PICS and IT DIDN'T HAPPEN

19. The Computer

Even though the holidays are over and I'm back on land, I seem to be floating now as I hear what Frank just said over the phone.

"What? Go out?" I say.

"On a date," he clarifies.

I should be tremendously happy, and I am, however I'm not jumping at accepting the offer as I once thought I would.

Frank hears my hesitation over the phone.

"Look, if it's about Bianca, I can stop hanging out with her," Frank says.

That's exactly what I want, but I hesitate to say that too.

This is the problem with liking someone, you can't just frankly share your selfish thoughts at the beginning and will end up getting hurt later.

"But you said you guys were friends," I say.

"It's not like before since we broke up. Also, I would want the same thing if I was in your place. I wouldn't want the person I like to continue to hang out with their ex."

So he liiiikes meee... heee... heee...

"So?" He says.

"Yes."

---

I walk happily into the school. I feel like a brand new person. The world seems sunnier and cheerful.

I'd already told my friends about the date.

I even considered updating my social profiles to not single anymore, but I realized I was getting a little ahead of myself, and I didn't want to jinx it. So things better just stay between myself and my friends for now.

I feel more mature, and generous.

I should start acting like a responsible girl who has a boyfriend.

For instance, I should release Raylan of his duties.

Yeah, I should do that.

Blackmailing is not a very girlfriend-like thing to do.

I'll just erase the photos and tell Raylan he can no longer be threatened by me.

And that I'm a changed person now, so let bygones be bygones.

Yeah, that's what I wi-

My shoulder is hit. Wincing, I look at the perpetrator whose shoulder bumped mine. "Watch where you're going," Raylan says and keeps walking.

On second thought... Frank and I are just getting started. I'll just wait when we have officially become a couple to repent for my sins.

In the mean time, I'm gonna have to make the most use of this dragon I can.

---

Fifth period, I'm at the computer lab. It's a free period now, but I'm not free until I'm done with the bio assignment that shall be collected at the last class.

My fingers nimbly move over the keyboard and mouse as I search online and copy-paste chunks of paras from different sources into my assignment file.

Suddenly a message pops up. It's through the intranet service that the computer lab uses. Someone had sent a message to my system. I open it.

Photos of a bunch of naked girls.

Tasteless idiots. I stretch my neck and take a peek. Some of my class nerds giggle like middle school girls at the corner.

I don't like Acer and his posse. Not because they are nerds, but because they are just creepy.

I quit the message app. I won't see any messages now. I resume my work.

From time to time those jerks keep laughing out loud, irritating me. But I don't let myself distract from the work.

Soon after, I see someone appear next to me. "I need your English notes," Raylan says.

Not taking my eyes off the screen, and not stopping my typing, I nod towards my backpack.

He reaches for my backpack and asks, "What are you doing?"

"Bio assignment."

"Fuck," he says.

I spare a small smile while still keeping my focus on the assignment. He didn't do it either.

Like the valiant friend he is, he quickly calls Tony and reminds him of the same. Then he starts typing at the computer at my left.

A minute later two boys run into the room. Tony and William. The two other geniuses who had forgotten the bio assignment.

Quickly they take their seats to my right and start typing.

Feverishly we work on our assignments as if our lives depend on this.

However, my concentration keeps getting disturbed as those guys at the corner loudly talk and laugh.

"Raylan, tell them to stop talking loudly," I quickly say.

"Tell them yourself," he quickly says.

Neither of us want to pause our work.

But one of us has the upper hand.

"Tell them, NOW," I firmly say.

Grunting he straightens his back to see those boys. "Hey man, could you guys keep it down for a while. We are finishing up our assignments here."

"Sure," one of the boys say, and they all go quiet.

Silence, save for the typing sounds, prevail for a moment before slowly but steadily those boys start to talk loudly again.

I get up from my seat. "What the fuck is your problem? You guys dumb or something? Didn't you fucking hear him say to keep it the fuck down?! You want me to kick you out of the lab?"

After letting it out, I sit down and angrily stomp my fingers over the keys while the boys sitting next to me briefly pause and stare at me before resuming their work too.

The jerks at the corner loudly murmur. "What a bitch," I hear one of them say.

That's it I'm gonna murder these suckers today. I grab my chair's armrests to get up, but Raylan has already stood from his seat.

I widen my eyes at him. He leaves his chair and walks towards those jerks.

Raylan does has the tendency to do things before I inevitably threaten him to do anyway.

Even so, is this okay? I look at Tony. Tony shrugs and goes back to typing.

I guess it's okay. I let go of the armrests and take a peek above my computer.

Raylan grabs Acer's collar and pushes him against the wall. "Didn't you fucking hear us before?" Raylan says.

"S-Sorry," Acer stammers while partially getting strangled because of how tight Raylan is holding his collar.

"Get the fuck out of the room," Raylan says and lets him go.

Scrambling, the guys grab their stuff and run away.

I return to my assignment.

Maybe I should wait a while even after I become official with Frank to let go of Raylan.

Yeah, that's what I should do.

End of chapter

A/N - Hey guys! Story going good so far? ;) See you tomorrow!