"NOO! " My eyes flew open, only to see the last two persons who had been having quite a few interactions with me. I was huffing and puffing. My forehead was adorned with sweat beads. I calmed myself down, 'It was just a bad dream, Soph. Just a bad dream! Relax! '

"Are you alright, Hazel eyes?" That was when I realized, how close Senior Aylwin and I were. His fingers caressed my hair as he sat next to me, making my insides churn. The sudden intensified heat emanating from him, along with his soothing scent, fluttered my heart. Suddenly I felt hot, which I concealed with a feigned cough, attempting to make things easier for myself while being genuine. Damn, his touches! To be honest, it felt really good. His touch was soft, gentle yet unsure which made me smile.

"Hazel eyes, I asked you, are you alright? You were murmuring something when you abruptly shouted no." I shuddered as memories flashed through my mind. I kept my cool, knowing that they were the last people I'd ever include in my problems.

I smiled, "Yeah, better! It was, after all, a bad dream. It's not like it's the first time. Looks like Mr. Nightmare loves me a lot. " Senior Chase nodded, but Senior Poker Face simply gazed at me, as if searching for something. I diverted my gaze back to Senior Chase to avoid gazing at him since his gaze was intriguing and piercing.

"Um... What are you guys doing here? "

"Ryder!" That one word was enough to convey their intent to me. They must have heard about Ivy through Ryder.

"Oh! Although you can meet her, she is still unconscious. " I showed Senior Chase the way to Ivy's room. Senior Chase trailed me, while Senior Aylwin stayed. He entered the room and sat in the chair next to her bed. Ivy was restless on the bed, attached to a few tubes and pipes. She was given saline and an oxygen tube was inserted into her nostrils. She looked pale, frail, and vulnerable. Something the Ivy, I knew, wasn't!

I realized how much I yearned for her ramblings and exaggerated tales. Even if it was only for a day, I missed those things. Tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to spill forth. I didn't want to intrude their moment, so I left them alone. If Ivy found out that Senior Chase had paid her a visit, she would most likely commit suicide by jumping off a cliff in happiness. The girl was such a piece of work! Suddenly, I was overcome with nostalgia for her.

I sat on the bench, glassy-eyed, and lost track of time. A handkerchief appeared in front of my eyes. My eyes were drawn to it, only to be met by those dark oceanic ones. I accepted it, wiped my tears, and returned with a courteous thank you.

"Fresher, have faith. " He didn't look at me. He had his eyes closed and was resting against the wall. His features were a work of art to behold. I realized that his hair was not highlighted, but rather was the natural color. It was a mix of black and golden-brown that gave off a bad boy vibe. It suited him, actually. He had an inexplicable look about him that was both tranquil and unfathomable.

I sighed, my face buried in my palms, "Ms. Faith once told me, 'When your evacuated heart longs for your beloved one, it's me who offers it rest.'"

For the first several seconds, I didn't receive a response from him, but he eventually spoke out. "Faith does not always bring tranquility. Sometimes faith is the one that breaks you, leaving you with nothing but yourself and your evacuated soul. " His words held the true meaning, the meaning which I had been evading. He was the one who initially reassured me, and then he was the one who showed me another side of faith.

With a smile on my face, I leaned against the wall, "Don't forget, Ms. Hope is always standing right with you in the backup. All you have to do now is hang on to her and hope for the best."

Despite the fact that his eyes were still closed, his response somehow managed to evoke chaos in my mind, and heart. "Hopes are very fragile, and if they break, they break you along with them."

His words made my eyes soften. Despite my best efforts to escape the harsh realities, he was adamant about disclosing them to me, much to my dismay. He wasn't instilling in me a sense of doom and gloom, but rather forcing me to recognize the truth. My life was not getting any better for me, and his words were effective in making me realize how badly I was neglecting all of the facts. And in the end, even though I knew what would happen, I chose to be oblivion.

I swallowed hard and cleared my throat, brushing off all those dreadful memories. I said with a faint smile, "Don't underestimate Ms. Hope. A fragile hope is enough to thaw a frozen heart."

His eyes finally opened and clashed with mine. It was crystal clear, with no trace of anything, nothing; purely-utterly empty. He shook his head to break the eye contact before returning to the same position. We were engulfed in a deafening silence. I relaxed, and all of the fatigue from the night before washed over me, causing me to sag in relief; nevertheless, there was one question that nagged at me.

"Why are you telling me all this?" I'd wanted to ask him this question for a long time, but it never felt appropriate, until then.

He faced me, his eyes never leaving mine, "Mr. Secret once told me, 'Share me with those who know nothing about you yet know you like no one else'". He then rose up and walked away, leaving me mystified.

His words kept echoing in my brain. "Mr. Secret once told me, 'Share me with those who know nothing about you yet know you like no one else'"

"You are truly beyond my imagination, Senior Poker Face."

It had been a week since Ivy's food poisoning incident. After three days in the hospital, she was eventually discharged. I chuckled as I recalled the day, she regained consciousness.

Ivy had been passed out for two days and still hadn't woken up. It took a little longer because of the dehydration. That very day, Senior Chase paid us a visit. Senior Chase, Saphy, Mysie, Felix, and I were in her room, staring at her figure, which had improved somewhat over the previous two days.

Senior Chase finally broke the silence with, "Hey, sexy lady!" He didn't mock her, but it did appear to be amusing. "Wake up, you've already worried, virtually everyone; now, open your eyes; see, we're all waiting."

