May raised her eyes open and her face beamed a smile in expectation of the new day. The sun and the chirping of the birds promised a grand day, but remembering that the day was Tuesday and the weekend was three days away quickly drained her mood.
“duh!! another school day,” she moaned, struggling to get out of her bed. Within minutes, she took a shower and dressed up, then she opened the room’s door and looked around her room before bidding it farewell.
“Good morning mom” she greeted on reaching the sitting room.
“Good morning darling, how was your night?”
“endurable” she replied, looking at the portrait hanging on the wall with a sad smile on her face.
“come have your breakfast dear you...” her mother paused when she saw her staring at their family portrait. “He had always loved you,” she said, hugging her daughter from behind her.
“But why did he have to leave so soon?”
“it’s not our decision to make dear, fate comes at any moment...” pausing she said, “there’s not a day that goes by without me thinking of him”
Turning around, May hugged her mother tightly
“I love you mom”
“Aw! I love you too dear, now come have breakfast, you have a great day ahead of you”
After breakfast, May made it to her noisy class after several minutes’ trek. Scanning the class, she saw Mike, who was, as usual, discussing with his friends in one corner of the class.
** I’ve got to ask him how he found me where my home was** she thought but decided to first drop her bag.
Moving towards her seat, she looked at Jason, who looked as if he was lost in his chemistry textbook. Standing there by the side of her seat for a while, she then placed her hands on his desk.
“Hey! what’s your name again?” she asked, startling him
“uh it’s Jason ...do you mind I’m reading my book?”
“upside down, how do you manage to understand anything?” she asked, then she took the book from him and rotated it.
“uh,” He gasped.
He didn’t realise that it was upside down, since he was only pretending to read to avoid talking to her.
“I can read upside down duh!” Jason said surprised that he was speaking to her, while May was still laughing, making him feel more embarrassed
“oh, I’m sorry I... I didn’t realise that you can read and understand upside down, “she replied, sitting on her desk controlling herself
“umm why are you always so quiet and on your own?” she asked. “I’ve never seen you talk to anyone else before”
“well I don’t socialize,” he answered. “I’m introverted”
“oh, I see like a nerd ?”
“NO !!” he snapped
“I’m sorry,” she said, giggling
**she sure laughs a lot** Jason thought
“well you should at least try to socialize a little”
“Why? you always spend your free time sleeping”
“well at least I don’t spend it reading chemistry upside down”
“Hey!!” he snapped, enjoying her company. meanwhile, unknown to them, Mike has been glaring at them ever since they started their conversation.
“Hey ! hey Mike! “Liam Mike’s friend called
“Hey!” Mike answered
“what’s up you’ve been staring at Jason and that new girl like forever now”
“yeah that jerk ... I haven’t been able to talk to her since today because of him...” he said breathing out “isn’t she a beauty ?” he asked rhetorically.
“oh, you mean May? “ Lucas asked attracted to the conversation
“No camel! “ Liam mocked
“caught it out guys I need to make that girl like me”
“But you already have a girlfriend Mike! “ Liam said
“yeah but she is falling for Jason now,” Mike said angrily “that jerk he always takes all the girls from me”
“I wondered the same” Lucas said
“And now he’s taking May I can’t stand him”
** it’s not his fault though, he is always quiet ** Liam thought but didn’t say so as not to upset Mike the more.
“what are you gonna do about it Mike,” Lucas asked
“well I’m gonna speak to her after school and tell her how I feel about her”
“wait but it’s too early” Liam cautioned “she will disagree she does seem to have eyes for Jason” Liam concluded looking at how May seemed to be really enjoying his company.
“what do you know about girls Liam” Lucas mocked.
“duh !!”
“ Guys guys! I’ve already made my decision I’m pretty sure she won’t reject my charm”
“yeah she won’t “ Lucas encouraged “I’ve never seen any girl that has rejected you before”
“yeah right, then after that you guys and I along with Luke and Jordan will teach that punk a lesson”
“oh yeah” Lucas approved
“Sorry, bro! I’ll be quite busy so I won’t help,” Liam said he always tried to avoid such conflicts that come with being Mike’s friend.
“coward”
“no worries bro,” Mike said not wanting anything to spoil his mood.
“hey give me back my book” Jason beckoned
“ no way I won’t continue speaking, with you ...” May replied taking his book farther from his reach “ reading your book” she mocked right before their Maths teacher “the unwanted” entered the class. from their response, it’s obvious many of them eighter hate the teacher or the subject or both.
During the lunch break period, May sat alone at a buffet table at the edge of the noisy dining hall. She pulled open a drawer and got a spoon to dine on the food served to her.
** it’s funny that they serve us our lunch** she thought, removing the seal on the food. The smell of grilled chicken hits her nose.
“Ahh!” She exhaled ** I must be lucky to be in this school** she thought, then she dropped the spoon and was about to pick up the meat...
“Hi there” her classmate greeted her.
“Hi” she replied startled, picking up her spoon.
