Tangled in Notes

Chapter Six

I was disturbed by a really loud beep. It kept beeping and I don't know why it somehow sounded like it was for me. “Five more minutes.” I mumbled and cuddled the pillow next to me. I could feel my head. It was too heavy for me to get up. I slept really late last night. It was another overtime at Kouma Beans and I had to finish my home works plus, I needed to finish reading Romeo and Juliet.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!

I groaned rising up from my bed and dragged my feet heavily to the window. I looked down still half awake and almost lost my balan— "HEY! Can't you come down now?! We're gonna be late!"

My eyes went wide open and saw Armin pointing at me from below. "What?" I whispered. He was right next to a bike and I could've sworn I heard a honk from a car.

I ride my bike every time I go to the school. I recently bought one for my own benefit. I realized Armin wouldn’t be always free to pick me up and go to school together. Believe it or not, it's not something to be ashamed of because my bike cost me a lot of penny. I wouldn't even buy one if not for— "FASTER!"

I jumped a little from the roughness and scariness of his voice and frowned at him. I stuck my tongue out and played a slow motion of myself.

"JULIA!"

I turned and laughed running away to the bathroom. I only ordered two uniforms before so, yeah, basically, I wash them three times in a week. They cost a month of my breakfast.

I wore my uniform and it was a plain white buttoned polo shirt with a navy blue coat. It has lighter blue layers as well and to the right was the school logo. To the left was my name plate. Julia Burton. I ran my palms over the flits of my dark blue skirt. I'm all set.

I locked my apartment door and ran down as fast as I could. When he saw me, I immediately walked slower. I probably looked funny.

"Julia!"

I laughed and walked towards him who was holding my bike to keep standing up. I grabbed it and turned to him. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, next time, I won't definitely come here in the morning anymore. Why did you suddenly become tardy?"

I chuckled. "Who told you to come here anyway?" I raised a brow and he just smiled lightly.

“Forget it. Come on.”

I stared at him.

“Get in.” He tilted his head towards his car motioning me to get inside.

I hurried to the other side and stepped inside.

I was staring at him as he started to drive. You see. Even if he hates and fights with me, and teases me every time, and I say mean things to him, he's a real gentleman. I smiled at the thought.

“What are you smiling about?”

I frowned. “I just got too bewildered of how you look today Mr. Zeiger.”

“Is that so?” He turned to me with a smirk.

I raised a brow and crossed my arms. “My butt.”

“What?”

I chuckled. “Nothing.”

“You always say that.”

I gulped before turning back to him again. His face was looking really good. He had the model-feeling. He was wearing his usual uniform and this time, his neck-tie was colored black.

"Staring is rude."

I quickly looked away and cleared my throat still looking out the window. “Fine."

"Now you appreciate the handsomeness I possess?" He turned to me with another smirk.

I chuckled. “Ha-ha.” I laughed sarcastically.

I turned and saw Min still focused on the road. "What's your last subject for today?"

"Math." I answered.

"Great. Math's my last subject for Wednesdays too. Let's go to the house together." Yesterday, I learned that every club was given houses where they can work every time they need to over time or they need to finish a project or something. Soon Young told me so.

"What for?" I asked.

"Jarri’s calling for a meeting for the whole board. I must say, you surprised me for volunteering yesterday. You sounded a lot like Katniss.”

"Of course, I'll do the same if ever we celebrate the annual hunger games here." I smirked and he laughed.

"Funny."

"True. I am funny."

"You wish."

I frowned as we reached the school campus. He dropped me off in my building and he left saying the same thing he said a while back – to go to the house together after Math class.

MY body was aching when Math finished. As if I just had a P.E class. Not only that, we were given this really hard problem that we had to solve in less than thirty minutes. It sounds so easy but it's more complicated than any other subjects out there.

"Hey. You've been coughing and sneezing the whole period. Are you okay?"

