Have We Met Before? (2)

The blue-eyed man took a deep drag and exhaled the smoke. "Do you find this party to be a bust?" he asked.

Song Luli nodded. "I don't fit in," she admitted. 

He glanced at her. "Me too," he said. 

Song Luli raised a brow, not believing him. 

He blew out some more smoke, chuckling. "I don't know many people here, I just came into town for a visit,'" he said. 

"Oh, I see," Song Luli responded. "Then, I suppose we both don't know our place." 

The young man smiled, holding a look of intrigue. Song Luli flushed. She didn't know how she found the courage in herself to speak to someone she didn't know, and a handsome boy at that. 

"What's your name?" he asked. 

Song Luli remembered she was supposed to be someone else for the night. 

"Lexi," she answered. 

"Lexi," the young man repeated. "Do you want to re-join the party?" he asked. 

Song Luli inhaled some more fresh air. "Yes," she answered. 

The blue-eyed man then extinguished his cigarette, opening the door for her back inside. They both walked around the house, playing some games. He asked her questions, and she answered them. And for some reason, around him, she felt an odd sense of comfort, though they only knew each other for a couple of hours. It felt as if she had known him longer. 

Song Luli nearly forgot about everyone else, when she stumbled upon Han Ru speaking to some of his friends. 

Song Luli felt like she had no place greeting him, but the man she was with was already approaching him. 

"Ah, Jie. Where were you all this time?" Han Ru asked. 

Jie? Song Luli thought. The name sounded familiar, but anyone could be named Jie. She knew a couple of them from her childhood. 

"I was enjoying the view," Jie said. Han Ru nodded, and then he glanced over at Song Luli. He narrowed his eyes, but he didn't say anything. She wondered, did Han Ru not recognize her? 

"And who's this?" Han Ru asked curiously. 

"Lexi," Jie answered for her. 

Song Luli smiled grimly as she felt like running away because she shouldn't be pretending to be someone she wasn't. Han Ru will recognize her, and he wouldn't want her to be there since she was his junior. 

"Nice to meet you, Lexi," Han Ru said. "Why don't you join us for a round of darts?" 

Song Luli smiled slightly. She nodded, "All right." 

Since Song Luli wasn't any good at darts, Han Ru helped her by standing from behind, angling her hand correctly to aim for the center of the board. He stepped back when she was ready to throw it. And she ended up hitting close to the target. 

"Good," said Han Ru. 

Song Luli smiled. She then began to aim some more darts as they took turns. At one point, Han Ru slipped his arm around her slender waist, helping her once more. 

When she hit the center, Song Luli clapped a bit, smiling. Jie rose suddenly from his seat, leaving. 

"Where are you going?" asked Han Ru. 

"I have to leave early for some errands to do in the morning." 

"All right," Han Ru said. 

Jie left, and Song Luli watched him go. Jie appeared to be irritated about something, and she couldn't help but want to chase after him.

"Lexi. Let's play some more," suggested Han Ru. 

Song Luli smiled briefly, "Okay." 

By the end of the night, most of Han Ru's friends had left, leaving the two of them alone. Han Ru sat next to her on one of the couches as she waited for her cousin and sister. 

"How come I haven't met you before?" Han Ru asked her. 

"Erm. I'm not from around here," Song Luli replied. 

"Are you only here for the summer?" he questioned. 

"Yes," Song Luli answered. 

"Oh. That's a shame." 

Song Luli raised a brow. "How so?" She asked. 

Han Ru poured a drink. "I haven't met anyone like you. You're very beautiful," he said. 

Song Luli's eyes flew open. Han Ru tought she was beautiful? Song Luli thought she would feel over the moon, but she didn't. And it was because she was pretending to be someone she's not.  

"Thank you," she responded. 

"Can I see you again?" Han Ru asked. 

Song Luli was hesitant. But she gave him her phone number and left when Su Xiang found her. 

Song Luli went home that night, removing her contacts, washing her makeup off, changing her clothes. And she was back to herself again. 

That night, she received a text message from Han Ru. She then stayed up until morning, exchanging text messages with him. And the cycle continued each night for weeks, talking to him. 

In school, Han Ru didn't notice her when she passed him in the halls. He didn't recognize her as Song Luli. 

Han Ru asked to meet with her later that week, and Song Luli felt guilty. She was then determined to tell him the truth; she will say to him that the girl from that night was Song Luli and not Lexi.  

After school, Song Luli tracked Han Ru behind one of the fields with his friends. She ran after him, but her glasses fell and broke. She couldn't see without them, so she put it back on the bridge of her nose and called him out. 

Han Ru turned with knitted brows, wondering who was calling him. 

Song Luli carried her books in her arms, and her glasses appeared to be mismatched. "Can I speak to you?" she asked. 

The boys that were with him patted his back. "Eh, Stalker Luli found the courage to speak to Han Ru," one of them teased. 

Song Luli's face fell. Stalker? What? 

Song Luli pushed her glasses against her stinging eyes. "Um. Can I speak to you alone?" 

The boys laughed again. 

"Little girl. Why don't you stop following me?" asked Han Ru. "I see you pass by every day, watching me. It's creepy." 

Song Luli was taken aback. Her throat burned, and tears were beginning to fall. "I'm not a stalker—" she pleaded. 

"I knew that some girls are weird. But you're the weirdest," Han Ru said and laughed. 

Song Luli nodded, biting her lip hard. She then turned away, running home, feeling embarrassed. When she got home, Han Ru texted her as Lexi, asking to meet. Song Luli blocked his number and threw her phone against the wall. She cried for the rest of the evening and the next day at school, she was pushed around by other girls at school and was named, 'stalker girl.' 

Su Xiang had to walk with her to and from home from school to prevent the bullying, and she threatened to beat anyone up for what they did to Song Luli. And it made her feel like a fool. 

Su Xiang grunted in frustration. "That Han Ru is a fucking jerk!" she exclaimed. 

"He is," Song Luli responded to her cousin.

She then waited until the term finally ended, and Song Luli thought to no longer dwell on it. She won't see him again.