Chapter 4

C for Compliment

Flashback

I’m on my way to school when I saw a girl around my age wearing our girl’s school uniform. She’s outside a car talking to two big guys wearing suits.

“Could you please stop following me around? It’s so embarrassing when you’re tailing me the whole day.” Her sweet voice didn’t have any hint of annoyance. It was calm, and it was melodic.

“I’m sorry, Miss. We just want to follow your dad’s order,” said the guy in his suits.

She sighed.

“Then please change into something casual. Your looks got my friends intimidated,” she requested.

Her two bodyguards looked at each other like they’re talking with their eyes.

“It’s not in the rules,” she said and smiled.

She is Cianelle Ramsey, a daughter of a wealthy family. She’s the president of the music club and as far as I remember her voice is amazing. She performed a classical piece last year at our school’s festival, and she got herself her own fan’s club. She’s pretty too.

She caught me looking at her, and she smiled. I don’t know what to do, so I turned my head away and walked as fast as I could. That isn’t nice, Jarren. What did you do? I’m not trying to be rude. I don’t know how to react.

“That’s rude, you know.” I jumped out and almost got a heart attack when a girl popped out from nowhere.

“What?” she asked.

“Are you a ghost or something?” I asked her.

She reached and poked my forehead.

“Ghost can’t touch living things,” she said.

“Now, let’s go. We have classes,” she added and walked straight ahead of me.

How can I get myself acquainted and, most of all, a girl?

-0-0-0-

This time I decided to go to the rooftop. I bet there’s no one there at this moment since the sports club has its annual program. Everyone who wants to be a part of that club or wants to showcase their talents in sports has the opportunity to be a part of them this start of the school year. Not just those who are interested in joining come to that loud event, those who are sight-seeing a new chick or hot guys are also around.

I took a deep breath as soon as I walked into a place where I belong to a peaceful and empty spot where I can enjoy my lunch alone. I sat on a bench where a cool nice shade is. There I can see our field packed with almost all of the students. They’re having fun.

A volleyball match between groups of freshmen mixed with some varsities on both teams is almost over. The rally was ended with a spike of one of the freshmen from the red team, and the big crowd went louder as the winning team jumped out of victory. As a senior, Jim took the microphone and led the program. He silenced the crowd by his presence, which made him look like a star doing his concert.

“What a nice match. It feels like I’m in an official competition. The future of the Hallray High School Volleyball team lies in your hands. Good job, everyone!” he said, and that let them cheer and applause. You can see some girls giggling, and some are taking his pictures.

I took a gulped from my can of cola, and I had almost spurted it out when someone talked from behind.

“It looks like the feeling is mutual.”

I looked at her as she walked and sat beside me, having a half meter distance away. She has her gray eyes focused on the guy I’ve been looking down at the field.

“The crowd loves him, and so he is,” she said.

The wind let her brunette hair flows like it was the softest thing in the world. Her freckles made her face even more attractive for a girl which beauty no one knows. Did I just compliment her? She caught me staring at her, and I awkwardly looked away.

“You’re not good at people, don’t you?” she asked me as she looked at her cousin as what he told me yesterday.

“We’ve been crossing each other’s path since our freshman year, and from then, I thought that we’re so much alike.” I’m not really good at having conversations, so I stayed quiet and let her speak. I’m a good listener, though.

“Don’t you think?” she asked me.

“M-maybe,” I answered and almost choked my meal since I was munching my lunch.

“Have you eaten?” I asked her and offered her my meal. She smiled.

“I’m full,” she replied.

“You like peaceful places like this?” I asked her since she said that we’re much alike, which I thought made her conclude that.

“Nope.” Don’t get ahead of yourself and conclude things. That wasn't very comfortable. I’m an idiot.

“Oh, so what do you think we have in common?” I gulped the last drop of my cola and squeezed the can. I should hurry and finish my lunch.

She looked at me before saying, “Those eyes you have.”

“My eyes? Well, it’s not as beautiful as yours, though.”

“Those eyes have a lot to speak,” she said. There was a split second where I think everything went in slow motion, and I was only focused on how deep her eyes were.

“But thanks for the compliment, though. You’re the second one to notice it,” she added.

We were in silence, and all I could hear is the crowd cheering for another match and myself eating. I took a glance at her, and she’s too focused on what’s happening below. I should stop eating. I find it awkward and rude if I’m the only one who’s eating. I closed my packed lunch even though I didn’t even eat half of it and put it inside my bag. I took the water I bought from the cafeteria and finished it in one go. How did I end up here with her? I should find another spot to rest alone soon.

“So, any news about those stolen answers from Audi?” I don’t know what to say, so that topic came out from nowhere.

“I heard the exams would be a week delayed since they have everything reorganized.”

“Who do you think it was that made her stole those? We saw her with your cousin yesterday, and even though she’s in a two-week suspension, she looked like nothing bad happened.”

“Hey… Jarren.” I felt an electric running down my spine when she called my name. My heart beats faster, and I don’t know if I should feel nervous or what. I turned my head to face her, and she was looking at me directly in the eyes.

“What?” I asked.

“Do you have a club?”

Well, that’s an easy question, and I could lie about it now, saying ‘yes, I do have a club,’ but I don’t know, my mind can’t function well at this moment. Maybe I didn’t have enough lunch since I didn’t finish it.

“No,” I answered.

“Would you like to play with me?” Her gray eyes could be a little troubling.

-0-0-0-

Present

“I wish I could talk to you more, but the time wouldn’t let us.” I saw her face a bit dismayed. We’ve finished our lunch, and we only have 15 minutes to go to work.

“Maybe some other time, a steak for dinner, for example,” I told her. She laughed while tugging a bit of her hair on her ears.

“A steak looks promising. I’ll look forward to it. You have my number. You can call me,” she said.

“Sure.”

“I want to know more about you.” Her honesty can be seen in her eyes.

“And I’m a little bit curious about the old you and how you end up being friends with Audi.” That made both of us laugh. I opened the door before her and made her go first. I slowly walked her to her car, which is not too far from where my car is.

“I’ll have everything remembered just for you,” I told her.

She smiled before she hopped into her car.

“I’ll see you next for dinner,” she said before saying goodbye. I watched her drove off before getting into my car.

I turned on the engine and drove off from the parking lot. Our company is just a 5-minute drive from here, so I have nothing to worry about. I was patiently waiting for the traffic light to turn green, and I saw a woman wearing a red scarf, which almost covered half of her face, crossed the pedestrian lane in front of me. That made me feels the same thing I felt before. The electric running down my spine, my heart beats faster than it normally does. My brain couldn’t process what my eyes saw at those seconds of eternity, a pair of gray eyes, freckles, and brunette hair that as soft as the first time I saw it. If I wasn’t mistaken, she looked at me when she passed in front of my car. I heard she went abroad after the incident with her family. So she came back to Hallray now?

I came back from reality when I heard cars horning behind and some drivers mouthing and cursing at me. I saw the traffic light went green, and I immediately drove off from that place. Well, that was embarrassing.