Koon Chai Cafe

Chapter Thirteen - Apologies and Exams

Park

"Look, Park. I just wanted to say..."

Her voice trailed off as she clenched her jaw, clearly opposed to what she was about to say.

"I'm sorry."

I stared unblinkingly at Bianca's steely blue eyes, my mouth slightly ajar. She crossed her arms impatiently and began tapping her foot. I looked around, searching for others who could confirm that this was in fact reality, but there was no one in the deserted hallway. She'd taken me by surprise when she tapped me on the shoulder while I was sorting out which books I needed from my locker to study. After a few seconds of silence she finally spoke again. "I've said it now, please let Kopter know that I apologised to you." She turned away, hitching her designer school bag further onto her shoulder.

If I was getting an apology from Bianca Dellemare, then I was gonna milk it for everything it's got. "Sorry...for what?" I asked, as innocently as I could muster. Bianca slowly turned on her heel and her eyes blinked rapidly in frustration.

"What?" she uttered, daring me to speak again.

"Yeah," I replied, surprising myself with my own confidence, "What is that you're sorry for, you're gonna have to remind me."

She stared cold and hard, I could feel her piercing blue eyes staring straight into my soul. She finally spoke once again, "For what I did to you," she responded curtly. I motioned my hands, encouraging her to elaborate. Her nostrils flared and if looks could kill, Dad would be half way done writing my obituary for tomorrow's paper. After what felt like a year-long staring contest, she finally conceded and sighed. "I'm sorry for what I did to you when you joined. Putting up posters and all that around the school. I'm sorry."

Something about her relaxed a little, making her apology seem sincere. "Why are you apologising now?" I asked, genuinely intrigued. It wasn't in Bianca's nature to ever admit she was wrong, let alone to someone like myself.

She pushed back a long strand of silvery-white blonde hair behind her ear and bit her lip. "The truth is," she answered, slowly, "Kopter seems to really like you. I'm... interested in Kopter. Resolving things with you seems like a good start." She paused for a minute, sighed, and then added, "And if I'm honest, if Kopter finds what I did appalling, then it probably is."

I blinked in disbelief, was this really the Bianca Dellemare that had tormented me for four years? The one who'd purposefully tried and succeeded in ruining my life at Trinity Academy?

She must have read the look on my face because she crossed her arms impatiently again. "Well, do you accept?"

I thought for a moment. On the one-hand, Bianca apologising to me meant a sweet victory and end to a four year war I'd waged with her, losing almost every battle. On the other hand, Bianca apologising to me meant Kopter would see her in a more positive light - one that could develop into a relationship. Which I quickly reminded myself could happen, Kopter being 'not gay' and all.

After a few moments of internal struggle, I finally conceded. "Okay," I muttered, grabbed the last few items from my locker, and slammed it shut, "But I reserve the right to fully take it back if you revert to your old ways."

Bianca stretched out a thin, bejewelled hand to mine, "Deal." I took her hand and we shook, then exchanged a fierce stare. Did she know of my rival interest in Kopter?

I walked down the long and winding hallways towards the library, where Kopter would undoubtedly be buried under stacks upon stacks of revision notes and textbooks. Now that we were only two weeks away from the end of fall term and a few days from finals, he'd gone into full on panic-mode.