"Am I dead or am I dreaming? No-no, I can't be dead. I have a lot on my plate right now. Dream? That's right, it's got to be a dream. What an amazing dream I had! Senior Chase called me a 'sexy lady. ' Damn! Ouch! Ugh! Why does my bed feel so small? It's fucking uncomfortable..."

"Iv, open your eyes sis. Iv, get up! " Mysie was instantly by her side, softly shaking her. Her eyelids flickered open, and she groaned. She blinked a few times to refocus her eyesight before turning to face the rest of us. She took a quick look around until her gaze set upon her crush. Her colors drained out.

"Um... Senior Chase? It means that wasn't a dream, was it? " With a chuckle, he shook his head. Her mortified expression made us laugh.

"Wow, Ivy's new achievement! Waking up after two and a half days, and getting embarrassed. " Saphy whacked Felix's head.

"No, seriously! The doctors had tried all they could, to bring her back to consciousness, but look what opened her damn eyes! Senior Chase's two freaking words. I would have called her that same thing if I had known at the time. " He received another smack from Saphy.

"There is a difference between hearing those words from his mouth than from your stupid mouth," Saphy said, glaring at him. Ivy was beet-colored the whole time. Damn, the poor girl finally opened her eyes, only to get embarrassed!

"Enough guys, enough! Let me actually meet her. She has just woken up. " The authoritative voice of her older sister hushed us. Ivy was fine, at long last!

After I finished tutoring Lily, we headed to the lake near her house. I was sitting by the lake, tossing pebbles into it, while she was playing with kids only a few feet away. The events of the previous weeks resurfaced in my mind, notably his words.

"Faith does not always bring tranquility. Sometimes faith is the one that breaks you, leaving you with nothing but yourself and your evacuated soul. "

"Hopes are very fragile, and if they break, they break you along with them."

"Mr. Secret once told me, 'Share me with those who know nothing about you yet know you like no one else'"

"Didn't know you could sing as well?" A sudden voice jolted me up from my stupor. I had no idea I was humming a melody. I took a quick glance behind me and saw the last person I wanted to see at the time. Senior Xavier was smoking a cigar while reclining against the towering tree. Oh crap!

"Should I be scared that you are here?" He sat beside me, a comfortable gap between us, and chuckled softly.

"No, you shouldn't! And as for that night, well, I guess I deserved that. I was behaving like a fucking dumbass. " I couldn't say anything since I was so bewildered.

"Didn't know you were a nature lover?" I just blurted it out.

"Just wandering!" he shrugged. I made a low hum.

"You don't fear me, do you? " For a moment, I inclined my head, contemplating. He'd given me no cause to be afraid of him.

"No, I don't!" I smiled, before continuing, "You know, you aren't as tough as you portray to everyone."

"And what makes you think that?" His eyes awaited my response with bated breath. He took a long drag of the cigar before tossing the remainder and stomped on it.

"Look at you right now, sitting along the lake, taking in the sunset with no cares in the world. And last time I checked, aren't bad boys supposed to fight and shoot others; instead of enjoying sunset? Punching here and there? " We shared a laugh.

"For your knowledge, Ms., even bad lads sometimes need a break from their lives. We are, after all, humans as well."

"Why do I have the feeling you're telling me your secret?" I smirked at him, wiggling my brows.

"What if, just maybe, I am!" For a minute, there was deafening silence, and none of us uttered a single word. Only the birds and children's laughter could be heard. I caught a glimpse of Lily sprinting and guffawing as others chased her. I couldn't help but smile. She deserved all the delight of the world, after all, she was a delicate-angelic flower. I turned back to face Senior Xavier, he appeared to be deep in thought, peering at the setting sun.

"You know, once a wise man told me, 'Share your secrets with those who know nothing about you yet know you like no one else. " I smiled as I ran my fingers through the crystal blue water of the lake.

"You talk like Aylwin," he chuckled after a few moments of gazing at me. Only if you knew!

"Anyway, I'll tell you one of my secrets. Even though I despise that man, I do respect him. I won't accept it, that's the other thing, but I do respect him. Don't ask why! You girls ask a lot of questions. I just do... Tell this to anyone, and you're done! " I shared a laugh with him. Damn you, boys! I glanced at our reflection in the water while he became silent, lost in his thoughts. I tossed one more pebble, which made a rippling sound and formed lovely concentric patterns that grew larger and larger until they vanished.

I heard his cell rang as he took it. I picked up a little twig that had fallen to the ground and traced it on the sandy ground. He put his phone on the ground after hanging up. That was when I saw his wallpaper for the first time, and it made me smile.

"You really like Faith, don't you? "

"You really like Aylwin, don't you? "

We spoke at the same time, both with wide-eyed and a look of bewilderment on our faces. I signaled him to his cell, while he directed me to the ground. I looked down to realize what a blunder I'd committed.

AYLWIN

He chortled while I was too embarrassed to face him. I rubbed it off with my palm right away, trying to come up with an excuse.

"Well, it's nothing like that! I was spaced out... So... Maybe, it just... You know, you get it, right!" He just laughed at my misery, and I soon joined him. Oh, my goodness, I sounded like a complete moron!

"Whatever you say, Pebbles!" Still smiling, he got to his feet and brushed his khaki pants.

Pebbles? I didn't get the chance to ask him because he had already left.

"What's up with the Seniors, and their nicknames?" I grumbled, thinking that the day couldn't possibly get any better!