"Damn that stupid alarm now I'm late for school", I said in my head while waiting patiently for the bus to arrive. While waiting suddenly my phone rang and I checked who called and answered it immediately.
"Rose, where are you? The class is about to start."
"I'm waiting for the bus and please cover up for me."
I said while I sat up as the bus arrived and I scanned my card to pay.
"Okay but please hurry or Miss will deduct some points in our test today."
I hurriedly sat beside the window and said.
"I will and thank you." I hung up the call and looked out the window.
It's been awhile since I window-watched while going to school. For the past few days I've been studying a lot even on my ride to school.
I admired the view while listening to my favorite artists playlist when suddenly someone sat beside me. I looked and it was him, the one I saw at the school tour last Summer.
***
"And here is the volleyball court where you can see all of your seniors practicing for the opening event next week".
I looked around and there were a lot of players including women and then suddenly someone shouted.
"Watch out",
I reacted very slowly and the last thing I knew was that some guy towards me and I black out and didn't know what happened next.
I woke up and realized that I was in the school nurse's office. When I was about to sit up someone spoke beside me.
"Miss, are you okay? Is your head still hurting?"
I turned and said; "Yes, I'm okay."
I looked at the guy and he looked down for a while and looked up again to face me and said,
"I'm really sorry for what happened, I got carried away while playing and hit the ball so hard."
I faced him and I couldn't help but to admire him as his beauty was so stunning to never admire. I didn't realize I stared at him for so long until someone came in.
"Cap, we need you in the court. Coach is looking for you." said the person who walked in and I looked down embarrassed as I realized what I did just a minute ago.
***
That was the first time I saw him and for the first time I was surprised at how I couldn't get him out of mind for the whole summer that I stayed at home. I didn't realize I was staring at him for a long and only did when he tapped my shoulders and said,
"Are you not gonna get off?"
I looked out and saw that we had already arrived at school and so I hurriedly sat up embarrassed and ran as fast as I could to get out of that embarrassing situation I just did.
"That was so embarrassing". I stopped running and looked behind me to see if he was still there but he was already gone. "I just hope he didn't think I was a psycho looking at him so weirdly."
I arrived panting and thank goodness our homeroom teacher hasn't still arrived at that moment. I entered the classroom and sat in my chair beside the window while catching my breath.
"Hi Roseita", Becka shouts while running towards me for a hug. "Hello Becky", I said and returned her hug.
"Why are you panting so hard?", asked Lyka
"I ran towards here because I thought Miss already arrived before me".
"Didn't you hear?"
"What?" I asked confusingly.
"I heard from the class B that Miss would not attend school for more than 2 weeks due to her pregnancy."
"So you mean, all my hard work of studying is just useless?", Michelle said while looking very curious at Lyka.
"Don't look at me like that, I just heard it a while ago while walking towards here."
I looked at them while they both argued about it and Becka, sitting beside me laughed at how silly they looked arguing about the smallest stuff again.
The school bell rings and I quickly organize my stuff in my bag and hope for the school lunch to be better than yesterday. I looked around and found Lyka and Michelle nowhere in the classroom and so I asked Becka who's still arranging her stuff in her bag,
"Where's Lyka and Michelle, Beck?"
Becka looked at me and looked around and said;
"Oh, they told me in the morning before class starts that they would go somewhere during lunch hour so we can't have lunch with them together."
I nodded, "Okay, should we go now?"
"Let's go, I'm starving" she said while rubbing her stomach.
While walking in the hallway I saw a familiar figure and I tried to see who it was but there's a crowd surrounding that person. The entrance of the cafeteria was very crowded and so it took a lot of time to enter.
"Annoying fans", said Becka while getting a tray.
"Who are they surrounding though?", I ask while picking my food.
"There is a rumor that Jacob Liam is back today and maybe that was him, I guess?"
"I thought he wouldn't be in France for a whole year but it's just been 3 months and he's back already?"
"I think he wants to attend the High School Night, it's only 2 weeks away.", she said excitedly.
I shrugged and put the chicken on my tray and scanned the cafeteria if there's still an empty seat. We were about to the seat near the entrance but then someone shouted,
"Roseita, Becka here!"
