This was the rest of the original chapter I last posted, and some more.
And sorry for this chap. This is just to bridge the earlier chaps and the coming one. In other words, nothing really happens. The coming chaps are kinda important to the story, though.
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Rina
“Yes. No, I’m good. Really, I’m fine.”
I could already see a frown on her face when I heard, “I still don’t’ trust you.”
“Well, see for yourself this Friday.”
“Friday. Hmm, I am off from here at about midnight so with the time difference… yeah, should be there in the evening.”
“Cool. I’m picking you up.”
“Of course, you are. Come with that boy Steve.”
“I think I could manage that on my own.”
“It’s not becau…”
“Alright, alright. I’ll bring Liz along.”
“Alright,” came, with the audible sigh of satisfaction.
“Umm, Jen. A sec.”
I sealed the speaker with one hand and tried to catch her eye.
“Liz, maybe you should go ahead and wait there.”
“Nah, I’m fine. The bell hasn’t even rung yet. Just do you thing.”
She said and went back to her staring into the window and I went back to the conversation with Jen. It was some minutes into recess when she finally hung up. I looked around to find Liz still busy in a world of her own.
“Hey, what are you,… on Mars?” With an amused query, I linked arms with her and headed for the cafeteria.
“Just ……thinking thoughts.”
“Must really be some breakthrough for that brain!”
My amused grin took a halt when the expected reaction didn’t come. Instead she asked, “Who’s this Kim?”
And the good mood given by Jen was somewhat lost. I couldn’t have been any more sincere when I said to Kim that I was ready. But I got so hesitant when Liz asked.
And I know why. ‘cause I think, no, I know that once she knows about that part of my life, she’d …
“Well?”
“We ran into each other this morning. We kinda just hit it off.” I added a shrug to make it convincing. It even surprised me a little how good my acting skills have improved over time when she seemed to have actually bought it. “Was wondering when you’d ask.”
“Well, you haven’t seemed yourself since this morning till now. No kidding you hit it off. Her blood’s all over you. I also heard this guy chanting gay words when he came out of the office.”
“Yeah, he called us… her one of those. And it started a fight.”
“And ended with a smashed face. I have no idea what’s wrong with people like him. And that Kim, I didn’t figure her for a baddie. How did you come to get between that, anyway?”
That I could tell her all about. With some white lies here and there in between, of course.
The debriefing finished as we stepped into the stuffy atmosphere of the cafeteria.
“What?!”
Unsurprisingly, that wasn’t all. Mind you, the rest that followed had that same trademark high-pitch tone that didn’t fail to catch almost everyone’s attention near the food counter.
“Why didn’t’ you just say you had a boyfriend, even better, two? That ‘Wh-wh-wh-what d-d-do y-you mean’ is the exact code …,”
“I didn’t stutter!!… … that much. And the guy really caught me by surprise.”
“You’re always like that: too guarded around people you’re not supposed to be. And so relaxed with those like him.” She grumbled. And when she saw my frown, her tone dropped and my hand was taken in hers. “I’m sorry, Rea. I just … I’m worried. I really don’t like this guy.”
“I know. Okay, enough with that already. What’re you having?”
“McGovern with full dressings.”
“Know something?” I started, going through the menu, “You really remind me of someone dying to meet a particular guy probably just three days ago.”
“No, I’m not saying I don’t respect and admire what he could do with these equipment. And the guy’s got connections which is nothing but good for us, I mean, the concert.”
“But?”
“I don’t like him around my friends. I don’t even like the fact that he’s best friends with Steve. And he won’t get to you while I’m still alive, you could bet your life on that.”
“Alright, Iron Lady. Me doesn’t even like him, either. Remember? Come on. Let’s just get to lunch already.”
I managed my plate with one hand and with the other, towed her to the table where I could already see Steve and Yuki on with their chat. I wasn’t too excited about listening to them chirp about their work throughout the lunch, truthfully speaking, but it sounded way better than an anti-Ian campaign.
And even on the way, my bestest friend muttered, “I gotta do something fast.”
“She just told him to come back after school?” asked Jeremy, who I was glad was here. With the exception of Liz who was weirdly mute the whole time, these spearheads didn’t seem to remember any words to start a sentence other than ‘the concert’.
I was going to answer him when some girls perched down on the bench beside me, and I had to move over a little to Liz’s side to give them room. I didn’t know the brunette but Bella was with her: who reminded me I hadn’t seen Derek all morning.
“Hi, Bel… Cassandra.” I greeted first getting a playful glare and then a grin a second later.
“Hey, Rina. Maja, there’s your Elizabeth.”
But her friend was already trying to catch Liz’s eye who was just staring at Steve. And the funny thing was, the guy without even a halt in furiously sipping his drink was having such a hard time taking his eyes off of the enquiring brunette.
“Umm, Liz, she’s trying to …,” I volunteered but stopped short when another girl came to stand beside Yuki.
“Hey, Jeremy.” She said but if he wasn’t directly addressed, it wouldn’t have been clear she was talking to him. ‘cause her eyes never left mine.
And who was I to be capable of such a thing as turning away from her?
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Chloe
I finally tore my eyes away from her and turned to Jeremy, who I was supposedly here to give my thanks to.
“I didn’t get a chance earlier. Thanks a lot, man.” I said to him and then gave the duo of cheerleaders a greeting nod.
“You’re welcome. I gotta split, bye, guys. Talk later.” I was kinda waiting for that Elizabeth to ask me to join them but the invitation never came. She didn’t even seem to notice me. She didn’t even seem to hear Maja talking to her.
So I just turned around to go to my table, meeting eyes with Rina just for a split second when I heard, “Steve, tell me. Would you go out with Rea?”
