Chapter 4 - Spacing out

Almost three months have gone by since Kasey start a new chapter of her life in the Philippines, it has been also almost three months since she transferred to a new school, thus, their sports fest is already coming. And for almost three months of being a student in a new school somehow she got accustomed to its culture, environment, and co-students though she was still adjusting to how she should address her classmates.

Addressing her classmates the same way they did to her was not that easy for her, it was hard for her to change her way of addressing a person especially that she grew up in a culture and family where addressing and using honorifics to address a person is being practiced from childhood but, thanks to Cherry and Denise who helped her to get accustomed and used to Filipino culture.

"Good morning Kasey!" Vincent greeted her cheerfully.

"Ohayo! Vincent-san." Kasey greeted back and in a split second, she realized what she has said. "Ah!, Gomenasai! I mean a-"

Kasey was in a panic as she realized that she greeted the person in front of her in Japanese. But the person in front of her doesn't seem to be bothered at all by the way she greeted him.

Vincent chuckled as he watched how confused and in panic Kasey was.

"She's cute." he thought.

"There you go again," he said as he tried to keep his cool. "It was alright, besides I'm already used to the way you greet us."

"It's embarrassing, it's been months since I came here. I should get used to how I should greet them! it was always either I would speak Japanese or Korean when I greet them." Kasey silently scolded herself.

"By the way Kasey, where are you heading to?" Vincent asked as he turns his head towards the direction where she was headed to. "This wasn't the way to our classroom."

"To the library, I will return these books that I borrowed last week."

"Is that so."

She just nods as a response.

"Then, I'll go first, the first period will start in fifteen minutes, be sure that you won't be late, or else Ms. Eva will scold you."

She just nods again while at the back of her mind she was busy having an argument to herself as to why she doesn't feel afraid nor her body didn't tremble just like her usual reaction whenever she was near a man.

She was occupied with her mini argument with herself when all of a sudden she accidentally tripped.

"Watch out!" Vincent shouted as he pulled her closer to him just before she falls down and rolls like an egg down the stairs. "Be careful okay? Look, you almost rolled down the stairs."

"Thanks," she whispered as she realized how close they are to each other.

Their face was so close into each other that they can now switch their face with each other. Vincent's arm was wrapped around her waist support so that she won't fall backward.

"Eh?!, what's wrong with me, my heart beats so fast, faster than normal a-and my cheeks why do I feel like it was becoming red?"

"What is this, what's happening to me? My body didn't even act this way just like the way I always react when a man touches me."

"Are you really alright?" Vincent asked worriedly. "You're red and you're sweating a lot too. By any chance, do you have a fever?" he continued as he was about to touch her forehead.

"I'm a-alright!" she answered immediately as she releases herself from him.

"Are you sure?" Vincent asked again, confirming and making sure that she was fine.

Of all her guy classmates, it was only Vincent who she became comfortable with. And as much as she dislikes to admit it, ever since that day whenever a guy tries to be close to her or touches her -aside from her family members- she always freaked out and she always starts to feel danger whenever they are near or beside her. She's not like this before but due to certain circumstances, she ended up having this reaction.

"Vincent, what are you doing here?" Nice, ask his friend. "Why are you with her?" he added as he stares at her blankly.

"I just happen to be here before going back to our classroom and Kasey was about to fall down the stairs a while ago so I helped her," Vincent explained

"Heh?~ Is that so." Nice said in a very sarcastic tone.

"Here goes Mr. Poker's face." Kasey secretly whispered as he stares back at him.

"Yeah! That's it. You know what? Let's just go the class was about to start." Vincent said as he wrapped his arm on Nice's shoulder making the latter glare at him. "Kasey we will go first, you must return that book now or else you'll be late."

Vincent reminded her as he dragged Nice with him.

"Argh!" she stomps her feet in irritation as she saw the smug face of Nice who was starring at her proudly while being dragged by Vincent.

For an unknown reason, Kasey always feels irritated whenever Nice was around, maybe because their first encounter was not that good, and ever since they became seatmate Nice never treats her that well compared to his friends. It was like he was always having a bad day, he never talks nicely to her and even to their classmates, he was kinda rude, and snob towards them. It was like he was living in his own world.

