Cherry On Top

16 | Get A Job First

RJ

Feb 24, 2014, Monday.

Chloe is crying.

I halt handing out the quizzes to gape at the door where Chloe bolted out. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

She is crying.

Why is she crying?

The whole class freezes as well, until Emma and Adrian jump up from their seats and run forward.

"Sorry, Ms. Goh, can we go and check up on her?"

"Yeah, yeah, go, go!" Ms. Goh waves them away, looking as worried as they are.

I wonder if I should follow them, but Ms. Goh gestures to the stack of paper in my hands. Clenching my teeth in frustration, I peel my eyes from the door and hand out the rest of the quizzes

"Yo, what the hell?" Logan exclaims as he balances his chair on the last two legs. "What happened sia? Period? Cramps?"

Huimin lets out an exasperated sigh. "Logan..."

Audrey humors him, however. "She's running so fast, I don't think it's cramps lah."

The classroom breaks into eager chatters, and I can see Jon casting a knowing expression at me. My fists clench just as my heart does.

Is Chloe crying because of me? I should have known that something was terribly wrong when the first thing Chloe did after receiving my call was to hang up and block the number. I thought that maybe she was just being cautious with unknown numbers, but what if she was too upset with me? What if our relationship was already over in her head?

I need to find a way to talk to her.

"Everyone, quiet down for your next class," Ms. Goh orders. "RJ, come help me bring the collected homework back to my office."

I am more than willing to oblige—maybe I'll get to find out where Chloe ran off to.

As we walk down the corridor to Ms. Goh's office, my eyes dart around the campus. I see no signs of Chloe or any of her friends. Worry eats at me, and I ask, "Ms. Goh, did Chloe... Did she do very badly on the quiz?"

Ms. Goh peers at me through her glasses, her eyebrows raised. "Not too well. She must be having a hard time understanding molecular structure. It's a topic that a lot of students struggle with." She sighs. "She was improving so much over the past few weeks too."

Guilt weighs on my head as I lower my gaze. I want to help Chloe. I should be helping her. I want to visit her at her work again and help her with her homework. I want to stay over at her place and talk to her.

But I can't.

I grip the pile of Chemistry homework to my chest as I recall Chloe's tear-stained face. I hate this situation so much. Why is it so hard for me to be with her?

"You know, she really needs to attend remedial lessons," Ms. Goh continues, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. "Have you tried convincing her to come to yours? If she can find time to attend them, it might help her out a lot."

Ms. Goh had hinted a few times that I should get Chloe to come to remedial lessons, but I never did anything about that. After all, I was meeting with her regularly to tutor her. But now...

An idea pops into my head. I cannot find Chloe in my free time anymore, but if I can get her to come to my remedial lessons, we can interact without suspicion.

Hope rises like a balloon in me. "I will talk to her about it soon."

We reach Ms. Goh's office and I place the pile of homework on her table. I notice there are a lot more piles on her table—the same homework from her other classes.