Chapter Thirty-Two: A Date With Me
  I was used to people leaving me. Treating me as if we’re mere strangers with false memories---like every time we spent was just an act.
I was done with feeling that way. Feeling pathetic, helpless, and betrayed.
That’s why I avoided myself from ever trusting others; from opening myself to them. It’s a gamble. You could get hurt in the end or you could be happy.
I was afraid to gamble again. That somehow history would repeat the same fate laid on mine; that I was set for another misery.
And yet no matter how I try to conceal, to bury the feeling deep inside the core of my heart…it still stands the fact that I was afraid.
Afraid to be alone.
“Avery. Hey!”
It took me a couple of seconds to realize that I was in another one of my daydreaming sessions. I realized I’ve been doing it often and somehow it seems to calm me down.
Emily stood by my front desk, crossing her arms as she stared at me with eyes fixated deeply into my own. “You’ve been acting weird these past few days. Tell me, is someone bullying you again? I swear I’ll give them a good wedgie.”
I snorted, eyeing her in amusement. “I don’t think you should be that excited to give someone a wedgie.”
“Then, is something troubling you? If not, you need to buy some supplies for the booth this afternoon,” she pretends to act stern, but that cheeky grin on her lips ruins just that.
“Also, you’re going with Tom,” she pointed to his empty seat.
I stared at the vacant desk, feeling somewhat nostalgic with this heavy burden etched on my chest. Then my eyes shifted to where he stood in front, speaking casually with one of our classmates.
He looks to be having fun and I was right, he truly belonged to the crowd where people admired him. I knew that this would happen someday…but this twisted feeling in my chest prevents me from being entirely happy.
Tch. What am I saying? He belongs there. I told him from the start that he was going to get dragged because of me.
That he’ll become an outcast…and yet he stayed.
“Avery…?”
“Sorry,” I blinked, rubbing my eyes as I looked up to find Emily eyeing me in concern. “—I’m just tired.”
She gives me a sad smile. “Don’t push yourself too much, okay?”
“Alright.”
These past few days felt like a month had just passed through my fingertips. Tom is avoiding me…as if he dislikes me.
Did I say something wrong to him? Or maybe he’s grown cold and tired of me. For keeping up with a mess like me.
I deserved it. I’m a horrible person. I truly am. I expected him to grew tired of me sooner. Who could keep up with someone like me?
I wasn’t a saint. I wasn’t the best person and all I thought about was myself.
Pushing him away, throwing horrible words at him was the only thing I’m good at. And now he’s finally had enough of that.
And yet…I wanted him to stay.
. . .
   “Avery.”
My ears perked up by my name rolling off his tongue. I clenched my fists and unclenched them as a last resort to calming myself down.
I must not show that I am affected. It will only make things more awkward.
“What?” I frowned, looking away at anywhere but him.
“Emily told me to buy the supplies with you,” he replied briefly, not wasting a single breath and with a distant tone at that.
“Yeah. I’ll just get my bag,” I muttered, pushing my chair behind me and slung my bag over my shoulders as I stood a couple of meters away from him.
We made our way outside the classroom as he strutted the way to the hallways with such pride...without looking back, without stopping, without waiting.
  I could only stare at his back and kept on walking without trying…without trying to reach for someone who’ll never come back.
This was for the best. I would be lying if I said that I never had fun being with him. That his annoying and bright persona somehow cheered myself when I was having the worst times.
But that’s all in the past. I ruined it.
After all, I’m only good at destroying things I treasure.
. . .
     “You have the list of supplies to buy?” he peered over his shoulder, looking at me expectantly with lips pursed into a thin line.
      I nod, rummaging through my bag and finally found the crumpled paper burrowed together with my notebook and earphones. Then I handed it to him and he takes it without haste.
    “I’ll get the silks needed for the booth and café. You get the art supplies for decoration,” he murmured under his breath, handing me back the paper without another utter.
    Then he leaves altogether, leaving me standing in front of the entrance as I lost him to the sea of bystanders.
     I opened the crumpled paper and sighed, carrying my feet on while I head to the stationary department, passing through people without a care.
  Tch. Darn it. Why is he so bossy?
   I finally arrived in front of the stationary store, my eyes trailing from the different types of pen to the colorful range of color pencils and the smell of fresh art materials.
I checked the first thing on my list and it was at least ten pairs of scissors.
Geez. Don’t they have scissors in their house or something?
I sighed, resigning myself despite my rants and headed to where the different types of scissors and its colors were stationed.
     I picked up the sharp ones, stacking them up as I couldn’t care less if they had the same color or design. It’s a scissor for Pete’s sake.
    “Surprising to see you here, Avery.”
“What do you want, Oskar?” I grumbled, not bothering to even look at him as I head to where the cardboards and illustration boards were placed.
   I didn’t even say anything and yet he follows my steps, walking from behind me. I paused, finally batting an eye at him. “What do you want?”
“Well, I’m going to buy an illustration board too,” he looks at me casually. “---it’s for our booth.”
I stepped aside, giving him way to pick up ½ illustration boards as I grabbed myself one too. I ask. “What’s your booth about?”
“You’re interested now, Avery?” he teases.
“Tch. I’m just trying to start a conversation,” I grumbled, wanting to bash the illustration board on his head because he piques me off.
