“Ring”

“Ring”

“Ring”

My hand slapped the alarm. It was Tuesday now, and the sun seemed to still be suppressed under the horizon. I got ready with my usual morning routine. Last week, on a Saturday, I had probably let down Jaqueline or something along the lines. I don’t understand women; they never say what they imply. Trust me, I tried my best to understand every possible thing I might have done wrong, but the same answer pops up in the head.

She can’t like me. What is there to like, apart from a limited intellect quotient. I’m inexperienced in sociological situations, and I’m a closet misanthrope. She can’t like me, they had to be mistaken or something. My intuition warned me not to be honest. I lie in bed contemplating my mistake. I hated upsetting people, that was my weakness, a consistent moral code. I had to fix a grudge, with me or between two other subjects.

We can continue normally right? She should get over it.  I get ready in half an hour and leave my front door. It’s 7:10 so Jaqueline should be walking past my flat at this moment. I walk up to the gate and look both ways and spot Jaqueline approaching my house. I’m a pathetic excuse for a man.

“Hey Jaqueline!” I wave ecstatically. She also waved back in a mirror like response.

“Hey Allan!” It was as if there were two of them. The feminine, depressing one; and the athletic, optimistic one.  She begins to pace up with a quick sprint and walks beside me.

“Sorry, for rambling at the Café, I didn’t let you speak,” I apologize immediately.

“That’s alright, I wasn’t in the best mood to talk either. I was tired too. Hey but great job of running 10Km at 5am!” She praised.

“Thanks.”

“My dad, saw you and was creeped out when you approached screaming and turned around.” She giggled. I smiled patiently as I heard this, at least her Dad knows. “Oh yeah, I talked to Nina, she said she knew you guys when she was younger, and how much of an you were to Paula.” The guilt consumed me, like a parasite in the back of my head.

“Did she tell you what I did?”

“She said to tell you something about “a bouquet of roses,”

“aghhhh, I remember now!” Holy crap, I actually did.

“So what did happen?” She slanted her eyebrow.

“It was the day before she was leaving to Germany…”

I found out that she was leaving for Germany, through Nina. At that time, we were both from wealthy households, so we knew each other and would regularly play together. As I already told you, we made a corny promise to stay together until we were old enough to get married. I hated it when people broke promises, but she didn’t mean it, she wasn’t told until 2 days before.  

                                                                  *****

The house was large and intimidating, but the residents were open hearted and generous. Our parents were close as well, so we became friends by coincidence. I stood by the large iron gate that entered into her residence. Cherubs and fine statues, with bird baths and neatly trimmed gardens. Her nanny was also very nice, and looked after us all the time. Nina was one of the family friends like me that knew her as well.

“Allan!” She waved to me, with her little frock dancing in the wind. Her wispy chestnut hair elegantly flapping in the breeze. She had been holding a bouquet of roses close to her chest. She stood on the neatly patterned cobblestone road of her mansion.

 “Hey, Paula, hey why do you have roses? Do you like someone!” I asked, like the 5-year-old I was.

“Yeah, silly.” She walked up to me, holding the rose like a new-born child. “here, Allan, take them,” She extended her arms and handed over the bouquet.

“but why now?” I ask disorderedly.

“Sorry, Allan, But I’m going to Germany, to live with in My Grandma’s home, she’s really sick”

“Oh okay, I’ll just wait for you,” I smiled. She didn’t instead she looked down at the ground her beanie shielding her head.

“Sorry, but I might not come back,”

“Huh? What about the promise?” I clenched my fist. My knuckles turning white even for a 5-year-old. My teeth gritted together. I gripped the bouquet of roses with inaccessible strength.

“Can’t we still talk some other way?” She asked innocently. I was infuriated.  I threw the bouquet of roses on the ground vehemently. I lifted up my foot and crushed the beautiful roses repeatedly with the soles of my shoe. Paula watched with covered as I kicked the rose into the nearby bush.

“What the hell!” I screamed. Tears were sprinting down Paula’s cheeks as she witnessed my temper.

“Allan…” She sobbed. “Why would…” She sniffed. “Why would you do that?” She was crying now, her eyes filled with betrayal and tears and her nose runny, contorted into a hesitant frown.

“I don’t want you to leave!” I forced the words out. It was what I wanted to say after all. I stepped forward and extended my arm out ready to console her. She stared down at the ground before lashing her hand out viciously and knocking it out the way.

“Shut up, you jerk,” She pushed me away. I crashed and hit the ground hard. She covered her face and ran in shame, as I watched helplessly at what had done. I had hurt her. That was also the last time I saw her. Until she transferred back.

                                                    ******

“Ohhhhh I see” Jaqueline look with awe. “Man, what a douche move,”

“Shut up” I retorted. “I was 5, what’d you expect, if you’re best friend was leaving all of a sudden?”

“I would cry, idiot!” She responded logically. “Nina, told me the whole thing. Even what happened after.”

“So what happened after?”

“She ran out to the gardens and sat there on the table crying for about 10 minutes. Her nanny came and asked what happened, and she replied with: ‘I didn’t do anything, why did he lash out at me, I was trying to be nice but he crushed all my roses!’ The nanny then said, ‘well, maybe he was just frustrated that you were going to leave him all alone,’ then she replied with ‘well, he deserves it, if he is like that to everyone, no one should be his friend! All boys are jerks like him, I hate him!’ she screamed out. Since then she has been extremely ignorant and sad to all the guys even the nice ones, in a subtle manner of course”

“Wow, I really was a jerk,” I covered up half my face. “I’ve got to fix things between us,”

“yeah Leon Degraza, the knight in shining armour,”

“Shut up,” I sarcastically commanded. “So how are we going to do it?”

“Well, we have to gain her trust, and when she does, apologize to her for your mistake,”

“It’s that simple?”

“No,”

“Thought so,” I replied.

“It will take a lot to gain someone’s trust over something that dramatic in their life.”

“Doesn’t help that you’re a guy either,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Dense,” She applied sibilance.

“Whatever,” I hopelessly replied. In this situation I’m disempowered, I am the cause. It didn’t take long to get into school. Hunter and June were also walking in a pair as she approached from the opposite end of the cross road.

“Are you guys like inseparable?” Jaqueline asked out of the blue. Did she always ask questions out of the blue?

“ha-ha, nah, it’s just friendship, that will never end,” He patted June’s back lightly with a cheerful smile. “Can’t leave her alone to the wolves, you know? June looked down at the ground with the lack of confidence she always possessed.

“Aww, that’s cute,” Jaqueline comments.

“How long you guys been friends?” I ask out if sheer curiosity.

“Like 6 years,”

“Psychologists say if a friendship lasts 7 years it will last a lifetime.”

“That’s awesome, I can annoy her every day!” He ruffled her hair lightly. She gave a small sigh followed by a blushing smile. “heh, she’s shy, but she’s comfortable when I’m the only one around,” He tapped his chest. It was almost as if he read my mind.

“Don’t we have a joint P.E class this year?” I ask.

“Perfect I can verse Francis!” He utilised a crazy smile. “and you,” he pointed at his temple.

“ha-ha, well let’s go then,”

 We resumed our walking and entered the school, entering into the gym immediately, me and Jaqueline were also in the same joint P.E class. While June was in Hunter’s class, but she went and got changed with Jaqueline instead.

I got changed fast as usual. Today was going to be rain. I was lusting for bad weather, for blizzard proportions snow, hurricane like storms but not scorching heat. That’s why I have a small kind of hate for summer. It’s just too scorching. I have to hide like a vampire, I can’t stand heat.

Back to topic. I get out of the changing rooms and grab a basketball to start playing around with. I looked up to see Hunter already changed before me.

“Oh hey Leon,”

“it’s Allan,”

“Huh, but you said it was Leon?”

“Long story, its Allan,”

“Sure kiddo,” He shot a basketball at one of the hoops. It made a curve and hit the back of the board, instantly getting into the hoop.

“Do you do basketball?” The ball bounced and he jumped up with inhuman reflexes grabbing it and landing before casually bouncing it on the ground.

“yeah, June liked it a lot, in middle school, so I began to play it to become her friend,”

“Is everything you do, concerned with June?” He grabs the ball and begins to move back more from the hoop.

“I don’t know, at first it was out of pity,” He shot the ball, “I felt sad for her you know?” The ball fell through the hoop without the need for the backboard. “but now she is like a true friend, shyness and all. I persuaded to be my assistant, and made her a part of the council.” It bounced down and he grabbed with some lizard like reflexes. I’m serious his reflexes were good.

“Hey, what you get for that reaction time test?” I ask him as I bounced my ball.

“huh?”

“The ruler test thing,” I recalibrate.

“oh 4 centimetres,” Holy crap. He was exceptionally skilled. Then one of the doors opened.

“Is that the size of your ?” Some other gym member who had been eavesdropping interjected.

“at least I don’t have a ,” he replied rudely. Man what a casual obscene conversation between two people in a highly privileged school. He was athletic at least no doubt, I’m hypothesizing that’s how he got into the school when they asked for a description of a personal talent, which might help your chances of getting in. More people began to enter the gym after getting changed including Jaqueline who went up and stealthily knocked the ball out of his hand.

“Too slow,” he bent down and grabbed the ball, straight as it bounced off the ground. Jaqueline was only half his height by the time he grabbed it. He jerked his head up and smiled. Jaqueline put her hands on her hips and gave a defeated smile. June followed Jaqueline closely behind he hands shaking minimally, and tugged close to her chest.

“hey June,”

“hey Hunter,” She looked down at the ground. That was the first time I had heard her speak in school. Suddenly the whistle blew and we had to go to our classes. Clusters of individuals formed and clumps of people in a few cliques had formed sitting in a polka dot type formation. Mr Haul was our teacher.

“Today, ladies and gentlemen we are playing two teams of bug ball soccer.” There were cheers and awes and some bored expressions. “Eh! Come on, listen up, I’m gonna give you a one or two, one on that side,” He pointed to gym entrance. “And twos at the back,” He pointed to the back of the gym. He jogged into the gear room and brought out a yoga ball, or a big ball as he said.

“Soccer, okay everyone. Let’s go to the turf, the hockey turf,”

“One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two” he numbered as he side walked across the group of people. We stood up and began to amble to the turf. Hunter darted up and began to full out sprint to the turf chewing on what appeared to be his necklace. I decided to jog with him and jogged all the way past the carpark to the entrance which was opened. Everybody diffused on the much larger field, o their respective sides. He picked up the ball and threw it in the air. “Start!”

Hunter had immediately sprinted and had ambushed one of the opponents pushing them down onto the ground. The ball was falling and he headed it forcing it into the oppositions half all in a span of two seconds. I followed behind jogging when the opposition got a hold of the ball. The began to charge and was right in the way when Hunter jumped in screaming and kicked the ball, sending to flying over a couple of heads to the other side.

“What are you doing?”

“Can’t let Francis get it.” He sprinted to the ball, just as Francis darted for it. Francis swung his leg over and slipped it behind him causing Hunter to nearly smash into the wall. Everybody stared at the two fighting it out over the ball. Hunter was kicking it while Francis kept it in control. Hunter than gave a robust kick and jerked the ball out of his legs, sending it straight to me, utilising this opportunity I took control and stormed recklessly around the defenceless side going to for a score when Jaqueline stepped in, effectively ambushing me. She pushed me with minimal force and took the ball. “What the hell!” Hunter screamed on the ground. He got up and darted for it. He sprinted with full speed screaming.

