Back in the courtyard, sitting alone under a tree reading a book was the little girl. Dressed in a pink blouse and a grey skirt that had obviously seen better days, she sat apart from the other kids, not paying attention to her surroundings.
Walking towards her, Sean sat by her side, with one knee raised, hands behind his back serving as support. Turning his face to look at her he realized that the little girl had stiffened and was pretending not to see him.
Smiling big he asked. "Hello there pumpkin! Do you always come here?"
Startled by the strange name the little girl raises her head from her book and looks directly at Sean. Seeing a gorgeous boy, with blond hair falling in front of his green eyes, dressed in ripped jeans and a band t-shirt and who was maybe a couple of years older than her, she felt the beginning of a blush in her cheeks.
Looking at the girl, Sean notices the most beautiful pair of green eyes he had ever seen before.
Full of emotions with hints of shadows in between.
"W...what?" Asked her, turning a bright shade of red, putting down her book. What a cutie. He thought. I feel like putting her in my pocket to take home. Would Owen allow it? Probably not. What a bore!
Smiling at her nervousness, he questioned. "What's your name, little pumpkin?"
"Sang" She answered uncertainly.
"Sang! A beautiful name for a beautiful girl! I'm Sean, but you may call me boyfriend!" He said, causing her blush to deepen.
"B...b...boyfriend? What? I mean, why?" She stuttered with wide eyes.
"SEAN! Stop scaring the poor girl and behave yourself!" Said another boy from behind them. Looking up from Sean's eyes Sang saw a boy dressed in black slacks and a grey polo shirt. He had brown hair, styled to perfection and a pair of steel grey eyes, framed by dark glasses.
"Good morning. I'm called Owen Blackbourne, I hope my friend here hasn't bothered you too much, miss..." He asked politely while staring intensely at her. He had seen those shadows in her eyes and had suspicions as to what could be causing them.
"Sang... you may call me Sang." She answered, raising a finger to lips in nervousness, without giving a surname.
Raising an eyebrow at her informal request, Owen chooses to let it go for the moment, knowing that most kids their age didn't address each other by their surnames.
"So Miss Sang, like I was saying, I hope my friend hasn't been too much of a bother. I shall apologize if he was."
"No, it's okay..." She began only to be interrupted.
"Dude! I was just trying to be friendly!" Sean exclaimed irritated with his friend.
"You flirts way too much Sean. Leave Miss Sang alone, you were obviously making her nervous." Answered Owen, severely.
"But..." Sean started only to be interrupted.
"Excuse me!" Sang exclaimed suddenly, making both boys look at her with shocked expressions on their faces. She almost giggled. Fixing them with a mock glare she began to explain. "As I was saying before being rudely interrupted." She narrowed her eyes at Sean, who immediately looked contrite. "I really don't mind, Owen. I know Sean was just joking." She told them both firmly.
The boys looked at each other then turned back to her.
"So, Sang, you agree that I am an amazingly interesting guy and would like to marry me?"
"Stop playing around Sean. It's unbecoming." Snapped Owen.
"Stop telling me what to do! I'm sick of everyone telling me what to do!" And with that, Sean got up and ran back into the school.
"SEAN! Wait up, Sean!" Exclaimed Owen, half alarmed at the outburst of his friend who is always so easy going. Already preparing himself to go after him, trying to think of what to say to his way too emotional brother, he was immediately stopped by a hand on his arm.
Looking down he was met with a pair of deep, troubled, green eyes.
"Perhaps it would be better if I went after him instead?" She asked timidly.
Suddenly felling deeply uncertain of himself, Owen questioned. "Do you not think that I am capable of... of helping him?"
Widening her eyes in shock, Sang shook her head quickly "NO! No, that's not what I meant at all! It's just... well... I might not know him as well as you, nor be as close to him, but sometimes people have an easier time talking with a complete stranger than with a loved one. A different perspective can sometimes be helpful, you know?" Came the rushed explanation from the usually quiet girl.
Stopping to consider for a moment, Owen was surprised at the amount of relief that he felt in perceiving that she didn't see him as an incompetent little boy. Rather, she was actually opening up and letting him see a side of herself that he would bet she worked hard to keep hidden. A side that was wise and caring.
Nodding his head, still amazed with her, Owen helped her to get up and then handed her bag back to her.
If nothing else, I imagine that sending this little darling after Sean will at least put me back at his good graces...
Casting a last timid look over her shoulder to the boy, Sang went to the interior of the school, in search of her new friend.
......
