Chapter 18: Plans

Marina's plan includes me falling in front of Brian and act like my foot broke.

"What's that gonna do?" I ask.

"That will show if he cares for you or not."

"How does that-"

"I saw it in a serial and the guy actually confessed right there when she fell."

"He confessed when she fell?" I say, a mix of confusion and shock in my tone.

"Yes, romantic right?"

"Very." I say sarcastically.

"Let's try it." She grabs my hand and walks towards the class.

Students from different classes are sitting in our classroom, some people are sitting on the table some on the floor and some on the chair. They're are no teachers here as today was the competition so the last three periods we will just prepare for tomorrow, basically meaning we won't do anything.

"He's there." Marina whispers as we stood leaning against a wall looking at Brian. "Walk and trip and then act like you got badly hurt."

"Marina that's risky."

"Go on i'll support you."

I sigh and start walking towards Brian and walk back to Marina.

"I can't do this, everyone is sitting there not just Brian, what if they start laughing at me instead of helping?"

"Lia, just do it."

After several minutes I walk and 'trip'.

"Ah, my han- foot." I scratched my hand on the chair while acting to fall but I had to say foot according to the plan.

"Lia! Are you ok?" Brian rapidly walks to me.

"My uh foot is- it's-" Damn it, I will end up laughing.

"Can you move it?"

"Huh?" I look at him then at my foot and move it a bit. "Not really."

"Oh my god! Lia! did you trip? how? you should be careful, does it really hurt?" Marina acts, dramatic I must say.

"Oh no?! did you break your foot?" Alex says acting concerned. "That's what you get for breaking my heart."

I should upload an article for him 'joker lost, kindly take it back to it's circus.'

"Step back." Hazen says to Alex.

He looks at me and suddenly picks me up.

Brian looks at him with shock.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking you to the nurse."

I knew this plan would fail.

He walks out as we reach to the stairs seeing that no one is around I squirm slightly.

"Put me down."

"You're badly injured, I can't."

Was he being sarcastic?

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I am not. I was just acting."

"Acting?" He acts surprised.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Just put me down."

"As your classmate it's my responsibility to take you to the nurse at least."

"I just told you that I was acting, I don't need to go to the nurse."

"We're almost there."

"Hazen put me down." I wiggle around.

"Careful, we'll both fall, do you want an actual injury?"

"Are you putting me down or I will-"

"Bite me?"

I pause and think.

"Yes."

"Great."

"Great? I actually will."

"Go on, do whatever you want, i'm all yours."

He is too sarcastic.

"Why did you have to ruin the plan?" I mumble to myself.

He looks at me holding his smile back.

"You're so annoying, did I ever tell you that?"

"That's all you tell me everyday."

"And you still annoy me."

"I don't, you just get annoyed to easily specially by me." He puts me down on the bench. "Let me see."

"Weren't we going to the nurse?"

"Didn't you say you don't need to?" He puts his hand forward. "Now, let me see."

"See what? I told you I didn't get hurt."

"Yeah?" He grabs my hand that was scratched. "What's this?"

"My hand."

And you win the award for the most dumbest answer ever.

"No way, I thought it was your leg."

He baths in sarcasm for sure.

"Sit here and wait." He says getting up and walking away.

"What's wrong with this guy?"

He comes back after a while. Grabbing my hand he kneels on the floor. Is this what Marina was talking about? she said Brian would confess after I fall but here Hazen looks like he is about to propose me.

He starts applying a pain relief cream on the scratch.

"Oh."

"You're supposed to say 'ah'."

"Huh?"

"No, 'ah'."

"What? why would I say that?"

"Isn't that a normal reaction? when a cream stings a scratch or wound that's what comes out of a normal human being's mouth."

"Thanks for letting me know, I was born yesterday actually." Sarcasm comes out again.

He chuckles.

"Done." He says.

I get up and walk towards the stairs.

"Won't thank me?

I stop and look back.

"Thanks." I fake smile.

I definitely looked like Annabelle.

In class

I walk almost stomp towards the class.

"Are you ok now?" Brian says looking concerned.

Oh fuck- what do I say? that I was acting to see how much you care for me?

I look at Marina hoping she would help. She walks to me.

"Uh Lia-" She stops to think. "Your hand! omg!" She hold my hand, is she trying to distract them from my foot?

"Oh? when did this happen?" Brian says.

"When I fell, it's just a scratch."

"Didn't your foot 'break'?" Alex says.

I am so close to kung fu-ing this guy.

"As you can see Alex, it didn't break." I say politely with a mix of annoyance.

"The good thing is that you're alright and that's all that matters, right?" Marina says trying to change the topic as she hold my arm and walks to the other side.

"That was very cute." Marina whispers.

"Cute?" I whisper back.

"Hazen picking you up, you should've seen Laila's reaction as soon as you left she started badmouthing about you with other girls."

I squint my eyes listening closely.

"Did she?"

"Yes. By the way, did he put this bandage?" Marina asks.

I nod.

She smiles evilly.

"What?" I say moving my head away, why is she scaring me?

"I thought of a new plan."

I walk away.

"Wait!" She grabs my shirt pulling me back. "Listen to it first-"

"No way."

"Lia, this one is 100% proof."

"Is it Hazenproof?"

"No, he'll play a big part in this plan."

"Hell no." I walk away and she grabs me again. "Marina, I won't be in your stupid plan again."

"I'm sure this one definitely will make him confess."

"I'm not that desperate for a confession."

She gives me the puppy eyes.

"Don't, you look even scarier."

"Lia, come one please?" She says almost whining.

10 minutes later

Marina follows me everywhere.

"Lia, listen to it first you'll definitely thank me later when you get married to him."

"I don't want to marry now."

"You don't want to marry Brian?"

"I just have a crush on him, i'm not in love."

"Actually?"

"I mean, I wouldn't mind if we marry but-"

"See, then listen to my plan."

"Ugh." I look back at her.

"Please?" She gives me the puppy eyes again.

"I told you don't do that, you look creepy." I sigh. "Fine, tell me."

"Listen carefully."

After the explanation

I laugh.

"See, It's an amazing plan, right?"

I look at her with a serious expression.

She stops smiling.

"What?" Marina steps back.

"This is your plan?" I say in a 'are you serious' tone.

She steps back again giving me a nervous smile.

"Really?" I step closer.

"If you think about it, this would definitely work."

"ARE YOU NUTS!?" I go close.

"AH! HELP!" She sprints to the other side.

I stand there a hand in my face.

Before the explanation

"To make Brian confess right away you'll need to do something you would definitely hate but it'll be easy, first you have to promise that you won't get mad."

I look at her with suspicion.

"Ok, I won't."

"You will flirt with Hazen."

My right eye twitches.

"Listen, if you flirt with him Brian will get jealous, he already looked jealous when Hazen picked you up before so if you flirt with him imagine how jealous he can get, easy right?"

At home

I am about to sleep but Marina's plan keeps haunting me. Does she want me and Brian together or me and Hazen?

I keep thinking about today.

If I flirt with Hazen would he actually get jealous?

My eyes closed, not knowing when I went to sleep.