She took her hand bag the moment the class ended.
She got up and the guy beside her also got up. He just walked to the exit without a word.
Hmm. Why does she always meet grumpy guys?
"uh... Gracie can I have a moment please?" their group master called.
"uhmn."
She nodded and made her way towards him.
*
She held on to the strap of her handbag as she walked out of the building.
But someone suddenly stepped in front of her, blocking her way and making her bump into... him.
"Hi there." He said and turned facing her completely.
She gave him a glare and arranged her wig.
It was that seat mate of hers earlier. How dare he!
"Hi." She answered clearly not interested in talking to him. She wanted to walk past.
"uh... about earlier..." He said and paused. She halted.
"I was just mad. Okay..." He muttered and touched his chin with his fingers.
"I mean some people will give anything to live half as long.
But you are throwing it away." He said.
He was pulling an oxygen back pack with him.
She observed him for a while and thought maybe he didn't have long to live.
"I'm... i'm sorry." She said.
" you can call me Alec." He said shoving that topic aside. She nodded.
"It's nice to meet you Alec."
He gave her a light smirk. Her brow furrowed and she looked away immediately.
My gosh! How come she didn't realised he was so good looking.
She nodded negatively. No!
She wouldn't turn a blind eye to the fact that that smirk was flirtatious.
"actually we are having a movie night at my place." The guy suddenly said.
She tilted her head a bit trying to get what he meant.
"we?"
"oh... my friends and i.
So uh... I'm inviting you to join us." He re- emphasized.
"when? today?"
"yeah. Tonight.
So, can I see you tonight?" he asked. Her brow furrowed. Huh?
He is inviting her for a movie night at his place when they've just met.
Isn't he too straight forward?
"uh... okay. I... I can't promise but I'll try." She said knowing fully well she wouldn't go.
"no. I want you to come." He said flirtatious-ly. She arched her brow more.
"Uh... okay." She agreed without much thought. She was just gonna bring Emma with her and if he refuses, she wouldn't go then!
"so..." He moved closer to her. "can I have you on wechat then?"
*
"...damn... please you have to come with me." She pleaded over the phone.
"you are so self centered Gracie. I said i have school tomorrow.
How can I possibly go out tonight?" Emma said.
Gracie sighed.
She totally forgot about Emma resuming school before she agreed to go out with that guy.
Ugh!
"better go have some fun alone.
I'm happy you are making friends now. Just don't forget me." She said.
"hn." She ended the call.
*
"sorry I can't make it." Gracie typed it on wechat and sent it to the Alec guy.
He sent a reply almost immediately.
"What? But you promised.
It's too late to cancel."
"i'm serious."
She got his incoming video call before she could send that.
Her hand fisted on the phone. Uhh!
She requested a change to an audio call immediately before picking.
"Hello." She said.
"really?" he asked.
"i'm sorry I can't make it. Uh..."
"why?"
"i just... look sorry I failed you.
How about this, I'll treat you to lunch when we see next. To make it up to you." She said. He was silent for a while.
"Okay." He said. She nodded negatively hung up.
She just met him yet he was already making her feel like she owed him big time.
Why does she always fuck everything up!
Ugh!
She tossed her phone under her pillow and laid on the bed.
She just couldn't go since she wasn't at peace with the idea in the first place.
*
She's opened her eyes.
The sound she was hearing in her dream was becoming clearer.
Huh?
The door bell? Huh! Who could that be this freaking night!
She got down from the bed taking her phone, then she left her room.
She got to the sitting room's door and peeped through the glass hole.
She shrieked.
It's Rick.
Huh? What's he doing here? And what's the time?
She checked her phone only to see 3 missed calls from him.
Huh? The hell! When?
With an unsettled feeling, she took in a deep breath and opened the door.
"Hi." He smiled lightly at her.
Huh? Was she dreaming?
"huh ha... hi." She gave an obvious fake chuckle. She bit her lips at once to seal in any more words... she couldn't afford anymore embarrassments.
