on the REBOUND (On Hold)

Chapter 5

"Hershey 08! This way please, follow me!" A tiny Asian girl in an oversized blue camp shirt frantically waves the giant silver Hershey Kiss atop of a long stick she's holding. "Hershey 08! This way, this way!" She squeaks and disappears from sight as everyone towers over her. Tim, Chad and I, along with a couple of other students in my group squeeze and manoeuvre our way through the chattering crowd and follow the giant silver Hershey Kiss bobbing out of the Hall.

The tiny Asian girl leads us to a clearing beside a large row of sky blue lockers where the slogan "EVERYDAY DESERVES A KISS 💋" is artistically graffitied. The next row of lockers belongs to Mars. ("PLEASURE YOU CAN'T MEASURE 🍌"). Tasha and Tyler's orientation group settles there, and Tasha gives me a wink before resuming conversation with a girl with auburn hair. I turn my gaze to Tyler and the world is a more amazing place already.

"Hi Hershey 08! I'm Jae Hee, your OGL! I'm gonna take attendance now! Chad Phil Weber?"

"Aye!"

" Yuki Watanabe?"

"Hai."

"Warner Wiggers?"

"Yo."

"Oh my, are you Clare's brother!" Chad exclaims. "Woah dayum, you are as hot as your sister!" He punches Warner's biceps and scowls at the hardness.

"You a gay?" Yuki asks.

"See?" Chad turns to me. "No one compliments someone of their own gender unless they're gay."

"Oh, let it go." I moan.

Tim bursts out in the Frozen theme song.

"Okay. Moving onnnnn." Jae Hee continues. "Natalie Smith? Nicole Smith?"

"Hey y'all!" The blonde-haired twins chorus.

"Betts Haywood?"

"Present! You can call me Haywood!"

"Tim Hutts?"

"Gift. You can call me Tonight."

It's ridiculous but I can't help but snort at Tim's smart alec reply. I have a feeling we are gonna be great friends.

" Ok everyone please listen up. I will now assign you your dance partners for the Orientation Finale night." Jae Hee continues.

"Wait, what?" Yuki peels her eyes off her Bejewelled game and frowns.

"Oh yes! You will all do a mass dance tomorrow evening. Don't worry, it's not difficult and who knows... You may meet your Prince Charming." Jae Hee teases Yuki, who pretends to gag.

"The allocation is by random: Warner with Nat, Tim with Nicole, Chad and Yuki..."

"Greatttt. I get pansy boy." Yuki says jokingly.

"Haywood, your partner Kai can't make it for whole orientation program so I guess you'll have to dance with me then!" Jae Hee smiles apologetically. I smile at her gratefully.

"Yay, I get a cute GIRL!" I tease Chad playfully.

We soon begin a silly game of Wacko. You know, the game in which you have to shout someone else's name before the fella in the centre with the rolled-up newspaper hits you? Tyler's OG is playing the same game. Gosh, his hair is so mesmerising. I just wanna go up there and run my fingers through it. But then... I'll want more. I'll want his fingers intertwined with mine. I'll want his arms around me. I'll want...

"HAYWOOD!" I get jolted back to reality as Warner hollers my name.

"NAT NAT NAT!" I shriek and put my hands up as Chad flies at me with the rolled up newspaper. He turns tail and dives for one of the blonde twins, whacking her hard on the head.

"Dude I'm Nicole."

"Aw, come onnn, this isn't fair. You guys even wear the same earrings. How am I supposed to tell y'all apart?" Chad whines.

"You can't." They say at the same time.

A sly grin creeps onto Chad's face. "Does this mean... If I see Nat's tits, I see Nicole's tits?"

The twins glare at him.

"Hi everyone! To balance the gender ratio so our dear Haywood won't be deprived of a chance to hold a boy, I made a risky bet and won Hershey 07's golden boy!" Jae Hee announces dramatically. "Let's say hi to LOGAN MCDOUGALL!"

Logan steps out from behind the lockers. The girls swoon. Even Yuki is dumbfounded for a good two seconds. Chad makes eye contact with me and begins to swoon too. "Oh look, it's the great Achilles himself ~~" he simpers. Logan's blue eyes darken as they fall upon me. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" I look away quickly. Ah, nuts, why the hell do I keep bumping into this guy? Couldn't I have, by some magical stroke of luck, gotten Tyler?

"Wow, Jae Hee, what bet did you make? Can I get a hunk too?" Yuki's eyes rake Longan McDonald's firm and lean body before looking at Chad as though he were gum on her shoe. Chad scowls in return.

"I bet the Hershey 07 OGL I could lick my elbow." Jae Hee says simply.

"Ooo, the only thing I lick are my lips." Yuki's flicker back to Logan.

"Oh Yuki, I'm sure Chad has a great personality. Ok everyone, I'm sure you are well-acquainted with each other! Let's head back to the Hall to learn the first mass dance, shall we!" Jae Hee starts tugging everyone from their sitting positions as though she's harvesting carrots. She grabs the giant silver Hershey Kiss and proceeds to lead us back to the Hall. Tyler and Tasha's group follow us.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Tasha grabs my arm. "Tyler's my dance partner! Who's yours?"

"Longan McDonald." I groan. "Trade you any day."

"Are you serious? I am sooo envious. Imagine getting whisked away in Logan's sturdy arms while looking at his impeccable face. Shit, I'd pay to touch the guy." Tasha sneaks Logan a peek.

***

How will Haywood's first dance session with Logan be like? Will she ever get Tyler's attention? Stay tuned!

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