In The Dark

Chapter Two: The Family

I waited for him to pass by, very eager to look at him. See what he looks like. After they did, I focused my eyes in him. Looking at his bare back. I can see on my peripheral vision he was with a girl, about our age--? Not even sure he is in my age.

"Guess you just met Jeffrey." Sarah said, startling me because I was barely even listening to her.

"Jeffrey?" I asked, making her feel like I want to hear more-- and I do.

"Jeffrey Zap. One of the Zap clan. He's in our batch. They're like a big family." She said, playing with the half of her banana.

"How big?" I asked, trying not to let go of the gaze that I gave him.

"Like, big. His mother, father, an aunt, brother, sister, two little brothers and him..oh, and another sister our batch too!" She said this with great enthusiasm, but I would not be so shocked. If I was her, I would also react that way.

"Did they all grow up here or something?" I asked, asking the first thing I can think of to make our conversation about the Zap family go on.

"Yep. According to what I hear. They used to have, like grandmother or brother who died and some went away to study somewhere ..or whatever." She said, sounding very bored so I figured I should put a stop to this conversation.

Jeffrey Zap and his sister sat on a table beside the fourth table if you start counting from the one beside us.

I can see his whole figure now. Now I am sure he was perfect--too perfect, actually.

An apple sat on his tray and a box of milk while his sister's a salad and an orange juice.

I just keep staring, afraid that if I close me eyes, they'll disappear, telling me this was all just a dream.

"Hey! You--cool?" Sarah gaped.

"Yeah, of course. What's your next class, anyway?" I asked.

"Umm..." She muttered as she took out a notebook from her bag and said "Trigonometry. You?" She asked.

"Health." I said, serenely.

A minute passed, us not glancing or talking to each other. Then the bell rang which made me lose focus on the book I was reading--or at least, pretending to read.

"Gotta go. Bye!" She said, taking her bag and waving her hand at me which I threw back at her.

I got out of the cafeteria and head for the health room.

He was there. Wow. He actually has a class with me in it. I sat beside him, knowing its the only space and the other in front, which I would never sit on. I hated being in front.

As I sat down, I couldn't help it.

After a minute, I was talking to him?

Whoa, what happened? Why am I suddenly talking to this handsome guy?

I asked his name.

"Jeffrey Zap." He said, voice still making me breathless.

Before I can even introduce myself, he already said it.

"Emily Xenia. Hi Emily." He said.

"How did you know? We only met at the cafeteria." I said.

He looked at me, looking perplexed.

I look at him to, realizing he had been doing the same.

"Oh, ummm..You rescued-saved, I mean. Or--I mean, you just--" I said, too abashed to continue my words since they are all mixed up in my head.

"I remember." He said, a smile forming his face.

"Yeah, Thanks for that, by the way." I said, still looking abashed.

"You already said that." He said.

"Oh, right." I muttered.

I saw his lips form a curved line before focusing on Mr. Bart, whose name I know because he wrote it down on the board big enough for all of is to see.

"Every person differ from each other---" Mr. Bart kept on ranting but my mind now focused ( again) on Zap.

I can see his eyes moving away and moving towards me, again and again.

The bell rang.

What?, I thought. Not wanting to end health class just yet.

I looked beside me and he was gone and I looked over the door and there he was, along with the other students, walking away.

I picked up my bag and hung it over my right shoulder. I held my health book, skimming it and then...

"What's your next class?" It was Jeffrey.

"Math." I said, eager to know if he was actually waiting for me beside the door.

"Mmm.." He mumbled.

I stopped walking, waiting for an answer, although I never really asked a question.

He was about two steps in front of me and he stopped too.

He just gaped at me.

"Well?" I said, eyes narrowing.

"What?" He said, with that smile again that makes my whole body go numb. Ugh

"Do you want to ask something?--Or?" I asked.

And then Sarah's face was in mine.

"Hey! You cool?" She asked.

I was still looking at Jeffrey with eyes carefully examining me.

"Yeah." I said, before looking at Sarah.

"Let's Go, then." She said, swaying her hands motioning for me to go first.

"Yeah, let's." I said, shrugging off Jeffrey's cold stare.

But the second my feet was already planted, ready to walk--he was gone.