“Oh ,” Jaqueline cursed before he slid and tacked the ball of off her.  I had been ensuing them meticulously behind as well. The ball bounced off the wall and hit my thigh. I turned my back against Francis who had also been ensuing. Other players began to join in before Hunter charged and began to defend my ball.

“Come on, Leon”

“That’s not my name!” he had his arms sprawled out and legs spaced effectively. Pushing away the other players and Francis with force. I kicked the ball against the wall and got it past the mob of people trying to kill me. Hunter darted through the maze of people and took control, as the most of the players had now been watching the dramatic game than playing it. Hunter took possession and smashed and bumped into people. Out of nowhere Jaqueline again persevered to stop him from scoring. She kicked the ball, but it doesn’t bounce. They kick it two times and the same time where it bounced upwards and he sweeps her foot knocking her off balance. He side-steps and gains possession.

He manages to get in front of the goal where June is guarding it, her hands spaced out but her face hesitant to catch it. Hunter scratched his head as Francis began to attack from behind where he frantically kicked the ball before June deflected it expertly.

“Ahhhhhhhhh, Sagittarius!” He screams as he goes to violently usurp the positon of the player handling the ball. He knocks it out with extreme force, laughing crazily. “Centipede!” He sprinted as the ball is quickly passed to another opposing player. He sprints again huffing and puffing but persevering to victory. “Gahhhhh!!” He side tackles again, slipping onto the ground where I jump over his feet to dribble the ball.  Before a player from the opposing team, pushes me over onto the ground. My arms automatically curl and the palm of my hand absorbs the impact. My head jerks back nearly hitting the ground.

The player passes to Francis who begins to dribble.

“Francis!” Hunter makes a mocking competitive tone. Almost as if he was challenging him. “Fran-cis!” He’s right in front and spread out his legs darting to the side Francis was trying to trick him. “Fran! -cis!” He kicked the ball with violent power and send it flying into the air.

“Centipeeeddddeeeeee! Aahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” His words melting into each other. He sprinted with lizard like movements. Sliding and crawling through players to avoid losing time as Jaqueline gained control. Hunter was getting very competitive.

“Not again!” Being the athlete she is. She dodges and trips him over. The sprinklers are on, and water is squirting all over the turf corner by corner, side by side. The right corner is the first to activate showering over Hunter like a blessing. June looks helplessly from the goal, as he stands up completely drenched but energized.

The two of them are fighting it out like before with Francis and Hunter.

“Hey Hunter calm down, it’s just a game,” Hunter obviously ignores them and keeps on sliding, dodging, attacking and spinning around. He spins around and kicks the ball with his heel in between her legs as it goes spiralling into the wired fence.

“Stop being like the hulk, ha-ha,” One of the girl’s comments. Hunter is down on his knees and hands basking in the fresh water.

“It’s a ing demon! Sagittarius!” He screams before darting up and sprinting at full force at Jaqueline who had regained control.

The game ended with Jaqueline twisting her foot which had been recovering gradually. She went to the nurse’s office and P.E class ended there.

“Boy was that fun!” Hunter beamed at me as he ambled out the changing rooms.

“You were psychotic,”

“Thanks, get that a lot,” He smiled. What a weirdo. It was lunchtime now and I had to attend peer support. My first club activity, deep down I was anxious and eager to participate in my first school club activity. I never bothered because I never had the need for it. My position at the school council dictated that though, so I was coerced to join. I didn’t mind though.

The room was an old library of books which was identified as an English class prior to that. The homeroom teacher left and there wasn’t a need so it became a spare room. It was at the end of the hallway so not many people passed unless they need to get to a locker of some sort. I ambled towards the door expecting nothing interesting to come out of this.

“So please do something about this!” A female teacher berated. The door slid open and Mrs Weddows walked out wiping her forehead hysterically.

“hey Allan, joining the peer support?” She asked placing her hands on her hips.

“Yeah,”

“good on ya,” She smiled before walking off. I stared for a brief moment before resuming and entering into the room. The room was spacy and the shelves were mounted on the walls carrying a large yet finite amount of knowledge.  Most of the covers were knew and they were known to be university level textbooks or philosophical studies which the school no longer supported. Heidi was in the middle of the room by the table and reading a book I presume from the shelves. She looks up for a moment with her bored expression before gazing back down to her book.

“Hey Heidi,” I greet civilly. No response. Her mind is fixated on the book, like a horror movie serial killer. She doesn’t show any signs of response and just reads the book on human psychology. “Sure, whatever,” I mumble before setting my bag down to the polished floors and ambling over to the shelves withholding the knowledge I lusted for.

I stared down at the variety of titles and genres. Many consisting of abstract concepts of human society and psychology and sociology. There was even a parenting guide, with child psychology studies. I was staring for a minute or so until the door slid.

“A customer?” I ask to Heidi.

“Hey Heidi!” A familiar voice bellows out. I turn around to see a black bag swung onto the table sliding dramatically. It was Anna the anarchist if I can reminisce. She notices my presence and observes me disconcertingly, creasing her eyebrow cutely in the process. “Allan, what are you doing here?” She asks with a grin.

“I joined your club, cause I’ student council member.”

“You’re the president,” Heidi interjects.

“Woah, I never knew that, so is that what that meeting was about with the principal?”

“Yeah,”

“huh, nice,” She ambles over to cluster of cartons located near the corner. She rummages through before lifting out an electric kettle and some tea accessories. “want some tea guys?” She asks before lifting out a jar full of teabags.

“Thank you,” Heidi answers monotonously.

“Heidi are you alright?” I inquire. She continues reading for a second before setting it down on the table to not lose the page. She turns and sits sideways on the chair.

“yeah, what happened? You interrupted me in a good book,”

“ha-ha, Allan; I wouldn’t interrupt her while she’s reading a book Allan, bad idea.” She leans against the window frame. She wasn’t wearing the eyeliner but she still was wearing black clothing. Jaqueline places her elbow on the table and leans forward.

“So what do you want to do then?” She interrogates.

