บท 8: Catastrophe: Love Shall Remain

---Catastrophe---

I shouldn't care when I saw them. George taught me not to care at any other's business and I should hold my emotions. That way, they won't be able to read me. I fix myself and I walk across the corner where they are making. I didn't even glance at them. I just walk like a robot. I stride to the entrance of the dormitory. I was about to step on the stairs when someone calls Adhiti's name.

I turn to see a surprise man together with a group of senior students. He ran to me and hugged me tight, kissing my head.

"Oh, Adhi... you are back..." I pushed him away and when he was about to hug me again I made my judo defense style and he fell back on the ground. I stood and fixed myself. "Ah..." he groaned in pain.

"Adhiti, why did you do that?" a man in brunette hair and blue eyes asked me.

"Because he was harassing me. And you might be mistaken. I am not Adhiti." I told him coldly. He looks straight into my eyes.

"Don't fool around. You might change the color of your eyes and your hair but you are still Adhiti." The man that harassed me said. He helps the man on the ground. "Don't worry Andrew, maybe she might have amnesia."

The man Andrew looks directly into my eyes and I show no emotions or expressions. He looks so sad and lonely and I should show no emotions. I stopped when Katherine, the cat purred and rubbed herself on my feet. I immediately stepped back which made her complains. I hold my nose and sneeze to show that I am allergic to cats. Somehow, sneezing bothers me. I am not allergic to cats but someone might be talking behind my back ever since I came here.

"Catastrophe," I looked up at Nicholas who called me. "I am sorry about their attitude. This is Andrew and Patrick, Adhiti's brothers." He said quickly. "And this is Catastrophe Canfield." He gestures as he introduces them to me.

"She's not Catastrophe Canfield," Andrew complains. "Look at her Nick! She's my sister!" he's getting furious.

"I have to go back to my room," I said and turned back.

"We will talk later. Come to my office before dinner." He reminds me. I climb to the staircase leaving them there.

I jump into the shower thinking about the plans that I should do about Adhiti's brothers. They won't stop thinking that I was Adhiti and it can spill my plan. However, I need to be more committed than I expected. I chose this thing and I need to do that and that.

I had worn Adhiti's sweatshirt, tight jeans, and black converse. I just comb my hair where my hair at my back is glowing in purple because of the mixed emotions that I am expressing in front of the mirror. Geez, I need to do something about that hair. My eyes turned into its real color which is blue-green.

I blink a few times and hard. I need to turn it back to hazel-nut color. I gripped on the hairbrush and concentrated. I hid all my emotions and when I opened my eyes, my glowing mark inside my shirt started getting dim. I sighed and stared at myself impassively.

"Catastrophe, you are the destruction of your own. You are not what they think you are. You are a destroyer..." I told the person in front of me who was devoid of all her emotions.

It's already dark when I left my room and walked straight to the corridor of the dormitory. Few girls were around talking to each other and had to stop when they saw me. I didn't even glance at them and walk straight like a robot. The hallway that connected the dorm to the other buildings is archaic. Instead of light bulbs or fluorescents there are torches on every post instead.

Soon, I reached his room which is in the sports building just right in front of the dormitory building. I knock on the wooden old style door and it opens in just a second. He opened it wide for me and gestured to go inside. I enter the room and he closes the door as he faces me.

"You escaped your classes this afternoon?" he asked me as he folded his arms.

"Yes, I did."

"Where did you go?" he sounds like my father. George never asked me such things. I willingly tell him everything that happened on that the same day.

"I am not used to the subjects so I decided to walk around to see what the school looks like."

He looked convinced of what I had said. Good then, I don't want to get interrogated and be put in a very hot seat. He walked towards his study table and picked something. I wonder what it is.

"Next time if you want to escape class, don't go around. Walk directly to my office."

"Why would I walk directly to your office?" I asked him frankly.

I am just wondering why I should do that. He faced me and leaned on the desk as he crossed his arms over his chest. He had those strong biceps and big hard chest. He's physically fit and most girls would love that body.

"Come here," he demands.

"I had walked too far to go here and I expected a very important thing. Won't you offer me a comfy seat?" I asked for more formality than I expected. He walks towards me and closes the space between us.

"I will give you a comfortable one."

As I expected he scooped my cheeks and pressed his lips to me. He asked for an entrance but I just stood there not even responding to what he is doing. I didn't close my eyes and I kept my eyes open and devoid of all emotions. He tried licking my lips, biting lightly my lower lips and pulling my body to his strong and hard one.

He suddenly gave up on his intention and just leaned his forehead to mine. I met his green eyes and didn't say anything or do anything to push him. I stayed there like a robot that had no idea what he had done. However, the feeling of electric flows waking up my sleeping hormones is there and getting stronger. My body is not responding 'cause I made it not to.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked as he scoops my jaw pulling up my chin to his. His eyes are full of worry, full of loneliness, and full of mixed emotions he felt.

