Love and Debt

"Hey what's with that face? I'm only going to be gone for a month and I promise I will text and call you everyday." He said.

Nina was pouting because Andrew would be leaving in a few minutes. They were at the airport bidding farewell to each other.

She wanted to cry and asked Andrew to stay. But she knew he needed to go to France. It was for the company after all.

"Promise me once you arrive, you will call me okay?" She pouted.

He nodded then pulled her into a tight embrace.

"Wait for me. I'll try to get it done in less than a month. Then I'll take you on a trip, just the two of us." He said, kissing her on the forehead.

She tilted her head, wrapping her arms around his neck while he leaned closer to kiss her on the lips. He felt her lips trembled and he knew she was trying her best not to cry.

Andrew will be taking a private plane since they own Cross Airlines. He could actually leave whenever he wanted but there's a meeting he needed to attend as soon as he arrived.

Nina bit her lips when Andrew turned around and started walking away from her. She wanted to run towards him but she stopped herself. She sighed while looking at him until he disappeared from her eyes.

"Don't worry, we'll keep you company. And he said he'll be back in a month. He'll be here at our graduation." It was Peggy.

True to his words, Andrew sent a message when he arrived in France.

'I'm here. I'm exhausted, I wish you were here with me.'

'It was a twelve hour flight, take a rest first. The meeting will start in two hours right?' She answered.

'Yes. I will sleep for an hour baby then prepare. I'll call you before the meeting starts. I miss you already. I love you.'

'I love you, too.'

She looked at the time and saw that it was three in the morning. The time difference was a hustle. But she was relieved that he did what he promised her.

A few days passed and Andrew was consistently sending her a message and would call her at night. It was three or four in the morning in Nina's time. She would always come to school late and would fall asleep during classes. She was also caught using her cellphone during lectures.

"Miss Sommers, the school counselor needed to see you." One of the teachers said.

She sighed and left the classroom while bowing her head. Her friends were worried about her. She was trying to balance school and her long distance relationship with Andrew, but they think it was affecting her studies big time.

Nina went to the school counselor's office. She didn't expect that she would be back in that place but this time, she was called because of her behavior.

She knocked twice and heard Rev's voice telling her to come inside. She stepped inside his office and saw him typing something on his laptop. She sat down on the chair in front of his table and waited.

"So, I heard a lot about your behavior in class. Katharina, I know you're affected because of your boyfriend but if you keep on doing that, your grades will drop. You won't get a recommendation if you have low grades. Are you thinking that Andrew's family will back you up so you are slacking off?" Rev said.

Nina was surprised by his words. It never crossed her mind to depend on Andrew's influence. She promised herself that she would graduate and fulfill her dreams on her own. She would never use the Cross family name to get what she wanted.

"Don't talk to me like that. I would never use my position as his fiance. I admit I was being careless with my studies. It was hard for me. The time difference was killing me, but I wanted to talk to him. He was working in France and I was just studying. He's doing it for us so all I could do was to talk to him. He said hearing my voice lessened his exhaustion." She explained.

"How about your exhaustion? Your health, your studies. Did you tell him what's happening with your grades? You didn't, right?" He said while looking at her.

She couldn't look him in the eyes. He was right. He didn't tell Andrew that her grades dropped, that she usually slept in class because she would always sleep late from waiting for his calls. She sighed and just bowed her head.

She heard him take a deep breath then type into his laptop.

"Okay. I will be giving you an after class activity to keep you distracted. This has been suggested by your teachers as well. Believe I understand what you're going through right now. I've been a student and been in love, but Katharina you're still young, you need to set your priorities." He scolded her.

"After class you will be helping with some tasks here. I would also like to hear your plans after graduation. We will discuss college and stuff. Katharina I am here to assist and advise you. It is my job to guide you in every step you would take before entering the world of adults. You're a smart girl. I don't want you to waste what you have achieved so far."

She nodded but still with her head down.

"Now, go back to class and come here after." He said.

When Nina left, Rev sighed deeply. He was actually avoiding an encounter with her. He's here to work as a counselor. Getting involved with a girl like her is troublesome.

He was attracted to her so he was trying his best not to cross paths with her. She was a student and he's one of the school staff.. But he knew he couldn't avoid her for a long time and he couldn't turn a blind eye while one of the students was having trouble either.