“um, get to know… each other?” I trail off. She tilts her head slightly and nods.

“Whatever.” She sighs. “I’m Heidi, year 12, I’m a writer and part time model,”

“Huh?” I react.

“Yeah, I work for a modelling company in my spare time. I don’t tell a lot of people though, they just at me like the s they are,”

“Hey, why would they be an to you?”

“Jealousy,” She looks down. Her heads leaning on the chair tiredly. “People stole my scarf, pushed me around, sold me out etc. They hid my shoes every day. These were the first few months of my high school life,” Anna is listening intently as steam invades the atmosphere of the room weakly like mist. “Since then I have isolated myself, with the peer support group,”

“okay,” I mutter back.

“So what’s your sad story,”

“what do you mean?”

“you’re also a closet misanthrope,”

“How can you be so sure?” I expertly retort.

“O-T-A-K-U” Crap, what we nattered about on Sunday was being reintroduced.

“There is a correlation between smart people and social knowledge. Individuals with a higher intellect quotient are less likely to have more best friends than someone of lower intellect. For me it was hard finding someone who could square off a debate. I just became a wanderer and my understanding went to waste. I isolated myself because I couldn’t understand people, until this whole student council president,” I end off. A sharp clapping sound penetrates the silence as Anna claps cheerfully.

“Good for you, friends are important in life.” She lifts up the kettle and pours boiling water into the teacups. Steam piles up like a topping before disintegrating like dust in a breeze. She picks up the cups by the saucers and places them onto the table cautiously. “Bon appetite guys!” She smiles angelically. Boy is high school full of strange-lings.

I stare down at the transparent liquid emanating radiation and convection as heat escapes into the open window.

“Anna what about you?” I curiously ask.

“I made it into this school by a fluke, I don’t have a specific talent or anything, but I try to be nice as I can, so if I lose everything I won’t lose my friends,”

“No wonder you’re so popular,” Heidi interjects seriously.

“Thanks,” I honestly was unaware Anna was popular. The only popular girl I was aware of was Ashley a grade A 5-year-old. She was smart but cocky even for a girl.

“Are you friends with Ashley?” I ask. She looks at me for a moment and answers.

“yeah, why?”

“Just curious that’s all,”

“Curiosity kills the cat,” Heidi interrupts as she resumes reading her book.

“geez don’t be so pessimistic, Heidi!” Anna comments. Heidi doesn’t respond and resumes reading whilst sipping the hot tea.

“it’s good…” She compliments. Suddenly the door slides open and Hunter comes in.

“Allan? You’re in the peer support group?”

“Yeah,” I reiterate. Jaqueline had told everyone already but he was the only one who probably wasn’t listening. June follows in closely behind.

“hey June, what’s up?” Anna greets enthusiastically.

“hey Anna,”

“Why are you here?” Heidi interrupts putting the reunion on hold.

“Oh, we have a problem,”

“Really?”

“Josephine as stopped hanging out with us and we don’t know what’s going on, but she won’t talk to us anymore.”

“How is that a problem?” Heidi asks.

“She’s our friend,”

“I see,” She pauses. “Allan and Anna will take care of this.”

“Really?” June asks with puppy dog eyes. My weakness.

“Sure!” Anna clasps her hands together.

“Have a seat,” I offer. There are 3 seats opposite our end of the table for our clients. Hunter heartily sits down and stares at the cups of tea. June politely sits down averting eyes contacts.

“Does she have siblings?”

“3” Hunter answers.

“A part time job?”

“yeah, she ain’t telling us though, but we want to be sure its abut her job,”

“Okay, have you talked to her siblings?”

“No,”

“Do they come to meet her after school?”

“No but they walk the same way past ours, cause their middle school is like slightly past ours.”

“Can we get a hold of them?”

“Don’t do anything stupid, they can report you, even if you appear non-threatening,”

“Do they know you?” I continued ignoring her warning.

“Yeah, very well, we used to go to her house often,” Hunter is answering all the questions like a genius as June buckles up her knees into her chests masking half her face. She’s wearing sport shorts and a vest today, exposing her snow white skin.

“Let’s talk to them nicely when they walk past.”

“We’re gonna have to wait 20 minutes.” Heidi interjected for the second time of my plan.

“Fine, fine, fine” I mutter at her. She sighs at my blatant admittance of ignorance.

Lunch ends and school resumes, Jaqueline talks to me in class too much again. Rumours of Hunter going berserk sprouted around. Nick had gotten sick from the flu again. Francis and his school team made it into the regional tournament. Nothing that exciting. Highlight of the day carrying Jaqueline to the nurse’s office.

People evacuate the building like a bombing as soon as the bell goes off. People sprint off home; the carpark depleting in vehicle count and motorcycles. Hunter walks down slowly his asphalt boots crunching the cement steps to the entrance of the school building. June walked over behind him her small backpack and sunglasses mounted on her forehead.

Anna skips out of the door her lack bag swinging behind her vibrantly as she hums an uplifting tune.

“15 minutes do what you want, stay here though” I delegate actions to each member. All of us sit down on the steps basking in the intense illumination of the sun. June and Hunter converse while Anna sits down and taps to music emanating from her earphones. I sit down and begin to do push ups to keep myself occupied.

“What are you doing?”

“something to keep myself occupied,”

“Let me join,” Jaqueline stands at the top of the steps as I hold myself up with my finite upper body strength. She hurries down the steps and falls onto the palm of her hands in a push up position. “How much can you do?”

“50 on average,”

“okay then let’s go!” She pushed down and up fiercely with compassion as I struggled to cope with her speed and strength.

“Come one Allan!” Anna cheered on. Hunter was also screaming like a drill sergeant next to my ear as my arm bent and reformed like a malleable metal. June sat there clapping with a hint of enthusiasm in beat with hunter’s words of inspiration.

“23!”

