Not Into Her

VIII - The Bummer

Aprielle and her friends walked on separated paths. Aprielle walked towards the door and walked inside room while Mikaella and the rest of their friends walked to the gate and head to the restaurant they always chilled and hang out.

I looked around and noticed the four were hungrier than before. I offered them my food when my tummy was on its peak. Almost half of the box have been cleaned when I reached my food to the boys. When suddenly----

"You boys are hungrier than before." Aprielle's voice came in.

I looked at the door and noticed Aprielle on the door, walking at us. I immediately wiped the remaining rice pieces from my mouth and chin and smiled at her.

"Yeah, they are." I apologized at her. "You done eating?"

"Nope." she replied. "Do you wanna go and eat with me, Alex?"

I took my cold water bottle from my bag and drank from it. I looked at Aprielle and smiled back. "Unfortunately, I'm done eating." I took my finished lunch-box after Daniel took all the remaining food from my lunch-box, put it back of its bag and put the bag back to my backpack.

"Oh, well." Aprielle sighed. "Maybe I'll eat my food alone."

Aprielle took her lunch box from her bag and placed it on the arm of the chair. That Snow White lunch-box with a darker purple color at the background always me take me back to this year. Then she looked at me.

"If you're not hungry anymore, care to me join me at least when I'm eating?" she asked.

"Sure." I said. "If you want me to."

"Will you?"

"Okay, then."

I walked towards Aprielle and sat next to her. I looked at her and noticed she have a rice piece stuck on his mouth. So I took my handkerchief and gave it to Aprielle.

"You've got a rice piece on your lower lip." I said.

Aprielle looked at me and smiled. "Can you take it?" she asked.

I noticed Aprielle's enthusiasm wasn't meant to me, on what she just ordered me. I didn't refused nor obeyed to what she ordered. But to be ordered by someone, who I just met for not that long time, is not that okay for me. It's a misdirection of feelings and emotions.

So I put the handkerchief at the top of her armchair and turned around. "Maybe later, Aprielle." I said, disrespecting her. "I've got something to do."

"Sure, sure." Aprielle said, realizing that she made me angry at her. "Come back if you're done."

But I didn't came back. At that very moment, I thought of something wrong just happened. I can see her attitude from her words that she just said and her look wasn't for me. I thought that she didn't need me and she's in love with someone. And that someone wasn't me, after all.

So I walked back to the boys and noticed they just finished their eating and already drink their own water. Karl looked at me and noticed I'm worried after seeing Aprielle.

"What happened, Alex?" he asked, noticing the worried face.

I sat back on my chair and had a good nap. "Oh, nothing." I replied, at Karl. "Just realized that she's not meant for me."

Karl and the others looked at me and noticed the immediate change of attitude on me. They wondered each other what happened to me and they didn't know what my words they heard just now means.

"What do you mean, Alex?" Von asked.

"I saw something was wrong." I replied, at Von. "Maybe I'm not the man for her, guys. I think she's got a boyfriend and I just realized it right now. I mean, I saw a rice piece on her face so I took my bandanna and gave it to her. But she asked me to wipe it to her, without hesitation."

"Uh-oh." Daniel said. "What should we do?"

Von looked at the three and thought for a plan. "Let's ask Aprielle about Alex's perception." Von suggested. "Let's grill her for some information about her life."

Kris stood up and smiled. "Let's go."

"No, wait." I stopped. "Don't. I'll just eavesdrop with them and find it myself."

"But Alex," Daniel stopped me.

"No but, Daniel." I said at Daniel. "I'll do it myself. Trust me, guys. I'm gonna be okay."

The four didn't stopped me from my plan and they let me what I do. I just sleep for a while until the next batch of classes. The boys did what I did and they slept on their chairs. They snored and snored, while our classmates walked in and looked at us sleeping on chairs. Aprielle already finished her meal and immediately fixed up her chair before the bell rang.

When the bell rang at one in the afternoon, I and my friends woke up and fixed our salivas out. Then we immediately fixed up ourselves and fixed our sitting before our Science teacher arrives.

After a few minutes, our teacher came in and me and my classmates stood up and greeted him. After greeting, all students sat back to their seats and the class suddenly went to the homework. I passed mine and Aprielle passed her. The students at the front took the homework from their backs and passed them to Mr. Catalbas.

The next snack time came and I and my friends immediately head to the canteen. Aprielle and her friends also walked to the canteen and fell on line with the others. I and my friends just bought our food and I decided to sit with my friends to a nearby chairs and table near the canteen counter to listen what Aprielle and her friends are talking about.

"Well, what's with you and Alex lately?" Mikaella asked Aprielle.

"Oh, me and him?" Aprielle asked. "We were just playing around. Not that playing playing. I just ask him to do what I wanna tell him to do and he immediately do what I do."

I heard everything Aprielle did say to her friends. And I felt very stupid to what she did to, now she's admitting it to her friends. Feels like I wanna flick her cheeks until it soars and bleed, but I can't do it. I haven't the right to fight or scold or do anything stupid to a girl like Aprielle though.

After I heard what Aprielle said at me, I stood up from the chair and looked at the boys.

"I'm gonna be on the classroom." I said to the boys. "If you wanna go with me, just follow me after you eat."

"Okay." the four said.

Von looked at my background and saw Aprielle on counter. He even had a concluded what happened. So he stood up and looked at the boys.

"What happened, guys?" he said to the boys, angry like he never did. "Alex left us because of what he heard on Aprielle and you didn't gave him sympathy. Take your food and we'll follow him."

"Okay, okay." Kris said, eating his sandwich faster than he could.

After they immediately eat their snack, they head back to the classroom and walked to me. I was on the classroom the whole snack break and in a sleeping position. I wasn't sleeping that time and I'm just mad at what Aprielle said about me. I was feeling dumb at every-time Aprielle asked me what I should offer to her and all she did was to make me like stupid man always treating me as a house boy of his.

"I know why you're walking away from us, Alex." Von said, still looking at my frowning face. "You already know what will happen but you got to get move on and push to your life."

I looked at Von and became sad. "I guess you're right, Von." I said to Von, agreeing what he said. "I've got to move on and focus myself for my future. I shouldn't let myself crazy for her and focus my life on my studies."

"That's the spirit!!" Von and the boys said, happily. "From now on, you should be more optimistic and be more brave in ignoring any requests from her or to anyone else."

I looked at Von and surprised at his things he just said. "Okay." I agreed, now, looking at the blackboard and noticed the next teacher. "If that's the stake, I'll do it."

"Attaboy." Von said.