All For You - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 - So near, yet so far...

Days has passed since their last argument. Things have changed between them. Whenever Nina and Brent bump into each other, they would just give other blank looks and then go on their separate ways. There would be times that they will just ignore and avoid each other. Seems easy? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but it's not. Behind his blank stares is Brent's hope that for once, Nina would realize his existence. After trying to avoid Nina, Brent would look back at her, hoping Nina would look back at him and smiled. He was such a jerk for saying things that he really didn't mean.

One afternoon, as he was walking towards the canteen, Brent saw Nina sitting at one of the benches along the high school building's corridor. He paused for a while, and stared at her as she reads her book. Good thing Nina turned at the other direction, so she wouldn't notice that he's watching him. He leaned at the wall and continued staring at her.

"So this is what it feels to watch the girl you love from afar... she seems so near and yet so far..." he said to himself. Then he realized what he just said. Love?

Since he started college, he had a lot of girlfriends but none of those girls made him feel this way. Maybe it's love.

He dated a lot of girls, but no one made him care about them, the way he cares about Nina. Maybe it's love.

He had given gifts to his past girlfriends, but never in his life did he wanted to give someone a special gift. Maybe it's love.

He had broken a lot of girls' hearts, but when he broke Nina's heart, he also felt the hurt. Maybe it's love.

He can't deny it anymore. Maybe that's the reason why he was worried sick when she got hit by a car... because he's scared of losing the girl who made him feel this way. Maybe that's the reason why she got mad at her. He's not mad at her for getting back at him and for lying about her amnesia or for telling him that she hates him, but he's mad at himself for hurting the girl he loves, and for making Nina hate him.

But it's too late to apologize now. She completely shut him out of her life.

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Nina could feel someone watching her. She turned around to see who it was, and her eye caught Brent staring at her. The last time they talked (if could be considered a talk), she asked him to leave her alone. And he did that. He would avoid her eyes whenever they bump into each other. He would ignore her whenever he sees her.

She thought that she could avoid him by acting like she have an amnesia, but he's too persistent to make her remember who he is. Somehow, she misses the way he bullies her, and his sarcasm. But she could never take back what she said. "I hate you..."

She has every reason to hate the guy. He broke his promise even though she agreed to be his slave. Thanks to him, she had a miserable birthday, and thanks to him, she almost died. "I bet he was happy when I got hit by a car... at least his wish came true even for a while..." she thought.

But why is he watching her?

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Brent patiently waited for Lainey at the waiting area the next day. He was holding a blue, velvety box - it was the snowflake pendant that he bought for Nina for her birthday. "This would be my last chance..." he said to himself as he stared at the box. "I have to give this to her before she leaves this school..."

After a while, he saw Lainey approaching him. "Brent... this has to be good. I don't want to ruin my friendship with Nina just because of you." she said. Brent just smiled at her and handed her the box. "What's this?" Lainey asked. "That's supposed to be my gift for Nina on her birthday... but I was not able to give it to her..."

"Yeah I know... because you dated Ashley that day, right?" Lainey said sarcastically. Brent shook his head. "Ashley pulled me at the cinema when I was about to go to our meeting place. But before that, some of my classmates pulled me to go with them at a restaurant. That's the reason why I wasn't able to meet her." he explained. "But if you really want to meet Nina that day, you could have found a way..."

"I tried to. Ashley got my phone and turned it off. When she went to the powder room, I escaped but Nina already left our meeting place. I tried calling Nina, but she didn't answer her phone... I went at her house but nobody's home."

After hearing his explanation, Lainey smiled at him. "Now I know what happened that day... guess it's really not your fault if girls are chasing you!" she said. Brent smiled back at her. "Well, if I have the choice, the only girl that I want to chase me is Nina..." Lainey was surprised at what he said. "Don't tell me.."

"Yes, I'm in love with Nina." he confirmed.

After Brent said that, Lainey shrieked. "Oh my God!" she said. "I can't believe this..."

"Hey... keep your cool..."

"So when are you planning to tell Nina about this?"

Brent smiled at her again. "Actually, I have another request from you aside from giving her this gift..."