Jennafei can’t concentrate on her cla.s.ses. She was already bothered on her way to school. She kept on imagining that Dex will suddenly appear in front of her to get back on her on what she did.
Thank G.o.d for pepper spray. It was the best weapon a woman could possess against perverts. She can still hear his screams when she used the pepper spray on his eyes. Jennafei thought that it was actually a good idea that he bought her at the pavilion. The maids and guard did not notice his screams right away. She was able to get away from the house without them knowing that she did something nasty to their boss. The guard even smiled at her and asked her to take care. They did not have an idea that their employer was then rolling on the ground in pain.
Last night, she was extremely pleased with herself. She felt that she did a big accomplishment. She had made the most dreadful and powerful campus figure look helpless. She kept on laughing on her way out of the village last night.
But by this time, she can no longer laugh or even smile. She cannot partic.i.p.ate in the recitations since her mind was flying somewhere else. She was nervous on what Dex can do to her once they met. She was afraid of the possibility and he can just easily kick her out of this school.
Why did Dex have to be such a pervert? He was the one at fault in what happened ti him. She did not get anything from him last night, he did not answer any of her questions for the interview. The interview was a total fail. And because of what happened, she doubts that there would be any interview in the future.
The bell rung and she did not understand anything from the cla.s.s. It was the first time she did not understand anything from her cla.s.s. She felt that she was walking wearing shoes made of steel. She planned on speaking with Leila to consult with her regarding the issue of her a.s.signment. If she can get the editor in chief’s to understand why she can’t get the a.s.signment done then she might help her explain to their adviser why she failed the task.
The problem is, even if the adviser will forgive her on failing her task, what will that do if the owner of the university himself will kick her out of this school?
Jennafei stopped walking when she saw a familiar figure outside of the cla.s.sroom. He was wearing shades on his eyes. She was filled with nervousness. Especially when she feels his stare pointing in her direction. His facial muscles are twitching and he looked extremely mad. She turned back and walked back inside the cla.s.sroom. Her professor was still inside.
“Sir, I will help you with that.” She was referring to the books that he was fixing. She took the books despite his rejection.
“It’s not needed, Miss Castro. I can easily carry them by myself.” He tried to get the books back but she did not let him.
“I also need to speak with you, Sir. If possible, can I talk to you about the matter on our walk to the faculty room?”
“If it suits you.” He let her be and walked out of the cla.s.sroom. She walked after him. Dex was still there and still waiting for her.
“Its about our latest project, Sir…” She opens so Dex will see that he can’t disturb them since she’s busy discussing with the professor. She continued talking while they are walking but she was forced to stop when someone suddenly put his arm on the professor’s shoulder.
“Sir, how are you?” Dex asked Mr. Macaraig to her surprise.
“It’s you Mr. Peralta. I’m doing well, how about you? How’s your mom and dad?”
“They are now in US. And here I am, with sore eyes.”
“Mr. Peralta, if you are not feeling well, you don’t have to force yourself to go to cla.s.ses. You should take proper rest.”
“I can’t go absent, Sir, because I need to speak with Ms. Castro.”
Jennafei felt like running out of the corridor but she was holding the professor’s books.
“Miss Castro?” He looked at her direction. “Then okay, go ahead and speak with her. What we’re discussing is not that important anyway.” The he took his books from her.
“Sir, we’re discussing something that is important. “
“We can talk about it later. Mr. Peralta wants to talk with you.” He smiled at Dex first before walking away.
She was left along with Dex. She looked up at him and he’s already looking down at her. Even with his gla.s.ses on, she can feel his blazing eyes as he stared down on her. She gasped when he suddenly held both of her shoulders.
“Come with me.” He firmly commanded and pulled her away from that place.
“Wait!” Jennafei protested, she was pulling her hand at her best to no avail. He was almost dragging her. “Hey! Let go of me!” She was. .h.i.tting his arms but it’s like hitting a wall. The people around them are just looking at them. She kept on asking for some help but n.o.body wants to interfere.
“Help, please. What kind of school is this?” No one wants to go near since it’s Dex who is doing this. “Please, call a discipline officer.”
She gave a yell when she saw Jaycee. She clasped the Jaycee’s arms, who was standing like a statue as he gawks at them.
“Jaycee, help me.” Dex was still pulling her and she was also pulling Jaycee with her.
Jaycee acted like he wa about to cry. “My grandmother, I still want to live. He might fry me alive. He looks extremely mad. I will look for help. Let go of me, please.” He was terribly afraid that Dex will look back and will see him.
She reluctantly let him go, instead of Dex hurting her cousin. She was just hoping that he will be able to get help from anyone. But she has an a.s.sumption that no one has the power to interfere, not even the president of the school.
They reached the basketball court while being dragged by the man. She was guessing that he’s planning to bring her at the locker room. She decided just to plead since she is already very afraid of what he is capable to do to her.
“Dex please, let’s talk about this.”
