[[He]]

Invention number 042809. Such particularly and sophisticatedly mystified numbers. If you look at it carefully there’s a secret code or well… I’m just trying to joke around you guys; there really isn’t anything to be mystified about those numbers neither to be interested in.

Anyhow, this girl, Ella Chen… The numbers I just stated orally in my mind at the top is very important to her. Particularly because it’s the invention number of her invented objects and such. She’s been my classmate for four whole years in College, in our English class. She’s very independent, I must say. She usually stands up to her own rights, to what she thinks is right and doesn’t need anyone’s objection or further examinations towards a topic or a discussion.

If you do object, she’d find a way to reiterate until you give up.

Today, we’re talking about uality. Some random topic they happened to talk about. What’s worst is that it’s during English class and I don’t even think that’s connected to English. Isn’t it that the topic concerning uality is for Health?

I was at the very back part of the classroom and I was watching her every move. It so happens that our teacher asked some particular question concerning homouality now. She, Ella Chen aka Ms. Independent raised her hand and fixed her glasses before she stood up and was acknowledged by our teacher to state her own opinions about the matter.

From what I just heard, she was saying something like boy-to-boy and girl-to-girl relationships are against the law of the church. It’s against the law to marry the same own specie; the same . I think it had something to do with gender roles and such, so I decided to test her. I decided to test her as I raised my hand and waited until I was acknowledged by the teacher just so I could state my own information and opinions toward the topic.

The teacher looked at me, raised her stick to my direction and acknowledged me as I stood up from my seat and looked at Ella. She didn’t look mad, but her eyebrows were wrinkled. She was looking at me like I was blurred in her vision. I tossed my eyes back at the teacher and finally asked, “Then what if they really love each other?”

With just one question, with just one mistake, everyone started whining and spreading out rumors about me. Oh no! I slapped my forehead. The whole class looked at me in disbelief as if they were thinking twice whether I was gay. Why did I even raise my hand just to ask such a stupid question? Just to be able to test Ella Chen, did I need to do what I just did and ask such a stupid question? I asked myself and heaved out a sigh, trying to relax. Even our teacher, Ms. Yuan rose up a brow at me. I could feel the whole class eyeing me.

I was a heartthrob, I guess. For now, it will go as ‘was’ until the time stops that they stop talking about me. Just because of that question I asked, everything became very unusual.

I slid back down to my seat and slumped my back on the back of my chair even before anyone could laugh. Right! They didn’t laugh, but all of their jaw dropped expressions made me feel bad. Ella stood up yet again and looked at me as if she was mind reading what is just on my mind. But I was wrong and instead, she asked, “Are you gay or what?” And with that question, everyone in class started laughing their off. And even before I could make a protest and stand up once again just so I could retaliate back, she slid back down to her seat, alongside the bell ringing. I guess, for now, I’m saved by the bell. Thank God that I am able to avoid that question that I didn’t feel anything about. I was neutral about it, but if I were to really be asked right on the spot, I wouldn’t know how to reply.

I was dumbfounded for a minute. I waited until the whole class exited the room. I waited until girls from the same class got their purse out of their school bags and brisk walk past me. Indeed, this day turned out the worst nightmare I could ever have! The usual habits and daily crowding around me subsided. I don’t know why, but I definitely could say that it’s because of the stupid question that I asked. But wait! That’s just a question; it isn’t as bad as being really homoual. At the last minute that the last group exited, I could hear murmurs—murmurs about me, asking each of themselves whether I was gay…, OR not.

“Chen, Ella.” I murmured, twirling my pencil on one hand. Just as I did so, a figure, right in front of me, appeared. I looked up and saw that it was her, Ms. Independent also known as Ella Chen.

“Did I just hear my name?” She asked, avoiding eye contact, ready to proceed outside of the room and go to the cafeteria to maybe meet up with her friends. If she did have some, that is.

“I guess you can say that again,” I reiterated and got a mineral bottle from under my desk.

“Necessity towards water,” She examined the way I drank and how I gulped the bottle of water in just one go and then asked, “So, are you really gay?” That sent the liquid going down the wrong route to my stomach.

