Damn. It was him. The boy who was trying to be friends with me before I moved houses. I didn't hate him or anything. I just found him annoying. I guess that was one of the reasons why Dad wanted us to move houses, other than the fact that my parents needed inspiration for their books.
"Oh, hey!" I weakly smiled. "Didn't see you there. Why are you here, Kadin?"
He raised an eyebrow, "Are you avoiding me?"
"Pssft, no." I denied. "Where did you get that from?" I looked over to where my parents were, "I seriously didn't see you. Besides, you didn't answer my question before."
Standing there in his waiter uniform, he was still holding the small tray containing a slip of paper, probably the receipt, and some change. "I work here." He simply answered. "But aren't you supposed to say: 'Long time no see, Kadin. How are you?'"
I knew he was going to say something like that. It was so typical of him. I guess he hadn't changed at all. "Well, I was just curious why you're here," I replied.
I quickly glanced over to where my parents were again and noticed that my mum was looking towards my direction. I smiled back to Kadin, "Anyway if you're working now, aren't you supposed to be serving the customers?"
He frowned a bit, knowing that I was trying to change the subject. But he knew that I was right. He weakly smiled and said, "Yes, that's true. But I haven't seen you in ages and it's quite normal to talk to someone you haven't seen for a while."
Again, I knew that he was going to drag some time before I could leave. So as an excuse, I whispered to myself, "Isn't that the manager over there?"
When I said whisper, I seriously did whisper to myself. Kadin has this really sensitive hearing. It was like he could hear anyone from ten metres away. Something that I would consider as his 'speciality'.
Kadin blinked a few times, surprised and started scanning his surroundings for the manager, "Huh? The manager?"
I took this moment and quickly headed past him. I felt bad doing this to him, but it was for the best. Besides, if the manager did really catch him chatting, he would be fired by now, or at least get a warning or lecture.
When he noticed that I had tricked him, he was about to stop me from heading into the bathrooms. But when he realised that it was the ladies' room. He paused and hesitated. Then someone, probably one of his co-workers, called out and asked him to assist them with something. That was when he stopped waiting at the entrance of the ladies' room.
Sighing, I was standing in front of the basin, looking straight into the mirror that held my reflection. For two seconds, I didn't recognise my usual self. The reason was that I was wearing a dress instead of a top and a pair of jeans. Since my hair was braided to the back, which I have to say was Mum's idea to use her hairdressing skills, it took me a little longer to recognise myself in the mirrors.
To be honest, I wasn't sure if this hairstyle, the French braid, looked okay on me. But Mum said that it suited me and I should let her do this more often.
I turned on the tap and water started running down like a waterfall. I've always liked the sound of water rushing down. I never really knew why. Probably because I like its hushing sound which seemed to have a calming effect on me. Pretending to do something, I rubbed my fingers and washed my hands. When I dried my hands and walked out of the ladies' room, I knew there was trouble as I made eye contact with Ice Pack Stealer.
Coming closer to the narrow hallway, he paused before entering the gentlemen's room.
I wanted to let out a sigh, wondering why my luck had run out—not that I have good luck in the first place. Instead, I held my breath in and realised Ice Pack Stealer was currently talking to me.
"How's your bike?" he asked, sounding smarter than usual.
I narrowed my eyes and smiled back, "How's your trip to the Deputy Principal's office?"
He stopped smiling. Paused for a moment and answered, "Good."
Took him long enough. "That's good to hear," I stopped my sentence for dramatisation, "maybe you should visit the Principal's office next time."
"Good luck, trying to make me go there," he grinned. "By the way, I have one ready for you."
He was definitely referring to the prank war. "Looking forward to it," I replied, pretending to be happy. Then I ended the conversation and left him.
When I got back to my seat, Mr and Mrs Jones were still having a conversation with my parents. They were about to order some red wine until they saw me and asked for some coke and orange juice instead.
"Let's just be on the safe side with the kids today," Mrs Jones laughed.
"Great idea!" Mum agreed.
They all held their glasses with coke and orange juice up in the air and said, "Cheers."
Dad glanced over at me and had his eyes narrowed a bit, probably telling me to join their little celebration. I held my glass of orange juice and did the 'cheers' in the air. That was when Ice Pack Stealer got back and pretended to 'cheers' his glass with mine. Good thing that my glass didn't touch his because if it did the two glasses would probably be broken by now, spilling out all the drinks and making a big mess.
As the adults continued with their conversation, Ice Pack Stealer and I continued our competition to avoid eye contact.
I was staring at the table, observing the empty space where the plate was supposed to be. Then I started wondering why Ice Pack Stealer didn't set a prank up at school today when we had already declared war yesterday afternoon. Usually, pranksters would always experiment new pranks the moment they have an idea. But for Ice Pack Stealer, it didn't seem like it was the case.
Remembering my super glue prank in the morning, Ice Pack Stealer did reuse the glue and stuck my bike to the rack as revenge. But other than that he didn't set up a large prank just yet. I'll need to be extra careful tomorrow, I warned myself.
