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Chapter 11
LUCAS
I wasn’t surprised with her reaction. I was expecting this from the moment I thought of this brilliant idea.
“Yes! You heard me right. You’ll going to tutor me in exchange of, me visiting Cahli—Caleb, I mean.”
Confusion was all over her eyes. It was priceless. No words could define the expression painted on her face. I prevented to burst out in laughter. I needed to act seriously, I didn’t want to do this but I was left with no choice. Ty let me down. He chose a girl over me.
“So, what you say?” I asked her, looking directly into her eyes, avoiding myself not to laugh. This was, indeed, a serious matter.
“Capital N-O! NO!”
And now, she pissed me by imitating what I said last time.
“Noooo?!”
“Yes! It’s a BIG No!”
“Oh-kay. Just explain to Caleb that I wanted to visit him but you DIDN’T agree.”
Well, I was also expecting this response from her all along, yet, I wanted to try my chance. She would be the best person for this job.
Through my research, I had found out that she was a straight A student, though I never thought of her as one. I got the biggest fish on my hook and I would do all my best for her to catch my bait.
I swayed my head away from Gabriella and focused my stares in front. I perfectly knew she wouldn’t be cool about my proposal but still, I could feel something good would happen. I trusted my instinct that much.
“Hey.” she called me, but I pretended that I didn’t hear her.
“Lucas.”
“Lucas!”
“LUCAAAS!”
“Yeah? Calling me?”
“Are you deaf?”
“I’m not. So, what is it? You’re annoying me.”
“Uhm, I call.”
“Call what?”
“Your deal. I tutor you, you visit Caleb. Remember?”
“For real? Don’t make me look bad, I’m just concerned with Cahli—Caleb.”
“Yes.”
“Can’t hear you?”
“YES.”
“Say please.”
“NO, that will never EVER happen.”
“NO visiting.”
“Then, NO tutoring.”
“Ohhhhh. Are you threatening me?”
“Why? Are you threatened?”
“Me? Threatened to a girl LIKE you? Nah! You know, I can always ask other students.”
“Then, ask them.”
“Will do. Thanks. . . But here’s the catch, you can go around the world, to any continent you want, but you CAN NEVER find another me, another Lucas to substitute for myself. Think of that, Siegfried.”
This girl was tough. She almost had me reach my limit.
The ‘river’ had already been dealt, it was a showdown now. I believed that I got the best hand, yet, I wouldn’t fall for her bluff; I would surely win. This game was mine.
After a while, Mr. Biggs suddenly came out of the front door. He immediately started the class, at the same time; I acted to be interested with today’s lesson. But, no matter how hard I tried; I couldn’t seem to understand anything. This was really beyond my capabilities. I hated studying.
Looking sideways, I could see Gabriella, only an arm length away from me, seriously listening to the discussion. She was also jotting down notes. I wondered how she could cope up with this stuff. She was really into her studies. She was, indeed, the perfect teacher for me. She could help me with this problem. And I was very positive about this move. There was no doubt about it.
I didn’t know why Coach Morrison wanted me to have at least a grade of C+ in order to play for the team. He absolutely knew that I could play to any university in the country even without these excellent grades. I just couldn’t get his point.
Just thinking of the idea, I would already gag. Being with this boyish-clumsy-witch, I didn’t know how to survive every passing day we would share together, but, I must admit, she was the best student here in school. Even Coach Morrison suggested her to me. I didn’t know she was that famous. If only Ty and Max agreed to tutor me, those boys!
The lecture instantly finished without me noticing it.
To my surprise, Gabriella pulled my arm and dragged me outside the rear door, as soon as I heard the ringing of the bell. She was shockingly strong.
“Hey, what are you doing?” I questioned her sudden urge of emotion, struggling from her tight grip.
“Let’s settle this thing. We need to set our schedules. Both of us must compromise to compensate each other’s favor.”
“Yo, I think you should be the one adjusting to me. You were the one who needed the favor. Not me. . . And, in case, you forgot, you haven’t said PLEASE.”
“Lucas. . .” she paused, inhaling a very deep breath, her chestnut eyes fixed on me. “I need you as much as you need me. Just so you know. So, please, cooperate!”
She was serious about the deal. Well, good for the both of us. It perfectly turned out the way I wanted it to be.
“Chill, Siegfried. So, what’s your plan? You better hurry, I have practice today.” I said, looking at my watch. I couldn’t be late.
“Okay. Give me your cell number.”
Why in the world did she need my number?
“Why? You want to be my phone pal? Ha-ha!”
“I need your number so I have the means to contact you. . . You’re so full of yourself. You know that?”
“WATCH your mouth or. . .”
“Or what?!”
“Or. . .”
“WHAAAT?!”
Think quickly, Lucas!
“Or. . . I’ll kiss you!”
Why did I say that? What had gotten into me? It was the first thing that popped into my mind.
“Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?”
“Nothing. . .” I said, feigning to gag.
Did I ever imagine of kissing this witch?
“I said, let me have your phone. I’ll key in my number.” I continued to wipe away the awkward scene a while ago.
“Here.” she gently handed me her cellular phone.
