May's POV
"Now you wait here for a bit May, I'll go get some snack while we'll wait for your new playmate." My mom gently dropped me in front of the local playground. "I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Okay!" I answered brightly and skipped my way to the swing.
It was still early in the morning and the sunlight was just playfully hitting against my skin. When I got nearer, I saw a noisy crowd of boys.
"You're trespassing within our turf kid!" The tallest with spiky black hair warned, looks like the leader of the troublemakers. There were three three-year older boys bullying someone whom I didn't know. Another lanky boy jabbed their victim without hesitation, knocking him out of the swing. "You have been warned." He added, preparing his fist for another pounding. "We already told you to get out!"
What I probably hate more than taking shots or medicine is bullying.
Who enjoys hurting someone?
And without thinking too much but hate on my mind, I clenched my fist and stormed my way into the group of boys.
"Hey!" I furiously called out, making the group turn their heads to me. "Leave him alone!"
"Oh isn't it Miss Goody Two-Shoes." The leader violently dropped the boy on the dusty ground after grabbing him by his collar. They all faced me. "We would certainly love to play with you as well." He despicably grinned.
They were certainly quick and by the moment I had full understanding of what I got myself into, the other two were already by my side taking a very strong grip on my arms. The leader slowly walked to me and smiled darkly. "I wouldn't have come here and interfered if I were you girlie." He raised his right hand. I closed my eyes in anticipation.
"Leave her alone!" A shout opened my eyes and I soon witnessed the same boy that was on the ground earlier now pummeling down the leader. I was very shocked by the way he kept on pounding his fist mercilessly on the leader of the bullies.
"Help me fools!" He agonized and tried to fight back. His two subordinates then quickly let go of me and tried to help their leader.
Thankfully, a bunch of adults came to stop the fighting and it was all over before I had even notice. I just stood there dumbfounded at how he was able to take all those blows at him yet he was still fighting and surviving.
A minute later, my mother came and was horrid to see if I have been on that fight or if I was harmed, I kept on telling her that I wasn't and she never stopped worrying. She even dropped the candy bar she brought with her. It was then that the boy, who was covered in bruises and dirt, came over to us and calmed down my mom. It was just then that I noticed that he was wearing a white knit cap with black thickened rim covering his forehead.
"She wasn't in that fight Miss." He tried to sound unflinching as he could. "But she did try her best to stop them and help me. I am thankful."
"Really?" My mom looked back at him.
"Yes!" He answered.
My mom let go of me as she scratched the dusty hair of the boy. "You were pretty brave out there and thanks for protecting my May."
All I did was hide behind my mom. I witnessed that he really did look terrible after that fight, and all his bruises on his skin and dirt on his shirt made me sad.
"Would you like to come over at our house?" My mom suggested. "I would like to clean you up."
"Thank you very much for the offer Miss but I think I'll pass." He smiled and bowed apologetically. "I really have to go home now. My father is probably worried too." He turned his back against us. "Thanks for the help earlier..." He said as he held his head high, I didn't know what kind of face he made because he wasn't facing me, nor was I curious anyway. "...May." Then he sprinted his way to the gate and out of the playground.
"Wasn't he a darling?" My mom coaxed as she dusted off my dress. "We should have asked for his name, right May?"
"Uhm, yeah, I guess so." I muttered. "Will he be okay though? He looked pained."
"I'm sure he will be." Mom answered as she carried me back to our house to get me cleaned up again.
...
I woke up in a jerk this time, like the usual.
I have this crazy hypothesis why I always wake up like this. It's like my body anticipates that every time I wake up it will always be a time late for morning classes. Whenever I wake up, my head would just automatically tilt towards my wall clock, anticipating how late my lazy ass already is.
It's like waking up from a nightmare, such as my life.
But unlike the usual and what I expected, my wall clocked read 4:30AM.
"Sweet Jesus! Happy birthday to me!"
I happily hugged my pillow and happily closed my eyes back into my happy dream place.
By the moment I woke up for the second time, things went pretty bad.
It was already 7:38 AM. I quickly took out a towel.
Crap déjà vu.
