The Ugly Bet

Chapter 2 - The Smell of Cherry Blossoms

Dustin

If someone tells me this morning that I'll be this nerd's knight in shining armor, it's either I will laugh hard at him and kick his ass or I will punch him hard for thinking such stupid and impossible thing. But here I am in the school clinic, sitting on the chair beside her bed, watching her sleep with an oxygen hose on her nose. When I rushed her here, which is just a few running steps from the locker room building, the nurse immediately called the doctor from the hospital in town. Two nurses assisted the unconscious girl when I laid her on the bed and put something like a gas mask on her face where smoke comes out, I guess that's what they call nebulizer. Jenny, one of the nurses shoved me out of the room for a while saying they'll have to change her clothes. Yeah, they should coz I felt how wet they are when I was carrying her to the clinic. The scene instantly flashed back to me.

When she fell down on the floor, I thought she just tripped or something but when I shook her body, it's like lifeless. Shit! She fainted! She's covered with sweat and her clothes were soaked with sweat too. I swung my bag on my left shoulder and then her bag on my right and gathered my arms around her. When she's already in my arms, I was all ready to wrinkle my nose and expected her to stink but no. Instead, she smelled like Cherry Blossoms despite the sweat and the wet shirt.

I hit her locker close before rushing my steps, carrying her like a bride in a groom's arms. She's totally small, maybe just 5"2 compared to my 6"2 stature and she's skinny that's why a strong athlete like me carrying her like this is like nothing. But her colorless face scares me to death, like any moment she's going to die in my arms. I almost kicked the clinic's door open, almost shouting when I called Jenny while I was led to the bed by Iza and Jenny both panicking.

"We're done changing her clothes, you can watch her again, Dustin boy." Iza smiled at me with naughty eyes. I glared at her and she left me a playful grin.

"Nah... Too bad, guardian's out of the country," I heard them talking on the table. I gave them her dark purple backpack so if in case they need something there. Then I watched her again in her sleep, her shoulders and chest still moving upward in an unusual manner, but this time I can't hear the freaky whistling anywhere.

"Too good you came on time to rescue the poor girl, Dustin boy."

I looked at Jenny. She's grinning but I can see she's serious. "Why? Could she die if I didn't?" I tried to sound bored.

The nurse paused, looked at me seriously, then shrugged. "She might."

"That's how bad asthma attacks?"

"On her, yes." I looked back at the girl on the bed. Her glasses were on the table and I can clearly see her face now. Is this really Ugly Betty? Actually, she's not really ugly but very pretty. Even if her parted lips are pale, they look very cute with a little pout. She's got naturally long lashes and fine cheekbones. Her messed up hair looks soft and they're brown but blonde on the roots. It looks like she dyed her hair brown when she's so lucky to have natural gold blonde. Other girls would kill just to have that. I continued checking her face when the nurse interrupted me again.

"By the way, what were you doing in the locker room, babe? I know you don't have any vacant time in the afternoon every Friday because of your practice."

I looked up on the ceiling and glared holes there. Why does she have to be so nosy? I let out a breath on my nose before answering her. "I'm not in the mood to attend the art class."

"And what are you doing in the locker room?"

"Playing a game in my cellphone. Why? You're thinking I'm making out with another chic from this school?" I didn't hide my sarcasm.