I was annoyingly honking my car horn whilst Stacey seemed to enjoy everything in front of her. She cheered as the little girl in front of our car tried to move a motorcycle that was parked in the middle of the road. The girl looked like she was merely Sam's age but taller than him. And the bike apparently was too large for her to carry. We had just left the mansion and the girl I suppose lived in the apartment that was opposite our house.
"I think we should help her." Stacey volunteered.
I shrugged my shoulders for her to go ahead. When she was about to get out of the car a guy came from behind our car and in the direction of the girl. He had his back towards us so I couldn't see his face. He said something to the girl and the girl scowled at him and went off inside the building. He took hold of the handlebars, got himself seated, put on the helmet and drove off without even bothering to apologise to us for blocking the road that way.
I huffed with disbelief and started the car.
"Wasn't he cool?" Stacey spoke when we were halfway down the road.
"Cool? Really Stace?" I quirked a brow.
She chuckled and covered her mouth with her hand. "You know Ashie, sometimes I say things to just get a reaction from you and look at those amazing expressions you give!"
I grinned at her and shook my head as we entered the car park of the school.
We went over to the spot where Joey and the group were standing when the bell rang signalling the start of the first lecture.
"Really?! I thought I could introduce Ashie to the group now!" Stacey whined and stomped her foot.
"It's okay babe! We've got lunch break." Joey said before pulling her into a kiss.
"I'm off Stace! Find me in the class when you're done!" I called out to her as I left for our Chemistry class.
I went to my locker and fetched my text book. I was walking to the class when I felt someone following me. I turned around to find the most gorgeous pair of black eyes smiling down at me.
"Are you following me?" I asked him.
"Good morning to you too." Raymond smiled at me.
"Why are you following me?" I asked sternly.
"I'm not. Why do you always greet me with a question?"
"Because you are annoying!" I threw up my hands in frustration.
He tilted his head to his right and watched me with an amused expression.
"What?" I said.
"Nothing!" he said shrugging his shoulders. "I have Chemistry too. Let's go."
And with that he started walking towards the class.
I shook my head and went on to catch up with him. Why was I even walking with him, I didn't know.
"So you had trouble on your way to school today morning?" He asked me once we were sat on our seats.
"What are you talking about?" I looked at him confused. Just then, I realised what he meant, and my jaw fell open, "Are you stalking Stace?"
He let out a low chuckle, "Now why would I do that?"
"I don't know. Maybe because you have something against Joey and you want to use Stace to take some kind of revenge. Is it so?"
I glared at him.
Disbelief covered his face and then he shook his head and I saw his hand coming towards my face. He lightly pinched my cheek and said, "You're cute."
Just then I saw Stacey enter the class followed by the teacher. She rushed to sit on my left as the seat on my right was taken by Raymond.
She was about to say something when the teacher brought to our attention about an assignment that needed to be done by the following week. I quickly scribbled the important details that she told in my work journal. I noticed Raymond eyeing me.
I turned to face him and hissed, "Stop being so creepy!"
"I see you've made already made friends with the playboy." That was Stacey from my left.
"He's not my friend." I pointed out to Stacey before turning to Raymond and realising I didn't really want to say anything to him. He had that famous boyish smirk on his face. I rolled my eyes and got back to my work.
The next two lectures that Stacey and I had on Social Psychology were free as Professor Lynch had fallen sick or that was what we were told. Joey too had one free lecture and the next he was ready to ditch. The three of us were walking in the corridor when Joey stopped by a class and I saw some familiar faces inside.
"We're all going together?" Stacey asked Joey and he nodded.
"What's going on?" I asked Stacey.
"Joey's asking the group to join us. It'll be fun!"
"Yeah, the more the merrier!" I faked enthusiasm.
Joey signalled two boys with his thumb pointing outside. The buys gave a curt nod and started a fake argument. They caught the professor's attention who walked towards them to settle the matter. The guys started yelling and swearing at each other and now the professor could no more handle the situation and he ordered them out of the class.
I found myself grinning at the situation as the boys walked out with a goofy smile on their faces.
"Hey man!" They both said to Joey.
It was now that I noticed that they were twins.
"You're twins!" I said voicing out what I was thinking.
"Yes Sherlock!"
"Daniel Gray"
"Finley Gray"
They said in unison and offered their hands. I took them with both of mine when I just realised, "Hey! Because you said your names together, I didn't get it. Who's who?"
Both the guys grinned. They had both black hair that were curly, sea green eyes and a well build frame. The only thing that was different between the two and the thing due to which I didn't realise they were twins until they were right in front of me was that one of them had a beard. And he was the first one to speak.
"I'm Finley. But call me Fin."
"I'm Daniel. But call me Dan."
I nodded in acknowledgement.
"Okay guys! Where's Ty and Em? We're getting late!" Joey spoke up and we all started walking towards the car park.
Stacey pulled out her phone and dialled a number.
"Em? Stacey. Where are you?"