They was a brief silence and the night was then loud to her.
"I... uh..." He moved closer. " I've been calling.
I wanted to... check up on you. See If you were doing fine." He said. She nodded and fisted her hand nervously.
*
That night, she found herself sitting on top of Rick's car trunk with him.
"i didn't ignore your calls purposely.
I just want you to know that." She started. "I was sleeping.
Besides you were calling this late... But I really didn't mean to miss your call though."
"i believe you." He muttered in a low tone. She stared at him at once.
Huh?
"i was just bothered after yesterday's whole stuff.
What happened to you back there? have you gone to the hospital for a check up? Are you sick?" he asked.
She looked away searching her head for something reasonable to say.
"oh It's not a big deal... I went to the hospital later on.
It was just some skin inflammatory stuff and all.." She said dramatically. "but It's under control now.
Some drugs were prescribed and you know... vrazzz." She said. "ha ha ha." She bit her lip again.
He scoffed but nodded lightly.
"I'm... sorry." He muttered.
Huh? Was he apologising? she stared at him again.
"Why?" she asked.
He finally looked at her too.
"i have treated you badly all these while.
If I had paid a little more attention, you wouldn't be hurt yesterday."
She gasped loudly. He knows????
"my... my gosh, don't flatter yourself." She stuttered. He smiled tightly.
Jeez, he's so handsome!
"This is a chance for you to actually confess.
And here you are... you're blowing it away."
She bit her lip hard.
Well it was a good thing he didn't suspect she had a killer illness.
And he wasn't so cold like previously anymore... perhaps... He...
"fine. You beat me." She muttered. The guy smiled again and she actually thought it was pleasant to watch.
"I've really been stalking you since the supermarket whole staunt." She said very slowly.
But It's because she just wanted to find out if he was Andre.
But... She can't possibly tell him that, so she just have to lie about it now.
Hashtag# half truth.
"I actually think you're kinda cool.
And... you're attractive." She said. He stared at her and she looked away.
"but then you never give me face." She said. She felt like he already looked away, so she stared at him again, but their eyes locked instead.
Ther they were silent, just staring at each other for all it was worth... until he broke the silence.
"the truth is, i was never gonna go on a date with you in the first place."
"but you did." She said.
"i... just thought you were the closest thing i had to a clue of my past after all these years... I don't know."
He looked away. "But I guess not, now."
Her brow furrowed.
"i don't understand." She said. He was silent making her anxious. "talk to me Rick. You just confused my soul."
"i don't know who I am Gracie." He muttered.
Huh? She kept staring at him.
"It's been 2 years and 5 months since I lost my memories.
I was found in the river boundary between California and Arizona, with a bullet in my chest.
Likely I'm from Arizona but I can't go there to even look for clues... because It's like someone is after my life.
So until I've remembered everything, I can't go in search for my family." He said. She batted her lashes still confused or probably arguing with her mind already.
"... It's been really... really painful and hard these past years.
So you know now, a relationship is not even the last on my list. It doesn't exist for now."
Her lips and eyes were just dilated in shock.
What?
He is Andre! He is Andre!
Jesus! That was it! That was fucking it! He is from Arizona!
Huh! The hell!
"oh my god, you mean..." She moved closer to him. "you have an amnesia?" she asked getting engrossed.
"Yeah.
So back then at the supermarket, I don't know if it was my imagination, but I heard you call a familiar name Andre.
So... I thought you were someone who must have known me." He said.
She nodded negatively at once.
"no no no no." She said.
Well anybody could be disappointed at that.
"... But uh... you said uh... It's been 2 years and 5 months since you've had amnesia?" she asked suddenly. He was silent.
Oh her god, counting down, that happened probably a month after she was diagnosed with leukaemia.
Oh m g! He is Andre? But he doesn't remember his past?
No! There was no reason for her to tell him that they were childishly familiar 2 years back.
She was only gonna break his heart when she tells him that she doesn't now anything about his family.
