Honne

~~Arzen Venura~~

The transfer program was currently taking place.

They had already introduced around eleven students so far – five female and six male. Even if the school opened itself up to males a year ago, I still felt wary. It was weird seeing the guys walk around in red ties, to have extra male bathrooms, to have someone of another gender (aside from the teacher) in class. Well. It was weird and irritating, as there were a couple of girls that threw themselves at the guys upon their first step in here. Honestly, you’d think they were deprived from interaction with the opposite sex ever since they came into this world. Feeling Rapunzel or something, I don’t  know.

So last school year, I had to get used to it.

This year, the school dared to soar higher and said, “hey, let’s open ourselves to international students and people!”.

Which wasn’t actually bad, to be honest.

“Arzen – they’re already sorting the students,” someone told me, and I brought my glance back up to the stage. Six males, six females. Some squirming awkwardly, others remaining composed. I wish I had that kind of composure, really.

“Katarina Louis, Lillian Noel, and Jaime Smith for II-1.”

Two blondes and a brunette descended the stage. Three representatives immediately guided them to their seats, a few eyes watching their movement.

“Arzen?” our teacher in charge patted my shoulder gently, and I blinked, looking up at her. “Ella is absent and she was supposed to be one of the guides. Her parents called and told me she had dengue,” a small frown came to her lips. “Can you be her replacement?”

“…me?” she nodded.

I could handle that.

I think.

“Alright, Ms. Rosanna,” I manage. She beams at me and ushers me to the steps of the stage, where two of my other classmates were waiting. Mina, our vice president, grinned as I arrived.

“Hey, Venura. Ella’s replacement?” I nod. Beside her, Marja smiles.

“You’ll take Mathias.”

“Who?”

“You’ll see,” she sings.

“Robert Nikols, Nora Garnet, and Mathias Angelo for II-2.”

Three students descended the stage – a blonde, a brunette, and a ginger. Robert went to Mina, Nora bounced happily to Marja, and I was left with Mathias Angelo.

The ginger.

He grins at me, brushing his red hair out of his eyes, shifting his backpack.

“Bonjour, miss tour guide.”

*****

“I’m telling you,” Beatrice waves a red pen at me, “that guy is bad news.” Beside her, Therese rolls her eyes and snatches the pen away from Beatrice.

“Don’t listen to her. She’s just upset that a certain someone moved away-”

“You want a fight, Ramos?” Beatrice interrupted icily. Next to me, Elaine facepalmed.

“Oi. No fighting. Anyway. Why’s the ginger bad news?” she asked Beatrice.

“I don’t like the way he looks,” she frowned. “And what did he call you, Arzen?”

My mind travels to a few days ago.

“He called me ‘miss tour guide’.”

“He could have been joking,” Therese offers. “I don’t see anything wrong with him.”

“Are you kidding me? Look at the people he’s with!” Beatrice points to another table, and I see him with a blonde – Daniel Edevane, another transferee – and some other girls. “Alpha Bitches. Any guy who goes off with them gets sucked into their hole and never comes out,” she told me darkly.

Elaine frowned.

“Arzen was friends with those Alpha Bitches when she was younger. She didn’t get stuck.”

“Yeah, but that’s Arzen. She came to her senses. Those are guys. Don’t you remember what happened to Lou’s party a few months ago?”

I heard the rumors. Upon remembering them, I shudder.

“Well, that’s Lou. You know how she and her friends act.”

“Beatrice, I appreciate the concern, but I have to stick with him.” I manage. She stares at me. “I’m his assigned buddy-slash-guide. Ms. Rosanna would kill me if I let him go astray or anything. I’ll let him be during the second quarter, but for now, I have to guide him and all of that.”

“Look, if he tries bringing you to the dark side-”

“-I know what to do with my fists.” She cringes and eventually laughs.

“Okay, okay.”

*****

“…all you need to do is just follow the formula and you’ll get the result you want,” I tell Robert, and he nods, jotting it down on his notebook. Our Algebra teacher – Ms. Estrella – was absent, and we were assigned a few problems on the book. “Is it clear? I’m lousy at explaining Math, you can go ask Marja if you still don’t,” I apologize, and he chuckles, shaking his head.

“It’s all good, Arzen. I might be getting the hang of it,” Robert begins, but his eyes catch sight of someone in the classroom and he frowns.

“Robert?”

“Arzen, how about this problem?”

His finger lands on an empty spot on the book, and I blink.

“You aren’t-”

And then I notice him jotting down quickly on a post it, he sticking it onto the page a few seconds after.

I don’t know how many have told you this, but once Mathias is ready to be on his own, you have to steer clear.

“That problem? It’s easy, you just need to analyze…”

You’re the second person today. Is he some kind of mental escapee or something?

No, but he’s bad vibes. All of us felt it on the plane.

All of you – all the transferees?

He nods, turning the page and getting a new post it.

“So you just eliminate the choices and then insert the formula?”

“Pretty much, yeah.”

Majority. He’s friends with Edevane from II-4.

I noticed. He was hanging with him and a few others during lunch time.

A few others?

The usual. Faye, Emilia, Lou…

They want info.

Info?

Venura, almost everyone thinks there’s something funny with him.

I’m about to write a reply when he closes the text book just in time.

“Mathias,” Robert greets coolly. “What’s up?”

“May I have permission to take Venura from you for a minute?”

He hesitates. Slightly.

“It’s fine,” I answer quickly. “Robert, I’ll get back to you soon.”

Mathias smiles. “Good.”

He takes me out of the classroom, and I can practically freaking feel the stares.

“So, you believe what they say, Venura?” he asks.

The usual tone is gone.

“What they’re saying-”

He stops me.

“Don't lie, Venura. Ladies don't lie.”

I scowl.

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

All teasing gone, he folds his arms over his chest. “I’m not stupid, Venura. Arzen. The class thinks there’s something wrong with me, right?”

He wasn’t scared or anxious or anything.

He just wanted confirmation.

Shit.

What should I say –

“It’s just a matter of yes and no,” he speaks, interrupting my thoughts.

“I thought you weren’t supposed to care about the opinions of other people?”

He chuckles. “That goes for some people.”

“And you’re not one of them?”

A shrug. “Perhaps. So, what is it?”

“…yes.” I finally say. “Yes. Rumors are flying around, that you’re some kind of bad kid who got expelled and was sent here to make up for his boyish mistakes.” Sarcasm lights up my voice, and the blinks, the look in his eyes changing for a moment. “Creative rumor if you’d ask me – I thought it would be something fake like you were the principal’s son and you were put here to spy on the students and report our conduct to her.”

A small smile forms on his face.

“You’re a funny one, Venura.”

“Funny in a good way, or a bad way?”

“Good for you and other people. Bad for me.”

What –

“Thanks, darling. I just needed confirmation.”

“Now hold on a minute,” I snap. “Did you just use me to figure out whether the whole school’s planning some kind of coup against you? It’s only the second week of school. And yes, I was being sarcastic,” I continue right as he opens his mouth. “To keep it simple, yes there are rumors about you, and no, I don’t know anything more than that. So you can go to your little groupies over at your table and fish for information from them instead of me.”

“…groupies?”

“Forget it. I’m going back.”

But he grabs my wrist and I turn back to him, glaring.

“What?”

“Do you believe them?”

“I’ll believe them if you don’t let go,” I mutter.

But he lets go and stays there, waiting for an answer.

I fold my arms over my chest. “I’ll reserve judgement. That’s all.”

And he nods.

And for a brief moment, relief flashes over his blue eyes.