FACELESS

Chapter 14

They pushed back our practical examinations a week ago. A week ago, I spent hours and hours panicking over the exam, only to find out that it had been pushed back a few weeks after. I don't know whether to feel angered; that I spent so long panicking and for it to be done and over with; or relieved because I was sure that I wasn't prepared at all and would had fucked the entire thing up single handedly.

And, only a week ago - my entire student life was flipped upside down.

Now, the people call me The Girl With Zac All The Time but I'm going to shorten it into The Girl with Zac. Now people try and fumble around to know my name, to know The Girl With Zac — and how she did it.

Yesterday a group of girls came up to me and Zac while we were in the canteen. I was drinking soundly from my water bottle, chugging the liquid down my throat as it washed away the icky taste of soy sauce in my mouth.

"Hey, can we sit here?"

I looked up, suckling on the tip of my bottle. Standing there in front of me, was a girl carrying a bowl of warm soup with steam rising into the air and both wrists covered by a silver bracelet.

The left bracelets has 2 letters: GE
The right, spelt with TA

I know who she is.

Geta.

Geta Tan stood in front of me, flanked with her friends by her side. I know and recognise the girl on her right anytime - It's Abigail Ng, the social media influencer in our school. She has six piercings on her ears. One of her teeth is crooked, but in a way that makes her look like a demonising vampire. Her black glossy hair is tied up into 2 buns, one at each side of her head and her hair is purposefully pulled down to frame her heart shaped face. In her hands is a tray with a black bowl full of salad, and a small cup of Vanilla Yogurt. She doesn't look too pleased to be here. Her eyes are on her phone that is laid on the tray.

The girl on her left - I don't recognise. But she's a girl that I felt like I've seen before. She  has slightly wavier hair than any of us, and wears gold rimmed glasses that sits on her nose. In the past 5 seconds, she already pushed her glasses up twice.

Geta stands in front of me, smiling gleefully at Zac. Her eyes met mine for a milliseconds, unpleasantly giving me the look to back off.

I take another sip of my water, swallowing.

"Hey," Zac said, smiling back at Geta. He gives me a side glance. I swallowed the fear in my mouth, shrugging. This was not my place to intervene. They talk to Zac, not me.

"So, the seat?"

"Huh?" Zac said, blinking. "Oh — Um...."

Zac blanks out, stuttering on his words. His eyes are darting left and right, as if unsure and uncertain of the words to come out of his mouth. The smile on Geta's face slowly began to drop. She clenched her jaws, waiting.

"Uh...." Zac continues to mumble. I'm cursing internally: Fuck sake, just say yes — no, she's just standing there!

Zac continues to stutter, his eyes blinking, unable to make a decision. I bit the inside of my cheek, cursing under my breath.

I reach one of those: Here goes nothing moments like when you're on the rollercoaster, teetering at the edge and people wait in line behind you as you hesitate with the impatient workers glaring at you. Here goes nothing you said as you buckled up and up you go. Like one of those times where you said here goes nothing and had the courage to ask for an extra set of spoons from the waiter.

Yeah here goes fucking everything.

"The seats aren't taken." I cut in, smiling. "You can sit."