan’s intention? Can you tell?