Coffee and Bliss novel Chapter 17

Tristan felt more energetic along the way to school. He was looking for his friends on the way to their class but while walking, most of the students he passed by were looking at him like he had done something. He ignored them the time he saw Roy and Regan sitting on their usual spot. With a wide smile and happy face which was not used to be him in school, he greeted the two. But they just opened and closed their mouths. His eyebrows knitted out of curiosity. They appeared shocked, guilty, and happy.

“Eh, what’s with you two?” He asked the time he sat in front of them. He put his bag on the table and searched for his notebook.

“Eh, Tristan? Why are you so happy this morning?” Roy asked. 

Without looking at him, he shrugged but smiled again after a while. “Because of my moon!”

The two widened their eyes at him. They shook their heads, waving their hands while looking behind him. He found it odd, their unusual actions. He looked behind him and jumped off a little when he saw many students, especially girls, were looking right at him. They would stare then whisper to each other. He turned around to his friend with a confusing look. He hit them with his notebook when they just put an imaginary zipper on their mouth. 

“Are they talking to me? Why?” He looked once more to the students behind, still gazing at him. 

“You did not open your Instagram, am I right?” Regan was the one who asked now. He was biting his lips like not wanting to spill the reasons behind it. 

He nodded. He grabbed his phone and was about to look online but Roy and Regan stopped him. “Shia! Stop messing with me. Just tell me what’s this all about.” He barked at them. 

“Actually, amh... Look at this,” Roy said. 

The two looked at each other first before giving him his cellphone. He almost dropped it when he read a post about him with a photo attached above. Crap! It was all about him, his niece, and Harris. They had a picture together and claimed they were husbands and had a daughter. He felt his blood come up to his cheeks. He felt drained.

“I know you’re maintaining you–”

“Did Harris see this? Fuck! I need to find him, for sure he’s mad out of hell right now!” He snorted. 

He was afraid that Harris would see that first. He knew that the pale man would not go and throw his anger with the one who wrote this but it surely affected him. For the time they had been together at the dorm, he learned that Harris loved his personal space. He didn't want anyone invading his privacy.

And he was not only afraid about that but also the fact that many students were talking about him right now might start a ruckus. Just like what happened to the girl who was shipped at him, his fans club started to throw bad words and bully her. 'What if they do it again with Harris?' His heart stumbled with great fear. 

“Tristan, we’re thinking about your reputation because this time, they made rumors about you with a man. A man! And not just that, but he’s a Med student so you know what will happen. And now, you’re only worried about that guy?” Regan snapped at him, raising his brow.

“I need to find him. I won’t forgive myself and who started these rumors if something happened to Harris.” He put back his notebook on his bag and stood up. He might be late for their class but he couldn’t waste any minute to find him.

“Do me a favor for now. Help me find him. Call me, na?” He pleaded, patting the shoulder of his friends. 

“But Tristan, there’s more! Didn’t you read it?” Regan shouted at him because he was already running away. He just ignored him.

He ran as fast as he could to Harris' department. He tripped sometimes or stumbled with other students while finding the pale man. All he thought was to see him and ask if he was okay. He couldn’t let Harris cry again. It almost broke his heart when he saw him crying over his grandma’s death.