Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Girl and Her Scribble II

“So just go home and forget about me, a’right?”

“But—” He gave me a pat before approaching his girl again. I gritted my teeth in dismay. I would have just stayed home and watched something more meaningful than this. I turned away and wondered what I should do inside the car while waiting for my brother who apparently was a big fan of parties like these. I should just purchase an e-book online or something. Yes. I’m going to do that.

Just as I was walking out to the door to leave the house, I heard a loud call from my back.

“Hey, kid!”

I froze. I don’t know why I stopped from my tracks, and I don’t know why it felt like it was me being called out when the place was clearly packed with people so it could be anyone. It can’t be me, right? I turned to see who the speaker was and I saw a guy wearing a black leather jacket. He was looking at my direction with a wide grin. He seemed thrilled that I was looking back at his direction. When I tried to continue walking away, he called out again.

“Hey!”

This time, I turned to my back to see who he was speaking to this far but no one was there – no one was in his line of vision, that is, but me. I unconsciously pointed at myself in confusion. Is he pertaining to me?

“Yes, you.” He pointed at me, crouching forward and signaling me to walk closer to where he was. “Come here.” He and his friends that were in a small circle laughed. My knees began shaking. I never felt so disrespected like this before.

I don’t even know why my feet were bringing me there when I already had a bad feeling about it, and I couldn’t seem to stop it from moving. It was almost as if it knows I was scared for my own life if, for some reason, I don’t obey them. I would have ran away but my stupid feet dragged me here. I should have just stayed in the car. I wouldn’t be in trouble like this if I wasn’t so worried about going home on time with my brother. “Y-Yes?” I asked the guy who just hissed at me like we knew each other.

He landed his arms over my shoulder and faced his audience as if he was about to introduce me as hid buddy of some sort. A small group of people, who were holding red cups, seemed to be anticipating my arrival. DO I have a red circle around my back and says I’m a target? “You’re new here, right? I never see you before so,” He announced and I didn’t even had to respond for him to know my answer because he obviously already know my answer. “It’s always my responsibility to take care of newbies and it’s a tradition here that if it’s your first time, you should take a drink from me so here’s a cup especially for you.” He offered a red cup to me. Even just by looking at it, it was screaming trouble The way he said ‘especially’ was horrendous. I just knew I wasn’t supposed to take the drink but he was handing me it like it was some kind of invitation.

“No, thank you. I’m only here to fetch my brother.”

He wheezed out loud and the crowd laughed with him like we were in some gag show. “It’s just one drink, kiddo. You won’t die from this. Come on.” He took my hand and forced me to hold the cup he was giving me. “You’re gonna love it. You’re gonna thank me for it someday!” The crowd cheered for him. “Besides, no one breaks traditions here.”

It his cocky tone that makes me believe this drink wasn’t something friendly like the way he says.

“You’ll be the first and everyone will hate you if you don’t do it. You’ll be eating in a bathroom stall for the rest of your senior year. It’s the CSU curse.”

I stepped back, pushing the drink back at his direction, shaking my head in disagreement. “I really wouldn’t mind eating in a bathroom stall. It’s not a good idea to drink—”

“Gulp! Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!”

My heart raced. Maybe I should just finish this and get this over with. I was sure they weren’t going to let me off without finishing this drink they were giving me. I don’t know my alcohol tolerance but it shouldn’t be too low, right? I mean, I’m a guy. Guys must have higher alcohol tolerance. I stared at the cup, bringing it closer to my mouth, and the cheers got louder. I could immediately feel the strong scent of the drink from this distance. It already burned my nose. What more if I take this down my throat. Oh lord… what did I get myself into?

“Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!”

I gulped one last time. The moment I was about to drink the thing, someone suddenly took it from my hands, spilling some of it on the floor. I turned to the person across me by shock. The redhead girl gulps down the drink like it was water. Like it wasn’t even stinging her throat from acid and coldness.

When she brought the cup down, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and releasing a sigh. Her eyes remained down low before turning back to the guy who spoke to me. She was snow white, and I can see ink peeping through her jacket by the collar. Her unusual red hair was flowing down her chest majestically. She was a beauty, and I found myself astonished by her sudden appearance.

