Problems With The Hierarchy

#26 I Do.

“Decided?” I asked again. I think I was clueless and completely new to whatever he says. “Decided to be real man and face the consequences. My mom told me a real man like Dad would never shirk the responsibility, would never push the blames. He would face the consequences bravely.” He said, confidently, with unshaken decision, beaming.

“Hey boy, since you know so much.. Could you tell me how Kelly managed to know about me and that Richard guy…?” I asked, playing cool. I didn’t pin too many hopes on him. I just wanted to try my luck; after all he was just a minority in the squad.

“I heard Alex and Kelly on the phone. Kelly was gloating over the fact that there was this Bryson guy… told her unknowingly…” He said, unconfidently. “I hoped I helped you.. I have to go.” He bid farewell abruptly. I wonder what he was rushing for.

He ran ahead when suddenly I called out to him. “Hey little chap! You know what? I think you’re a big responsible man your parents love now!” I said, hands forming a shape of an ‘O’, placed on my face. He turned back and flashed a vibrant smile with a glint in his eyes, before turning away from me.

His words echoed. Bryson said unknowingly…? When had he talked about it, unknowingly? How did he know? He sleep talked? Kelly could read minds?  What the hell this was so confusing. The word involved is so vague to get any information fished.

Speaking of abrupt exit, what has Joey been doing? I fished out my phone, after losing the notion of time. Crapsicles! I was going to be late in thirteen minutes! Draining away thoughts about Joey’s whereabouts, I scampered off, darting towards the lockers.

Running into homeroom, I endured 15 minutes of Miss Taylor’s lectures because I reached homeroom fourteen minutes later. This is what you call scumbag teachers, literally. They have too much time to scold you, but they can’t seem to tolerate students being one minute late. I looked down on the floor, feeling bored. I mean what can be entertaining about someone scolding you? Their choices of words; the way they turn red in anger? Wait on second thoughts the latter sounded like fun. I beamed a little when Miss Taylor menaced, “What are you smiling at? What’s so funny? Treat this seriously!” Okay sorry I shouldn’t have thought of that.

After her fifteen minutes of useless crap I headed towards history, the class I shared with Bryson.

“Pssst,” I hissed, getting his attention. He turned back after the third ring, mumbling, “If you want me to tell you about it, don’t bother!” jokingly. I shook my head violently in clarification, and then pointed to the paper. He nodded knowingly and turned back, anticipating.

I took out a piece of paper and scrawled careless scribbles, trying to make them legible. “Richard told you about Kelly right? I have some info. Some dude told me:  You told Kelly unknowingly? Can you try to piece them?” I rolled the piece of paper into a ball.

Tapping on the shoulder of someone beside me, I handed the paper to her, mouthing Bryson. She seemed to understand what I meant, since it was a norm. She handed the note to Bryson, and resumed to listening to our history teacher. I wasn’t sure about his name, Mr..Bobby? Whatever. Bryson got the note and read it, before writing something else on the paper, and passed to the same girl. The girl shot us an annoyed look, because we were disturbing her. I put my hand up on my head and looked at her apologetically.

“Hey you!” Mr.. Bobby or whatever turned back and spoke. My muscle tensed. It’s our doomsday! I sprang into action and turned back to face the front. Thank god he turned back after scanning the classroom. I guess he wasn’t mentioning anyone in particular. I heaved a little sigh of relief. The paper was passed back to me. “I knew the rejection from Joey on the phone. I think she called me some time after you told her… I didn’t tell anyone. Swear. ” After reading the lines, I began to piece the jigsaw pieces.

So… if he didn’t tell anyone, and Kelly knew it from the Bryson, which meant Kelly, must have heard Bryson mention it. If Bryson hadn’t mentioned it to anyone… then it would be the phone call! That’s it; Kelly must have overheard, or eavesdropped on their conversation. Subsequently, she told Vanessa about what she heard, and the two of them came to test me to see if that was the truth. My responses removed their suspicion. Dumb me! I mentally cursed. It didn’t matter anymore, because there was no more confusion. The misunderstanding has cleared, so I don’t care how they knew it. About the rumour, it wasn’t going to affect me in anyway. My close friends knew the truth, and they were the only ones who needed to know. School was ending soon; no one would remember it after this. I needed to endure the teasing for a while though…

As expected, the moment I walked out of class, people shot me curious glances, weird stares. I rolled my eyes and glared at them, how can they believe everything they heard? Now that I have made up my mind, I’m going to remain unnerved. Nothing people say or do is going to affect me. Walking towards the next class, I walked with stance. I couldn’t say I was beaming with pride, but at least not cowering in fear.

**

“What the hell?” I asked Joey beside me. “The surprise was... this?”

Look at what I see.   Two guys, clad in handsome wear were towering people around us. They have taken up a lot of space because my secret hideout didn’t physically prepare for two amplifier, two seats, two guitars, two voices to be in sync. Once they saw us in sight, they rocked.

“Your hand fits in mine like it’s made just for me, but bear this in mind it was meant to be.” Bryson strummed the guitar skilfully along with that line. “And I’m joining up the dots with the freckles on your cheeks and it all makes sense to me.” He continued; look straight into the blue eyes of Joey. I chuckled when I saw Joey hiding her face shyly behind her books.

“I know you never loved the crinkles by your eyes when you smile. You never loved your stomach or your thighs, the dimples in your back at the bottom of your spine but I love them endlessly.” Richard sung after his line looking into my eye. I felt my cheeks reddening a tinge of red. When I smile there are crinkles by my eyes? I self-consciously touched my part of my eyes. Now I shouldn’t laugh at her that easily. I’m just like her.

“I won’t let these little things slip out of my mind, it’s you, oh it’s you they add up to. I’m in love with you and all your little things.” I fought back a little at the part ‘in love’… He was in love with me? That was going too fast, but maybe it was merely a line from the song. I don’t even know why I’m freaking out at that word, it just sounds too serious. The rest of the song passed, he had been looking at me every time he sang his lines. The guys seemed they have rehearsed this over and over again. Wait, when did Richard play guitar? I have to admit he was pretty good. His voice was a little husky, just like Liam’s. Okay it was really sexy. Did I mention Liam was my bias in One Direction? Oh no, guess not. I saw him smirk through his lines as I blush. After he finished his song, I was moved because I remembered he didn’t know how to play the guitar. I spotted Band-Aids on his hand maybe that was for trying hard to learn the chords in such a short time. 

“So Elizabeth, would you be my girlfriend?” I sensed that I was going to drop into the well of thoughts if he didn’t drop a question. I should have said something cheesy, but I remembered the other time I expected a cheesy reply, he said I owe him chocolate. I was going to say “Actually Richard you’re as sweet as big piece of milk chocolate.” Then I decided to give him a wicked smile and remain silent.  I mouthed a few words to Joey, taking the guitar from Richard’s arms. Joey took Bryson’s guitar giving a little smile.

Soon you could hear us strum the guitar while singing words that I have kept in my heart for quite some time. Joey was mainly strumming a little and maintaining the beat by doing some ‘guitar-slap’. I flashed another knowing smile at Richard, because this was probably the best way to say my answer.

“It's always been about me myself and I. If all relationships were nothing but a waste of time, I never wanted to be anybody's other half. I was happy saying our love wouldn't last. That was the only way I knew till I met you. You make me wanna say I do, I do, I do, do do do do do do doo.”

A/N The song is I Do by Colbie Caillat and Little Things by One Direction!