Brooke's Priority
Chapter 18's

I'll tell you that I was friends with Darshan at first. One of the men I forced to take part in my expedition north.

First day at the academy.

I felt drowsy hearing the history teacher's explanation and hoped that time would pass quickly because I was more interested in the lessons of geography (i have to remember the location of the division of territory in both Kingdoms) and politics (this also relates to my list). I turned my gaze out the window and accidentally saw the shadow of a male student tucking another book over his textbook.

I read comics that way.

He made me think back to my old school days and suddenly I became curious about him. She was not among the people I was familiar with when I arrived at the class to begin my first lesson. I guess he's the type of student not seen in class. Usually there is always a popular type, ordinary and invisible.

At lunch, Lucas and Alex and Fanita (three school legends) were waiting for me to have lunch together. They turned out to be close friends. That fact made me want to avoid spending lunch with Fanita, my roommate. We can't avoid the rules by which we have to share a room. He drew a line as the boundary of his realm.

“We have to get along,” my advice on the day I moved to the hostel. “Only we are both here.”

Unfortunately, I did not have any other female friends in the academy.

“Be indifferent will make our relationship get along,” Fanita says ketus to me.

From the beginning, I wasn't the one who would look for trouble first.

“Of course,” I approve.

During lunch, I didn't talk much.

When I was about to prepare for Sir Oswald's class, I accidentally saw the male student I now call a ghost. The reason being, she disappeared as I turned around to get acquainted after the class was disbanded. I was wondering how he disappeared right after the teacher came out.

“Hey,” I shouted at him and walked over to him. He saw me and disappeared behind the turn of the corridor.

“Dia where?” I said while looking at my left and right. “He doesn't join next class?”

I also moved from that place.

Sir Oswald, the teacher I knew through Lucas, paid particular attention to me. He's giving me extra training just for me.

“Your stamina and physique are not as good as Fanita Cassius. You are different and it takes years for you to be as strong as him,” Sir Oswald explains further. “You must excel at one thing. Running speed. Your physique is supportive enough to be able to run faster than the average man.”

I understand what Sir Oswald meant. If I compare myself to Fanita, she is much taller, has arm muscles, upright posture and her shoulder line is wider than me. Sir Oswald may be worried about me looking petite and fragile.

Therefore, I was told to go around the training ground twenty times in the afternoon.

Day two.

I felt cramps in my calf and was made to suffer so much all night. I entered the classroom without any spirit, sat down and smiled at the other students who asked me to speak. I didn't see the ghost. In the middle of geography lesson, I dropped my paper and picked it up, then I saw the ghost. I was amazed not to realize when he came in.

At lunch, I looked around me to the point of confusing Alex.

“Who are you looking for?”

“Nothing,” I replied briefly.

“She may be looking for someone she can fight with,” Fanita commented without glancing at my face at all.

Be indifferent what? God fucking.

Day three.

I cross paths with the ghost and automatically run after him.

“Hei,” call me.

He ran without looking back so I thought about what I had done wrong to him. I don't just kick people out.

I kept running and subconsciously tripped over the stone.

I fell down in a loud enough voice until some of the disciples stopped to look at me.

“Jeez, this is a shame,” I muttered slowly.

The fall was not about his pain but his embarrassment. The most memorable quote from outdoor camping that I used to do on weekends. I slipped on the path of the newly rained land.

I stood up immediately and realized my knees were bleeding.

I was limping along thinking about whether or not this wound would break. Before long, I saw Lucas come in a hurry as if the news of me falling had spread throughout the academy.

“You all right, Brooke?” Lucas examined my bleeding knee and immediately carried me without permission. I am so embarrassed to be carried by bridal style in the crowd.

Later that night, Fanita asked me what I was chasing until I fell.

“Friends of my class,” I replied. “He's like a ghost.”

“You like your classmates?”

Fanita makes me lose my words.

“Yes! Not all attention means feelings of liking,” I said solemnly. I've experienced to know what falling in love and breaking up is like. “I was just wondering why he ran away when he saw me. She drifted away as if I was a walking disease.”

“Oh, she,” Fanita shook her head slowly. “He used to run away every time he saw me. Name's Darshan. He is famous for not being adept at holding swords.”

“Not proficient?” I asked because I felt I wasn't good at using it either.

“He's the head of the bodyguard in the palace.”

Fanita explains that Darshan is considered not to approach his father at all in any case. He became a scornful material due to his shy nature and weak physique.

“She was very unlucky.”

I feel Darshan must have a hard time dealing with those pressures.

“By the way,” Fanita looks at me doubtfully. This was the first time he seemed to think a lot before saying anything to me. “Explain what you said earlier.”

“Which word?”

“Consideration and liking,” I saw Fanita turning her face in shame.

“What's his name? The guy you like?”

“I don't like anyone.”

I realized she was just an eighteen-year-old girl.

Fourth day.

