Esmeralda

Chapter 5

"Hmm fair enough"

Esmeralda said, sounding convinced while facing the person. It was Andrei, the guy she miraculously bumped into twice.

It hasn't sunk in yet how much it looked like their encounter was like fate but she wasn't about to believe in that circumstance.

"You're still here?" Andrei asked, going to the rails beside her.

"You're seeing me right? I think I'm here" she spoke, baffled laughing while looking back at the students below them.

"No, I mean it's our dismissal already" he explained sighing then chuckling, probably because he realized how dumb he might've sounded.

"You aren't going home yet?" he continued, concerned while looking at her.

"I'm waiting for my friend to come out of the comfort room, we usually go home together" she informed, smiling fondly at the thought she had someone to come home with.

Andrei faced the hallway and leaned on the railings while nodding, showing what she said made sense. Speaking of her friend, Esmeralda isn't typically a patient person but here she was, waiting.

"And you? Why aren't you going home yet?" she asked curiously, filling in the quiet atmosphere with words. She might as well have a conversation while waiting for her friend.

"Oh my parents don't care when I come home, as long as I come home" he replied, shrugging as if this was normal to him.

"Wow, lucky" she hummed following his posture, turning her back and leaning on the railing.

"My mom would kill me if I didn't come home straight away," she added, smirking at the memories that suddenly popped up in her mind.

"Guess I'm lucky then" he agreed, flipping his imaginary long hair then laughed.

She joined him with laughter and was about to playfully hit him when her friend called her name.

"And who is this?" Michelle said as she walked towards them skeptically.

"I'm Andrei, nice to meet you" he mentioned before Esmeralda can introduce him.

"I'm Michelle" she retorted, glancing at her friend on the side.

"I better get going...see you when I see you, Esmeralda, you too Michelle" he responded, readjusting his bag and waved at them.

As he was about to walk away, Michelle asked him if he was going to the intersection, he said yes. They decided to just go together on a whim and here they were.

This was the start of Esmeralda's hopefully comfortable journey of going home.

After walking for ten minutes and having small talks here and there, they reached the intersection and Michelle was the first to say goodbye. Michelle looked at her friend with the eyes saying "stay safe" and shot a wary gaze at Andrei but she both smiled at them and got on the vehicle.

"You're not getting on?" Esmeralda questioned, glancing at her friend who was still with her.

"I gotta go somewhere first" Andrei spoke quickly, showing a smile after.

"Okay...I'm gonna continue walking now bye!" she exclaimed positively, starting to walk. She just wants to go home and lay down.

"You can always ask me for help, I'm here" he abruptly said with his expression looking serious. He softened it when he saw her stunned face and laughed.

"I'm going to be here too, take care Andrei" she uttered, touched by what her friend said, and walked away with a thoughtful smile.

"Take care! Bye!" she heard him shout in the distance. By the time she looked back at him, he was already walking away in a different direction.