It was better for him to start afresh here.
After all, he just said someone was after his life in Arizona.
No. She mustnt tell him anything. He could really be in danger.
"wow... pretty a long while Rick. 2 years and 5 months." She said. They were silent again.
A lot of thoughts ran through her mind. He didn't abandon her or stigmatize her.
She smiled thinking about it. Jeez.
"look, It's gonna be alright.
I promise." She said and gave a happy chuckle. He gave her a stare and she stopped smiling at once.
Jeez, was she insane! Why was she that happy in front of him!
"Rick I'm so sorry that I don't know you or your past.
But I know I can be of help in your life. So what if you say yes to me?" She asked and raised a brow.
He scowled at her.
"i already told you, dating doesn't exist for me."
"eh... forget that... look." She adjusted closer to him. "you can't deceive me, I know you like me.
I mean you cared for me yesterday." She said cockily but became serious at once.
"honestly..." She sighed. "I haven't stopped thinking about it.
'I can't leave you alone as your elder one.' That's what yooou said.
And you say you don't like me?" she asked.
"well It's human like to care for vulnerable people.
What if I left you yesterday, and later heard that you died?
I'd never forgive myself if I had the chance to help someone in need but didn't." He said and looked away. "so don't mistake it for any feelings." He said. She scoffed.
"are you gay?" she suddenly asked out of the blue without thinking of the consequences.
For all she knew, she was so happy he was Andre! I mean ugggggggggg.
He whipped his his head to stare at her at once.
"What?"
"yeah... I mean." She adjusted closer to him. "it's good we talk about these things you know.
I mean, a girl clearly asking you out but... you..."
He scoffed and jumped down from the trunk ignoring her.
"so shameless." She heard him mutter. Huh? She smiled.
She jumped down too.
"now that I know you're okay, I'm leaving." he said walking to the drivers side of the car.
"Eh... wait!" she rushed alongside him.
"what is it?" he asked not stopping still.
"that was clearly a joke just now.
You don't need to leave." She said. He scoffed and got to the front door of the car.
She immediately threw herself on the door when he was about to open it. And his hand ended up touching her bare waist.
"what are you doing?" She gasped.
He withdrew his hand slowly.
"that was your fault."
She bit her lip to kill the smile.
"if you'd just stop and listen to me." She muttered.
He took his gaze off her. She couldn't help but chuckle.
"you know, i've made up my mind now.
I want to be friends with you Rick." She said. He had that de ja vu look again.
"no... a real normal friend.
I mean It's kinda cool that you like the fact that I love writing.
Well except you lied to me."
"of course not." He said. She smiled.
"we could exchange ideas you know." She said. "you should come over sometime to read my stories and poems.
Huh? What do you say about that?"
He was silent.
She raised her right hand and hid her index and thumb finger.
"i Gracie Riles promise to take you as nothing but a friend
I would never hit on you again." She said. He gave her a look that screamed, 'so weird.'
After a while of silence.
"fine then." He said and nodded. "you said so yourself."
She smiled.
"and uh... one more thing..." She said. She could tell he was getting tired of her already.
But she loved it.
"uh... you have a tattoo, who drew it for you?" she asked. He sighed like it wasn't important.
"uh... It's also part of my lost memories." He said.
She made a serious face and moved closer to him and he moved backwards cause they was no space.
"Do you think you had a..." She had this serious look at first that made him interested in what she was saying.
But when she paused, she chuckled cockily.
"... a lover in the past called pinky?" she chuckled. He scowled at her.
"Gracie shouldn't be too familiar with boys. Especially the ones you don't know.
Don't you think?"
She bit her lio.
Who said she doesn't know him?
Well they were naughtier in the past, old feelings were just rekindling.
She scoffed and gave way for him.
Oh god! She felt that familiarity like in the past again.
He opened his car door.
"bye." she waved as he got in and closed the door after him
Soon he was driving off.
She sighed and watch the car drive out of sight.
So he is Andre after all.
TBC