One More Day

Chapter 1

" I seriously hate myself sometimes, " Lee muttered under her breath. 

Lee was again late for school, it was past 7.45am. Late for registration! She ran up the stairs with quickened steps, her legs straining from the exercise. Her steps made loud sounds that echoed through the corridor, her breaths got ragged from exhaustion. 

" 3rd floor, 4th floor, OOF! " 

Lee accidentally bumped into someone, a body quite hard. Lee tripped over a foot and landed with a thud, her bag thrown off her, her glasses flew from her face. Her body was face down on the hard floor. She winced from the pain and her vision turned hazy for one moment. 

She scrambled for her glasses, patting on the floor blindly when a deep melodious voice broke out in the darkness. 

" Here. Your glasses. " She felt the hard substance of the glasses then quickly put them back on. Her vision turned clear and saw a boy shorter than her, starting to pick her bag, which was now situated near the staircase. 

" Um... " Lee stuttered, as the boy took the bag for her and handed to her. 

" Please be careful next time. " the boy said before walking down the stairs with elegance. 

Lee looked at the boy as he walked down. His hair was black as a panther, his eyes were the clearest brown, covered with the glasses of the darkest green. His body was a bit scrawny, not like those boys in her class that were tall and muscular. Him, it's quite the opposite. 

Such a shame for such a face to match with an un-muscular body. Shame indeed, Lee thought before shouldering her bag and walked out of the door and into her classroom. 

Juliet was waiting next to her, engrossed in her Chinese book. Lee sat next to her on the table besides her and plopped her bag on the chair with exhaustion. 

" Again late? " Juliet said, still not lifting her head. Her black eyes were still scanning the pages in her book. 

" Juliet, I'm tired, " Lee moaned while leaning on her shoulder while looking at Juliet. 

" We got two new boys today, " Juliet said. 

" I don't want to know, " Lee said. 

" OK class, meet your new buddies today, " Ms Mak announced. 

She pointed towards the boy with chocolate skin and motioned him to stand up. His eyes were twinkling inside the compartment of his navy blue spectacles. 

" Hi. I'm Alex, " the boy said confidentially. 

" Geek, " one of the girls in the class whispered to her friend, and they both laughed. Ms Mak shot them a dark look and they both went silent. 

Then she pointed towards another boy who looked familiar. His eyes stared at hers and they both stared at each other, locked in their embrace. 

Wait, he was in her class? Lee thought in surprise. He must be thinking of the same thing, because she could see his eyebrows rose to an impossible height. 

" Hi. I'm Ethan, " the boy said, breaking the gaze with Lee. Lee turned around, flushed. 

" Anyone wants to be their buddies? Preferably boys please. " Ms Mak announced. 

" I'll do it, " said Luke and Max in unison. 

Luke shot a dark glare towards Max, " I'm taking the geek. "

Alex raised his eyebrows. 

Max looked at him and sighed, " Fine, I'll take the depressed guy. "

Ethan flashed a look of disgust on his face at Lee. But it was gone after a moment. 

Ms Mak clapped her hands together and dismissed her classroom, motioning the start of the first day of school. 

---

" We got Geography first, " Lee said, looking at her new timetable, Juliet pulling her along to her new class. 

" Yeah, yeah, it's Mr Nic again for us, " Juliet said impatiently.

" Oh thank god, I can't wait for his crazy projects and assignments, " Lee said with a hint of sarcasm.

Juliet cracked a smile at her before looking ahead.

The corridor on the 4th floor was full of students, chattering away. Bags of beautiful colors pass her line of vision. Lockers slammed and open. Footsteps echoing through the corridor, sounding like the beats of the drum. Doors creaked open and shut. Lee thought of the fall just now. She tripped over a shoe? Gosh, her mum is going to laugh at her for it. She rubbed her temple, which was still throbing from the fall.

Lee continue to walked ahead dreamily when Juliet's voice boomed in her mind, " Lee! Your class is here! Where are you going? "

Lee snapped out of her dreamland and turned. Juliet was waiting at the door, frantically gesturing her to come here. Lee ran towards her class as her face went hotter. Lee entered the class and stopped.

All the girls are standing in the front of the class while Mr Nic was asking all of the boys to choose a pair of tables.

" Girls, now go and sit with a boy, " Mr Nic ordered. The girls started to moan and complained in front of Mr Nic but he ignored their pleas.

Lee scanned the boys in front of her. She could sit with Max, who was sitting at the back of the class, or with Luke, who was sitting at the second row. But one boy caught her attention.

Ethan. Sitting at the third row. Just where she wanted.

Before she knew what she was even doing, she walked across the class and sat next down to him.

Ethan just said, " Hi. "

Lee returned the greeting without looking at him.

You idiot, why did you sit with him? You could have at least sat with max or Luke, but why him? Lee scolded herself.

But he's sitting at the place you wanted, how could you blame yourself? A small part of her argued.

She sometimes blame her inner self. She always got a point. Lee clenched her fists at her side.

Once all the girls sat down with their new partners, Mr Nic asked all of them to introduce themselves to their new partners.

Lee groaned.

Ethan turned towards her, " So... "

Lee turned to face him, " Hi. My name is Lee. "

Ethan raised his eyebrows. " Isn't that a surname? " he asked dumbfounded.

" Um.. yeah, " Lee stuttered

" No English name? " Ethan asked.

He's annoying yet handsome, Lee thought, pure rage forming at the back of her mind. " No, " she said. And immediately regretted the way she said it. It was a harsh sound, like the sounds of the cold ice cracking.

Ethan wasn't fazed about it. He just said, " Cool. My name is Ethan. "

" Oh. " Lee said with a hint of irony.

" No comments? " Ethan looked at her curiously.

" Why would I have such great comments on your name? It's like a normal name. " Lee snapped.

" Ah. But your name is so unique. Is it your mum who put your surname as your name? A bit weird huh? Never heard a girl with such a name. " Ethan snickered.

Lee punched him lightly at the shoulder. He laughed at her.

" Your name is so boyish. " Lee noted.

" You thought it was a girlish name? How nice of you. Remind me to write your name with nice decorations and flowers around it. " Ethan said.

" You are not going to give me a birthday card. You don't know my birthday. " Lee shot.

" Who said I'm sending you a birthday card? " Ethan laughed.

Lee had no answer for that.