Chapter 08: See you around!
As soon as Celestine finishes her food, she excuses herself. She hugged Marvin, then kissed Lianne's cheeks before she left.
Celestine looked at Kathline for a moment, she didn't know if she would laugh or cry as soon as she saw Kathline's facial expression.
Kathline's face was begging for her not to leave her alone. Celestine feels sorry for her, but she knows that it will be better if she leaves them alone for them to talk. It won’t take a while and some matters need to be solved and discussed rather than left alone that could turn out worse.
Celestine headed for the garden and walked for a few minutes.
The moon was bright and the sky was full of stars. A perfect time for stargazing. She even feels the fresh breeze blowing into her skin.
She took a seat on a bench she had discovered in the garden a few moments later.
She retrieved her phone from her purse and dialed her Mother Amanda's phone number.
"Hello, Celestine?"
"Good evening, Mom."
"Is there something wrong?" Amanda worriedly asks. Celestine immediately spoke. "Ah... no, no, I'm fine. I just… miss your voice."
"Are you enjoying the party?"
"A bit. You know I'm not too fond of this." She awkwardly mumbled.
Amanda laughed. She knows Celestine far too well, and she knows Celestine was bored at the time. By the tone of her voice, she can tell.
"I know. If you really can't hold any longer, excuse yourself. I know they will take care of you there. Don’t hesitate to ask for some help."
"Got it, Mom. I will do that."
"After that, don't do unnecessary things, just go straight to bed and sleep. You need a good night’s rest after a long tiring day."
"Noted Mom, I love you! Be sure to rest as well. Don’t overwork yourself."
"I know. I love you, sweetheart."
“Oh, could you please remind Dad as well? You guys make me worry about that matter.”
“Yes, yes my dear. Take care there.”
After the call, she sits there and calmly listens to the music from the hall. As the wind got colder, she rubbed her hands into her arms.
It was a peaceful night. Celestine thought.
“I guess… I was right. You're the one I saw walking around here earlier." He proudly stated. Happy that he guesses it right.
But maybe not.
Celestine heard an unfamiliar man's voice so she shifted her gaze. He's the one who's playing the piano earlier. Celestine can't be wrong. Even though the lamp posts around them were not that bright because of the distance, she could still see the man's face.
Nothing changes in Celestine. She just immediately turned her attention back to the sky.
"Why are you here?" Celestine asked without looking at the man. He seemed to be staring at her right now. Though his stare didn't make her feel particularly uneasy. As she knew that person for a long time.
"Why? Is it inappropriate for me to be here?" He responded by asking a question.
Celestine only shook her head and didn't respond.
"You're new here, am I right?" Zachary asked again.
It had already piqued Celestine's interest. "How do you say so?" she remarked while putting her phone inside her pouch. Celestine even leaned her head to the side.
Zachary responded calmly, "I've never met you before. Almost everyone that came to this gathering was from a well-known family. And I'd say I'm fairly familiar with them."
"Has my presence piqued your curiosity?" Celestine inquired thoughtfully, but Zachary simply shrugged his shoulders.
"Kathline, on the other hand, has a bit of a temper and is pampered. And I believe that having you as a friend indicates that you have something interesting about you."
"Oh, so that's why you've come..." Celestine maintains a neutral expression. She paused before continuing what she’s saying, “... to see whether anything is interesting about me.”
She stood up and turned to face Zachary. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and casually said while staring at him "I'm sorry to disappoint you, but nothing is interesting about myself. You should probably look at other girls instead of wasting your time here."
When it came to dealing with other people, Celestine was always cool and collected. Rather than conversing with them, she prefers to sit on the corner and observe them. She isn't the type to start a conversation.
She isn't used to being around other people, because she grew up in a house with only her family and a few maids. She's still getting used to it, and right now she's not comfortable enough to talk to them. The abrupt change of environment takes too much of her energy to take everything. And here she is, having a ridiculous conversation with this man.
***
The two were silent and caught in their own thoughts when a sudden voice breaks their silence.
"Celestine! I've been looking for you for quite some time now," Kathline spoke up. She stares at Celestine for a moment before shifting her focus to the man.
"Hey!" he muttered reluctantly. The expression on his face suddenly changed. He seems interested and proud a few minutes ago, then changes in an instant.
"Zach? What are you two doing here? Please don't tell me..." Kathline even has her lips covered and shakes her head as if she doesn't want to believe what's going on.
‘Here’s the best actress for overacting.’ Zachary wants to tell it out loud.
“Don't tell me you knew each other for a long time?" Kathline asked accusingly. Because of what happened earlier, Kathline could not help but think like that. Like her parents, Celestine may already know Zachary.
Celestine awkwardly thought. ‘I just got here, right?’
Zachary just shrugged as his response. "See you around, Lady Celestine." He said. Putting his hand inside his pocket, then walked away from the two women.
As Zachary walks away, a smile creeps into her lips. An unusual faint light was shown in his eyes.
'So, you were Zach.'
"What was that all about, Celestine?" Kathline curiously nagged. She even grabbed Celestine’s shoulders and looked at her face, seriously. Her eyes clearly show that she's really curious.
"That's nothing." Celestine laughed. Kathline put her hands on Celestine’s shoulder. With her furrowed brows and squinting eyes, Kathline was trying to figure out if Celestine was telling the truth or not.
Celestine just laughed at Kathline's actions. She shrugged it off and walked away. Kathline immediately chased after and continued to nag her.
Without getting any answer from Celestine, she let it go.
"But Celestine, I'm warning you. Don't be too attached to him, or you'll end up crying." Kathline advised her friend.
Kathline was well aware of Zachary's reputation for being a pain. Almost every day, he creates trouble. As early as possible she advised her new friend.
Regardless of what Zachary does, Kathline knows that deep down, he is a nice and warm person. She is aware of this because she is also one of his friends. She, on the other hand, does not want to see Celestine's heartbreak in the future.
Recalling how Zachary's face lit up when he shifted his gaze to Celestine, Kathline felt that the two were somewhat the same vibes and had chemistry. And more than anyone, she's afraid of that.
Kathline’s words were kept on playing in Celestine's mind as she leisurely lay on the bed. She doesn't know why it triggered her.
Celestine knows that pain is inevitable. No one can escape from it. Right at that moment, she didn't know what the future was waiting for her. Whether Zachary was included in it or not.
She will end up crying? Who knows it may end up the other way around.