Heart's Tempo (Wattys2014) [EDITING]

Chapter 1

The moment they looked back to stop and see…to make sure that they did not make a mistake…to be sure that their imaginations weren’t playing tricks on them was the moment their world stopped.        

            It was like time stopped for both of them as they finally recognized each other.

            “Why don’t you go ahead and approach her?”

His mind kept on telling him.

“Why don’t you go ahead and say something…anything?”

Her mind kept on telling her.

But their bodies were not saying the same thing. They were both motionless in the middle of the busy crowd inside the airport.

How bad could it be if she said hi or maybe smile? It’s been almost five years when…no! Her left hand gripped her suitcase handle tightly as memories rushed inside her head. Doing both might just give him the wrong impression that she finally forgave him.

He noticed her left hand holding the suitcase handle tightly – she’s fighting something inside her. It was normal to have a rush of emotions but what emotions could she be experiencing now? Excitement? Joy? Happiness? He was sure it was none of those. Because if it was then why would she be standing there with a poker face with her left hand gripping her suitcase handle tightly? She was tense. And he didn’t have to ask why.

Five years ago…

“Nisa, aren’t you going home yet?”

“No, you guys go ahead. I still have to clean up here.”

“You sure? We can wait for you if you want.”

“No, it’s okay. Just be sure to be here early tomorrow, alright?”

“We know, we know. Bye, Nisa.”

“Bye, guys.”

The moment she was sure her friends were out of the hallway she immediately packed up her things and went on her way – going to the other end of the hallway and down the stairs to the parking lot. No, she didn’t have a car but she just wanted to be alone that time; actually, she wanted to be alone when she goes home. Nisa had no problems with her friends but she also needed some peace and quiet.

Carrying her bag on one shoulder and holding a few books, she made her way across the parking lot to the exit.

There she goes again; the brown eyed girl who has no car but uses the parking lot as exit instead of the school’s front gate. How many times did she pass through the parking lot gate this month? Fourth asked himself while he mopped the gym. He watched her until she made a left turn and completely disappeared from his sight.

“Are you just going to stand there?! What are you looking at there, boy?”

“Nothing…” Fourth immediately replied and started mopping again. How long has he been watching her?

“Well, you better hurry up if you want to finish here early so you can make it on your other part time job. Seriously boy, aren’t you tired yet? You’ve got classes in the morning until late afternoon, then you go here to clean up the gym and in the next hour you still have to work at a coffee shop until ten in the evening and when you get home you still have to do some studying and homework. Aside from that you also work as a parking attendant on Thursdays and Fridays and a delivery boy at my brother’s chinese restaurant on weekends. When I was your age I worked part time jobs too but not like you. I’m no superman!”