I slowed down when I opened my door, and I was surely surprised to find no one in particular. The first morning since our marriage that Drew wasn't in the apartment. But I did remember Drew wanting to talk to me about something a few nights before. Maybe he's going to see his Mom again today? I don't know.
A week has passed since that incident and I still couldn't believe I am still not over it. Damn it.
So without putting too much thought about it, I sprinted my way to the bathroom. But I slowed down again before reaching the knob of the bathroom door.
The crippling sense of déjà vu is so overwhelming.
But still, I just couldn't help but trace my fingers which it once held his cold, fair, aromatic, wet, and sexy biceps.
Ugh, damn teen hormones.
Thankfully Drew wasn't around so I was able to do what I normally did when I was going to be this late. That is when I used to live back home with Mom. What's that? Changing into my uniform while trying to eat my breakfast, both at the same freaking time. An image you probably don't want to see or even imagine, it is something uhm, I deeply knew that this certainly is not the most appropriate term but it would suffice I guess.
Childishly lewd.
Anyway, that's why I couldn't really understand why I do so badly in PE when I can get this done quite impressively, though breakfast was just nothing but toast with strawberry jam. Even though Mom said that I shouldn't be doing this because it's way beyond the trait of a sociably acceptable woman, I am still proud because I believe only a few girl at my age could pull off something amazing like this.
I locked the door behind me and went out of the apartment quickly. Another reason why I am thankful is because Mom picked a good apartment and it is located near our school, so I just tightened my scarf as I ran all the way to school.
Thankfully again, I was able to get inside our room just a minute earlier before the bell rang that signaled the start of class, or hell as the majority would like to call it. There were already a lot of my classmates, and it annoyed me a little how they were a bit noisier and messier this morning. I straightened myself up and made my way to my seat.
"Had a cold again last night Ms. Maple?" Misty playfully chastised my tardiness like the usual as I took my seat right beside hers.
I overlooked her question and instead asked. "You know what's up with everyone today Misty?"
"If you would have exerted a little bit more effort into coming to class earlier, like how you study, even for just this morning." She stressed each word as if they were all necessary for me to hear out, even cupping up her chin to look like someone with authority like a mother. "Then maybe you wouldn't have to wonder-"
"Yes Misty!" I cut her off. "Jeez as if I could use another mother figure to straighten up this messy life I have." I rolled my eyes.
"Huh? What?" Her eyebrows ceased.
"Ugh, nevermind." I exasperated, frustrated at how she managed to push my buttons so early in the morning.
She was about to say something but decided not to, whatever that was. She breathed out and said a different response. "Miss Solidad came here earlier. She announced that we will be having a new transfer student." She smiled. "Sorry May."
"Nah it's fine, I'm sorry too." I smiled back.
Another transfer student a week after the start of the second semester? That's pretty unusual.
I slumped back on my seat. I noticed Dawn who pranced her way to her seat.
"Ohayo gozaimasu Misty-chan and May-chan!" The bluenette greeted happily as she took her sit on Misty's left side.
"I see you have drowned yourself watching anime last night Dawn." I chuckled. "Again."
"Yep! I just finished downloading the first and second season of this awesome romantic anime last night." She chirped as she made a squealing noise. "I just had to check it out last night."
Without even letting us have a comment, Dawn continued blabbing. "The protagonist is this super handsome heartthrob of a famous university, he was odd though because he had a very peculiar head wear and.."
Head wear? The words got me trailing off to this weird dream of my childhood past I just had this morning. I unconsciously stopped listening to Dawn and burrowed deep into my thoughts. A boy with the white knit cap with thick black rim. Was there someone like him in the university?
I don't think so.
But back then he was able to know my name but I never knew his. He just sprinted off.
When I relaxed and slumped a little on my seat, I noticed a folded piece of paper underneath my desk. It did catch my attention since it was folded quite neatly as if it was just newly placed there for me to pick up. And since when did I start to leave pieces of neatly folded papers underneath my desk? This has got to be someone else's paper.
When I picked it up and started unfolding it, my eyebrows scrunched when I mentally read what was written there in bold black ink pen.
Meet me behind the gymnasium this noon. I'll be waiting there patiently.
