Note: Please read the Prologue and Chapter 1
There were students sitting and strolling around the school yard. Melissa sat on the staircase leading to the main entrance together with a few friends, laughing to their jokes. When she turned, she caught sight of the pale face of Lilian walking towards them. Jeremy had just driven off.
Melissa went to get Lilian and put her arms around Lilian’s shoulders. She steered Lilian towards the side of the school building where there were less people hanging around.
“What happened to you? You looked pale like a ghost,” asked Melissa with concern.
“I’m fine. We almost get ourselves in an accident with a truck,” explained Lilian who was still dumbfounded from the incident just now. Luckily, the truck also stopped just inches away from Jeremy’s car.
“Don’t you usually take the school bus?”
“It’s one of those days again. There’s news on the television this morning and my parents insisted of sending me to the school personally,”
“Hey, girls!” a voice called to them from behind Lilian.
Lilian’s stomach lurched. She knew the voice- Ryan Thomas. She automatically turned, forgetting the fact that she still wore that pale face.
Ryan forehead wrinkled as soon as he saw Lilian’s face.
“Oh my God. What happened to you?” asked Ryan looking from Lilian to Melissa.
“She’s just shocked. Just escaped from a road accident,”
“What? Weren’t you taking the school bus?” he sounded urgent and worried.
“Not today. My dad sent me here this morning,” said Lilian, shaking her head. Amazingly, she felt her face warming up as she looked at Ryan’s anxious face.
“Oh,” he breathed. “Glad you are OK,”
“Yeah, me too,” said Lilian forcing a smile.
The school bell rang. Other students started to the entrance to get to their classes.
“I have to go now but I have something to talk to you later. Meet me after school near the lake, will you?” said Ryan hopefully.
“But my father will fetch me up this afternoon,”
“I just need a few minutes to talk to you. It’s regarding the graduation. Three days to go, right?” Ryan was determined.
“Yeah. OK, then,” said Lilian, smiling more genuinely this time before Ryan took off to join his friend who were just heading for the entrance.
“You should see your face,” giggled Melissa as she looked from Lilian to Ryan.
“Excuse me?”
“The blood seemed to flow freely back into your pale face when he talked to you,” said Melissa as she continued to giggle. She pulled Lilian’s hand to their classroom. Lilian looked confused.
“You were blushing!” Melissa said in a forced low voice. Oh, that would explain the sudden warmth in her face just now. “You really like him, don’t you?”
Yes, I like him! She wanted to admit badly. I had already liked him ever since I had been here a couple of years ago.
“I...I don’t know what you say,” said Lilian, trying to conceal her feelings again. Ryan had been one of her best friend besides Melissa here. She was determined not to ruin it just because of her stupid feelings.
Melissa just smiled cynically.
****
He could see the birds flying outside the glass window. It was indeed quite sunny. How would it feel not to worry about anything else except for the normal life they should be living?
“Jeremy?” called Mr. Perkins. Jeremy turned to look at him. He almost forgot that he was in Mr. Perkins’ office.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Perkins. Just got lost to the good weather outside,” said Jeremy apologetically.
“It’s fine. You are going to be transferred to Canada by next week, so you can start packing now,” said Mr. Perkin, smiling as he handed out a document to Jeremy who accepted it without much thought.
****
The chicken soup in the pot was boiling. Maria spooned the soup and took a sip to taste it. She nodded, satisfied with the taste before turning off the fire.
Just as she took out the salad from the refrigerator, her cellphone on the dining table rang. She answered it.
“Maria, we can start packing. I will be reporting at the new office next week. We’ll move out by tomorrow. I have taken care of other things as well,” Jeremy’s voice sounded urgent and serious. Maria paused, taking her seat at the dining table.
“Honey?” Jeremy called as he heard only silence. Maria sighed.
“Are you sure this will be OK?” asked Maria heavily.
“We’ll talk her into it like we did before this,” said Jeremy, reassuring.
“But it’s her graduation in three days. You know how important it is for her. I do not have the heart to tell her this news,” said Maria.
“We’ll discuss about this together after I fetch her from the school. You don’t need to worry,”
***
Apart from the near accident and her parents’ worries, today was just nice for Lilian. Their graduation would be just three days away and Terrence, the boy in her class had just announced a graduation party at his house. Lilian was instantly reminded of Ryan but she quickly shook off the thought.
After school, Lilian and Melissa took their time to just unwind around the school compound while Melissa waited for her brother to come and fetch her. Lilian looked at her watch. She would have about half an hour to talk to Ryan later before Jeremy arrived.
“I’m still considering a few offers,” said Lilian, answering Melissa’s question on her college choice.