She then brought out a complete set of cutleries from the drawer.
**Are you kidding, where is this girl from** May thought hitting her chicken with the spoon, trying to pierce it.
“I’m Stacey, nice to meet you,” she said stretching out her hand.
“May, nice to meet you too” she replied taking more notice of her unwanted guest. Two strands of hair blonde hanged on both sides of her green eyes, with her face beaming with a smile
**her suit fits her perfectly** May thought
“What are you doing here, on your own?”
“Isn’t it obvious, eating” she replied making Stacey giggle
“You started school today right? Hope you enjoyed the classes”
“I did butt certainly didn’t enjoy Maths,” she said laughing almost choking on her food.
“Seriously!! I sometimes don’t get how some understand that quickly, I need to do some practice tonight before I get anything” Stacey replied laughing too.
May have been trying to cut the chicken with the spoon for a while, but to no avail, so she had enough and gripped the chicken with her hand and took a huge bite. Remembering her manners, she slowly raised her eyes towards Stacey.
**Great idea, why didn’t I think of that. To hell with this damned knife** Stacey reciprocated by subconsciously holding her chicken with her hands.
Their eyes met and they dropped their meats and busted into laughter.
When they’ve finally calmed down Stacey directed May’s eyes to the group of boys eating a few tables in front of them.
“Isn’t he dreamy?” she asked
May looked at the boys, most eating like grizzly bears and the floor littered with food.
“Where did you hit your head this morning,” May asked rhetorically giving her a sarcastic worried look.
Laughing Stacey replied; “Not them!!!”
“The other one, beside Mike”
Taking another look, May noticed a rather more cultured boy with his cool fringed golden brown hair.
“Oh! He’s okay I guess”
“You know, we were childhood friends before”
“What? Both why have I never seen both of you chat before?”
“I don’t know,” she said “we once did everything before; we laughed, we played, we fought, we even shared everything” she continued, tears dripping down her cheeks. She ate rapidly, and her breath was heavily filled with emotion.
“Well, have you tried talking to him about it before”
“No”,
“Okay!!” She said gulping down water. “how much do you talk to him”
“Umm... Maybe twice or thrice”
“A day? Week?”
“A term”
“A what...” She chocked
**what is wrong with people** she thought
“Come on it isn’t difficult,” she said to her “thank you,” she then greeted the waiter that came to clear their table.
“Easy for you to say” Stacey replied “Maybe... if you become my friend...”
**oh no**
“You could help me?” She asked curling her hair
May didn’t want to become her friend. The complaining, the crying; she didn’t always want to deal with them, but she couldn’t turn down her request either.
“Okay... Sure I can be your friend” May replied stretching her arm for a handshake to make it official.
Stacey stomped her feet and screamed in excitement, ignoring the outstretched hand, she hugged her.
**I’m going to regret this**
The rest of the school day went smoothly somehow Mike didn’t have the chance to talk to May about his feelings in the cafeteria during break periods till school dismissed for the day.
“At last, “May said as both heaved a sigh of relief when the bell rang.
“Got to go home...uh could we...” Jason was about to ask
“No, sorry there’s something I’ve gotta do first,” she said before he could finish his sentence
“Okay !”
“ Aw don’t worry. Tomorrow is another day,” she said standing up.
Walking down the hallway she met Mike who pretended that he wasn’t waiting for her
“Hi !” he said making his move as they walked towards the school gate together
“Hi, surprised that you visited yesterday”
“oh just wanted to return the books you dropped h_hope it’s okay” he responded quite nervously he didn’t know that she’ll say that so he didn’t prepare for it.
“oh it’s fine,” she said before finally dropping her question like a bomb on him
“How did you find out where I lived,” she asked facing him
“uh ...you see ... ahh,” he said nervously
“yeah? I have told no one where I lived”
“uh I kinda... followed you” he finally said
“huh? you stalked me !?”
“No not that I was too shy...” he tried to defend himself
“you stole my books, stalked me and went to my home and you’re saying that you did it because you’re shy ?”
“No, you see... I kinda have a crush on you” he said scratching his hair nervously May was not so surprised because she suspected him earlier. However, she believed him and forgave him on grounds that he will never do it or anything like it ever again which he accepted rather hurriedly being relieved. They conversed for a while on their way home. May did most of the talking since Mike had little to say, he was too busy thinking of how to tell her to become his girlfriend, and of his meeting with his friends to beat up Jason on his way home.
While May was still talking he interrupted he couldn’t hold it any longer.
“Hey May listen”
“what’s up,” May said now in a happier mood since the weather became more cloudy and dark signalling rain, her favourite weather “I love love LOVE the rain,” she said slightly jogging not minding whatever he was about to ask.
“Will you be my girlfriend,” lightning struck as if adding effect to his shocking request. Being a crush is one thing, but she never expected him to ask her to be his girlfriend so soon. She stopped moving and looked directly at him. Then Liam’s words started ringing in his mind.
“WAIT BUT IT’S TOO EARLY”