Dex stopped in the middle of the basketball court and looked back at her.
“Please?” She pleaded like a puppy while rebelling inside.
He did not answer but she continued to plead. “Whatever you’re thinking to do, don’t do it, please. Let’s talk properly. You don’t have to drag me arou-“ She stopped talking when she saw Jude get out from the locker room with other men. She called out to him. He walked towards them, his eyes full of question on why Dex was firmly grasping her hand, while wearing a dark face.
“Jenna?”
“Help me, Jude.”
“Help you? Why?” He looked at Dex.
“None of your business, Jude.” Dex warned his teammate. Then he suddenly lifted her up and on his shoulder, like he’s carrying a sack. Her bag dropped on the floor and she wiggled and screamed like her life’s depending on it.
“Dex, what are you going to do to her?”
“Not any of your concern.” Then he harshly opened the locker room door, he drove all the other men out of the room, closed the door and then locked it.
Dex caught her by the waist and shoved her back against a locker door. Then he lowered his head to hers. She closed her eyes out of fear. She can no longer breathe from the tension she’s feeling inside. She dropped her bag so she does not have a pepper spray to protect herself from him. There is no one is the room, aside from the two of them.
“Dex, please… Don’t do this to me.” She’s on the verge of crying at this point.
“Open your eyes,” he commanded. She slowly opened her eyes and she gasped. He removed his shades and she can clearly see the reddening of his eyes. It’s the effect of the pepper spray. “Look at what you’ve done to me.”
“I… I’m so-“ Jennafei stopped. Why does she have to say sorry to him? It’s his fault why it happened to him. In fact, it’s him who has to ask her for forgiveness. He hara.s.sed her last night. And wait, why does she have to be afraid of him? She should not make herself look helpless in front of him and admit his power. He will only hara.s.s her more.
She removed the fear on her expression and she stood firmly on her ground. “I’m so not sorry about that. You deserved that. You were sprayed on your eyes because of your own doing. I did not fault you because I just defended myself against you. It’s you who has wronged me because you were about to s.e.xually hara.s.s me.”
His facial expression did not change. He was evidently mad and he looked at her as if he was about to squeeze the life out of her. Anyhow, she stood firm and glared back.
“Not all girls can just be easily played by your hands. You can not treat all girls like a plaything. I’m not the type of girl who will just let anybody kiss me. Especially NOT the type of guy like you who treats girls like they are toys. I did that-“ she pointed to his eyes “to protect myself and to teach you a lesson. I want you to realize that you can’t get everything that you want and you can just easily do whatever you wish to anybody. You have to learn how to respect women.”
The darkness in the expression of his face slightly vanished but there are still traces of rage in his eyes. “Are you done?” He lowered his face towards hers even more.
She want to scream. It’s seems that this guy does not really have any conscience. “Not yet! What kind of monster are you who does not care about other’s feelings? Just because you were born rich and you own this school, you just play with every people in this school? Sure, kick me out of this university. This is forte, right? Showing your power, getting everything you want in just a snap of a finger. Kick me out of this school so can take your revenge in what happened to your eyes.” She challenged Dex.
Since eventually, she will have to transfer from this school if she will she will lose her job at the school publication. The tuition fee will get back to regular and that will be a too large of a load to her parents if that happens. If ever, instead of making it hard to her parents, she will choose to transfer to another school that may not be as well-known and as cla.s.s as this one, but at least, they can afford the tuition.
The rage suddenly vanished from his eyes. His face was suddenly devoid of any expression. He just stared at her for a long time. While she just stared back at him.
“How many questions do you have?” he casually asked.
“Huh?” she did not expect that question.
“How many questions do you need to ask from me?”
She furrowed her forehead. “What…” Her eyes bulged out when she realized what he’s trying to say. “D-do you mean to say, that you are agreeing for an interview?”
“He nodded smugly.
“Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m joking? How many question are you going to ask from me?”
“Initially, ten,” she immediately answered. “Ten original questions and a few follow-ups.”
“All right. Ten questions and a few follow-ups.”
She stared at Dex. She can’t believe what just happened.
“But I have conditions.”
Questions vanished from her face. Just as she thought. He’ll ask something in return for the interview. “What is it?”
“I can only answer one question per day.”
She looked at him incredulously. She only had approximately two weeks or 14 days to accomplish her task.If she’ll ask him ten, it will consume one week and 3 days to answer all the questions. Excluding Sunday when they don’t have cla.s.ses. Jennafei does not have Sat.u.r.day cla.s.ses but she will go to school just to ask him one question. The remaining days will be enough to write the column.
“Ridiculous but not bad. I agree.”
“You’d have to be with me during those days.”
“Of course. How can I ask you the question if we’re not-“ she stopped. “Come again?”
“Be with me for ten days.”
“What-“
“You’d have to accompany me during those days. You will only separate from me if you have cla.s.ses or if I have cla.s.ses. We will eat our lunch, snack and-“
“That will not be possible!” She knew that he was plotting something in his mind.
