20 Centimeters

Chapter 4

If there's a time when Kyla will only focus on him it's when he is playing basketball. Kyla told him that she was his cheerleader and that didn't make Terry sleep for a week, giggling to him that he had her to watch him play and when she did, Terry just knew he had to win every round, it was like winning at her too.

So here they are, in the basketball gym, Terry was b-balling while Kyla watched him and clapped whenever he shot accurately at the basket. "Waa! Terry you're so amazing." she cheered, lifting her pompoms up and Terry smirked, gaining even more confidence from her reaction. But he was blushing, of course, red and visible even if he was trying to act cool, pushing his hair back and chin up, "of course," he said, like, as if he didn't need her words, but his heart was beating hard as hell. She could hear it if only she knew.

Kyla is really a part of the cheerleading team. She was hesitant to join at first because she isn't flexible, but since Terry played basketball in grade school days, Kyla tried it out and it may have been added to the list where they are together, but they couldn't help it.

They have a lot of similarities to music, where they both joined the music club where Kyla plays the piano and almost all the instruments while Terry sings, and the reading club where he reads Kyla story and she just knows how to re-tell with different kinds of voice. they're a duo and if this isn't soulmate culture, Terry might as well just vanish.

Terry posed himself, eyeing the target basket before moving his hand and jumping to shoot the ball, making another shot. He looked back to look at Kyla for her reaction but suddenly got shattered when he saw her looking the other way. Oh, Steven entered the gym.

"Kang!" Steven called with his hand raised up as if he wasn't tall enough to be easily seen. Terry looked at him, the ball on the ground and no longer in his hold as he walked towards Steven.

" Do you have a game today? We're doing practice for your performance this Friday prom." Steven is the president of the music club and the literary school council and maybe that's why Steven is popular with most of the students. He's tall and all.

" No, I'm just practicing. I'm going to take a break first before going to the music club." He's still sweating and he knows that his performance for prom is coming and has only had 4 days left before he will drop a bomb and confess to Kyla.

" Okay," Steven said, smiling, "see you later." Steven was about to leave when, suddenly, Kyla appeared.

"Hi S-Steven!" she waved, blushing.

" Hello Kyla, see you later too." then he left, leaving Kyla in a blushing mess who squealed.

" Oh my god Terry, did you see that?" she said, shaking Terry, who obviously saw it all with an aching heart. He acted like nothing though, yeah he did, but if you know just how he feels, maybe it's obvious that his hand was clenched.

"But did you see my three-point shoot though?"

Kyla laughed, "Yeah I did. I can't miss anything, oh and also!" she suddenly took out a towel and wiped Terry's sweat on his forehead.

" You're so awesome, Terry, like... slam dunk Sakuragi!" she said, smiling.

"You and your anime stuff again," but he was smiling. He held Kyla's hand that was wiping his sweat and looked at her. "Thanks."

Terry finally finished changing his jersey to a uniform and going back to Kyla who was waiting for him and he noticed her eyes were kind of sleepy, "Did you sleep late again?"

" Can't sleep." Terry reached for his bag pocket and let out a box of tea before giving it to her. "Woah Terry, why do you have this?"

" I bought it for you so you'd stop sleeping everywhere. It helps," he said as they left the gym. She smiled widely before wrapping her arms around Terry and he almost fell because of her weight on him, but he just let her.

" You know that I am sweaty, right?" Kyla immediately got off him and it made him laugh.

This seems weird and might as well be, but Kyla and Terry are used to it, they eat their lunch at the music club, and it's only because they love music that much, and the other members go away to the cafeteria and the cafeteria isn't their thing.

" If you spill juice on the piano you're gonna get in trouble," Kyla is putting her lunch on the piano for some reason and Terry is scolding her.

" No, it's like a desk I wouldn—" Terry's face palmed, but handed her tissues anyway, which she used to wipe the keys with. "OK, let's eat on the floor then,"

"let's not break anything." Terry started biting on his pizza whilst Kyla was, of course, eating two slices together. It's her habit of eating it's cute.

" You know its fun to be just us in here," she said, and it immediately translated to 'its fun when it's just us two' in Terry's mind. He rejected that thought though.

