A month had gone by, and ever since that night with Margaret, I cannot believe that I am fine of having the same routine over and over again without feeling bored or anything. A combination of teasing and loving feels so perfect, especially towards someone who has your life and soul. It feels like a dream come true. A dream where both parties in a relationship is fine with the teasing. I just can't wait to see her again.
Walking around the campus ground, just to find where Margaret could be. Since I can't find her yet, might as well listen to some music while looking for her. Snatching my phone, plugging in my earphones. I let out a sigh, since Spotify knows what's the listener's feelings, perhaps I could press shuffle to see what perfect song that'll explain my life.
Oh, great. Thanks for the FM Static, Spotify. This might be the first time I'll appreciate the shuffle feature of this app. This is so perfect! So perfect that I could just sing the lyrics as I walk around the campus ground, looking for the girl who has my heart.
Each second of me trying to find Margaret is a second that pains my chest. Perhaps she overslept, and she's late, or maybe she's looking for me as I look for her. I chuckle under my breath, that would be hilarious, knowing that she's also frantically looking for me the same way I look for her.
A random question just entered my brain, does Margaret have a brother? Wait a minute, all this time I've been hanging out with Margaret, she hadn't-even once-mentioned her family. Not to jump into conclusion, but perhaps there's something wrong? God, what am I thinking? There's no way there's something wrong with Margaret's family since she's like a cheerful person I have ever known. Unless, she's hiding something...
Enough talking to myself, let me just enjoy the song and what awaits me in this future. Besides, if Margaret had a problem, she can't always tell me and I would gladly help her out. If she needs me, that I shall grant her wish. Not even once in my life I would think such cheesy things, but here we are, can't expect the unexpected.
A tap on my shoulder caught my attention. Turning my head over my shoulder to see whoever taps me, and removing one ear plug from my ear. Part of me was hoping it was Margaret, but I felt disappointed because I saw Jasmine with a gleeful smile instead. "Hey, what's up?" I fully faced my whole body to her.
"Hey, Jacob!" She still has that gleeful smile. Well, at least some of us are happy to see one another. "So, I want to talk about my birthday party."
Oh, crap. I completely forgot about her birthday party. "Oh yeah, it's on December 27, right?" I scratch the back of my head, hoping that I'm right about the date.
"Correct, but I moved the party." She puts her both hands behind her back like a child begging for some spare change to a parent. She may look cute, but unfortunately, my heart already belongs to someone. Still, it wouldn't hurt to help out a friend, right?
"Why did you move the party?" I raise an eyebrow at her, waiting for her answer.
"Well, I've found out that there will be a meteor shower on December 21 at midnight." She looks excited than she should be. I mean, it's just a meteor shower. Granted, it rarely happens, but it's just meteors flying near the Earth's atmosphere. "So, why not have a party at night where there's a beautiful event in the night sky, right?"
"That sounds like a lovely party." I force an appreciative smile at her.
"It is, and I hope you'll be there with a camera?" She tilts her head to the side to fully read my facial expression.
Fuck, the camera. Margaret would understand that I'm doing this for a friend, right? I think she'll understand, she's the most understanding person I ever know. "Yeah, I'll be there."
"Great! See ya there!" She waves a goodbye at my direction before walking to the opposite direction. I wave back at her, silently cursing at myself.
How the hell am I gonna convince Margaret that I still need the camera? It's just helping a friend out on her birthday, it wouldn't hurt. Before I could even think of an excuse to borrow her camera, I first need to find her.
As I walk around the corridor, one question keeps repeating on my mind, "Where's that woman?" I tried to check the Arts Room, maybe she's finishing her self-portrait, but she ain't there. I let out a deep sigh, where is she? Glancing at my watch, and it's time for Photography class. That's the only place where I can surely find Margaret. If she ain't there, then where would she be?
Entering through the door, and glancing around the room. She's not here. A huge frown just forms onto my face. This was my last chance to find her, but she ain't here. Where could she possibly be? I try to snatch my phone to send her a messa-
Someone behind me bump into me as they enter the room. "Hey, does it kill you to say excuse me?" I bite back an annoyance in me.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't saw you there." His voice sound so cold yet familiar.
Slowly turning around behind me, and seeing Amon with indescribable facial expression. "What the hell, dude? You didn't saw me here?"
"Sorry, I couldn't see you from my line of sight."
I point a finger in front of his face, "It's not because you're an inch taller than me that it's acceptable to use my height against me." He never confronted me in this way before, but I guess he found the courage to do so. "Why are you such an ass to me?"
There's a slight change in his expression, and that slight change had something to do with his eyebrow. "Why?" He echoes back at me. "Well, you're supposed to be my friend, but instead you stole Margaret from me."
So, it's about Margaret, huh? "Stole her?" I echo back at his frustrated face. "She chose me! Not you!" I tried my best not to raise my voice too much, just to avoid attention as much as possible.
"I thought you don't like her, but I guess once you've found out that I like her, you got jealous, huh?" He lets out a cold chuckle, "I wouldn't be surprised if Margaret got tired from your annoying and impulsive behavior."
Just by that, I snap. I couldn't help but release all this anger now. I punch him right straight to his jaw, and he stumbles back slightly, but he strikes back. It was never my fault that Margaret didn't choose Amon. It was never my fault that I accidentally caught feelings for her. But it was my fault to let Margaret get tangled in my mess. It was my fault that I didn't untangle this as soon as possible. But that doesn't mean that I can't change for Margaret.
I feel a hard-strong hand on my shoulder as it pulls me away from Amon. Glancing back to whoever pulls me away from the fucker, and I already felt the world crushing down on me. "Both of you, to the Principal's office!" Mr. Winchester shout at the both of us. "I don't tolerate such childish behavior in my class!"
