» 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐞 «

C H A P T E R 3

"The Shadow."

I was about to go downstairs with Clayden to meet Zenji by the school gate. At least that was what I had planned... 'They are at it again.' I thought while looking at the crowd in front of me by the hallway, it was some girls that were surrounding Clayden. He looked in my direction and lip-synced "Sorry." with a smile on his face. Somehow though I didn't get angry at Clayden, I walked past the crowd as I sighed and continued to walk towards the lockers to leave some of the unnecessary textbooks that I won't be needing, and would be going straight to the school gate to meet Zenji.

I was about to close my locker when I heard. "Raven!" As I heard my name, I instantly looked in the direction where I heard the same voice that I always hear in class. It was Heather, Heather Alejandro. She's my classmate and also the only friend that I got along with in my class, Heather is popular... Maybe it was because her blonde hair and sage-green eyes would always capture people's attention and make them approach her. In short, she's pretty.

"What's wrong, Heather?" I asked as she was getting closer to me from running. She stopped when she finally arrived right in front of me, Heather put both of her hands on her knees and catches her breath. "You ok?" I asked as she suddenly went ballistic talking about some guy that I can't even understand her. "Speak slower Heather, I won't know anything about what you are talking about if you keep on talking like that." I told her and that made her stop talking but still had that bright smile of hers, I thought that she wouldn't act out of her whim without telling me but I guess, I was wrong.

Heather dragged me with her towards the window and started pointing outside. "Look!" She said with stars on her eyes continuously pointing outside, I glanced through the window and looked towards the same direction where she was pointing. Heather was pointing at Zenji, he was currently talking to a guy that I also saw in his class earlier.

'I guess Zenji does like to hang out with guys that are smart.' I thought as I watched him and his classmate laugh, I never saw Zenji laugh genuinely except when he talks with my brother Roy but sometimes I do wonder why Zenji hanged out with me and Clayden back then.

"Do you know him?" Heather asked me, It made me nod and that certainly made her look more curious. "What's his name?" She asked and that made me quite confused since Zenji is popular despite his attitude, his looks and voice never failed to please girls.

"Zenji?" I mentioned his name in a questionable tone, Her eyes started to narrow while looking at me pathetically and made me more confused.

"I meant the other guy!" She said. 'Oh...' I thought as I somehow felt relieved that it was not Zenji, but still made my sweat drop since I don't know who the other guy was. I didn't know what to say that I started to panic silently through my head, when Heather suddenly told me "You don't know, do you?" As soon as she did, my sweat started to fall from my head constantly making me look away. When I did, I flinched as I felt her glare behind me.

"Yeah..."

• • •

"Hey...Zenji?" I called Zenji. He immediately glanced in my direction as we were walking to Roy's school, 'I didn't want to ask this....' I thought as soon as I saw Zenji looking at me while reminiscing what happened earlier.

"Ask him." Heather told me. I was about to say that I don't want to...but she suddenly glared at me with a smile on her face. "Ask him." She repeated and her tone just made me flinch.

"Ok! Ok! I'll ask him!" I said as I ran away from Heather with tears falling from my cheeks, I swear I know that Heather was really satisfied.