Melodies of Life

Chapter 22. Cookie Stealer

"Our class is going to have a gallery exhibit by the end of the semester. So I need your entries a month before. You know how hard it is to organize events like this. Theme is happiness. Class dismissed." Our professor dashes to the door even before the designated class end time. He's always been like that, in a hurry. And it pisses the hell out of me. I'm not trying to sound hypocrite or anything, sure anyone wants an early dismissal but to have it on a daily basis is just too much. It makes me think that we're not getting the best out of the course that we enrolled for.

"Jasper." The girl with the red star tattoo on her forehand calls out to me.

"Yep." I answer without looking at her, pretending to be busy with my phone. Though we've been block mates since last year, I honestly don't know her first name. All I can remember is that we have the same family name.

"Wanna go out for lunch?" She leans on my desk with a hopeful smile on her face.

I'm not that dense to not figure out the meaning behind her subtle efforts of expressing that she likes me. But she's just not my type. My standards for an ideal girl is way too high for her. Besides, I've never met anyone who is good enough for me. I've dated numerous women because of my father's request, but there's just no one. And I can't be a jerk to tell her that in the face so I mimic her approach. Subtlety.

"The reason why I don't have any friends in this class is because everyone thinks I'm gay." I admitted truthfully.

"I don't." She beams at me.

"If I eat with you, they'll think we're sorority sisters and make fun of me, most especially my hair. I don't want to lose face so it's a no. Sorry." I smile apologetically to her.

She chuckles while shaking her head good-naturedly. "When you cut that goddess-like hair of yours, can we date?"

"I'll think about it." I grin at her before exiting the door. Cut my rockstar hair, you say? Never, not even in my dreams.

There were only a few vacant seats when I arrived at the cafeteria. Nothing new there, same goes with the menu except that my favorite homemade chocolate chip cookie that comes once in a blue moon is sitting gloriously at the basket near the cashier counter. Only one is left and the worse thing that could happen is if someone gets to it before I could. I make a run for the line which seems to go on forever in panic, then my cellphone rings the moment I reached the end of it. I fish it out of my pocket and saw Adam's name on the screen.

"Hyung, what is happiness for you?" I interrupt him before he could finish his sentence.

"The three B's, what else?" He answers in a split second.

"Three B's?" I ask in a puzzled tone.

He laughs in amusement. "Stop playing dumb. Every man knows that."

I fell silent. I have no idea what he's talking about. So, that means... No.

"Seriously? Aish! Basketball, booze and boobs. You're unbelievable!" He lets out a thundering laugh.

"Now, I know. Thanks for the delightful info, but your answer wasn't helpful at all." I snicker in sarcasm.

"Of course, I was just kidding. Maedy and Alex." His hearty laugh echoes from the other line which reflects his real meaning of happiness.

"I have an idea, hyung." A huge grin plasters across my face as I start. "How about a prenup?"

"Maedy won't agree, baby bump issues. Besides, she hasn't even agreed to marry me. She wouldn't even step foot on court for our marriage registration." He spits out words of frustration in one full breath.

"It's just her hormones saying no to marriage. Baby bump my ass, she's just a month pregnant. I know she fears, double or even triple, that what happened to her parents can happen to both of you, which I don't think will ever be because your both madly in love with each other. So, give her an overview of what marriage feels like and maybe she will eventually say yes." I try to reason out even beginning to sound a lot like my father who is a businessman just to convince Adam. Nothing could beat a prenup photo in a gallery. Raw emotions are striking enough to captivate anyone's attention. Add the fact that both him and Maedy are pretty faces.

"Okay. But there's no way I'm having a novice photography student named Jasper Lee do it. It should be someone expert on this." He finalizes.

"Oh come on, hyung. I may not be the best but I'm your bestfriend. You know how much I like taking pictures. I breathe it." I beg him.

"Really? Because the last time I checked my face was practically catalogued on seven or more pages of your portfolio. Enough for your teacher, whom you know isn't exactly my type, to ask me out on a date. Which I can't say no to because we both know your grades will be on the chopping block if I do." I can feel the gradual anger buildup as he spoke with gritted teeth from the other line.

"Yeah, but that was purely unintentional. I chose you as my subject because I know the profiles of your face and body well, which made things easier for me. I'm sorry, hyung." Praises, that's all that could pop up in my head right now. Yeah, stroking the ego of the beast should be enough.

His side of the line remains silent. I was slowly losing hope but then he speaks. "Okay. Just assure me that nobody from your university would take interest on Maedy or else I'll beat you to a pulp."

"Affirmative. So why did you call me?"

"Gig later is cancelled."

"Why?"

"Nick is drunk. Again. And, Daryl quitted the band. Well, who wouldn't? An agency spotting you in the middle of a rundown bar and asking you to sign under their label, that jerk hit the jackpot! Could have been better if they asked us all, though." Adam chuckles trying to hide his sadness. Daryl is his music soulmate. Every guitar chord they shared is magic. Losing him is like cutting off a butterfly's another wing. Musical wings in their case.

"Well, we can still play with just the three of us. Just got to get Nick as sober as possible." I was on the middle of an uplifting joke when someone forcefully made its way past me. And you wouldn't believe what happened next, the hands of that someone landed on my precious cookie. This is war.