Forget Her Not

6 | haw yeah

The next day, we see Delilah in the morning again. She waves to me, and I wave back before ducking my head down in case Liam turns to look.

I poke Sheila on the side after we have passed. "Are my eyes puffy?"

She purses her lips.

"They're pretty. Like you."

She shoves her shoulder into me playfully.

During Modern History, Jisung comes to our table to say hi and introduce himself to Sheila as my new favourite co-worker. He whinges a little when Sheila tells him, rather absolutely, that that's her, and tries to get me to pick him, by saying that he will go sort through the cabbages the next time it is my turn to.

"See you after school." he tells me, when our teacher walks in.

Jisung scrunches his face playfully at Sheila. Then he heads over to his seat next to Kyle, who asks him something that makes him raise his eyebrows. Kyle sends me a funny wink when he catches me looking.

They are holding a pay it forward type of event at lunch. This time, with these cute mini cheese tarts. I buy one each for Sheila and me and stick my purple post-it note up onto the corkboard next to the stall, not bothering to write an additional message onto it.

A hand adorned with a shiny golden watch reaches out from behind me. My note gets plucked up right away.

"Hello Arden," Delilah says. "Creative. Thanks."

She grins when I hum noncommittally in answer, and hands the post-it over to one of the boys manning the stall. I see him swallow dryly and incline his head in when he takes it from her. Delilah scans the neat rows of glazed tarts before picking one out. Then she loops an arm through mine.

"I forgot how good these are." she sighs, taking a bite. "Dieting really isn't worth it. They had these really good matcha ones when I was in Japan. They were so tasty. Have you tried them? I'll have to find out where I can get them from here."

I cradle my two tarts closer towards me. Delilah has an animated way of talking. She continues to chatter on while she marches us rather quickly through the crowd of people in our school hall, not stopping to make way for others. We do not exactly have to though, because they seem to make way for her.

"Where's your friend? What's her name again?" she asks.

"Oh, Sheila."

Delilah smiles easily. "She's cute."

Then she stops, eyes flitting over somewhere. She drags me along with her as she makes a beeline towards someone.

"Liam!"

My brain immediately short circuits. I look up to see him, and my heart leaps into my throat. He catches sight of us, and his face freezes. My feet continue to move forwards.

"Hey!" Delilah demands. "Liam! Where do you think you're going?"

Liam manages to look a little sheepish, mid step and turned away from us. I can barely restrain the little spluttering noise that threatens to escape my throat.

He looks around. "Hi."

"I saved you some of my tart."

Delilah shoves her half-eaten tart towards him gracelessly. Liam wrinkles his nose a little.

"No, thanks."

"But Arden bought it for me. Doesn't her hair look especially nice today?"

I had trimmed my side bangs a little this morning. It does not look that overly noticeable though, they had only been growing out a bit too much. But Delilah unlinks our arms to comb a hand through my hair, pulling the side that is closer to her, up and away from my neck, as though she is about to tie it up. I bat her fingers away.