I OPEN MY eyes and get up gasping. I hold my chest and look around me while breathing heavily, I feel like I'm not breathing for a long while.

I was asleep.

I dreamt of that again and like before it feels real. Like I'm really there, experiencing all those things. The feelings of that girl and the overflowing emotions is running deep within me.

"I forgot to take my medicine earlier because of what happened at the cafeteria." I said and sighed.

My eyes widened when I look outside the window. It’s completely dark outside. What time is it?

"Oh my God!" I look at my wrist watch and saw that it's already 6:30 pm.

I slept here and left alone!

Why does no one have the heart to wake me up? They really just left me here alone?

I look outside the window again and saw some lights outside. I just quickly get my things done and go out of the room but I stop my track when I saw how dark at the hallway.

I feel like I'm in some horror movie. I hate my imagination dammit!

I gulp and start walking. The lights are turning on every time I passed by because of the sensors and it's only making me more anxious because the lights at my back is turning off one by one once I passed by on it.

"I hate this set up." I said.

"Why are you still here?"

"Ahhh!" I scream so loud and close my eyes then run towards the exit. I don't care if I bump into the wall or anywhere. I don't want to be caught by the ghost!

But... the ghost ask why am I still there?

I stop running, open my eyes and look back. I saw the janitor, looking at me like I'm some crazy person.

I think I'm some crazy person.

"Uh... hehe." I'm so embarrassing.

Turn out, it's the building janitor. He's checking all the rooms and I'm a scaredy cat so he escort me until the main gate of Ventimiglia.

"Thank you very much, sorry for troubling you." I said thankfully and apologetically. I bowed my head.

"Okay miss, just don't stay late like this again."

I smile at him and said cheerfully. "Thank you! Have a good night sir!"

He smile and just wave at me then turn around to go back. He's such a kind man.

I'm still smiling when I turn around to go but jump away at the same time I think my heart jump out from me too because of the thing I saw beside the gate.

"Ahh!" I scream again and I almost fell down.

There's...

I stared at the side of the gate. There's a body lying on the side. Is he... dead? My hand is starting to tremble when someone crouch in front of the body and poke it using his pointing finger. I look at the man. He looked... familiar.

"Oy! Get up..." The bored without life voice.

Get... up?

The dead body groan. Wait! What? Then it's not a dead body. It's alive!

"Tsk!"

He tsk!

The familiar man slowly turn his head to me and his sleepy looking eyes lock into me. It's Leal. I grimace. How many times do I have to bump with this guy? Why we are always meeting anyway?

"Oh!" He said.

Don't "oh" me!

"Uh... if you know him, uh," just don’t mind Ainoa. "I'll go first." I said to bid goodbye as I decide to not pry on this matter and step to go but.

"Wait." Leal called me back.

"Are you still stalking me?"

I feel like he's looking for a fight. I look at him with obvious fake smile. "Why would I follow you?"

"Thinking about it... maybe you really like me and still stalking me. You only said those to make excuses and try to get close to me."

Good conclusion you have there. I'm rolling my eyes for sarcastic emphasis. Give me a break.

"I don't like you." I said firmly, my smile is gone, only the disgusting look for him.

He didn't say anything and just turn around to face the dead body again. He didn't even say anything back to me! I huffed. Look at this rude brute!

"Who's that?" I can't help but ask now that we start a nonsense conversation.

"A friend." He simply answered.

He have friend except my angel?! This is a shocking news! "You actually have a friend?"

He look at me, without any emotion but his sleepy eyes. "He's not my friend. I have none."

My eyebrows shot up. "Hearing that you have no friend is not shocking so I'm going to ignore that. So..." I crouch beside him, looking at the dead body. "Whose friend is this?"

"Why am I annoyed at your first sentence?" He ask, more to himself, with straight face. Not having the right emotion for his statement.

I can't contain it. I chuckled at his reaction. He's somehow amusing.

"What?" he ask me curiously.

"You're kinda funny." I said honestly and crouch in a sitting position then poke the person. "So, who is this person? Are you sure it's still alive?"

"Don't call it "it's" he's your crush's friend--"

I stilled at the mention of my "crush".

"--I'm just looking out for him for a while." He explained.

I look up at him, he stared down at me back. "He is... Izar's..."

"Leal!" Izar's call from our back.

I tore my eyes from him to Izar. He is running towards us. When he stop, he is breathing heavily and... sweaty... he's so hot.

I felt Leal look at me but I don't care. I'm busy admiring Izar's sweaty look up close. Oh my God! Am I magically blessed tonight?

"Sorry for making you look out to Alexio, Leal." He's still catching his breath, did he run from somewhere to here? "Thank you."

