Say The Word

Chapter 2- Am I Insensitive To Ask This?

  Somehow I got myself a deal and a bunch of shunning. Things were going great. To be fair, I should have expected it. Well, I did, but it was still surprising how many people did not want to be involved with Cebario there. My once busy desk was only occupied by free empty space and me.

I need not look up to even know that those who sat near me were now somewhere far away from me, in other corners of the classroom, whispering again. About what, it was quite obvious. It had been like that after the stunt I pulled yesterday, trying to talk to the "outcast". Staring at his unoccupied desk, I could not stop myself but feeling that he and I were not so different after all; we were both two isolated islands in the class. The shunning was the price I had to pay to satisfy my curiosity, and I was incredibly clear of the situation I was in.

With every ticking second, I could feel my heart beat a little faster, my eyes fixated on the door and his desk. Somehow, I was a little excited for his arrival, regardless of his attitude towards me yesterday. Was I excited for more progress between us? Yes, obviously. But, this time, I had something up my sleeve thanks to Elly.

Last few seconds left before the bell had gone off, the door swung open and he power walked in, ditching his bag onto the floor, plopping himself on the table. The homeroom teacher entered on cue. He had made it on time, once again. It never failed to amuse me how he could calculate the time so very accurately every single time.

▪▫▪▫▪

Oh, lord, make this work. I placed a nicely packaged pastry in front of him.

"What is it?" he looked up at me.

"Cinnamon roll, I had extra." That was the most basic lie ever.

"I don't want it. We're not even friends; stop pretending like you know me," he gazed at the poor cinnamon roll, seemingly uninterested in it. "Do I look like a hobo to you?"

Ah, maybe I have unintentionally offended him? "What? No, of course not."

"Then what's up with this?"

Play it cool. "Just felt like sharing."

"Right, so no strings attached? You're not going to ask me for money three times its price, right?" he eyed me suspiciously.

"No? I just wanted to befriend you? I have no intentions of taking anyone's money, nor would I ask you do ridiculous things. I swear." Okay, he was weirdly guarded. What happened here anyway?

"Fine, I don't really care if you do have a price anyway, it's not like it's hard to deal with people like you. Know that just because I'm taking this, we're not friends, I'm doing it just because I can." He reached out, swiftly sliding the packaged pastry into his now opened bag.

Right, we need more work than a cinnamon roll, More importantly, people like me? What did he mean? Elly did not say anything about this.

"Wait, where's yours?" he asked, catching me off guard.

"What mine?"

"Your portion, if you bought extra; that must mean you have your own. So where's yours?"

Good question. "It's under my desk."

"Show it, I need to know this isn't anything weird and something to hold me against or something I could be called a thief for."

I backed off to my seat, pulling out my back up product. Elly did not tell me about this part either. Damn it. "See? Don't worry, it was really an extra."

" 'kay, you're cool," he went back to burying his head in his hands. "I'm assuming you didn't spike this. But, if you did, you're dead."

I was cool... I smiled at that statement. That was some very valuable progress.

"Shouldn't you be out there with those people? Or have your status dropped to my level?" his muffled questions floated in the air for a second. He initiated conversation! I was a little proud of myself.

"I don't care about that. I can be with whoever I want to be," I shrugged, forgetting that he couldn't see me.

He only gave me a hum in annoyance. Back to being cold, I see.

Walking in front of him, I grabbed the chair I sat on yesterday once again, turning it to face him. "So, you aren't going to eat it?"

No response.

"How do you do so well in the pop quizzes and tests? I mean, I heard the tests part from others, but I did witness the pop quizzes myself. I'm curious."

No response.

"Are you sick?"

He picked his head up, looked me dead in the eye, and said, "Yeah, sick of you."

That was...oddly smooth.

"Can you just shut up for three seconds? Is your head so far up your ass you can't see that I'm trying to catch some sleep? You blind or are you just plain annoying?"

Wow, someone has been watching American movies and picking up very rude words. He stormed out once again; the scene was exactly like yesterday.

"Well, I guess you just fell flat on your face, huh?" Elly popped out of nowhere once again. Where does she even hide?

"You didn't have to remind me there," I sighed, the bitterness seeped through little. "But, that was some progress! We talk a little longer this time."

"Yeah, so little I barely noticed," she casually pulled out a small fruit candy. Sheesh, these two were definitely friends.

"Still have anything you can give me?"

"Candy or tips? 'Cause I have both."

"Tips, obviously." I stood up, returning to my seat, only to slump into it.

"Well, let's see, he used to sleep when we go to the library. It's peaceful, he said. There's a possibility he's there right now," she said, walking pass me. Library, huh? "You're oddly dedicated to this. Normally, someone would just give up after whatever that was."

Normally? "Well, we did make a deal, I don't want to see you sad. Plus, I can't just leave my curiosity aside. Which brings me to this question, what happened between you two?"