Chapter 57

She took pictures of us together and I felt a little shy with him holding me, my heart kept thumping faster that I thought it might fall out. He later wore his cap after she was done.
'Here you go." The girl said and handed his phone back to him.
'I also have pictures of you two when you were eating the ice cream, hope you don't mind." She said and Waylon asked her to kindly send it to his phone and she did.
' It was very nice meeting you…what's your name?" I asked her.
' I'm Helena."
'Nice meeting you Helena, I'm Gianna." I said shaking her hand.
'Mister…you kind of look familiar." She said to Waylon who gulped with his gaze meeting mine.
'Can you keep a secret?" I asked her
'Sure…my month is sealed." She said making a sign as if she was zipping her lips.
' He's Prince…."
'Prince Waylon right" she interjected, and I nodded, she nearly screamed with excitement but then held back.
'Wow, he's so handsome in person." She whispered to me and turned to Waylon who smiled at her.
'Can I please get an autograph?" She asked Waylon.
'Why not." He replied and gave her his autograph and took a picture with her.
'I can't believe I met a Prince in real life. I'm so happy." She said excitedly.
'Helena..." We heard someone call in the distance.
'That must be my mom. I'll get going now. Nice meeting you guys. Bye!!" She said waving at us as she ran off back to meet a young lady who looked like someone in her early thirties.
' Tie the scarf around your neck well." I said to Waylon who adjusted his scarf and smiled.
' She did catch me didn't she. I'm really going to miss her when I go back."
'You just met her."
' she's so adorable and reminds me of Zoe when she was younger."
'Really? How was she like?"
'She was warned a lot of times to be careful about strangers but then she'll always approach them out of curiosity and she was so adorable." He said with a smile on his face. We spent some time together enjoying the view before leaving for the hotel.
Days went by and I kept things formal with the crowned Prince and avoided Aurora as much as possible.
Finally, the day for our departure came and I parked everything, ready to leave the hotel.
I was helping the driver send the things into the car when I came across Aurora.
' Finally, she knows her place." She blurted out but I paid no attention to her and passed her by but then she held my arm and pulled me back causing the books in my hand to fall on my feet.
It was so painful, each of those books weighs a ton. I held back the pain and went down to pick up the books and I heard here chuckle.
'See, you eventually bowing down to me, right at my feet." She said with a sneer and I did my possible best to hold myself back.
I got up with the books in my hand and intentionally let two of them fall on her feet.
'Oh, I'm so…" I was about to apologize when she lifted her hand to slap me but then someone held it. I lifted up my head and it wasian.
'Nico-ah..." she called.
' Stop it, please." He said and turned to me but then I looked away and left them behind.
I know I'm trying to keep my cool but if I hadn't done that then it wasn't me. I bet her leg is going to get swollen very soon.
We arrived at the Castle , the Queen hugged both her sons and Aurora as she welcomed them back.
I bowed with courtesy when she looked at me.
'Aww, I missed you so much Gianna, the whole place was so quiet and boring without your presence." She said to me and I smiled.
' I'm really honored your highness." I said with courtesy.
' I hope he wasn't much of a bother to you." She said eyeing me secretly.
'of course, not mom. You enjoyed your stayed right?"ian interjected putting his arm around my neck. I felt like giving him a punch in the belly.
' Of course not. He indeed taught me a lot of lessons." I replied with a grin and excused myself.
I sentian's belongings into his room and cleaned up the room, arranged everything and folded his clothes back into the closet.
I was so tired and decided to go and shower up, I opened my door and 'SURPRISE!!" I nearly jumped out of my skin.
'Welcome back!!" It was Sandra, Athenag and Vivian. I guess Zoe isn't back yet.
' Here you go…" Vivian said handing over a cake to me.
'Aww guys…thank you so much." I said with tears of joy welling up in my eyes.
' Anything for you babe, Zoe will be returning from Spain today too." Sandra said to me but then I saw a sad expression on her face.
'What is the matter Sandra?" I asked, and she signed without a word.
' She's been sighing for a while now since she came here. She's refusing to tell us anything. ' Didn't you have fun on your vacation?".
'It was alright but then it wasn't fun without you." She cried out and the others got surprised by the tears that started flowing down her cheeks.
' Sandra please stop crying, I thought you went with Mason."
' I did but we barely spent time together because the girls were all over him. Dad was busy with some work and I was all alone."
' Aww come here. I promise I'll go with you on your next vacation." I said hugging her and she stopped sobbing.
