𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒 - Heterophemize

heterophemize - to say something different than what you mean to say

Isla's POV

The first weeks of school passed by quicker than I thought they would, and so did the exchange in conversation between Sai and I, growing from once a week during group work to almost daily. From stopping me in the hallways for quick conversation to even taking me out to lunch a few times; we'd speak for hours, mostly me doing the talking, whether it was small banter in the cafe or prolonged facetime calls, we spoke a lot.

I walk up to my locker, placing my books inside and slamming the small door of the locker; I scroll the small keys of the combination lock, locking the door.

"Hi Isla." A deep but grown familiar voice says. I turn my body, leaning against the locker, before speaking.

"Hi Sai." I reply.

"You look nice, I see you got a little hairstyle in." He says, making me laugh slightly.

"How are you?" I say as we begin to walk back to my class.

"I'm good, how are you?"

"I'm okay."

"Just okay?" He questions.

"I'm kinda mad at you." I reply.

"Why?"

"I read your annotations on my essay." I reply, looking right at him as he does the same before he smiles and turns his head in the other direction.

"Oh, I forgot about that."

"Spoiled? That's what you think of me!" I say a little louder while placing my hand on my chest and dramatically wincing in false pain.

"Nah, that's what I thought of you though." He replies, placing his hand on my shoulder; the touch practically meaningless but feeling like something to me.

I don't show that though, and instead swat his hand off me. He stops as I continue walking; I turn around and meet his piercing glare.

"What are you doing?" I say.

"Don't do that."

"Sai, please." I say, rolling my eyes and grabbing his arm. He looks down at me, as I look up at him too. The stare feeling much longer than it actually is; he turns his head with a smile before dropping his head and shaking it, his hair moving slightly with it.

"You gonna do something with your hair?" I say.

"You gon do it for me?" He replies sharply.

"If you're willing to pay." I reply, earning a little laugh from him.

"What's wrong wit it?" He questions.

"Nothing, you have a lot of it but do nothing with it...it's kinda a waste." I reply.

"Says the one who's wearing a lace front?" He replies.

"The fuck that mean; it's looks good so what about it." I reply with a bit of sass laced in my tone.

"Lose it." He says, referring to my tone, before speaking.

"Hm." I reply, rolling my eyes.

"You'n wear your hair out, so you ain't nobody to tell me how I should wear mine is what I'm saying. Ain't nun wrong with your lil hairstyle." He replies.

"It was a suggestion. And for the matter, I wear wigs and stuff to protect my hair; you should know that with our hair types and the weather getting cold you can't have it out like that."

"I lived in the South, ain't never worried about it being cold." He replies.

"Just cornrow it or something." I suggest, walking up to my classroom and leaning against the wall that's closest to the frame of the door.