Chapter 4

Clarriese Zyah's POV

The past months I'd spent at Riona were all priceless. We, the new members, met new friends and got closer to our seniors. Among all of them, Aethryl was the senior I'm closed with. I really admire how she lived her life even when she was alone. What I mean is, she doesn't have a father, her mother is working somewhere far away, and her twin sister is studying abroad, they're even not on good terms. But still, she chooses to understand everything, she chooses to prolong her patience. When we talked about life, she always mentioned that everything that happened in her life happens for a reason, with a purpose. And she added that she is not alone in her journey because she was loved by the Lord, and He is with her throughout the journey. 

"Zy, can you print this document out?" Aethryl called, giving her instruction.

We are here now at the Riona Office busy finalizing all our articles because we're gonna release them before the Christmas break. Time really runs fast. Before, this task was only assigned to us but now we were going to print it out! I couldn't stop my excitement. I have been waiting for this. 

"Sure, I will." I moved and went where the printer is. 

I fixed the blank bond papers on it and started the machine. When the printing process was done, I collected all the finished ones and was about to go back to my table, where Aethryl was seated, someone bumped into me. 

I couldn't move, my eyes were locked on my white long sleeve, covered with stain. What just happened? 

"Oh no. I'm sorry," Rosaline's voices echoed through my ears. It sounds irritating. When I meet her gaze, I know that she is not sincere with her apology. She is teasing me. 

Since I didn't move, she and her friend moved first leaving me in this kind of a mess.

"Zyah, what happened to you?!" Aethryl exclaimed when she saw me. 

I put the papers I am holding at the table. It's a relief that it did not get wet when I got the splash of grape juice from Rosaline.

"It's nothing." I forced a smile, assuring her that it's okay. "It's just an accident." I smiled bitterly.

She looked so worried as she handed me her handkerchief. "Use this," she offered.

I gladly accepted it. "Thank you. I'll just fix myself first." 

With only Aethryl's handkerchief in my hand, I left Riona. I went to the nearest restroom from our office. I noticed that some of the students were staring at me while I'm on my way. 

My blouse was covered with stains. It's white, the stain would be noticed right away easily.

It's been many months since I joined Riona but Rosaline never nicely treated me. She was always glaring at me even though I did nothing wrong to her. I wonder what I have done to make her mad. Yet, I just ignored her and didn't take her action into my heart. My mom always taught me not to build hatred in my heart. Maybe, someday she will realize that she is doing it wrong. Even though she is treating me badly, I still want to witness a day that we will get along. Someday, I want that to happen.

I opened the faucet when I reached the place. I used the handkerchief that Aethryl gave to rub the stain off my dress. I was dismayed when I realized that the dirt becomes messier. It spreads more. Oh no. Why did it turn out like this?

I was about to open the faucet again when something dropped on my head. Someone threw a shirt on me. I raised my head and turned my gaze to a man who's now washing his hands at the faucet next to me.

"Save water, woman. Change your clothes," he said and then he left. 

It takes a couple of seconds for me to absorb what he just did. I stared at the shirt in my hand and then shifted my eyes to my shirt that was messed up. This is the only choice I have right now. I don't want to be embarrassed, I am already in college yet I still have such a messy dress. 

"It's good that you brought some extra clothes,"  Aethryl commented when I came back to the office.

I took the seat opposite to hers and helped her arrange some papers. "Someone let me borrow it," I answered. My eyes landed on the man sitting at the table on the other side. He is busy doing something on his laptop. 

"Ah. Was it Dale?" she asked, making me draw away my attention from him and turned my head to her.

I opened my mouth to answer but nothing came out. I was speechless. 

"I saw him asking for a shirt from Ryle," she explained. She looked at me with her suspicious eyes. "He followed you," she added. 

I patted my ears.  I couldn't believe what Aethryl just said. Maybe, that was only a mere coincidence. 

Ellaine and Aethryl have already left since they finished their task at the office. I'm still here and doing my part, I need to get it done today. 

