Chapter 3

High School.

It's been a few years since I've been in the same class as Lucas Kennedy. Here we are again, in the same class in 9th grade. This time, he has a girlfriend already. How do I know that? Of course, my new classmates spoke of him. Sometimes, we greet each other and have small talks but I still remember the us in elementary. Hillary is not in the same class as us anymore. I miss her.

I can hear Lucas Kennedy speaking with his friends at the corner of the class. I find myself overhearing him and his friends a lot. Now that he has a girlfriend, I notice that I feel a sense of loss for some reason. I turn to look at him.

Lucas Kennedy glances at me.

I guess he has grown up now. We're now both 14 years old, and we've known each other for 7 years.

***

We have gym class at the moment and I'm sitting alone on the grass at the soccer field of our school. Lucas Kennedy is sitting beside me. We are listening to our gym class teacher explaining the rules of soccer to us.

"Okay, so the rules are simple. No touching the ball with your hands, just with your legs, feet and head. Also, no touching or pushing your opponents when you have the ball or when you're trying to get it. There would be two goal keepers, one on each team and they're the only ones allowed to touch and catch the ball with their hands and bodies. The other players are not allowed to pass the lines that are marked on the field. You are suppose to pass the ball to your teammates until one of you score by kicking the ball into the goal. Yellow cards will be given to players who play foul and you will be suspended with a red card."

I'm listening to Mr. Scott speaking but I decide to look at Lucas Kennedy because I can feel him staring at me for a good minute.

He suddenly reaches for my shoulder and says, "There's a thread on your shoulder." I realise that he's picking it off. I don't know what I should feel, embarassment or gratitude. Although he has become nicer, he's still a little mean.

***

Today is Lucas Kenendy's birthday. Despite having the same circle of friends, we're still not that close. But, he has invited me to his birthday party at his house anyway.

I walk into his house and notice that there are around 20 people here. Most of them are from our previous and new classes. For his birthday, I've bought him a birthday gift. It's a G-Shock Casio GA-710-1A watch.

I search around for him and found him in the living room, watching television with his friends. Some of his guests are playing Playstation 2 in the other room while some are sitting at the dining room talking to each other.

I greet him. "Happy Birthday, Lucas Kennedy. I bought you a gift." I hand him his perfectly wrapped gift.

He smiles and says, "Thanks, Jennifer." He took the gift. "I'll open this later."

I answer, "Okay."

He gets up and before he leaves the room with it, he asks, "Have you eaten? The food is in the kitchen."

"No, I haven't. I'll head towards the kitchen in a minute."

"Alright."

I notice that Bella Granger is here as well. She was sitting beside him. She's from the other class in our school. I figure that she's his girlfriend. I've never seen them together before in school.

"Hi, I'm Bella," she says and reaches out her hand. "You must be Jennifer Casslink."

"Hi, Bella. Yes, I am. How do you know that?" I ask.

"I've seen you around in school," she replies.

I laugh. "I've seen you in school as well."

"I'm Lucas's girlfriend, if you don't know." She smiles.

"Oh, yes. I didn't know." I smile back at her. "I guess I'll go get some food." I point to the room at the corner, which I hope that is the kitchen.

"Yes, go on."

I feel a little awkward for some reason, as I was talking to Bella Granger.

I begin to take some food. There are a few trays of food and bottles of drinks on the left of the kitchen. They have spaghetti bolognese, garlic breads, barbeque chicken wings, sandwiches, fried rice and vegetable salad. As for the drinks, they have coke, pepsi, root bear and fruit punch.

Soon, everyone in the house sang the Happy Birthday song for Lucas Kennedy.

***

It's my birthday today. Six months after Lucas Kennedy's. I look at him as he approaches me in school as he places a gift on my table, along with the other gifts my friends have bought me. I thank him.

Just a day after Lucas' birthday, I noticed that the watch I bought for him was on his wrist. He wore it up until two months ago. Honestly, I'm sad that he took it off early. Just four months that he had it on.

***

Going into my bedroom, I decide to open the gifts I've received in school. I'm going to show them to my parents later. After I got into the car and showed the wrapped gifts to my mother, she mentioned that she is grateful that I have such good friends.

Opening the gifts one by one, I have received an interesting photo frame, a mug with a quote, an expensive-looking pencil case and finally, a necklace with the name 'Jennifer'. I haven't received many gifts but they're all from my close friends in class. Although Lucas Kennedy is not as close to me as the others, he still chooses to buy me a gift. I do feel happy today, just like the quote written on the mug in black colour.

The last gift has a pink gem embedded on the top right of the letter 'R', and it's actually from Lucas Kennedy. I decide to wear it on the next day at school and also use the pencil case to show them my gratitude.

***

The school year ended.

Lucas Kennedy is not in my classes anymore. You can say that I kind of miss him.

I wonder if he misses me. I find myself wondering how he has been doing, despite having his phone number. I still have it from that time when he invited me over to his house for his birthday.

Soon, the first semester of the university that I am going to study in is going to start. There is an orientation before the semester starts. I hope that I am going to love the four years I will be spending in university.