Dex shook his shoulders. “Don’t you know that you’re very lucky? You are the only person I allowed to take me an interview.I’ll not get anything in return from taking this interview, it is just my right to demand something from you before I give in to your publication’s issue. If you will not agree to my condition, let’s just forget everything.”
Jennafei was alarmed. Now that she’s getting hope in accomplishing her goal, she can’t just let this chance run away. And Dex was right. He’s not getting anything from this interview and based on his character, it’s natural for him to ask something in return, the only thing she does not understand, why was he asking for this condition? “I mean, it’s not possible. Because on my vacant periods, I will either be at the publication office or at the social service club office. Every morning and before I go home, I will be at the library to work. My schedule is fully loaded everyday, I don’t know how will I fit you in my schedule.”
“Forget about all those.”
“I can provide my vacant periods for you but I can’t give in during my working hours at the library. That’s where I am getting my tuition fee discounts and that is my job, I can’t take absences.”
“Okay. Your vacant periods and your time after work are all mine,” he said and smiled. He looked all over her. “It’s still Fei whom I’d like to take the interview.”
She already get what he’s trying to imply. It necessary to dress as Fei during those ten days. Now, she even has to shop for new clothes just to satisfy his whim. “Okay. Fei will take your interview. But I have one thing to ask from you.”
“What is it?”
“I will agree to your game. If it is your way to make it hard for me in return for the interview, I’ll accept. But I just need a little respect. You don’t do again what you have tried to do to me last night.”
Dex stared at her for a long time. It took him some time before he answered. “Are you afraid of me?” He moved his face closer to hers.
“No!” She yelled at his face. She can’t let him know that her knees were trembling from her fear of him.
“If that is the case, why do you have to ask that from me?”
When his stare pointed to her lips, she almost want to back out from their agreement already. She now understand why he chose this set-up for the interview. In those ten days, he’s planning to seduce her and make it her will to be his toy. She will not let that happen.
“Because I can’t promise that I will not do the same thing to your eyes again. And be aware that I studied Karate.” She lied. “And most of all, I know how to use my knees.”
He grinned and touched her cheek. She jumped. “Let’s start the interview tomorrow.”
She was about to remove his hand when the door suddenly opened and Red entered. “What’s happening here?”
“Red,” she uttered. She saw Jaycee and guessed that it was him who asked Red to come and also saw Jude who was still there.
Dex slowly tilted his head to Red’s direction. “You’re interupting, Brod.” He finally took some distance from her.
“What were you doing to her?” Red asked who glanced at her.
Dex just grinned and walked towards Red. He put his arm around Red’s shoulder and they walked out of the locker room. When Jennafei went out, they are already far away. She noticed that there are a lot of people outside. If she’s not mistaken, most of them are the same people she asked for help earlier.
“Cousin, are you alright?” Jaycee worriedly asked.
“What did Dex do to you?”Jude asked as he was giving her back the handbag she dropped earlier.
“Nothing. He did nothing. We just talked.”
“Thank G.o.d,” Jaycee uttered who was trying to look cute as he just looking at Jude as he spoke, not at her. “But when I saw the two of you earlier, why were you standing closely?”
She saw Jude’s expression grew darker. “I’m sorry, Jenna. I was not able to do anything to-“
“It’s okay.” She just smiled at him and pulled Jaycee away.
“Who is it who keeps on pressing his horn for a while now? It’s so noisy,” Her father commented as they eat their breakfast.
Jennafei also heard the noise but she just ignored it, it must be their neighbor’s. Jonas does not have school bus. Her mother drives them to their schools using their old car.
“Yes. It’s a while now. Jonas, take a look outside and check who is it, so we can report it to the homeowners meeting tomorrow.” Her mother asked.
Jonas abided wearing a sour face while she took a hotdog and taken a bite.
“How was your application, Dad?” She asked her father.
He stopped eating his garlic rice. “It’s seems that it will be hard for e to work for R.P. Naval again. Even when I’m already physically healthy, they will not easily believe that I can already go back to work for the ship company.”
“Then take a medical certificate so you have an evidence.”
“They will still not take me. Maybe, I will just apply at another company.”
“It’s just too bad when R.P.Naval gives the highest compensation.” Her mother commented.
“That’s right. I’m considering id I should plead my old boss for them to take me again.”
Jennafei was about to speak when Jonas went back. He was smiling from ear to ear.
“Ate, someone’s here to fetch yu.”
“Fetch?” She and her parents asked at the same time.
Jenna just rolled her eyes and bit her hotdog. She should not take her brother’s words seriously because he’s always just fooling around.
“Are you saying the truth, Jonas?” Their father asked.
“Yes, Dad. The car looked so cool. Jaguar Convertible! Cool!”
“Is that right? And who would fetch your sister with such expensive car?” Their mother inquired.
“His name is Dex. He said he’s Ate’s schoolmate.”
She almost threw out the food she’s eating out of her surprise.