Chapter 2 - CHAPTER 1

"Why won't she see me?" The flowers in my hands dropped to the ground as she totally ignored me and walked away.

Happy Valentines Day? There's nothing happy about today. The girl I've been crushing on since forever... doesn't even see me.

The name's Jerome. I'm a sophomore at the University of California, I'm 22 years old. And the angel over there...her name's Claire. The most beautiful girl in college.

I've been trying to get her attention for years, but she doesn't even look at me... Ever.

I guess I'm just that... Insignificant.

I turned around and started making my way home.

Maybe I should just give up?

Arrrrgh... I.. I just wish you were mine.

I slowly paced my steps home, and then pushed the door in.

"I'm home!" I said as I walked down to my room and then crashed on the bed.

" Valentines day, huh? " I opened my phone and went straight to Fakebook... The pictures, the videos, the quotes... The loneliness.

I threw my phone down on the bed.

"I'm pathetic" I stood up and walked to the mirror. I stared at my face for quite a while...

"Why was I born this way?" I peered into the mirror which reflected my silver hair which was all scattered and falling and poking all around. I push the hair aside to see my eyes clearly. Their light blue glimmered as I sighed sadly. My pale skin didn't make anything better either.

"I really am gonna be single forever aren't I?" I fall back to my bed.

Bzzzzz bzzzzz bzzzzz. I felt my phone vibrate. Unknown number? I picked up the call. "Hi, good eveni-"

"Jerome! Meet me behind the school in five minutes, it's urgent" 

" Huh? Who-? " The hang-up tone trills.

What was that about? It's currently 5:03pm...

I stand and start walking towards the school... That voice, it's familiar, who was she?

What if it was a distress call! I gotta hurry up...

Deep in me I know that I'm actually running because it's the first time a girl's calling me...

I run faster towards the school, I should be about 3 minutes out...

My heart beating fast, pumping... My lungs expanding, I hurry as fast as I can and come to a halt behind the school...

There was someone there... Correction, there was an angel there...

Black lush hair, beautiful skin... I walked closer.

Her shape... was just, wow!

"Uhm... Hi, you the one that called me?" I said as I inched closer to get a better look.

"You're even more disgusting in person!" You could hear the utter disgust in her voice. I stopped moving immediately.

She started moving closer, as her face came into the light, it was... stunning, not as pretty as Claire but damn fine!

SMACK! I felt excruciating pain on my cheek at that instant... Huh?

"How dare you!" She yells...

Did she just... slap me?

I stared into her eyes as she yelled, you could tell she was angry... But... why?

Why is she angry? Why can't I talk? Why can't I defend myself? Coward! Coward! Coward!

"Don't you ever do what you did today ever again in your miserable little life!" She yelled...

" If I ever see you try to belittle out queen ever again, you'll pay with your life, though your life isn't even worth being called a payment "

What is she talking about? What did I do today?

I... Valentine's day...

" Is- is this about Claire? " I stutter quietly...

" So you can speak? " She stared...

" Listen, you're a low class peasant in this school... Don't ever stain Claire's aura with your disgusting presence ever again! Next time you do, you'll regret it! " She said sternly before she walked out...

I should've known this'd happen... Claire has one of the biggest fan bases in the school...

I shouldn't have done that...

I start heading on back home, I shouldn't have done this today...

Maybe I should just give up on dati-

Again? It happened in slow motion... at least in my eyes, she was falling, slowly, so were her books...

Oh, not again...

Her blonde hair moving gently as I see her face...

Claire!

She slams into the ground butt first then her books scattered everywhere...

Oh no!

"I'm so sorry..." I bend down to help pick her books but then, my hand touched her's...

HOLD UPPPP! Isn't this your regular college guy meets girl sceneeee??? No, no, no... this can't be happening...

I pull my hand back quickly...

"I'm sorry" I hand over the books and turn to leave...

"Hold on!" She says...

Oh no, I can't let that demon girl see me...

"I'm sorry, I'm kind of in a hurry" I say before I run off...

Stupid! Stupid!

I stop running by a cafe, then I turn around to look, just to see her directly behind me...

"Did you run!" I ask her...

"Yeah, I had to return this" She hands over my phone...

I guess I dropped it, I looked up at her face...

it was... so it's better in person...

I just wanna hold her face gently...

"Uhm, thank you... I'm sorry" I say as I back away slowly...

"Do I scare you?" She pops the question out of nowhere...

" Huh? " I ask

" You never talk to me in school, you're always avoiding me... You're the only one in school who doesn't say hi... " She pulls closer...

" Wh-what?! noo no... I'm just... busy"

I stammer...

it was a red evening sky, windy and cold... her hair was blowing in the wind...

I was... speechless

" I saw your flowers" She held my hand...

"Why didn't you hand them over?"

I was just quiet...

She saw me? She noticed me?

"CLAIRE!" A voice echoed from behind...

I tilted my head to look and there was this really handsome guy there...

"That's my boyfriend..." She says as she let my hand go...

Boyfriend? She has a boyfriend?

What was I thinking? Of course she has one...

She's Claire...

"Uhm, okay..." I fake a smile...

"Happy Valentine's Day... Thanks for the flowers, they looked pretty" She said with a smile as she walked backwards...

"Yeah... bye" I said as she ran off...

"I... love you" I know she didn't hear that, but I just wanted to say it...

I turned around and started heading back home...

What a day...

I stared at my hands and smiled...

Never washing these!

Later washed em that night after dinner...

***

The alarm sound echoed in my ears...

Slowly... I pulled my phone and opened it up...

A message? This early...?

'Hi... It's Claire, You gon' be free tonight? '