Well, this is officially the worst day of my life ever. Great, and I got to spend time with the principal with this asshole. Is there anything that would make my day even more miserable?
The ticking of the clock is the only thing that echoes to this cold, cold room. Mr. Parker, the principal of this campus and also the father of Yuri Parker. Part of me is feeling a bit embarrassed since it's Yuri's father, and Yuri is bound to know that one of his friends was sent to the Principal's office. The other part of me is still furious towards Amon, the man who's silently sitting right next to me.
I don't know how many minutes have gone by, but it feels like it's been a decade. Neither me and Amon have spoken a single word during this. The only noise in this cold room are from the ticking clock and Mr. Parker's coughing. I'm convinced that Mr. Parker is only coughing to cue us to talk, but neither of us doesn't have the guts to speak.
"Aren't you guys going to speak?" He leans forward from his seat, scowling at us. Especially to me, the scowl seems to feel angrier when his eyes meets mine.
I glance at Amon, who's quite busy staring at the ceiling. Who am I to judge him? This is his first time being sent to the Principal's office. Besides, I feel it would be better not to provoke the bastard even more, especially where there's a risk of us being suspended or perhaps get expelled.
Mr. Parker sighs and leans his back to his chair. I glance at my watch just to see how many more minutes to do the silent treatment. Grunting softly under my breath, 8 more minutes. I try to make myself comfortable by leaning back to my chair and rest left legs onto my right. The least of my worries is to get suspended, since it's only our first strike, there will be no expelling. But the thing I'm worried about is, what if Margaret found out I was sent to the Principal's office? Now that's something I prefer not to happen.
Mr. Parker glance over the clock and sighs, "You two calm yourself up." He points his fingers at us. "You two are lucky I didn't choose to suspend the both of you. It seems like it's just a fight between friends anyway, so you two should sort this out yourselves." He scowls at me, then at Amon. "You guys are grown adults, there's no excuse for you to act like children when both of you have a disagreement to one another." He quickly glances at the clock, and slowly stand up from his seat. "Once you guys are out, I want you two to sort your problems. Now, get out!"
Amon immediately stand up and head out the door before I can. I'm guessing he wants to avoid sorting this out just yet. It's fine, I'll rather give him some space to think that he's the one who's in the wrong here.
Come on Jacob, breath in, breath out. I head out the door, relief flow through my soul that I can now hear multiple noises instead of that annoying ticking from the clock. Now, back to my main goal, to find Margaret.
I walk around the campus looking for her. To my luck, she's nowhere to be found, but I found her roommate. Maybe he knows where she is. I jog towards him and tap his shoulder. He turns around with such gleeful expression. Well, at least one of us is having a good time today.
"Noah, hey!" Not sure what to do with my hands, so in result I place them both in my pocket.
He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms over his chest. "What is it, Lover Boy?"
"Lover Boy?" I give him a puzzling look, raising an eyebrow. Oh my God, don't tell me he already knows between me and Margaret.
He chuckles, "Well, I know all about you and Margaret."
"Did she tell you?"
He grins widely, "Of course she told me." He scoffs softly under his breath. "Why wouldn't she?"
I let out a deep breath, "At least you didn't tell her that you're the reason how I know the address of your dorm, right?" He cringes for a moment. "You told her, didn't you?"
His lips go flat, "Maybe..."
I massage the space between my eyes, trying not to get angry at the promise he broke. "Speaking of Margaret, where is she?"
"Oh, you don't know?" His head tilts to the side with a shock on his face.
"Know what?" Should I suppose to know something about Margaret's disappearance today? If so, what is it?
"Mind me asking what date it is right now?" He snatches out his phone from his pocket, tapping lightly on whatever it is on his phone.
I snatch my phone to check on the date today, "It's November 16." Glancing back at him with his eyebrow slightly raise as if trying to tell me something telepathically. November 16. After a minute of me trying to figure out what Noah is trying to tell me, I let out a loud Oh sound from my mouth. Fuck today is Margaret's birthday; how could I forget? But that still doesn't tell me where she is, "It's her birthday today, but where is she?"
"Well, usually she hangs out with her friends from other campuses." he scratch his chin. "But don't worry, Lover Boy, she'll be back." He gives me a quick wink in my direction.
"She has other friends?"
He crossed his arms over his chest once again, "As much as I want to join your sarcastic remarks about Margaret, that still doesn't cover up how you just forgot about her birthday."
Well, she's hanging out with her other friends, might as well find a perfect gift for her while she's away. The question is, what would be that perfect gift? What the hell am I doing asking myself that question? I have her best friend right in front of me. "One last question."
"Hmm?" He gives me a quizzical look.
"What does she want in her life?"
"What do you mean?" he tilts his head to his side, the puzzled expression slowly forming on his face. "Deep stuff that can change her life or something that she can nurture throughout her life?"
I can already tell that he's one of the active students in philosophy. "The latter."
"Okay," he clears his throat. "If I were you, I would buy her something that's related to her sexuality."
I give him a perplexed gaze, "Okay, now I'm lost."
He lets out a loud annoyed groan, "You do know her sexuality, right?"
"Yeah, she's an asexual demiromantic."
"So, why not buy her something that's related to that?" He did that weird hand motion as if I'm a child trying to learn stuff. "I don't know, perhaps an asexual flag. Since she doesn't have one yet." He makes sure every word that he said slowly went in my ear.
"Okay, that's perfect for her." I snap my fingers, "Thank you so much!"
"No problem!" He shouts in my direction as I walk away.
I can't wait to see her expression when she sees me handing her an asexual flag. It's also perfect for her, since she'll be able to be prideful about her sexuality. The sexuality that doesn't have that much attention as the other labels, but it's still valid nonetheless.