After an hour, finally, I let out a smile. "I'm done!" I screamed. I stretched out my hands. It's tiring to type these thousand words on my laptop. 

Wait! I don't have a laptop!

It's Dale's laptop since he was the one who gave me this task, he provided it because I don't have mine. My laptop isn't working and I haven't bought a new one yet.  

Dale is indeed a rich guy. He even owns two laptops. I couldn't even afford this one I am using now. 

I immediately put down my arms when I noticed that someone was staring at me.

"Are you done, woman?" he asked, his hands still on his keyboards.

"I just said it, lalaki," I said, giving him a sarcastic smile. 

I saw him shake his head. 

With the laptop in my hand, I went to his table to show him what I've done. 

I sat down at the chair in front of his table. I put the laptop on the table, facing him. He put aside what he used to do. He turned his attention to the laptop I had laid down. Silence is growing as seconds pass by. He is just staring at the laptop's screen quietly, seriously. 

I cleared my throat. "Kuya?" I called his attention.

Since he disliked being called that way, he glared at me.

"Dale," he corrected me, coldly. He went back to what he's doing.

I force myself not to laugh at the way he reacted. He was like a kid with a distorted face. 

"Dale?"

"Hmm." He didn't even raise his head. 

"Is it you—"

"Yes, I am," he interrupted as if he knew what I was going to say, still focused on what he's doing.

"What? I'm still not finished talking."

He stopped and looked at me, directly into my eyes. "I heard you and Aethryl."

"About this shirt?" I asked, looking at the shirt I am wearing at this moment.

"Hmm."

"Oh. You two are quite close," I murmured, eyes on the floor.

"Are you jealous, woman?"

Wait! What?! That question made me raise my head, his dark hazel eyes were on me. I looked away.

"I'm not!"

Dale Daniel's POV

I am too focused on what I am doing, I didn't notice that it's getting late already. I raised my head to know who's still here at the office. Only a familiar woman became visible in my eyes, she was busy typing on my laptop. 

She doesn't have one! She said that her previous laptop was damaged.

From a distance, I saw that she was wearing the shirt I lent to her. She tucked it in her denim flared pants. Since she is still here and doing her part, I continued to do what I am doing too.

A moment later her screams disturbed me. "I'm done!"

"Are you done, woman?"

"I just said it, lalaki." She let out her sarcastic smile and stood up with the laptop in her hands. She put it on the table to let me check her work. 

Amidst it, he called me "kuya". The last time I even told her that don't call me that way, she is still doing it. She is the type of person that really loves to annoy someone. If you told her not to do it, expect that she will do it again and again.

What a stubborn woman.

"Dale," I reminded her with a serious tone.

She was about to ask me something when I halted her. I know it, she's going to ask about the shirt. And I wasn't wrong.

Exactly when I entered Riona, I saw that something happened to her. Rosaline accidentally or should I say intentionally spilled her juice drink on Zyah. These past few months, I can tell that Rosaline is always getting in Zyah's way but she got nothing. Zyah didn't argue or fight back. She's smiling even deep inside there's pain. After all, she loves to smile. Even Rosaline is doing things to provoke her, I never heard her being mad. She just smiles. 

I don't know why but I found myself asking for a shirt from Aron Ryle since he is also a member of the dance club of this university. He always has an extra shirt in his locker. 

When she asked me how I knew that she's going to ask that question. I admitted that I overheard her dialogue with Aethryl. 

My eyes were on the screen of the laptop when I heard her mumble something under her breath. I couldn't understand what it was.

I raised my head and fixed my gaze on her. Her head was facing down. "Are you jealous, woman?" I teased her. 

She looked at me, frightened. I noticed that there's a change in her face as she looked away. 

Did she just blush?

"I'm not!" she denied. 

She hurriedly stood up and went back to her place. She arranged the scattered papers on her table and put them back in her pink envelope. 

I closed all the laptops and put them back in my backpack too. 

