Heartstrings Unraveled

Chapter 4: Intimidating Girl.

Chapter 4: Intimidating Girl.

"Thank you for inviting us, Wanda!" Rick exclaimed joyfully, grinning ear to ear.

Elnio, however, didn't know what to say. Something about Wanda felt off to him. He couldn't just shake off the suspicion that lingered in his mind that the girl wasn't who she claims to be. The random kindness and gentleness she's giving off seemed forced or maybe it was just an act. Though, it wasn't right of him to directly assume of Wanda - she was just a new girl and maybe she was just peculiarly friendly towards others.

Wanda Bliss.

Wanda Bliss.

Wanda Bliss?

The name sounded familiar. Had he met someone with that name before? Or someone similar? Elnio wanted to learn more about Wanda. Sitting with her at lunch might provide some answers, though she'd probably just ask questions like:

"What's your favorite movie?"

"Where are you from?"

"What do you guys do in your free time?"

Those were the kinds of questions he would ask in her place—gathering information to understand people better. He assumed she might have a similar tactic. She was smart, but he considered himself smarter.

"Eat without me," Elnio interrupted Rick, indifferent to any annoyance he might cause.

"What?" Sario raised his eyebrows at him, hoping for an explanation.

"Just—go eat with Wanda. I have things to do anyway," Elnio explained, crossing his arms over his chest.

"It can't be more important than eating, right?" Sario asked softly, taking a step closer.

"It is," Elnio affirmed.

"What do you have to do?" Sario asked again. "Maybe I can help you with it," he offered, not meeting Elnio's gaze.

"Just some homework," Elnio replied nonchalantly.

"Homework?" Kern repeated, confused.

"Man, do you suck ass that you didn't even finish your homework?" Rick joked, bursting into laughter.

Elnio wanted to tell him to 'fuck off' or something, but he wasn't in the mood. He was in a rush and didn't care about Rick's remark. He wanted to snap at him, but he felt uncomfortable with Wanda watching. So, he responded with a simple, "Yeah."

The look on Sario's face was understandable. He seemed confused and speechless. Reasonable—stop saying reasonable.

"Then," Elnio started, "bye-bye." He turned around and walked away.

Elnio noticed Kern and Rick waving at him, but he didn't wave back. He had never left homework unfinished before; he had just lied to avoid eating lunch with Wanda.

He didn't know why he did it. He felt pressured, maybe because of the look on Wanda's face whenever they made eye contact. How could he explain it? She seemed to be daring him to join her. He wasn't sure if Sario or Kern had noticed. It felt like she wanted Elnio to sit with her, but the way she implied it felt creepy as hell.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grip his arm.

He turned around and saw...

"I'm not letting you go alone!" Sario declared, his voice a mix of sincerity and seriousness.

Elnio gave him a confused look, which quickly turned serious. "I just need to—"

"You're not skipping lunch, Elnio!" Sario protested, shaking his head. "You need to eat something. It doesn't matter how much you eat, as long as you eat, I won't bug you at all!" Sario's grip on his arm tightened slightly.

Elnio's eyes widened slightly. "I can just eat later," he insisted. "It's not like it matters what time I eat." He tried to pull his arm away, but Sario's grip was surprisingly strong and firm.

"You think I believe a word you say?" Sario replied. "Elnio, please, just eat with us." He begged, loosening his grip slightly.

Elnio stared at Sario in surprise, his eyes still wide. He didn't expect Sario to beg him to eat with them. He wanted to refuse, but it seemed impossible when Sario looked like a desperate puppy.

"...Fine. I suppose I can eat with you guys," Elnio reluctantly agreed. Maybe it was the right choice.

As soon as Elnio agreed, Sario's eyes lit up with happiness. There were practically stars in his eyes, shining brightly like moonlight. His eyes sparkled so brightly that Elnio couldn't look away—he stared into Sario's starlit eyes like an idiot.

"Uh, Elnio?" Sario called out. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Huh? It's just surprising," Elnio replied hesitantly.

"Surprising?" Sario repeated, sounding confused.

What was confusing about being surprised? Was Sario dense or something? Sario had suddenly grabbed Elnio's arm out of nowhere and practically begged him to eat with him and Wanda. Jesus Christ, he's such a dumbass.

"Well, obviously. Forget it," Elnio brushed it off.

Sario's stupid smile spread across his face. He looked like a cheerful kid. Normally, that would annoy Elnio, he thought to himself, but surprisingly, it didn't. He usually knew what he felt about things and was good at expressing his feelings, unlike Sario.

This time, it was different. Elnio didn't know what to say about Sario's smile, aside from the fact that he looked like a kid and his smile shone brighter than anything bright. Or maybe the fact that Sario looked so admirable right now.

"Then, let's go eat, Elnio," Sario said, still holding onto Elnio's arm.

Elnio nodded in response, making Sario smile widely. Then, he led Elnio over to where Wanda was sitting. Elnio felt a rush of relief. He let out a sigh of resignation, his frown showing his annoyance.

Was this the right choice? It didn't feel right—it really didn't.