– Zach –
I wake up to a series of spam from this...'GSG group chat' that Daniel had added me into last night. I don't even want to know how he got my number.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I briskly scroll through the spam and try to pick out the few important messages that I am meant to read. I squint as I try to make out the tiny words on the screen.
Dear Glendiators...
I pause. Who the heck came up with that?
...thank u for attending our very first club meeting. Our next gathering will be on Thurs, same location. Don't forget to keep ur GSG badge visible at all times, u won't know who is looking out for us!
I put my phone away and attempt to continue snoozing. Wednesday is the only day I can sleep in considering there are no classes in the morning. Besides, I'll just save time by grabbing a bagel from that bakery on the way and some espresso to make sure I won't doze off in Mr. Lee's class again.
Then, my phone starts ringing.
Without looking at the caller, I swipe right and flop against my pillow.
"Hello?" I drone.
"Why didn't you reply me?" A frantic voice speaks, prompting me to check the number.
"Um..." I trail off, barely recognizing the stranger on the other side.
"It's an emergency, damn it." She hisses frantically. "And I don't want to complain to Daniel about not having a responsive partner, literally."
Terra.
"I need you here, right now, it's an emergency." She repeats. "Wait, are you still in bed?"
"Yes."
"Noooo, you have to wake up." she drones and I can feel her stress levels heightening. "I'll be at the library. Okay bye."
She hangs up and I am once again, clueless. I like how she assumes I'm onboard with the idea without waiting to hear what I have to say. I like even more how I am going to sacrifice my sleep because I'm going to listen to her.
At least my sarcasm isn't compromised.
I guess it is safe to conclude that people tend to make weird choices when the mind is still foggy.
I peel myself off the comfy sheets and force myself into the shower, momentarily forgetting about the freezing water. Of course, the heaters are off in the morning.
Good job, Zach.
I wash up and slip on a pair of jeans and a grey shirt, not bothering to check if it is clean. I rub my eyes and take a quick look around the room. It is just as messy as a month ago when I told myself I'd clean it. I probably should.
Clicking the bathroom door shut, I randomly brush my damp hair with a towel as my last attempt to dry it and leave the room, only to return seconds later to retrieve my jacket since it is still cold, just like that damn shower.
Just as planned, I drop by the bakery for a bagel and drain a double-shot espresso instead for an added boost. I manage to reach Glenworth in just a little over fifteen minutes, so I should expect Terra to be somewhat appreciative, but she skips that part and goes straight down to business.
It's okay.
"What's so important that I have to abandon my sleep for?" I ask as I stand in front of the table she is sitting, no, hiding behind.
"I'm not going to talk to you until you sit down." She sulks, crouching behind the chair in a fetal position. She looks even tinier like that.
Refusing to delay, I do as I am asked and wait for her to explain. She sneaks a peek at me to make sure that I'm no longer standing and drags herself off the floor, finally settling down.
Regarding what she was doing, I have so many questions, but I'm too lazy to ask.
"Um..." she clears her throat, suddenly nervous. "I just realized that this is going to sound stupid."
"I am already here." I say matter-of-factly.
"Fine, I'll just say it." She takes a deep breath while clenching her fists. "It's about a guy."
"...okay." I nod slowly, secretly thinking about what to have for lunch.
"He's..." she swallows. Mac and cheese sounds good, but then again, pizza.
"...my ex." She blurts, and that's all it took to catch my attention. So she has some sort of dating experience, after all.
She pauses, then she starts slapping herself. It's normal, it has to be.
We've been partners for less than twenty-four hours and she is prepared to tell me something she seems to have not told anyone else before. I didn't think the support group could work.
"Okay." I say while propping my arms up with my elbows against the table, covering part of my face as I allow the afterthought of pizza to linger a little longer.
She groans in frustration while burying her face in her hands.
"I saw him this morning, on campus. He's really here." She depletes.
"He studies here?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"He's not supposed to, why is he here?" she hisses as she slams her head against the hard table, earning a dirty look from the librarian. Never mind that, that looked like it could really hurt. "I thought I didn't have to see him anymore."
"Where did you see him?" I ask.
"He was standing in front of room 4-2. I sort of panicked and ran as far as I could to hide." She admits.
"4-2?" I contemplate. "That's where my class is at."
"What?" she gapes, looking alert.
"My class with Mr. Lee." I elaborate. "Is he studying art, by any chance?"
"Yes." Terra replies instantly. "He has this interest in designing illustrations. He wasn't that great when we were dating, but according to his social media profiles, he seems to have improved a lot."
"What's his name?" I ask.
She hesitates. She probably wasn't planning on revealing his identity, but now that we've gotten this far, it is rather tempting for me to know.
"Or you could just give an initial." I suggest instead.
"No." she refuses. "It shouldn't be a problem for you to know. You just gotta promise me that you'll keep your mouth shut about this or I will make your life miserable." She threatens. I refrain from commenting on the bright red patch that has formed on her forehead.
"Okay." I say. "It's not like I have anyone to gossip to, anyway."
"Not even Luke!" She adds abruptly, unintentionally raising her voice.
I nod.
I watch as she takes a deep breath, and I can't help but wonder why she wanted to talk to me about this at all. Isn't this the kind of things girls would share with each other?
"His name is James." She says finally, sighing while rolling her shoulders back, almost as if a weight had been lifted.
I'd ask if his surname is Bond, but this probably isn't the right time.
"How does he look like?" I ask instead.
"Ugly." She replies sourly without thought. She must have decided that a long time ago.
"I'll keep that in mind." I utter.
