[BRENT]

The next day, everything was still considered normal between me and Margaret. Well, it would only be considered normal if I ended up teasing her and irritating her in our subjects wherein that amazon was my classmate.

But such situation didn't happen. And it went like that from morning until past lunchtime. I wasn't the only one who noticed that. Even Neilson and some of our classmates who were really anticipating our bantering episodes between me and Margaret noticed that weird thing, as well.

In fact, she was... civil to me. Or maybe not in the mood to deal with it at all.

I couldn't tell. It was all confusing and weird for me.

And I wasn't really used to this kind of scenario. Yes, I know. I was like a kid looking for attention with all this thinking. But this was definitely turning into the weirdest day I could ever had with Margaret so far.

Damn it! What was really happening to me? Why in the world was I going through this because of that amazon girl?

I ended up burying my face on my hands in hopes of removing that inexplainable frustration I was feeling at the moment. What the heck! I couldn't even understand myself now. What was it that frustrated me this much?

I frustratingly combed my hair with my fingers this time. Along with that, I sighed deeply.

The sound of Neilson clicking his tongue was what brought my mind back to reality. Wait a minute... How long did I zone out?

"You're seriously hopeless, bro," Neilson said who clicked his tongue once again and even shook his head.

I faced my twin brother with a frown. "What in the world are you saying again? You're acting like you have some loose screw in your brain."

"Was it really me between the two of us who was acting like that? In case you're unaware, you're the one acting like a pregrant woman about to give birth because of your actions. Seriously, you still have the mind to pass your craziness to me." Neilson soon continued listening to the music playing from his iPod.

My brother definitely had some loose screws in his brain. He really had the guts to compare me to a pregnant woman who was about to give birth. Of all things he could use as a reference to compare me to, does it really have to be a pregnant woman?

From what I could see, I guessed Margaret won't be the only reason for me to end up crazy. It looked like Neilson would do everything to make my beloved sanity a short-lived one.

That is, until I heard the Message Alert tone coming from my phone. I mindlessly took it from my pocket. But I frowned as soon as I saw the name of the person who sent me that message.

Especially when I saw the content of the said message.

From: Mayu

Hurry up. You want to see Oliver Santiago, right? He's here in Oceanside right now. Just go to the Engineering building's back entrance. My cousin's there, as well.

What the hell!

Don't tell me that Oliver guy really did what he said on the voice mail he left on Margaret's phone?

And Margaret... Did she just accept?

Damn it! I won't be surprised if my mind would become a mess again because of this.

"Woah! You never told me that you and Mayu are textmates. How come I only know this just now?" And my crazy brother had the guts to take my phone from me just like that.

But my mind still remained somewhere else. Damn it! What was I supposed to do now?

"So you're not going to have a glimpse of the person who gave your apple of the eyes such sadness?"

I turned to Neilson as soon as I heard that question. I even asked it to him in a somber tone. "You knew?"

He nodded. "Mayu told me the day after you talked to her. But that's not the issue here right now, okay? If I were you, I'd already go there. I think Margaret's not that good at handling that Oliver guy well on her own."

That was all that it took and I left the place without giving a back glance to my brother.

I just ran and ran with only one destination in mind--the back entrance of the Engineering building. I even ignored the sign that said "no running in the hallway". I didn't give a damn care about the rules or any warnings at that point.

My only priority at the moment was to reach the back entrance before it was too late.

I didn't stop until I reached the ground floor and I went straight towards my destination. I finally saw the door of the back entrance.

But then a crisp sound echoing made me halt to a stop.

A crisp sound... that appeared to be from a slap. A sniffle soon followed that reached my ears.

My eyes widened for a bit when I realized something. Could that be...

"You still had the guts to go here just to tell me that? Wasn't it enough that you already slapped the truth and my mistake right to my face before? Do you really have to keep doing that until now?"

That was Margaret's voice... right? But... why? Why did it sound like she was bitter and in pain?

This couldn't be good. To be honest, I didn't like what I was hearing. This wasn't what I was used to hear from Margaret. Was I really doing the right thing? Why was it that I was just listening to them like this? I was supposed to help her--even though I wasn't sure about the reason why I was even doing this.

That was the only thing in my mind--to help her. And hopefully, to spare her from even more pain.

"Margaret, please. Let's talk. I can explain," I heard a man's voice said. That must be Oliver Santiago.

"Talk? What for? Besides, do we even have anything to talk about? As far as I know, you severed every ties we had five months ago. So that means, you don't give a damn care about me anymore, right?"

"Is that how you understood what I've said back then?"

"Yes, since that's how you want to point it out, right? To end everything between us. And now look! I just did. That's why I left Aurora, right? I just did my own version of severing whatever ties we had before."

I could hear inexplainable pain from Margaret's voice... and even the bitterness and anger that I've never heard from her ever since.

Even so, here I was, just standing there and wasn't doing anything. All I could do was to listen.

I cursed silently because of extreme frustration to myself. How come I really felt useless when it comes to this girl? Why couldn't I do anything for her?

I didn't hear anyone speak after that. I frowned for that reason. Don't tell me they were done talking?

Until I thought that perhaps they've been talking there for a while now. I came a bit too late, huh?

But then I heard footsteps nearing and perhaps even heading towards my direction. Yikes, I'd be dead! No one should see me here listening to the conversation--or should I say quarrel between Margaret and Oliver. That is, if Margaret was really talking to Oliver.

I immeditaely looked for a place to hide. I didn't want to be discovered, okay? It was enough that Neilson and Miette knew my stalking tendencies.

But to tell the truth, I never thought I even had that kind of tendency. My life sure was getting weirder as days passed.

Though I wasn't sure who should I blame for that.

It was a good thing that chance was perhaps taking sides with me at the moment when I saw an empty room just a few meters from where I was standing at.

Yes, that should do!

I hurriedly proceeded to that place before someone could see me. But even though I was hiding, I made sure that I could still see who owned the sound of those foosteps.

I left the door of the room that I was hiding at slightly ajar--in which I soon learned that it was a janitor's closet. That way, I could still see what was happening outside of that room.

I saw a figure of a woman passed by. I realized immediately that it was Margaret. But then something picked my interest as I looked at her retreating figure.

The aura that she emitted as she walked away... Was it me or she just looked so sad? Wait! I knew she was sad because of her confrontation with Oliver.

But there was one particular moment when I saw the expression on her face as she left. It was blank.

No... not just blank. More like forlorn. Until what I really saw that moment became clear to me.

My eyes widened when I finally realized that.

You got to be kidding me... Don't tell me... Margaret was... crying?

That realization froze me to the spot. But why? What was with that realization that made me unable to move like this?

'Because tears coming from Margaret's eyes was the last thing you were expecting to see from such a headstrong girl like her.'

Was that it? Was that really the reason? It was as if my thought was saying that Margaret didn't even have any rights to cry.

And my heart... How come I could feel my heart as if something gripped it really tight? What was all this? How come it was painful for me to see that expression coming from that girl?

Urgh! Damn it!

Whatever. I'd focus on that later.

There was only one thing I should do for now.

I had to find her... and fast!