Heart's Tempo (Wattys2014) [EDITING]

Chapter 11

It’s been a week since Fourth started at the music school. He could safely say he’s forgotten all about Nisa – almost. If only Henry didn’t bring her with him that last day of the school week. He was inside one of the classrooms practicing piano, when he felt someone had been watching him from the small window of the classroom.  When he looked up, whoever that person who had been watching him suddenly went out of sight. This is when he decided to see who it was.

“Nisa, where are you going?”

Henry was calling Nisa back. She was walking away as fast as she can but stopped as soon as she heard Fourth call her name. He didn’t know why he even called her in the first place, everything would have been okay if he just went back inside the room and pretended he did not see them.

“Why did you suddenly walk away like that?” A puzzled Henry said, while Fourth stood immobile by the doorway. Henry grabbed Nisa’s hand and walked back towards Fourth.

“Did we disturb you?” Henry asked.

“…not at all.” It was a lie. He wished Henry didn’t take Nisa with him.

Nisa was looking at the piano sheets Fourth was holding. Could he be playing a piece now by reading a piano sheet?

“Henry, I think this is not the right time for us to talk to Fourth. Sorry, Fourth. We’ll get going now.”

“It’s okay, Nisa. I was about to finish here anyway.”

“That’s great! You know what, I’m a bit hungry now, so what do you say we eat something before we all go home?” Henry said. “I’ll bring the car around. You two wait for me here.”

Where was his car parked? That was the first question that came inside Fourth’s head. He just realized that he missed Nisa after a week of her ‘absence’. He wanted to ask her why she was trying to walk away a while ago. Was she actually avoiding him now?

“…how are you, Nisa?”

“Good, you?”

She wasn’t looking at him at all.

“Still adjusting. This is a totally different environment here.”

Awkward. He felt an awkward tension between them now. He needed to ask the question before Henry comes back. It’s now or never.

“Are you trying to avoid me?” She shot him a look he has never seen before. He was right and Nisa was being accused of something that was so obvious. He felt like she just stabbed him.

“Is there a reason why I should avoid you?” she answered icily.

“I don’t know. Why were you trying to walk away a while ago?”

“You’re asking me that kind of question? How about I ask you now, why I haven’t heard from you for a week? Are you trying to avoid me?” She replied in a calm manner but that doesn’t mean she’s not mad at him. “I’ve left you several messages on the phone, but not even a single text message from you. I don’t even know if you’re still alive in this school or it has eaten you –“

He chose not to answer the question. Henry’s car was already there and he was telling them to hurry up. Fourth was trying to come up with an excuse not to go with them, but couldn’t think of any. Without a word, Nisa opened the passenger side door and went in, leaving no choice for Fourth. He’ll be sitting beside Henry at the front seat.

“So, how was school’s first week?” Henry started the conversation as soon as they were out of the school.

“Good, still adjusting though…which reminds me, there’s a great Korean fast food not far away from here. You might want to try it out.”