HETAR

Just like yesterday, I saw Asher"s car in front of my gate.

"Hey. Seriously?" I asked.

"What?"

"It"s just near. You"re wasting gasoline."

"Correction: using, not wasting."

"Whatever. Just return your car inside your garage and return here and let"s walk."

He looked at me lazily. "My body is too weak to walk," he reasoned out.

"So . . . " I smirked. " . . . you"re weak?"

"Yes."

My smirk became larger. "Oh . . . so . . . you"re a gay?"

"Yeahーwhat the?! What did I say?!"

I laughed hard. "Wake up, Mister Sleepy. Snow White will never come and wake your sleeping mind."

He pouted his lips like what he always does. "First, you called me a gay. Now, you called me a dwarf. That"s too much for my handsome face!"

Whoa. Too proud to himself, huh.

I rolled my eyes. "For your information, Mister Partner, I didn"t call you like what you are accusing me."

"Yeah, you didn"t call me dwarf and gay directly but indirectly."

"Oh . . . does it hurt?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yeah . . . " He held his chest like he was in pain. "It hurts. My heart hurts."

"Stop acting, Mister, and do what I said," I said, ignoring what he"s doing.

"I told you already. I"m weak right now."

"You"re not. You"re just sleepy."

"So, what should I do?"

"Do what I said."

He frowned. "I can"t."

"Come on. It will also help you wake yourself up!"

"Still, I can"t."

This time, I frowned. "Then, I"ll go to school alone and forget that I have a Partner." I started to walk away, not minding if what was his reaction.

So, what?

~*~

Oh . . . he didn"t follow me. He"s really weak.

"Good morning, Miss Sevilla," the school guard greeted me when I pa.s.sed through the gate. I just nodded and gave him a smile.

I looked again behind but to found no traces of him. Oh, come on, Scarlette. What if he already arrived here but you didn"t notice?

I stepped backwards and asked the guard who"s still smiling ear-to-ear. "Sir, did you see Mister Asher Lucero?"

"Yes. I saw him yesterday. He"s with you, right?"

I mentally rolled my eyes. Uh, how many times do I talk to a d-word every day?

"No, I mean this morning. Did you see him?" I repeated.

"Not yet. Maybe, he"s late again."

"Thanks, Sir."

I was about to go to our cla.s.sroom when I felt my phone continuously vibrated in my skirt"s pocket - there"s someone calling.

ASHER LUCERO

Calling . . .

Immediately, I picked it up. "Hey, where are you now?" I checked my red watch. "It"s 7:00 AM already."

"Scarlette."

My forehead creased upon hearing his voice. It sounded like a woman!

"Hey." I chuckled. "Are you now confessing that you are a gay?"

"This is your t.i.ta - Asher"s Mom."

Automatically, my eyes widened. Uh-oh! What did I do?!

"Oh, sorry, t.i.ta. Where"s Asher?"

I heard her sighed from the other line. "He"s in his room, lying."

"Why, t.i.ta?" My smile slowly faded. "What happened?"

"He has a fever. He"s sick."

"Oh . . . " So, he"s weak and sleepy because he"s sick.

"Tell your adviser that he cannot go there today. He really can"t."

"Got it, t.i.ta. Tell him too that be a good boy and drink medicine."

She laughed when I said it. "Okay. Okay." She ended the call.

The so-called handsome face turned to sick face, huh.

ASHER"S POINT OF VIEW

"I called her already," my pretending Mom said after she entered my room.

"What did you say?"

"I told her that you will be absent today because you"re sick."

"What was her reaction?"

"None. But she told me to tell you that you should be a good boy and drink medicine."

I smirked. That"s sweet of her.

She sat on the edge of my bed. Her forehead wrinkled as she stared at me.

"How the h.e.l.l you got fever?" she asked unbelievably. "You"re a demiG.o.d."

"I don"t know. Maybe, she accidentally did this to me earlier." That"s the only possible thing I could think of.

Surprise became evident on her face. "Did she put heat in your head?"

"Maybe."

"Do you think . . . her G.o.ddess part has awakened?"

"Maybe." Of course, we"re not yet sure about it.

SCARLETTE"S POINT OF VIEW

No Asher means no sharp gazes. No Asher means being alone, too. No Asher means boring also. No Asherー

I stopped on my track when somebody"s hands held my right arm, and forced me to face her mad face.

"Your prince is missing right now, huh?" She gritted her teeth as she tightened her grip.

No Asher means I"m in danger.

I met her eyes with my calmed face. "Because he"s sick and he needs rest, Rhode." Yeah, Rhode – our annoying cla.s.sroom president.

"So, no one will be with you."

"Will you please get your hands off me? It hurts, Miss President." Instead of letting go of my arm, she made her grip tighter than before. "I"ll shout," I warned her.

"Then go. Ask for help. Shout for help. That"s where you are good at, right?" The curve on her lips became wider.

I bit my lower lip and clenched my fists, trying to control my temper.

"Oh well, why you are good at it again? Ah, I remember now. It"s because you are a weakling."

"What"s wrong with you? What do you want from me?" I asked, breathing deeply.

"None. I just want to tell you that you are weak."

Stupid! I already know. No need to tell me, dumb!

"No need to tell me, President."

"Good. Because you are really weak."

"No need to emphasize that."

"Why? You"re hurt?"

Yes! "I"m not. It just that . . . it makes you an immoral president."

"Oh . . . the weak called me immoral. How weak . . . "

I clenched my fists even more.

All of sudden, a ring of fire appeared around us.

"What the h.e.l.l is happening?!" Rhode shouted, panicking. She let go of my arm.

I looked at the fire. It grew larger and larger, trapping us inside.

I glared at Rhode. "You did this?!"

"I didn"t. I-I swear," she answered nervously.

"Then who?!"

"I don"t know."

"Tsk!" How will we get out of here?!

ASHER"S POINT OF VIEW

My pretending Mom"s eyes turned white that made me sat down even I felt dizzy.

"Asher . . . she made a ring of fire. Her flame has awakened."

Then . . . it means . . . she"s ready.