I’M LATE
I’m late. I’m late. Pearl left in the early morning but I woke up late. Now, I’m running madly in the hallway. Thirty minutes late. I have never been late like this. My bag is swinging back and forth in my shoulder. It can even fall at any minute or I may even fall. In stress, I took the wrong stairs and turned down again.
” Holy shit. I should have stayed at home.” I complained and missed two steps on the stairs. Oh, no. Please, don’t fall and get embarrassed in front of many students, Emily. I had that thought and my eyes involuntarily closed. But then I felt someone’s hands on my wrist catching me in time. My face got buried in someone’s chest. Thank god.
” Sorry. Thanks.” I said, turning towards my class direction in a hurry.
” Hey, What’s the rush? The class is almost going to be over.” That, someone spoke but it is no one but Ryder’s voice.
” Ryder. You are late too, ” I asked breathlessly.
” Not really. I skipped the first class and spotted you like this, ” He replied. Atleast, he came in time which I didn’t.
” Okay. I gotta go.”
” I said that the class is almost over, Emily. Skip it. Come with me.” he said like he’s teaching some good lessons. I don’t skip classes but…
” Okay. Can we go to canteen? I haven’t eaten anything.”
” Yeah, come on. Give me the bag.” he carried my bag. Is this the right timing to talk about yesterday Or I can wait until he starts?
” You have never been late, sweetheart. Is something wrong?” He asked with concern.
” Nothing. I just overslept. Yesterday was a long day.” I answered. Wh en we arrived at the canteen, I got a bread toast and didn’t even care to look anywhere or even sit somewhere but finish the bread.
” Someone’s so hungry. Do you want one more bread to eat?” Ryder grinned.
” Maybe, ” I answered, looking at him with side-eye. Once I’m done with eating. I looked up to see the canteen with fewer students.
” Now, I’m feeling so good. Is first class over? How many minutes to go?” Finally, I asked, fixing my look at him.
” Fifteen minutes. Do you want to skip the next class?”
” No. If you keep on doing this, you can’t score, Ryder. Today I’m coming to your home to teach you.” I informed him, folding my arms against my chest.
” That’s good to hear. Stay as long as you want. If it’s you who’s teaching me, I won’t even hate studies.” I blushed and searched for the right words to say. But then Ryder turned serious like he wants to say something important.
” Can we talk about yesterday, Emily?” I need to ask some more time.
” Yeah. I need to say something important, Ryder. I…”
” I know Jason proposed to you yesterday. What did you say?” We both talked at the same time. What?? I should have told by myself. How come he knows?
” I asked for some time, Ryder. How did you know?”
Ryder’s face calmed once we heard that I didn’t say ‘yes’ to Jason. But I didn’t say ‘No’ too.
“Shawn told me. He heard Jason’s conversation with his friend before he left your house. I don’t know what to say about it. But you don’t need to say it today. Choose what your hearts says. I’m ready to hear your decision later, even if it hurts me.” Ryder said. What if my heart says both names? Seeing Ryder’s frown hurts me. Now I’m feeling the pain of the novel characters who are torn between two boys. I’m torn between Ryder and Jason.
” I’m sorry for not saying about Jason’s proposal, Ryder.”
” It’s okay, Emily. It’s not even been one day since it happened. Like I already mentioned, all I want is to see you happy. So, don’t stress it. I can see it in your face.”
” Can you see it? Am I that readable?” I asked which almost broke the tension.
” Yeah, you are. But not everyone can spot it like me, ” He cracked a smiled, threw his arm around me and guided me to the class. When I reached the class, Ryder joined his friends, Dylan and Jacob. While I spotted Pearl arguing with a girl.
” What’s wrong, Pearl?” I interrupted.
” Why are you so late? I can bear with this stupidity going on this class.” she fired at me.
” Whoa, Whoa. Calm down. This face doesn’t suit you.” I said, making her sit in her table instead of letting her argue with a girl as she might kill her.
” Answer me first. Why are you late? I even fixed the alarm for you but you are too late.”
” Did you? I didn’t hear. I overslept. Now tell me what’s the stupidity going in our class?”
” Look for yourself.” I shifted my head to look around our whole class to find that everyone is engaged in their phone. It’s not wrong. We got some time till the next class.
” When did you started hating the phone?”
” It’s not about the phone. Everyone is swapping their phones. Someone started and spread it. Some are challenging me to do this or calling me a chicken. Seriously? I’m not afraid of it but I never swapped my phone. Not even with you. How can I give it to someone who’s not even my close friend?” she spoke in frustration.
” Don’t take it seriously, Pearl. Just ignore them. In my view, the phone swapping is not that bad. I don’t have any secrets inside it.”
” Well, I still have my chats with my ex. So, I don’t think it’s safe to give it.” so that’s the point.
” How come I did not know about this? I told you to delete it a long time ago.”
” I will do it soon, Em. Right now, I can’t look at our stupid class. I’m going out. I will be back when the class starts.” She furiously got up from the table.
” Don’t leave, Pearl. They are doing what they are doing. We can mind our own business.” she considered my words for a minute and asked a single question with a glare.
” Will you swap your phones with anyone?” Will I? Maybe. I like this idea. Everyone will be interested in looking at other phones. Isn’t it?
” Maybe. It’s not a bad idea. I’m kinda interested in it.” I told the truth.
” Well, then I’m leaving for now, Em. Swap your phone with Ryder and Jason.” she went in a hurry. I can’t feel her hatred towards this phone swap but why did she mention the boys? Will Ryder and Jason ask me to swap my phone? Pearl made me wonder about it. Puff. It’s going to be another long day.