Terra starts making weird noises while wigwagging randomly. She almost looks like an animal that is mutating into its final form. She just looks like an animal, period. It's best that she doesn't know that though. I assume this is how she expresses herself when she is feeling a strong combination of confusion, frustration and possibly embarrassment. I make a mental note as a way to prepare myself the next time if we're ever caught in the same situation.
Come to think of it, she was exactly like this yesterday when I may have insulted her height.
"I don't think I can deal with seeing him again." She stutters. "What if he sees me too? Is he gonna come over and talk to me? Hell no, I'll punch him if he comes close. I should file a restraining order."
She's thinking out loud again.
"He said he was going overseas for his degree or something. Why is he here?!" she growls, her eyes on fire. "Oh, did he fail?"
I decide against interrupting. Terra seems like the type that just needs a listener and she'll figure things out on her own. She sighs for what feels like the hundredth time this morning.
"I just needed to get this off my chest and I didn't want to talk to Abby, mainly because she is too popular and is prone to letting things slip. Besides, like you said, you have no friends, you wouldn't have anyone to gossip to if you wanted." She says ingenuously.
"Thanks." I comment
"Hey, you're pretty blunt yourself." She grins cheekily.
"Touché." I say.
"And since we're being so honest, I feel terrible for waking you up just to hear me rant about an ugly ex. I just need to rant, and Siri isn't exactly the best at conversations." She laughs humorlessly while resting her chin on her hand. "And also, you don't use a comb, do you?"
I raise a brow, subconsciously running a hand through my hair.
"I just don't bother buying one because I misplace it all the time." I say frankly. "And also, I sort of rushed here from my sleep."
"Oh, um, well, you can go back to sleep now." She beams, somewhat apologetic. "Right, while you do that, I need to go to class."
"Sure." I say and begin thinking of various ways to sleep without being noticed.
She gets up from her seat, appearing a little more fidgety than before. She looks around quickly and I realize she is feeling self-conscious.
"There's nothing wrong with being tiny." I say and she whips her head towards me. "You could get away with calling yourself...fun-sized."
"Somehow, it sounds like an insult when it is coming from you." She scowls before turning away.
I watch her trod off in her navy blue bag pack, her black oversized sweater swallowing her petite frame. She leaves with a negative remark, but before she disappears, I caught a glimpse of her smiling.
* * *
I put my hands in my pockets and walk straight into class. Taking my usual seat, we wait quietly for Mr. Lee to begin the lesson. Attendance is close to perfect now, which makes it the right time for me to start my observation.
My eyes dart from one end of the room to the other, trying my best to remember names and faces. There are more girls than guys, so it shouldn't be that difficult. Mr. Lee starts speaking and I catch myself spacing out. For the first time in a while, I'm actually starting to care about something that isn't work related.
"Good news!" Mr. Lee exclaims. "Since most of you have done well in your first assignment, we can now move on directly to your second assignment."
A few shoulders slouch followed by sounds of objection.
"Now, this is serious. This holds at least twenty percent of your total score, so don't you give me that attitude." Mr. Lee warns. "In this assignment, I'll be able to test just how much you were paying attention in the last class."
"Shit." The girl in front of me cusses silently and her friend snickers.
"The theme for this assignment will be..." Mr. Lee pauses as he writes some fancy word on the whiteboard. "Typography!"
A combination of excitement and dread can be heard from around the room and Mr. Lee beams with a look of content. He seems to enjoy seeing the miserable faces of his students.
"Let's spice things up a little." He sings. "This is a pair assignment. I'll allow you to choose who you want to work with, but this will also mean that it is not my responsibility if you have trouble working together. However, remember that no one likes a freeloader."
Heads start turning as people begin calling dibs on who they want to pair with. This probably means I should get going too. Great.
Before I can initiate, someone approaches me.
"Hey, wanna be partners?" he asks confidently. The first thing I notice is his jet-black hair and big toothy smile, the kind of smile that you would see girls drooling over to be specific. I peer over his shoulder and see a few girls looking disappointed. Yep, he's definitely the chick magnet.
"Sure." I respond nonchalantly and he grins. He extends a hand to shake mine and I accept it.
"I'm Zach." I introduce first.
"Yeah, I heard a lot about you." He nods. "I'm James."
My jaw hardens.
"I heard a lot about you too." I say coolly.
"Really?" he looks flabbergasted. "What did you hear exactly?"
"Ah, I heard that you're good with illustrations." I pretend to think.
"Oh, you did? Whoa, I wonder who said that." He says, sounding flattered.
"I can't remember." I lie, "Someone who you left an impression on, perhaps."
"That hardly narrows it, does it?" he jokes and I raise a brow.
So he's the vain, good-looking popular guy who turns every hallway into his personal runway, by just stepping foot on it. He's that one guy that people will read in teen fiction novels, the one that sweeps people off their feet simply by smiling and gets his own lighting effects in the background. He's the guy every boy wishes to be and every girl wishes to be with.
This is the guy Terra dated?
He turns around and winks at someone, presumably a girl, and I instantly regret agreeing to his offer.
He better not wink at me, damn.
xxx
A/N: Can we just please take a moment to appreciate wattpad's amazing work for introducing the multimedia feature? Think of all the visuals we can now include in our story! :D Thank you, wattpad team! First visual is handed to our dear Zach sleeping, I'm sure he is flattered, not that he can feel.
This chapter is dedicated to cookiemonsterest, you've been there with me from the very beginning, from being a huge supporter of MCH and coming all this way to SE too :') thank you, I am truly blessed to have a friend like you here on wattpad! <3
Thanks for reading guys, I appreciate each and every read, vote and comment :) see you in the next chapter! :D
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