Chapter Fifty Four

< Nina’s POV >

Gene, I am terribly sorry for using you but I’m in a dire situation where all I ever wanted is to have a peaceful remaining year of my high school!

I force a smile as I show Clarence Gene’s caller ID. “H-He’s my boyfriend from Freedomville.”

Clarence’s face shows that he’s definitely not buying it. Finally letting me go before I embarrass myself any longer, I step backwards, now finally comfortable with my personal space.

However, we are being gathered around by curious bystanders and I doubt I can leave here scratch-free.

“I’ve never heard you mention anything about a boyfriend.”

“W-well, I don’t normally share myself a lot, do I?”

He doesn’t reply but instead he frowns before waving his hand. “What are you waiting for? Answer him.”

Err…with some privacy, please! I turn around and answer my “fake” boyfriend. “Oh, hi, Gene!” I catch a glimpse of Clarence who has been observing me as I give a nervous laughter.

“Me? Never better!” I make it as loud as possible as I walk away with hasty strides.

Disappointment comes to the crowd as they slowly dissipate as soon as I enter the building.

When I arrive at the abandoned Music room, I sigh in relief before slumping down on the floor.

“Are you in trouble, Nina?” Gene asks from the other line.

“Y-Yeah, you saved me, really.”

“What’s up?”

“Err…w-where should I begin?”

<<<<>>>>

“So, this guy scared me when he said that he wanted to date me,” I say while I chuckle with a bitter tone.

Gene doesn’t reply, instead he is once again in his deep thoughts. I sure hope he would forgive for this.

“Are you going to tell Luca about this?”

I stop for a moment to think. “I don’t think I want to burden Luca with my teenage problems. I mean he is trying his best to make me feel welcome now.”

“Sounds like you two are getting closer and better than before.”

“Yeah, he has been a good tutor to me lately and during the supplementary classes, Mr. Fisher praised me for the first time. H-He’s that one who looks like Mr. Roacher.”

I continue my ramblings and I’ve realized that Gene has been awfully quiet.

“Err…Gene?” Worriedly, I press the phone more to my ear. “A-are you okay?”

I know that Gene is always quiet even when we are together but our phone calls have been interactive lately.

“Nothing. I’ve been thinking.”

“Of what?”

Again, another silence.

I wish I could see him so I can easily read what he’s thinking but with phone calls, it would be harder to read through his mind. Not to mention that Gene’s phone doesn’t have an option for video calls at all!

“Well, it’s no big deal, Nina,” he says, expressing his usual mirth in his tone. “I’ll get back to you again soon, all right?’

“Oh! R-Right. Bye, Gene.”

And he hangs up.

What is going on with him?

<<<<>>>>

I arrive at the classroom a minute before the bell rings. I intentionally waited at the corner just so I wouldn’t be talking to Clarence. But as soon as I enter the classroom, the noisy, bustling chatters instantly become a deafening silence as their heads turn to me.

I turn red from the embarrassment and look on my two feet. My hand habitually grabs on the helm of my uniform as I play with it and I slowly walk inside.

I know their eyes are centered around me. Last time this happened was during my first week here. After they got bored of guessing how long I would last here, they stopped caring and moved on.

But now, their stares are suffocating me.

“Is it true? Clarence asked her out?” One of the girls whispers next to her.

“She has a boyfriend? But how?”

“Dumbass!” One of them yells in a whisper-like-tone. “Now that she’s not hiding from that frizzy messy hair of hers, she’s a looker, don’t you think?”

And they continue whispering and a part of me is yelling at me to run, run away to get away from their attention.

But then again, first period is Math class, I don’t want Mr. Fisher calls on Luca again.

I sigh as I force my two feet to get back to my designated seat.

Clarence is there, laughing and chatting with his friends. When he turns to my direction, his grin grows wider.

“Hey, Nina!” He turns to one of his friends as he frowns. “Connor, get off there. She’s here.”

“Oh, sorry, Clarence!” He stands up and his three friends simultaneously leave our seats and back to theirs.

I blink.

“Not long ago you didn’t care that I have to stand up here while your friends are with you until the teacher showed up.”

“It’s all in the past, Nina!” he says as he stands up and pats on my back. “Let’s all put that behind, what do you think?”

WHAT?!

My jaw drops as his words—so casually slip from his mouth like it was that easy—slowly sinks into my mind.

“Besides, we have to work hard on that diorama! I need to teach you how to present well without your stuttering!”

I haven’t been so pissed—oh, minus the time with Luca, but this is another level of being pissed.

‘Okay, Nina. This is all for the sake of getting that A+. You never experienced it for a while since Gene and I…badly wanted to be done with this group project!’

I relax myself as I turn to him with a grimace.

“L-Listen, Clarence…I’m only doing this for the project.” I turn to him as I drop myself on my seat. “As for your offer of friendship, I don’t want it.”

He swiftly strides around and now he’s in front of me. “How come?”

“Y-You haven’t apologized for starters!” Who wouldn’t have thought I could raise my voice like that. Yet, I feel proud of myself for expressing a piece of my mind.

I shouldn’t be scared, yeah, that’s right. I don’t want him to take control of me just as the bullies did.

N-Now that I don’t have Gene to protect here.

Clarence hasn’t moved a bit so he just lowers his knees and holds my hand as he looks up. My eyes widen and I turn around the classroom, more of the classmates are awestruck and now there are more loud whispers around.

OH GOD, WHERE IS MR. FISHER?!!

“I’m sorry, Nina Caulfield. Will you forgive me?”

It’s official, Clarence Benz is, as I will be stealing Gene’s words, a pain in the ass.