I found a wound cleaner and bandage placed in my desk drawer. I think it's from the ghost. And it seems right. I met him again when I was not in Sir Oswald's sword class, under a shady tree.

I grabbed her collar.

“Darshan Wilder?”

He was surprised when I said his name.

“Let go of me.”

“Yes! Did I ever hit you? Why do you run every time you see me?”

“I.. I,” Darshan stammered, so I took off his collar. Then accidentally read the contents of the page of his book that opens.

When I wanted to ask about the contents of the book, he had already escaped quickly. Leaving me alone in confusion.

Looking at it made me think of Alyson Chamberlain.

Fifth day.

I spent the rest of the day circling the academy looking for Darshan. When I returned to my room, Fanita asked me to speak first. Lately, I've been like her relationship counselor. Even so, he still did not tell the name of the man and I was not too curious either.

“I just remembered,” I said with a serious face. “Take honestly. Did Lucas tell you to back me up so I couldn't stand it and quit the academy?”

I'm referring to the time when Fanita and I fought and Lucas ignored me. Alex was with me all day until I got on the horse-drawn carriage that took me home.

“You call that bullying?” Fanita asked me again with an annoyed face. “No. It's purely because I don't like you.”

He's a bitch.

“I'm your best friend's sister know,” I remind her. “I wonder why you guys can be friends until now.”

“We only understand each other,” replied Fanita. “Oh yes, if not mistaken, Lucas rejected the idea of you relating to the academy for pretending to be memory lost. He's disappointed in you. I heard you were sprawled helplessly with blood all over your clothes.”

“He has not forgotten that problem.”

I can't forget it either. I still wonder how Levin is doing. How his wound was and whether he treated it well.

“Until when will you pretend?”

“No idea,” I replied. In my home, only my father, Lucas and Haley were still questioning the incident and didn't believe my lies. I'm not surprised because all the facts clearly show me who's secretly out at night.

I closed the door and said I wanted to get some fresh air.

I admired the sun that afternoon and miraculously saw the Darshan I was looking for. Then I settled quietly as he was focusing on his book.

“Wah, isn't that a hard book?”

Darshan gasped in shock and accidentally threw his book.

“Brooke Cohenherb?” he stammered and picked up the book. Hugged it as if it was his precious treasure.

“It turns out, we know each other's names. Don't run away again. I warned you.” I stood for a while because my legs were aching and then sat down on the grass so I could talk comfortably with him. “You read what book?”

He looked at me and the book over and over again and hid it behind his back. “Not important.”

“Oh. Okay,” I said without excessive curiosity. “I didn't see you in Sir Frank's class. You truant?”

He shook his head. I feel like a rabbit and I'm a tiger that's gonna pounce on him.

“So it's true you don't look yes,” I chuckled. “Interesting once.”

“Tak seen?”

“I just think you're invisible because you're good at escaping and hiding.”

“I'm just not comfortable.”

Darshan does look like he wants to keep his distance from me. However, she also escaped from Fanita according to the testimony of my roommate.

“Why?”

“People will start comparing anyone who walks with me.”

“Hmm, so you mean that when I walk or chat with you, people will whisper to each other and laugh at you, so?” I smiled with relief. “Good, I thought I used to beat you.”

So far, some disciples had already sneered at me in front of my face while saying that I was nothing but a respected Duke's son and Lucas' younger brother who was ranked second in the academy. I'm a nobody without my father and my brother. The problem for them is that I'm not affected by that shit at all.

“You like treatment books?”

“You saw my book?” Darshan looked panicked.

“Inadvertently,” cetusku. “You don't seem to like it if I know.”

“You'll mock me like other kids.”

His father's position must make him look strong instead of diligently reading books.

“Oh yes? My stupidity is not on a level with them.”

I'm not a teenager who likes to show off imaginary power. I'm the one who knows what it's like to lose self-esteem to feed my stomach. I thought about sharing my story when my first boss in the police blamed me for something I thought was absurd. I was desperate to fight back but I had to look down at both ends of my feet to survive.

“I won't discuss your book because you don't like.”

Darshan who was still looking at me hesitantly now lowered his cautious attitude and put the book on his lap.

“You want to be my practice friend?”

I'm looking for Darshan with the goal of making friends. I have not found a match among the other students I have known so far. They're boring. They really like to show off greatness but that is the behavior of most teenagers.

“Friends?” he looked at me confused.

“Teman workout. I'm tired of running alone.”

Not completely bored. I just miss the ear sounds and music I used to hear every time I ran to take care of my physique first.

“I..”

“You must agree,” I said, “I force.”

“No, the... I don't like physical exercise.”

Darshan's words made me take a short breath.

“You must keep running even if you are not good at using swords. You have to survive. You don't know when war might happen.”

I hope the war doesn't happen again.

“You're really serious?”

I nodded confidently then got up to my feet, ignored his facial expression and patted my pants. “We have to have dinner.”

“I don't have dinner now.”

“Not now?”

“I have dinner after the others are ready to eat.”

I patted my eel.

*****