CHAPTER V

Sunny

How should I keep my expression still and not let them see through me? I should look into this later!

"Hey, come with me to the library." Steven said.

"Huh? Why me? I don't want to." I answered.

"I have to give the books I borrowed, and I need your library card again." he said.

I frowned. "Aren't you able to get your library ID? Why do you still need mine to give the books back?" I asked.

He shook his head. "They are still not giving my ID, and I used your ID to borrow them, right?" He replied.

But it is already evening. I don't even want to go there at a time like this.

"You should have asked me a while ago." I complained.

"Sunny, go with him. Complaining will make this conversation long and will make the hall dark. While it is still early, go and help him," Shiela interrupted. "And I will head now. Let's just do our plan next time. Bye!" She added as she walked away from us.

"Wait—hey! Please don't stop me! I do not want to come with you. Let's give the books back tomorrow morning, okay?" I told him to walk forward, but he was still holding me.

"I want to do it tonight so I can borrow new books again." he answered.

"Okay!" I told him. Making him let go of me. "Make sure to get your library ID tomorrow or else—"

"Or else what?" He interrupted.

"I am going to smack you real hard. Let's go there." I said and started walking as fast as I could to reach the building where the library was.

When he is not studying here, after our class, I am already outside, eating with Shiela at the convenience store, or I am with Jake-oh, we have not been able to talk for a few days. I think he is too busy with his school stuff. I hope he can finish them as soon as possible. He is not even answering my texts.

"You are walking like a flash in the movie a while ago. Now you are behind me." Steven commented.

I bobbed my head at him. "Just walk quietly, okay?" I answered.

"Are you scared?" He asked. I can hear the tone of him teasing me.

"You obviously know I am scared, and here you are asking me about it." I said sarcastically.

He giggled. Woah. He knows how to laugh. I should have seen his face if it was not that dark.

"Can you do that again?" I asked him.

"Do what?" He asked back.

"Laugh like what you did a while ago." I answered.

"And why should I do that?" He asked in his monotonous tone.

I rolled my eyes. "Do not do it. It is such a mood killer." I answered.

When we entered the library, the librarian was fixing her things again.

"Good evening, Ma'am." I greeted.

"Oh, you have arrived," the librarian said, returning the greeting.

She appears friendlier than the first time we met. "We are here to give you the books I borrowed," Steven answered. "Are we able to borrow new books again?" He asked.

"Go and look for it. I will be waiting for the both of you." the librarian answered.

I couldn't help but smile back at the librarian. "I can't tell why you are smiling when you are not the one who is borrowing." Steven commented beside me, and that made my smile vanish.

"If you don't have any good things to say to me, just kindly shut your mouth up, okay?" I replied.

"I am just merely asking here." he answered back.

"I am just happy that she is not looking at us with her serious expression." I explained.

Since I was a child, I could not bear looking at people who were making me intimidated or mad. I am scared, and it makes my heart beat faster.

"Let's go here." he said.

I nodded and let him pick the books he wanted to borrow again. By the looks of it, he is indeed a bookworm. It is no wonder he is knowledgeable. I read, yes, but not too much. Sometimes, I will fall asleep while reading a book.

"Oh." I exclaimed quietly.

I immediately got the book titled "The Book of Human Emotion" I think I need to study for it. I started to open the first page and read it.

"What made you get a book and read it?" Steven asked as he looked at the book I was reading behind me.

I looked back at him and saw how close our faces were. I immediately step—

"Ah!" I yelled out of pain again.

"What did you do? Look at you bumping your head again." he said.

"You surprised the hell out of me!" I quietly answered, rubbing the part I bumped into the book stand again.

"Anyway, I've got my books already. How about you?" He asked.

I nodded. "I want to borrow this book as well." I answered.

"You are eager to hide your emotions?" He asked.

"Yes," I answered back. "So that you can't read me anymore." I added and headed to the counter.

As soon as we reached the librarian, she was already looking at me. "I am really, really sorry, Ma'am. I won't bump into the book stand again." I explained myself already, not waiting for her to ask me.

"She is kind of clumsy." Steven added.

"I won't go with you next time, and I won't be bumping my head if I don't come with you," I said. "Ma'am, his library ID is still not available. When will he be able to get his?" I asked.

"I will follow it up tomorrow, so be back here tomorrow for an update." the librarian answered.

After checking the books and logging our names in the big notebook, we head home.

