To Our Pinky Promises

Chapter 16

I stared at the classroom door nervously. My leg kept bouncing incessantly, just waiting for him to show up. My school bag was under my table, already unzipped, and all I needed to do was take out the bag that had his clothes in it when he comes through that door.

The door suddenly opened and I immediately straightened up but instantly deflated again once I saw who was stepping into the room.

"Good morning, everyone." The teacher greeted, receiving a chorus of uninterested replies from the rest of the class.

I watched the door for a few more minutes as the teacher prepped everything to start the class and even during his lesson, I still kept on glancing at the door as if I could manifest Alex into walking in through that door if I thought about it tenaciously.

But when the teacher had dismissed the class, I started getting worried. I don't think Alex has ever missed any of his classes, not for the past few years.

I know we've lost contact and aren't close friends anymore but I admit I have been watching and paying attention to him in the most non-creepy way possible.

Okay, it wasn't something that I could exactly control. It was a habit that just failed to die over the years. Back when we were close friends, he was always the first face I search for in the sea of people and his eyes were the only ones that were able to speak to me in a deeper level than any other pair with a single glance.

It was simply a habit that didn't die over the years and I didn't bother trying to fight it because deep inside, I guess I was still somewhat curious of what he was doing and how he is.

So I just didn't even try to fight the urge to divert my attention elsewhere when I catch his eyes in the crowd or stop myself when I realize I was still trying to spot him in a public place.

As second period and third period came and went, I was growing more anxious and worried. He might smoke, drink, do all the 'badboy' categorized activities but if there was one thing I knew for sure about the current Alex, it was that he prioritized his education.

Lunch finally came around and I followed Kimmy into the cafeteria, listening her ramble on with her apology after the 5th time that I told her it was okay.

"I don't know what was happening. It was just so chaotic. I panicked and just didn't know what to do and just started running out of the place with the other people around me at the time. I'm so sorry, Case. I should've went and find you and made sure you were okay.." Kimmy was holding my arm and her death grip on it was starting to hurt.

I slowly pried her hands off me to avoid offending her and, hopefully for the last time, turned to her and told her, "Kim, it's fine. I'm fine. It would've just been stupid if you had went and searched for me because then both of us would've been caught. I turned out fine and you did help pick me up from Alex's house so we're good."

Kimmy looked like she was about to object and raise some more points to argue with me on but I quickly looked away and pointed out the long line for the food. "Look, the line's forming already, we better get in line. What do you feel like eating?" I said in one breath, already walking away to join the queue.

Kimmy, thankfully, got distracted and started thinking out loud over what she wanted to eat for lunch. We had to stay in the queue for a while since the people standing before us can't seem to make up their minds on what they wanted to eat. My stomach had begun growling, demanding to be fed by the time that we had our food trays in hand.

We looked around and found an empty table, walking past Lily and her friends to get to it. I started glaring at her and I guess it was sharp enough for her to start feeling it since she turned and watched me take a seat on the bench a few tables behind her.