I was shocked with the wallpaper of her phone: Gabriella, wearing her pretty smile, and Nathan was with him. I never knew they were really friends. Well, I thought that the last cafeteria scene was just a coincidence that Nathan was there.
Then, their picture changed into a boy holding a basketball. He looked sick; he was pale, but he seemed to be happy. It was obviously shown in his sparkly smile and cerulean eyes.
It wasn’t a wallpaper though, it was a screen saver. The picture suddenly faded and changed again, to a man wearing black rimmed spectaculars with two other tall guys. Who were these? They looked familiar, like I knew them, somehow. But, I couldn’t remember. Then, it repeated itself.
“Who’s he?”
“Who’s he, who?”
I showed her the picture I was referring to. Pointing my finger, I said, “Him.”
“Oh yeah, that’s Caleb. He’s the boy I’m talking about. He loves basketball. He’s a huge fan of yours.”
“Everyone likes me. Ha-ha!”
As I finished saving my number in her phone, I immediately returned it to her. Weirdly, she gave me a smirk upon receiving it. I would admit, she was really cute in her own little ways.
“Thanks. I’ll give you a ring about our schedule. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I got what I wanted. Gabriella called my deal. She was now my personal tutor.
***
“L, how was your li’l chat with G?” Ty asked me, grinning.
G? Since when did he call her G?
“G? Who’s G? Gabriella?” I replied, pretending to not know what he meant.
“Yeah, Gabriella. So, how was it?”
“It went out the way I wanted it to be.” I said in a very proud tone, tossing my closed fist into his.
“That’s my boy, right there.”
“Yes. But still, we haven’t talked about the schedule of our tutoring. Hope it will not conflict with our practices. And, don’t dare tell the rest of the team. It’s just the four of us. Me, you, Max and Coach!”
“Got that man, I’ll shut up my big mouth.” he said, sealing his lips like it was a zipper.
“Good. How was the play?”
“Oh that one. . . Lyric loves me that she moved our play’s practices every Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, every after class. I got no conflict with the team’s agenda. Isn’t it cool?”
“Great. Let’s hope that our games’ sched will not be a burden.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll go ahead Ty. I need to rest, used up all my energy.”
“Alright, I gotta bounce. See yah when I see yah. Ha-ha!”
Ty went ahead as I slowly paced to the parking lot. While walking, the scenes with Gabriella last Tuesday suddenly flashed inside my mind,
“NO, CAN YOU JUST LET ME FINISH?”
“Uh-oh. Not with that tone, Siegfried. . . I’ll go ahead.”
“Hey Charlie, sorry, sorry. My bad. Please, stay here.”
“What did you just call me?”
“Nothing. Nothing.”
“I heard something.”
“No, it was nothing.”
I didn’t know how Gabriella knew about me being called Charlie. I even couldn’t remember that I had been acquainted with her before, or I just forgot? Seeing that she and Nathan were friends, maybe, Nathan had accidentally told her about it. Uhm, I guess not. Nathan was not that kind of person. And this ‘nickname’ wasn’t a big deal, after all. It really didn’t matter, but only a few and close friends, knew about it. The biggest question was, how?
*phone ringing*
It was my phone.
“Hello? May I know who’s on the line?”
“Lucas, it’s me.”
“It’s me, who?”
“Gabby.”
“Siegfried. What’s up? . . . You missed me?”
“Oh, shut up! . . . Are you still in school?”
“Why?”
“Don’t answer my question with another question! Why can’t you answer the simplest questions in the world? You just have to choose between yes or no. . . So, are you still here?”
“Whyyyyyy?!”
“You really know how to ruin one’s mood huh?”
“I guess?”
“If you’re still here, meet me at the entrance gate.”
“Why?”
“You just need to.”
“Whyyyyy?!”
“Ughhh! Fine, we need to talk about the schedule. I know you’re busy with this year’s basketball season, so, let’s settle this, once and for all. Okay?”
“Okay, wait for me there. I’m coming.”
I quickly slid inside my car and drove towards the school’s entrance gate.
From afar, I could already see Gabriella sitting on the curb. She was wearing her favorite red cap and her usual attire: striped long sleeves, dark jeans and sneakers.
“Siegfried!” I called her, lowering my car’s window.
“Lucas!”
“Hop in.”
“Me?” she responded, pointing her fingers to herself as she looked around her.
“No!!!. . . Of course, YOU, who else?”
“Why do I need to get in your car?”
“Because I said so.”
“Because you said so.”
“Yes. Aren’t you coming? I thought you need to talk to me about the schedule.”
“Not in your car.”
“Then where?”
“Here.”
“Where?”
“Here.”
This girl knew how to bug me.
Like she said, she wanted to talk here so, I immediately got out of my car and without thinking; I wrapped my arms around Gabriella’s legs as I carried her and gently throw her body into my shoulders.
She was struggling vigorously. I could sense, she was putting all her energy. I couldn’t imagine her reaction when I unexpectedly bended my knees and hastily grabbed her legs. She wasn’t ready with that, just guessing from her reaction. Her face was epic.
“Bring me down!” she yelled. She was thumping my back pretty hard. Her face was directed on my back.
“Stop it, will you?” I said, giving a soft whack on her small butt.
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