“Yeah, I’ll make it” I grit through my teeth, as the sun begins to burn through my back. I don’t lock my elbows and keep in time with Jaqueline’s push ups.

“28!” She counts every push up with fierce and vigorous application like martial arts. Beads of sweat slowly form on my head as I struggle to keep up inching gradually behind her.

“36!” She looks at me. Her face is red and almost blushing as she smiles funnily. “Come on, Allan!” She motivates me. I face down at the cement as my arms begins to give up on me.

“44” The pain is surging through my body like an electric shock. Travelling like the electrical impulse signals present in my nerves. My back is also aching from the arch I placed it in.

“48!” I push up with sweat dripping off.

“49!” I motivate myself further as the pain and accumulates in my biceps and shoulders like the legs of a beetle sprouting out. Like an aura of pain, a being of pain lust.

“Just one more!” I scream. Everybody is shouting out and compelling me to finish off. Jaqueline’s shoulder is crooked and she is about to fall. “Come on!” I push up and off before collapsing onto the concrete in utter exhaustion and pumped with heavy overdoes of fatigue.

“50” Jaqueline whispers breathlessly. I lay there on the ground, with my back vulnerably exposed to the scorching sun. Jaqueline is lying on her back with her coat opened and a few buttons of her school shirt ed. My heart paces as I see her black, flora, lacy bra. Her slightly tanned skin perfectly suiting her attire. We got really psychical. I ponder in my head cracking a bad pun.

“I’m” She in a large volume of air. “not… tha…. Good at upper…body strength,” She finishes with struggling strength. I smile and reply:

“me too….” Huffing out my carbon dioxide concentration. Hunter ambles leans over my nearly lifeless body and stares down at my flushed face as I witness in the reflection of his eye.

“Not bad, cadet; keep on working” he saluted before glancing down at his digital watch. “We got 5 minutes left.” He looks down the road. “That was definitely entertaining,”

I get up unhurriedly and replenish my strength. The cold breeze soaks into my flesh painted over with sweat, restabilising my body temperature. My hands have automatically clutched into my hips as my back as the bones in my spine click at my painful stretch. What a feeling! I groan with delight as I click all my knuckles, and twist my neck safely.

“What the hell’s happening here?” A voice berated. I jerk around to observe Heidi standing at the top of the stairs.

“Huh? Nothing, just doing the mission you abandoned your comrades to do,” Hunter ruffles the hairs on the back of his head with a brazen grin. Heidi responds with a sheepish stare with an ominous message underneath.

“I trust them, that’s why; if they fail me I won’t trust them anymore…” She shrugs before walking past our group with her bag slung over her right shoulder.

“Hey Heidi, you got a shoot today?” Anna asks.

“yeah,”

“cool, just checking,” Heidi tramples slowly without a second glance, disappearing around the other side of the road.

“What’s up with her?” Hunter asks intrigued. June looks at him innocently as he contemplates.

“I don’t get her either,” I retort. Giving a small sigh from the side of my mouth. “She’s strange,”

“There they are!” Anna jumps up and points at them. Down the road in the merciless rays of the sun, 3 silhouettes bask in the light. They trample unobtrusively like shadows as they approach us like demons. It takes a whole minute for the reveal of their face. They are certainly unnerved by our ominous form of anticipation.

“Wait, weren’t there supposed to be two of them?” June inquires touching her temple.

“Maybe it’s a friend of theirs that take a similar route?” Hunter suggested.

“Probably,” Jaqueline assures.

The individuals are now right near us eyeing us questionably.

“hey have you seen Heidi?” One of the group asks. She is older and distinct from the other two in the same age group. She appears identical to Heidi.

“She went for her shoot,” Anna answers.

“Are you her sister?” Hunter asks, reading my mind partially.

“yeah, I’m Leona! I’m actually her twin” She waves optimistically. She did resemble her sister in many aspects physically without a doubt. She was wearing a nice dress with a purse swung around to her side. She was wearing high heels as well. If I were to be attracted to Leona, I would be attracted to Heidi as well. She keeps waving till she spots me. Her eyes widen and her smile becomes a mile. “You must be that genius! Oh my god,” She shakes her fists vigorously. She takes steps hastily in approaching me. I grit my teeth hesitantly as I await her actions.

She jumps forward and hugs me. Her hands are delicate, warm and loving. Her smile is pressed against my chest and her hair masking the rest. I grit my teeth harder and stare down, blood fluctuating rampantly into my cheeks.

“Wha-what are y-you…. Doing?!” I scream out in inaudible patterns. This is how Heidi will look if she were to hug me?

“I can hear you heart beating…” She hums melodically. Hunter is smiling and Jaqueline’s eyes are in disbelief. “It’s pretty slow…” She hums a tune shortly. “Like a slow romantic dance,”

“Get off him,” Jaqueline berates instantly. Leona ignores it for a few seconds before releasing her grip. “What’s your deal?” She interrogates.

“Sorry!” She closes her eyes and lifts up her hand. “I got carried away, just always wanted to meet the genius.”

“Well, you traumatized him now!” Jaqueline argues rowdily. That was true, it pretty violating without warning.

“Sorry again then!” She apologizes. “By the way, how’s Jennifer?” My stomach dropped upon processing the question neurologically.

“How do you know her?” I turned around.

“We’re friends, its where I learnt a lot about you; ask your sister she’s bored to death from talking about you!”

“You’re so yandere,” Hunter interjects. “almost like a stalker!”

“No, I’m not!”

“Hunter you watch anime?”

“yeah,” He answers back.

“guys we got to do our mission,” Anna interjects.

“you two are Josephine’s sisters, huh?” Hunter asks politely.

“Yup!” The younger one enthusiastically reacts.

“Is Josephine alright? She doesn’t hang out with us anymore, can you tell us why?” Anna asks.

“what? She’s always doing her boxing training as soon as she leaves school, then she goes and does some part time jobs.”

“What jobs?”

