The Heart Never Lies

Chapter Six

Andy

"One, Two, Three, Four" I repeated the pattern of throwing the basketball at different distances. "Alright, you're out Andy. Max, you're next" Coach William is training the school team for the state championship against our rival school. "Come on kids, we have to win for this season, don't you dare give up on me!" I sat on the side while I watched my classmates playing basketball in the gymnasium.

I finished my bottle of water before looking at Carol in her sports suit. We have the same school attire for sports but her shirt is a special case. She ordered one size too big and now it looks like she is wearing a red blanket. And from the way she is dodging the balls from other girls it is obvious she is far from an athlete. A girly nerd.

Somehow she looks a bit more attractive with her bun. Apart from her attire, she is the most beautiful person in the gymnasium. The sweat that she perspires really brings out her Asian features. Wait, what am I even thinking? I cringed at myself for thoughts like these. "Yo, dude" Kyle approached me with an extra water bottle. I bumped fists with him as he finished his reps with Coach William.

"Stalking girls?" He can see through the facial expressions that I emanate when I stalk girls. "What else is there to do in the gymnasium after finishing your reps?" I grinned at him. He sat down next to me and sipped his own drink. "So who's your type?" We chatted while the girls are going to their third round of dodgeball with Carol scoring 0 point in dodging and shooting.

"Why should I tell you?" I grinned at him. He let out a heavy sigh. "People don't call me The Sidekick for no reason" He responded with a smile. "Still not convinced" We both laughed as I kept my eyes on Carol. For some reasons, the past few days ever since school started, I only felt her presence. It is as if everyone else is inconsequential, that she is the centre of everything. I must be daydreaming because the period has already ended and everyone else has gone apart from a few other boys cleaning up their stuffs and me sitting on the bench.

I got up and took my belongings which included a towel and a water bottle. I was about to go back to class before I realized that Carol was sitting beside me. I had a big shock. It was evident with my facial expressions and my rapid heartbeat. I did not expect that she would creep up on me like that. How long has she been here?

"Hi" I said hesitatingly before smiling unconsciously. She gave me a note. Thank you for just now. "Oh, no worries, it's just what friends do for each other, right?" I laughed at myself. She shook her head and took out another note. I waited patiently as she wrote. I mean for becoming my friend. You're my first friend in this school and I am glad to know you. I smiled at her. "I am glad to know you as well." I wanted to continue my sentence but I decided not to. We are just friends, right?

It was an awkward situation again. We were both just staring and smiling at each other in the gymnasium before I spotted something on her bag. It is a Usagi keychain. My mouth was wide open as I produced my next statement. "It's Usagi! Do you know him?" She was as surprised as me as I pointed at her keychain. She smiled and nodded and from her contours, she seems excited as well. She quickly wrote something on her note.

Yes! Yes! I love Usagi. He is extremely cute! I have a real life pillow of him in my bedroom as well. He is just so fluffy and I can't wait to go back and hug him again in my sleep. I smiled as I read her words that she wrote with enthusiasm. She realized that she has revealed too much. I'm sorry, it's just... when I get excited I tend to not be myself. "It's ok, you look more like yourself when you're excited." I smiled at her. She smiled back again. I just remembered the comic that I have in my stash of books in the storeroom. Maybe I will give her tomorrow.

"I have something for you tomorrow. It's a secret between us." I said it mysteriously. I will surprise her with my legendary Usagi comic collections. She nodded her head reluctantly while smiling at me. "Come, let's go. We are going to be late again. Oh and by the way, how long have you been sitting beside me?" I asked curiously as we both walked towards the class together. Just a few minutes before you stood up.

"Oh alright. Because I was daydreaming so I did not realize that you were there" I laughed at myself. What did you daydream about? She was walking just a little behind me as she wrote this. "Ah nothing, just what I will eat in the cafeteria later" I am definitely not telling her that I am daydreaming about her, it would be extra awkward later. I never knew you were a foodie. I am a foodie as well, I just don't show it. Isn't it weird that how in just two days, we are revealing so much of ourselves to each other.

"Really? I challenge you in a food competition." I said it in a baritone voice as if mimicking the whole situation. She laughed a little before writing. I bet you would lose. Do not be fooled by my size, I can eat a whole elephant. She pulled out her tongue to make fun of me. "Don't be like that, we never know until we have the competition" I pulled out my tongue as well to make fun of her. She pouted a little as we both headed back to class.

I believe I had fulfilled Mom's request in making a friend who is a girl. But that is not the main point. The main point is, I believe that my life is going to be better with Carol. I do not know how my school life will proceed in the future but I do know that I should cherish every moment with her before we both graduate. And today is just the second day of our story.