Cherish Love

ANNE ALEXANDRIA CHLOE's POV

I am now walking along the corridor of our campus while checking my phone's messages. I'm hoping...no, I'm actually wishing to see if Christian has message me because ever since he called me last time, he never called me back again since then but unfortunately, there's still none. I just took a deep sigh as I returned my phone in my skirts pocket while I'm still walking to my classroom. It's been days since the last time I heard his voice and ever since that day, many things had already happened in my life. I actually want to tell him all of those things that happened to me including my family's tradition as well as my fake marriage with my brother's friend but unfortunately, he hasn't called me yet and I can't even reached his phone… I just took a deep sighed once again before I opened the door of our classroom and I was about to enter the classroom when someone I knew suddenly yelled.

"ANNE ALEXANDRIA CHLOE SANTILLAN RAMIREZ!" My crazy friend suddenly yelled my full name that made all of our classmates turned to look at me. I just sighed once again. She's really crazy.

"Hello, Alex! Good morning!" My friend said as I finally reached my chair. I just nod and I smiled at her before I pulled a chair and sit down.

"Hey, what's wrong with you, Alex? Did something happen?" My friend asked worriedly. By the way, this is Rachel Hernandez, my only female friend that I trusted. I just smiled at her once again as I shook my head.

"I'm fine, Rachel. I'm just exhausted..." I simply said as I heard her sighed before she sat beside me and looked at me seriously. Why? I really do feel exhausted because of everything that happened these past days...

"Are you sure about that? Because you honestly don't look okay to me, Alex..." Rachel said while looking at me seriously that made me smile. I feel so happy that I have someone like Rachel by my side...

"So what exactly is wrong with you, Alex? Something really did happen, right?" Rachel asked me once again that made me just nod. She really knows me well.

"My parents..." I said as I think of how I should tell her without giving her a shock.

"Your parents again? What did they do to you this time?" Rachel asked that made me chuckle. Actually, I have already mentioned to her how strict and scary my parents especially my dad because I always declined her invitation every time she invites me to hangout after our classes ended and to be honest, she really gets irritated at my parents sometimes. Hahaha! But I know that she doesn't hate my parents because her father is working at our company as a Director and that's where Rachel and I first meet...

"They want me to marry a total stranger." I said that made her stood up as her eyes grew wider.

"What!?" Rachel said loudly that made our classmates looked at us. Oh no...

"Please lower down your voice, Rachel...:" I said that made her realized what she had done and slowly sat back on her chair.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Alex but why did your parents suddenly want you to marry someone you haven't even met yet before? I mean, you're just 17 years old… You should experience how beautiful love is.." Rachel said that made me just sighed. By the way, I also haven't told Rachel about my relationship with Christian that's why she doesn't have any idea that I already experience love for a very long time ago...

"I know right but I can't help it…" I said. Actually, she has a point but we have this weird family tradition to follow so I can't just disobey them.

"What do you mean?" Rachel asked once again that made me just shook my head.

"Nothing…" I said as I shook my head. I think she doesn't have to know about that because that's a secret within our family.

"Alex…" I heard Rachel called my name so seriously so that means, she really wants to know what it is. I couldn't help but smile… This girl is always filled with curiosity.

"Hmmm… Let's just say that I can't disobey my parents because they are still my parents…" I simply told her as I saw her just nod while she divert her attention to our other classmates.

"Then what your handsome brother said about that?" Rachel suddenly asked that made me frowned. What did she just say?

"Handsome what? Who?" I asked her and saw her that made her returned her attention to me.

"Your brother." Rachel simply asked while I'm trying to suppress my laughter as I saw her serious face turns into a shocked face. Hahaha!

"Oh come on, Alex! Your brother is so handsome! No, he is cool! No, more than cool! Maybe you just can't realized that because he's your brother but to us…" Rachel said so fast so that means he really likes my brother. Hahaha!

"He's like an angel…" Rachel said that made me looked at her seriously while I'm trying my best not to laugh. I know that my brother is handsome because his younger sister is also beautiful but the fact that he's like an angel is...

"He's a great brother but he's definitely not an angel." I said that made her stopped from fangirling to my brother and immediately looked at me.

"What did you just say, Alex?" Rachel asked innocently so basically, she didn't hear what I just said. Hahaha!

"Oh, nothing…" I said simply as I smiled at her.

"So? What did your handsome brother told you about that?" Rachel asked once again.

"Of course, he's against it but just like what I've said just now… We can't disobey our parents. After all, my brother also did the same thing…" I said before I took a deep sigh. Our family tradition is so troublesome.

"Huh?" I heard Rachel asked that made me returned my attention to her again.