“bakery assistant and bartender,”

“Why two jobs?” Hunter contemplates.

“We don’t know,”

“Before you leave can you give us the addresses?”

“sure,” The younger one s her bag and drags our stationary and books ripping out a section on paper and scribbling some words before handing it over to me.

“Thanks,”

“Welcome!” The small one shouts and runs ahead. Leona is still behind with her green emerald vibrant eyes.

“Well gotta get them home safe! See ya later,” She walks back slowly, smiling politely. She inches past me slowly meeting our gaze for a split second as she gives out a soft seductive moan before ambling off with the girls. I shiver as I realised its obscene implications.

We went to the bakery first where the working hours made sense. June skipped out and went home. Hunter continued to pursue our journey to reclaim his friend. Jaqueline was eager to buy some bread as well. Anna had been jotting notes in her notepad like a detective. Me? I was just thinking and strategically deciphering puzzles and contemplating different scenarios and links. The bakery was situated close to school where it was quite popular with townsfolk.

We ambled in accompanied with the manual bell that announced our presence. The atmosphere was raided by elegant aromas originating from hot bread. Hunter and June begin to peer and observe the products displayed by the shells. Anna skips forwards and Jaqueline aligns her body to mine. She leans forward to my shoulder and stares up.

“You got to answer tomorrow!” She smiles. I reminisce the answer I was indebted to fulfil by this Wednesday. Throughout the stalls we navigate towards the counter attended by an elderly woman who smiles wholeheartedly.

“Hello, how can I help you!” She had a minimally observable Italian accent. Her wrinkled smile remained intact when the whole group crowded around me.

“Is Josephine in right now?” I ask politely.

“In a few minutes, why do you ask?”

“It’s an urgent matter,” I reply.

“Are you her friends?”

“Yeah,” Hunter jumps in.

“Must be nice having so many friends around you,” She displays her wrinkled smile once more. She dusts off her pink apron and turns around to the large oven stacked with dough being cooked. “Well, she’ll be coming in a few minutes, her shift starts in 10 minutes.” She slips out a tray and rearranges it into a different shelf. “Are you alright waiting?”

“Sure, thank you,” Jaqueline bows slightly.

“Oh, it’s alright dear,” She smiles at Jaqueline before resuming her work. Hunter and June resume and exclude themselves from our group. I lean against the counter as more customers enter and adopt a satisfactory product. A mother and her young daughter stand by the glass cabinet and contemplate on which bread looks most appealing.

“The strawberry cakes are delicious,” Jaqueline advises. “It’s very popular, and tasty” She looks down at the small girl looking up to her with huge adoring eyes.

“Mommy, let’s get the strawberry cake,” She points whilst tugging on her mum’s sleeve.

“Okay then, one strawberry cake please,” The elderly keeper turns around and slides open the cabinet on the opposite side, taking out the cake.

“is it your birthday?” She inquires. The small girl looks up and smiles.

“yep!”

“Then it’s on the house!” She pushed the cake forward.

“oh, no, no, no, please take some;” The mother hands over a 20-dollar note.

‘No, don’t worry; birthdays are free, it’s my rule” She smiles.

“thank you, Eris!” She shouts before scurrying off with the cake energetically. Eris smiles as the mother leaves after. Josephine walks right on in with her bag slung on her back, as the small girl stops before her.

“Hey kiddo, happy birthday,” She ruffles her hair before continuing to walk forward.

“See ya sis!”

“See ya Jackie,” She waves at her. She makes way through the stalls to the counter where we have gathered. “What are you guys doing here?” She asks creasing her eyebrow.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Anna lunges out from the stalls. Josephine jerks back and blushes.

‘What the hell! No!” She sighs. “It would have ended before it even started. You know I can’t hold down a guy,” She breathes in deeply. “Is that what you guys came here for?”

“No,” Hunter comments.

“We’re here cos they want you to hang out more often with them,”

“I can’t” She turns around to behind the counter. “I have too much stress, I have to practice boxing every day, and do part time jobs to support that,” She slings off an apron off one of the hooks.

“you don’t have any time for friends?” I inquire curiously.

“of course I don’t, it up, cause I ain’t gonna quit or save time for you guys,” She scorns at Hunter and June.

“Why are you taking up so much stress?”

“That’s personal and you have no right to force me to confess,” She states.

“Did your mum get another attack?” June asks lightly with her hands folded into her chest. Josephine turns her head ominously and eyes her.

“Shut the up!” She screams. Luckily Eris had left to the storage room when she arrived and there weren’t any customers in store now.

“Sorry,” She squeezes out pathetically.

“Sorry June,” She ruffles through her own hair. “I snapped a bit there,”

“That’s alright, is shouldn’t be asking personal questions,” She replied squinting our tears.

“It must be hard supporting your siblings on your own huh?”

“humph yeah”

 “You have three? Don’t you?”

“She actually has 4, but the one you saw ‘Jackie’ is living with her relatives.” Hunter clears.

“Makes sense.” I reply.

“My mum’s sick, for god’s sake let me take care of my own damn responsibility,” She turns around and begins to attend to the cashier.

“Interesting” Anna jots down.

“Let’s leave then, we’ll meet tomorrow for continuation of the request in the clubroom” I delegate. “Diffuse,” I command. We sprawl out ina multitude of direction with Jaqueline briefly sticking by my side.

“well how is this going to be fixed?” Jaqueline inquires.

“I don’t know, we going to have to help her get a stable income somehow,”                       

“What about some competition with a monetary prize,”

“I doubt, she will accept a monetary gift that we worked for the sake of her state,”

“Shouldn’t we try?” She persevered. By now I had lost hope in reforming their friendship.

“As president, list down some competitions anyone from the council will excel in, in fact…” I was plotting some devious and insidious to our council, “get me all their talents and acceptance factors, then list down appropriate competitions too.” She gave a me concerned look before I hastily added on “look through mine all you like!”

