For Chemistry, I had switched my desk with Roy, my frontmate, since she was absent anyway.
"What are you doing, moving your desk around like that?" Emma questioned.
"I hate my desk. It's too dirty." I replied in a monotone.
"Dirty?" Emma glanced on it.
"What?"
"I just want to switch, okay??"
"Fine." She held up her hands and rolled her eyes.
"Bad mood, much?"
I didn't answer. I was still too angry to care.
Last night, I almost regret throwing away the tape that he gave me, I missed the pieces badly but another part of me told me to forget it, he isn't worth it. He's scum. He's stupid for doing this to you.
But maybe, I'm the one who's stupid.
Because up until now, deep inside me, I still want to give him a chance.
--
Emma waited for me after class as I slowly returned my things on my bag.
My new desk felt uncomfortable today. My notebook kept on slipping off, I kept on scratching on the dirt on the side, even the vandalisms made me want to cry.
It got so bad that I asked to be excused to go to the bathroom and sulked in there, only returning to class once the bell rang.
"Are you okay, Jadellee?" Emma laid her arm on my shoulder.
"Is something bothering you?"
Yes.
"No. I'm okay, thanks." I tried to smile brightly.
She patted my back. "Would it make you feel better if I help you with our research paper?"
"What?"
"It’s due three days from now." She said gently.
"I bet you haven't done a thing. Do you want help?"
I didn't know time flew that fast already.
I didn't even notice I've known Marcus for that long.
"Hey!" Someone called out and we both looked up.
"Andy!" Emma's face brightened and he rushed to her, hugging her tightly.
Oh right. So this is Andy. From class 3-B.
"Andy, this is my bestfriend, Jadellee. Jadellee, this is Andy." She giggled and I almost puked at how girly she sounded.
"Nice to meet you." I forced a smile.
"You too." He grinned.
"Emma has told me so much about you."
I stared at my old desk longingly.
"Oh, right! Someone is with me today!" Andy exclaimed and I looked up.
A tall guy strode in the room. He was skinny and he had a mysterious aura around him.
"Jadellee! This is Kyle, the new student." She put heavy emphasis on the word new while looking at me suggestively.
"Oh." I stared at him, feeling confused.
This was the new student?
The one who was always hanging outside our room?
But...
He looks different.
He also has a nice built, but he was too skinny to be that guy who was always outside our room.
Plus, he has different hair...and different lips.
Also, my heart is not racing at the sight of him.
"He's not the new student." I said before I could stop myself.
Emma looked at me curiously. "No. Kyle is the new student. He's from 3-B too."
"No. That's impossible. He's not the same guy that hangs out outside our room after class every day." I argued.
Emma frowned. "There are no other new students besides him, Jade."
"But..."
"Uhm...if it helps, I've never hung outside your classroom before." Kyle admitted, shrugging.
"You haven't?" I suddenly couldn't breathe and once again, it felt cold.
"No."
"What are you talking about, Jade?" Emma looked confused.
"That guy, Emma! That guy who's always outside our room!"
"What guy?" Andy looked confused.
"That...that guy. That new student."
"Kyle is the only new student." She repeated slowly, still staring at me as if I was nuts.
"Are you sure you're okay?" She laid a hand on my forehead.
"...Yes." I swallowed hard, and rubbed my arms to fend off the cold.
"Man, it's so cold here. I'll go first." I said distractedly, still not believing the situation before me.
Marcus wasn't the new student.
Kyle never hung out in our room after class.
So who was that guy?
--
Emma’s POV
"Is your friend okay?" Kyle looked worried.
"Yeah..." I mumbled, still looking at my left hand which had touched Jadellee's forehead.
"What's wrong, Em?" Andy looked at me in concern.
"Jade..." I mumbled, staring up at my boyfriend.
"Jadellee's forehead..."
"What about her forehead?"
"When I touched it...it was...it was as cold as ice." I mumbled, still confused.
"What?" Kyle was puzzled.
My eyes landed on Jadellee’s original desk which was now on Roy's spot since she switched it.
"And, what's weird is..." I mumbled, going over to the desk and running my hands on it.
"What?"
"This desk. I swear I always see Jade smiling and writing something on it. Every time. During Chemistry."
"She vandalizes?" Andy laughed.
"Yeah. But...it's really weird though."
"Right." Kyle raised an eyebrow.
"If she doodles there every English class, how come her desk is so clean? Not even a single dot of writing in sight."
"Exactly." I whispered, looking up at Kyle and wondering how this could happen.
"Something's...going on." I looked at them, frightened.
"Especially with that guy..."
"What...? Which guy?" Andy looked a little scared as well.
"That guy that Jade was talking about. The one that was always outside our room?"
"Yeah...?"
"Well, the truth is, I've never seen anyone outside our room before. I've never seen anyone waiting outside after class." I looked at him worriedly.
"Not even once."
