Chapter 2

His hand found its way to his phone to snooze his alarm again. He flinched with his eyes still closed. 'What time was it?' 'How many times have I snoozed my alarm?' He finally managed to open his eyes and saw his room being lit by the morning sunshine. He realised how late he was. He rolled himself out of bed and fell on the floor, before picking himself up and running into the showers. His loud stomping feet disturbed his mother's peaceful sleep and wake her up. He spent less than thirty seconds in the showers, where he washed his body and brushed his teeth at the same time. He ran naked from the toilet into his room and quickly put on his uniform.

His mother finally stepped out of her room when Zayn was about to leave for school. "I'll call you when I'm heading back home!" He shouted as he finally put on his shoes, ready to sprint to the station.

He felt the morning breeze fingered his hair as he sprinted with all his might to the station. He dodged to the right and the left along the pathway, avoiding slow-walking pedestrians and cyclists around him. Not long after, he managed to tap into the station and walked up to the platform. He stepped away from the escalators and put his hands on his knees, panting hard as ever. He probably should have taken his running practices during physical education lessons seriously; he could have had his morning better.

Slowly, he got up and walked his way to the platform on the right. Checking the time on the phone he took out, he was glad he would be able to take the next train that will save him from the student councillors. He sighed in relief. 'I should do my best in waking up when the alarm rings.' The time was ten past seven, as seen on his watch.

Zayn did not bring his earbuds so he was not able to listen to music that morning. He admired the beauty of the city that was awakened by the sunlight that illuminated it. It felt as though the city was brought to life, with a flock of birds flying around and several cars speeding on the roads. It has been a while since Zayn had listened to the city's sounds instead of usually listening to his favourite pieces of music. Slowly looking around from right to somewhat in the left, there he saw a girl, elegantly waiting for the train under the morning light. Her hair was blown by a strong wind and her skirt was fluttering as if holding on tightly to her. She was standing a few metres away on the same platform as Zayn.

'Why is she wearing my school's uniform,' Zayn had thought. He was not mistaken; even the badge on her shirt was the same as his.

Zayn continued looking at her as if she was a sight to behold. She was as normal as any other girl in the city. Decently dressed with medium-length hair tied into a ponytail and a cute character keychain attached to her school bag, it was just like what any other girl would consider as fashion and trend those days. Zayn was greatly surprised because over the hundred times he had seen her, this is the first time Zayn had seen her in his school's uniform. She could have just transferred to his school or she finally took the train for the first time, but it would be embarrassing for him if she had been a student from the school since the beginning and it was him who had not noticed it.

Zayn flinched as soon as he realised he was staring a little bit too much. But it was a bit too late for him to turn away. The girl noticed Zayn looking at her and gave a stern look at him before rolling her eyes and looking away. Zayn anxiously turned to face the rising sun, looking away from her. He flinched at the thought of her marking him as a creep and probably start gossiping to her friends about some untidy looking guy who was staring at her. He shook his head to get rid of that thought before preparing for the arrival of the train. As usual, Zayn would enter and head to the opposite doors to lean on. Zayn fidgeted, tapping his feet on the train floor as he restlessly rode the train to the sixth station on the system. The sixth station is the closest station to his school, and about a ten-minute ride from the station close to his home, the second station.

The train car was crowded around that time, so Zayn could not turn around to look through the train windows. It was also another reason why Zayn would usually take the trains before seven in the morning. Trains before seven a.m. would be less crowded than the train he was riding than. He sighed as he mentally prepared himself for the day in school on the train ride.

When he tapped out of the station gantry to walk a few hundred metres to school, he can't help but feel uncomfortable. He knew he should not have stared but her presence was laying a guilt trip on him. Both Zayn and the girl he creepily stared at were heading in the same direction to the school. 'She can't be following me, can she?' 'Is she still mad at me?' 'Does she wants to talk to me?' Thoughts flooded Zayn's mind during that five-minute peaceful but awkward walk.

As they walked for almost five minutes, Zayn saw several vending machines close to the pedestrian crossing. He quickened his pace to head to one of those machines, intending to let the girl walk ahead first. His hands scrambled in his pocket for some coins he could find. 'Hopefully, she would walk ahead of me first. The awkwardness is unbearable.' He walked slightly to the left, slowing down and counting the coins he had in his hands. He looked up to see the choices of drinks the machine was offering. As he was about to press on the button for the milk coffee bottled drink, he heard footsteps. Although he thought they were footsteps, it was rather a foot of a person tapping.