“Sure, I’ll talk through and get their reports,” She looked down for a moment. “Far as I know, you are an all rounding student apart from sports; I’m an excelling athlete; Chris is on a photography scholarship and a music course for advanced students; Hunter is an expert in philosophy with a natural talent for basketball; June I think was a tennis prodigy-”

“Enough” I interject. I didn’t need it all spoilt now.

“Sure I’ll get them done, remember tomorrow is the interschool athletics!” She waved as she ran off to her class. I had remembered about 5 meetings being Leon Degraza. It was amusing how effortlessly I shapeshifted my habitual mind set to fit a new identity. Maybe I should tell Paula the truth. Lying wasn’t my game. I hated liars and myself wasn’t an exception. Tomorrow at the interschool athletics I was going to reveal the truth of my identity.

“hey Allan!” A voice screamed hysterically outside my door. It had to be Jaqueline. Hunter had informed me that Jaqueline did crazy things when she was excited which was basically before every sports competition. Why she came to my house was understandable.

It takes 10 minutes for me to arrange and organise my approach for the day before I can satisfy Jaqueline with her request for my presence.

“What took so long?”

“Girls take longer, that’s how guys feel,”

“jeez, why are you in a sore mood?” She asked as I push pass her and shut the door effortlessly.

“It’s like every year, a whole day of cute couples and backbreaking sports events,”

“Aww, you jealous of the couples? Hey then let’s find a girl for you,” She teases. I sigh and continue to walk slightly ahead. She was wearing revealing short shorts and a sports bra encompassed by a thin jacket. I was just wearing a large shirt and some sport shorts which I hadn’t washes when I went for the murderous 10km run.

“No thank you a woman is the last thing I need,”

“Really? That’s sad coming from you, I bet you and Emma would be cute!”

“I wouldn’t mind being with her,” I ponder amidst my talking.

“Oooh, so you do like her,”

“I said I didn’t mind being with her,” I reiterate.

“Well Mr Allan, are you going to confess your feelings today? Or are you willing to face the hellish wrath of a female?” My uncle used to say nothing scared him more than a woman that was angry, and he served in the military.

“I don’t know, it’s embarrassing, I’ve never liked the idea of liking and confessing, it’s so teenager-like,”

“Well then if you don’t confess by today tomorrow you going to be the centre of attraction in our school,” She adorns a maliciously intended smile. I observe her and deduce her seriousness.

“What are you going to do?” I slowly turn to face her.

“Jeez, wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise,” Damn it, she was smart, she was going to commit a detrimental action towards me. Maybe not psychically at least.  

“Let’s just get to the stadium,” The Forte stadium, was quite old, but had been recently furnished, it was funded by our schools, so we also get to use it every year for space and activities in athletics.

It takes a whole half an hour to reach the stadium. It is large and intimidating like a mouse in the mouth of a large python. Many students have already stacked themselves up into the stadiums a few couples had formed already. I observe them continuously. Perhaps Jaqueline was right, I was jealous. Am I so isolated, I convince myself I have no hope? I didn’t know.

“hey Allan this way,” Jaqueline clutches her bag and leads me into the audio room where Hunter, June and Chris are talking. I throw my bad against the wall and sit down at the desk full of controls that regulate the speakers for announcements.

“How’s it goin? You excited?” Hunter questions.

“Nervous and tired, overflowing with fatigue,”

“That’s nice,”

“Hey cheer up Allan, I bet if June hugged him he’ll recover,” She looked over to June timidly and shyly responding.

“I… I don’t know,”

“it’s alright, I don’t need hugs,”

“Allan’s pretty chastise eh?” Chris speaks out. He’s staring down at his camera and is scrolling through photos he had taken.

“yeah, I bet if a girl hugged him out of the blue, he would flip out,” Hunter added in. My knuckles tightened and I gulped before Jaqueline surprised me by flinging her arms around my waist.

“Gahh, stop please,” Giggles erupts in the room as I force her hands apart and break free.

“Ha-ha, Allan” Jaqueline laughs as I blush timidly.

“Don’t do that,” I advise.

“ alert,” Chris identifies like a radar. Hunter supresses his laughter as June gives out a small smile. Jaqueline keeps laughing too. I smile too. It felt strange I never had friends I smiled with like this, a deep satisfaction of love. What would have happened if I were to remain as I was before school president? To reject that offer?

Was I delusional with love?

“Hey guys!” Leona opens the door wave in her signature aura of optimism.

“Is Heidi here today?”

“Likely, she did have another shoot today, she didn’t care to come late today,”

“I see,”

“What ’ya guys doing now?” She interjects. She gives off a patient smile as tendrils of her brunette hair tremble slowly. I blush at her. Should I just embrace being a teenager as I should? Was being a mature, understanding intellectual being delusional and ignorant rather than teenagers?

“Just talkin,”

“about what?”

“Have you seen Paula?” Jaqueline interrupts. Leona blinks her eyes rapidly and stares at me.

“yeah, why?”

“I’m gonna hang out with her today,” She answers.

“oh cool, mind if I hang out with Allan today?”

“Nah, go on ahead, he needs a push,” She pats me friskily. Leona gives out a blushing smile whilst I blush in resistance.

“Eh? Something wrong Leona?” Jaqueline teases.

“N, NO” She smiles at me, her bold hazel eyes hidden behind her eyelids. Her elegant smile. She was at least also 10 centimetres shorter than me.

“Sure then, after the announcement he’s all yours for today,” Jaqueline smiles and exits the room. At this point my understanding diffuses into a format less abstract existence.

“Yeah, it’s 8:58, you better start soon, get the megaphone for the teachers, we’ll announce the rest,” Chris fumbles with his camera absurdly. “Oh yeah, Leona!” He beckons her as she left outside. She turns around swiftly. “give him some experience,” He winks at her. She giggles before vanishing into the crowd like a shadow.

