Echoes of Unrequited Love

Chapter 84

The Bluebell Bistro & Bar wasn’t far from the Youth Hostel, and in no time, we hit the parking

lot.

But just as | was gingerly backing into a spot, out of the blue, a Maybach swoops into the space next to us.

Out step two figures | know all too well.

It was Hogan and Cecilia.

| should've seen it coming: for a night like this, Mr. Zade surely wouldn’t be comfy letting Cecilia fly solo. Still, when | caught sight of them, a wave of bitterness just bubbled up in my chest, unbidden.

| couldn't help but grip the steering wheel a little tighter.Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Darren caught sight of them too and asked, “Should we go say hi?”

We were all at the same shindig, and we were tight, it’d be rude to just ignore them.

| nodded, “Yeah, sure.”

With my okay. Darren took the lead and called out to Hogan.

The guy turned around, his eyes landing on Darren and me, pupils giving the tiniest of shudders. Probably a bit taken aback.

Cecilia, all dressed up, was a different story. Her big doe eyes went wide as saucers, totally gobsmacked, before her cherry lips finally quivered, “Xaviera, you're here for tonight's bash too?”

The girl’d got her emotions on lockdown, but there was a hint of disappointment laced in her voice that was hard to miss. I nod, “Yeah, came with Darren.” Gotta lay it out clear. | didn’t want Hogan thinking | was two-faced, all sweet to Wallis and shady behind his back.

Cecilia glanced at Darren, then back at me, and beamed, “I get it! Xaviera’s ‘busy tonight’ meant tagging along to the party as Professor Yearwood’s plus one, right?”

| couldn't tell if she was genuinely clueless or just playing it cool, but | played along. “All thanks to you guys, Mr. Zade and Director Irwin.”

Cecilia’s brows knitted in confusion, “Are you pulling our leg, Xaviera? It’s your own good fortune you fought for, why give them credit?”

Not wanting to waste more time on chit-chat. | turned to Darren with a smile, “Didn’t you say some of our fellow disciples were also attending tonight?”

Darren got the hint, glanced at his watch and said, “By my count, they should be here by now.”

After his words, he looked back at the other two, all courtesy. “Hogan, Ms. Irwin, we'll take our leave now.”

We walked off, leaving them behind, and no sooner had we stepped away than that familiar, soft voice hit my ears. “Hogan, don’t you think Xaviera looks really different tonight?”

| bet if Wallis heard that, she'd be like. “No joke, my getup cost an arm and a leg, how could I not? ‘Cause let's face it, the envy in Cecilia’s eyes earlier was about to spill out of her sockets.

At the party, we mingled, and Darren introduced me to a bunch of our peers. What surprised me was when my name came up, some seniors actually recognized it.

“So you're the legendary Xaviera who single-handedly took down the top universities in the national computer science competition and snagged the championship?”

That was three or four years ago, but from the way they talk, it was as if it happened yesterday. *And Darren, you sly dog, fess up, were you already eyeing Xaviera back in school?”