' Really!?" She asked with a smile.
'Yeah, I promise… I really promise you that." I said to her and her face was beaming with a bright smile making the others giggle.
Athenag and Vivian later left to run some errands, so it was left with just Sandra and I.
' I can't believe school will be reopening tomorrow." Sandra cried out.
' Me too. Ah…I wish this vacation will be forever." I cried along as we both stared at the stars above.
We spent some time together and when Zoe arrived, well the whole place was filled with flashes of cameras. We took pictures and made a live webcast on her webpage.
I woke up early in the morning, took my bath and parked my stuffs. Zoe and I will be leaving early for school, so we will be able to clean up our room.
I heard a knock on my door and when I opened it, it was Zoe.
'Are you done?" She asked, and I nodded. She came in and helped me carry my stuffs to the car.
I made sure to iron all of the crowned Prince's clothes he was going to wear so he wouldn't come looking for me.
We arrived at our dorm and some of the students were already there.
We went to sign in our names at the Principal's office before heading to our room.
We were stunned at the sight; the whole room was shinny and spotless.
'What is going on?" Zoe asked and I headed for the center table in the hall when I saw a note on it. I picked it up and Zoe walked to join me.
' I hope you both enjoy what you see. I want to apologize for what I did back at Quebec. I'm sorry for my behavior and I admit that I was the one who crossed the line. My guilt is really killing me right now and I don't know why but I haven't been able to have any sleep. Gianna, please accept my apology. I am being sincere, and this is an apology written with all of my honesty. I want my old Gianna back."
Below it was signed(Nico).
' What's with this apology…did something happen back in Canada?" Zoe asked.
' What the!! How could he!" She yelled with anger after I explained everything to her.
'That witch will hear from me. I can't believeian did that. Oh my God, this is driving me crazy!!" she screamed with anger and I got closer to calm her down.
' It's all in the past now, I'm just going to keep my distance. Please promise me you wouldn't do anything insane." I said to her and she turned to me with a nervous grin.
'Promise?" 'Urrm… I…pro..."
' Zoe..."
'Fine…I promise not to do anything insane." She said with a frown.
I watched her murmur as she headed for the kitchen.
We changed and went out to have some fresh air when a car pulled over next to us making us stop.
'Hey!!" I yelled at the driver who was seated in the car behind the tinted car glass.
The car door opened, and my jaw dropped as the he stepped out, what is he doing here?
'Straw berry hat?"
My phone buzzed, and it was a message.
'Surprise!" I read and looked at him as he winked at me with a smile.
'Hoo…Nan." He said with that breath-taking smile.
…
…. Alexei Thaddeus…
Gianna was my first love, the very day that we met, there was something very special about her that made my tiny heart race faster. She stole my heart ten years ago when she helped me remove my stuck kite and also invited me over to her mother's noodle shop for lunch. That kindness of hers might seem little but then it left a great mark of love and gratitude in my heart.
I was so glad to finally meet her again. The most beautiful girl I have ever sighted my eyes upon.
'Oh…strawberry hat kid." She said, and I smiled. ' Gianna…" I called her name and she came
running to hug me.
' Uh…what are you doing here?" She asked me, and I rolled my eyes.
' He's an exchange student who will be joining us for this year." Secretary Kim interjected, walking to me.
' Good morning Ms. Kim." I greeted her and so did Gianna and her friend.
' Welcome to Royal Steward University, we have been looking forward to see you. Please follow me to the Principal's office." Ms. Kim said to me.
' Don't go anywhere okay, I'll be back." I said and winked at her.
Few minutes later, I was done and walked out of the Principal's office, I was standing in front of her office when I took out my phone and scrolled through my contact looking for her number.
' Are you done?" She asked me immediately she answered the call.
'Yeah, where are you?" I asked.
' I'm outside the office, just walk out of the hallway I'm standing right there ok your right-hand side." She replied.
I followed her direction and when I walked out, there she stood…waving at me to come over.
' How as it?" she asked.
' It wasn't a test, I was just introduced to some of the Lecturers."
' I can't believe you are an exchange student here. Oh my God, you really grew into a very good-looking man. I can't believe the foreign boy with a runny nose will become so gorgeous. I had hope you would be much handsome but not too much as at now." She said looking away as if she was talking to the wind.
' I will take that as a compliment."
' How come you speak Korean so fluently, it's like you were born and raised here."
