The eternality in our ephemerality

Chapter 8. Serendipity

Andrew was unfortunate enough to possess a height that made each of his striding steps more like jumps: each time he was graced enough to give one, my mice-like feet had to hurry to give four and be within the same metre as he. However, after hurrying and exhausting myself in the act, I encountered it was useless walking at his speed and so, I surrendered to the heat and occasionally waved at him with a smile. His stubbornness, and a slight initiation of 21st century of gentlemen manners, would not allow me to part away from his presence, and so he slowed down and waited me each time his T-rex like legs granted him with a 2-metre step. I must confess, I did not think he could have room for chivalry in such overinflated ego.

"So, I've never seen you here" I begun, "and that can only mean two things, either you just moved or I'm too clumsy to notice" I said gently.

"Yup. You are clumsy as far as I know but no, we just moved. Two weeks ago." He replied, his smile as splendour as some girls might encounter it.

"Oh! Where did you move from?" I answered, aiming to hide my curiosity underneath my nice manners.

"Originally?" He hesitated- I interrupted

"How many times have you moved?" The emptiness in his comments could not help but move some strings in my heart and feel indecorous sympathy. I know it sounds dumb, but I echoed his pain, not the one from moving because I've never moved in my life, but not knowing where you truly are from. I curse my overinflated sensibility.

"Far too many to be counted" he forced a smile; the nostalgia glistened in his eyes and I could sense the tears he had suppressed. I smiled helplessly and aimed uselessly for his hand, but settled for his shoulder. His face made things easier, he was true to his emotions and never hid them...simple, he is.

I attempted to smile once again. Attempting to give him shelter in this new world he has stepped on.

"I'm going to go to Ed's accademy on Monday, at what school do you go to?"

"Oh. My. God!" I gulped in between laughs: thinking, and evaluating, behind my back the inconvenience his presence meant to mine....Laughter escaped through my lips and my attempt to be civil for once.

A rush of emotions undermined my actions and in such a rush all my senses could do was release a hysterical laugh to which his eyes doubled his size and my stomach burned.

Gaston, his designated nickname, would be with me!

And the laughter resumed to its previous intensity; I laughed until he was sincerely preoccupied about my mental health and so, his outraged cartoon personification, forced me to swallow my laughter and with a fragile lunatic like voice responded :

"You. are. going. to. go. to. my. school?" The blinking never ceased for a minute or second, I was simply attempting to suffocate the tears embedded underneath my eyeballs

He clearly was confused, unable to understand the reason behind my peculiar laughter; but of course, who could understand the perfectly adequate scenario I had now succumbed to?

A boy, with an overinflated ego and pink bermudas, who saved a not so innocent teenage mind from the fragility of human contortion, would have the disgraceful empowerment to sink me into his depths and bestow everlasting humiliation.

Now that is perfect, absolutely perfect.

I know his type, the fuckboy type. They use their strengths to loure you in, to manage a kiss and after 12 hours neglect the remainder such feeling even existed. No, what worries me is not that fact, but the fact he has the power to tell everyone my story on how I fled to the woods and magically got rescued by this tall shining figure! As much as I'd like to be part of a fairytale, this seems more like Shrek.

"Yes. I am going to go to Edron. You okay? Honestly, should I get you a doctor?" He questioned still with a chuckle stuck between his teeth and his shredded eyes amazed about my actions.

"No." I chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine. Laughter is just a part of who I am. What you just witnessed is the darkest part of my soul." My lips teased and his scrutinising gaze depicted each of my words, My conclusion was overly predictable, he is irrefutable and irrevocably Gaston.

"Well then, I guess your soul is not as twisted as I thought it would be." his nose winched, my laughter serenaded. "I guess I will see you there"

"You will '' I said. I finally got the courage to say the words "Is Spencer also going to school?"

"You most certainly will see me, " He replied; I looked at him incredulously. "But he....is a wildcard. He's legally and adult so he can do what the fuck he wants. I'm still a baby, but not a fat ugly baby, a hot baby. A baby with a sixpack" and he winked.

"Andrew, you are positively primaeval" My lips retorted and all he could do was release a small prideful laugh.

"Why thank you" He replied and the little I had granted his intelligence collapsed automatically. Is it even possible to not notice it is not a compliment or is he too prideful to imitate it is?

I couldn't help but smile at my ridiculous incoherence.

"Thanks for everything... really." My lips gently spoke.

"I know, but please I can't take all the credit, I just walked a girl home" his ego glanced, my feet fled.

"Well thank you for your unwanted graciousness, Gaston. Have a nice day." I finally responded, urging to flee his insensitive ego, for he was juggling not only my sanity and health, but with the little reminders of dignity my pride had ensured. With a forced smile, I turned myself away from his grin.

"Hey! I am just joking." His lips, and feet, rushed to me.

My head turned, lips slightly parted, but only smiled and chuckled at my insides.

"I know Gaston, but you should probably get home, Lefou needs you"

"You really are attacking me with Disney aren't you?" A glowing grin that demanded to look apart.

"Childhood callbacks are the best" I warned, "don't ever underestimate them....And like they say, keep your friends close"- stopped, pierced into his soul as my hand sanded between us "But Gaston closer"

And he, as simple and proud, modified his grin into a half curved smile.