Who? *Complete*

Distance

Anna gasps in shock and it takes not even a micro second for her to run out of the changing room.

When Caleb hears doors banging, gasps leaving mouths and footsteps running, he finally gains his consciousness and pushes Brittney on the side. That's when I see Caleb has a huge black eye.

We might've missed that while discussing the accident.

"Was that Anna?" Caleb asks running towards the entrance door still struggling to look through his black eye.
"What the hell were you doing?" I ask Caleb looking at Brittney with disgust, who is busy examining her nails.
"Oh.. He just hit his eye with the football, poor man. I was just helping - " Caleb cuts her mid sentence and says, "Brittney can you please shut up?" Caleb is super irritated with Brittney I can tell that.
He starts to get out of the room when I grap his biceps motioning for him to stop, "you stay here. I'll talk to her."

-------

Mr. McAndrew drops his lecture books on the teacher's desk and claps his hand twice demanding everyone's attention.

His tan is so visible in this screeching cold that I'm suddenly so jealous of him.
Mr. McAndrew is one of those teachers who everyone respects. He might be my dad's age but looks a lot younger.

"Hello everyone! I come bearing gifts!" He says in a santaclaus voice and everyone breaks into laughter. He does a 'shhshh' and everyone goes quiet.
"First things first. Joana. I'm so glad that you got selected for the spelling bee. That's what I expect from my literature students. Everyone give her a big round of applause." Joana goes all red and pushes her glasses back on her nose while she bows to everyone clapping around.
"Second. As I said, I've brought a gift with me. This year, Mizu High will be hosting spelling bee for the first time ever." To which Zack from backseat says, "What's the gift in it sir? A boring bunch of students spelling out some freaky words?" Everyone starts laughing but Mr. McAndrew isn't finished yet. He says, "I'm not complete. We know how boring a spelling bee competition might sound, but it might not be as boring when its finale is accompanied with talent hunt..." This is certainly a news to cheer for. "Ok. So the gifts are given out. We will discuss the details later, but for now, lets get back to work."

The class goes all sad voices but soon the books are opened and Mr. McAndrew is writing on the board. I try talking to Anna who is sitting beside me but she is in no mood to talk.
We are interrupted by Mr. McAndrew who starts with today's lesson, "Many times we pre-judge people we meet and the things we experience in life. Can anyone tell me why is that so?".

This might be just the perfect topic to show Anna that she is mistaking Caleb's character, so I talk on Caleb's behalf as he is not here due to his black eye.

"Sir?" I say raising my hand to which Mr. McAndrew motions for me to speak up as he flips through his journal.

"Maybe because life is not packaged as we expect it...." I say while looking at Anna who is staring at her notebook, she is super pissed at my answer to which she gives a sarcastic laugh, "yeah right, because we always make drastic choices." Anna says giving hint that maybe choosing Caleb as her boyfriend was a big mistake.

Now Mr. McAndrew is attentive, he says, "my child, those choices are a lot of times based on misunderstandings and simple ignorance, which leads are emotions resulting wrong." Anna is no way backing down, she argues, "but sir what if, what we see is exactly what is happening?" Mr. McAndrew is very patient and he understands us like he himslef is a teen.

Which is all the more reasons to love him.

He very patiently closes his journal stands up straight and says, "don't you remember Juliet's dialogue, 'Slowly and wisely, it tumbles it all down' do you know why? Because life is not a shortcut of a keyboard, it's not googled, it's experienced. What you saw might be a complete lie. They say, 'believe on what you see, not on what you hear.' I completely deny that. We never know what the whole truth is, unless we investigate each aspect of that scene." The bell rings and everyone is out of the class while Anna is still stuck on staring her empty lecture book.

I go up to her and touch her on shoulder, but she shrugs me off and says, "I don't believe that my best friend is taking that cheater's side." Before I could explain she runs away with her books and bag.

--------

I throw my bag near the entrance door and dramatically fall on my bed while staring at the ceiling.
That's when I suddenly remember that Caleb is hurt, which means Kage should also be.
I look around in the room and don't find him. I get out of the room and see him sitting on the dining table, reading his book. I call out his name and he faces me.
"You're not hurt...." I say examining his face.
"Why would I be?" He replies confusingly.
I let out a sigh and sit next to him on the dining table.
"Caleb hurt his left eye. I thought that when ever he gets hurt, so do you. But you look perfectly fine." I eye him and ask, "Why?, why is he hurt but not you?"
He gives me a stare and says, "maybe because it works only on bleeding cuts?"
"Or maybe because..... The distance matters.....?" I say looking in to the thin air.

To be continued.....