Heart's Tempo (Wattys2014) [EDITING]

Chapter 7

She wasn’t sure if calling Fourth back was the right idea. Henry heard Fourth’s message a while ago and with that look on his face, she knew he wanted to ask her something but held himself back. So what if she returns Fourth's call? He got soaked too and just wanted to know if she got home safe. Any classmate would do that, right? Actually, no. Nisa answered the question herself. Any friend would do that, right? She asked herself again and finally agreed.

Nisa went up to her room, straight to the extension phone by her nightstand. Even before she was able to lift the handset she noticed she was still wearing Henry’s clothes. She just noticed; he still uses the same perfume. With that, Nisa quickly changed into her own clothes and placed Henry’s clothes in a paper bag and threw it in the corner of her room, beside the trash can. Sitting down on her bed, she sighed out loud, finally picked up the handset and dialed Fourth’s phone number. On the third ring his answering machine kicked in.

“Hi, Fourth. It’s Nisa. I just got home. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who got soaked. But I’m okay, someone – “

“Nisa?” Fourth suddenly cut in.  “Sorry, I was mopping my room. I left the window open and my bed can now be officially called a water bed and my room a bathroom. You were saying someone…”

“No, I…” Nisa hesitated. She didn’t know if she should tell Fourth about Henry this time.

“Nisa, what’s wrong?”

“Someone helped me a while ago and gave me a ride – “

“It was Henry, right?”

“How did you know?!”

“I didn’t, I’m just catching you off guard.”

“Well you did, congratulations. Listen, I don’t think I can tell you over the phone, besides, you need to dry up your room.”

“I know. What about after school tomorrow? Want to meet me at the coffee shop after my shift?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll see you then.”

“Yup, see you.”

Fourth took an early shift at the coffee shop the next day and went into overtime for the next two hours. At about five o’clock Nisa walked in and found Fourth serving drinks to two high school girls who seemed to be mesmerized with him. Fourth waved at Nisa and she smiled back, while the two high school girls took notice of her and looked at her from head to foot. What the heck! Nisa said to herself and did the same with the girls, but raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms and went into a staring contest with the girls. Of course, she won. The moment the girls went out of the shop she walked towards the table and smiled. That felt good! She doesn’t do that but whatever happened to seniority and respect? Just because Fourth waived at her she’s now considered as a rival? Yeah right.

Nisa took a seat by the window overlooking the street. For a few minutes she watched other students pass by the shop and then she looked back at Fourth at the counter. He was still serving three customers in line. Fourth mouthed the words five minutes before he went back to taking orders.

“Hey,” Fourth finally finished with his shift and came with an ice blended matcha green iced tea for Nisa. “It’s in the house. I know you prefer chocolate drinks but you should try that. I prepared that myself, with an extra serving of skimmed milk.”

“Good for the body, huh? Thanks. Do you know those two high school girls?”

“No, why?”

“Do you know they have a crush on you?”

Fourth laughed off at the new information.

“What? You didn’t notice the way they look at you?”