TBATE: Your Presence | One Shots

Confession

Tessia Eralith:

"Good afternoon President!" "Afternoon President."

"Good afternoon."

Walking through the hallways, I was greeted by the students who stood on the sides, while making way for me to walk. The world blurred around me as I let my thoughts drift back to the decision I had made.

I had called Arthur to the training hall after school to tell him everything. The gossips and conversations around me muffled, the students walking by me seemed like mere shadows as I started to grow anxious. My mouth involuntarily returned their greetings while my mind wandered off to him.

Anxious as to how he would react. Worried to lose the person I had grown to love. Would he accept me? I can't imagine what I would do if he rejects me. A part of me wanted to run away from all of this.

The days only seem to get longer as I imagined all the possible outcomes, my body in a constant state of tremble.

Coming back to my senses, I realized I was in the middle of the training room. The smell of moist mud lingered in the air as the gushing sounds of the waterfall nearby gave a sense of serenity to the whole room.

Approaching the pond, I let my feet dip into the cold water as I waited for Art to arrive.

Arthur Leywin:

"Class dismissed," the teacher announced as she started to wipe the chalkboard clean.

Kathyln approached me as I got up and placed the sleeping Sylvie on my head. She smiled while looking at Sylvie, drawing surprised gasps from the students around us. It is to be expected; Curtis had told me she seldom smiles and it was only around me that he has seen her do so.

"Productive class wasn't it? Learning about the difference among the various deviances seems to help you the most since you are a quadra elemental," she started, breaking the awkward atmosphere that formed due to the situation.

"Yeah. I seem to have a hard time grasping deviances in elements other than fire, so this class was indeed useful," I replied while gesturing to her to follow me. We left the classroom as Kathyln tagged along.

"You should smile more often, Princess. Saw how surprised they were to see something other than the stoic expression you usually wear?"

"Please call me Kathyln, Arthur. I have told you numerous times. You call the president by her nickname, the least you could do for me is call me by my name and not by my title. And not everybody is like you, that they can smile freely without pretending to," she replied with a touch of annoyance in her voice. What was so special about my company? I didn't understand. But it's better to agree with her than antagonize her remembering how Tess tortures me when I call her princess.

"Yeah my bad, Kathyln. You have a really beautiful smile, so it's a waste if you don't use it. Although you bring up a good point. Unless you smile from your heart, it wouldn't be so bright. Can we catch up later Kathyln? I have to be somewhere right now," I asked her, giving a small smile. She seemed dejected for a moment at my request but soon recovered, giving a nod with a smile that seemed forced.

I left with a wave as my thoughts went back to Tess and her worried and anxious expression when she asked me to meet her in the training room. She's usually calm and collected but at that moment she seemed so different. It made me uneasy to see her that way. She was different from all the girls I met, or maybe it was that I felt differently about her. Her sadness and worries seemed to affect me more deeply than my own.

After a short walk, I arrived near the training hall. The doors were slightly open as a cool breeze blew from the inside of the room. Why was it open? Did she forget to close it on her way in?