Parallel Lines

Chapter 2

Yeah, I gasped. But before anyone could notice, I composed my facial expression by looking around and humming a tune.

I couldn't help but it's 'Hundred percent' and his divinity I'm dealing with.

"Oi, did you got the printouts of the assigned homework we were given last class?" Joy asked me in a hushed tone making me go still on the place I stood. I slowly looked up to Joy's questioning face with my saucer-like eyes. s**t! I forgot.

Joy stared a good minute at my starstruck face before shaking his head in dismay. "I knew! What will you do if SAM asks you to solve a C program on the board?"

"I can manage any situation. You know that, boy." I shrugged as I tried to think about what to do to distract our lecturer. I had a good impression on SAM, initials for Sabrina Huz, but it could be spoiled too easily.

"Aye, Joy." Joy shotted up as someone called him from the front of the elevator. That voice could be recognized even at a concert. Of course, it was 'Hundred percent'. He knew Joy.

I slowly looked up and my eyes swiped down his features like the first time I had seen him from a distance at the beginning of this semester, as he greeted Joy with a smile. He had tousled soft brown hair. His downturned eyes were a mesmerizing deep grey. His face was strong and defined, his features molded from granite. He had dark eyebrows, which sloped downwards in a serious expression. His usually playful smile had drawn into a hard line across his face.

"Hey, Maxwell." Joy greeted him back awkwardly standing beside me. Maxwell Hill. His name tastes so foreign on my tongue.

Some people excused and got down on the fifth floor breaking my train of thoughts. A whip of cold air barged inside the elevator making me shiver and sneeze.

"Did we have any homework today?" I wiped my left hand which helped me not to sneeze on someone else, with my handkerchief and looked up to see Joy nodding.

The doors opened again and it was the ninth floor. Everyone slowly got down including us, heading toward the classes. 'Hundred percent' caught up with us and started to talk with Joy completely ghosting me. I sighed looking down as I followed suit.

I was nobody my whole life. Why would he notice me?

*

"Did Neil text you in a while? How is he now?" Joy asked sipping from his tiny cup of tea.

Neil was also a freshman and majoring in EEE like us when we met. He was in the same section with me and Joy. Thus, at the end of the semester, we all became friends. We did our advising together this semester and got into the same section of CSE115 course.

I sipped from mine and replied," Better than before. It'll take another week to recover fully. He'll return by the end of the week."

"What happened to Neil?" Monica asked rapidly tapping on her phone.

"Chicken Pox," Sean replied before I could.

"Poor boy," Monica commented as she put her phone on the table.

Monica and Sean were one semester junior to us and majoring in CSE. We all met in this course and got stuck between loops and strings of C language.

Today SAM didn't bother to even ask us about the homework. We had to put up with this woman for one and a half freaking hour just because we wanted a good impression on Our faculty.

Although I resent this course, I had to get a good grade anyhow. I couldn't risk my CGs. I had to maintain my CGPA per semester above three to ensure my financial aid I was getting every semester on my tuition fees. Another reason was ehm...

After the class, we went to the cafeteria to grab something before our lab had started.

"Where is Raisa? Give her a phone call." Joy said as he stood up from his chair and walk up to the bin beside the cafeteria door to throw the cup.

"I got no balance, ugh!" I shook my head in dismay.

Sean pipped in with a mischief smile playing on his face as usual, "Wait, let me call her."

"Hola amigos!" A cheerful voice chimed in behind us. All of us turned to see a girl in grey abaya and beautiful floral printed niqab is approaching our table while waving at us.

"This snack like a boy here was about to give you a phone call." Sean pointed to his chest, pouting a little.

"Gotta new mirror with photoshop option on it?" Raisa laughed as she sat beside Monica.

All of us broke into a fit of laughter while Sean looked like he was still processing what she asked.

"Do you guys have another class today?" Raisa turned to see what Monica was showing her.

I shrugged nonchalantly, "Yeah. CSE115 Lab."

"Ugh, I dropped it." Raisa tilted her head a little as Monica posed to take a selfie.

"You could change the section, tho." I leaned on the chair more.

Suddenly, Monica jumped up shirking, startling the whole cafeteria. Raisa was starstruck on what had really happened including us. Monica began to giggle and excused Raisa about her stunt.

"I'm so sorry. I can't help but I'm ticklish." Monica's face got flustered as soon as she sensed everyone was looking at her.

"I didn't know that," Raisa giggled confusedly.

"I thought she'll drop her phone when she jumped up. But ne-ae-ae-ah, she'd never drop her phone." Sean shook his head laughing with all of us. "I was like I'd definitely catch it on time. If I was a girl, I'd use my lower part of my dress to get her phone in hands."

"Heh, you just want my phone. Get yourself one." Monica twitched her lips showing her annoyance.

"I want you too, baby!" Sean got a hit from Joy as everyone began to laugh uncontrollably.

"He always does that. One day, he called me at night while I was in the washroom. My mom picked his call and the first line he said was, 'Hello, Baby!' My mom'd nag me for days asking if I got a boyfriend!" Monica threw her hands on the air clearly annoyed by Sean but smiling at the same time.

"What, am I not a boy?" Sean smirked.

"You wish!" This time Joy couldn't help but guffaw at the remark.

"Okay, guys. It's already twelve fifty. We gotta catch the elevator." I ran my hands down my face. It was hurting from all the laughter.

Raisa got up before everyone, sliding her bag straps on her shoulders. "I'm gonna go, guys. I've my MAT120 class at one o'clock. Bye!"

"Bye!" We waved as she headed toward the SAC building.

We got up and headed behind the cafeteria from where we had to take the elevator of LIB building.

*

"Do these string programmes and show me after completing all." Alica, our instructor put her black pan down on the table and started to check around to see if anyone needed help.

I need help, but I don't know what to ask her about. I didn't even open my class notes from the last class. Now, I don't know whether to wind a watch or bark at the moon!

I looked on my left to see Joy was typing away on the keyboard whereas I just typed down '#include' inside the window. If Alica got to see I typed nothing she'll decrease my numbers on class performance. I looked beside Joy to see Monica and Sean were also working on the given task.

We usually sat on the second row left column but today Alica made me and Joy sit on the first row of the right column, away from Monica and Sean. I never liked to sit in the first rows. Moreover, a guy named Bill was seating beside me who weirded me out all the time.

This time I looked behind shortly to pin where our instructor was to find she was indeed helping a senior at the back of the last row. Quickly, I went to google and searched for the answers. I was about to copy the answers when the door of our lab room opened with a loud sound making my soul fly out of my body. Gosh, how do people cheat on exams?

Everyone looked up including me to see 'Hundred percent' entering the class and guess what? He came straight to our row and sat beside me greeting Bill with a bro thingy. I stiffened when he started the PC. I've never been in such a short distance with him. I looked calm like hell but a hurricane had hit the surface of my heart already. I sat there for a while just looking at the monitor screen deciding to not to make a fool out of me. From the corner of my eyes, I could see he had started today's task already. So, I decided not to fall behind anyone and started my own work.

Copy and paste were like clicking fingers to pass this course. But I needed to understand the logics in order to improve my skills. I tried three times to solve that problem until now but every time the programme would not run. After the fourth try, I asked Joy, nonetheless.

"This is where you did the mistake." Joy clicked the build and run option and the black screen of the compiler started to show the programme.

"Thanks. Lemme save it on my drive to practice at home."

"Sure." Joy went back to his own seat.

I was logging in my google account when someone sniggered beside me.

"Interesting username, tho."