Leanna

A/N

BONUS Chapter for reaching 50 GT ^^

Thank you everyone. You're all awesome! ^^

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[Emery's [POV]

[That Boy]

"Emery, I'm sorry I have to take a detour. Leanna was confined," Zhander, my cousin, said in all seriousness. He fetched me from our private airport when I arrived in New Haven from Izu Island.

I did not bother to ride with the other students since they were constricted with time. I did not like it if I had to rush myself when I was enjoying buying snacks. Thus, I let the others went ahead without me and rode my plane going back to New Haven instead.

"Leanna Lee," I mumbled.

How did she hurt herself?

I just saw her a while ago in Izu island buying souvenirs.

I nodded and did not say anything more. I grabbed a vanilla coated creamy cheese biscuit and munched.

I already heard a lot about Leanna Lee from my grandfather and father and Zhander. It was not a secret to me that Zhander was once interested in the girl, but I always knew he and Estela Fay would end together. I also knew Leanna Lee was going out with the elusive, sought after bachelor, Cain Fay.

I finished a whole box of biscuits when we arrived at the hospital where Leanna was confined. I hurried to catch Zhander when he zoomed all the way to Leanna's room.

"Zhander!"

Estela shouted and hugged Zhander the moment she saw him.

I smiled when this handsome cousin of mine blushed –– hard.

This is a first.

Zhander never blushed and never lost his cool –– until now that is.

I also saw Zoe Collin, looking all worried with tears in her eyes while Cain Fay was sitting beside Leanna Lee, holding her hand. His back was facing us.

Leanna's half-face was covered with bandages, and her right leg was plastered. Her limbs were painted in bruises and cuts.

What happened to her?

I did not expect that the first time we met each other, she was unconscious, lying half-dead on a hospital bed.

No one cared for my sudden intrusion as everyone's eyes were on the unconscious girl.

"What happened? Is she going to be alright?"

Zhander broke the silence as he asked in a low voice. All of a sudden, the temperature dropped to terrifying degrees. I felt that a calamity would befall us soon.

Estela smiled that didn't reach her eyes, looking all guilty. "Zhander, Leanna is going to be alright. I'll tell you about it later."

Zhander did not press anymore as he comforted Estela when her tears fell on her cheeks. It made me feel like it was her fault that Leanna ended like this.

I clamped my mouth shut and reached for my purse. Since my mother was always concerned about image, etiquette, and all that, I hid snacks inside my bag and learned a technique that allowed me to eat without being discovered. I grabbed my hanky and hid the snack in it as I pretended to tap away the invincible sweat on my nose while shooting the snack in my mouth.

Since biscuits and other delicacies made crunching sounds when chewed, I had to settle for something that melted on my palate.

Ah . . . heaven.

My eyes closed, savoring the melting vanilla chocolate.

NOOOO!!

I almost choked when Leanna's screams pierced the stillness.

I swallowed my chocolate as my eyes widened in surprise when Cain Fay, dubbed as a cold man, coaxed Leanna nonstop with a voice so soft my brain refused to believe it was his. And moments later, they were both lost in their love world, completely forgetting that we were here.

Afterward, the tense dead atmosphere lightened at Zoe's shameless antics, and my lips curved up as I looked at the heartwarming scene.

Len-Len!

I glanced at the door when out of the blue, a distressed voice echoed and bounced along inside the room. The door slammed open and came in a middle-aged woman and a middle-aged man and . . .

That boy?!

"You are that boy," I mumbled. Couldn't believe what I saw was real.

"Ah. Homeless lady?!"

Homeless lady?

No one said that to me before. Like ever.

I'll be homeless if you adopt me.

. . .

. . .

I was awakened from my wonderful fantasies when gasps after gasps bounced along the room, and the pretty young boy had somehow . . .

. . . doubled himself?

Twins?

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[Emery's POV]

[Happy2x Dance]

"Hi!"

Lance raised his eyes and met mine before his forehead crumpled like I was a person he did not want to see.

He gave me a slight nod before he sauntered into the vending machine near the waiting lobby.

After Leanna Lee's family came and Zhander forced us home to give the family some time together, I pretended to move along and hurried back to this hospital after Zhander was gone. I was waiting here in the guest lobby, contemplating whether I should barge my way into Leanna's room when God answered my prayers.

"Uhmm . . . I wanted to thank you for last time," I started, clasping my hands behind my back while looking all expectant beside him.

I realized for the first time that I finally took a liking at someone besides my family –– I actually like this boy!

I did not know what to do, so I let my heart and brain handle it. And for the first time, they coordinated in harmony.

Lance remained quiet and pretended I was air as he drank his orange-flavored soda.

I took a mental note that my favorite soda flavor from now on is orange.

"What do you say if I treat you to dinner? You know, for helping me at that time?" I said, fumbling my fingers behind my back, calming my nerves.

I could not believe this would happen to me one day.

Me.

Emery Jansen.

So this is what it feels like when talking to someone you like.

I could not look him in the eyes, and I could not stop myself from smiling.

Lance breathe a sigh before his dead eyes locked on mine.

"What is your name, lady?"

I was caught off guard by his sudden question that my mind blanked out.

"E-Em . . . Em . . ."

"Em-Em?" He raised a brow. "That's a weird name. Anyway, Lady Em . . . I . . . you . . . the . . ."

My mind did not register what he said as it stuck on the words 'Em.'

D-did he just . . . gave me a nickname?

I suppressed a squeal when a rush of giddy feelings flooded me. I wanted to move my body to relieve it from too much happiness.

"Hey! Did you hear what I said?"

Lance's annoyed voice snapped me out from my thoughts, but I did not mind since even his irritated tone sounded musical in my ears.

"W-what?" I stammered, and he sighed in defeat.

"I said, you have a damsel in distress syndrome," he said, looking at me straight in the eyes. "I'm not your hero and won't ever be. You don't owe me anything."

"B-but even so . . . I still wanted to repay you," I insisted.

He clicked his tongue, voice loud enough to pass as a mumble, "If I know you're going to be this difficult, I shouldn't have given you that card in the first place. Saves me the trouble."

. . .

. . .

Ouch.

"I'm sorry . . . I did not mean to bother you." My head lowered, looking all apologetic.

. . .

. . .

*sigh . . .

"Fairies Pastries," he said.

Eh?

"I heard that it's popular around here," he nonchalantly added.

. . .

. . .

My face lit up from the realization. 

"I will buy it now and deliver it to you immediately!"

"Not now! It's already late. Go home, woman."

He turned and sauntered towards the hospital room where Leanna was confined.

"T-then tomorrow!" I shouted, my voice eager and tone high pitched, not minding I was in a hospital.

"Suit yourself."

He did not look at me as he waved his hand goodbye.

. . .

. . .

When he went inside the room, I made a fist and jumped.

"YES!"

Unable to contain the overwhelming joy mixed with all sorts of exhilarating feelings, my fingers balled in the air as my hips wiggled side to side. From now on, it would be my happy-happy dance.

"You do realize this is a hospital, right?"

I froze. Like everything turned slow, my head shifted towards that voice.

It was like in one of those horror films where you were shocked with a wrinkled face of an old lady with hollowed eyes –– that kind of dreadful feeling.

Lance's serious face was peeking out from the door. The corner of his lips was skewed up a little. He seemed to be suppressing his laughter.

He saw me!