Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Boy and Regrets I

Work. Sleep. Don’t eat breakfast. Sleep. Not take a bath. Sleep. Not take lunch either. Sleep. Wake up. Take a quick bath. Eat dinner – dinner only. Sleep.

That was the plan.

That was my everyday plan, and how I was planning to spend the rest of my life with.

The plan was perfect until my neighbors decided they wanted to have World War IV, and possibly surpass the other world wars with their voices for canons and actions for grenades. There was no way I’m pushing through the plan with them acting with their prides higher than their house’s ceiling, or I might kill them with a fork in their throats. And school wasn’t far from being World War V. They were neck on neck with my neighbors. I reckon World War VI would be CSU and my f*****g neighbors. I get to at least stay in a building where I can sleep until Han ruins that plan as well.

I barely managed to escape from my neighborhood. They were throwing each other everything they would find close to them inside their home. Pans, chairs, tables, kitchen utensils, rugs, beds. I was surprised they were throwing knives at each other so it’s much easier for them to just end things.

“So instead of using f cosine delta, you can use…”

Fuck.

I’d be lying if I said watching my neighbors fight was better than this class.

I couldn’t comprehend everything this hag was saying. I couldn’t focus at all. If anything, I was more intrigued by how she’s managing to stand up with those worn out chunky heels she wears all the time, and how she can’t see none of her students were interested on anything she was babbling about. Is the drug getting to me? s**t. I can’t be high in the middle of an ugly lecture about y or x f*****g axis, or some f*****g limits she was talking about. I should master the art of sleeping with my eyes open. That’d be more convenient to use in real life than this stupid perpendicular bullshit she’s been jabbering about for the past minutes I’ve been sitting in her class.

I impatiently tapped my feet under the table, shaking my head, and clicking my tongue. I might have to cut and pretend I need to s**t just to avoid this f*****g class.

“Therefore, the limit does not exist.”

So are your lessons.

After the torturous Statics class, I was about to head to the abandoned bodega to smoke when I realized I just finished my box for the week before it even reached the end of the week. When I realized that, I ran my tongue over my teeth in dismay as I headed to the cafeteria instead. I can’t cheat or break my own rules. That’s the lease respect I can give even to myself. For the sake of staying alive.

When I got my upsetting set of meal, I walked towards the furthest table I could find that was away from the people that loves talking with an unhealthy amount of insults and gossip. I must say, having the privilege to be a scholar in this extravagant school of rich people’s dreams had its perks. I get to eat green balls everyday with bland soups and unflattering desserts that don’t do justice to their names – I’m grateful for all that s**t regardless of how terrible they taste. I still enjoy eating them when I’m hungry although that may be an overstatement. I don’t f*****g enjoy them at all, but having them help me not starve, so there’s that.

“Forest!”

Just when my day gets any worse, I hear this motherfucker’s voice ringing closer to my ear for the nth time. I ignored the b***h and continued stuffing my mouth with the green balls skinny people seemed to enjoy.

“Forest Laken Young!”

I froze.

“I’m coming for you!”

I clenched my fist with the spoon I was holding, gritting my teeth in fury. A piece of the green ball literally fell out of my mouth. She wasn’t announcing to the whole school that my name had f*****g Laken in it, no. She was letting the whole world know I still have an equally disturbing second name when Forest alone was enough to turn eyes.

My vision upfront became dimmer than seconds ago, and I didn’t want to look up to see Han’s f*****g smug face for successfully getting into my nerves once again. I’d only imagine that she was wearing such cocky smirk for calling my full name in front of all these strangers when I clearly told her not to. It was true when they said people only enjoyed doing things they were told not to do. That’s Han’s f*****g description inside a dictionary I would burn for no cost. Not many seconds when she decided she was going to sit with me in the table, and the crowd in the cafeteria started throwing faint murmurs about us. They would constantly turn their heads at our direction and something was up.

I knew something was up the moment I entered the campus this morning. Everyone would look at their stupid phones then they would point their fingers over at my direction and if it didn’t happen a lot of times, I would think they weren’t pertaining to me, but it happened too many f*****g times for me to not realize this circulating photo or whatever s**t article was about me. I had to walk away from a huge crowd.

“You’re getting a lot more popular than I thought, Lakey.”

I glared at her as she sat comfortably across me – like she hadn’t done anything to piss me off. “I told you stop calling me that.” Han just got lucky that she even got the chance to lay her fingers over my ID card back then when we went to buy her liquor – decisions I’ll forever regret.