“Still being feisty now, are we, Four?” The guy said bringing up another cup. I don’t even know where all these cups were coming from. It was as if he keeps them in his pocket. “Drink for me?”

She suddenly slammed the cup over his chest and takes a step backward. “Keep dreaming, Terry.”

Terry was this guy’s name after all.

I took a step back, afraid that she might bump into me when she walks away, but she suddenly paused in front of me, and sent a wrecking glare. Her eyes looked like they were spitting fire and it was very scary. It sent shills down my spine just staring back at her. After that, she left without a word and felt her hair brush through my skin.

Four.

If the guy called her Four, then that must be her alias?

Four.

I was on my way out of the school to buy a few materials I needed for class when my attention was diverted to the smoke coming from a corner of the ID Department building. It has always been a duty of the council to prohibit smoking inside the campus so we were told to report these cases if we come across them. I took a step closer to the narrow aisle and saw Forest leaning against the wall. She let out smoke from her mouth and held the cigarette with her fingers.

Before she would even notice me, I walked away from the building with thoughts of her. I always find it hard to believe when people say girls can smoke too but now, seeing her do it washes up all the doubts. I wasn’t even worried that my feelings for her were gonna fade after witnessing this. I was rather worried of her health.

When Chemistry class came, Forest came in late as usual. She sat at the back of the room with no one but her bag like every class. At this point, I wasn’t even listening to our professor anymore. My attention was all on her, who was busy scribbling down her notebook. I was too curious, and I know I will never get the chance to see whatever she was doing so I try to peek but all I could see was black ink that didn’t make sense from where I was looking from.

She raised her head and met my eyes.

I flashed an awkward smile and froze from my stretched neck. I raised a hand thinking it would make things better but she just frowned at me and continued scribbling down her notes. Disappointed by my failed attempt to peek through her notes, I stretched my neck longer with the help of my now-extended leg limbs, extending my sight by standing a little from my seat so I could see better.

“Mr. Lee.”

My heart jumped. “Ah!” I lost my balance and fell out of my seat. The cold floor ran through my veins with the pain of my sudden fall from the chair. My elbow hurt from protecting my face from hitting the floor. Human reflex is fascinating.

“Mr. Lee, what were you doing?”

I slowly got back to my seat, scratching my head in embarrassment. “Sorry, Mr. Oliver. I was just… wondering how liquids are so complicated when they’re mixed with other substances.” I chuckled, trying to improvise even if it was obvious I wasn't paying attention to class.

Mr. Oliver looked convinced with my impromptu made up wonder but he gave me a suspicious glare so I just smiled innocently. “As I was saying, when the iron…”

The class kept going, and my curiosity of what Forest was doing remained firm with it. I couldn’t seem to catch a glimpse of what she was bothered with.

“That’s all for today, class. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She suddenly ripped a page from her notebook and crumpled it before throwing it down the floor for the janitor to clean up soon. My eyes widened in surprise, so I immediately fixed my things and watched her pass by me to exit the room. The odds were really supportive of my persuasion. I ran to the back of the room and saw the paper she just threw.

I wonder what she was doing the entire class… She seemed serious about it too. I have never seen her that serious since I met her. Except her natural aura that’s serious.

I bent down to grab it. And I’m glad I did because the moment I unrumpled the paper, the black ink that didn’t make sense from where I was peeping now made sense. It was a drawing of a man with the face of a monster. His eyes were a bit odd as they were looking at different directions. The tongue was sticking out with a petal attached to it, and it looks like he was showing a wide grin. His right hand was holding a crushing a rose with long sharp thorns that was wrapped around his body, and the other was surprisingly a knife.

I looked up to the door as if I’d see her there, but her drawing felt like they were speaking to me. I just couldn’t figure out why I was suddenly feeling uneasy the longer I stare at it. Seeing it made me feel heavy inside. Almost as if I had seen the drawing before. Why is she scribbling portraits like these?