“Geez,” I sigh.

“Hey I’m not that bad…” She smiled at me.

“You’re creepy,” I whispered.

“What was that?”

“Nothing,”

I walked out of the booth arranged for a day full of strenuous aerobics that was in no way beneficial to me in my opinion. All I desired to do was crawl back into the council room under a blanket and watch anime. Isolated from society that will one day forgot me in this constantly changing world. Where I will be satisfied and happy? I refrained from philosophy and focussed on getting through this whole day. Leona only silently observed me from afar, as I uncomfortably redirected my vision to that of the ostentatious principal with the witty flamboyant personality I held an irrational prejudice against.

“Blah blah blah, no boring speeches boys and girls; just know where the bathroom, no shaggy stuff!” He smirks as the crowd giggle. “Have fun, any questions bother the council,” He jumped off the small stage. Stampedes of people urgently rush out of the bleachers into the wide field with equipment scattered, teachers organising events etc.

“Hey,” Leona approaches me. My subconscious complex lets out a sigh. She notices my dull expression. “Hey, I’m not going to seduce you, my parents are catholic.”

“Yeah but what about you?  Since you might as well not be,”

“I am then, dishonouring my family would be the last thing I would do,”

“Yeah and you’re a model,”

“Hey I had to make money to take care of myself, I don’t live with my folks,” She informs. I crease my brow at the absurd statement.

“Me too,” I reply.

“Yeah your sister told me when we first met,” She smiles.

“Wait,” She looks at me cautiously. “What is a person my age doing with a tween sister of mine? And why?”

“We were in the same community gardening team where Jaqueline used to be leader, she was new so I showed her the ropes, kinda like a guardian or something.”

“So you kept staying around with my sister for no reason?”

“Well no, since you weren’t around for so long I chose to,”

“What do you mean?” I ask minimally offended.

“What happened to your family?” She enquires serenely. Such patience and femininity made me want to blurt out the story; almost like the previous case with Jaqueline. 

“Drama,” I briefly respond. It was a personal matter after all.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” She asks innocently. “Whenever you have problems talk to me and I’ll try to help,”

“Thanks,” I acknowledge. I suddenly remember a question I was curious about. “Do your parents pay for your rent?”

“Nope,” She pauses. “That’s why I’m also a model like Heidi.”

“Where do you wanna go today?” I ask.

“the bathrooms,”

“Stop.” I smile.

“I don’t know today is a day of fun for most people,” She skips down a few of the steps. “Which activities are you in?”

“Relays, that’s it,” I boringly answer.

“Only the council participation one?”

“Yeah,” She blew a short raspberry before poking a thumbs down which was out of character for Leona of all people.

“I knew it, you won’t work hard until you’re past the age of consent,”

“Shut up,” I retort at her lacking in energy. She was witty at such subliminal comments.

“you gotta enjoy the teenage years, especially in small town like this, we are probably the most disconnected place from smartphones and crap.”

“Yeah our country is still very high in internet penetration rates.”

“Despite that, what kind of adventures will you tell your grandchildren? If you ever have them at this rate…”

“I’ll tell them I was a simple outsider to the organized and lively society I was privileged to be born into.” Stubbornness wasn’t in my nature but such a topic was an exception. Leona sighs in defeat.

“You’re a hard one… eh?” She smiles patiently. She places her hand on my shoulder delicately. She shifts her weight onto me and leans her head on my shoulder. I don’t resist the contact. Her hand slides down my shoulder and caresses my chest. I snap out of the lustful illusion and push her away.

“What are you doing?” I ask. My heart rate beating rampantly whilst attempting to liberate from my chest. She leaned against the wall her hands sprawled and her body open.

“Sorry,” She replied. Her facial features contorted into that of a melancholic art piece as she suppressed her guilt. Her apology was short and blunt but coerced me to forgive.

“I’m sorry,” I ruffled my hair impatiently. She looks up at me, as if I had owned her. Like the subjection of a puppet to its strings.

“I’m gonna go to track and field, my turn’s up” She smiled. She got up and ran waving ecstatically. I was ultimately unaffected by this turn of events. To expect anything to greatly the harder the disappointment will attack the mind. I bit my lip slipping out my ear phones and playing some peaceful songs which lyrics I didn’t fully understand primarily as they had been sung in a foreign language. Japanese like the influence anime had on me. I grin at that intriguing thought.

The singer has a beautiful voice which gave me a caressing vibe in the iron cage of logicality surrounding my emotions. A variable that detaches me from reality; not alcohol; not drugs. A peaceful option exists. Music is the only refuge most teenagers get- a film once told me.

Paula was grinning at the people running and the events happening out on the vast green field. It retold me of the long green fields by the mud tracks where I had run only- much shorter.  Paula walks over to me and sat down next to me. She is wearing a tracksuit which caged her admirable femininity in a way. I jerk out my earphones from my ears.

“Don’t have events Leon?” I answer naturally as if I had actually taken after that unfortunate name.

“Only relays; where the student council versus the teachers” I answer briefly. She lets out a cute giggle.

“That’s interesting.” She gives a pleasantly genuine smile. 

“What about you?” I pathetically attempt to keep the conversation going. She began to think as she placed her chin on her hand. I feel the necessity to confess the bitter truth to her yet my emotions conflict with this decision.

“Too many to count” She laughs. I laugh along as well but not as enthusiastically. “Hey Leon? Can I ask you a question?” She turns her head towards me.

“Sure,” I answer calmly.

“Does the smartest student in the nation go to your school?” The question left a psychological lump in my train of thought. My mouth stutters as I faintly answer.

“Yeah; He does…”

“How come he isn’t student council president?” She asks curiously.

“He is smart in innumerable academic fields but lacks in socialisation and has an isolationist complex” I answer. Paula clasps her hand around smiling.

“You’re strange you know; using such- eccentric vocabulary” She giggles. I grin at her in response.