I turned to Armin. "Yes. Just a cold." I answered and my nostrils felt blocked with mucus. I can’t even tell. I couldn’t even breathe properly because of its blocking.

He raised my arms, folding my coat’s sleeve upward and I was surprised when another reddish bump formed in my skin. Funny how coincidental it was for him to bring my sleeves up and a bump’s there. He touched it and a strike of pain went all over my body.

“Ow.” I frowned and pulled it away from him.

"See?"

"How did you know? I didn't even know. Do you have spy camera all over my uniform?" I asked confused and looked at him.

"A while ago, when you were looking out the window, I thought it was just a reflection of the sun hitting your arms but during math, I saw it again so—"

"You were looking at me?" I crossed my arms.

"N-No! Only because I was bothered and concerned! That’s how good and cool I am for being a friend." He exclaimed and I grinned at him. "How come you keep having these? They’re gross. Girls should be worried of how they look.”

“Well, I’m not like that. Sorry to say.”

“Even so. Girls are more conscious of how they look.”

“So you’re a girl?”

He frowned. “I didn’t say that. I just happen to be very cautious of how I look.”

I chuckled.

“We’re buying some medicine later.”

I cluck my tongue and glared at him. "There's no need for that. I'm—” I sneezed. “I'm perfectly fine." My head felt heavy after that.

He sent me one last glare and I looked away focusing on the street we were about to cross. Maybe I do need medication.

"Hey, Min?" I called and he turned to me with a questioning look. "Is it true Jared produces music?"

He nodded without a doubt. "He does. In fact, he's very good at it. He’s the best at it, may I add."

"Help me approach him Min. I don’t how to approach grumpy midgets like him." I shook his arms and he jerked me away.

He turns to me. “You sound so harsh. Why do you even call him that?”

“Because, he’s scary and he scolds people and he’s short.” I crossed my arms everything about Jared. “Come on. Tell him I have something to tell him. Please?”

"What? No way. Do it yourself." He looked away and I frowned shaking his arms once again to irritate him.

"Aw. Come on, Min! Can't you at least help me with this one? I thought you were a cool and good friend?"

He jerks me away. "I always help you with things Julia. Don't give me that look, you pig." He stuck his tongue out.

"Come on! You know what I promised dad. You told me you were going to help me achieve that promise." My heavy shoulders went down. Armin was definitely playing hard to get.

I hear him sigh heavily and I took it the positive sign that he might – HE MIGHT – actually say yes. "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

"Yes!" I hugged his arms tight and I quickly thought of dad. "Thank you!" I am way too excited to make a song of my own. I smiled at the thought of keeping my promise.

We reached their club building - the one I entered first - and he opened the door. "Don't be so surprised that I brought you here."

We went down the same stairway Joshua led me before and walked along the hallway. He opened the door labelled conference room and it was really white. A long table was in the middle, the type of table you see when senators have their meetings with the president.

I bowed and when I looked back up, Jared’s scary face welcomed me. He never fails to make me feel scared. A lot of people were inside. There were writings on the white board in the wall. Couches on the other sides and other things they use, I guess.

Armin sat down next to a guy and I saw Sean smiling at me patting the seat next to him. I walked towards him and sat next to him as well. "Knew you were going to bring yourself to the board."

I smiled. "How?"

"Luck."

"I want everyone to meet our new club writer. Julia Burton, please stand up.” I frowned. I hate it when he emphasizes my name. It’s so insulting when he does it. “She will be working for us until she can. Which I doubt." I looked at Jared and his stare was really ice cold.

I raised a brow. So this midget is actually confident that I won’t last. “Are you underestimating my abilities in writing Mr. Vesey?”

He glared at me. "Karen will explain everything to you."

I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw a girl smiling at me. She gestured me to follow her and we went out of the room. We went back up to the staircase – that led down here – and turned to the right revealing a path of doors. She opened the third door to the right. "This will be your room." She said and I raised a brow.

"Really?" I asked. What about my apartment? Don't tell me it would be put to waste.