' After my encounter with you, I decided to learn Korean so that I can come back here one day and marry you." I blurted out and she looked away shyly, hiding her cheeks which were burning red. I lowered my head and she turned shyly as I planted a kiss on her right cheek making her eyes grow wider out of surprise.
'Hey…we are in school. You'll let them start bad rumors." She whispered to me.
'Why do you have a boyfriend whom you don't want him seeing us together?" I asked, and she turned to my sharply.
'Oh no..no…I don't." She replied.
'That's good news." I said and took her hand. 'What…"
'Come on…I'm new here, why don't you show me around?" I suggested, and she nodded nervously as she walked with me. All the students kept staring at us and murmuring something to themselves but then I don't care as long as Gianna's by my side.
'Gianna!!" someone call her name from behind making us stop and turning to the direction from which the voice came from.
A young man approached us, wait he was the guy from earlier, back in Quebec…the guy who was staring at Gianna and I.
' Gianna we need to talk." He said to her trying to hold her hand but then Gianna stepped back.
'We have nothing to talk about your Highness, I'm left with just thirty days for the contract to be over and we agreed that none will intrude the other's privacy during school hours. If you don't mind, I have something to do." Gianna said to him and stepped behind me.
'Gianna…"
'Dude, if she said you two have nothing to talk about, I guess it will be polite of you to step back for main time." I said to him.
' Will you stay out of this?" the young man snapped at me.
' Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked me.
' Of course, I do. I knew you're the crowned Princeian." I replied, and he seemed to be amazed about how I knew since I was threating him like a total stranger.
' Let's go." Gianna said taking my hand and pulled me along with her as we left him behind.
' what's going on between the two of you?" I asked her, and she said it was nothing.
' Okay…If you say so." I said and sat down. 'Wait…that's it?"
' That's what?"
' You'll just not ask again? I mean…when I say nothing is wrong, I get questioned again till I really say what is wrong with me, but you just stopped the moment I said nothing's wrong?"
' I respect other people's privacy a lot. I don't force them to tell me what they don't want to. I just leave them be." I replied, and she looked at me totally stunned.
' That's not what you are supposed to do. Respecting other people's privacy is a very good thing but then when they are going through something, you can't just give up the first time you asked them, and they refuse to tell you."
'Oh okay."
'Well I ended up finding trouble for myself on the day I destroyed his car's glass. He gave me week to pay for the damage or I signed a contract where I will serve him for hundred days." She explained. 'What?"
'Yeah yeah, so that's what happened. It began a week before our vacation and I'm almost done with my service to him."
' Let's go, I'll pay for the damages, so he wouldn't bother you again."
'No…don't even think about it. He wouldn't take the money. He just wanted an excuse to get me right where he wanted, and I ended up creating an opportunity for him. Don't worry, I'm going to finish hard."
' But he's too rich to ask you to pay for the damage. Why would he do that?"
' Let's just say I got on his bad side when I arrived here."
' Did you cause any trouble?"
' Hey…I'm not that of a trouble maker like I was back then."
' Are you sure?" I asked, and she nodded.
' I'm hundred percent sure I am not that much of a trouble maker." She said cutely making me laugh softly.
' You're so cute." The words came out before I even realized it and she lowered her gaze shyly.
'Gianna…can I ask you a question?" I asked her, and she nodded.
' Are do you always avoid eye contact with me when we are having a conversation. You've finally met your longtime friend again but then you avoid looking at me in the eyes. Why is that?"
'Urmm…urmmm silly me, I should be asking you about how your trip went and how have you been for the past ten years ' She said trying to change the subject.
'Are you avoiding my question?"
'No Thaddeus." That was the first time she's mention my name and it gave me this feeling that is indescribable.
' Then?"
' I'll tell you when the right time comes." ' Okay sure, anything you say."
' Come with me, I want to introduce you to my friends." She said as she stood up and I did same.
We were on our way back when a fine young man walked towards us.
' Hey Gianna, there are nasty rumors about you going all around campus." He said to Gianna.
' Don't you know how to greet when you see elderly people?" Gianna said smacking the back of his head.
'Hey! do you have any idea…who is he?"
He said and paused when his gaze finally met mine.
' Don't you remember him?" Gianna asked and he shook his head sideways.
'Oh…I know him. He's the exchange student everyone is talking about, right?" he asked and for a moment, when he started with his reply I thought he would recognize me.
' Mason-ah… don't you recognize me?" I asked him, and he bit his lower lip thoughtfully.
