In My Art

Chapter 12- The Romantic Scene

Song- Waffle House by Jonas Brothers

…/…

“After the meeting that the student body leader had with us, he mentioned something about how we, the governors, had to be down to earth so students would actually come to us whenever they have issues. They kept talking about how we could be more available and one of the class governors started going on about the Halloween party.

They all thought it was a good idea except for a few people like me. I had already proposed in my heart that I wasn’t going to attend it but the leader came to meet me especially, saying he wanted to see me there, so I couldn’t avoid going.

I know I should’ve told you but I wasn’t even happy about going, plus I was just going to stay for a drink and exit the place but then, you just had to bump into me”. “Yeah,” I said, almost whispering.

“Look, I’d never try to hurt you intentionally. You should know that. I care about you, deeply”. When he says that, all the questions I want to ask him disappear from my head. He leaned in to kiss my forehead and that made everything worse. I was having a hard time remembering my name.

“It’s okay, I guess. Just don’t do it again. I’m very big on communication”. “Yes, ma’am,” he replies. “Okay, I have to go now. I haven’t found what I actually came to get at the fair and I really need to, so yeah”. “Oh, I could go with you, I’m not doing anything important right now”.

I thought about it for a while, then I extended the thought process just to get to him. “Oh come on, it’ll be fun,” he says. “Whatever”. “I know you actually want me to come, you’re just pretending so you wouldn’t come off as needy. It’s okay, I understand”. “Get your head out of the clouds Bryan, oxygen is not sufficient up there”.

We walked around for a while and I still didn’t find what I was supposed to get, even though my hands were full of unnecessary equipment that Bryan had gotten for me. People are starting to close their stalls and that just discourages me. “Does it have to be that brand?” Bryan asks.

“Yes, it does. It’s either that or nothing,” I replied, a little frustrated. “Let’s just go, I'll get it next time”. We were about to leave the last stall we checked when I saw a tall figure, standing with his arm over a girl’s shoulder. I’d recognize that hairstyle anywhere, it’s Mystery Guy.

I whip my head in the other direction, so fast that it catches Bryan’s attention. “What happened? What’d you see?” he asked, genuinely. “Nothing, just my friend that I don’t want to talk to right now”. I don’t know whether the lie is for Bryan or for myself.

On our way back to my suite, I kept asking myself if I didn’t want to go talk to Mystery Guy because Bryan was with me, or because his arm looked too comfortable over the girl’s shoulder. There was no way I would’ve explained to Bryan that he was the one I was with the other night and I still didn’t know his name.

“Maybe I should’ve gone to meet him. He would’ve introduced himself to Bryan and I would’ve found out his name”. Wow, could I get any more lame? The voice in my head kept making different scenarios of what could’ve happened if I had gone to meet him.

“Char,” Bryan says, tapping me. “Yeah,” I replied, snapping out of my reverie. “You zoned out there for a bit. Why are you thinking about me when I’m right here?” “Bold of you to assume I was thinking of you,” I said, knowing fully well that I was thinking of another guy.

I really need to stop thinking about Mystery Guy in that way. I knew the feeling would pass soon because it was just infatuation, plus he has a girlfriend and I have Bryan.

“By the way, Jane is probably going to forgive you because this ring light is going to come in handy for her. You still have to apologize though, she was really pissed last night. Although thinking about it right now, she may be angry at your gender in general”.

“Remember I’m treading on eggshells, got it!” He says as I open the door to my suite. “Man in the suite!” I announced before allowing Bryan to enter. “Men in the suite!” Ian says, correcting me. “How are you even here? Didn’t you guys spend the whole of yesterday together?” I asked, seeing as Ian couldn’t have accessed the suite without ID being somewhere inside.

“Well, we were partying yesterday, and today, we decided to study together”. “Aren’t you guys just the couple of the semester?” I say. “Oh, Bryan, this is Ian, and Ian, this is Bryan”. “The Bryan,” Ian says. My eyes went wide, indicating that he shouldn’t have said that but ID came out of the room, just in time to hit him.

“Nice to meet you,” Bryan says. “Likewise,” Ian replied, holding the place ID hit him. “What’s all the fuss about?” Jane comes out of her room to say, when she sees Bryan, she immediately says, “What’s he doing here?”

“I get it that you’re angry but I explained to Char, and we’re cool now”. “We’ll talk later,” I mouthed to Jane. “Gosh! Is that a ring light?” she doesn’t wait for me to respond before she grabs the bag from my hand and opens it.

“Bryan got it for me”. She stops being excited and composes herself before saying, “This is the only reason you’re allowed to stay here by the way”. “I’ll take it,” Bryan responds. “I’ll just go check if this is authentic in my room,” Jane says, walking slowly to her room. “Have fun,” I said, as she slammed the door shut.

“You haven’t seen Lexie by any chance, have you?” I asked ID. “I should be asking you this. Jane said you left for the fair together”. “She set me up and left me with Bryan. She’s probably with Cole, they’re getting pretty close,” I said.

…/…

“I’ve handed your test results to your class governor, be sure to collect them before you leave this class, and don’t forget to turn in your group assignments on or before 8 pm on Friday. Have a lovely week!” The teacher leaves the class and immediately, everyone turns to face Bryan.

I collected my test result from him hurriedly before a lot of people gathered around him, and I went to sit by the exit door to the hall. “I know you aced the test, you’re sitting with this unbothered composure,” Tyler says to me.

“Unbothered, no, I haven’t been studying as much, but yeah, I aced the test. What’d you get?” I asked him. “A B plus,” he says, with pride. “That’s just amazing,” I replied. “You’re just proud,” he says. “What did I do now?”

“I know you got an A”. “It’s just a test, Ty, if I don’t get serious again, I could fall down this academic ladder”. “You know you don’t have to talk like this, right? The teacher isn’t around,” Ty says. “I’m not the one that said ‘Unbothered Composure’. So right back at you!”

We make small talk for a while, but I steer off his drama with Jane as impossible as that may sound. People start leaving Bryan as they collect their results. I can see some smiling and some frowning. Oh well, that’s life.

Bryan looks at me from far off, then he smiles in my direction. He’s just about to talk to the last person when I see a girl running from the entrance door to Bryan’s direction. As soon as she gets to him, she hugs him and gives him a peck on the cheek, but that’s not what catches my attention, it’s the fact that his hands are around her waist, as he spins her in the air.

I don’t wait for the romantic scene to end before I leave the hall.