Fond Of This Bond

15. The Can-teen Scene

I was seated in the canteen, slowly sipping on the cold coffee I had ordered. From where I was, the whole canteen was in view, each table, each person. I have been seated here for the past ten minutes, taking notice of almost everyone entering or exiting the canteen.

Today is Monday. The beginning of a new week... which means his suspension has ended.

Although I pretended I was busy on my phone, only I knew how restless my eyes were searching for anyone in a dark jacket, or maybe in a hoodie (with the hood down), probably eating alone in some corner.

Corner?!
Immediately, my head turned towards the corner where I had had the last encounter with him in the canteen. But, right now, that particular table was vacant.

People were standing and eating nearby, but no one took that place that he had said was his.
So, he wasn't lying when he said that!

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't realize a group of boys had grabbed the few empty chairs on my left.

And of course, who else could they be other than Jason and his gang. Liam and Sam were eating as if there was no tomorrow. Jason was looking at me, with a silly smile. I rolled my eyes in irritation.

"Hey Google, long time no see," he started.
The question of me replying to him didn't even pop up.

I took another sip of my coffee as I saw many girls eyeing me from head to toe, and I knew why.
How silly of them to feel insecure of me!
Don't worry, sisters, I'm not even interested in him.

I stood up from my chair the moment I felt him slowly edging in my direction. He opened his mouth again to say something but Nick caught hold of his arm.

Jason turned around and glared at him. But Nick was constantly staring in a particular direction, with eyebrows furrowed in annoyance. Jason followed his line of sight and when he stopped, his facial expressions changed completely. He pursed his lips and balled his fists. There was anger written over all his face.

I became curious as to who or what they had seen?
I couldn't resist looking in the same direction as well. My eyes landed on the figure standing at the door.
It was him, standing there with an expressionless face.

Immediately, my heart skipped a beat and I don't know which stupid nerve in my head turned on the voice recording from the other day.
"Don't tell me you missed me?"

Shutting his voice up, I tried to calm my nerves down.

He was dressed in a black tee that hugged his body perfectly, with black denim and black canvas, and a bag hanging loosely from his left shoulder.

He was looking straight into my eyes as I stared back into his until he broke the eye contact and glanced at Jason and others, and then back at me.

Jason seemed to be getting angrier with each passing second. What has gotten into him? By the look he was giving him, I thought that at any moment, he would plunge at him.

Jason is known for being involved in fights all the time. On the other hand, I had not even seen him before in school.
But, the point here is, why was this fact making me feel uncomfortable.
I should be the last one to be getting affected by this.

But, he is my project partner. I can't let him get beaten up.
Yes, this seems to be quite reasonable.
Let them enter into all the fights they want to have, but only after I'm done with the submission of our project.

I looked back at him, still standing at the entrance of the canteen. With hands in his pockets, he started walking in, eyes locked with Jason's, still wearing that unreadable expression on his face. In response to this, Jason started stomping towards him at the same pace, massaging his knuckles as he went.

Oh My God! Were they going to fight right now? In here?
Panic took over me.

Unconsciously, I strode towards him too. But since Jason had left earlier, he reached him before me.

He flew his fist in the air and was about to shove it towards his face. But before that could happen, the target smirked at him and turned right, facing the counter and... And he started placing an order!

Jason's fist hung there for a few more moments, while we were processing what just happened.

After ordering cheese sandwiches and Coke, he tilted his face to look at Jason and spoke in a too poised tone and I'm sure he did that to annoy the latter even more.

"I reached the counter first. Get in the line if you want to place an order too," He said and making eye contact with Jason, which sooner turned into a staring competition.

The room was getting heated. I could not understand what exactly was happening.

A few children, who were standing near enough to hear him speak, chuckled. Jason passed them a glare which was hard enough to stop laughing.

"Your sandwiches are ready, Aiden," the guy behind the counter spoke and passed the tray to him. He nodded back at him, picked up his tray, and walked away towards his place.

Jason's gang reached him in time to stop him from exploding out of rage. Nick placed his hand on Jason's shoulder, but he pushed it away and stomped out of the canteen. The rest of the guys followed him too.

At that very moment, I found myself to be the only one standing right in the middle of the hall.

I swerved my gaze towards where he sat, munching on his sandwiches. Without having a second thought, my body started moving in the same direction.

"What was that?" I blurted out the second I was about a meters distance from him.

He didn't reply, just like that day.
But this time, I knew for sure that he was listening.

"Do you know how dangerous it can be for you to lock horns with Jason? You don't know him..."

"And it seems like you do," He interjected in between, his gaze fixed on the sandwich he was eating.

There was a moment of silence and then he lifted his eyelids to look at me.

I sense awkwardness.
Why is it so quiet?
Oh! I have to speak.

"Ahem... I've just heard of him being a troublemaker. A few days back, I had even seen him in the medical room, injured. Must have been into another battle. But this time he was the one who landed up in the bed," I rambled altogether.

What a day that was! Full of embarrassments.
I should change the topic.

Soon, I realized that I was being watched closely by a pair of dark brown orbs. I cleared my throat, grabbed a vacant chair from the other table, and placed it at a safe distance from him.

I spoke while getting seated on the chair, "You know what? Let's put everything else aside. We have better things to discuss, don't we?" I said.

"Like?" He asked as if he had no clue as to what in the world I was talking about!

"Like... The project we need to work on," I said trying not to grit my teeth.

"Hmm," He just hummed while taking a sip from his Coke.

"You must have completed it by now, right?" I asked expectantly.

"Don't get your hopes so high. I haven't even started," He said in a very casual tone.

"What? It has to be submitted tomorrow," I almost shouted. "What were you even waiting for?"

"You..." He said in a whisper.

"What?" I asked again making him meet my gaze.

"You explained well on the call, but when I tried myself, it seemed... Umm... Complicated. I'm afraid I can't do it..."

With this, my jaw dropped in utter disbelief but I was nowhere ready for what he was about to throw at me.

"... Alone." He completed with a tint of his smirk as I sat there gawking at his face.

*****