' I'm trying so hard, but I can't remember, can you give me a hint?"
' Don't you remember the kid who came to your mom's noddle shop ten years ago wearing a strawberry hat with a kite?" I asked him, and he went.
'Ahhhhhh, I remember. Is that you? Oh my God the runny nose kid grew into a handsome dude." He said with surprise.
' Actually, I don't have a runny nose any longer. It was just an allergy from inhaling some pollen." I explained.
' Ready?" they both asked with a chorus and I nodded.
' But how come you recognized me.?" Mason asked.
' I've been wondering the same thing, he immediately recognized me when we met in Canada."
' He did?"
' Yeah."
' Well actually, I've been keeping touch with your mom. I returned five years later and went to her shop. She told me you guys had gone on a trip with Sandra so I took her contact in order to keep in touch. I have a couple of pictures of you two which she sent to me. It's actually a secret." I explained.
' I can't believe mom didn't tell us you came back." Gianna said with disappointment written all over her face.
' I told her not to tell you both so I would surprise you when I returned for my exchange program. I made sure to choose this school." I replied.
'Wow, you're Korean has really improved, if not for your foreign look, someone might think you're really a Korean." Mason complimented and I smiled.
' So why did you come running here?" Gianna asked him.
' There are rumors all over that you…." A young lady interjected.
'Oh my God, who is this hottie?" She asked with her lips parted.
' Sandra?" I asked
'Huh? How does he know my name?"
' It's me Thaddeus, Gianna's foreign friend from ten years ago."
'Oh, the half Russian half English?" she asked and I nodded.
' Oh, my you grew up really well. You look yummy. Arrghh!" she said making us laugh.
' Where's Zoe?" Gianna asked her and the girl from earlier came running towards us.
' Zoe-ah." Sandra called and she smiled the minute our eyes met.
' Zoe…meet Thaddeus, Thaddeus meet Zoe. I wasn't able to introduce you both from before."
' Nice to finally know your name Mr. Sexy." She said winking at me.
' Hey! I'm right here." Mason barked at her making the others giggle.
' There's a rumor that you are flirting with the new exchange student and you're all over him. Some are even saying you dumped Waylon for him." Zoe explained.
'What?" Gianna asked with shock.
'Oh, haven't you heard it, everyone on campus is saying you are Waylon's secret lover and that they saw you two together in Canada holding hands." Sandra added.
' How can people just make up stories about someone just like that. Where's that idiot spreading those false rumors." Gianna burst out.
We all tried to calm her down and walked to a pavilion nearby as we sat her down.
'I finally found you." A young man who had a resemblance withian said as she joined us. He must beian's younger brother Waylon.
' Hi everyone." He greeted before sitting down.
' You must be the exchange student. I'm Waylon." He said, stretching his hand for a handshake.
' I'm Thaddeus." I replied returning the handshake.
'Nice to meet you Thaddeus. I hope you have a nice stay here." He said a smile.
' Thanks." I replied then we both let go of our hand. He seems kind and gentle as compared to his brother.
' Have you heard the rumors?" Sandra asked him and he nodded.
' Hoo Na dear, they said you dumped me for Thaddeus." He said playfully making Gianna giggle.
' You always have a way of making a joke out of everything." Gianna said to him and he smiled, pinching her cheeks playfully.
' Umm… guy's I'll be right back." I said excusing myself to go and urinate.
I was on my way back when I halted due to a question I heard from Waylon.
'Come on…you can tell us. We've all noticed how shy you get when talking to him."
' You guys should stop already, he's just a longtime friend." Gianna replied.
' Sis… we all know he's a longtime friend but then you don't look at him like a friend does." Mason added.
' Hey… he might hear you."
' He's not here. Just tell us we will keep it a secret." That was Zoe.
' You kept on talking about him over and over again when we were young. I recall perfectly how you cried when he left for England." I heard Mason blurting out. I stepped back and hid behind the three so they wouldn't see me.
' Hey Mason!"
'What…I'm just saying the truth."
' So…does it mean you feel something for him?" Sandra asked.
' Could he possibly be your first love?" Zoe added. ' Why are you guys being like this?"
'Then just tell us the Truth before he returns." 'Was he your…"
'Fine, he was my first love and when I saw him again, I have this feeling that what I felt for him to years ago had been rekindled okay. That's why I can't look him in the eyes, that's why I feel insecure when around him. That's why I get nervous when he's around me. Happy now?"