She nodded.

"Is it necessary for me to stay and sleep here?"

She shook her head with a light chuckle. "No. But if ever you want to, you can always stay here and this would be your room. Taking for chances, if we’re preparing for a concert or a talent show, we stay up late so we sleep here instead of going home late."

I nodded with a relieved sigh. "Okay."

"You know. Our writer before left because of the president."

"Why's that?"

"I don't know. It was a very confidential matter that only a few of the board knows the truth." She shrugged. "You now have the authority to enter that door," she pointed at the door I entered before. “Instead of the other.”

I nodded.

"Karen." She raised her hand and I shook it. "It's nice to see a new face you know. We don't usually get one."

"Oh." Awkward.

"I could feel something really tension and great to happen this year. I can feel it." She smiled by herself and I stared at her feeling weird. "Let's go back?"

"Y-Yeah." I nodded as we went back to the conference room where we were a while ago.

WHEN we entered, the whole board was already a mess. Jared wasn't around anymore which I'm thankful for. Armin suddenly pulled me to a corner. "Jarri’s in the studios. Studio 1. You can talk to him there."

I smiled. "Really? Thanks, Min. That was a fast help. You’re being useful for once, for real."

He frowned. “That was a really bad move, Julia. You never talk to the president like that.”

“Sorry. I can’t help it. He was too self-centered!”

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Now go before he leaves." He pushed me away from him and I stepped out of the conference room.

I opened the door labelled 'Studios' and I was amazed when I saw four more doors inside. The doors were green but they were transparent. Each door also had writings in it. Studio 1, Studio 2, Studio 3, Studio 4. I scanned for studio 1 Armin was talking about and it was located in my right side.

I knocked and opened the door only to find ice cold gaze ahead of me. I gulped hard. His tiger eyes. They looked like they were about to bite my head off. "What are you doing here? Go away." He asked and my hands shivered in fear.

"I just wanted to talk to you about something?"

"I don't talk about things that are pointless." He turned back to the big screen in front of him. He started typing again. A keyboard was in front of him and he was holding a mouse.

"But you haven't even—"

"Either way, it's non-sense."

I frowned and closed the door behind me hard making him turn to me. "You haven't even heard me yet!"

He stared at me with his poker face. "Did you just yell at me?"

I looked down. "Look," I paused and I feel his eyes on me. I suddenly got so nervous. What will I do now? Okay. I need to calm down. "Can you help me?" I paused as he frowned. “With something?”

"Excuse me?"

"Please.” I paused and bowed my head down in determination. “Please help me make a song. I really need to—"

"No."

"What?!" I exclaimed immediately shutting my mouth when his cold eyes met mine. "What?" I corrected now softer. "Please? I just really nee—"

"No."

"I’m only asking for help. I’m not asking you to make one for me. I just want to learn.”

"Because, like what I said, that's non-sense." He turned back to the screen.

I frowned and whispered, "Grumpy midget."

I stepped back when he turned to me with a colder gaze. "Grumpy— WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

I shook my head. "N-Nothing."

When he turned back to his big screen, I teasingly threw a fist behind his back. "Grumpy, grumpy midget." I whispered and he turned to me again.

I smiled at him and looked at my watch. 5:31 pm. I looked at Jared. I can’t believe I got rejected. Just when I moved my hands in frustration, I was surprised when something hit me and it eventually fell down from the table.

Paper scatted around the floor. “Oh my God.” I gulped hard and hurriedly picked them up.

When I stood back up, Jared was staring at me. I placed the papers back. My eyes widened. I stared back at him. “W-Well, I guess your papers don’t agree with you, too.” I stuck my tongue out to him and ran away.

When I left the studio, my heart was beating fast. What have I done? Now I have a lesser chance to make him say ‘yes’.

I frowned and looked at my watch after proceeding back to running. I am really late for Toy Empire. Geez! Why did time move so fast?!