"But, when he was with the boys -Vincent, James, Kris, Claude, and Hanz- he kinda looks friendly and warm, he laughs and smiles with them. I can hardly see any trace of the stoic expression that he always wears." Kasey shook her head as the thought of Nice smiling with his friends clearly flash in her mind.

"Kasey are you with us? Kasey?" Cherry calls her continuously as she gently taps her shoulder.

"Huh?" she uttered in confusion.

"Are you alright?" Denise asked worriedly. "You've been like that since the first period, you are spacing out," she added. "Is there any problem?"

"Ha? I'm fine. I'm alright."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm really fine," she assured her. "Let's just go, let's order our food now. Look, Cherry already went ahead of us."

"I must be spacing out way too much today, I haven't even notice that it was already lunch break."

"If you say so." Denise surrendered.

"Sorry, we took too long to get our food." Denise apologized before she sits next to her boyfriend James, while Cherry was beside her boyfriend Kris.

While on the other hand, Kasey chooses to take a seat beside Cherry and Denise, shes in the middle since Denise and Cherry already notice her reaction whenever she was in a place full of people, especially boys, since the first day she came to school.

"It's alright, you didn't even take too long anyway," James replied as he pushed the can of juice beside Denise's plate.

"Guys, no one will disappear later, okay?" Cherry reminded them. "We need to prepare our booth, remember our school fest will be held next week," she added while chewing her food. "We must get the first place in booth competition."

"School fest huh? everyone was busy practicing for the sports competition while the other students were busy preparing for their booths."

"I didn't know that they also held this kind of events here. It's a good thing that I'm very familiar with this kind of event, preparing for the festival is fun after all, but, this was a bit different from what we had in Japan." Kasey thought as she lazily chews her food.

"But, we need to practice and train for the sports we are participating at." Hanz reminded Cherry. "Remember we are also a varsity member." he proudly added.

"We can only help you all after our practice," Claude suggested.

"But, how about us? Didn't we also need to train for the sports we are competing at?" Denise resented as she stares at the boys as if she was ready to throw knives towards them if she just has one.

"That's enough." I cut them off before this topic turns into a big argument. "We have no choice, we who were not going to participate in any sports will handle and manage our booth. And for you, who will join the sports competition should focus on your sports, just leave to us the booth."

"You won't be participating in any sports, Kasey?" Kris suddenly asks.

"I can't, even though I want to," she answered in a sad voice.

"Why?" it was James this time.

"I have an injury on my right foot, my bone fracture was not that yet fully healed."

"But, it's alright, there are still other activities that I could join and participate in, like table tennis or archery, besides we don't have enough personnel to manage and decorate our booth," she explained as she saw the worried faces of her friends except for one person who was busy munching and stuffing his mouth with his food.

They all heaved a sigh of relief as they heard her explanation.

After their class that same day Kasey was left alone with her classmates who were

not going to participate in any sports.

"Kasey we will be heading out first, but I promise that as soon as the practice ended we will come back to help all of you here. Okay?" Cherry said with enthusiasm.

"It's alright," Kasey assured her despite her nervousness.

She starts to feel her body trembling in fear of being left alone with strangers. Though their classmates are not that strangers anymore, it was just that she never spoke that much with any one of them since she was always with Denise and Cherry.

"You should go now or else your coaches will scold you for being late!" our class president yelled.

Then after they leave for practice they already began their meeting on how they will make and turn their classroom into a cafe. Their class chose a butler and maid-themed cafe set in the late 1930's. Kasey agrees with the theme and motif that their group has chosen for the cafe, but she strongly disagrees with their choice of making her their leader, making her lead the team. But no matter how much she disagrees with their idea she still ends up being the leader and she has no choice since it was only her versus her classmates.

Kasey heaved a sigh as she surrendered. "Okay, since our class choose maid and butler cafe." she started as she stood up in front of her classmates. "First of all we need a few sets of maid and butler attire as our costume," she added as she began writing on the blackboard so that they could write it down.