I read the sentence thrice to be sure that indeed I didn't read it wrong, that by any chance this unknown letter would be something for someone other than me. And indeed it was certainly for me when I read what was written behind the paper.
Yes, this is for you Maybelle Maple.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously just to prevent them from bulging out in utter surprise. Maybe because I have never received any kind of letters in my entire life, may it be love or hate letters, that I am getting this anxious. And this being the first, I am just not sure what to feel. And why would this someone want to meet me? And why does he know my name? And most of all, why did he not indicate his name on the letter for that matter?!
I don't know why I used 'his' and 'he' though considering the boy-girl population ratio of the school, maybe because I am so starting to get badly paranoid.
This has got to be some nasty prank for those fangirls with freaky uncontrollable hormones. I gulped silently when I remembered Dawn being tricked by some girls from the next class into meeting up with Lucas Aura, one of the famous boys who enrolled together with Ash and Paul.
That or if he's really a boy then I fear he is a pervert of some sort, or worse..
A stalker!
But wait, being the smart and logical girl, I tried to make sense of everything. So first, I just receive my very first letter indicating me to meet up with him or her. Second, if the sender is a girl then this letter has got to be a prank. But why would they do this, I don't know. I admire no one here in this university. Third, if the sender is indeed a boy then he would be a complete pervert without a doubt because why would he not indicate his name in the first place? Then lastly, a new transfer student, maybe he or she has got to do something about this.
My thoughts crashed when Miss Solidad came into our room.
"Good morning everyone!" Our adviser gladly greeted. "As I have said earlier, we'll be having a new transfer student in our class. The principal placed him in our class because he's someone special."
Someone special? And a 'He'?!
Oh boy, I just felt my heart fall gravely into the deepest and darkest pit of my stomach when I saw a very familiar boy with chartreuse hair walking towards Miss Solidad's side. "Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?"
A new transfer student, a prankster, and most of all, a complete sick pervert!
Andrew Hayden!
I freaked out silently. I felt Misty elbowed me from my side. "My name is Andrew Hayden, you can call me 'Drew'. I live somewhere nearby. And from now on I'll be your classmate until the end of this term." He flashed a very annoyingly beautiful smirk exploding with confidence. He flicked his green and silky hair. "I'll be in your care."
"KIIIIIYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
The room, as I have expected of course, run totally amok. There wasn't any single noise I could hear that was not 'He's so totally hot!', 'His green hair is so sexy!', 'He has green eyes! Beautiful green eyes!' or 'I wanna make him my every night body pillow together with Paul, Ash, Red, Lucas and Gary!'
And where was I?
I just sat there in my seat, flabbergasted and dead-stressed to how these chain of recent unfortunate events has even come to life. I closed my parched mouth. Misty whispered something to me. It was unbelievably audible despite the uproar madness of all the girls. "Since when did Drew return?"
I was not sure how to answer her question. I only turned my head to her slowly. "A very, very long story."
After I told them that Drew returned about three weeks ago, Misty was very surprised that she wasn't informed immediately. I said my sorry, it was only because a lot of stuff happened, and A LOT of stuff really did happen. Though Dawn was not as displeased as Misty was. She was just a little bit sad about me not talking to her about Drew in the first place and that he's the childhood friend I mentioned to her before.
Even though I just said that it was a very long story, Misty remarked that it was not. How could that be a very long story when what I just told them was probably just about less than ten percent of what had actually happened? I didn't tell them the dangerously life ruining information such as how we are married, we are now living under the same roof, that time when I was sick and he took care of me, or that time I stupidly confessed and kissed his cheek or that time when I felt his biceps right after his shower.
I just had to tell her that it was a long story because as I have mentioned before, they're my dearest friends so I told them a partial truth. It's all nothing but poor attempt at self-justification really.
I'm super lame like that.
Though judging from Misty's suspicious look at me, she might have sensed that I was not telling them everything they expected.
I was feeling a little bit grateful about Leaf still being absent so I had to put only a little effort than what I should have into explaining things for them. But I did feel really bad about her absence. It's been a week already. We will have to visit her anytime soon.