Her expression widened at whatever 'Em' said and she started coughing. I went towards her and rubbed her back.
"All good babe?" Joey asked concerned.
"Oh. Nothing really. We were all going to go hang out someplace. You guys wanna join?" She said gaining composure.
"Okay. We'll be in the car park." She said and hung up.
"They'll be here in five minutes." Stacey said. "Okay, so where are we heading at?"
I noticed that she was trying to change the topic to hide some kind of disbelief and I decided best not to ask her now because she wouldn't tell me with everyone around.
"The mall?" Fin and Dan suggested.
"Looking at the time we got," Joey glanced at his watch, "that would be the only option."
I liked the idea. In fact, I loved it.
"Let's get going then!" I said.
"Ty just texted me. He'll meet us at the mall with Em." Joey said putting his phone back in his pocket.
"Fin, Dan and I will take my car." Joey said and turned to Stacey, "You coming with us babe?"
"Only if Ashie doesn't mind." She said looking at me.
I was about to say that I DID mind when I was interrupted.
"Ashley can come with me." Raymond said coming from I don't know where and put an arm around my shoulder.
I shook his arm away and turned to him to deny his offer when I was interrupted. AGAIN. This time by Stacey.
"Oh that would be great!" She clapped her hands excitedly and continued, "C'mon let's go!"
And they went to sit in Joey's BMW M3. Without even looking at me or listening to me. I turned around and bumped into an amused Raymond.
"Why are you always smiling?" I was so irritated.
"Why do you never smile?" was his prompt reply.
"I do smile." I argued back.
"Yeah, but that's a fake one. It never really reaches your eyes.
Smile. Not because life has many reasons to make you smile. But because your smile itself is the reason for someone else to smile."
"Whatever." I rolled my eyes and started walking towards my car. Just two steps taken and I was pulled by the arm to meet the hard of his chest. He was glaring at me. His eyes burning holes in mine. I tried to free my arm from his hold but his grip was too tight for me to do anything.
"Let go off me." I hissed staring straight into those dark eyes. I then realised that we were standing so close that I could see that his eyes were not entirely black. They were the darkest shade of blue around the iris. Beautiful. In that exact moment I saw a number of emotions in them. He was angry at me for a reason I didn't know. He was also dejected with something. He was lost in a memory which was clearly hurting him. I saw him longing for something. Or someone?
I wasn't aware of my hand involuntarily reaching out to touch his face. I placed my hand on his cheek and caressed it with my thumb. I saw him closing his eyes slowly and tilting his face to let it take a comfortable place in the palm of my hand. I saw him gain composure as he swallowed and gently placed his own hand that was gripping my arm over mine. I saw him open his eyes again and it was gone. All the anger, sadness, hurt that I had seen in his eyes moments before was now replaced with warmth, care, satisfaction. And happiness?
I pulled my hand away tenderly still not able to look away from his eyes. He smiled down at me and I felt my own lips forming a thin line.
Contagious.
He was contagious.
His smile was contagious.
"Not the one I want to see. But you're almost there." He said.
His gaze still holding me.
Locked.
I blinked shaking my head when I noticed we had company.
I had seen her before.
The redhead from the cheerleading group.
The redhead Raymond wanted to go out with.
I looked at Raymond who was still somewhere lost so I waved in front of him and he jerked a bit.
"Raymond I've been calling your name for a good five minutes now." The redhead put her hands on her hips trying to be all bossy.
"Abi! I'm so sorry I didn't hear you!" Raymond immediately went and held her by her shoulders.
She looked away.
"I'm sorry! Please forgive me." He was now pleading.
And I found this all so ridiculous. This girl, Abigail Finch --- I remember now --- was so full of tantrums. What did she think of herself? Just calling out someone and them not hearing could give her so much attention. I wasn't being judgemental. I would call it having an opinion. And Raymond? Just because he wanted her to go out with him didn't mean that he'll blow his self-esteem up for her! Pleading her to forgive him as if she was some princess and he was one of her maids and he had made some rubbish mistake of bringing the wrong shoes for her to wear and 'Oh! Now the princess was so angry! And if he didn't apologise he'll have to face her wrath!
"Please?" Raymond's voice brought me out of my inner nonsense thoughts.
She looked at him now and instantly cheered up.
Wow! If she wasn't upset, why all the drama?
"Okay." She said and caught his forearm pulling him to walk with her towards --- I suppose --- her car. "I have to show you somewhere. Come with me."
Raymond stopped and looked at me.
"Just give me a minute." He told Abigail and came to me.
"Give me your phone." He held his hand out to me and waited.
"Why?"
"Just do it. Hurry up!" He looked at Abigail and smiled.
I handed my phone to him and he did something with it before returning it to me.
"I've added my number to your contacts. Please call me later. I have to speak to you." He said and went away with her.
All that excitement I had for going to the mall had disappeared and was replaced by wonder. So I decided to head back home instead.