Chapter 45: Student Council Camp
In a black sedan car, a middle-aged woman with slight wrinkles on her face was looking toward a bus through the front windshield.
Her face looked tense. There was a hint of worry in her eyes.
The bus engine started, and soon it moved forward.
"They’re leaving now. Should I follow them? And stop at the rest area with them?" The driver said from the driver’s seat.
"Yes, keep a close eye on them." Silvia’s mother said from the back seat of the sedan.
Seeing that her sweet little angel had started her student council camp trip, she immediately took out her phone and typed a message to her daughter.
[If anything happens, get off at the rest area. I’m right behind you.]
[Don’t get too excited.]
[I love you.]
She then put her phone down.
She closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
Please, be safe.
***
On a bus full of excited students’ chatter wanting to go on vacation, Liam and Silvia were sitting side by side in silence.
A teacher was counting the students inside the bus.
"One, two... wait a second. We’re short on one person." The teacher said.
"Where’s the class 2-8 Rep? She’s not here." The teacher continued.
A student glanced at the teacher. Then said, "You mean Tucker? He couldn’t come, he said he was sick."
A student asked if that was true.
"If this is everyone, then let’s get going. Everyone, fasten your seatbelts!"
Seeing the other students’ excitement, Silvia then turned on her phone and took out the earphones from her handbag.
"Liam." She called Liam who was resting his head on the bus.
"Want to listen to music?" Silvia said while offering the left earphone toward Liam.
Liam hesitated for a moment, then finally took the earphone offered to him.
A calming song could be heard in both their ears. Sharing earphones like this felt a bit strange.
However, Silvia did not seem to think much of it. The girl leaned back in her seat with her eyes closed.
Liam breathed a sigh of relief, then looked forward.
Thump.
Miria, who was sitting in the front seat across from them, had been watching the two of them all this time.
Then, not long after, Miria typed something on her phone.
Bzzzt.
Liam immediately checked his phone.
[Don’t get too close to Silvia.]
Liam sighed a little seeing Miria’s jealousy that was so obvious. He and Silvia had no relationship whatsoever. The two of them were just classmates.
And Liam was only doing this to repay Silvia’s kindness for helping him study all this time.
So... he started typing.
[Yeah... don’t worry, Miria. How about we ride the banana boat at the beach later?]
Liam decided to make plans first to have fun with Miria later at the beach.
Liam looked toward Miria, and the girl looked away with puffed cheeks and an audible "hmph" from afar.
Liam almost chuckled seeing that.
After that, Liam decided to rest his head, enjoying the trip.
Ding!
A notification sounded from the earphone in his left ear.
It came from Silvia’s phone. Hearing that, she immediately woke up and checked what notification had appeared.
[Three messages from mom]
Silvia’s face clearly looked a little gloomy.
She tapped the notification.
[If anything happens, get off at the rest area. I’m right behind you.]
[Don’t get too excited.]
[I love you.]
Seeing that, Liam also felt a little bitterness from Silvia’s mother’s message.
What was that? She even followed her daughter on her daughter’s vacation trip? How could there be such an overprotective and strict mother?
"Wanna listen to music on my phone?" Liam offered that to Silvia.
Hoping it could calm his friend’s mind a little.
"Yeah..."
Silvia disconnected her earphones from her phone, then handed them to Liam.
Liam plugged in the earphones, then opened a playlist on his phone.
Instantly, new music could be heard in both their ears.
"So~ get away~ another way to feel what you didn’t want yourself to know~"
Hearing his favorite song, Liam decided to close his eyes, saving energy for the beach later.
***
"Unpack in your assigned room, then come down to the lobby for lunch."
In a fairly luxurious hotel with solid interior, many students were chatting and busy looking for their assigned roommates.
Liam checked the list of who his roommate was. After scrolling, the first name he found was actually Silvia.
There, strangely, Silvia got a hotel room for herself alone. No roommate.
That was strange.
Was it because someone was sick earlier? Someone from class 2-8 named Tucker? That must be why Silvia was alone.
Liam looked toward Silvia who was holding her handbag on her shoulder. "You’re the only one with a room to yourself."
Liam thought for a moment, then decided to speak.
"Call me if you get bored. I’ll come up."
Hearing that, Silvia showed a warm smile, feeling that Liam’s attention meant a lot to her.
She then said, "Oh, that’s—"
"Ayyo! Liam?!" A loud and familiar voice pierced Liam’s ears.
He looked back and found Darren there.
Wait... Darren?!
How could he be here?
"We’re roommates, bro! Come on, hurry up and unpack in our room. I’m so hungry and want to eat in the lobby."
"W-wait. Hold on, how can you be here?!"
"Well... the Prez didn’t tell you? She gave me a slot to join this student council camp. Last year I was given a slot by the class rep, but who would have thought that now the Prez gave me a slot too."
Liam was stunned for a moment, then something clicked in his head.
Ahh... that’s right, he had also been offered by Miria yesterday. Maybe because he refused, Miria decided to give that slot to Darren.
It made sense.
"I see... alright then, let’s unpack our stuff in the room." Liam said, deciding to start walking to his room.
He looked back one last time, looking at Silvia over his shoulder, raising his hand to wave.
"See you later, Silvia."
Silvia then raised her hand too, waving it with a warm smile on her face.
Seeing Silvia’s outfit with a cream-colored knitted cardigan, her vibe really looked like a disciplined girl who was also very warm and caring toward others.
Without them realizing it, a girl with dark blue hair was watching from afar with her student council president blazer.
Her eyes glared at Silvia all this time, wanting so badly to tear Silvia apart and separate her from Liam.