Behind the mask

Chapter 3

Jack wasn't able to talk to her that night cause he used the whole night class hour to memorize what to say to her. He would end up missing a line or two during every rehearsal. He even had to write it down. How weird. Not that it was compulsory but he wanted to make sure he wouldn't end up disgracing himself or being rude to her. Greg was also confused. Truly, Emily was so beautiful but she was the first girl to make Jack feel this way. Like an i***t to be precise. 'Did she cast a spell on him?' Greg thought. Her presence made Jack tremble. Jack seemed like a perfect person but now he had discovered his weak spot. Everyone admired him, he was so cool and easy going and he seemed so flawless but one girl, Emily to be precise, could tame him.

The next morning, Jack was nervous to enter the class. He was standing  at the door.

"C'mon guy, walk in" Greg said. He was standing behind him, waiting for him to go in.

"I know" He replied. 

"Then go in already."

"Should I rehearse one more time?"

"No, just go in"

"Right." He was so nervous.

He walked into the class and there she was seated talking with Amber, Georgia and some other girls.

"Go ahead." He heard Greg say.

So he walked up to her and all the girls seeing a flower in his hands were amazed.

"Good morning Emily. These are for you." He said as he handed the bunch of flower to her. He felt a tap on his shoulder. 

"Jack open the door and go ahead." Greg said.

Gosh, now look who's day dreaming. School crush. He didn't even have a flower in his hand. 

"Oh! Right" He said pulling himself together. Then he opened the door. His gaze fell on her seat and he let out a sigh of relief. She wasn't in the class.

Emily, Georgia and Amber got to the class about 10 minutes after Jack did. As Emily walked in Jack's breathe ceased for a second. Although, it was her second day in class, Emily still felt a bit frightened. She walked right after Amber and Georgia and went straight to her seat. Jack didn't know what to say. The moment she took her seat, he forgot everything he wanted to say to her. Then he signalled to Greg. When Greg got the message, he sank in his chair and sighed in frustration.  Jack felt helpless. 'What should I say? What should I say?' He asked himself. 'Should I say hi or good morning. Yes, good morning should be okay'

"Good morning Emily." She heard that voice. Oh, that voice. She recognises it even more than hers. That grin appeared on her face as she turned to the side.

"Good morning John." She replied.

"How was your night?"

"It was fine and yours?"

"Fine too"

"Good to hear."

"Yeah. So are you how are you getting along?"

"Fine. I'm getting along just fine."

"Alright. That's good to a hear."

"Yeah."

"So we'll talk some other time. Right?"

"Yeah. Later." She said and turned to her front.  She couldn't let her gaze fall on that jerk again. If that happened once again, only God knows what he'd say. 'Maybe he'd say I've got a dirt in my nose or my breathe stinks.' She thought. Just as Jack was about to say something a teacher entered the class and lessons began.

                                                                                ~

"So how did class turn out for you today?" Amber asked. It was leisure time. Amber and Emily were in their room talking while Georgia was at the library.

"It was okay. I really enjoyed class today."

"I hope you really like our school and you don't miss your former school too much?"

"I do miss my former school a lot especially my friends. Georgia and Martha."

"Georgia?"

"Yes. I had a friend named Georgia there."

"Wow. Keep going."

"Okay. So, my friends and I were like always together and some people were scared to talk to us and we used to wonder why but we never really cared. We used to go on our own and that was the school I attended all my life. I do miss the school a lot but I also like it here. Now no one's scared of talking to me."

"So you guys were literally the 'Stephanie, Gwen and Gabriella of the school. Right?"

"No we weren't rude and mean. We were very nice and a lot of people liked us but some were just scared to talk to us for no reason or probably a reason we never bothered to know."

"So why didn't you bother to ask or talk to them?"

"I don't know."

"Then that'll make them think you guys were being proud."

"They thought we were."

"Ofcourse, they would. Now that explains it."

"Is it necessary to just talk to everyone?"

"No it isn't but it'd be nice to say hello when you see some of them." Emily sighed " but now that you're in our school it'll be easy for you. Why dont you walk up to everyone in the class tomorrow  and say hi. No one will run away from you" Amber teased.

"That's no big deal. Tomorrow I'll greet everyone in class minus one."

"Jack." They chorused "oh and Josh too." Emily added and Amber chuckled. 

                                                                 ~

"So I called you all here for your help for our dear friend Jack." Greg said as he turned back to face the audience. 8 boys who were seated in the room and Jack was seated at the left corner of the room. "Jack" he continued "has a problem and this is the first time I have heard of this...."