The question ended with my head spinning and my body snapping around, barely in time to see Cass’s face getting sprayed all over with orange juice. That very same orange juice that’d apparently just resided in that fatso’s mouth.
“What the he…?!?! I’m so terribly sorry, Cass. I am. Jesus, Ellie! You’re…,”
“Well, would you?”
“NO!!! Of course, not!”
His more than ardent denial angered me even more than the original question did. Of course, he’d only get her over my dead body but who the f*ck does he think he is? If anything, she’s the one supposed to be coming out with that kind of tone. The Japanese chick, who by the way looked familiar, was obviously amused by the stupid look on this guy but I certainly wasn’t.
“I wouldn’t, Maja.”
“Why? You don’t like her? I mean, she’s …”
“She’s my friend! Ellie, you are … you are something, you know that?”
I gave way when an orangey Cassandra scrambled away from the table.
“Cass, let me help you.”
The Steve dude called and brushed past me to follow her. I took a glance at Rina. Even though I couldn’t see her face, it was a safe bet that she’d be now in her tomato incarnation. And I’d have loved nothing more than to save her from those savages, but the time wasn’t right.
So, instead, I turned back and just made my way over to the table where a curious Nicole waited.
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Rina
“Our second routine starts November 1st so if you change your mind before that, just drop by.”
“Alright, thanks.”
“Will you tell Cass to come to gym when she gets back? Thanks. Hey, bye, Yuki. Rina.”
Maja left giving us a bright smile and we all returned it.
“You were a cheerleader?” Yuki squealed excitedly while despite that itching to smile at her cute accent, I stayed mute, keeping busy with my almost finished lunch. “Must be some ass-kicking one to have Jorgensen coming down for you.”
“To be honest, I sucked.”
“The hell you did. But are you sure you’re really not joining them? I mean, I’ve been dying for a spot on that squad and just get turned down every time.”
“I can’t.” I thought I felt her eyes on me but didn’t check to make sure. “Well, I mean I can. But then, I won’t have time for my friend.”
They both turned to me but I tried not to budge.
“Aww, com’on, Rea! I was just … asking.”
She slid on her butt over and started nuzzling into me. Of course, I made for shaking her off without losing my stature, in vain.
“Forgive me, please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Please. Pl…”
“Will you stop that?” I ejaculated, albeit in a quiet voice. She’d turned enough heads already.
“You guys are so adorable together. Still friends?”
What’s that supposed to mean?!
“Of course! Always have been, always will be!” I exclaimed this time rather loudly and battled for release from her hold, which only grew tighter.
“I knew you’d forgive me. What’re friends for, of course? But you know, love.” she pulled me in closer, sat up straighter then leaned over me. My face scrunched up when she said in this French accent, “We could always be more.”
“Ewwww.”
They both then fell into a fit of laughter at that and she let me go. “Just kidding, Rea.”
She giggled more at my scowl and then took my hand once more.
“But was I?”
“Christ, Elizabeth!” I sat unsure whether to stay mad or just laugh with them. I did neither. “If you ever do something like that ever again, …”
“You’re too cute. I mean, I. Would. Never.”
Frowning, I thought better of it before saying something and asking for anything more embarrassing, and wrapped it up with a glare and a nod.
And after some minutes (and at long last) her giggling ceased and she finally continued her lunch. Break was already passing away when we finished. And neither Steve nor Bella showed up.
“Anyways, I gotta give credit to you, Ellie. Sorry for Cass but you seriously couldn’t have picked a better timing.” Yuki began with a grin as we just sat back down after getting our drinks. She didn’t exactly look it at first sight but really turned out to be an outgoing girl.
“For what?”
“Steve, that guy had the hugest crush on Maja since like birth.”
Well, what do you know?
That explains that rather anxious ‘I wouldn’t, Maja’, then.
“No kidding?” Liz’s grin was mixed with both interest and mischief. “So how’s he making way on that course?”
“Well, nothing serious so far but to see someone like her without a guy by her side is saying something. I mean, chick is captain of the cheerleading squad, Student council’s vice president, School paper Editor, Radio … Christ, the warning bell! I still gotta go back to the arts. I’m so gonna be late for chem lab. Guys, see you.” With a lot of tone shifts and mood changes, Yuki said that all in one breath and took off even before we could bid her goodbye.
“Well, that is one lively girl.” Liz mused and turned to me. “Aren’t we by the way supposed to be running for our class too? We don’t want detention biting off our sleepover time, do we?”
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Nik
“Well, I always knew he’d be getting some more of that since that first day but I just didn’t figure it’d be this soon.” I said, dropping another glance down at her hand.
“I wouldn’t have if I could help it but it was quite unbelievably disgusting coming from him.”
“Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Know that I get suspended if I ever get onto record next time?”
“Well, don’t get onto record then. And what the hell are they looking at?” I let out a grumble when I noticed over her shoulder Jeremy and the rest of the soccer team table eyeing us. Chloe also went to look before her phone buzzed. She then looked up with a grin after checking the message.
“I didn’t know this other seat at your table is a famous one.”
But, ignoring her tease, I asked, “How’d they even get your number?”
“Well, I happen to go to the same school with them … …. Haha, I’m gay for life so don’t worry.”
I just gave her a mock laugh and went back to my lunch, my eyes just having to catch Rina and Elizabeth rush out of the room. Already, I was seeing myself asking her what that was all about with Steve running around in the cafeteria when we get home.
“You have any plans tonight?” she asked, breaking my train of thoughts.
“Yeah.” I did. “I do, actually.”
It’s been almost a week since I last went to Mom. And it hadn’t even crossed my mind to visit her during this week. Since when did I get that busy?
Well, I kinda knew why. Come to think of it, tomorrow would be the one week anniversary of that reason coming into my life.
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