CHAPTER 9 “DISCIPLINARY ACTION”

"ARE you crazy? You know I don't like that guy! And another thing, why do you have my cellphone?” Ara asked Jason annoyingly when she met him at the library and told him what happened between her and Daniel in front of the university canteen.

Jason chuckles and stared at her. "Have you forgotten already? I borrowed it to text someone. But regardless of that, why do you have to call him a thief? It would have been better if you let him explain first, maybe then----,"

Jason's words were interrupted when Nancy, one of their fellow student assistants, suddenly peeked at the door of the library office.

"Ara, Ma'am Shiela said you are being summoned to the Guidance Office," she told her in a concerned tone.

That was when Ara felt the sudden nervousness that enveloped her chest. "W-What? Guidance Office?" she asked in fear then stared at Jason. "you know what? This is all your fault!" Ara continues as she unknowingly stomped her feet on the floor.

Jason again laughs at her. "Oh, why is that it's my fault now? You were the one who brought yourself into trouble? You know, Ara, you're so beautiful, I never thought you are a war freak?” Jason even bullied her.

"Come on now! You have to come along with me, this is your fault because you gave him my cellphone!" Ara insisted while holding back her tears.

Then her best friend took a deep breath and then stared at her. "Okay," he said as he glanced at Nancy meaningfully and nodded. "But I don't have to take sides with you two okay? You are both my friends and I do not want to get caught in the fight between you two,” Jason reminded her.

"I'm the one you met first but why don't you take my side?" Ara's tone was sullen when they left the library.

"You know what? Believe it or not, Daniel is a good person. You just did not give him the chance to speak and explain because the annoyance that you feel for him became more dominant in you," Jason said slightly messing up her hair.

They were about to leave the library building and Ara noticed the eyes that followed her.

"That devil man even had the courage to take my first kiss that way!" Ara said in an almost whisper that she knew reached Jason's hearing.

"Next time don't use the term gay in men," Jason said amusingly.

"I did not call him gay. I said he is not a real man," Ara defends herself.

"It had the same meaning actually. That is the reason why he kissed you because he wanted to prove to you that he is not like what you say and he can kiss you even in front of many people," Jason explained.

"I was so pissed, that's why," she admitted.

Jason nodded. "All right, later don't lose your temper, or else Daniel will annoy you even more."

Ara just nodded like a little child at that reminder from her best friend.

Ara's chest throbbed even harder when she saw the building where the Guidance Counselor's Office is located.

“Do you think they will remove me from my S.A. position? Oh, when that happens I can really kill that devil man!” she said again feeling the outbreak of anger in her chest.

"Calm down, negative thinking will not help the situation," Jason reprimanded her.

That was when Ara looked up at her friend then nodded. She decided not to speak anymore. Jason is right, if she will continue to act this way, it might worsen the situation.

"I'm afraid I am not allowed inside so I'll just wait for you here," Jason who sat at the concrete bench in front of the Guidance Office.

Ara just nodded then approached the closed door and knocked.

The nervousness intensified in Ara's chest when the door opened and she immediately saw Daniel sitting in the chair in front of the Guidance Counselor's desk. In those moments, she did not know how she would react.

Suddenly the intense shame that had happened to her earlier came back to her mind which is why she felt very angry for Daniel again. She stared sharply at him and that was the reason she saw why she was a little taken aback when she heard the female Guidance Counselor sitting at the back of the table speak.

"Miss Madrigal, please take a seat so we can start," the woman said calmly to her.

Ara just nodded then moved to sit in another vacant chair in front of her desk. Opposite the chair occupied by Daniel.

The young lady avoided meeting the man's sight, even though she felt that his sight had never left her. But in the end, she couldn't stand it either. That is why she lifted her head and then glanced at him, just to regret what she had done at the same time as she felt intense redness of her whole face when in a simple way she saw the corner of his lip rise for a meaningful and mischievous smile accompanied by a quick wink.