"Nothing. What is wrong with you?" I asked him. "Isn't it against the law of this school about the teacher having an affair with his students? And also you are harassing me."

"You saw it," he stated. "You saw what I and Eliza did in the corridor?"

"Though I saw it or not. I do not care. I don't mind people's business even though they are having sexual intercourse in front of me." That's why I train myself to be this introverted.

"Adhiti, you have to understand—"

"Catastrophe. Catastrophe is my name. I am way too far from the girl you are talking about." I told him. He let out a sigh and hugged me where his forehead rested to mine.

"I cheated on her, Catastrophe." He said. "I cheated on her." He repeats. "I waited for her in days, weeks, months... I tried everything to find her and detect where she goes but I got nothing. Her best friend is always there for me, helping me to find her. And my urge to see her makes me rebellious. I cheated on her..."

"I don't understand why you are acting that way, Mr. Gregory. But I am your apprentice and you are my mentor. You shouldn't call me to your office to harass me."

He stared at my eyes for moments. He didn't take it off like I was a book, reading me. He studied every inch of my face as he caressed his thumb. I need to push him because my body can't take it and can't ignore his touch.

"It is almost dinner time. I need to go." I stepped back and his arms fell to his side.

I walk towards the door, holding the handle and about to squeeze it. I was frozen when he wrapped his arms around me stopping me from escaping him. He rested his chin on my shoulder as he inhaled my scent. I wanted to close my eyes and felt his embrace but that person who will respond to his touch is already dead. I destroyed that girl.

"Let's stay like this for a moment. Please give me time to feel Adhiti. In that way, I remember the unknown reason why I love her."

"I do not understand why you people acted that way. You will tell the girl Adhiti that you loved her yet you are already with someone else. Are you always this unfair to everyone?"

"Everything is made to have a reason, Catastrophe. I believe that you are my Adhiti and she was destroyed by Catastrophe." He said like he had read my mind.

I didn't remember how I escaped him. But I was walking to the diner hall thinking deeply about what happened to Mr. Gregory's room. I got destructed when Eliza smiles at me and waves at me to their table together with Marissa. I walked towards them and sat. Someone had put a tray of food in front of me and the man that I had met earlier smiled and sat in front of me beside Marissa.

I look down at the food. It is Adhiti's favorites. But I told myself that I am allergic to shrimps. But not in the desert that he gave and the chicken vegetable salad on the bowl. I pull the fried tempura plate and put it in the middle and I started eating my salad.

"You don't like the tempura?" he asked, a little disappointed. I look straight into his eyes.

"I am allergic to shrimps." I simply stated. I looked at Andrew's expression and as I expected he's not convinced.

"How did that happen?" he asked me. I had predicted it. I am always ready for my lies.

"When I was seven, George, my father…and I went to Japan for his research. We ate at the restaurant full of seafood and I ate shrimp." I said, cocking my head to the tempura in front of us. "I almost died because of the allergic reaction."

"George, he's your real father?" he asked me.

"No. I was adopted by him. My mother might be somewhere around or already dead." I said straight if ever he asked about my mother.

I got goosebumps all over my nape, down my spine when I had noticed her aura. Leona interrupted our dinner and they bowed their heads to her. I sipped on my water and ignored that she was behind me.

"Good evening, guys. So how's the food?" she asked.

"It was great as always," Marissa said cheerily.

"How about your comment about the food, Catastrophe?" she asked me. "Our Academy has the best chef."

"The salad tastes like chicken with the natural taste of vegetables. It was fine though." I answered plainly. Yeah, I have to show that I was such an oh-boring person.

She sat on the vacant chair at the head of the table and smiled at Andrew. She got those snake smiles or should I say, seductive-flirty-venomous-smiles, that is meant only for Andrew. The Principal is flirting to her students? That would be something else. She looked down on my food and I looked directly at her.

"How's your first day?" she asked me politely.

"Fine," I answer monotonously, a hint of coldness. She smiles so kindly. "However, people around here think that I am a girl named Adhiti. I had seen her photo and we are physically identical. Nevertheless, I cleared to them that I wasn't her." I told her formally.

"I'm sorry that they acted that way. Especially Andrew…" she cocked her head to him. I didn't make an act or say anything. They are all looking at me. I looked directly at Andrew. He's staring at me.

"Are you possessed by some spirits?" Andrew asked out of the blue.

"No."

"Really?" he asked frankly.

"Yes."

Leona stood and smiled at everyone.

"Catastrophe, I wanted to invite you to my office in the morning. I wanted to ask something about you and to discuss something."

"Sure."

"I will see you tomorrow." She smiles and I just nod.