“Everyone f*****g knows now.”

Excuse me, what?

“You’re like, what, everyone’s talking about. Forest here, Forest there! Seriously! I should start signing up to be your f*****g bodyguard or something!” she joked, but I wasn’t in the mood for jokes – not after what she did me, and not after what she just told me about everyone finding out my name.

“What’s everyone on about anyway?” I asked even if I wasn’t really interested to hear that they were talking about being in a relationship with f*****g Han.

Han pulled her phone out, flashing her screen right at my face to show this, whatever it was called, to me. “Suddenly, you’re a f*****g superhero, b***h. I wouldn’t be surprised to see you hanging out with those math athlete losers and people of their kind.”

I sighed before stretching my back up. My head and back hurts from everything I do at night, and as it turns out, Oliver had just told our entire Chemistry class about my photographic memory while I was trying to sleep. How disrespectful is that? Now all these people were gonna ask me to be their friend to take advantage of that. I didn’t want anyone to know about it, and now, it appears everyone on campus already knew that. I was already getting enough attention from being seen with the seagull, this doesn’t make things easier for me.

“Forest Laken Young, Bachelor of Geek and Nerd s**t!”

I hate how Han said that.

“Major in Memory Photography!”

Memory Photography?

Idiot.

Han started clapping her hands like someone had been awarded with something. Her shitty commencement would be more hilarious if it weren’t about me, but it was, so I couldn’t find the soul to laugh at it.

“If students started paying you with some candies to let them, you know, copy your answers, give me some, okay?” She playfully suggested but I wasn’t gladly taking in any of her sarcastic remarks right now. I just wanted to eat, to sleep, to get some peace of mind, so I can get the strength I need for tonight. The funny thing was, if it wasn’t the seagull interrupting my lunch break, it’s f*****g Han. The world just won’t let me have my peace. It seemed as if it wanted me to be part of world wars all the f*****g time.

“You know, you can do so much with this now out in the open…” She wiggled her brows like a f*****g creep. “We could get into good business with it and—”

“Enough!”

She smirked widely at me, but waited for me to burst more of my anger which she obviously knew was coming.

“I don’t need to f*****g hear that news every time I’m seen or near so zip your f*****g mouth before I sew them for you.” I continued, glaring as deadly as I could at her. “I don’t need you people to keep reminding me how f*****g stupid Oliver was for exposing me like that behind my back!”

“Jesus f*****g Christ, Four! Calm your t**s, will you?”

I grunted in dismay, shaking my head as I looked away out of frustration. Everyone in the cafeteria was still looking my way while whispering to one another, and pointing at me with their filthy fingers.

“I’m just saying that you’re getting more popular than you ever did before. And it’s actually positive this time! Can you imagine?” There was insult in that tone of hers and I’d strangle her now if I felt like it but everything that was happening right now was making me not to. I wasn’t going cause more attention than what I’m already receiving. “It’s not you selling drugs, or you sleeping with me.”

“f**k off.”

“You’re welcome, hoe.”

For some reason, Han thought it was a good idea to keep lurking near me after my break but I walked like I wasn’t with her, like I didn’t knew her or that she was walking next to me, which, technically, I don’t know her. I’ve printed that on my mind that I don’t know this woman of a hoe. Han is Han in my eyes. Nothing else.

As I was walking by the hallway of a swarm of students, I put on a scowl look on my face as I passed by murmurs after murmurs after murmurs about how I was cheating against the system. How unfair I was, how it was supposed to be against school regulations, how I should have a different setup from everyone— at this point, I could care less if they were so threatened by my photographic memory. It’s not like I wanted to have it. It’s not like it was my point that I was born with it and not them. They can all have it, for f**k’s sake, and I wouldn’t care. They’re making this a big deal. Making me a big deal is a f*****g mess I hate.

Han grabbed my shoulders and promptrf me to stop from my tracks. I turned to her, lazily waiting for what she has to say. She leaned over to my ear and whispered, “I’ll see you tonight at Frank’s party, a’right?” She gave me a pat by my back before walking the opposite direction. “Bye, b***h!”

“Get lost, you f*****g man w***e!” I yelled out of frustration – both for her and all these stupid students giving me such distressed looks on their faces.

She raised her hand in the air in confirmation and answered, “That’s me!” proudly. I smirked. Man w***e. At least, she knows and that’s what matters.