Temptations {ON HOLD}

Chapter 5

                          ADAM

"As Salam alaykum." We say simultaneously.

"Wa alaykum Salam." She responds with a moon size smile on her face which brightens an ever so striking beauty.

For a moment, neither of us says nothing. This is the first time in my life that I find it hard to keep a conversation going with a girl. Then, a question pops up in my brain. A question whose answer that'll definitely be useful in the future.

"Where do you live around this area?"

"Oh! I live at Unity Close." She chews the inside of her cheek while shifting from one foot to another, not maintaining eye contact.

"Really? That's not really far from here."

"Hmm... Yes!"

That's true. Unity Close isn't really far from here and to my excitement, it isn't really far from where I live, Dolphin Estate.
Strangely, I've never seen her before. That's ever since we moved here (My Mum, Sis and I) which is about six years ago, since my Mum and Dad separated.

"I... I have to go." She says shyly.

I know I have to roll my bullets now 'cause it's now or never.
"Well, I think we're taking the same lane."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I live at Dolphin Estate." I try to sound confident even though my confidence is draining by the second.

"Wow! That's not really far from Unity Close." She smiles again, and again my heart can't help but beat faster than normal. This whole feeling is all funny because I've never felt this way before.

We walk side by side for a while with my heightening nervousness getting inversely proportional to my decreasing confidence. Yet, I know I have to say something to keep this going.

Wait a minute! Why is this really hard to do. I mean, this is something I'm really good at. I've always been smooth around girls that I've spun a good number of them in my web without them suspecting a thing.  However, that's not what I'm about to do to this girl beside me right now. One can tell that she's just so unique, so different from other girls, even by aura.

"Is it really you who's been assigned to help me with my notes?" I finally try after about a minute of scavenging my brain, and recalling about the notes.

She glances at me for a second and then looks away. We turn a corner and she finally answers quietly, "Yes". We are no longer in the rowdy part of the streets, so it's easy for me to hear her.

"But you haven't been helping." The sentence falls out faster than intended and I almost slap myself. It sounds almost accusing.

"Yes. And that's because you don't look or act like someone who needs help." She says with a tone almost matching mine.

"Really? How do I look?" I ask with a sly smile on my face.

"What?" She frowns a little while fixing me a questioning gaze.
Her large eyes says it all, I must have crossed a boundary.

In my head, I go over my own question. Shit! That's not what I meant.
"Oh! That's not what I meant. I didn't mean it that way. You... you said that I don't look like someone who needs help and -"

She suddenly bursts out laughing like I've just made the world funniest joke. For a moment, I don't know what to do or say. But her laughter is so comical that I can't help but laugh, and few seconds later, neither of us can stop.

When our laughter finally subsides, she says, "You didn't think that I took it as something else, did you?" Still giggling, she looks as pretty as ever. " You must be a dirty-minded folk."