"Okay, today's I'm going to give you guys an assignment. You'll be working with a partner."
Mr. Johnson announced once he finished assorting the papers on his desk.
Suddenly, the previously quiet class atmosphere was replaced with small chatter and distant whispers.
"Okay, settle down folks, your partner is already chosen and sorted out by your individual grades. The one with the low grade will work with the high." He glanced at a piece of paper in his hand.
The whole class sighed in frustration and some released a furious outburst whine.
"This will help the one with lower grades to pass this class. So please, be considerate and show some cooperation," urged Mr. Johnson with a stern voice.
He continued to give us the compulsory items that need to be done in the project and then announced the names but my attention already trailed off as I look out the window.
His voice became muffled as the world around me stops moving. The time held it's breath and everything was frozen.
I remember the loud clapping in a hotel's hall. All of the people were wearing professional attire. The men with suits and tie whilst the women dresses and heels.
Dad was on the stage, announcing something about one of his projects that will expand his business further. I was ten at the time and there's little to nothing that I understand.
It was all about money, cheering, and clapping.
The sickening pungent perfume of the woman beside me, the obnoxious laugh of the old man in front of me. I know nothing but I see something.
It was Dad's face.
He was proud, smiling widely in ambition that he craved for as the bright light shone upon him.
For one second, he took a glance at our table as Mom was clapping along with Elle. But then, his eyes trailed onto me with soft and soothing eyes, still smiling.
Mom turned around and caressed my cheeks but her eyes were filled with concern.
"Zac?" Her voice echoed in my mind.
"Zac?"
"Zac?" I blinked.
My eyes averted from the window to the voice that's calling me.
Mr. Johnson looked at me in a questioning manner while the whole class fell dead silent, staring at me.
I cleared my throat. "P-pardon?"
"Because your grades are the highest and our class has an odd number, you have to come to my office after this class." He explained.
"Y-yes." I nodded.
********
I sat down on one of the seats.
Mr. Johson's office always tidy and neat, just like him. Everything was arranged in an orderly fashion from the book on the shelves up until the stationery on his desk. His office was quite bigger than other teachers considering he's the vice-principal.
He adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose as he browsed through the documents laying on the table.
"So, Zac. I'm not the guy who beats around the bush so let me tell you this straight." There's a slight pause as he flipped the document around.
"You will be partnered with a new student." He slid the documents to me.
Well, it was a crime to reveal a student's personal information to another student. But, because of my 'title,' all of the teachers seem to be cooperative with everything that I did.
My eyes scanned the paper in a brief manner. Glancing at the name and the seemingly familiar profile picture but what's quickly caught my eyes are the acquirements listed on the paper.
He won at least several football competitions and various kinds of sports. Not to mention the physical description, which in my knowledge, was astoundingly amusing.
Though, his academic reports were rather ...contradicting.
"A new student?" I repeated as I closed the files.
"Yes, he came here last week. He's from California."
Silence invaded the room for a moment, taking my time thinking about some things"May I ask you something, sir?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Why me?" I asked shortly.
"You're the best student in the class. I failed to see why you'd declined this offer."
"I'm not declining any offer. You knew that I'm the most distant person in the whole school. By giving me a new naive student, he'll come to you wishing for a new partner." I defended.
He propped his arms on the desk. "What are you suggesting?"
I shrugged while I leaned my back on the chair. "Give him to someone else. Someone that would help him. Someone that is friendlier than me. It would help him a lot more."
He pressed his lips into a thin line. "At first, I do suggest Ms. Lightwood but because of personal issues, I can't do that."
"Personal?"
"Yes. Ms. Lightwood reasonably declined the offer and she suggested you instead."
This intrigued me.
Why would Ari avoid him? She's literally drooling for this guy since last week.
I opened the files again to scan it with a little bit more detail, searching for what have I missed.
Pages after pages, I failed to see the reason for Ari's action. That was until I read the familial information.
He's an orphan.
Is that why Ari refused him? Just because of that?
Maybe I'm just overthinking.
I raised my gaze from the parchment. "You already talked to him?"
"Yes, he's right there." He pointed at the corner of the room.
I was a little taken back, not knowing that there would be three living souls in that room. My eyes glanced over my shoulder just to found someone was standing at the corner of the room.
It's him. The guy from the library last week.
Trying my best to be nonchalant, I ignored his presence and returned my attention to the person in front of me while handing back the documents to him.
"Fine, I'll do it. Just because he doesn't have anyone else."
"Great!" He exclaimed in relief.
As soon as he finished, I stood and walked to the exit.
But before I could swing the door open, Mr. Johson called my name.