“You are lucky, you know. At least you have several choices,” said Melissa. “What would you wear for the graduation, anyway?”
Lilian brightened up on the subject. “You should see my dress. I already had it out of the wardrobe just to see it every day. I don’t know why but I feel very excited about this. How about you?”
“My brother bought it for me yesterday. It’s not really my colour, but I had to admit that he have some sense of fashion,”
“I definitely have to see it!” chimed Lilian. Melissa laughed at Lilian’s excited face. Well, every senior were in high spirits because of the graduation this time around.
“My brother has arrived,” said Melissa as she looked at the grey Toyota which was just parked at the school’s parking lot. “I’ll call you. We have a lot to talk about before the graduation,”
“OK. See you,” said Lilian, waving goodbye to Melissa who was running towards the car. When they drove away, Lilian turned and walked towards the lakeside just behind the school building. She sat on the bench there, looking out to the lake.
The surface of the lake rippled as the breeze swept pass over it. There were a few ducks wading in the lake, occasionally chasing each other. A few couples were strolling around the lake bank, holding hands and laughing happily.
“Hey,” said someone beside her. Lilian turned to face Ryan. “Are you daydreaming?” said Ryan, looking at the couples who Lilian had been eyeing. Lilian’s cheeks turned crimson. She did not realise when Ryan sat beside her.
“I was just admiring the lake,” she denied Ryan’s allegation. “So, what do you want to talk about?”
“It’s been two years that we had been friends, right?”
“Yes. I wished I had come here earlier, but my father were transferred a lot. So we move around so much,”
“I’m going to Heald College in Honolulu,” revealed Ryan. He never mention of his college application before this to either Lilian or Melissa. He was one of the school’s best basketball players, so obtaining the college scholarship should be easy for him.
“Hawaii? That’s interesting,” was Lilian’s only respond. Ryan chuckled.
“My mother is in Hawaii now, so she insists me of being near to her because I already live with my father since elementary. My father already agrees to it,” Ryan explained briefly.
“Oh,” said Lilian. Comprehension dawned on her. But why Ryan was telling her about this?
“Do you believe in long-distance relationship?” Ryan asked, looking out to the lake. Lilian was stunned at being attacked by such indiscreet question. How would she know? She was never been in a serious relationship before.
“I...I don’t know,” she stammered. “I never have a boyfriend before,” she made it clear although it would embarrass her.
“Good to know that,” he laughed nervously, looking straight into Lilian’s eyes. Lilian knew that she was blushing.
“So, why the baseball cap?” Ryan changed the subject so suddenly that Lilian became a bit confused for a few seconds. Ryan eyes were on her baseball cap.
“Oh, this,” said Lilian, her left hand automatically touched the cap. “It’s my Mom. She don’t want me to get sunburn,”
“That’s thoughtful of her but I thought there is another thing that can be used against sun burns which called sun block,” he said jokingly. They both sniggered.
“Come with me to the graduation party at Terence house,” Ryan blurted out.
“Sorry?”
“I’m inviting you as my date,” Ryan explained unnecessarily. There was an awkward pause where they looked at each other. Lilian finally nodded, smiling.
Ryan reached out his hand and stroke Lilian’s blushing cheek. “It’s your bad hair day, right?” he whispered as he stared at the red strands of Lilian’s hair, half- hidden beneath the cap and tied into a ponytail. Lilian nodded. She felt extremely nervous with Ryan’s face just a few inches from hers. She could feel her cheeks heating up but her hands became extremely cold. When Ryan’s hand found hers, she felt a shock because his hands felt so hot against her chilly hand.
Suddenly, Lilian caught a glimpse of something whizzing passed in between her and Ryan.
She let out a low gasp. Whatever it was, she managed to follow the sight of the thing as it hit the lake, producing soft splashing sound and was instantly consumed by the slightly rippling water. What was that? Was it an arrow?
“What is it, Lily?” asked Ryan, following Lilian’s eyes towards the surface of the lake which had became as calm as before the incident.
“Nothing,” Lilian shook her head, still feeling extremely curious. “I thought I saw something,” she slowly turned to look at Ryan. She was reminded of the moments they had before the interruption. Ryan was still holding her hands. From the look of Ryan’s face, he too was thinking the same thing. Ryan suddenly rose from the bench, letting go of Lilian’s hand gracefully.
“I have to get going. I’ll call you tonight, OK?” said Ryan, smiling timidly.
“Sure,” said Lilian quickly before waving Ryan goodbye. Lilian got up and scanned the surrounding. She was still wondering where that thing had came from. Failed to see anything suspicious, she turned and headed back to the school building to wait for Jeremy.
Little did she know that someone already had his eyes on her from above a distant building overlooking the lake.
-End of Chapter 2-
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