'Is the person waiting for me to go? I better get my drink quick.'

The bottle dropped from inside the machine to the small opening at the bottom. Zayn quickly squatted down to retrieve his two-dollar drink. Standing up and turning to get back on the path, he was startled to see the same elegant waiting for him to move away. Their eyes met for a millisecond before Zayn excused himself and walk quickly to school. It took him less than another five minutes to reach the school.

He stepped into the classroom, which was at storey four of the upper secondary building. He waved to Kim, his best friend since the middle of secondary school, the moment he saw him. Both of them have had a strong friendship for more than five years now. They both are inseparable; whatever trouble one of them makes, the other was sure to be involved.

"Yo, Zayn! Wassup?" Kim shouted across the classroom, getting attention from other classmates in class.

"Do you always have to shout?" Zayn sarcastically shouted back at him.

Zayn pulled his chair next to Kim's and sat down after placing his schoolbag and a bottled drink. The both of them slapped each other's hand with the palm first before the back of their hands and ultimately grabbed the other's hand. It was their friendship-long handshake.

"How was the break?" Kim asked him as he leaned forward, eager to hear something interesting, at the very least.

"Nothing much; I made some song in my free time- wait. Didn't we have this conversation yesterday?" Zayn looked at Kim, puzzled.

"It's a tradition or whatever. The basic conversation starter when school reopens," Kim leaned back on his chair. Zayn smacked Kim's head upon hearing his ridiculous explanation.

Zayn checked the time on his phone secretly. It was a rule that students are banned from using their phones in class to promote a healthier learning environment. But of course, the students were as rebellious as always, choosing not to abide by such simple rules.

Zayn looked around his new classroom. He was going to be a Secondary three student from then on, and he was no longer in his older classroom. The classrooms in the upper secondary block looked older and worn down, unlike the clean and tidy ones in the lower secondary block.

Slowly, he turned around, looking at the interiors of the class and the faces of his new classmates. Some of them he has already acquainted, while some have still yet to be introduced. Zayn muttered to himself, "He's from 2-1... she's from 2-4... he's 2-2..."

He abruptly stopped. His hands gripped the top of the chair hard. He was in disbelief regarding whom he saw in that very classroom. Still facing the same direction. Zayn smacked Kim to get his attention.

"Yeah- wai- WHAT?" Kim got irritated for a second.

"One o'clock"

"What?"

"Front of the class, idiot! Next to the door!"

"Alright, chill!"

"You see that bag... is that keychain some kind of anime character?"

"Umm... I think so?"

"Crap."

"Why?"

Zayn leaned back against his chair, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He wouldn't want to be known as a creep gazer, and neither did he want Kim to make fun of him for the rest of his life. Before he could do anything, a middle-aged lady, who should be that class's form teacher, walked in. Kim gave a very puzzled look.

The teacher quickly placed the papers in her hand onto the table and moved to the centre front of the classroom as she tried to get the class's attention. She introduced herself as Ms June, a teacher who primarily teaches biology. Listening intently, Zayn understood that she had been teaching for almost five years in this school, and she looks forward to becoming a form teacher for the first time. Even though it wasn't the first time Zayn was under the care of Ms June, it was the first time he learnt more about her.

Fast forward ten minutes later, after sharing her background and expectations, Ms June finally said the phrase the whole class was waiting for. "Alright. So now we shall arrange your seats in this class."

The class murmured, whispering to their friends and table mate. 'I hope we get to seat there,' 'Do you think she will let us seat together?' Ms June started calling out names from the name list she picked on the table and sorted the seating arrangement in no time.

However, Zayn was distracted. He was hoping that the girl would not bring this morning's platform incident to anyone and that they could start anew, forgetting that incident. Ms June's voice calling out four more names, including his, distracted him from his worries.

"Kim Toh, Amilia Sara, Zayn Iman and Hana Mika; please take the four seats next to the back doors. Those two columns and from the last two rows, please." Zayn turned to face the seats the four of the students which included himself were assigned to.

"Well, let's go," Kim picked up his bag from the floor and headed to the last two seats at the corner. Zayn quickly followed suit.

As he dragged the chair of the table he was about to sit at, he looked forward, looking at her. Their eyes met, shocked to see each other.

It was her. The train girl. The elegant and charming girl gave a death-threatening look at me this morning. Amilia Sara.