Chapter 17: XVI.V

LAIA LOVES THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.

In contrary to everyone who thinks that she's a little Ms. Grinch who hates the holidays, she's actually the biggest fan of it.

With most of her school supplies on sale, it directly meant she no longer had to ask for extra money from her mother, who regardless of her willingness to lend her daughter some money, would always end up having to work for more hours to get the lent money back.

However, it didn't mean that Laia liked all the snowball throwing and the building of snowmen--

"Miss, watch out!"

The short-haired girl was too late to avoid a snowball coming her way which hit her directly on the face.

Laia should definitely go back home as soon as possible.

"... sorry, oh gosh, are you alright?"

Laia was not able to restrain a scowl which was probably the reason why the girl who was talking to her took a few steps back.

"It's fine," She grabs her handkerchief from inside her bag to wipe her face. "Maybe just don't throw your snowballs at people?"

The girl sheepishly grins and bows quickly. "I'm really sorry!"

Laia waves the girl's apology off. "I already said it's fine," She momentarily glanced at her surroundings, noticing how the girl in front of her had companions. "You should probably go back to your companions."

"Oh," Looks like the girl forgot about her companions for a while. "Sorry again! Have a nice Christmas!"

The girl then runs off to her friends who would obviously tease her the moment she arrives on their spot.

Laia shrugs and makes her way to the mall with her goal still being to buy the school supplies she needed at their lowest price.

And probably get another one as she bought one. Buy one take one, folks.

It didn't take long for the girl to arrive at the shopping center. She notes how quickly the guard "checked" her bag and let her in, but she didn't really mind.

The quicker she buys what she needs the quicker she gets home, so it's still a win-win situation for her.

It seems like the only problem the girl had at the moment was the fact that she has not been familiarized with the shopping center yet.

She absolutely had no idea where should she go, and where she should not go.

Groaning in disbelief, the girl started to internally scold herself at her foolishness. Now she's currently in the middle of the shopping center without an itinerary and a goal in mind except getting what she needed on sale.

"Laia?"

As if her trip to the shopping center couldn't get any worst, she just had to see Samuel already holding a bunch of shopping bags from various stores.

"Yo," The boy raises his hand to wave but stops midway because what he was holding was probably too heavy. "What are you doing here?"

Laia gave him a deadpanned stare. "What else do you do in a shopping center, genius?"

Samuel raised an eyebrow at the girl but says nothing and instead urges her to sit down on a nearby bench. The girl obliges straight away since her feet already hurt from having to wear her undersized sneakers.

When the two were already seated on the bench, Samuel stretches his arms after placing all the shopping bags he was holding on the floor. "Those were fucking heavy,"

"Then why buy all of those?" Laia asks bluntly.

The boy shrugs. "It's Christmas," He says as if it was the most obvious answer to what the girl asked. "It's the perfect time to indulge and buy myself all the things I want."

Laia looks away and sighs. Good for him.

Unfortunately, it didn't go unnoticed by the boy beside her who nudges her with his elbow. "What's with the sudden silence, princess?"

The short-haired girl turns to the asshat with a scowl. "Princess?"

He had the audacity to laugh. "Lost princess," He mimicks her probable expression from earlier when she was lost and had no idea where to go. "Your royal highness that got lost in the middle of a newly opened shopping center--"

Laia didn't let the boy finish his statement as she hits him with her bag, making him yelp. "What was that for?!"

"That was for being an asshole," She hits him again but this time she made sure it wouldn't hurt. "And this is for appearing during my shopping time."

Samuel's face scrunches in displeasure. "Do you honestly think I had an idea that you would be shopping during this hour?"

Laia shrugs but knew that the boy had a point. It wasn't like he could predict the future anyway, so Laia shouldn't have blamed him for the coincidence that happened.

But oh well, she was in a bad mood.

"Anyway, I have to go," The boy suddenly stood up and grabbed the shopping bags from the floor. "I got someone to meet."

Oh?

"Who's the unlucky person who had to meet you during one of the most joyful holidays of the year?" Laia couldn't help but tease.

Samuel rolls his eyes good-naturedly. "My girl."

Laia hoped that her smile didn't falter after what Samuel said. Waving goodbye at the boy, Laia turns away from him immediately, not giving the boy a chance to see how quickly her easygoing smile disappeared the moment she turned her back on him.

Despite not knowing where the shop that sells school supplies and everything related to those was, Laia would rather aimlessly walk around than stay around and find out who Samuel was waiting for.

Also known as who the asshole's girl was.

Laia's jaw clenches as she remembers how Samuel affectionately said those two words, making her groan in frustration which caught the attention of some of the mall-goers.

Embarrassed, the short-haired girl walks even quicker to avoid the curious and perplexed stares of those who she passed by.

She only stopped walking around without a destination in mind when she saw a stall selling ice cream. Fishing her wallet from her pocket, she checks for the coins she happened to see on her pencil case.

Thank you past self, Laia thinks.

Handing the coins to the vendor, she receives a cone of ice cream which she enjoys while sitting down on another bench.

However, it wasn't even a minute and Laia was already once again thinking about who the asshat's girl was.

Maybe she was pretty. Who was Laia kidding, she was obviously gorgeous. Samuel would definitely go for beautiful girls who were talented, rich, and smart.

And popular. Let's not forget about that.

Laia shakes her head. It's not the time to wallow in self-pity about not being her once enemy's type of woman! Laia still had to find out which store sells school supplies half their price!

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Grumbling to herself, the girl continues her walk around the mall. Luckily, she happens to see the store she was looking for on the third floor.

Unfortunately, the store she was looking for just had to have the asshole and his girl as their customers.

Laia watched silently as the asshole and his "girl" talked in whispers and would occasionally laugh at their shared jokes.

Great, the asshat's girl had to be funny too.

How was Laia even supposed to compete? All the girl had was her sarcasm that irked people and her brain that was only good for solving mathematical equations.

Looks like she won't be buying any school supplies anytime soon.

Whatever there would probably be a sale during New Year's Eve. Maybe.

Laia dejectedly leaves, scoffing under her breath when she remembered how Brie told her that Samuel definitely shared her feelings underneath his tough, snarky exterior.

The short-haired girl bites her lip to restrain herself from crying. She would definitely not cry over a boy, much less the asshat that she spent years hating!

Nonetheless, she couldn't help the tears from flowing down her cheeks. Rubbing her eyes in anger, Laia even curses out loudly.

"Fuck," She whispers as she wipes the continuous flow of her tears with her handkerchief. "Why am I acting like those girls in those television shows that I hate--"

"Laia!"

Great. Of course, Samuel just had to recognize her even when her back was turned against the boy.

The girl was about to run when she felt someone grab her wrist which effectively stopped her from making a single step.

"What?" Laia tried her best to make her voice not come out in a squeaky manner. She would never let the asshole see her crying, much less because she was crying because she saw him with a girl much prettier and funnier than she is!

"Let go of me," She tried to pull away but to no avail. "I have to go home--"

"Why are you crying?"

Laia's life was officially ruined.

"I'm not," Laia tugs her wrist free again but Samuel only tightens his grip. "Anyway, just let me go--"

"I'm not letting go unless you tell me who made you cry," He clicks his tongue. "Especially during Christmas, nonetheless. Did you get lost again, princess?"

Laia hates how everything the asshole did make her feel stupid.

She especially hates how he calls her princess.

"It's none of your business," Laia stole a glance at their surroundings and immediately caught sight of the girl the asshole was with. "You can go back to your date already,"

"Date?"

Laia was finally able to wrench her wrist free from the asshole's hold and she glares at him. "With the girl you're talking about earlier, asshole!"

Samuel's eyes widened and then he laughs.

Does he seriously find Laia's pain funny?

What a fucking asshole--

"She's my cousin," Samuel waves at the girl he was with as if proving what he said. The girl waves back. "I was helping her buy materials for her boyfriend who's in the architecture department."

Great. Laia just embarrassed herself by jumping to conclusions.

She looks away, afraid of looking the asshole in the eye after jumping to conclusions like a jealous girlfriend.

How embarrassing!

"Hey," Samuel grabs the girl's wrist and makes her look at him. She does. "Were you jealous?"

"Who's jealous," Laia grumbles. "As if I'd get jealous when the one you're dating would probably be the unluckiest person in the world,"

"So you're the unluckiest person in the world, then?"

It was Laia's turn to be taken aback. Her brown eyes widened as she looked at Samuel who was smiling at her with his cheeks flushed.

He almost didn't seem like the same asshole who would tease her ruthlessly every day about well, everything.

"What do you mean--"

The asshole rolls his eyes. "Aren't you the class's rank one? Do I really have to spell everything for you--"

"Don't be an asshole," Laia narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm just--"

"Surprised? Delighted? Elated?"

"Angry," Laia cuts him off. "Are you seriously confessing in the mall, surrounded by individuals that are strangers when you know I hate public proposals?"

"I'm not proposing, though? I mean, we're too young for that--"

Laia hits him in the shoulder. "Don't be sarcastic."

"Well, do you want me to confess in the middle of nowhere under a thousand stars--"

"Billion. There are billions of stars."

"Laia, I swear to God--"

"What?"

"You're lucky I like you."

"Am I the girl you're referring to earlier though?"

"That's a secret."

"Fucking assho--"

He holds her hand and whispers in a loving voice.. "Merry Christmas, princess."

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