I looked and saw Lyka and Michelle with Jacob and I could already sense the awkwardness between him and I.
"I guess the rumor was right about him being back." Becka quickly said while walking towards them.
I walked slowly behind her and thought of better ways to greet him without the awkwardness in my voice.
"Sorry about leaving you without saying anything Rose, we couldn't just let Jacob be alone with so many people surrounding him." Lyka explains while I settle down in my chair.
"It's okay", I smiled at her and picked up my spoon to eat.
"I'm curious why are you back so soon Jacob?", asked Becka while munching on her chicken drumstick confusingly.
"I was also wondering about that, why though Jacob?", Michelle asked while also looking at Jacob confusingly.
"Well I couldn't just miss our High School Night right?"
"Oh yeah, all those research papers made me forget about that", Michelle cutely smiles while pretending to scratch her head.
For minutes I didn't look up and just focus on my food and when I did I saw that Jacob was already looking at me. While looking at him I suddenly remember what happened the morning before he flew to France.
***
Jacob asked me to meet at his favorite cafe near Riverside Garden. I read the book I got in the store and waited for him to arrive. After a while he arrived and sat in front of my chair.
"Rose, I'm really sorry for keeping you waiting." Jacob said while sitting down.
I stop reading and put it down in the table and said,
"It's okay, I also got carried away by my book."
"Have you ordered yet?" he asked.
"Not yet"
He asks for the waiter and looks at the menu for a while.
"What do you want?"
"I'm just gonna get the Matcha Latte."
"Okay, same thing for me then."
He orders and when the waiter is gone I ask;
"What do you want to talk about?"
He looked at me and I sensed that he was nervous by the way he clapped his hand. He does that whenever he feels nervous around someone.
"Uhm, can I just say it to you after the coffee arrives?"
"Yeah, sure",
"By the way, how long are you gonna stay in France for?" I asked.
"For about a year",
"So you wouldn't get to attend our High School Night in May?" I ask while thinking about how excited he was talking about it last month.
"Yes, maybe not."
After a while of waiting, our coffee finally arrived. I look at the window when suddenly Jacob spoke,
"Rose, I will just say it now before I lose my courage."
I looked at him and said,
"What is it?"
"Are you in trouble or something?"
"No, it's not like that"
He paused for a while and held my hands.
"I just wanna say that-"
"Yes??"
"I LIKE YOU", he said it loudly but not that loud that everyone overhears it.
I looked at him awkwardly and couldn't even say a word because of how shocked I was at his confession.
"You don't have to answer it now if you don't like it."
"I'm really sorry Jacob but-"
"I know and it's okay,"
I glanced at him and saw that he was hurt from my answer but I couldn't lie to him about this because I know it would hurt his feelings more.
"I'm really sorry", I said while looking down.
"I guess I'm gonna go now, my flight is at 3:20 PM this afternoon. Will you go see me before I go?"
"I will and I will bring the girls with me."
We hugged and bid our goodbyes and that was the last time we talked and saw each other.
***
I didn't realize I was lost in thoughts until Michelle tapped me on the shoulder.
"Rose, are you okay?" Michelle asked and I snapped out.
"Yeah, I'm okay. I was just thinking about something." I replied and looked at Jacob again and he was already looking at me and smiling. I smiled back and continued eating.
They were chit chatting about what happens in Jacobs trip when suddenly there's a lot of screaming at the entrance once more.
"ARCHELLI"
"JOEY"
"AARON"
I glanced at the scene and I saw that same guy in the bus.
"Becka, look at your sister trying to cling onto him again", Michelle said while looking at Sofia Kate disgustedly.
"Do you know him, Mich?" I asked confusingly.
"Everyone does, do you?"
I shake my head, "No"
"Are you a serious girl? You don't know him.", Lyka said while looking at him weirdly.
"He's Archelli, the Captain of the Volleyball team in our school", Jacob said while glancing at Archelli while walking with his friends.
"And that two guys with him are his friends, Joey and Aaron.", added Michelle.
"Also that girl we're talking about is my youngest sister who's been literally obsessed with him since we got
here." Becka said while rolling her eyes.
I glanced at his direction and saw he was looking in our direction and I quickly looked away.