It's one thing for Drew to be a huge distraction at home, he's my biggest distraction after all. But to be a huge distraction both at home and in school is totally on a whole different level. It's as if the whole wide world is conspiring against me as if I had done something utterly horrible.
To place higher than tenth this term was slowly starting to fade away from me. And keeping this marriage a secret would now be an impossible dream! Why would he transfer here out of all the other schools nearby?! Why does he have to make everything difficult for me!?
He passed a wink at me as he made his way to his designated seat.
Ugh.
The class went on barely tolerable after Drew took his seat somewhere near Paul on the opposite end. At first Miss Solidad tried to move Dawn to sit near Paul so Misty would take Dawn's seat making Drew sit beside me.
You know her, she's another matchmaker in my troublesome life.
This was not successful however because Dawn apparently fainted the moment she went near Paul by a safe distance of two meters. And without further more troubles, Drew was placed near Paul as it was surely the safest decision, much to Miss Solidad's dismay.
After that, the class went barely tolerable. Miss Solidad would always pair me up with Drew during seat works despite being seated on opposite ends of the room. When I complained that it wouldn't be an actual 'seat work' anymore, she just said that seating arrangement doesn't really matter.
Yeah right, it really doesn't matter, does it.
I even sensed that we were having a lot more paired seat works than the usual.
She would call us both to write our answers on the board, specifically only on one side of the board which would cause us to bicker a little because of the limited space all the while adoringly eyeing us as she would bathe herself in ecstasy of seeing us bicker to death.
Oh god why?
Not only that it has earned me more headaches to harvest but also a lot of death glares from all the girls in the room.
I took my time and laid my head on my desk. The bell signaling lunch break rang. I was so all out of energy, and it's only half of the day! I would have rested a bit more if Dawn wasn't pulling me out of my seat. "May! Tell me more about your childhood relationship with Drew!" She repeated. Misty laughed by her side. "Why did Miss Solidad kept on pushing you both together? I demand!" She let out her tantrums.
I let her dragged me wherever she was dragging me to, the cafeteria perhaps. And as soon as we were out of the room, I witnessed Drew walking on the opposite end of the hallway alone. I perked up. I remembered the weirdo letter this morning.
"Hold on guys." I paused. "Go ahead and reserve me a seat on our usual table." I stated and started to follow Drew's direction since it was the same path towards the gymnasium. "I'll catch up with you real soon." I waved to them.
This has to be him. I know it.
I went down the stairs. I was very quick in my pace but when I got down he was nowhere to be seen. And soon I arrived at the said venue - behind the gymnasium.
The place was old and rusty. I ducked my head as I came close to a hanging piece of sharp metal. Who would want to meet up in a place like this?! This place reeks of danger! What kind of a sadistic pervert is Drew playing?
Drew has got to have some serious explaining to do about all of this!
"Maybelle?" I turned around when the voice that called out was something unfamiliar. And when I did, I saw an unfamiliar boy with deep auburn eyes and dark hair. He smiled and greeted me. "I hope this was not a bother to you Maybelle."
I would have commented that the venue really did bother me, I mean I wasn't even bothered, 'bothered' was not the right word. I was creeped out. And I would have pointed out that all of this made him appear like some dangerously sadistic pervert, or that he could have written his name on the paper for courtesy sake.
But instead I just stood there, stunned. I was mystified to who this person was and I racked my memories for some useful information if I have ever met him sometime in the past. But nothing useful came out.
"It seems that you don't remember me." He chuckled. "I can't really blame you though." He awkwardly ran his fingers through his auburn locks.
"Do I know you?" I asked.
"Ahh. This might help." He opened his backpack and pulled something out. I vaguely saw a white piece of cloth. He put it on his head. It was a white knit cap with thickened black rim.
My eyes widened in realization.
"You're that kid in my dream!" I pointed at him. Not knowing that I said something not quite right.
"You dreamt of me?" He asked, his face flushed and incredulous.
He soon smiled when I realized I said something misleading and stupid.
"Oh my name is Brendan Birch of Class-3B, I've long to meet you Maybelle Maple."
End
Chapter Eight: An Old Friend?