"I should be eating right now with Shiela." I commented, complaining.

"I will treat you tomorrow." he answered back.

I turned to him excitedly. "Call! Make sure to do that, or else I will not help you borrow books again." I warned him.

"As long as you won't bump your head inside the library." he teased.

This man needs a beating too.

The next day.

"What is with your mouth, as if you were a duck that transformed into a human?" Shiela asked.

I turned to her, and she suddenly put her hands on my mouth.

"Are you going to share anything about your boyfriend?" she asked. "What? Did you guys fight or break up?" she added.

I quickly hit her arms. "Hey! Do not say things like that!" I told her. "Why do you hate Jake so much? He did not do anything bad to you, right?" I asked.

"Do not mind it! I just don't like him. I never change my expressions about him. I think he is going to hurt you or what," she answered. "Just make sure he's not going to hurt you, or else I'm going to smack that so-called handsome face of his." she added.

I hugged Shiela tight. Although she hates Jake, she does not want me hurt. I can not ask them to go out together. Shiela will make some excuses so she won't be able to go with us. I do not know why she hates Jake. He did not do anything that could make her mad. Maybe she has her reason, and I need to respect that.

"I am so lucky to have you, Shiela!" I said while squeezing her.

Going to this school is not a wrong choice. I met many people that became my super lovely friends, especially Shiela. We have been best friends for years already, and although sometimes we fight and hurt each other, we never reveal our deepest secrets to anyone that only the both of us know.

"So, what happened to you and your boyfriend?" she asked.

I let go of her and started to pout again. "We fought last night," I started sharing. "You know, the old story. He would get mad when I did not do anything. Of course, I am so fed up with that kind of setup. He will get mad at me just because I called him. I know he is busy, but I just wanted to ask how and if he is still doing well."

"And what did that bastard do to you?" Shiela asked, her eyebrow arching already.

"He shouted at me on the other line and told me I should not bother him when he is busy." I shared.

She folded her hands. "And what did you do?" She asked again.

"At first, I tried to calm him down. But after a few minutes, I yelled back at him and told him he should not put his anger on me whenever he was in a bad mood. After that, he ended the call," I answered. "What should I do?" I asked for help.

Although I got mad at him, I still didn't want him to get mad at me for a long time. I hope we can fix this as soon as possible. However, I will try to text him later and try to settle our misunderstanding.

"Let him call or come to you to say sorry. It was his fault in the first place. Why do you always fight like that, as if you are not busy? You are both busy, and you are just worried. What the hell is his problem." Shiela answered with her gritted teeth. "And why doesn't he like you to call? He can just tell you calmly that he is busy. Is it that hard to tell?" She asked.

We have been together for almost two years, yet we are still fighting over the same problem. Whenever he is busy with his school stuff and I try to call him, he will get mad at me for calling or whatever the reason is.

I understand, but can he not talk to me for a few minutes? I was hoping he could speak for one minute. I agreed with what Shiela had said. He can tell me calmly that he is busy. He does not need to shout at me.

When he wanted to call me, and I was busy, I never did that. With respect, I know we need our own space.

"Right. Can I look at your assignment? I do not have any answers to question number 2." After remembering that I still had no answers to one of our assignments, I told her.

"After your problem with your boyfriend, now it is your assignment?" Shiela asked me sarcastically.

I hope they won't think of my friend as a bad one. She's just got a sharp tongue, and she is always sarcastic as she is. She will do her best to help me with everything. She is soft-hearted too. Just don't make her mad, or else she will smack you down. It was proven and tested before. Believe me.

"Here," She said as she handed her assignment to me, "What number—oh, never mind. We got the same number." she added.

How come we both do not have an answer to the same number? Being friends for years made our brain cells work the same. Is this what they call "what are friends are for?"

"Ask Steven. He seems to know the answer." Shiela said, pointing at Steven using her mouth.

"Wait, I will try to ask him." I said and walked towards his chair.

I am somewhat shy about asking him. We don't really interact with each other inside our classroom. But I think we are friends already. He won't ask me how often to go with him to the library if he is uncomfortable with me, right?

Let's give it a shot.

"What? Are you going just to stand there?" he said.

I can't help but act like I want to smack him. "Ask me properly, can you?" I told him.

"You are the one who should ask me properly, right?" he asked back. "You are the one who needs help." he added.

"I can really tell that you are a genius," I said as I handed him my assignment. "Help us with question number 2."