Then Ara glanced at the woman in front of them and saw that she was bent over and seems to be looking for something inside her drawer. That was the opportunity she saw so she clenched her fist then showed it to Daniel as a warning while her eyes are narrowed at the intensity of the annoyance that she feels for the man.

But she also regretted what she did because the Guidance Counselor caught her.

"Miss Madrigal!" the woman rebuked to her in a low but emphatic tone.

Ara did not say a word and instead lowered her head. The male monster is always perfect timing. The Guidance Counselor probably did not see what Daniel did earlier.

Ara's chest tightened with the feeling of annoyance for Daniel.

You will regret this sooner or later! Beast!

At the last word, Ara's mind did not agree.

She may not even admit it but she knew that she has a crush on Daniel, because of his charisma and seems to be magnetic handsomeness that is very undeniable. But because he is her mortal enemy, she has to die first before she confesses to the man the truth.

"Maybe you know you have violated school rules so I called you?" the woman starts.

When both of them did not speak the Guidance Counselor continues.

It is normal to reprimand them, Ara accepts that it is really wrong for them to make a scene right inside the university. And the young lady is feeling like a winner already because the main focus of the Guidance Counselor's sermon was Daniel.

"What you did to Miss Madrigal was very wrong, you humiliated her in front of many students," the counselor to Daniel.

Daniel nodded. "I am willing to face the consequences of what I did," for the first time, since she sat there, that was when Ara heard the young man speak

"I will call your parents, they need to know what happened!" the woman in an angry tone but did not raise her voice.

Ara was then quickly felt so alarmed. "O-Oh no ma'am, please, my parents will be very angry with me. Another thing, am I not the real victim here? This man has humiliated me!” at the last words she said Ara was unable to hide her anger for Daniel. "Maniac!" she added then sharply stared at the man actually who did not smile and yet, still had in his beautiful eyes the intense amusement for her.

"Please ma'am. do not include Ara here. She's right, it's my fault and just like what I have said I am willing to face the consequences of my mistake. If you would agree, there will be no problem for me and I will be willing to become a student assistant in the library for the whole school year," was Daniel as he talks pleading to the Guidance Counselor.

Ara did not know if she would believe what she heard from the young man but she really felt her emotion immediately divided into two. Especially when the Guidance Counselor finally decided to grant Daniel his request so it was not long before their conversation ended.

They left the office almost at the same time.

If only the Guidance Counselor would not be angry when she saw her, she might have kicked Daniel hard in the side due to intense annoyance especially when she noticed that he is actually trying his very best not to crack a smile when they were already outside the Guidance Office.

"Oh, what happened?" it was Jason who approached them.

"Hey dude, what are you doing here?" Daniel was the first to talk as he glances at her.

"I just went with Ara because ---,"

The young lady did not even wait for Jason to finish what he wanted to say because she had already started walking. Jason immediately followed her. And she became even more irritated when she saw that even Daniel was on her tail!

"Ara, what happened?" Jason asked.

“Tell your maniac friend to stop feeling as if we are close! He is a nuisance!” her strong voice reached the man's hearing.

“I am still a nuisance, eh, I have already made a way for the Guidance Counselor not to call our parents. That friend of yours is very ungrateful, Jason!” what Daniel said to Jason made Ara even more annoyed.

"Shut up!" Ara said pointing her forefinger to the young man. "I know you did that on purpose for you to be able to get closer to me! I really hate you, devil!" the young lady was very reluctant to raise her voice because they were in the area where the students were passing and she did not want to make another scene.

Annoyingly, Daniel laughed softly as she saw him covered his mouth and spoke like a woman. “I told you, didn't I? You’re not my type!” he told her with a glottal laugh.

Ara's face turned red because of what she heard.

Well, he's got a point.

Maybe that's just her wishful think that he is attracted to her. And that secretly hurt her feelings. So before she burst into tears in front of Daniel, Ara decided to turn her back from him and leave.

"Hey, Ara, wait for me!" Jason chased after her.