"Hmmm…?" I asked as I saw her looking at me in confusion. Why?

"What do you mean by your brother also did the same thing?" Rachel suddenly asked that made me realize something. Oh no! I said something that I shouldn't have said! I'm sorry, big brother...

"Is your brother already married, Alex!?" Rachel suddenly asked loudly that made all of our classmates looked at us with a surprised face.

"No! You've got it all wrong, Rachel!" I said to her as I tried not to shout because we're gaining so much attention now.

"Then what?" Rachel asked once again that made me just sighed. What should I say?

"Well… Brother is definitely not that kind of person who'll just sit there and do nothing, especially when we're talking about marriage and love... right?" I asked her as I tried to change the topic. I just saw her nod her head.

"Hmmm…? I think you're right. Anyways, tell me about your fiance's looks, personality and lifestyle, Alex." Rachel asked. Thank goodness, she already stops from asking me about that but what did she just asked?

"Huh? What are you? An interviewer from a magazine?" I asked that made her smiled at me playfully.

"I just want to know what kind of person he is, Alex…" Rachel asked that made her just sighed. What kind of person he is?

"Well…" I said as I think of how I should describe him because to be honest, I can't describe that kind of person. Geez. Just thinking of him irritates me.

"His looks are good and his lifestyle is also good." I said that made her look so dissatisfied. What?

"What kind of description was that?" Rachel asked as she arched her brows. But I really don't know how to describe that crazy person!

"Why? I just answered your question." I said. Of course, I can't tell her that the only heir of the Martinez Empire is an arrogant and crazy young man to the point that I can compare him to a psychopath. I just sighed. I don't want to be accused of bad mouthing someone who came from a very well known family...

"Can you be more specific, my dearest friend… Please?" Rachel said as she looks at me with those puppy eyes. I just sighed. Okay, fine… I guess I don't have a choice anyway...

"He is also handsome and he came from a well known and respected family." I said that made her just nod. Thank goodness she didn't notice that I didn't answer her question about his personality.

"Wow, that's amazing… Who might that person be?" Rachel asked that made me frowned.

"I thought you only want to know those things?" I asked her and saw her pouted her lips.

"Just please tell me… Please best friend ~ Pretty please, Alex..." Rachel asked as she looked at me with those puppy eyes again. I just sighed. This girl is also scary sometimes because she really knows how to make me say yes...

"His family name is Martinez." I said that made her eyes grew wider.

"What!? Are you serious!?" She shouted once again. Oh no… This girl is really so loud!

"Rachel---" I was about to remind her to calm down when she suddenly started to yell once again.

"Do you mean the Martinez Empire!?" She said once again that made everyone looked at us in surprise. Oh geez.

"I told you to be quiet!" I said as I glared at her. I sometimes hate that attitude of hers. I saw her looked at the surroundings before she apologized for being loud and returns her attention to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry but I just can't believe it…" Rachel said that made me confused.

"The what?" I asked. What was that supposed to mean?

"That you are going to get married to a such famous family like the Martinez although I already expected that you're definitely going to marry someone from a wealthy family because you are a Ramirez…" Rachel said as her voice suddenly became calm before she looks at me once again and gave me a smile.

"You're really lucky, Alex..." Rachel said that made me stopped. What?

"That's what you thought." I said before I looked at the whiteboard in front. She didn't know what she's saying...

"Huh? What do you mean, Alex?" Rachel asked once again.

"Never mind." I simply said and before Rachel starts to ask me once again, our homeroom teacher finally arrives.

"Good morning, everyone." Our homeroom teacher said. Wow, good timing, ma'am.

"Good morning, ma'am." We greeted her as well before she starts to speak again.

"Today, we have a new transfer student so let's give him a warm welcome…" Our homeroom teacher said that made me curious. Wow. Really?

"A transfer student? But we're already in the middle of the school year." I heard Rachel asked that made me just nod.

"You're right…" I said. Who might be it? I bet that person whoever he or she is came from a well known family to be considered as a special case. Well, special case students are those students who can transfer to our school even though we're already in the middle of the school year by using their family's connection. My attention was suddenly diverted when my handkerchief fell on the ground that's why I get it.

"Good morning, everyone…" That person said. Wait… That voice. I immediately raised my head up as soon as I get my handkerchief on the floor and look at that person and was completely shocked to see him standing there wearing our school uniform. WHAT!? No way… What is he doing here!?

"Nice to meet you, everyone. I am Dylan Ethaniel La Flair but you can just call me Ethan… I hope that we could all be friends." Dylan said as he introduced himself and bow down his head that made all the girls here in the room squealed. No way… It's for real... Dylan is really here! B-but why? H-how?