The door to the planetarium is wide open when I arrive at the science building. I take a seat near the center where Professor Astor was standing last time. Only a handful of students are here and the room quiet and has a pleasant temperature.
I have my notes on my lap and begin to reread them for the fifth time for the time being. More students fill the room and sit down in silence. Even though I'm nervous to face the professor again, I do like the atmosphere in here. Pun unintended. Pik takes the seat next to me with a smile.
"You look beautiful today," is the first thing he says. "I made a promise and I intend to keep it."
I try to ignore his comment to avoid the rising heat in my cheeks. I was hoping he had forgotten about the promise he made in the library last week.
"You weren't lying when you said you'd be early," he says as he opens his notes.
"I thought we weren't supposed to be talking in here," I whisper.
"Astor isn't here yet. We're still at liberty," he jokes.
"Do you like him? The professor I mean."
"I guess," he shrugs. "He's so friendly and cheerful."
"Ha, right."
"Joke aside, he seems like a jerk but he's not so bad if you follow his instructions."
"I must have left a great first impression..."
"My first impression with him was pretty bad too. But now he likes me. God knows why."
"What was your first impression?" I am curious.
"I was really loud, trying to be a smart ass. I would be late, leave early, make jokes... I was the worst type of student. Still am, just not in here," he gives me a playful smile. "He also hates the theater, so no plus points on that front either."
"How did you make him like you? Are you a spy? Who do you work for? Tell me your secrets."
"Look at you making a joke," he laughs and pushes his hair back. "This all happened last year in his astrophysics class. I realized my mistakes and made up for them by paying attention and following the rules. I might even apply to becoming his assistant, but he already has two students filling that position."
"I thought you said you're studying the arts, why are you taking so many solar physics classes?"
"I like the stars," he smirks and shrugs.
"Well played, using my own words against me."
"Silence!" A harrowing voice calls from the back, sending chills down my spine.
Professor Astor shuts the doors and starts his presentation at a fast pace before he even arrives in the center. Pik shows me his notebook, in which he has written in all caps *THERE GOES OUR LIBERTY* with a comical drawing of Professor Astor in a super villain pose, raising his arms for demonic laughter. Pik added a third eye, like that of a snake, and a dark hood. The amount of talent I see in front of me stuns me. I open my notebook and write into the corner in tiny cursive *That's impressive*.
His eyes light up and he rips that corner out before I can stop him. When I give him a scolding look he winks at me and turns his attention to the nebula above our heads. It's quite beautiful. This class would be far more enjoyable if I wouldn't be so nervous about the professor's opinion or Pik treating our lecture like a date.
The two hour class goes by pretty quickly. While everyone gets up to leave when class is over, I take some final notes and mark the pages of my textbook that we have to read until next week. Pik gets up to leave but waits for a second until I look up at him.
"See you tomorrow?" He says with a smug expression.
"Tomorrow?"
"My gig."
"Er..." I should just tell him that I'm not coming.
"Here, you can keep this," he hands me the page from his notebook with the Professor's drawing.
"What? I can't take this."
"Huh? Why not?"
"Because. It's really good."
"Frame it then," he laughs. "It's just a skribble. Seriously, take it."
I accept his gift and place it in my book next to the postcard Impa gave me earlier.
"Thank you," I smile and hope that no one saw that.
"You should do that more often," he says.
"Do what more often?"
"Smile. You're already breathtaking, but when you smile..." his eyes take in my flushed cheeks. "Just wow. It's like your beauty really shines when you smile. The moon is stunning but nothing tops a sunset."
I don't know what to say. He smiles from ear to ear, knowing damn well that I'm speechless. He leaves the planetarium and I'm almost done with my notes. Just one more info to highlight and then I'm meeting Impa at the stadium. Now I'm getting really nervous. What if Link still refuses to talk to me? I have to try. I can't keep going like this for the rest of the semester.
The sun is already setting when I step outside. It'll be dark by the time the game is over. The game... Oh, I'm so nauseous. I wish it was already over. My heart is pounding a million miles per hour and with every step I take toward the stadium it beats heavier.
Impa texted me her seat number, I just have to find her. The stadium is bright, noisy, and once again filled to the brim. I have to cover my ears while I'm passing the many rows of screeching fangirls. My annoyance toward them has not decreased since the last game I attended. I finally find Impa and take the empty seat next to her.
