Affinity Romance

002 : Noodles

“Did you write them down?”

“Write what down?”

“The instructions for the project.”

Fae gives me a look, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

I laugh and wave her off. “I am. Relax.”

“You know what, Kaye? One day, I swear, I’m going to smack you in public.”

“Oh really now?” I ask with a raised brow, but before she can reply, the bell rings. The sound of chairs scraping across the floor fills the room as students flood out of their seats, eager to escape. Most of them, at least.

A group of girls has gathered around him, all giggling and whispering.

“You know, if you need a tour, I could definitely show you around,” One of the girls offers.

When Fae sees this, she lets out a dramatic sigh. “Lucky bastard. One day in, and he’s already got everyone swooning.”

And she’s not exaggerating. The crowd forming around him is growing fast, as if word has already spread about the mysterious new guy. Even from the hallway, I can see a few students sneaking peeks through the door.

“I can’t blame them though. He’s eye candy,” I admit, glancing at Cai from across the room.

Fae smirks, packing her books. “You’re only saying that because the guy’s got piercings.” She slings her bag over her shoulder. “He’s no different from the punks roaming outside, Kaye.”

“I know. There’s just something about him I can’t quite figure out.”

“You still think you’ve seen him before?” Fae presses, raising an eyebrow as she stops to adjust her bag.

“I don’t know. He just feels... familiar,” I reply, pursing my lips as I think.

“Then why don’t you just go up and talk to him? Who knows? Maybe he remembers you.”

“Yeah, sure. With that crowd?” I gesture toward the girls surrounding him, shivering at the thought. “It’s not important anyway. Should we stop by the convenience store on our way home?”

“Let’s. I’m craving some noodles,” Fae says, her eyes lighting up at the thought of her favorite snack.

Mischief glints in my eyes, and I open my mouth to say something when she beats me to it with a firm warning.

“If you c***k a dirty joke, I won’t hesitate to fight you.”

I pout, disappointed. “You’re no fun.”

We head toward the exit, blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes following our every move.

Ten minutes later, we arrive at the convenience store, making a beeline for the instant noodles section. Fae grabs a can of Coke and a sandwich, and we make our way to the cashier. After paying for our snacks, we head to one of the small tables near the window wall, settling into the stools as we set our noodles aside to cook.

Fae unwraps her sandwich and takes a huge bite, only to end up choking. I push my drink toward her with a raised eyebrow, and she quickly gulps it down, her face flushed.

“I get that you’re hungry, but you need to slow down. The sandwich isn’t going anywhere.”

Fae smacks her chest before grabbing my shoulder and pulling me to face the snack aisle. I nearly choke on my own food at the sight.

“It’s him.” She whispers-shrieks.

I blink, looking over at her, confused. “Who?”

With a pointed finger, she directs my attention to the same aisle. “The new kid.”

Oh.

I see him now, standing in the aisle, scanning the shelves as if he’s looking for something.

“What should we do?” Fae asks as she turns to me, her eyes wide with excitement.

All you do is raise an eyebrow, causing her to say. “Should we say hi?”

I nearly choke on my sandwich at the thought. “Are you crazy?” I mutter, my voice muffled.

Fae scrunches her nose. “You’re talking with your mouth full again.”

I swallow quickly, ignoring her comment. “No way. He’s not the type to just talk to anyone.”

But Fae, as always, is determined. Before I can protest further, she slides off her stool and heads toward him.

“Fae, wait!” I hiss, but it’s too late. She’s already tapping him on the shoulder.

I turn my attention back to my food, trying not to focus on the scene unfolding. I can’t hear what she’s saying, but from the way she’s smiling, I guess it’s going well.

Fae nudges me with a grin. “This is Kaye. She’s in the same class as us.”

What. The. Heck?

I freeze, my heart doing a little jump. Fae just brought him over.

Cai stands next to her, his tall frame looming over us. He’s holding a drink under one arm, and as he extends his hand to me, I can’t help but feel a little nervous.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Cai,” he says, his voice calm, almost casual.

I stare at his outstretched hand for a moment before taking it, shaking it lightly. “Kaye.” I give him a small smile, surprised to find him smiling back.

Okay, maybe I was wrong. Now that he’s smiling, he doesn’t look as intimidating as I thought.

“Hey, you wanna join us? If you’re not in a rush, that is,” Fae asks, her eyes sparkling.

“Um, yeah, sure. Let me just pay for this first,” he says, pointing to the snacks in his hand.

“Awesome,” Fae says, practically bouncing in her seat.

Cai walks away to pay, and as soon as he’s out of earshot, Fae turns to me with a triumphant grin. “See? He’s nice.”

I gnaw on my bottom lip, trying to process the situation. “I guess you’re right.”