Something or rather someone kicked my shoes. I glanced up at Ice Pack Stealer and glared daggers at him. He grinned back.
"Here you go, Miss," a waiter's voice disrupted my eyes shooting laser beams at Ice Pack Stealer.
I turned to my right and saw Kadin. He smiled as he placed the plate of lasagne on the table.
"Thank you," I said, trying not to sound annoyed.
Kadin winked at me. My eyes widened and then blinked a few times. What was that? My mind was confused. Why is Kadin winking at me? And why did he do that in front of the adults and Ice Pack Stealer?
Moving on, Kadin placed the other plates for Mr and Mrs Jones and then my parents. He greeted my dad with a smile, and when Dad realised it was Kadin, he had his eyes fixated on him. Mum was still busy having a conversation with Mrs Jones so she didn't realise Kadin was next to her. Before he left, he slipped a piece of paper underneath my plate.
I glanced down at the slip of paper and then looked at Kadin's back as he was heading towards the kitchen doors. What is he up to now?
Reaching for the paper secretly within my fingers, I opened the folded paper and saw his handwriting. It's still the same chicken hieroglyphics writing. Honestly, I still don't know how I can read it.
See you tomorrow then! And if you need me, just call me with this number. -^^-
So basically after his emoticon of a smiling face with blushes, he wrote his number in which I couldn't be bothered to read. I just folded the slip of paper and placed it into my handbag or some kind of purse and closed it. I seriously wanted to throw it in the bin or at least put it back where I found it, which was underneath my plate. But if I left it there Mum or Dad would probably see it sooner or later. So to avoid misunderstandings, I'll just put it in my bag and throw it in the bin when I get home.
When I picked up the knife and fork and was about to take my first bite of the lasagne, I totally forgot about the avoiding eye contact competition with Ice Pack Stealer and my eyes met his for three whole seconds.
One. Two. Three.
I quickly glanced away looking at my plate instead and continued to cut into my dinner, trying my best to eat as normal as I could without looking upwards.
Usually, my family has dinner with the television on, and my eyes would basically be glued to the screen watching the news or some kind of show that talked about the latest movies or technology. Now, having dinner without the television in front of me, but instead Ice Pack Stealer, it was quite hard to eat when I have to avoid eye contact at the same time. The other thing that was weird was that Ice Pack Stealer continued to stare at me.
It really felt as though he was breaking all the rules of the avoiding eye contact competition. By the time I finished half of my lasagne, he spoke. "So was he your friend?"
I stared at him and lowered my fork and knife, he smiled as he continued to eat his beef casually. I was pretty sure that I told myself to not have a conversation with him, so why is he trying to talk to me? Oh, whatever. He can just talk to himself. I'll just ignore his question then.
I let his question float out of my other ear and I continued to eat my lasagne. Oh, by the way, did I mention that my lasagna was very delicious? That was a random thought I just came up so that I wouldn't have to think about Ice Pack Stealer for the rest of the dinner session. But no. Ice Pack Stealer had to continue the conversation and make my temper go up.
"You probably didn't hear what I just said right? Was he someone you know?"
I stared at him again, this time directly into his ocean blue eyes and faked a smile, "Yes, I do know him and he's a much better person than the someone who is talking to me right now." I replied, trying to keep my voice even and neutral.
He cocked an eyebrow at me, "Really? Then why is he such a better person than this someone you're looking at?"
I rolled my eyes and ignored his question. In my brain, I was telling myself that his questions were there just to mock me. It was better if I didn't react or reply. That way I can get out of here in a peace.
But no. Ice Pack Stealer didn't let me eat in peace.
He kicked my shoes and acted as though nothing happened. I ignored it once and he did it again. I ignored it twice. The third time he kicked, he missed. I was already standing up, smiling to my parents. "I've finished eating, so I'm going to take some fresh air outside. Is that okay?"
Dad had his eyes on me and then relaxed when Mum elbowed him. "As long as you stay inside the restaurant's garden."
"If you don't mind, take Romeo with you too," Mrs Jones smiled at me. "Apparently, he wanted to see the restaurant's garden as well."
I was about to open my mouth and say 'what?' in my loudest voice. The objection voice that could be heard a few hundred meters away. But I kept that voice in my head and tried to find an excuse.
"It's okay, Mrs Jones." I beamed at her, "He should take his time to finish his dinner."
She looked a little disappointed.
I continued, "Please excuse me then."
When I turned around and was about to head for the doors to the restaurant's garden, Ice Pack Stealer's voice floated in the air, "I'm done as well. Please excuse me too."
The adults smiled and said something like, "Sure, dear!"
The next moment I knew, he was already in front of my face.
How did he get here so fast?
***
I haven't updated for two months because of my exams and a huge writer's block. But now that I'm on holidays, I'll try to update more often. Also, just wondering, but do you guys read Wattpad on your laptops or on your smartphones?