"We also need a few set of table cloth para for the tables, utensils, art materials for the decorations." she continued. "And most of all we need to make a menu for the cafe, most importantly we need enough money to make this cafe work, especially for our menu," she explained. "We need to buy the ingredients we needed for the pastries or any dishes we will serve," she explained to them.

"Uhmm… Kasey." one of her classmates called her, raising her hand. "For the money why don't we ask for a certain amount of money as a contribution from everyone in our class ?" she suggested.

Kasey smiled at her classmate's idea.

"Good idea!" she agreed. "And then for the menu, why don't we bake some cookies and mini cakes, then we will have a few variations of coffee, juice, and milkshakes for the beverages since it was a cafe."

"Great!, and for our costumes why don't we rent them instead of buying them?"

"I agree with that, and then I'll be the one in charge of the table cloth and utensils so that we don't have to rent the utensils." Kasey agreed to her classmate's ideas.

"All there left is the decoration and the cooking, does anyone here knows how to bake and brew coffee?" Kasey asks them, as a few of them raise their hands up.

"I guess that's enough," she mumbled.

"Kasey, why don't we look for the ingredients we will need also the decorations and costumes so we can sum up the amount we will need." their class president suggested.

"Okay." she immediately agrees. "Let's all look for it now so we can compute how much contribution from each we will be needing."

After they finalize their menu they immediately left their classroom to go to the nearby supermarket and shopping district to find a rental shop for their costumes.

"Guys," Kasey called out to her classmates as they walk past the quadrangle they walk towards their school gate. "Guys, you can go ahead first, I will be heading first to Denise and Cherry," she informed them.

"Okay, we will wait for you then at the front gate." Eli, one of her classmates said.

She just nods at her as she hastens her pace towards the field where Cherry and Denise are busy practicing volleyball while on the other side the boys are with their practicing basketball.

"Kasey, what are you doing here?" Cherry asked her as soon as Cherry saw her.

"Ah… I just want to inform you that I and the rest of the class are going to find some rental shops for our costumes and to look for some ingredients we will need for the menu of our cafe."

"Is that so, then, I promise we will help our class tomorrow in preparing for the booth," Denise assured her as she passes her bottled water to Cherry.

"Take care, okay?" Cherry said.

Kasey just smiles at them as a reply. "The two of you should take care too, you shouldn't get injured since the competition is coming."

"Kasey! watch out!" Cloud shouted and then in a blink of an eye, Kasey fall to the ground as she feels the pain in her forehead.

"Itai~" Kasey murmured.

'My butt was already in pain from falling down and then my forehead too? My arm was in pain too.'

"Are you alright Kasey?" Cherry and Denise asked worriedly.

"Oh my god! Your forehead is bleeding!" Cherry shouted as she saw the blood.

"We're sorry." Hanz apologized as he ran towards them.

"Let's go to the clinic, your wounds need to be cleaned," James stated.

'So that's why he was missing in action earlier, he was here cheering for his girl.' Kasey thought as she saw James standing in front of her.

"It's not needed. I'm alright. I'm fine." Kasey said as she slowly stands up straight and pats her skirt to remove the dust and dirt.

"Ouch!" Kasey suddenly shouted in pain because there's a person named Nice who suddenly touch the wound on her forehead and her arm.

"Nice why did you do that?" their friends said in the chorus as their eyes widen because of what he did.

"To make sure if she's alright," he answered as if what he did doesn't hurt at all.

"But I already said that I'm alright, I'm fine. Besides, our classmates were waiting for me, so I'm going now." Kasey insisted.

"No, we are going to the clinic, Vincent you go there and tell them that Kasey won't make it, explain it to them." Nice insisted as he grabs her hand and began dragging her towards the clinic.

"Okay," Vincent responded.

"Tsk. Who is he to order people around, he is acting like an old man." Kasey complained while her stare was glued to their hands.

"Huh? I'm not shivering? I'm not panicking? Why? Nice was a guy? Then, why am I not having a reaction just like what I have to others? Why do my body and mind react the same way I did with my brother and grandfather?" Kasey asked herself as she notices that she didn't panic even a little when Nice grab her and drag her as if she was just nothing.