✒ Chapter 8 : His jersey

"Ethan, do you sing?" Rei asked Ethan as the two arrived inside the classroom. Khein was playing with his finger board on his table. The rebel guy didn't seem to care about the Rei's presence in front of him. He had his headphones on and he was listening to some kind of loud music. He kept playing with his finger board and kept doing some finger stunts.

"No, I can play guitar and you must sing, Rei." Ethan said. Rei gasped and acted like he was about to collapse.

"I can't sing" Rei said honestly. He had never tried to sing.

"I can play drums only. I can't sing" he added. Ethan sighed heavily as if it was a very complex problem.

"We can do this, trust me" Ethan said positively and smiled at Rei. Rei looked at Khein who was clumsily playing with his finger board.

"What about you, Khein?" Rei asked but he just received a bad finger sign and a hissed. Khein motioned his hand like he was being disturbed and gave Rei a glare. Rei bit his bottom lip as a sign of apology and looked away. He decided to discuss everything with Ethan about their performance instead.

•••

"I brought my guitar!" Rei said cheerfully as he approached Ethan on the bench near the school fountain. Ethan was busy writing down the lyrics on his paper.

"Why do you have a guitar? I thought you only know how to play drums?" Ethan asked as Rei placed the guitar case beside Ethan.

"It's yours already, nobody uses it at home. It was just there actually. My parents used to buy me everything I want and I randomly asked them anything." Rei said happily.

"Do you need something?" Ethan glared at Rei as he smelled something suspicious. He felt that the guitar was a payment for whatever Rei might asked later on.

"No matter what you do I won't sing. Giving me this won't change anything" Ethan said. Rei chuckled and raised both his two hands, his palms facing Ethan as a sign of defeat.

"I know I know! I just wanted to give it to you! That's all. I'll be the one singing, yeah" Rei said and he started opening the guitar case. Ethan was tempted with the shiny ivory colored guitar in Rei's hand. Rei gave it to him and smiled.

"Tuned it first. I really have no idea how to do it. I might break it" Rei said shyly while scratching the back of his neck. Ethan tuned the guitar like a pro and he started strumming it. Rei watched him in awe as he enjoyed listening to Ethan playing 'I'm Yours' by Jason Mraz through finger style.

In a distance, Khein saw the two having a good time from the third floor. He used to doubt his eyes since he spends a lot of time watching movies at night. He thought he would go blind at a very young age because if his unhealthy hobbies. Not at this moment. He could see Rei's features clearly, his radiant smile towards Ethan.

'He should be smiling at me only, not to some random guys he just met' a sudden thought passed through Khein's mind and he felt goosebumps all over his body.

"Liar" he cursed under his breath as he saw Rei amusingly kept his eyes on Ethan while playing with his guitar.

•••

"Hey baby! I want your jersey after the championship" one of Center's teammate's girlfirend said right after their practice game. Center played as the regular player in the school men's basketball team. A man's jersey makes him look cool and it even makes him cooler if his girlfriend wears it.

'Girls love to wear a guy's jersey because they think it was romantic. Wearing the guy's clothes with his surname at the back of it makes them feel special' Center remembered one of the girls in his class said.

"Sure baby, you can have it" his teammate said to his girlfriend and kissed her on the forehead. Center took off his sweat drenched jersey and thought of a sudden idea.

He immediately packed his things up and carried his bag out of the gym. He went to Ethan's classroom but he was not there. He was walking on the hallway when he saw a pissed looking boy walking towards his direction. Khein looked at Center and snobbed at him. Center didn't recognize Khein since he never saw his face that time when he invaded 4-A. He looked for Ethan everywhere but he couldn't find him.

"Hey, did you see that?" Center heard a girl chitchatting with her friend in the hallway.

"Mr. President looks good together with the Prince" the girl said.

"Yeah Ethan and Rei looked good together, they're so cute" the girl replied and realized Center was looking at both of them. The girl felt awkward to let a guy like Center know that they ship both guys romantically.

"Where's Ethan?" Center asked the girl with his hand clenching his jersey.

"He's at the school garden together with Rei. They were having a practice for our music class" the girl answered awkwardly.

"We need to do ours too, right?" the other girl asked her friend as she tried saving her f from the awkward conversation. Center felt the awkwardness so he decided to calm down.

"Thank you girls, you were a big help" Center said and winked at them. Both girls smiled in relief as they thought Center never heard anything. Center went to the garden and found Rei and Ethan laughing. Ethan was happily playing with Rei's guitar on his arms as Rei tried to make him laugh while making wierd voices. The two guys were having fun not until Center appeared in front of them. Rei looked puzzled and then he frowned when he realized it was Center. Ethan started to panic and thought Center wanted to fight with Rei again.

"What do you want?" Ethan and Rei asked in unison. Rei felt threat while Ethan sensed danger.

"Cool" Center said sarcastically as he heard the two said the same words in a sync.

"Hey guitar man" Center called Ethan, his jawline became visible as he clenched his teeth. Ethan looked at Center with wondering eyes. Center threw his sweat drenched jersey at Ethan's face and turned his back. Ethan felt the wet cloth slid on his face and it landed on his lap. He looked at it and stared at it, clueless. He thought, 'What am I gonna do with this rag?'

"You better wash it and give it back to me this friday! I have a game and I needed it to be washed!" Center said angrily and started walking away. The cute stuff the old man gave him was almost crushed in his other hand. He didn't know what to say. He didn't mean to say it that way. He just couldn't help it and he felt insecure. It was supposed to be him playing guitar with Ethan and not that pale billiard stick idiot.

"Stupid Center" Center cursed and left them both. Ethan looked at the cloth and realized it was Center's basketball jersey. He blushed and bowed his head to hide his flushed face.

"You really do blush easily" Rei teased Ethan and the blushing president looked away.

"No I'm not" he said as a slight smile formed on his lips.