Trembling hearts

*Alastair *

Staring at the phone, in my hand, the screen reflected my elated face on it. I glance at the picture of the girl, beside the sign-ENDED, as I mumble, "Yes she is," caressing the photo of the girl, I say, "Special."

Remembering her cute response earlier-and what she said to me was-spectacularly heart touching.

....

Earlier

"Bye," I said to her, but I didn't end the call,, maybe I didn't want to. That's when she suddenly yells out, "Wait!"

"Why?" I ask her. She goes silent for seconds, before saying, "I want to say something,"

"What is it?" I ask her, and wait, for her response, in a little anticipation. And Lisa, being the classic Lisa, she was, says to me, "I miss you too"

....

"Hey," Olivia came closer as she said to me, with a smirk, "Who was she?"

"No one," I tell her switching my phone off I shove it inside my jeans pocket. "Ooho-so she is the one?"

"What-the one?" Olive asks, coming closer to his cousin, he says to her, "Hey crack head, who are you talking about?"

"None of your business, quack." She tells him. "Ahh, these two," I rub my forehead, looking at the two grown-kids fighting like three-year-olds.

"Our guy has gotten a girl!" Peye comes and chimes everyone in. "Ah-no nothing like that," I say, as I look at everyone around me. "It's just-"

"Say it. Say it" Olivia teases, as others peek at me. "It was Lisa."

"Oh, my goodness-Lisa!!!" Peye exclaimed, "The Lisa-you had written about before?!"

"What-what did I write, about before?" I squint my eyes at him. "Nothing, nothing." He flares his hands off, but I know he knew something, I'd not want him to know. "Gosh-Peye!" I shout at him, as I chase after him.

***

Opening the door, I face Mrs Pepcer, glancing at me in a scrutinizing manner. Showing her a sad smile I walk her way. "What is it, Lisa?" she asks me with her brisk country accent, the minute I came close to her, desk.

"Hah-" I sigh as I place the telephone onto the table. Turning to her, I say, with dejected eyes, "Her health is quite serious." And I saw her eyes, widening up, in horror, with each sentence I say, "She is hospitalized now-I-I can't say more, please just pray for her, so that she gets well, soon."

"Yes yes, sure I would." She says to me, in a rather commiserating manner, as I turn around and walk out, out of the room.

"Ah-that was such a close call," I whisper to myself.

...….

In the Cafeteria

I can hear, all sorts of gossip rattling, forks and plates 'fishing' against one another, as I near the table, the other kids are sitting in.

"Hey," Maria says, as I slump onto the seat beside her. "You alright? Everything fine, at home?"

I look at my two other BFFs and wonder how different it is without Alastair. "Yeah I am fine," I tell them.

"So, who called?" Lucas asks. "Argh" I sighed in frustration, as I imagined that guy's husky, smirking face.

"Who was it?" Eyeing my reaction, Maria says. "Take a guess," I tiredly look at them both, as I pick my spoon and start shoving the food into my mouth. "No way-" Maria exclaims.

"That bastard-" Lucas mumbles.

"Yup guys-" I look at them both, and say "You both are right."

"Well, how is he and how did he suddenly remember you, and then call you on the school's telephone?!"

I look at them both, and say, "He didn't have any special reasons to call. But" remembering what he had said, when I had asked him, the reason for calling me, through the school's land phone, I say to them, "He said, he misses me."

SILENCE

Both of them, look like they'd suddenly been frozen in time. Maria looks like she had gone into a deep slump.

And Lucas-he seemed to be having similar yet different reactions. He seemed to have a demeanour, that would love to ridicule and strangle Alastair, for causing such a fit, out of nothing.

"He could have just normally given a call," Maria says, before whispering to herself, which both I and Lucas were able to hear anyway, "why did he have to make you go through so much trouble?"

"He would have 'normally' called, if he was a 'normal' person, himself," Lucas mutters.

"He said that he'll call later on, again."

"He better do," Lucas muttered. "Yes" and Maria agreed with him.

Lucas then glanced at me and then the clock before saying, "Lisa, you'll need to hurry up, our class will be starting in five minutes."