When we finished fixing our things, we both left Riona. Since I am not fond of talking that much, I couldn't start a conversation.

"I'll go first, Dale" she smiled and bid her goodbye, waving her hand. 

"Zy!" I called. She's just a few steps away from me.

She stopped and turned. "Yes?"

"I'll send you home."

"But our houses are in different directions," she stated.

"It's already six o'clock," I said.

"So? What if it's already six?"

"It's dangerous." It looks like I am warning her, isn't it? 

"I have been living here for so long. I know the place well," she claimed. 

"Even so," I fought back.

"You sound like a mad boyfriend," she joked, smiling.

That made me stop. "Did I?" I asked when I recovered and got back my sanity.

"Yeah?"

"I can be one," I whispered, staring directly into her eyes.

"What? Did you say something?" she begged.

"Nothing. Just wait for me at the gate." I immediately turned back without waiting for her response. I shook my head to cast away that thought in my mind.

I got in my car at the parking lot and fetched her at the gate. 

Since I've been to her house before, I already know where she lives. When we reached her place, I slowed down the car. She didn't wait for me to open the door of the car for her, rather she opened it on her own. 

"Thank you, Dale," she said as she went down.

"Mmm."

"What an icy man!"

"What?!" I asked.

"Icy man!" she raised her tone.

"Why is that?" I asked again, seeking an explanation.

"Icy man suits you the best," she stated. 

"Just go home already, woman." I made my voice sound like I was mad.

"I'm going in already!." She moved and took her steps towards their gate. "Thank you, again!" She's now inside the area of their house. "Bye."

The next week, Mr. Bob called me at his office. 

"Sir?" I called for him when I entered the teacher's office. 

"Dale, come here," he said when he noticed me. He handed me the newly made ID for the new members of Riona. "These are the IDs of new staffers of Riona. It took a while to be done because of the long queue," he said.

"It's alright, sir."

"Help me distribute it to them."

"Okay, sir."

While I was on my way back to Riona, I overlooked Aethryl. Since she has belonged to Riona for a long time, I know that she won't reject me if I am going to ask her a favor. 

"Ae?" I called her.

"Oh! Dale, new IDs?" she asked.

I nodded. "Can you help me give it to them?"I reached out my hand to give her the ID. 

She accepted it gladly. "Sure."

She took a quick look at the IDs she's holding. "This is for Zyah!" she screamed when she found Zyah's ID. "You give it to her." She handed it back to me. Specifically, it's for Zyah.

"Why are you giving it to me?" I still have not received it. 

"You already know that, Dale," she said. I could sense a tease in her tone. "It's already the last month of the year, don't you want to confess?"

"Confess what?"

"Ask your own heart, editor-in-chief."

She left me having no choice when she forced me to accept Zyah's ID. I went straight to Riona and I saw that Zyah is the only one left here. 

"Not going for a break?" I asked and sat on the vacant chair opposite to her.  

"Mmm." She didn't bother to raise her head, she's too occupied by what she's doing.

I threw to her the ID I'm holding to get her attention.

"What?!"

"Your ID."

She looked at the thing I'd thrown to her. When she realized what it was, her face was covered with excitement.

"OMG! Finally, it's here!" she screamed like a child. 

"Are you that happy?" I asked. 

"Of course." She glanced at me and put down the ID in her hand. "I've been waiting for this. It's been a while since I've dreamed of wearing this."

"Long queue," I replied.

"It's okay," she answered. "Got no problem with it," she added. "Dale, you should make a present for our staffers! Christmas is coming!"

"Like what?" I asked, having no idea.

"Anything. As long as it can bring joy to someone," she uttered.

That made me stop for a while. This year is already coming to an end. We are now in the last month of the year, December. And this girl sitting in front of me was with me throughout this year, getting on my way.

Her giggles brought me out of my trance. 

"Just kidding. It's fine if you don't want to do it. Don't mind what I have said."

"Woman. . . " I called her in a faded tone.

"Hmm?"

"I have something to tell you."