" So on prom day, you have to wear something not too long or too short, okay? The stage stairs were as old as they said, you could fall down there before we could even perform." she only hums eating her food.

"and drink the tea I gave you," but of course, she isn't listening to him, she even started to play with her plushie which she always brings with her even to school. "I'll message you later to remind you."

"Okay," she said. stopping to drink Terry's juice because she spilled hers earlier, Terry just let her. "Hey, Terry?"

"Yeah?"

" Okay, I know you will say no, you and my own mom always g**g up on me, but I really want a bunny."

Terry sighs "Kyla for the last time—"

"But! I wanna have a bunny and name them Steven!" Terry held the bridge between his eyebrows before giving Kyla a look.

" You want to name a pet Steven?" he asked and Kyla nodded.

" Okay, I'm calling your brother," Terry took out his phone from his pocket, dialing Daniel's number.

Kyla reached to stop him grabbing his arm but Terry was passing his phone fast like magic so she wouldn't get it." No!"

finally, Daniel answered the call, "Hello Daniel?" He put the call on speaker.

" Oh hello, Terry Wassup? Is Kyla being a brat again?"

"Kyla said she wanted a bunny." Kyla went to grab his arm again and they were both literally at war now.

" No I dont!" then she gave up and crossed her arms at him.

"You literally wrote on a sticky note ten times on the fridge that you wanted one." Daniel answered, "Kyla stop doing that, mom is getting annoyed."

Kyla started pouting and just ate her pizza, sulking silently. Terry knows she is, but what can they do? "Mom is busy and we are busy and we can't take care of any kind of pet," Daniel said on the line and Kyla just hums as Terry listened. "Also, I'm heading for the groceries before going home. What do you guys need?"

Kyla stopped eating for a second. "I messaged you about it already!" answering Daniel's question.

" Oh, the pads? Okay, your awesome cool brother will get you pads because I'm such a caring brother, am I right?"

Kyla went blushing, "Daniel! Terry is here!", probably embarrassed since Terry is with her, but he doesn't mind. I mean a period is normal for girls. She shouldn't be ashamed of needing help from it.

but Daniel ignored her, "What about you Terry?"

"Patience and strength because I'm gonna die from too many upcoming performances and basketball games," he answered.

" Okay, a strawberry milk for you, then, stay safe you two!"

" Bye love you!"

After school, the two went to ride the bus and Terry had the plan to ask her out to be his prom date before they could get home. He told her that they'd visited the pet store before heading home, and now they were holding each other's hand as they went inside.

" Oh my god, this particular bunny looks so cute! It reminds me of Steven!" Terry brought her here, of course, to see her happy. They couldn't get her a pet, but it's not wrong to look for some pets. "Don't you think so?" she showed Terry a white bunny.

"Sure," but Terry didn't really look. He was trying to figure out how to ask her. I mean, yes, they've been on prom dates since freshmen, but it's only because Daniel wouldn't allow any guys with her, but this time, Terry has the courage to ask her out as a date and not an option.

Kyla smiled at the bunnies before waving them goodbye and they went outside. Now it was his chance, "Terri?"

" Yes? Do you really want to buy a bunny? You have lots of bunny plushie—"

" Should I ask Steven out as my prom date? I mean! Yes, it's not usually the girl who asks the guy out, but I really want him to be my prom date." she said and she looked nervous, holding her arm.

Terry looked at her, what is he supposed to say? No, because I should be your prom date. No, because we're always supposed to go together. No, because how would I confess to you when you are going to be with someone else? "No, you might get embarrassed."

and Terry immediately regretted it when he saw that upset look on her face, "Terry, I'm not going to get embarrassed. Am I not allowed to do it? because what?"

Terry couldn't answer for a second, he didn't even realize what he said could hurt her. He forgot to think about her at that moment and thought of himself. "Ky I didn't mean—"

" I'm going home," she said, walking away faster, leaving him. Terry never ever wanted to hurt her or make her feel like she couldn't do anything or that she wouldn't be liked by her crush. He was jealous, of course, and he regretted it because even if he love her so truly, the only thing he wouldn't ever want in life was not to be loved back by her but to be separated and hurt her feelings.