It all started in middle school. We’re both 14 in our junior year. But the thing is we’re so different, he’s way too different from me. He’s popular, talented, sporty and he had too many friends. Well, I don’t have all those stuffs and the only thing that I have is my brain. I mean, of course he has brain too but not to mention my 149 IQ. I am a nerd with so many pimples to the both sides of my cheeks, wearing a nerdy glass and my hair was so always messy (duh it’s just because I am not so obsessed with my looks that time, oh alright I’m just being defensive of how ugly I was).
And then, one day my teacher in our Music class called him and make him sing in front of us. My jaw literally dropped when I heard him sing. His voice was so romantic that can make my heart beats so fast. I don’t know why I felt that way maybe I am just too mesmerized.
He looked at me confusedly, maybe because my expression was too exaggerated for him (haha). Imagine that I am intertwining my hands in front of my chest just like when you want something and saying the word “Please”, with a teary-eyed, uuhh hilarious. Even now, I can imagine myself what I looked like back then.
On my P.E. class my teacher was checking attendance and we’re just patiently waiting to say the word “Present, Sir”. Among them, I am the one who has the most patience because I am the last to call as my surname starts with the letter “V” and he finally mentioned my surname, I do say the magic words “Present, Sir”. As I said it, he actually looked at me once again. I wonder why.
The bell rings which means our “Break Time”. I am at the cafeteria, all alone with my seat, when he grabs a chair beside me. It was an unexpected act though. And so, I stayed silent coz’ in the first place I don’t even know how to interact with him or to other people.
He fake-coughed beside me to get my attention so I turned my side to him. “Uh, hi”, that’s his first approached to me.
“Hey”, I replied.
“So, uh I heard that your surname is Vedas, do you know Hexter Vedas? Oh sorry, I’m Bentley”.
“Uhh”… Mygosh I’m stuttering, what am I supposed to reply! Forget it! I’ll just go with the flow, I guess. “Oh, what a weird name!”, what?! Did I just tell him that his name was weird? Oh gracious, I must be insane! And so, he laughed with my remark…
“What’s your name by the way?”, he asked.
“It’s—it’s Jamaica” (hhooo I feel my sweat all over my face).
“Okay, Jam, so do you know Uncle Hex?”, he asked again.
“Yeah?.. I guess,,, my father’s name is Hexter Vedas, why? do you know him?”
“Yup, he’s my savior”, he said while smiling at me
“What? Savior? You mean my dad is your savior? How come?”, I asked with a furrowed forehead
“Well, that’s a llloonnggg story to tell”, he really said it that lonnnggg, ahahahah he was funny and cool but I was so awkward with the throwing looks of the students around us or should I say they’re throwing deathly glare on me?,, So assuming isn’t? But I already stood up.
“Hmm, nice to meet you Mr. Bentley, I’ll go ahead now”, I’m pointing at the exit, making him understand that it is so uncomfortable with me and that I am just no one so why is he talking with someone like me?! Seriously?! What is he up to?!
He looked around and caught the students who were looking at us questioningly but he just shrugged his shoulders like he doesn’t care at all. I rolled my eyes because of that. Is he not aware of how famous he was at school and even our teachers are so favorable with him? So unfair, tho. I did not wait with what he was going to say and I just turned my back at him and started to walked outside the cafeteria.
“Hey, Jam, wait up!”, he shouted and wow he already made a nickname for me?! He thinks that we’re already close? He must be insane sheez…
It was our History class and I wonder why my seatmate, Claire, is now at the back of the class but anyways, it’s not that I can ask her about that, it is not my concern anymore because even once we did not try to communicate so I just let her go, maybe she got tired of my face or so.
I sit on my designated chair beside the window. And then, I saw his face again but this time he looks happy because I can see his white teeth forming a wide smile but it became wider when he glanced at my side. What a weird man. Why almost of the students here were so in love with this man again? Now, I am asking myself that question. He looks creepy in my eyes though.
“Mornin’, Jam”, psh he said that nickname again, I hate that nickname, I prefer to be called ‘Aica’ or something he wants to call me but not that nickname, oh please.
“Hey”, duh I have no choice I don’t want to sound so rude you know. He sits beside me and so I looked at Claire again and she was looking at her seat who is now occupied by Bentley and as expected she stand up and walked towards her former seat.
“Hello, Bentley. Wanna come over at my house?”, yes, you read that just right. She did not ask Bentley to leave her seat but she asked Bentley to come over at her house. Well, it’s just normal in our age tho, and I am just the one who is not normal here coz’ I’m quite conservative ya’ know.
“Uh, thank you for your offer but Jam and I already have plans today so… “, I immediately looked at him, surprised by what he said. What? What is he talking about? Fortunately, Claire just walked back to her new seat.
“Hey, what was that?”, I said slightly mad because it feels like he is using me
“What? I’m just stating the truth”, he said smiling
“And who said that we already have plans?”, I said with gritted teeth
“Me, I decided that I’m going to your house this afternoon after our class”, he said raising both his eyebrows, teasing me
“And who are you to go to our house? We’re not even friends”
“Ouch, that literally hurts huh,” he said while touching his chest where his heart is, faking like he really got hurt
“hahaha don’t worry, my real agenda is, I’m going to visit Uncle Hex, because I never got a chance to ask where his house is and so I met you which I am thankful for”, he is smiling from ear to ear. He looks crazy. I did not reply because I think that was the longest conversation that I ever had with other people. Of course, I’m not like this at home. I laughed and talked with my parents. But it’s kinda sad as I am the only daughter that they had, so I don’t have someone else to talk to. Honestly, I envy those who had sister or brother, I wish I had one but yeah, my parents were enough tho’. That home is my comfort zone, my family is my comfort zone.
Our teacher came in before I composed my reply so I just turned my head in front and decided to listen with the lesson. But Bentley is distracting me because I can see in my peripheral vision that he is sleeping. What if Mr. Hawkins, our History teacher, will get mad at him? How wise of him that he has the book in front of his sleeping head covering him, ugh note the sarcasm please, come on that was very old trick! So, I slightly move my chair beside him and shake his chair a little, trying to wake him up. He turned his head to my side but still leaning on his desk. And then he suddenly winked at me and put his pointing finger in front of his lips, trying to shush me.
What a jerk! I just rolled my eyes at him, I hope that Mr. Hawkins will scold him, that would be fun!
Afternoon had come and our class finally got dismissed which I hope did not because Bentley were following me behind! Ugh, and he kept saying things that would annoy me like ‘why are you always alone at our class?’, ‘Do you want to be friend with me?’, ‘Hey I’m nice’, or ‘why your hair is so messy and what’s with this big glass? Can you remove it?’ and such stuff. He’s so talkativeeee!!!
So, I just walked so fast but of course he can cope up with my pace because of his large steps. We took a cab and he just kept talking and talking like there’s no tomorrow. He even told me what his hobbies are, that he likes to stream, playing games in his phone,watch anime or read manga and his favorite is One Piece, he likes to sing and listen to music, he loves basketball which is I already knew because he is a basketball player in our school and he likes to cook which I did not expect. Actually, I think that we could get along because what he likes is the same as mine. Especially, when I heard that his favorite character is Zoro hahaha I want to talk about One Piece with him that time but it’s just that we barely knew each other so I just let him talk and talk until we finally get to our destination which is our home.
Credits for the lead image:
