Never Again

1

Boys and girls; girls and boys-- they never made a difference to me. It didn't seem that important. Till now.

Our moms always tried to bring us together. Whenever we'd hold hands, my mother and his mother would swoon annoyingly. Those days were the days: when even though we were taunted for clasping hands, we'd still forget about it and do it again. We'd still be friends. So it's understandable for me to never have suspected he would leave. . .

Wang Junkai. I could say that name over and over again, over and over again, and he would not come back to me. I'm not worth being friends with. Every girl combs their hair, and every girl starts applying makeup at the crack of dawn. Only my hair is still a bird's nest, and only my face isn't covered in layers of powder. I'm still myself. A tomboy, and a stubborn and strong one at that. I thought Junkai didn't mind the way I am. I guess I was wrong.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Mom! I have to go! Why did you wake me up so late!" I cried, flipping through my dirty clothes bin to find a presentable outfit for school. I picked up something with ruffles. It looked pretty enough. That was before I saw the sauce on it. I wrinkled my nose, and tossed it on.

"I didn't! I called you and you answered! You must've fell back to sleep, " my mom replied loudly. Harummph. No one does this to their child. I blinked back frustrated tears as I slapped my backpack in place, then scrambled downstairs.

It's Junkai's birthday, and also mine. I took my box of chocolates from the counter, quickly opening the lid to check. My mom didn't eat any, surprisingly. I glanced across the room at my mom to see her glaring at me. I cowered a little.

"Sorry." I said timidly. She placed a granola bar in my hand. I nodded, pushed open the door, and ran to the yellow truck already waiting for me before my lawn. As I ran, I could here my mom murmuring something about kids in love angrily.

There was a scraping sound as the door started to close. I jumped in just in time. The bus driver took off his sunglasses and looked at me warily. I bit my lip and jostled down the aisle to find a seat. As soon as I found one, I sat, and pulled out the granola bar. Then I picked up my box of chocolates and grinned. He likes chocolate more than I do. He'll like it, I reassured myself. He will. He always does.

As soon as the bus screeched to a stop, I was the first one off, almost tripping over my own shoelaces. That stupid grin reappeared on my face like magic. I wonder what he'll get me. We're best friends after all. He wouldn't forget my birthday, wouldn't he?

Before I knew it, I was at the door. I grabbed the door handle, pulled myself inside, and sprinted to Junkai's locker like a madman. All the way, people stared. I ignored them. After what seemed like forever, I finally reached his locker. He was busy placing binders in his locker. Already, he'd grown so much taller from the last time I'd met him. Nowadays, I have to look up to see his face-- to think he was half a head shorter than me when we were children.

"Hey." I panted, taking large gulps of air. He looked at me once then switched his gaze back to his locker. I waited. A minute or two later, his patience seems to have disappeared. Junkai slammed his locker and finally faced me, leaning on the locker. He's frowning. There is an intensity to his eyes. He's never looked at me this way.

"Umm--" I stammered, then paused. My anger bubbled to the surface, giving me the courage to look him in the eye. "Did you get me a birthday present?" I demanded. I must've looked ridiculous, since Junkai laughed. It was not a normal joking laugh we shared all the time, he literally laughed at me. My eyebrows knit together in confusion, and I just looked at him.