"SELINE!" A boy's voice called out to me. Tomi? Gosh, he was so annoying. I kept walking pretending I didn't noticed him calling me. "Seline." He popped in front of me and blocked my way. I gave him a glare. Tomi knew I was not happy seeing him, but he didn't care. "You said we would discuss the science project." "Tomi.. I agreed to it but I didn't tell you when I want to discuss it. Now if you may excuse me," I gave him a sarcastic smile and walked away. I could feel him staring at me.
I walked back home. I always do. I don't like sitting in a car with someone driving and I sitting at the front or the back being quiet. It was fine if it was my best friend and we talk the whole journey but with anyone in the car in total silence? I will have anxiety and often leads to a million questions about myself. Thus, making car rides being cut off from my list of favourite things I like to do/would like to do.
My house wasn't located that far from school. Maybe about a kilometre away. It usually took me 15 minutes to walk to school just like returning home but now, it took me 10 minutes. Why? Probably because of the absence of Bradley. Usually, both of us would talk and play around making our travelling time longer. I miss you, Brad. I want you here. "Were you just talking to yourself?" I saw Tomi. "No. Mind your own bloody business, would ya?" I responded quickly. "Seline, we really need to do the project.. it has been two days since the coffee date." He called that a date? A DATE? I don't go on dates. "Sel-" "Look, Tomi. I will meet you at 6 at the same cafe and I will bring along pens and papers but I really want you to go, okay?" I could see sadness deep in his eyes. I knew it because I felt that way before. All Tomi did was nodded and left.
I went home and took a warm bath. Ah, one hour for me to relax and come out before 4:30. Good. I got into the tub and played some music.
I woke up from my relaxing bath. Shit. It was already 5. The cafe was a twenty-five minutes walk from my house unless I took a bus. One. Two. Three. Four dollars. That was enough for my bus ride to the cafe and back home. I wore my favourite sweater, navy blue with a small whale patch at the bottom left of the sweater; my ripped jeans, and a pair of sneakers and left my house with a bag filled with pens and paper and got the 5.15 bus.
When I got there, it was just 5.30. Good, half an hour before 6 and Tomi was no where to be seen. I entered the cafe and I couldn't believe what I saw. Him. He was earlier than I was. I never liked being late.
"Shall we go to the extended one or are you fine here?" "Wherever is fine." He walked towards the extended room and entered the door. We sat at the same table we first had our coffee together. He pulled out a chair and insisted me to sit on it. I was tired of being mean and so, I sat on the chair.
"Mocha latte, right? Your coffee will soon be delivered as their machine just broke," Tomi said. He knew my order. Not bad. "So, what are we doing for our project?" Tomi asked. "Digestive system." I got out my pens and pencil and started to sketch out roughly what I was going to make the model. Tomi paid attention attentively. "What can I do to help?" "You could help to do the report, like I asked you to do." Tomi asked again, "What can I do to help?" I sighed loudly. "I'll make a rough sketch of the model then we can begin making it by maybe tomorrow after we get our materials?" "Ya, sure."
After the discussion, I got up from my seat. "Tomi, I appreciate you helping me with the project. I better go now." "No, wait!" as I was about to leave, I felt Tomi holding my hand and pulled me close. He kissed me. A string of emotions flooded all over me. Oh. No. No. No. No. He did not just kissed me. He can't do this. I pulled away. "Tomi.." "Seline." "I-" "No, listen. Seline, I like you, I laid my eyes on you since day one I was partnered with you in Biology. I didn't have the guts to approach you but the Biology project gave me a reason to. Seline, I don't know why you are so hard to get to know but somehow every single time I try to forget about you, I just come back to the thought of you. I don't know what you have been through, but I want to. I want to be the one you call 'home'. I want to be the one you talk to when you feel down. I want to be with you, Seline. So before you say anything, I want you to think about it." I looked at him. He was serious. He meant every word. "I'll see you later." I ran away from the cafe and got into the bus and I saw Tomi, out from my window, staring at me.
