Something Red

Part Five

"...While we're eating delicious Chinese food, you'll be here staring at books."

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The rest of the week, I spend as much time with the group as I can when I'm not too busy or feeling especially anti-social. I don't see Nars again this week and I'm itching to ask Dylan about him but I never really get the chance to. No one else seems to be worried in anyway or even acknowledges him in their conversations which I find rather strange. It's like he doesn't even go to D.S.C. Had I been hallucinating earlier when I saw him?

"Scarlet, wanna come have lunch with me and the gang? We're going to this really good Chinese restaurant a few blocks from here. You in? It's Thera's idea."

I turn to see Dylan grinning at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes and I shake my head, deciding to ask about Nars.

"Is Nars going to be there?" I ask, shoving my books into my rucksack.

"Nars? Who's that now? I don't even know why you call me Ken Doll or Kenny. Now there's a Nars. There's no Nars in this school that I know or have heard of." Dylan looks truly perplexed, poor guy.

"I don't know what his name is, he was there at the café the first time I met the gang but you never introduced him to me? Tall, dark hair, sullen countenance?"

Dylan looks blank for a moment like his brain is recalibrating as he thinks backwards. I wait patiently, nodding when I see the realisation becoming apparent in his eyes.

"Oh, him! Yeah that's just Arlo. He's a friend of ours but mostly keeps to himself sometimes especially when he needs to be alone because of his mood swings. I didn't think he wanted to meet you just yet, he's been really agitated recently. He would have been more than the usual dick he is to you if I had." He shrugs, a fond grin on his face as he talks about Na- Arlo. That's his name.

"Right."

"Wait...you've been thinking of him as Nars all this time? Wow, Scar. You could've just asked. Your habit of naming people before you get to know them is charming, a little odd but charming all the same."

"Shut up, Ken Doll." I growl lowly, glaring at him. I'm not charming in an odd way, thank you very much.

"Geez, calm down mama. You coming with?" Dylan laughs at my reaction and I lose the glare slightly, sighing.

"Nah, I'm hanging back to do some studying for this Advanced Communication in English Quiz I have on Monday. Can't afford to fail. I'll catch up with you guys later after I'm done studying?"

"Sure, good luck with that. While we're eating delicious Chinese food, you'll be here staring at words." Dylan looks a bit disappointed at first but soon replaces it with a childish one, rubbing the chance I'm missing in my face.

"Get going then, Kenny. Have fun without me and send pics of all the amazing food you get." I fake a sad face, watching as his smug look melts instantly into remorse and concern.

"I can get you something...if you want? It's no big deal."

"No... I don't want to bother you. I'm fine. Have fun."

"No. No. No. I can, c'mon. Tell me."

"You...can?" I even bat my lashes a bit for an added effect to my whole act and like a charm he falls for it. Hook, line and sinker. Gotcha.

"Yeah, name it." He rushes to say and I resist the urge to laugh.

"Just get me some sushi and noodles? I'll be very hungry after spending my lunch break reading so hard. Please, I'd really appreciate it."

I don't have to say anymore, he nods quickly a determined and convinced look on his earnest face. He pats my hair gently, saying a quick good bye as he goes to gather the others.

I smirk to myself slyly, that's how I get free food from Dylan for trying to be smart with me. I turn around and make my way to a secluded place where I can read and research for my Quiz in privacy and peace. I know there's the library but it's definitely doesn't match my description.

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Finding a spot to study without interference is difficult in a place like this, where everyone is everywhere doing all sorts of things you don't usually expect to see so often.

They're couples swapping saliva along the hallways and in obvious corners like its high school again. There are people smoking even though the academic complex is a strict no smoking zone –obviously they don't give a shit about laws here. There's this shady looking kid hanging around clearly dealing illicit substances. They're a bunch of sport junkies running around like they're on something –they probably are. They're people arguing so fiercely you might think it was about something potentially life threatening but it's only about a debate they had in a lecture and how they clearly disagree.

I finally decide I can't study here, so I go around and then out of campus trying to find a quiet café or something I can stay at for a few hours. I find this nearly empty place 'KOMOREBI', a small café somewhere off campus. I didn't want to go too far but in the end I had to. Going inside, I hear a ding and notice the little bell hanging over the entrance.

"Welcome to Komorebi!" I turn to see a middle aged women walking over to me with a cheery smile on her lips and a twinkle in her dark brown eyes.

"Hey, I was hoping I could find somewhere quiet to study for a few hours. I hope you don't mind?" I say honestly, trying to be polite with a small smile.

Her smile doesn't falter she nods understandingly and she leads me to a quiet corner near the back and even offers me a smoothie on the house which I decline politely offering to pay instead.

Her name is Makoto, I read it off her nametag. It suits her, with her distinct features it's hard not to tell her heritage. I think I'll come back here in the future when I need somewhere to study again.

I settle down to my studies, engrossed in my research as my fingers rapidly dart across my keyboard. Makoto brings me my banana berry blast smoothie with quiet footsteps and a wide smile. I thank her with a usual small smile as I focus on my studies again. I'm a major geek, if you haven't noticed that yet. My phone buzzes a few times but I only glance to confirm it's from Dylan. They're already done eating, they will spend some time at the mall or something. I see it but choose to ignore it, hoping for Dylan's sake that he bought my sushi and noodles.

I can't resist the instinct to glance up when I hear the first ding since I arrived. Komorebi doesn't get many customers and I'm grateful for that. My lips release the straw of my smoothie as I stare at the people standing at the entrance or more precisely one of them. Nars, Arlo, he's here and he's not alone.

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