WHY, NOT YOU?
By: Salix. H
On a sunny morning, as Luke smoothly manoeuvred the car into the driveway of his department's building, his friend Asher suddenly blurted out, "I'm gonna sprint to class". Luke looked at him, a little taken aback and confused, "What? Why?" he asked. "Outlandish", he muttered under his breath.
"Will you leave the car here? Hop on and park the car properly. Meanwhile, I can run to class quickly," Asher explained a sense of urgency in his voice. Luke, still not fully grasping the situation, clapped his hands together in a taunting manner, "Well, then what about me?"
"Hey man, our names are usually called out first during attendance," Asher reasoned, "I'll go quickly and secure seats for us at the back. You can sneak in through the back door".
"I will even open the door for you and if your name is called during attendance, I will answer for you. That way, you can come in a bit later. Do you get it now, you big goof?"
Asher rolled his eyes, "I have to explain everything to you in detail, seriously. You should use your brain that you rarely utilize, okay?"
"Now let me explain further," Asher continued, "If both of us waste time parking the car, then we will miss a significant portion of the lecture. So, it's a win-win situation for both of us. What do you think?" Asher winked at Luke, hoping he would understand the plan.
Luke sighed, "Tsk.....Whatever. Save a seat for me. And yes, if this plan doesn't work out, you will be toast. Remember that. Because you know, I might not use my brain often, but I sure do use my fists quite a lot. Got it?" Luke conveyed his thoughts, a hint of threat in his voice.
".....Gotcha"! Asher replied, a bit taken aback but not too surprised. He then dashed off into the building, his lecture hall was on the second floor. He considered using the elevator but when he reached there, the sign on the lift showed that it was already on the 4th floor and would take some time to descend.
So, he decided to use the stairs instead.
"Anyway, it's only on the 2nd floor," Asher thought to himself.
He was running towards the stairs, lost in his thoughts, when suddenly he bumped into a girl causing her to drop all her documents.
"Oh. Ouch... Sorry... my bad," Asher stuttered, "Umm. I'm so... sorry, Miss."
In his hurry, Asher had collided with a girl, causing her to drop her documents. He instinctively grabbed her hand to prevent her from falling. As he pulled her towards him, she fell into his arms, her hands clutching his muscular chest.
"Are you alright?" Asher asked, concerned.
"Umm... Yes. Thank you," she replied, removing her hands from his chest and blushing slightly. She stepped back and began picking up her documents.
"I'm sorry again, Miss", Asher apologized again.
He was unable to see her face as she was turned away from him, but he couldn't help but notice her slender figure and the white chiffon dress that gracefully flowed down to her knees.
From the back, her silhouette was reminiscent of a goddess, ethereal and divine. Her aura radiated a captivating energy that Asher couldn't help but be drawn to.
For a fleeting moment, he was utterly mesmerized, entranced by her figure and the commanding presence that she effortlessly exuded. But then, he consciously shook off the burgeoning thoughts, reminding himself not to get too carried away.
"... but still,... I caused you to drop all your documents," Asher added, feeling guilty.
He sat down next to her, trying to assist her in picking up the documents.
"Here...," he extended a hand filled with papers towards her, "...Thanks," she responded.
Suddenly, Asher remembered his lecture and the urgency returned, "I'm running extremely late for my class. Otherwise, I would help you gather your notes. I'm sorry, but I can't help you further," he apologized.
"That's completely fine. I will manage it. You should go or you will be late," she reassured him.
"Thank you, for your understanding," Asher expressed his gratitude, relieved that she wasn't angry.
She simply nodded in response.
As he stood up and was about to walk away, he realized that a chain of moon charms and stars was caught in his shirt's upper button.
A smile unknowingly spread across his face as he picked up the pendant, its cuteness catching his attention.
As he examined it, a thought crossed his mind, "Perhaps this pendant is a representation of that goddess." He cherished the idea, turning around to return the precious trinket to its owner.
But, when his eyes searched for her presence, he found that she had already disappeared, leaving him alone with the pendant.
He carefully tucked the delicate pendant into his pocket.
In his mind, he made a silent promise that if fate allowed their paths to cross again, he would return the beautiful trinket to her. With this thought warming his heart, he hurriedly darted through the bustling campus towards his lecture hall.
As he moved, he wore an unmistakable positive aura about him, as though he was wrapped in a bubble of hope and anticipation.
With each step he took, his heart pounded with a strange mixture of excitement and apprehension, his mind replaying the brief but unforgettable encounter over and over again.
He couldn't shake the feeling that their meeting was more than just a mere coincidence, that perhaps it was fate's way of nudging them towards each other.
Lost in his reverie, Asher finally reached the entrance to his lecture hall, his breath coming in short gasps as he paused to catch his breath.
Taking a moment to compose himself, he straightened his shirt and ran a hand through his tousled hair, steeling himself for the inevitable onslaught of questions and accusations from Luke.