“What do you think, my friend?” I asked, emphasizing the word friend, alongside a goofy grin stifled on my face for a while until it subsided when I knew that she didn’t have any say towards my question. “Why are you interested in knowing, anyway?”

“You know, don’t get the wrong thing right.” She started, completely ignoring what I just asked. And well, whoever uses the wrong thing as the right? I asked myself in confusion, finding this woman real interesting. “But I’m trying my new invention.”

I asked, “On me?” I pointed to myself and then let out a chuckle. “Do you think it would work?”

“If it wouldn’t, I’d smash it onto your head.” She looked at me evilly. “I’m sure that in that way, it’d pretty much work and go back to its original settings.”

“What’s up with you?” I asked her, confusion written all over my face, I suppose.

“What’s up with me?” She asked back, “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

“Can you give me a reason a why?” I don’t know if I was in the wrong, so I asked her back again. I don’t even know why I’m talking to her, but I found her pretty much interesting and unique. If you examine her face closely, you won’t see any scars, it’s undeniably flawless. And what if she removes those glasses? I asked myself. I’m sure she’d look prettier that way. I pictured it in my mind, perhaps looking like I was an idiot right at this very moment, imagining and picturing in my mind the girl that’s standing right before me—right before my very seat.

“Is there dirt on my face?” She asked me, sending me back to my senses. And then once again, once again is it that she’s completely ignoring what I just asked. It’s pretty annoying to ask a question again and again just so you’d get an answer, but I can say that her personality’s pretty cute. “Quit day dreaming!” She nearly yelled, smacking my head to the very right direction it could move until.

“I was just…” I paused and scratched the back of my head, “I was just thinking about something.”

She asked, “About what in particular?”

“Do you need to know?” I asked in reply, yet again. And then of course, I most absolutely couldn’t answer right in front of her that I was just thinking about her. And if I had a counter, this would be about the tenth time that I’m replying to her back in question just because she won’t answer mine.

“Yes, because I need an answer.” She replied, her facial expression completely blank. Completely sending me to thinking what she currently is thinking. Someday, maybe… I’d want to read somebody else’s mind, most particularly hers. “Sometimes I’d want to know what guys are thinking.” Did she just read my mind? I asked myself. That’s the exact same thing that I was thinking about, isn’t it or is it not? The only thing that wasn’t the same is that I’d want to read the minds of girls and that I’m most positively and absolutely a boy, while she’s well… a girl.

--

The succeeding days weren’t all that much exciting, but I and Ms. Independent Ella Chen got closer. I don’t know or why, but starting from the day we first spoke to each other, we began yearning for each other all the time whenever we needed company. I would always look for her and she would always look for me.

People wondered whether I have changed and I don’t know how to reply. Some rumors say we’re dating, which I don’t really find offensive, but otherwise, absurd. Some said I’m starting to turn like a geek, just like her, but I don’t think she really is. And some even tried saying that if ever we really are in a relationship, I’m the gay and she’s the lesbian.

“You’re dreaming again, aren’t you?” She noticed me yet again, staring off to space as I sat down in my chair without speaking a word when it was Lunch time already.

“Wh-what?” I looked up at her and found out that she was cleaning her glasses. “Can’t you just wear contacts?” I ignored her question once my eyes told me how mesmerized I was without her wearing those thick-black rimmed glasses of hers.

“No!” She snapped at me and rose up a brow.

“Why?” I stood up from my seat and snatched her glasses away.

“Give it back!” She continuously whined, glaring at me with those cold-like dagger eyes.

“Let’s put it this way, okay?” I heaved out a sigh and sat down on my seat, securing her glasses far away from her reach. “You’re better off without these.”

“And what do you care?” I can sense the want of argument in her voice, but she isn’t going to do it. Instead, I saw her reaching up to her pocket to get something and it read Squeezy Glue. She never really has tried this before, so let’s see how it works.

She splashed some on my feet, but nothing happened. I was laughing when she was doing so and I can sense that she was secretly laughing, “Are you secretly laughing?”

She reiterated, “If I am secretly laughing, how are you able to see it?” This girl’s really got the guts, huh? Let’s see about that.