Maria glares at him, and says, "So what? She couldn't eat, Lucas. That too because of our stupid friend, so, we'll stay with her, and wait until she finishes eating." Turning towards me, she says, "Eat slowly, it's alright. We'll see, what happens if we come to class, five minutes late."

...

Unlike what, Maria had said, we didn't have to come to class, late at all. All thanks to me chugging and swigging my shake, and bolting all the carrots, curry, and some other carbs.

However, something really strange happened as we all settle down on our seats, ready for the next class. But, instead of our Biology teacher, Mr Wagner, someone else, enters the room.

"Wow-will he teach me biology? If he does, I'd love to be his student!"

"Who wouldn't want such a handsome daredevil, as a mentor?"

"Ah-such a beefcake!"

The girls, start whispering among themselves. Some of them peek through the window squealing, and the others enthusiastic screams as they settle themselves onto their respective seats.

"So dapper!"

"Bodacious! A marvellous piece of God's artwork!"

'Beefcake?! Bodacious! Dapper!' I feel an urge to puke hearing all sorts of compliments towards the so-called, 'handsome hunk guy' who uninvitedly enters our classroom.

I glance at the door and back at the kids. They both shrug, in response. And like me, they have no idea, what the others are talking about.

But we understand it soon, as the blond-haired vigorous guy enters our classroom. "Woah-" silent hoots whine from the girls, in the classroom.

The guy standing in front of the classroom was the one everyone was cheering about.

He was a tall, lean and muscular man, with short blond hair. His hair shined, and looked like wheat, to me. "Hello everybody." He speaks with a seductive, husky voice.

His emerald green eyes shine, as he continued "I am Jacob, and I'll be instructing you on how to ACT, in dramas."

"Like in real dramas?" someone from the back, asks. The guy, Jacob nods his head and says, "Yes. You'll be prepared by me, professionally." He glanced at all the students, as he addressed them all by saying, "Inquisitive students are requested to submit their names, to Mrs Pepcer, please."

"Any questions, anyone?" He asks, skimming through us all. 'Why isn't anyone saying anything?' I wonder, looking around, me. All the kids were staring at the guy, looking like-a creep! 'Seriously, these guys embarrass me so much-'

"No sir," I say to him raising my hand, helpless as everyone else is more interested in ogling at him. He smiles at me, in response and says, "Good then."

All of a sudden I had a thought and I thought to myself, 'Why not ask him, about it. He is the teacher, so he'll know.'

"Sir," I say to him, lifting my hand. "Yes, please." He says, gesturing at me. "How much will we have to pay, for these classes?"

Hearing what I just said, both he and our principal, broke into a giant smile, especially he did. "You are-" he says, looking at me, "Highly conceptual."

The principal smiles as he adds to the guy's statement, "Yes, she is quite visionary."

'Are they talking about me?!'

Clearing his throat, the guy-no, Jacob, smiles looking at me as he says, "These classes are provided for free. You won't have to spend a single cent, to be a part of it."

.....

"Dude-saw him?!" Maria exclaims, as I write the last paragraph of the biology lecture note, I've noted in class.

Lucas stands beside me, with his backpack, clean and nit on his back. "He is such a cool one," Maria kept on beaming.

"Hah-" I say nothing else, rather than giggles.

"What do you see in him, Maria? He is just a flat-showoff dude." Lucas says in a gruff tone. 'What is he angry about, now?'

"Why not? He has everything to crush on him, about" Maria says, dramatically, adding, "He is a tall, tough, strapping, handsome alpha male."

"Maria!" I giggle at her funny remarks, about our new mentor. "What-why are you laughing?"

Lucas also broke into a handsome chuckle. "What the-man, you too?!" She looks at Lucas and says in disappointment, "Well, regardless he is a sturdy, substantial guy."

"Substantial?!" I look at Lucas, and he looks back at me too saying, "Sturdy?!". "Pftt-Maria!" I giggle, along with Lucas, who was chuckling crazy hard at the sweet, adorably crazy friend we both share.

In the end, we all break down in laughter. Looking at the two kids, I say between my giggles, "So-are you guys joining?"

"I am, maybe," Maria says to me. "And Luc, you?" I turn to him, as he shrugs an I-am-not-sure look.

"But it is for free and they offer proficient teaching-so" I shrug as I look at them both, "Why not?"