End Journeys
You're Mine

Class ends. The lecturer left the classroom. The whole class cheered knowing there was a new partner in their class. Ruby just silently looked at Thomas in surprise. Thomas just smiled.

"What I said. What I said was true," Ava said as she advanced to the front of the class.

"What do you mean?" ask Thomas.

"When Ruby went with Albert she told me that you were more attractive to her. That's why he was used to knowing that Albert liked Evelyn even though he spent a lot of time with Ruby" explained Ava.

The class returned to cheering. Thomas laughed at Ruby.

"What did Ava say was right?" ask Thomas to Ruby.

"That's.." Ruby stammered making the whole class even more chaotic with their laughter.

"Gosh y'all. Stop your laughter," Ruby blushed in embarrassment.

Ruby then leaves the classroom, drawing Thomas's hand.

"Thomas. What are you doing?" ask Ruby.

Thomas just smiled as if holding back a laugh.

"Ciee.." said Thomas.

"Ciee what?" ask Ruby.

Thomas just smiled.

"I'm comfortable being around you. But my feelings were still doubtful back then because I was confused as to who I really liked. Then Evelyn was with someone else so I thought God sent you for me" Thomas said.

Ruby was silent without words. In his heart he was very happy because when he first entered the class, Thomas was one of the men who attracted his attention but he never revealed it to anyone. And only recently he told Ava because he was confused.

"Ruby is actually me.."

"Ruby," call Ava.

Thomas's face seemed unhappy with Ava's presence but he tried to smile.

"Oh, Ava. What's up?" ask Ruby.

"Are you angry?"

"Anged for what?" ruby asked confusedly.

"Because I revealed your 'secret' in front of the class children," Ava replied.

"Hahahah no. I'm not mad. Take it easy," Ruby said with a smile.

Ruby's phone is ringing. Kelly asked for help to buy a headache medicine because suddenly his head hurt during practice in the music room. Ruby rushes to leave Thomas and Ava and buys Kylie medicine at a pharmacy near campus. He ran and brought his medicine to Kylie.

"Kylie!" call Ruby from outside the music room.

"Ruby, come in." Kylie laughs.

"Why laugh? Still sore?" ask Ruby to panic.

"Actually I'm not sick" Kylie replied.

"Huh?! Whatchu mean?" Ruby was astonished.

"Your prince asked me to help you stay away from the classroom. Maybe he's up to something" Kylie replied.

"What prince? Who do you mean?" Ruby is getting confused.

Kylie takes Ruby to the music room. There were only 3 people there including Ruby. A man fell asleep at the table, so Ruby did not greet him.

"Why didn't you tell me about Thomas?" ask Kylie.

"Thomas's? How can you ask about him?" Ruby was astonished by today's incident.

"Ava sent me a message to see you. He said Thomas wanted to talk to Ava something very secret, so he asked me for help. But you know, I couldn't hide anything from you so I decided to tell you.

"What are they talking about? About me?" ask Ruby.

"I think Thomas wants to get to know you better" Kylie replied.

They were silent for a moment then Ruby told me about the incident this afternoon in class. Kylie just laughed at Ruby's story.

"Well now you go back to class" Kylie said.

"Back to class? College hours are up I better get home, "Ruby replied.

"Some one is waiting for you. There go," said Kylie half-exorcised.

Ruby wondered how her friends would know about Thomas before she did. How can Kylie who is not a classmate become close to Ava even asked for help by Thomas. Those thoughts continued to appear in his mind. And one more big question, is why does Ruby feel comfortable being near Thomas even when she is close to Albert? Or is Albert just a friend who fills Ruby's days of loneliness and trauma since the incident with Sam? Or is it just a casual sense of awe that Albert saved Ruby from a crime that Sam almost committed? More and more questions came to his mind until he finally arrived at the classroom.

Ruby thinks the one waiting for her is Thomas, but it turns out that person is Ava.