"Same here." Someone cut in from the audience.

Greg continued. "Jack here, as we all know is a guy of few words....."

"Get straight to the point. Punk." Josh cut in again.

"Okay." He sighed. "Jack is in love."

"Love?" Everyone chorused. 

"This is a problem indeed." Someone said.

"That's what I'm trying to say." Greg said. " and he doesn't know how to talk to her."

Everyone went silent for a few seconds. "So who is she?" Someone broke the silence.

"Emily." Greg replied.

"What?" They chorused again. Then everyone went silent again.

"You mean the new girl?" Josh asked.

"Yes" Greg replied.

Then all of them turned to look at Jack. He was looking at the whole scene all this while and did not say anything. He looked cool like he used to and did not look like he cared about what they were saying but deep down inside him he thought he was going crazy. Emily was driving him crazy.

"Wait guys." A guy named Harley said. "There's nothing bad in him falling in love neither is it bad if he's nervous about talking to her, most guys feel that way. Let's just help him out and not let him feel worse."

"Yeah. You're right." A guy named Scott said.

"I think I have a plan." Someone said. 

                                                                                     ~

The next day, Emily greeted everyone in the class except Jack. Although, the night before Amber and Georgia had convinced her to say hi to Jack, she agreed but didn't.  Well, she couldn't cause Jack wasn't in the class when she greeted everyone and she didn't bother to when he got to the class. She also contemplated on whether to greet Josh or not but she was suprised that he even greeted her before she did. Well, he had to be nice to the person Jack loved.

As the teacher stepped out of the class after the bell was rung for a short break, the students started leaving the class. Emily stood up as well to leave.

"Emily." A voice called. That voice. She recognised that voice. She turned back to look at him. He looked like he didn't care just like he always looked. "I know you're mad at me cause of how I talked to you the other day." He said. 

'Thank God you know.' She said to herself. 

"I'm sorry." He concluded. All his friends were baffled. How did he summon courage. When, where, how? Jack was surely full of surprises. He seemed lost the day before but he seemed alright now. Why waste all their efforts and time. 'This was not the plan.' Greg said to himself.

"It's okay." She said. Then he rose to his feet.

 "I hope you don't mind if we go for a walk together?"

Amber and Georgia were surprised. She gave it a thought for a few seconds before she finally agreed.

Did I hear someone say summon courage? Hell no. Talking to her, waiting for her reply was like hell and walking beside her, he felt like he was going to pee in his pants. To start a conversation was another problem. They were just walking and so many people were staring at them, whispering and gossiping.

"Would you like to get anything?" He asked

"No."

"Would you like to go somewhere particularly?"

"No." She didn't even look at him. He saw a flower pot by the road, he plucked a flower from it and handed it to her. She accepted it.

"Are you still mad at me?" He asked.

"No but I still don't feel like we can get along too well." She said bluntly playing with  the flower between her finger not looking at him. The bell rung signalling the end of the period. "So can we go back to class now?" She raised her head to look at him. She wasn't sure of what she saw in his eyes. He looked hurt.

"But I'm deeply sorry."

"We'll talk about that later."

"Emily..."

"I'm sorry but not now. Are you going to the class now?"

There was no response.

"You may excuse me." She said and left. 

He watched her go. He watched her leave. As breeze blew against him he felt so hurt. He looked down as he allowed the breeze to sweep his hair around. The lonely handsome lover boy.

                                                                    ~

"So where did you and Jack go?" Georgia asked.  They were all in their room during leisure time.

"Nowhere precisely."Emily replied.

"What did you guys talk about?"

"Nothing really. It was just a boring walk and he apologised again."

"So mow that he has apologised, you guys will really get along." Amber said.

Emily rolled her eyes. "I told him we really cant get along."

"Why?" Georgia asked. 

"I really don't know. I just dont think it can happen."

"Oh Emily. You're so stubborn." Amber whispered.

                                                                            ~

Harley was with Jack during leisure time and Jack was talking to him about Emily and how nervous he felt talking to her and how boring their walk was.

"You don't have to worry about that. That was just the first step. You  still have to get close her, be nice to her, be her friend,buy her anything she wants. You know, I heard that most ladies fall in love with guys who are very nice to them." Harley said.

"You just said "some ladies" not "all ladies". So do you know if she's the type who falls in love with guys easily or not?"

Harley was speechless. He did not know what answer he could give to that. What was Emily like? Tough or soft hearted.

"You can never know until try." He finally said after a few seconds.