He Wants to Protect Me
“Y-You are what?!” Lydia asked aloud. They were all shocked as if they never thought of that.
“That explains your rude personality–ouch!” Kurt shouted after Cath pushed him.
“Kurt!” Lydia rebuked him but I just laughed at them causing them to look at me with a shocked expression. Normally I’d never laugh in front of them, but I no longer feel burdened now than I was.
“You’re laughing right now,”
Kristian said as if smiling wasn’t even in my vocabulary. This is embarrassing.
They were right. just now, I laughed again. Maybe it’s because I understand myself better now that I know who I truly am behind being Althea Genovie. I’m Saavedra. Despite my Father’s history, he’s still my Father.
**********
When we arrived at the Academy, I hurried back to my dorm. They invited me to join them in training, but I refused. I don’t have any strength to do some training today.
I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling. The silence was deafening and a minute after, I found myself sobbing and blocking my lips to avoid making any sound. A part of me is breaking knowing that my Father abandoned me just because I can’t be part of his plan.
But what can I do? My Father is dead, and as much as I want to be angry, I can’t. I’d rather forgive him than spend my whole life being angry with someone already dead.
I was about to sleep when I heard a knock on the door. I stood up and wiped away my tears. I was expecting Lydia or even Cath, but to my surprise, it was Isaac. He looked at me straight in the eye as if he were reading me. When my gaze went down to my cheek, he rolled his eyes as if he were angry.
“What the hell are you doing here?! “I took a glance in the hallway and I heaved a relieved sigh when I noticed that no one saw him. I don’t want students to have the wrong idea. Isaac is their President and seeing him around Girl’s Dormitory means he’s breaking his own rule.
“I went straight here. I want to talk to you,” his voice was rough as if he was having a hard time. I bit my lip so hard and I looked around the hallway again before I pulled him into the dorm and closed the door. I don’t want him to be here, but someone might see him if we stayed in the hallway for too long.
“Be quick! I don’t want anyone to have the wrong idea. You’re the president. Your reputation will be ruined,” I explained to him but the look on his face didn’t even change, as if what I said isn’t even important.
He missed his already messy hair. I don’t care about my reputation.” He leaned on the door, his broad shoulder touched the wall and all he did was stare at me as if there was something worth staring at. Damn it.
“You’re the president! So, act like one!” I protest. If he keeps on being like this, I will get the wrong idea.
“I said I don’t care. Ignore them. And that’s an order from the president. You choose. Either you break it. Or I’ll break you.” I couldn’t utter a word. He has the power to make me stop talking back. Isaac, what are you doing to me?
For a moment silence prevailed over us. Until he spoke something I didn’t expect. “You won’t be attending the Tournament.” He stared at me as if he was expecting me to agree with him.
“What?! Are you crazy?!” My mind burns with rage and makes me want to not see him. I don’t know what he was thinking. He’s the one who pushed me to join this goddamn tournament and now he wants me to back out just because he wants me to?
“Yes, I’m going insane, Althea!” I was surprised when he suddenly shouted at me. My eyes widened at the expression on his face. He looked frustrated. “I’ll talk to my Mom. I’ll explain it to her–” I cut him off.
“Will you stop dictating to me what I am supposed to do?! This is beyond your concern, Isaac!” He tried to touch me, but I flinched and stepped back.
“Althea, please…” I remained silent; I didn’t expect he’ll plead just for me not to join the Tournament. But no matter what he says, nothing can change my decision. “Why?” I asked. I want to know why he’s messing my head. I want to know why I almost gave in just by looking at his eyes. I looked at him, but he averted his eyes from me now. “Why the hell do you want me to back out?!”
“Just because…” He was about to leave when I threw the pillow on his head, making him stop from walking away. He faced me with so much confusion. “What the hell was that for?!”
“I want to know, Isaac! Stop confusing me!” I shouted. I’m confused to the point that my heart is beating so fast just by seeing him. I want him to deny what I’ve been thinking the whole. time. I want him to tell me that he doesn’t give a damn about me at all and I’ll stop feeling like this.
His jaw clenched then he walked closer to me. “Do you want to know?!”
“Yes!” I shouted back. I don’t care if someone hears us from outside. All I want to care about is his answer.
But the moment he uttered those words, my heart stopped beating for a second, “Because I want to protect you!”
I was stunned. My eyes widened in shock. No, this is not what I’ve been waiting for. I want him to say he doesn’t care, and he just wanted to get rid of me. My heart won’t stop beating so fast and I have to stop being like this.
I have to push him away. “T-Then keep it. I don’t need someone’s protection.” His emotion changed.
He seemed offended by what I said.
He chuckled, impassively. “Oh, I forgot. You’re so fucking dense!” Then he walked out. I sat on the edge of the bed because my hand was shaking.
This is how he affects me. I touched my right chest where my heart is placed. “Why are you even beating this fast?”
My heart doesn’t want to calm down. That night I immediately left the dorm and went to the wine cellar on the first floor. I sneaked in there, took a bottle of wine, and I ran to the rooftop.
I don’t even know why I’m drinking. I just want to experience how it feels to be drunk and maybe this will help my heart to calm down.
I drank almost half of the bottle when I leaned on the wall. My vision was spinning, and my head won’t stop throbbing. The wind gave shivers in my bare skin. I was stunned when the rooftop door opened, and Isaac entered. The way he looked at me, he was not expecting I’ll be there too.
He stared at me for a minute. “Why the hell are you drinking?” he hissed, but I refused to answer. I was about to drink again when he pulled the bottle away from me and threw it away causing it to break.
“Why did you do that–” I was cut off when he held my hand and pulled me making me stand up. His warm touch made my heart beat so fast again. “Let me go!”
“Go back to your dorm. I’ll walk with you,” he said and was about to pull me again when I violently pulled my arm.
“Don’t touch me!” I took a step, but I lost my balance and fell from the floor. I tried to stand up, but my feet won’t even budge.
I heard him sigh. “Why do you keep on pushing me away when you can’t even stand up without me?”
He drastically said. I used all my strength to stand up and I punched his chest.
“You, bastard! I hate you!” I shouted while I was still punching his chest, but he held my hand and then he pulled me closer to him.
“Don’t stop yourself from feeling that emotion towards me,” he said then he carried me in his arms. At that moment, I was completely out of breath. I feel weak. He’s the only person who can make me feel like this and I’m terrified that it might destroy me.
I lost my strength to push him away, and I let him carry me. He laid me down on my bed and I feel like my head was being ripped open. So, this is what being drunk feels like, huh?
I don’t even know if I was dreaming or if this is all true. I hope I’m just dreaming because I don’t like how I feel towards him.
I don’t know if it was alcohol’s effect, but I stopped him from leaving my side that night. I know I will regret all of these tomorrow, but I want to make the most of it.
“Isaac, don’t leave me until I fall asleep,” I whispered. Now, I let my emotion get ahead of me. My heart started to calm down the moment he sat beside me and started to caress my hair.
“I won’t. Now, go to sleep,” he said as he covered me with a blanket. I didn’t know why I smiled when he did that, all I know was that my heart felt at ease.
I closed my eyes and was on the verge of sleeping when I heard him whisper, “I will protect you, Althea. Always.”
Alexandria Academy