"Hi," replied Ruby while taking the water offered by Ava.

"Thank you Ava," Ruby said as she opened the lid of her mineral water bottle.

"So Thomas initiated me" said Ava.

"What did he ask?" Ruby curious.

"Of course about you" Ava replied with a smile.

"of mine? Why?" Ruby is increasingly curious about what Thomas asks Ava.

"Why are you asking? Of course he asked about you because he likes you" Ava smiled.

Ruby blushed in embarrassment but there was a sense of doubt in her.

"Why,Ruby?" ask Ava.

"I want to know what she wants to know about me" Ruby replied.

"I'll tell you everything but later in the afternoon. Can I go to your house?" ask Ava.

"Of course I can. I'm so happy that a classmate would come to my house" Ruby's face looked bright.

Ruby then tells Ava her address and they go home to each other.

Arriving at home the wall clock has shown at 3 pm. Ruby is restless waiting for Ava's arrival. Somehow he felt very curious about what Thomas was asking about him and what information Ava knew about Thomas.

While waiting, Ruby plays her phone. No incoming notification from anyone including Thomas. In Ruby's heart felt Thomas say it was just a joke. He thought if Thomas really liked him Thomas should have contacted him. According to him, is not a man will try to approach the woman he likes in many ways and the most frequent is to contact first the woman he likes. Ruby begins to think about controlling her feelings so as not to get carried away with her feelings of kindness. He then thought, isn't Albert also kind to him even more attentive. But in fact she likes Evelyn too, not just her. Various speculations began to appear in Ruby's head.

Why did Thomas say that they had been dating in front of friends, even in front of Albert and Evelyn? Why did Thomas change his feelings so quickly? Not that she initially liked Evelyn even that day they met in the library, Thomas confided in Evelyn with emotion and gloom after he finished telling her what the problem was. Did Thomas just want to make it an impingement because Evelyn chose someone else?

Unexpectedly, Ruby threw the questions at the reflection of his reflection in the mirror, with a loud enough voice.

"I know the answer" said Ava who suddenly appeared.

Ruby was very surprised by Ava. He did not even hear the sound of a motorbike or a car coming. The gate was indeed left open so that Ava did not think that the house was empty.

"Don't be surprised. I was ushered by my boyfriend up in front of the alley," Ava smiled.

Ruby lets Ava sit down and then gets her a drink.

"Let's just get started" Ruby said.

"It looks like you're getting impatient" Ava replied.

Ruby looked silently at Ava with a smile. He coded Ava to tell him what Thomas was saying.

"Thomas actually didn't ask too much but said something at length" Ava said.

Ruby is waiting for Ava's story.

"What do you want to hear first? What did Thomas ask or what did he tell you?" ask Ava teasingly.

"Well if you give me a choice. I need you to tell me what Thomas asked first" replied Ruby.

"Thomas asked if you really liked him" Ava said.

Ruby wondered why Thomas suddenly asked such a question. Ava seemed to understand Ruby's confusion and continued her story.

"Ruby, I was sorry because I told you what you told me last week" Ava said.

"You mean?" Ruby wonder.

"You remember when you told me about Albert and you told me that Thomas was your ideal type and you were attracted to him and you even liked him so much that you didn't care if Albert liked Evelyn. And you also said that the other day you were mad at Albert for yelling at you in front of a crowd, not because you were jealous of Albert's interest in Evelyn?"

"I remember. It's true I told you that. You told Thomas that?" ask Ruby.

"Rubber. I accidentally said that when Thomas asked him if there was anything he could help with Albert and Evelyn. Then I said that you didn't care who Albert was close to because you liked Thomas. Then I heard a pretty shocking answer for me," Ava explained.

"What answer?" Ruby felt almost crazy from curiosity.

"She's more interested in you than Evelyn." Ava replied.

Ruby was shocked half in disbelief.

"That's all true, Ruby..."

Thomas went into the living room..