Left Unexplained

Chapter 1~

"Miss Grace, care to explain why you find that gentleman's head more interesting than your book?" I snapped out of my train of thoughts and realised that the teacher had just addressed me. The teacher vaguely pointed at Cameron's direction and realisation struck me. 

While I was day dreaming, I was staring at Cameron, who was now turned back towards me with a raised eyebrow and a some-what smirk and a half scowl. I felt all the heat from my body rush towards my face as I looked around. All eyes were on me. 

I swallowed a lump and muttered a small sorry before trying to hide my face behind my textbook. 

Damn that teacher and his shiny bald head! He seemed to have hated me since the year started. It could have been my fault, probably because he confiscated a note I was trying to pass to Hanna. It had a pretty vivid description of how he resembled Mr Potato with his shiny head, bushy moustache and rimless glasses.

As soon as the bell rang, I was already hopping off my seat to try to avoid the humiliation of being questioned about my infatuation with 'the gentleman's head'. 

Too bad it was the 'gentleman' himself who blocked my escape from the classroom, making us the last two left behind. Even Mr Potato scurried out of the class. I gulped and waited for him to make a move, any move, since it would then unblock my only exit. My left and right were obstructed by desks and my back was towards the wall. 

He wasn't facing me, but I could feel his body all tensed. I had a feeling he would confront me about my staring habits. He too must have been embarrassed about being picked on by the teacher as well, now making it clear as day that I had a thing for him. 

I released my breath and decided to just tell him to question me and get it over with.

I opened my mouth and- 

"Tonight,  eight o'clock, at the Chinese restaurant next to the school." He then stepped aside and walked out. 

My eyes grew wide and I shut my mouth. 

What did he just say? Did I hear that right? 

Wait, so he didn't ask me about my crush? Or about me? Or insult me about how much of an idiot I was to think that could even think about getting together with him?

So what did he say instead? Something about a time and a place. 

Common sense told me that the time must be related to the place. Now what was the time again? Tonight at eight? Where? At the Chinese restaurant! 

Holy crap! Did I just get asked out? By Cameron? The same guy I've been crushing on for two years? The one who hasn't even let his best friends in through his extra thick and strong armour?

Suddenly I couldn't breathe. Hyperventilating, that's what was happening to me.

'Okay Grace, deep breaths. Deep breath in, deep breath out....' I told myself as I fanned my face with my hands. 

Opening my eyes again, I slowly made my way out of the class. Before passing the lockers, I saw Cameron leaning against the wall with his arms crossed while he was surrounded by his friends. 

They were all pretty dazzling and obviously, just like any jock with good looks from a chick flick book, they were all in the football team. He caught my glance and returned it with a subtle wink, a twinkle reflecting in his ash-grey eyes.

 I found myself blushing hard when his best mate Xavier caught the exchange and punched Cameron in his shoulder while making loud cat whistles. He just got a scowl in return from Cameron.

 I giggled and continued my way to my locker. 

I had to see Hanna and tell her. 

God, this was one date I needed to prepare for. Usually, me being the one with the better fashion sense, I could handle any date and what to wear, but I didn't trust myself to not get sidetracked, day dream or worse, hyperventilate to the point of unconsciousness; not that I have before, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

I found Hanna exiting the school and called out to her.

"OmyGod, OmyGod, OH.My.God! Hanna you won't believe it, nope! Not in a million years! Not now, not ever!" I was flailing my arms around and running towards her. If anyone was paying attention to me, they'd think I was a maniac.

"Calm down Grace! Sentence by sentence! You sound like me when I see chocolate  and you know what kind of an idiot I look like when that happens!" She grabbed me by the shoulders and lowered my arms. 

She was right; she did look terrible when she did that, but who cares? I had all the right to be doing that right now.

"Cameron asked me out!" I blurted with a huge toothy grin on my face. I looked at her eyes, waiting for a reaction. Any reaction. But instead I got nothing.

Silence.

"Repeat please?"

"Cameron. He asked me out."

"Couldn't catch that. Who asked you out?"

"Cameron! Cameron asked me out!"

Her large, round eyes widened, and her mouth hung open. "No way! When? How?"

"Tonight at eight, believe me when I say that I'm shocked too. It was out of the blue, after class. He made it sound like he was commanding me to come, with his 'no questions asked' kind of way," I explained. "Not that I would've rejected him anyway, even if it was a question."

She grabbed me by my wrist  and started pulling me on the path  back home. "You realise we only have like-" she checked her phone." Four hours right? We have to find you a new dress, accessories, do your hair, goodness too many things to do and too little time!"

 I chuckled as I let her pull me to wherever she was taking me. I knew I could trust her to doll me up in time for the date. I sighed happily as I let my heart beat in anticipation for the upcoming date.

Three hours, twenty minutes, a half empty bank account and two coffees later, I was ready. My dress consisted of a white top that passed my belly button, a hot pink miniskirt that reached mid thigh, showing my long, creamy legs and white heels were on my feet. Pink lip gloss and blush finished my look.

 Hanna leaned back against the bed to admire her work as she nodded in approval. I smiled back a grateful smile when her phone started ringing. She looked at her screen before frowning. Sighing, she received it and put it against her ear. She winced as she listened to the person on the other end. 

"I'm with Grace. Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes. I'm sorry, it won't happen again," she muttered and sighed again as she put away her phone.

"The usual?" I asked. She nodded and closed her eyes as she put her head against the bed. "Why don't you just stop and tell them that you've had enough?" I was a bit angry. Hanna was the sweetest girl. She didn't deserve to be treated this way.

"You know it's not that simple, Grace," she opened her eyes and gave me a small smile. "Forget about it. You go have fun on your dream date. Your life is about to change Grace, focus on that. My life isn't gonna, it's staying as is," she reassured me as she walked towards the door. "I have to go now. Remember, breathe in and breathe out. Wouldn't want Cameron having to give you CPR on your first date just 'cause you forgot to breathe now would we?" she joked with a wink and gave a small wave before heading out.

'I haven't  been to this restaurant before,' I mused as I stared up, trying to figure out what it was called. The only part that was in English was Ching's, but other than that, it was all in Chinese. 

I stepped inside and strong, tangy smells of sauces, noodles and seafood hit me. I smiled as I took a seat on a table for two. Checking the time, I realised I was just a few minutes early. 

Grabbing the menu card, I went through the dishes, trying to see if there were any that I know of. Chow mein sounded delicious. I was a big fan of noodles. I could also go for a bowl of fried rice. 

I felt blessed to be a girl who could eat without gaining a pound. Thank God, because if I had to be picky with what entered my body, I would've gone insane. 

I looked back at the clock and another half hour had passed. What could be taking him so long?

'He is coming...right?'

That night, I'd been stood up.

Not by a random guy from the bar who asked me out, but from the guy who's had my first crush and the one who'd had my love.

~ooooOOOoooo~