"Could you give him a tour while you're at it? Maybe you guys could have some extra bonding time together." He comforted.
Inhale deeply, Zachary Starr.
One body bag, two body bad, three body bag.
I turned my head to face him. "Come on." I gestured with my head as I continued walking out.
Once outside, I heard him walked in a rather haste manner behind me.
"Hey, wait up." He grabbed me by my shoulder, breath slightly panting. I stopped in my tracks.
"What's your name?" He asked casually.
I remained silent, assuming that he wasn't talking to me.
This was the first time that I had a clear view of his face as I glared at him. His eyes sparkled as his Caribbean green-blue eyes stared at me. Those perfectly white pearls shine as he smiled at me.
With tanned skin, a fit and tall physique; I assumed he's quite the popular 'fuckboy.' His sense of clothing's also not bad. Leather jacket, white t-shirt, navy blue jeans; he pretty stylish.
"I'm Rafiq by the way," he mentioned as he held out a hand.
He raised his eyebrows, the sweet smile of his never left his face and gave me a questioning expression. I had no other choice but to reply to his question.
"Zac." I shook his hand and followed by a slight bow.
He seems satisfied with the answer and let out a relieved chuckle.
"Looks like we're a partner then, Zac." His voice pulled me back into reality as he smiled at me.
I exhaled slowly and steadily.
"Looks like it." We continued to walk down the hall, heading to the gym first.
I could sense the awkwardness in the air, lingering around us as he sheepishly walked next to me.
"So I guess that your grade wasn't that good?" I asked him bluntly to break the silent atmosphere.
He scratched the back of his neck, head tilted down. Not making any eye contact with me. "Yeah, you could say that."
I only nodded and hummed with comprehension. I spend the time until lunch, giving him a tour of our school facilities.
Somehow, I felt the long-frozen heart sparks a little.
A beat was heard. It was weak and soft but it was present.
Emotions flow again.
I felt something shifted slightly.
Deep inside myself.
**********
"So you got that new kid huh?" Ariel sat next to me during lunch, sliding her tray of food on the table.
"Yeah, he's nice." I simply replied.
"That's it?"
"What else do you want me to say?"
"I mean, don't you feel something? Like a 'love at first sight' or anything?"
"Why would I?"
She huffed the loose hair on her forehead. "You know what? If you don't want him, then I'll take him."
"Take him?"
"Yeah. Ask him out and stuff." She shrugged her shoulders.
"If you're so eager to ask him out, why reject him to be your partner?"
She fell silent for a while, a deafening pause in the oceans of people. A quiet murmur inside of an echoing tale, pleading desperately for help.
"I-I just thought that I might give you a chance you know? Someone for you to get along with."
"I don't need anyone."
"Let's be honest here, Zac. The only people that talk to you for the past two years was me, and me alone. I thought that maybe you could be friends with this new kid, considering that he doesn't know your story and shit."
My gaze fell on the usual spot, at the corner of the cafeteria, where we used to hang out during lunch. The echoing laughter and the familiar sense of warmth.
My consciousness returned back to reality as I continued to devour my lunch.
I figured that she was still staring at me so I decided to distract her instead. "So who's your partner?"
"Dean Raven, the one with a cute face and short hair." She pointed out a guy that was sitting not far from us.
She took a big bite of her fries and left me staring at Dean.
Dean Raven.
The proud athlete of our school. He's fit, charming, and charismatic. To my knowledge, he doesn't have any problems in school. His grades are good, his records are clean, and also he joined several volunteering events.
But why I had a feeling that he's hiding something?
Suddenly, a voice startled me from my monologue.
"Hey, can I sit with you guys?" I turned my head to get a better look at the voice.
"Why didn't you sit with the jocks over there? They're your species." The words spat out of my mouth like venom as I gestured my head towards the boys' table. Laughing and punching each other as they flirting with every girl that passed by.
He scratched the back of his neck. "I don't know any of them yet. Plus, they look... not really my kind."
My eyes narrowed as I stared at Rafiq, suspicious yet surprised by his words.
"Yeah, sit down boy, we don't mind." Ariel broke the momentary silence that emits from both of us.
"Thank you, I'm Rafiq Angel, a pleasure to meet you." He sweetly greeted as he held out his hand.
Ariel quickly shook it pleasingly. " Ariel Lightwood." She giggled as a little girl would.
He put down his tray and sat next to me.
"Ariel as in the mermaid in Disney?" One of his eyebrows cocked and start munching his lunch.
Ariel chuckled sheepishly and nodded." Yeah, my mum picked it after she saw the movie."
"Well then, you're gorgeous just like a princess of the ocean." He smirked a smug smile, depicting a permanent self-righteous remark.