I attempted to stand up from my seat, but I just fell down on my knees with my shoes still glued onto the floor. “Nice try,” I muttered and slipped my feet out from my shoes. “Now, what’s next?”

She was jaw dropped. I think she never thought that I could escape from her wrath, “Just give me back the stupid glasses!” She whined yet again and placed her hands on either side of her waist.

“No,” I repeatedly answered. “If it’s stupid, then why bother getting it back?” I asked. “I see that you can see clearly without these.”

“Fine, fine!” She exclaimed. “You win; you most absolutely win this round.” She walked out of the class.

--

[[She]]

My feelings once again drowned me! I didn’t think twice and it was so stupid of me not to notice that he was just wearing his shoes and that he could get his feet from out of that. I was very much distracted by his drastic features that are currently making my eye sight sore and swoon with delight. Now, how do I get my glasses back? Those are very important. It’s the key to make the lie detector defective. I asked myself and sulked just outside of the classroom.

I noticed footsteps approaching wherever I was going to when I started walking around the campus. I need not to look back to know who it was. It was Chun, Wu—and I’m so pissed off.

“Can you stop following me?” I stopped right on my tracks and looked back at him, wearing my glasses and I started to laugh. “It doesn’t suit you; get it off for you look so stupid in that!” I exclaimed and cupped my mouth to stop further insults and discrimination towards him.

“The last time I checked, you were mad at me.” He reiterated. “I recalled that even before you could step out of the class, you were cursing me and saying that you hated me so much.”

“Funny, Chun!” I sarcastically said and crossed my arms over my chest. “Now, won’t you return my glasses?” I asked yet again and felt the lie detector vibrating. Is he going to lie any minute now? I asked myself.

“In one condition,” He smiled a wicked smile that showed that he was perhaps up to no good. “Kiss me.”

“A kiss wouldn’t mean anything if there are no feelings floating about,” I rose up a brow at him and avoided his gaze. “So, maybe I’d ask you first whether or not you have feelings for me?”

“In your dreams!” He exclaimed and said that right in front of my face, but I swear, I saw regret in his eyes as if he was lying to me. I pulled out the lie detector test from my pocket and pressed the start button to test whether he was lying or not, and it said that he wasn’t lying and it beeped, because it was having an error.

“Damn!” I exclaimed and pressed the start button once again.

He asked, “Why?” With a mischievous grin on his face like I don’t know something that he knows. “Are you regretting that I don’t like someone like you?” I glared at him, and noticed that he was pressing something on my eyeglasses. Right! The key to make defective the lie detector is my eyeglasses.

So I made a plan after ninety-five point five seconds, I was able to formulate it.

I walked towards him, my head in a bow. I stopped right in front of him and looked at his face, pretending that I was in a daze. I suddenly hugged him, making him hug me back as well. I was shocked, because he told me he didn’t feel anything for me, but then, anyway, if a person hugs you back, it doesn’t mean they like you already. So I set aside the thoughts for a while and pressed my cheeks to his chest and successfully got my eyeglasses back with my left hand. He didn’t noticed it, he just didn’t. And I noticed that he was starting to caress my short-cropped hair and kissed the top of my head that made me confused. And then I pulled back, knowing that he was going too far and pressed the start button again.

“You lied!” I exclaimed and looked down at the lie detector test that said now that he just lied.

--

[[He]]

“About what?” I asked her as she paced her steps further away from me, but I clearly got what she just stated. She was pointing to the question of whether I have feelings for her or not. I practically lied that I didn’t have, because I didn’t want her to know yet.

She didn’t reply, but she turned around and rolled her eyes at me and then turned around again and continued to walk.

And I thought, “She’s Ms. Independent, that’s why I love her.” With that, I ran and caught up to her and once I did so, I held her hand and intertwined it with mine. I looked at her face, it didn’t show emotion, but I know she feels the same way, because she didn’t argue with me anymore. For if she doesn’t, I’ll know she’ll be honest and straightforward with me, because she doesn’t want further judgments, she just goes straight to the point. And that, I think, is what I exactly like about her.

[[End]]