How The Manipulator Fell In Love

The bell rang 10 minutes ago. It was 3:10 in the afternoon, and the burning sun was spreading its optimize sunrays. The classroom was supposed to be filled with chattering students. The hallway was supposed to be chaotic from the scampering, sweaty students, afraid of being late from their next class. But today was different. The classrom was empty except from the notebooks and books piled on top of the armchairs; the untouched backpacks left sitting on their respective chair.

Inside the gymnasium, there, the standing figures can be found. It seemed majority of the population of the school went to gymnasium. Usually, the gymnasium was prohibited during class hour aside from PE class. But once again, today was different.

The CAT officers were wearing their type B attire. Standing and facing each other, in the middle,  they formed a parallel line as if serving an aisle like a wedding ceremony. They were holding their wooden rifle upright just beside their combat boots. The other hand was tucked on their back. Behind them, the girls were giggling and the boys were hooting and cheering in glee. A overused romantic song was being played.

On the gate, Klarissa was standing. Wearing a makeshift veil and a white strapless gown. Dumbfounded, she scanned the crowd, looking for a familiar faces, to the ceiling, and to his trembling feet.

What's happening? she asked herself a rhetorical question.

Earlier, she was eating alone in the cafeteria when suddenly someone grabbed her hand, and was being led to a room to dress. And she found herself in the gymnasium. It was so fast that she hadn't had a chance to react.

Klarissa's heart leaped when someone tapped her back. She looked back. It was, no-- the girl was unfamiliar. Klarissa felt a growing anxiety inside from being clueless, from the fear of the unknown.

The girl had a curly black hair and was beaming in delight to Klarissa. She leaned to Klarissa and whispered to her ear, "Just walk slowly." She chuckled. "This is your big day, sis."

Puzzeled face was painted to her face. "Wha-what do you mean?" She almost shouted the last word. The noise from the crowd lessen and she felt their heads turned to watch her.

The girl smiled. "You'll see later." The girl pushed Klarissa forward, ushering her body to walk.

And she walked. She had no choice.

Everytime she passed the standing cadets, they would place their free hand on their chest, holding red roses. Even the spectators' shout became louder.

She was supposed to blush. She was to be happy. But she can't. Every teenager dreamed this scene. They would hate her for sure if they'd hear her fleeting thoughts.

At the end of the line, a boy was standing, smiling confidently. Marco Roxas. This time, she can now concluded what kind of bullshit is happening.

He was wearing a black tie. His hair was freshly trimmed. She bet, she'd smell his perfume if they weren't compressed by sweaty bodies. Klarisaa cringed as the idea of Marco courting her.

Marco Roxas, the only son of the principal. From the star section. A walking encyclopedia. Prodigy at its finest. Teacher's pet. Then there she was, a nobody, a typical teenager. Thay aren't friends nor acquainted to each other. Then how the hell he would start this bullshit?

Clichés, she thought bitterly.

*

Marco Roxas remained smiling. His jaw ached as she waited for her. He kept repeating his line in his mind albeit he'd pricisely memorized it already.

Nevertheless, it's such overwhelming as the girl you loved come nearer. As he stared at her face, eyes darting to her surrounding, he find it cute. As though the unnecessary noise faded away leaving Klarissa slowly walking, accompanied by musical instrument romantic song. It was between her and him. He'd hear her thumping heart growing faster. She was tense, so was Marco.

*

And at last, Klarissa stopped walking. Facing Marco even he was tall. She heard the crowd gone wild. Telling Klarissa to kiss him, telling her to do such an liberated and informal acts.

"How are you?" Marco's deep voice made her body stiff, made her to despise him. From this madness he made, how nice for him to ask what she was feeling right now.

"Fine," she replied.

Marco started saying the first time they met, how beautiful she was-- and then she never listened at all. Everything he said was a lie. Except from his feeling toward her. She felt it. She felt how he loved her. It was pure. But she doesn't feel the same way. If she did really know what would happen, she would run instead. But it was already too late.

At first, Marco's voice was muffled then it cleared. "Klarissa? Klarissa?"

Klarissa blinked and focus her attention to Marco.

"Klarissa," he paused, "can you be my girlfriend?"

Before Klarissa can think, the crowd were shouting: Say yes! Say yes!

Klarissa clenched her fist. At this moment, she hated him even more.

It was goddamn unfair!

She might commend him from the play he made. But she shouldn't. She was no an audience, she was part of the play. While walking she found the principal and several teachers cheering. She realized, this was the reason why the class was suspended. He even used the CAT department for this nonsense. She realize, she was trapped.

If she would decline, she would solely suffer from shame. The girls might hate her once she say no. She can bear those. But she was afraid for her teacher's reaction. This school practices favoritism and it would be her downfall if this would mess up.

I hate you, Marco. I fucking hate you.

"Yes," Klarissa replied helplessly.

Marco jumped in happiness. The gymnasium might collapse from the defeaning shout of the audience. Not knowing the princess has been cursed.