"Hey!" Impa hugs me with one arm, her eyes don't leave the game. "It's still 0:0. Link is off his game today. We're lucky our goal keeper hasn't let the other team score. But there are 20 minutes left, so anything can happen."
"Link hasn't scored yet? That's a first."
"I know right? During warm ups his eyes kept searching the audience. Think he was looking for you?"
"No. He hasn't looked at me in days, remember?"
"Are you excited?" she asks, her eyes glued to the field.
"More nervous, really."
"I meant about the game," she smirks.
"Duh, me too," I lie.
I take a first glance at the field now and immediately search for Link. He's chasing the ball, unable to snatch it from the other team. I wonder if his injured ribs are the reason for his lack of success. Or perhaps he didn't study his tactics well enough. He looks so frustrated, making me all the more nervous to talk to him after the game. I hope they win, so that he'll be in a good mood when I confront him.
"You look uncannily pale, have some sugar," Impa states and hands me her drink.
I take a sip and almost spit it out. I hate Mountain Dew.
"I'll get myself a Sprite from the vending machine," I say and get up. "Want anything?"
She shakes her head. I leave my backpack with her but take my wallet with me.
On my way back I stop near the front row when I spot Link on the opponent's side, finally owning the ball. He's getting so close to the goal, this might be it! A player from the other team tries to trip him. I make an involunatry step forward, scared for Link's wellbeing. Link tricks the guy by passing the ball over his head and dodging the other players in a perfect slalon. The stadium is roaring and quaking like a cage of wild, starving animals. This game is their feast.
Link is surrounded by players from both teams, unable to get a clear path, but he takes his shot! The ball flies past his opponents and teammates to the upper left corner of the goal. The keeper hurls himself into the air and holds the ball with the tips of his fingers, throws himself to the ground, and shields the ball with his whole body. I find it difficult to breathe. That was so close, and yet...
Link looks disappointed, clawing his own hair for just a second before he pulls himself together and puts the mask that veils his true feelings back on. I'm surprised they haven't subbed him yet. I look at the bench, where Domidak is sitting like a child too small for the rollercoaster. He wants to take part in this but he can't. While I can sympathize with that feeling of having your dreams out of reach, at least I found a way to follow my dreams by compromising an agreement with the one in charge. Others don't even get that choice. Domidak can't just offer perfect grades in exchange for a soccer career if there's someone who's simply better.
I hear a whistling sound and look back at the players on the field. The ref is holding a yellow card and I'm relieved to see that it doesn't involve Link. But where is he? When I find him a few feet away from the scene, my heart skips five beats.
"He's looking at me!" A girl behind me chirps.
"You wish! He's looking at me!" her friend screeches.
I hate to disappoint both of you earsplitting howler monkeys, but Link is unquestionably looking at me. My eyes can't leave his gaze. He looks utterly taken aback by my unanticipated appearance and I think we're both unsure how to act right now. I can't tell if he looks angry, sad, or simply confused to see me here, and only when another whistle pulls me back to reality do I realize that I don't even know what expression my own face was holding just now.
The second the game continues, Link has the ball and kicks it toward the opponents goal. The ball bolts across the whole field and stays high up in the air for a few seconds before it collides with the net. It takes the whole stadium a quick moment to process what just happened, but then the audience howls from the excitement and cries their tears of joy.
People are hugging each other, jumping up and down like popcorn in a pot, and cheering for the eagles. The coach is clapping his hands over his head and exhibits a cosmic smile while his team storms toward Link to shower him with hugs. He looks at me as he's being tackled by his teammates. Maybe I've gone mad, but I could have sworn there was a tiny smile on his lips when he looked at me just now. Now his team is blocking the view and I return to my seat next to Impa.
"Did I miss anything?" I say calmly.
"I don't think you did, judging by your enormous grin."
I hide my mouth behind my wallet. Was I smiling?
I start to prepare some sentences in my mind that I want to use when I talk to Link in a little while. Only 10 minutes remain until the end of the game... I'm getting so nervous! But at least Link's mood has lightened up. I just hope the other team doesn't score a point in the final minutes of the game.