Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Boy in White I

And just like every f*****g day, school started off with a boring lecture from a professor who wasn’t even confident of his teachings and his materials. Why even hire someone to teach us the subject when he can’t even teach himself the subject? Stupid. So much for school’s all about learning and committed to provide quality education for globally-competent students – the teachers are the dumb ones themselves.

Just when I thought my life was over, the holy bell rings and saves me from this miserable hell hole I’ve put up with for most of my life. Such a f*****g waste, sitting here and being forced to listen to lectures we can read about with books. I jumped out of my seat and headed out of the stinking room. I wasn’t planning to eat here or anytime for the rest of my stay here as a student. Cafeteria food is garbage and everyone knows that. The thing where students start throwing food in the cafeteria in the movies, that s**t’s real. Cafeteria food isn’t food – it’s a weapon for cafeteria war. And everyone on campus knows that and uses it as an excuse to get food from outside school to get delivered here.

“Forest Young?”

My engines stopped. My whole body shut down as I turned to this human who is interrupting my only sweet moment in life. I saw a boy wearing a denim jacket over his printed white shirt. His black skinny pants were mortifying and his old converse shoes looked like they were about to eat his poor feet. I looked up to see his face. His brown hair was parted somewhere in the left and he was Asian. Of course, he was Asian. His small eyes were giving it away from this hell of a place packed with w*********h. “Do I f*****g know you?” I asked under my breath. I didn’t even care if I bothered to answer loud enough for his ears to hear.

He f*****g smiled which made me cross my arms. “W-Well, n-no…”

I immediately rolled my eyes and walked away but he stopped me by the arms. I turned back to him, confused why the hell was even talking to me. No one talks to me. I should have realized this the moment he called out to my name. I shifted my gaze over to his hands which were still holding me. Fortunately, I didn’t need to tell him to get his filthy hands off me because he did it himself.

He awkwardly cleared his throat. “Actually, I – well, I—”

“Get out of my f*****g face and learn how to speak straight before approaching me.” I said, squinting my eyes at the guy who couldn’t even look at me in the eyes. “Shall I give you a free kick back to first grade so you can learn your f*****g language over again?” I leaned closer to him arching a brow. “Now, move.” I rolled my eyes at the time I turned back away from the guy who just casually comes up to people and admits they are strangers.

“No, wait!”

At that, I turned my head back around for the second time to see his cold ass ice hands wrapped around my wrist the second time again. I glared at him and his eyes shake but he doesn’t take his grip off me like he wasn’t scared of me like the first time he did. “Get your hands off me.”

“Sorry, I – uh – I,” He took off his grip now, and brings them to his back awkwardly and acting all shy.

I growled in frustration. I don’t have time for this and neither do I have the patience to entertain this human. I turned around to walk but he stopped me by my bag this time. I turned back around angrily and glared at the kid that was annoying me to my core. “What the f**k do you want from me?” I finally asked, preparing myself for the consequence of asking such question I’ve been allergic to ask to anyone.

He doesn’t look like he would be someone who wanted to pay me for s*x but looks can be deceiving and he was going to get a good beat up if he actually asks me that. And he doesn’t look like he could be selling any drug. Even the weakest one, I doubt he’d sell. He looked back at me but now with a more troubled look. “I-I just wanted to know if you would like to have lunch with me.”

I squinted my eyes in disbelief. Is this guy actually asking me this? “Are you f*****g serious? You interrupted my lunch break to tell me that?”

He gave me a quick nod.

“No! f**k no.” God, I hated his confidence when he right off the bat asked me that. “Get the hell out of my face, you seagull.” I called after recognizing how similar his brows looked with a seagull. As soon as I finally started walking away, I was surprised when I saw him following from behind. I stopped and turned to him with a frustrated and annoyed glare in hopes that it would make him go away from me. “What the f**k are you doing?!” I exclaimed and he looked startled.

“Coming with you?”

“Did I tell you to come with me?” I asked as soon as he replied. “Don’t you understand what no mea— did you even go to school? f*****g leave me alone will you?!” I yelled but he wasn’t bulging. He was just standing there looking elsewhere.

I grunted and continued walking. f**k this s**t. I ain’t dealing with this seagull right now. I’m prioritizing my dead ass hungry stomach before any-useless-thing-else and that includes this annoying Asian guy who can’t stop following me. f**k. I’d have to deal with you after I fill up my tummy.

The moment I reached outside, I ordered a set of pork belly to eat. This was much better than cafeteria food anyway. Some couple on the other table is laughing giddily too, making me scrunch my nose and hiss at their cute little moment in a cheap shop. I recognized the girl. I often see her and her team playing volleyball in the gym whenever I cut classes. I think she’s a star player or some bullshit, God knows what.

While digging into my meal, I noticed the guy sitting relatively close to where I was sitting at and right now, I didn’t even care that he was sitting on the same table as me. I had to eat even if it means sitting with this prick. I wouldn’t pick this guy over food, no.

I was eating everything with gusto, letting out sighs of relief in between with every gulp I make. I rubbed my stomach in satisfaction. I let out a sigh and burped with a victorious grin until it faded upon hearing a snort. I turned to my side and saw the guy still sitting there, covering his mouth with both his filthy hands as if I didn’t hear that snort he made. I almost forgot he even existed. “Are you f*****g laughing at me after I just let you follow me like a creep?” I frowned at him but he looked at me with a rather calm smile.

“Yes.”

“f**k you.” At that, I filled my mouth with three more meat with my brows creased. I heard the guy laugh making me stop munching at how offensive that was just now. I slowly lifted up my gaze, squinting my eyes at him in insult. “f*****g weirdo.” I mumbled to myself.

“Sorry. It’s just amazing to see a girl burp without trying to protect their image.”

“I have no image to f*****g protect.” Normally, it would take one word for someone to start running away from me but somehow this guy’s taking in all my sarcasm and snobbing very well. Like he’s not affected by it in any other way. This guy isn’t scared of me like everyone else. “Stop f*****g staring at me.” I barked at him when he couldn’t take his eyes off me. I would gauze his eyeballs out if I could.

“Wanna know what image I see of you?”

“No.” I immediately replied. I wasn’t going to keep talking to this kid otherwise he’d only keep doing it. Although, I had a feeling he was gonna say it anyway even if I answered him no. I’m already getting drained by this kid when I just finished an entire course meal for four people.

“I think you paint colors as if they’re black even if you’re doing something colorful.”

I frowned at his comment. What the f**k’s that supposed to mean? I thought to myself but rather wouldn’t ask out loud. “I can assure you whatever you think of me is the slightest bit of my concern. Worry about yourself and not what others think of you.”

He chuckled.

This aura and vibe he was giving me was stupid. I hated how optimistic he looked. It didn’t sit well with my darkness. He was giving my demons the chance to set off freely. I certainly did not like how he was affecting my nerves – in a bad non-transparent way. “And what the hell are you laughing at?” I asked out of spite.

“Talking to you surprisingly makes a lot more sense than most people.”

I sighed, shaking my head. This kid is making my head ache. I should just ignore him until he gets tired of speaking. Surely, he has limits to his shitty talkative self.

“I don’t mean this in an offensive manner. I’m complimenting you.”

My eyes twitched at his words. I couldn’t care less. Was it not obvious that I wasn’t interested in whatever he has to say? I would just kick this man off the table but I was enjoying the meat way too much for me to think about it. Being hungry and eating something I was craving for weeks made me feel lightheaded.

He smiled widely, resting his chin over the back of his hands. “Let’s be friends, Forest.”