Connect

6: Shifting Focus

People can be scary. Teenage girls, especially. We've all got this 'darkness' or whatever inside of us and let me tell you, I saw it a lot in my friends, particularly the crazy fangirl ones, like Neru and Luka. The way they were looking at me was similar to the way a kid eyes a piece of candy that they just can't get. They were hungry for me, but not in a nice way, expecting an answer that would somehow be honest and that would please them, as well.

"S-See, it was sort of...um...," I stammered and squirmed, trying to get out of their tight holds, "I didn't know, I swear I didn't!"

"You played basketball with Kaito," Luka scowled. She wasn't a bad person. She was actually very nice. Usually, at least.

"I played basketball with Len, Oliver, Gakupo and Piko," I tried to change her perspective, "Kaito just happened to be there."

"Was he hot?" Neru burst out suddenly, pinning me against a wall. I blushed. What kind of a question was that? Of course he was!

"She's blushing," Luka mumbled before I could state the obvious answer to Neru's question, "She likes him."

"I don't like him!" I pushed Neru back and scowled. They were being, I have to say it, assholes.

"She loves him," Neru crossed her arms. I briskly hurried towards my desk, "Isn't that right, Gumi?"

"Leave me alone," I snapped, "I don't like him. He's one of Len's friends, okay? He just happened to be there. Trust me, I don't care about him at all."

I was spewing lies. I knew that I liked him. This was what it felt like. Wanting to see him, wanting to speak to him...feeling breathless every time someone mentioned him. This was the 'love' everyone talked about, but I wasn't ready to fall in love just yet. I wanted to get to know him better.

"He bought you a replacement book, huh?" Neru went on. Her tone was softer than before but I was still angry. She was a freaking rabid fangirl.

"Yeah, he did," I answered, sitting down, "But I don't..."

Luka strutted past me. I took a deep breath and held back the urge to yell at her. They acted like Kaito was everything.

And maybe some part of me thought he was, but...

"I'll...I'll tell you about him," I said, "If you want."

They squealed suddenly. Everyone turned to look at us. The teacher walked in and raised an eyebrow.

"Later," I said.

These girls are so bipolar. They went from borderline murderous to excited and bubbly in a second.

Neru and Luka just wouldn't calm down. All throughout class, they sent notes back and forth, asking me questions. I gave them the obvious answers, but I made sure that it didn't look like I was interested in him.

'Was he cute?'

'Yeah, I guess.'

'Does he play well?'

'Yeah, he's pretty good.'

'Was he on your team?'

'No.'

I figured that, since they didn't know about the whole ice cream part of the story, I'd pretend it didn't happen. Better to let sleeping dogs lie, I decided.

After school, I was walking with Miku, Neru, Teto, Len and Oliver, as usual. That was when Neru told Miku about what happened at lunch.

"See, he wasn't there 'cause he was playing basketball!" Neru pouted.