"It's nothing. He's a dorm mate so he's somehow a responsibility of mine too. It's just a bother to lift him to the dormitory myself, sorry to call you back when you just arrived at the dorm."

I look at Leal with my mouth hanging open. What the hell?! This lazy jerk! He called Izar to lift this guy to the dorm even Izar just came here running and tired? Where is his heart?

Leal notice my disappointed look at him. "What?" He ask, totally clueless.

I'm hand's up! He's hopeless.

"Ah, you're here too Ainoa." Izar stated. "You keep Leal company, thank you."

Huh? Me? Why will I keep this brute a company? He doesn't deserve it. But I kinda did because I talk to him somehow and join him here.

"Uh..." I smiled shyly.

“She didn’t. She just happen to passed by.” Leal said.

I glare at him while he look at me with mocking smirk. He’s really so… ugh! I decided to ignore that.

“What happened to him anyway?" I ask and look at the thought dead body.

"He is..." Izar lower his body, his back is facing the body while Leal is lifting it up and putting at Izar's back. "...sick."

"Ah..." I nodded. He is sick and fell asleep here? Is that normal?

"Bye the way, you will go home this late? It's dark." Izar ask me while standing up with the guy on his back.

I froze when I realize that. And it's later because I stayed here. I shut my eyes so tight. "I forgot..." I murmured.

"Leal, make sure to bring her to her home." Izar said authoritatively to Leal.

"Huh? Why is it my business?" Leal ask in gritting teeth.

"Ainoa is a girl and she like you, have a heart to do a man's duty." Izar explained.

Uhm, something is wrong with that statement. Wait a minute.

"Tsk! I'm tired enough today. I wanna go home." Leal started to walk.

"Then bring Alexio home, I will make sure Ainoa will come to her house safe." Izar countered with certainty.

Leal look at him and Izar didn't back away from their stare. They stayed like that without saying anything.

I suddenly felt awkward. "Uhm... I'm actually alright. I can go home alone."

"Tsk, fine. It's much bother if I will lift that guy home." Leal said and walk to the opposite direction of where he is heading earlier.

"Uh..." Now, what?

"Ainoa." Izar called me.

I look at him with my confused face. What's happening?

"Leal is a jerk and such a pain to handle but please bear with him a little more, he's somehow a good guy."

Somehow.

"Actually, I can go home alone--"

"He will take you home safe." He said with assurance. He even smiled so charmingly. How can I say no?

"Al... right."

His smile brightened. "Then have a good night, we will now head home."

"Good night." I murmured.

I watch him turn around and go with the guy on his back. He's such a nice guy. He's really an angel drop by the Gods and goddesses to make this world better. Thank you, Lord!

"What are you doing... Let's go..."

My energy drop bellow zero. But Satan is consistent, he brought a devil here too. I turn to look at Leal. A lazy but totally devilish brute.

"What?" He ask because I'm staring at him with poker face.

"Nothing." I said and then walk to go.

We walk side by side in silence at the sidewalk. The Ventimiglia AU is at the forest side of the Frias so there's forest around this big school. We have to walk at the forest surrounded road and go to the waiting shed to wait for the bus that will take me to Frias downtown.

"Such a bother." I am hearing Leal's whispers. I don't know if he is ranting by himself or he's intentionally making me hear it.

"If it's such a bother why don't you take your buddy home and let Izar take me home, huh?" I whispered and he heard it.

I knew it.

"Tss, both choices is a bother. But if I take Alexio home and make Izar take you home, I will be exhausted--"

"But at least you can rest then." I reasoned.

He look at me. "But then if Izar take you home, you will be happy because you will be close to him."

I look around to find his logic but I can't so I look at him back. "So?"

"I will take you home so that we are all not satisfied." He smirk.

I grimace. Devil. He's really a Satan descendant, no doubt!

"Jerk."

I sit down at the waiting shed bench while Leal is buying his drink on the vending machine at the side.

"You can leave me here. I can go home by myself." I said.

"Nah, I will take you home. I'm maybe lazy but I don't like half way works."

So he is treating me as a business between him and Izar. What should I feel? Nothing.

"Hahahaha!"

"Maniac!"

"Did you saw his face?"

"Yeah, I want to piss on it!"

I look at the other side and saw a bunch of guys. They look drunk and wasted. They are loud and messing with each other. Laughing and bumping to each other, they can't even walk straight. Will they be alright? Some of them is looking at me while whispering to each other.

"Bro, look!" Another the guy who notice me said while bumping his arm to the guy beside him.

The guy beside him look at the other sidewalk. "Woah!"

"Not there idiot! Face in front." He hit his head and turn his face to me.