Ariel immediately blushed a little and quickly averted her eyes on her lunch with a face that was scarlet red.
Tho I have to admit, Rafiq really is good looking as Ariel depicted.
I'm pretty sure that this guy is not a virgin.
I mean, I could literally see that all the girls that walked past us drooled and dropped their jaw to the floor as soon as they saw Rafiq smiled at them.
Once regained her modesty, Ariel broke the utter silence between us. "So, Rafiq, are you Pakistani or something? That name is quite peculiar you know and also rather hard to pronounce."
He chuckled nervously.
"No, I'm not. I'm American and my dad picked it after he saw a soccer player named Rafique on TV, but decided to drop the 'ue' as it shorter." He deliberately explained.
"Do you play?" I asked as I was intrigued by his requirements that I saw earlier on.
"Yeah, since I was six actually," he answered enthusiastically.
"You play for the school team, am I right? Such talent can't go to waste." I munched on the turkey sandwich that Ms. Clarkson prepared for me.
My voice might sound like I was enthusiastic to have a chat with him but my face was telling a completely different story.
"Yeah, coach Jones said yes right after he read my background profiles. I'm not that good tho, just had some experience from my dad." I nodded as I lifted one of my eyebrows.
I knew you're lying you, little bastard, you're just being humble.
"So, how bout you guys? I need to know stuff about my friends too." He shifted in his seat eagerly.
Friends
A word that bare truth but at the same can deceive magnificent layers of lies. A popular belief that could open the door of the soul.
Letting someone in just because they're your friends. Pouring your secrets in the name of friendship.
But alas, we all know that's not how it all end.
Not all story has a happy ending. Some stories are tied with a rope while others with a sharp, metallic blade.
A counterfeit truce that never meant to be taken into hearts. A key to the soul that never meant to be held by anyone. A light that should've never be seen by another eye.
"I don't have anything to say. I'm quite an introvert." She looked down as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
I immediately scoffed, earning a glare from Ariel.
Rafiq averted his eyes to me. "What about you? We didn't get the chance to talk after the tour."
I thought to myself for a while.
How can I tell him who I am when I didn't even know who I was?
"Just keeps your ears open. Eventually, my name will come out. People here know my stories more than I knew them myself." It sounded colder than I anticipated.
He rubbed the tip of his chin. "From what I've seen, I'm guessing that are you the type of guy that always got high grades and didn't talk much to other people?"
My breath hitched a little. Even with the little time span, he can see that right through me.
"Do you have a problem with that?" I naturally asked.
"Why should I?" He grinned.
My eyes searched inside his, looking for a deceitful demeanor that I could make a reason to deny him. But there are no lies in his words yet there's no truth in his eyes.
When I delved into his oceans of green, I found no source of life but his waves of tranquility, somehow, soothed my raging lightning storm.
I know not where but there's a light hidden underneath them, where I could not reach it.
Ariel snapped her fingers in front of my eyes. "Zac? You've been quiet again."
"I've been thinking." I shook my head.
"About what?"
"The reason behind why he's so eager to be friends with us." I jerked my head towards Rafiq's direction.
She instantly pulled me closer and whispered to my ear. "He's right there."
"I know," I mentioned out loud.
Rafiq got a sense of the whole situation and began to sit up straighter. "I'm just trying to be friends. Is that wrong?"
Ariel swiftly averts her attention to him. "No, of course not." She reassured him.
Without hesitation, he looked at me. "Then what's his problem? Why he's so mean to me?"
"Oh don't flatter yourself. I'm mean to everyone." I blatantly replied.
Ariel shook her head in disapproval. "He has trust issues. Something happened in the past."
"Well, the past is in the past, right?" He smiled sheepishly.
"Right!" Ariel was quick to defend him.
"Then why did you learned history?" I deadpanned and that caused them to fall in utter silence.
Ariel harshly pressed the heel of her shoes on my feet with a stiff smile on her face as she looked at Rafiq nervously.
Little did she know that it did nothing to my dead soul.
I began to pack up my things and stood up. "I think you've known enough of me for an introduction. I'll see you soon, Rafiq."
With that, I politely nodded and walked out of the cafeteria.
Seconds after I left the table, I could hear Ariel's distant apologizing, pleading to him for forgiveness.
Did I felt sorry?
No.
Then, why do I feel this way?
I felt guilt inside me, churning violently. My mind scolded me to turn around and apologize to him but my eyes kept staying straight ahead towards the exit, emotionlessly.
Did he deserve it?
Yes.
Well, he asked for it.
Did he even have a chance?
I don't know.
**********