As we strolled down the hallway toward the cafeteria, Mr. Rude turned to me with a surprising declaration. "You know, S.B, I have always wanted to be friends with you, long before now."
I blinked in disbelief. "What? I had no idea."
He smirked, recalling a particular moment. "Remember when you fell into the pool, and I swooped in to save you right after? You were so puzzled about how I got there so quickly."
"Yeah, I remember," I said, recalling the moment vividly. "I couldn't figure out how you managed to be there in the nick of time, especially since you left with Alex and Jude after swimming class." The incident was still a puzzle to me, even till now.
"Well, the truth is, I was actually waiting outside the door, planning to ask you to be friends," he admitted, a hint of sheepishness in his tone.
