Chapter 17: Déjà vu
"WHAT?!" Ashley shouted.
"I said, Veronica will be my partner." she said, slowly, letting the short tempered girl listen carefully.
"That's absurd! Shouldn't it be Jun?" she asked while writing her essay. It has been a week after she accepted the deal and for the past week, she had been studying her ass off to get the first place.
"some said that he backed out when he knew that they placed his name," Christian told her. She didn't know about that.
"what did you just say?" she asked, raising her voice. Ashley went to hold her shoulders before she explode.
"Hey, it's probably just a rumor since he usually joins competitions," Ashley convinced her, but it wasn't enough.
"why am I even here?" she sighed, laying her head on the table. She decided to go to the cafeteria after receiving Ashley's text. Just in time, she was done with their practice.
"because you love that's why you went here," she smiled, sweetly, mocking her.
"who said that I love you?"
"Burn," Justin mocked Ashley and instantly gave him a tight slap on the back.
"Ouch, what the?" Ashley just smiled and imitated him.
"when will it be done again?" Justin asked.
"The day after tomorrow," she groaned as she remembered that the day was near. The feeling was very familiar to her, just like 14 years ago.
The anxiety she felt whenever she was unsure of the outcome, yet she wanted to win it. The trembling feeling when she didn't know what was the correct answer or what was the formula to use and was she sure about it, was suddenly rushed in her body. Adrenaline was rushing in her body.
Ashley snapped her fingers in front of her, attempting to bring her back, "Liana? Are you listening to me?"
"sorry guys, I have to go," she rushed, getting her activity book and pen. She didn't even looked back at her friends when she realized that she was half an hour late.
She was running on the stairs when she bumped to someone, making her activity book and pens fly away. Her hands went on the air, and her soul was getting ready to leave her body but someone caught her right away.
When her eyes met the person, she couldn't help but to let out a soft gasp and her eyes seemed to dilate. She didn't knew that she was clutching on the person's uniform. When she did, she gulped nervously.
"Jun?" she asked, not believing that it was him. She let go of him and looked away. She widened her eyes when she realized her things wasn't in her hand. She bent down to pick up her things, but she was disturbed by him. He was still standing.
"Perhaps, he's still thinking of what happened?" she thought to herself. Thinking about what happened made her heart leaped put of her chest for it was beating so fast and loud. The way his hand automatically went at the back of her and his head was slightly near hers. The way his stare gazed her eyes made her heart melt.
When she got up, he was nowhere found and the rest of her papers were stacked nearly in front of her with the pens at the top. She sighed and carried everything before going back to the room.
He doesn't feel anything, she said to herself, throwing daggers in her heart.
"Gosh, are you even qualified to join the competition when you're running late," Veronica sneered while playing with the pen.
"are you even qualified to be a student with a manner like that?" she retorted back, flipping her hair while sitting down.
The class was silently laughing at her sarcasm and mocking Veronica.
"Liana, have you seen Jun?" Fen Fang aske dher while neatly arranging their activity books.
"I saw him going down, why?"
"well, I forgot to tell him to carry this. Would you mind sending this one to the Teacher's lounge?" she politely asked. However, she received a secret glare from Veronica.
She smiled and went to her and said "I don't mind," before she carried the activity books.
"let me help you with that," someone said from her back. She froze when she knew the who's voice was that.
"okay," she softly let out.
Both were walking quite far from each other with silence engulfing the air. She didn't know what to do except to send the books to the Teacher's lounge. He, on the othe r hand was walking calmly, not caring about the girl beside him.
"thank you Liana and Jun."
"no problem Sir," they both said before she cleared her throat.
"Oh, good luck for the competition Liana," a teacher in the lounge greeted her, making her nervous.
"thank you teacher," she slightly bowed.
"I heard that you finally agreed to the principal with this one. With confidence and intelligence, I'm sure you'll win this one," another teacher commented.
"It's not like I have a choice to neglect. Besides, winning this would be beneficial," she explained her side.
"Aeey, you speak like an experienced office worker," the same teacher complimented her.
"But why didn't Jun joined? You're highly qualified to join," she moved her attention from her to Jun who was standing beside Liana.
"I just felt like it was not my place to join in. Besides, I think Liana and Veronica could handle it,"
"Veronica? That girl. Sure she's confident but she makes mistake out of too much confidence,"
"I'm sure she will do well this time," he confronted the teacher.
"I hope so. Chuchuchu, shoooo," she said when she saw their head teacher walking in.
"we'll get going now, teachers,"
Phew, the whole time in the lounge was a pain, she told herself. Sometimes, their teachers show their talkative side especially if the head teacher was not at the moment. Being a teacher is sure a lot of heck.
"Liana, Liana!" Chang Chang shouted, earning their interest.
"what is it?" she asked the people surrounding her table. She was startled with the crowd.
"Someone sent a bouquet anonymously. The person who brought it here was Fen Fang. She said that the guard said that someone dropped it off and asked for Li Xue Ya, before she asked for Liana Vivienne Stone. Do you perhaps know who is Li Xue Ya?" Chang Chang asked.
" such a pretty name, "a girl sighed.
Meanwhile, Liana was standing in front of her classmates, stuck on her ground. Her mind was cloudy and her eyes swelled. She felt like the energy from her body drained.
"careful," her classmate said after catching her on time.
"thank you," she stuttered.
"perhaps, it's him?" she whispered before going to her seat.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone