The way she stared at me was like I’ve grown another head. “It’s a blessing. You don’t want it?” she asked while playing the fountain pen in her fingers.
No, of course, I wanted to have a sponsor who is willing to cover my supposed to be penalties. But coming from Rogie’s family? The Camero? No, I can’t accept it.
I shook my head and opened my mouth to assert my disapproval, but the door burst open and I saw Rogie walking towards me with his boyish grin. “Have you told her?” he asked and faced the principal.
She frowned. “Mr. Camero, you’re in my office. Behave yourself.”
But Rogie just shrugged his shoulder and glanced at me. His gaze was intense, making my blood boil in anticipation. His looks somehow reminded me of the day we were alone in the corner of two buildings. I looked away and held my gaze on the wooden table.
“You didn’t tell her?” he asked with a disapproving tone.
I lifted my gaze onto the principal who was looking amused at Rogie. My throat felt dry so I swallowed. “I will not accept it, Maam.”
My body shuddered a little when I saw in my peripheral vision how hasty Rogie looked in my direction. “You want to pay the penalties by yourself?” he asked then snorted. “Come on, Sydnee. Be realistic.”
His remarks made my cheeks burn red not in embarrassment but anger. I shot him with a hateful glare, not wanting to believe nor listen to his words. “You planned this all along, am I right?” I asked.
“I just want you to be a regular student.” He threw both of his hands in the air. “You don’t want that?”
“What? Am I not a regular student for the past years?” My eyes narrowed at him. “Go, get my scholarship back. I didn’t violate any of the school rules and you just admitted that you plan this all along. So it’s your mistake, not mine.”
“Woah, easy there.” He chuckled and placed both hands in his waist, then clicked his tongue, showing his disappointment. “I just did you a favor of changing your status and you’re not grateful for my heroic deed?”
I shook my head. He has his ego and I am certain of that. “You think that becoming my sponsor will elevate my status? What? I was not informed that this school has a hierarchal system. If I had known, I should have reported it to the officials.”
Rogie’s eyes became sharp at my sarcasm. “Sydnee, watch your mouth.”
“You know why I don’t want to accept your offer, Rogie?” He did not say anything so I continued. “It’s because I don’t want to be in debt with your family. I know what rich is thinking. Planting investments and then what? You’ll reap it someday with huge interest. I’ll be in my grave if that happens.”
His expression changed from confused to a cold one. “So you think that this whole setup is an investment?” He reached for his tie and arranged it, loosening a bit. “That I am taking advantage of you?”
I opened my mouth to answer him but the principal cleared her throat and we both looked at her at the same time. She had this awkward smile on her lips while her eyes move from me to Rogie and back to my ghastly face. “Maybe you two could talk in private? Settle everything and then come back here again for the conclusion.”
“No,” Rogie hastily said. “She’s not a scholar anymore, but a regular student. All the privileges that I am enjoying on the campus will be enjoyed by her also.”
“Rogie —”
He cut my words and shot me a glare. “If you don’t shut up, I’ll give you more privilege that all regular students will envy you. You don’t want that to happen, Sydnee.”
My fist closed tight at what he said. Of course, I did not want to grab attention. If he’ll give me more privileges than those regular students are enjoying, then I will surely garner all the hate that those students can give to me — even ten times than what I had experienced before. That’s how society works and even in school, that system is still running around wild and freer than the morals that every student should have.
“Shameless,” I muttered under my breath and looked away.
He did not say anything but he sat on the chair across mine. My brow raised but I did not argue with him anymore and looked at the principal. “I’ll accept that offer as long as there’s no contract involved —”
Rogie cut my words again. “No contract then.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “I don’t want to be entangled with another contract. He is persistent even though that I want to disapprove so…” I looked at Rogie. “I’m not indebted with you.”
He stared at me for a few seconds before he crinkled his nose. “You don’t want to be in debt, are you?”
“Of course.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I am cautious. I don’t have trust with people like you.”
Rogie shook his head and showed his cheeky smile at me. “You’ll receive an allowance for other expenses.”
“Don’t fool around.”
“I’m not fooling.” He crossed his arms against his chest. “You asked me to pay for your expenses, haven’t you?”
“What? No way!”
My eyes widened when Rogie threw his head back and laughed so hard that tears brimmed around his eyes. I stared at him — bewildered by what he was doing. Then he looked at me with tear-stained eyes. “You…” He laughed again before he continued. “Why is it easy for you to forget things about me, and yet, I did not forget the things that you have asked from me earlier when I wanted to apologize to you?”
Things I asked from him?
I went silent for a few seconds and thought hard. I tried to recall the things that we had talked about inside the art room, and my eyes squinted at Rogie who was grinning at me. “It was just a joke,” I said. “I thought that I’ll not be here tomorrow so forget those foolish things that I had asked from you. I’m just kidding earlier.”
It was true. I just said those things to play with him and I never expected that I will still be a student in that academy. If I had known…
“Sydnee, I gave you my word and Camero never take back his word.”
Before I could protest, Rogie pulled a card from his coat’s inner pocket and put it on the table. He looked at the principal. “Give it to her. It’s mine and nothing to do with my family.” He glanced at me before he stood and walked towards the door. One second later, I heard the door close with a thud.
My mind went blank as I stared at his credit card lying on the wooden table.