Encounter

I wanted to go to… I don’t know may be New York, LA or just somewhere with big platforms, and opportunities. I mean, I know that San Francisco is also a nice place but I ways wanted to go somewhere else and start something big. But I could never decide what I precisely wanted to do. There were so many teens starting their own companies, doing activities online, becoming famous, rich, or doing something incredible.

And I was there, just reading text books, finding the value of x, doing home works and sitting for exams. I was not doing anything extraordinary, no big idea, no huge financial capability, no possible great future, nothing. I felt so damn worthless as a human being living on this planet. I was fed up. I was depressed. And that god damn Don Augusten hadn’t showed up since the last couple of weeks. I mean, his absence is not the reason why I’m so upset with myself. Believe me, I have hundreds of reasons why I hate my life. It’s just that… I actually have no clue why did I even mentioned him in the mid of all these mess. What do I have to do with him anyway?

The bus came to a halt in front of the school building. As I stepped out, my feet were pressed against the fresh and soft green grasses. And I could smell the morning air, fresh and cool.

“A beautiful start of another messed up annoying day” I said to myself.

I was not having a nice face. Obviously I wasn’t smiling. Who wants to look like an over optimistic hyperactive dumbass early in the morning? Well, at least not me. It’s for certain, that I was not having a plain face. I must be frowning. But suddenly something caught my eyes and triggered my adrenaline gland to release its hormone. I wasn’t very nervous or excited but I had a strong desire to walk up to that black truck which was parked on the other end of the ground. The frown had disappeared like a soft puff of smoke vanishing in thin air and something else took its place. There was a smile on my face, involuntary to my senses, making me look like an over optimistic hyperactive dumbass early in the morning. But what could I do? I was subconsciously compelled.

I was blindly walking towards Don Augusten’s truck. Certainly, I was not going to talk to him. Not after the incident that happened back in fourth grade. He had written me a love letter and I trying to be a good girl took it straight to the principal who gave him a day’s detention followed a parent’s call the very next day. So, seriously, I won’t be walking up to him and talk even in my wildest dream. For some crazy uncertainty all I wanted to do was just walk pass, ignoring him like an age restriction warning on the internet.

Well, I had crossed more than half the distance when I noticed the door of the truck got open and someone stepped out of it. I couldn’t see the face as the vehicle was parked facing the other side. It was someone dressed in black, someone with a tall figure.

“Holy Shit! He is turning back!” my adrenaline got fired up like a space rocket. I kept walking faster and faster, and BANG!

Something hit me hard on my head. Like a big rock, or was it seriously one? I must have fallen on the ground as I can remember feeling the dew soaked grasses on the bare skin of the left side of my face. Things were all blank white. All I could hear was a very disturbing high pitch echo almost tearing through my eardrum. Damn! It was painful! I hardly understood a single thing that was going on.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was at the infirmary with an ice pack on my head and cotton on my nose.

“Oh, you are up. How are you feeling now?” asked the nurse.

“Ahh… I’m okay. My head… It kinda hurts” I replied.

“You were hit by a soccer ball on the right side of your head and you were bleeding through your nose. Augusten rushed you here at the right time otherwise things could have gotten serious. But don’t worry, you’ll be fine now”

“Don!” and that was the only thing that I could pronounce at that moment. My breath was choked and my brain was blocked. It felt like a strong magnetic wave was dancing within my nerves and disintegrating my senses bit by bit like a malicious virus. And my heart beat like a funeral drum marching towards the grave. Yes, I was fine.

“He is waiting outside. He missed a class for you”

“…”

I replied her in silence. She knew that I had to go but she didn’t expect me to stand up at once and try to walk out of the door. I lost my balance and was falling face down on the white marble. But suddenly, I didn’t go any further. There was a hard grip on my right hand. I stayed suspended in mid-air for a couple of seconds and after a sudden forceful pull, I was standing. I was okay but… when I had a better look around, to my utter shock I found myself standing right in front of Don Augusten!

I reached just above his chest. He was wearing a black formal shirt with rolled up sleeves and a pair of lightly fitted black formal trousers completed with a pair of polished black derby lace up shoes. We were hardly a couple of inches apart from each other. My delicate nostrils were pleasantly intoxicated by his hard cologne and the air mixed with his sweat which was still fresh and visible through his bared naked skin just below his sculpted neck. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I just stood there frozen up. For some reason, my heart didn’t want to move away from where I was. It didn’t want to break the intangible connection which was developing completely out of my consciousness. I had convinced myself that all I could do was nothing. In a way, I wanted it to last long.

“Please, watch your step young lady” was what I heard in a husky manly tone in Don’s British accent. He released his grip from my right hand and he asked:

“May I?”