I remove my eyes and look in front of me because I felt uncomfortable at their gazes. My hand form into fist tightly. This feeling... is very familiar to me. I glare at the road in front of me. Where is the bus? But what if the got in to the bus where I'm getting in?

This will be--

My thoughts ended when someone sit down beside me and put his arm around my shoulders.

I look at Leal who's drinking his coke calmly.

"What are you doing?" I ask. "Get your arm off."

His face turn to me, I almost bump my face at his if I didn't move away a little.

"What--"

"Those guy won't go near if you're with someone intimate with you." He whispered.

I felt his cold breath on my face and it smell good. Okay, this guy have no flaw except being a jerk so far. I nodded understandingly.

"Hey miss!" One of the guy's still approach me!

I look at Leal to glare at him. “I thought they will not go near if I'm intimate with you?!” I shouted in whisper.

Leal sighed. "Not if they are drunk and stupid enough to approach you even you're with someone." He added to his explanation earlier.

Nice, then!

"What should we do?" I whispered to him. These guys are many and we are only two and I'm a girl who doesn't like fights! "Can you even punch?"

Judging by his personality. He seems like he's a gamer who never lift a muscle. Just fooling around with his foul mouth.

"Stay there." He said then stand up slowly. His movements are slow because he's such a lazy ass.

Don't tell me he will try to protect me? That's so out of his character!

"Do you have business with my girl?" He ask and yawned.

Huh?! Can I have a repeat of that? I think I didn't heard him right.

"Hey... what are you doing?" I ask in a whisper and hold the hem of his uniform to get his attention then look at the guys around us.

They are 8 to be exact.

"We want her to be our girl too." One of them said and they all laugh.

Men are pigs! Disgusting.

"Tsk, guys like you are tainting manhood." Leal said without an interest and look at them one by one. "I want to knock you all out, one... by... one. But sadly, the old woman will be angry at me if I..." His eyes became dark and shadowed. "...Break all your bones." A shivering cold voice.

I stilled frozen just by hearing it even it's not for me. He's so... scary, right now. I let go of the hem of his uniform and stared at him. He seems like a different person.

"Leal..." I tried to call him but it's just a whisper.

The guys seems like taken a back but maybe they are really so drunk to mind their own fear.

"I will knock you down!" One of them said and advance to punch him but Leal only step back a little and tilted his body then the guy's punch didn't hit him.

Leal then, in a fast move, using his knee he hit the guys stomach and it made the guy grunt and catch his stomach and step back a few away from him. I saw blood come out of his mouth.

It's that... strong?

I look at Leal's dark face. Who is he?

After that, the guys all go to hit him but he is so fast, they can't even land a hit to him while he's hitting them in vital points one by one. I gasp when 3 of the guys get knife from their pockets.

"Tsk. Cowards..." Leal said with boredom written on his face.

"Shut up!" The guy shouted and go straight at him with the knife.

Leal manage to dodge it but one of the guys punch his face, making him wince. I stand up in shock when I saw the corner of his lips bleed.

"Leal!" I shouted and step to run to him but he glare at me.

"Stay there." He said and look at the guys. "Now you've done it."

The 3 guys with knife go to him at the same time but he made the 3 fall on their feet by crouching and kicking their balance off then stand up and kick the other guy on the neck. The guy fall back and cough repeatedly as he hold his neck where Leal hit it.

"Give up. You're all just mosquitoes not men." Leal said nonchalantly without interest while looking down at them.

He's a jerk alright. Even he doesn't show emotion, his eyes can deliver that he is mocking you and looking down on you. Not even enough to make him feel anything. I know that clearly because that's the reason why I hate his eyes. I feel like I'm very inferior as I look at those eyes. I feel like... I have no sense of importance. His eyes can make you feel that.

I hate him.

Really.

But...

One of the guys from Leal's back stand up and bring a gun out of his back and pointed it to Leal. "I've had enough of you!"

"Leal! Gun!" I shouted and run to Leal to try to use my body to protect him even I know I won't made it. When I saw the guy pull the trigger I close my eyes and scream.

"Ahh!" I screamed and covered my ears when a loud gunshot filled the air. I quickly open my eyes because I'm scared that something happened to him but before I can absorb what's happening, he already hold my hand, automatically entwined with my fingers and he pull me together with him.

"Run!" I heard him shout and we both run away from there and go inside the forest.

"Hey!" One of the men shout.

That's what happened that led us here.

The unfortunate event. Present time.

"Argh!" He is shouting in pain. Twisting and turning on the ground like there's something so painful inside him that he want to get out.

"What to do..." I am crying and trembling as I watch him like that. I want to do something but I'm panicking and I really don't know what to do.

I look at my glowing bracelet.

We need help... please anyone...