“Hmm. Avery finally becomes sensitive towards other people? That’s rare. What made you realize?” he ponders, looking at me like some interviewee.
“Shut up or I’ll bash your head.”
He shakes his head, making a clicking sound with his tongue. “You’re getting more violent as time passes by. I’m afraid one day you’ll kill me in your sleep.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t go through all that trouble for you,” I snickered, bending down and grabbed the large bottle of glue. “—but I hope I give you nightmares at least.”
“You’re scary.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“I’d rather think it is,” I replied, making my way through the construction paper aisle and he follows without further thought.
“We’re setting up a horror booth,” he finally answers my question, then hands me a handful of markers.
I took it off his hold and placed them on my basket that is overflowing with the supplies. I hope the money given to me would be enough. I’d be embarrassed if I was lacking a dollar.
“Typical,” I uttered.
“Then what’s yours?” he inquired, grabbing a set of paint and then hands me one. “---you need this, right?”
“Thanks, and it’s rather complicated and ambitious that I don’t want to talk about it,” I huffed, standing up from my crouched state, patting my skirt down.
“I still want to know,” he flashed me an innocent smile.
I sighed, narrowing my eyes at him. “A witch booth, café and an auction.”
“That’s really ambitious,” he chuckled. “—a witch booth? Auction? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I’m the witch,” I grumbled, pointing to myself. “—basically, I’m supposed to pretend like I’m some darn witch and give people false supernatural expectations to consult them.”
“I don’t think I understand,” he smiles at me vaguely.
“It’s best if you wouldn’t.”
“Then, the auction?  Do you sell off your used items?”
“No. We auction Tom,” I looked at him seriously and he stared at me for a split second before bursting into fits of laughter.
“That’s amusing.”
“Tell me about it. The winner of the auction would get to be with Tom for a day,” I snickered. “—truly stupid if you ask me. What a waste of money.”
He shrugged, the smile still lingered off his lips. Then he stands up and brushes off his pants with his height towering against me. “You do know how popular Tom is…right? And how he’s always with you?”
He proceeded to place a hand on top of my head and pets me slowly.
I scowled, yanking his hand off, making my already bird nest hair more disheveled. “So you should understand why people would bet all their money for a day with Tom. You wouldn’t understand….since you don’t like him and you’re always with him.”
“Tch. He’s not the only good-looking person in that school,” I snorted. “---I’ll never understand why.”
“That’s because you’re oblivious and unusual.”
“I truly appreciate the compliment.”
“I seriously can’t tell when you’re being sarcastic or not,” he scratched the nape of his neck.
We both head towards the counter as we lined up with other people in front. Looks like it might take a while.
“You’re sarcastic all the time,” he added.
“Isn’t it obvious?” I raised a brow, moving a step forward. “—I breathe sarcasm.”
He sighed. “I see that. That’s not a good trait though.”
I pulled out my tongue. “I don’t care.”
. . .
“You didn’t have to go out of your way to walk me home,” I spoke amid the blaring of cars.
After we both checked out our supplies, Oskar insisted on helping me with the other bag of supplies and snatched it out of my grasp when he got the advantage.
Tom texted me earlier that he had gone home, which was rude, but I couldn’t get mad at him over it.
He smiled, occupied with both plastic bags—not to mention, the illustration boards. “I could just imagine you dropping the bags with the supplies slipping out.”
“Truly kind of you,” I spat, adjusting my hold on the plastic bags.”—to wish for my misery.”
“I did not mean that. I’m trying to be a gentleman here.”
“But thanks anyway,” I added in a much softer tone.
He seems to have heard it, then he flashed me his laidback grin. “You’re welcome. We’re friends, aren’t we?”
I paused in my tracks and he does too. “What do you mean?”
“What?” he tilted his head at me.
“We’re....friends?” I stared at him like he’s an unusual creature.
He sees my expression and chuckles. “Of course, we are silly. I wouldn’t talk to you this casually if we aren’t.”
I stared at the plastic bags in both of my hands and discreetly let out a smile. “Whatever.”
“You always say that but you’re smiling.”
“I don’t need you to tell that for me,” I try to hide the smile that’s forcing itself to break away onto my lips.
He shakes his head. “You don’t need to hold back, you know? It’s alright to show that you’re genuinely happy.”
“It’s embarrassing,” I replied, biting my lip.
“Really? I think you look better when you smile.”
There’s that again. A familiar phrase that someone used to say to me.
“Avery.”
“Yeah?” I shot back a look at him.
“Things haven’t gone well, hasn’t it?” he eyed me intently.
“What do you mean?”
“With you and Tom,” he clarified. “---it’s because of him you’re acting this way, right?”
“You’re getting the wrong idea,” I hastily replied.
“You want to know why he’s acting distant towards you?”
I stiffened, my grasp on the plastic bags started to loosen. I would be lying if I wasn’t curious. That I didn’t want to find the answer to why he’s treating me this way.
“Then go on a date with me tomorrow.”
That’s it. My hold on the plastic bags completely loosened and it fell straight onto the cemented ground.
My heart started to raise while I stare onto his eyes for his other motive.
Yet he stands his ground and says it with conviction. “You’ll find your answers if you go on a date with me.”
It’s as if everything else was numb to me and his voice was the only thing I could hear.
“So, what will you say, Avery?”