I just nodded slightly.

“Thank you” he said.

And then I realised that I just gave him the permission to hold my shoulder and help me walk up to the classroom! I felt like… To be honest, I truly don’t know how I shall put that sensation or feeling into words. But whatever it was, it was terrifyingly pleasant and was for the very first time that I felt it. On that day, Don Augusten became the first guy to ever hold me.

Though we were walking as one with his hand on my shoulder and another on my arms, I could not believe that it was not delusional. But I was not in a proper position to speak. My nerves were too involuntary for such a complex function to be carried out.

As we were about to walk pass the washroom, I gathered all my strength and pointed towards it like a pampered little girl who haven’t yet learned to speak. He understood me.

“Be careful” he said.

“Mmm…” that’s all I could reply. I went inside the washroom and splashed cold water on my face over the sink and looked at the wide mirror.

“So, this is really happening. I’m walking with Don Augusten. Stelina Winslet, you are so dead” I whispered to myself inside the girl’s washroom. I couldn’t imagine what could possible happen because what that was already happening had exceeded the stratosphere of my imagination. I couldn’t think of anything else. I walked towards the door. I knew I would be helpless the moment I step out.

“Please, let him be gone” a part me of wished while another me was dying out of waiting for his touch.

I put my right hand on the iron lock holder, took a deep breath and pull it open. No one was there.

“Well, he is gone” I took another deep breath but not as heavy as the one I took before. I was somehow relieved but also kind of upset with the fact that he didn’t wait for me. But then again, why Don Augusten would wait for some girl like me?

“Shall, we?”

My eyes froze inside its sockets and so was my neck including everything that passes through it when the familiar captivating voice vibrated through my eardrum. I turned my entire body on the left side of the corridor. He was there reading the notice board with his hands in his trousers’ pockets. He wasn’t even faced towards my direction when he had pronounced those words. What a jerk!

“Yes” I said.

No sooner did I complete my answer, he turned around, and walked straight up to me with his eyes fixed on mine. He took my right hand and said, “Come on, the second period has already started”

“Oh, then we must hurry!” I said, preparing myself if the unpredictable gentleman would ask me to run by any chance.

“No, it’s okay. I will take care of it. We can just walk” he replied with a tone of ease.

“Okay” I answered in a rather doubtful tone.

What the hell did he mean by saying that he would take care of it? I wanted an explanation. But the son of a gun didn’t give a damn to my doubtful gaze. I just walked along with him. Although he was holding my hand, his hands were no more on my shoulder. I was actually missing it.

“So, are you feeling any better?” he asked as we were walking at a pace.

“Yeah, I’m okay” I replied. But then something seemed to be missing. I just remember that this jerk has a gentleman’s demeanour and it’s not very polite to answer such question without a thank you at the end.

“Thank you” I added after an awkward gap since my last words. I felt stupid.

“Welcome” and that’s all he somewhat whispered in reply which I found to be not very much likely of a gentleman.

“May I please come in ma’am?” was what I heard out of nowhere just beside my ear and suddenly we were in front of our classroom.

“Oh Mr. Augusten! You are late. Come on in!” replied Miss Sophia.

On that moment, I understood what he meant by “I will take care of it”. Miss Sophia was one of the female teachers with whom Don would usually play around with his sugary yet, elegant words and appreciate them of their wonderful teaching method and their pretty dresses, flattering them to the uttermost. And he would do this whenever he liked and they would flash back a smile at him and answer in such a nice way as if they’re trying to please him back.

She was our English teacher, must be in her late twenties, with long black hair, and hazel eyes behind her narrow and thin glasses. She was wearing a formal white shirt with a sky blue fitted skirt reaching just below her knees and a pair of black shoes.

“Thank you Miss! And I must say that you’re looking somewhat more beautiful today!”

“Oh, thank you Augusten! You never fail to appreciate people, do you?” She replied with a smile almost showing her teeth.

See? I told you. Don Augusten knows how to pull the strings.

And that bitch didn’t even care to look at me. I felt like a completely invisible useless piece of crap placed beside the most precious and treasured gem. I chose to walk away to the last row to stay just by myself. But as my hand was slipping away of him palm and fingers, he suddenly tightened his grip on it. I turned back. He looked right into my eyes and said –

“Stelina, may I sit with you?”

Heyya ladies and gentlemen! Thank you so much for reading my story. 

Don’t forget to share it among your friends if you like it.

Every single one of you are very important to me. You are the reason that makes me write. And the 3rd chapter will be out very soon. May be even before the end of this week.

Yours very sincerely

Hansen Ng aka IntangibleSense