The bell rang. And Natasha who had been sleeping all day long finally got up and walked out of the class oblivious to her classmates stares.
"Was she really asleep or was she just pretending?"
Max asked Tharn as Natasha passed by their desk.
"Who knows. As soon as she came in today, she placed her head on the table, and didn't raise it up the whole day even during classes, and she also skipped lunch."
Tharn replied with his eyes fixed on Natasha till she stepped out of the class. When Natasha left, he turned to look at Julian, who was looking angry and tired, and probably hungry, since he refused to join them for lunch, and they also stubbornly refused to buy him some snacks. And all just for what reason? To watch over a girl who didn't even know his name.
"Hey." Tharn called out to Julian.
Julian turned to look at him with that angry, tired and hungry looking face.
Tharn chuckled, got up and picked up his bag.
"If you're gonna watch after her, why don't you do that till she gets home safely. You know, she could be attacked on her way home."
Hearing this, Julian's eyes widened. He packed his belongings in a hurry, and ran out of the class.
*****
He finally saw her. He took a moment to calm his breathing. He stood up straight, and proceeded to approach her, when he saw a bike stop right in front of her. He got angrier, thinking it was one of those crazy seniors, but seeing her stay still, and seeing the person on the bike remain on the bike, he figured she knew the biker.
He stepped out of the school gate and joined a group of students who stood close to Natasha, but were busy chatting among themselves.
*****
Natasha stood by the roadside, waiting for her uncle's assistant to come pick her from school, when that familiar big bike stopped in front of her. This time around, he didn't take off the helmet, but she could recognize him just the same.
"Riley is not in school." she said in a cold detached voice.
"I'm fully aware of that."
"Good, you should leave then." saying this, she folded her arms across her chest and fixed her gaze on the cars that passed by the road.
Richard shook his head slowly and gently, probably looking worried.
"Don't you want to see him?"
She could not tell if he was angry or worried. But she really wished he would hate her, so she could feel better and not so guilty. But with what he said next and how caring his voice sounded, she knew he didn't hate her, which only made her hate herself the more.
"And why is that?" he said in a soft, caring, and gentle voice that did spread more guilt and hate through Natasha.
"I'm too ashamed to face him."
She heard Richard sigh, saw him facepalm himself and raise his head up to look at her.
"Natasha,"
She saw a black jeep park right in front of his bike and she recognized it.
"I'll get going." she said, cutting him midsentence. "My ride is here."
"Wait." he stretched his hand out to grab her, but she was too fast. He watched her enter the jeep and watched it drive off.
He took another deep sigh before starting his bike and riding off.