Sniff... sniff...
Sitting on the floor of an empty classroom, with his back against the wall, knees raised with crossed arms around them and head hidden behind them, was a boy with blond hair and sad green eyes, with what appeared to be the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Walking quietly into the room and closing the door behind herself, the girl approached the figure on the ground.
"Go away, Owen! I don't feel like talking now and you can't make me!" Cried the distraught boy. Obviously he'd lost his irritation, and now was just sad.
Walking towards him, Sang thought about how much she really wanted to help him. It wasn't often that she went out of her way to help others. Not because she didn't want to, but because she had a very deep fear of what her mother would do with her if Marie told her about what Sang was doing.
Today, however, her sister had chosen to sit on the other side of the courtyard, which meant that she wouldn't be seen talking with the boys behind the tree, or walking toward de school.
Sitting in the ground beside Sean, Sang casually commented. "Well... for someone who don't wants to talk you said quite a bit."
His head shot up, looking at her with disbelieving eyes and mouth gaping open, and then... "Gaaaaah" his head shot back down amid his arms.
Head cocked to the side in confusion and concern Sang asked, "What? What's wrong?"
"I don't want you to see me with snot dripping down my nose!!!" Was his answer.
When there was only silence he raised his head slightly and peeked at the girl by his side. She was with her knees drawn up to her chest, both hands covering her mouth, eyes dancing and shoulders shaking in obvious laughter that she tried hide.
"Okay, you can laugh, but don't fault me if I shut you up with a kiss, missy! Runny nose or not!" He said, dropping his head again.
Not being able to hold in any longer Sang let loose with it, falling to her side against Sean, dropping her head in his shoulder while her body shook with laughter.
"No... k... kissing,... Sean!" She giggled, "You're not my boyfriend yet, and I am not a... a floozy!"
His head snapped up again and turned towards her, "YET?" And there went that blush again.
Suddenly shy again, Sang straightened her position. Choosing to go for distraction she asked without looking at him, "So, do you want to talk about what was bothering you earlier?"
Sighing he laid his head against the wall, closed his eyes and said, "It's just my parents, they've been bugging me lately wanting me to study medicine."
Cocking her head to the side she asked, "And you don't like medicine?"
Opening his eyes and staring at her he said, "I don't know. I just don't like the pressure they are putting in me to study, study, STUDY!" and threw his arms up in frustration.
Raising her finger to her lips she whispered "Do you believe your parents love you Sean?"
Looking shocked for a moment he answered without thinking "Of course they do!"
Her smile stretched across her face, showing her clear happiness, but her eyes were sad and subdued. "That's good Sean, it's the reason why they press so much. They must wish for you to be happy in a job that you love."
"So you're telling me that I should just do as my parents dictate?" he asked, feeling a little betrayed, strangely.
"No, I am not telling you to do anything. I am an outsider. Outsiders always have a bigger vision of the picture, but they can also loose sigh of the little details that matter the most. Besides, I am sure that you already know the answer to your dilemma." She concluded, standing up.
"Hey, where are you going? Stay a little longer." Sean whined from his position on the floor.
"Class is about to start, I'll go now and avoid the crowds." She answered, walking in the direction of the door.
"Ok, Pookie. Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked without standing up.
Looking back over her shoulder she giggled, "Pookie?"
"A cute nickname for a cutie." He said smirking at her blush.
Raising her finger to her lips for a moment she turned back to the door, waved and said "Bye-bye Dr. Sean. See you tomorrow." And left the room just when the bell rang.
Getting up of the floor Sean made his way against the crowd of running children to the courtyard and sat back down under the tree.
"Well then Sean, are you instill irritated with me?" questioned Owen.
"You know I am not, or I wouldn't be here staring at your ugly self." He said happily.
"Humph! And that's what I get for allowing Miss Sang to go after you? You ungrateful wretch."
"That's Dr. Sean for you Owen. I might not have my precious white coat yet, but you can start to get used with the proper tittle already since you like such things so much."
"I see Miss Sang has managed to fix you, Sean. Now can you please focus in the mission and stop flirting with the poor girl?"
"Oh, c'mon Owen! We both know you would be flirting with her too if you had the guts!"
"Shut up, Sean! I don't have time for your silliness today, we still have to figure out what happened in that hallway earlier today."
"Owen and Sang, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G..." He started singing, only to end up with a stuffed banana in his mouth with peel and all.
"And that is what you get for being stupid." Said Owen, with that damn millimeter smile of his which made Sean think he might have wind.