Memories. It's a funny thing. Some memories fade with time, some don't. My memories with H had always been pleasant. Somehow, I imagined H to be more good-looking than he really was. He was not dashing per se, but the way he carried himself and his kindness caught my attention. The simple things in life sometimes trigger my memories of H. The streets which I walked along, the dramas which I watched, the songs which I listened to... Moments which I hoped I could share with H.
I remembered it was a Friday evening after school. Since it was Friday (TGIF! Whew!), lessons have long ended and most of the students have gone home. The school was finally quiet, free from rowdy and loud students. I appreciated the solace from the quietness, finally able to take a breather. You see, I was not having a pleasant week, and the stress and anxiety was piling inside me. I had stayed back in school for a shooting practice to prepare for an upcoming competition. I went to the washroom to freshen up and was just walking out to head back to my venue.
"CLINK CLANK!" Suddenly, a loud ringing pierced through my ears. My head throbbed as pain seared through and I stopped short on my feet. It was the sound of a metal can being crushed and thrown onto the floor. "Who the hell is trying to annoy me on a Friday evening? Can't anyone just leave me alone and give me a moment of silence!" I muttered under my breath. Nonetheless, I bent down and picked up the can on the ground to throw into the rubbish bin. Another person did the same. I lifted my lethargic body and raised my heavy eyelids to look at the culprit who was getting on my nerves. That's when I saw H.
I frowned, my brows creasing ever so lightly. H was a mild-mannered boy who rarely lost his temper. I could not think of any reason as to what had angered him to lose his cool. I was curious. The usual me would have walked away without saying a word even though we were classmates. I do not know why I hesitated and decided to stay on that day. But I was glad I did.
"Stop frowning Amerie, your brows are all scrunched up," H joked. H was trying to lighten up the mood, to no avail unfortunately. It was an inside joke of our class, my constant frowning, my emotionless eyes, and my poker face. I stared at him for a good three seconds, contemplating if I should ask the three words. I was a fairly quiet person and he would not have expected me to talk to him.
I could see the pain in his eyes despite his efforts to put on a smile on his face like he always did. Finally, I mustered up my courage and spoke, " Are you okay?" I initially thought that he would give a halfhearted reply and then we would part ways, go on with our usual life as if nothing happened. I never expected him to shoot the question back at me. "Are you okay?" H asked. H stared intensely at me. I felt as if he could see through me. I was utterly shocked. I did not expect anyone to discover my real emotions beyond my cold demeanor. He was not the first, but he was definitely not the one I thought to do so. For a while, we stood at the same spot, just looking at each other, just being.