Chapter 5

Maya comes a towards me and Aarish, after seeing me panting.

"Where were you? You always disappear like this, and look at yourself; you are sweating like a pig!" Maya put out.

"Yeah, you would know all about pigs, wouldn’t you?" I usually don't mind, or care about anything that comes out of her mouth, but today I didn't want to stay silent.

"Are you calling me a pig?" she scowled. The whole class was looking now. I realised I was in trouble but still I didn't have the energy to care. After, all she did call me a pig first.

"They are much respected in Korea" I said. 

“You really are crazy! They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I guess it’s true then" Maya snickered. The whole class gasped at once. I had a perfect line for a comeback but then: 

"Wow, now this is drama!" a familiar voice came from the door.Everyone turns their head to that direction.  

"Who the hell are you to say that?" Maya screamed at the door.

 The door opened revealing a guy 2 or 3 years older than us (by the looks of it) With really black hair, gelled back, tiny stands of moustache and the blackest eye colour I've ever seen, it’s not just black. It’s black. He has this face which you can guess has dimples, but only when they smile.

"Possibly your new art teacher" he replied still with a look.

Maya's eyes widened. "I am so sorry sir, I am really sorry" I wasn't aware that you were a teacher, I am really sorry... I ....."

I was really happy to see Maya put her pride away, I really was.

"It’s alright, everybody get back to your seats now" he continued "And for your information, pigs are indeed respected in Korea"

My tiny heart was so happy.

But I can’t help but think about his voice, where have I heard it before? I could see Maya swallowing up her anger and trying so hard to put on a smile for the new teacher, and Aarish looking at me. 

 Moving his eyes around the class, his eyes stopped at mine.

 "We've met before haven't we?” he smiled at me.

I knew it, he had dimples.

"You know me?" I asked and immediately recognised the shoes he was wearing, two thousand questions bottling inside my brain.

"I think you've mistaken me for somebody else" I blurted out.

 Not wanting the handsome teacher to describe our brief encounter at the forest to my class. 

He closed his eyes and then opened them again; I couldn't understand there were such black eyes.

"Maybe" he said, eyeing me head to toe.

I shifted my eyes away from his and to the window. Wanting to disappear, hoping I didn't make it too obvious, though art is the only class that I am mentally present.

The new teacher continued the rest if the class looking everywhere but me, and I continued looking out through the window.

The one thing worse than a Lisa, is a Lisa with a temper. The Lisa with a temper is a" walking grenade", motile and explosive. That can do no good. I realised I was holding my breath (not literally) until I got home.

There’s something so odd about him. I threw my backpack into the couch and lied down, staring at the wall. 

The paper butterflies I have put up the wall have started to fade.

                                                        …

A long time ago.

"The butterflies in your wall is so pretty", Arish said 'but why is there so many?”

"Every time I want to die, I make a butterfly and put it up on the wall" I replied.

 "You are unbelievable, Lisa" he stopped and continued.

"But why butterflies? They are so pretty and happy" he asked.

"They are short living and without a flower they cannot survive, they shouldn't be so happy," 

"I write on their wings to weigh them down and pin them to the wall so they won’t fly and ..."

  I can hear him pitying me inside that fragile heart of his.

"They don't look very happy now, do they?" I asked. 

"Okay but, this isn't fair. You need to look on the bright side too, what about times that you want to live your life to the fullest?" 

I scoffed. "You are ridiculous".

"Every time you feel like you want to live, promise me you'll put up a flower" Aarish said.

"Oh shut up, I am not like you Mr square shooter, and I am not planning to change who I am and why would I?"

"It’s only fair, you shouldn't be so dark, Li" He continued” and a butterfly with a flower is not lonely" he stopped.

"And you didn't kill your brother" He said barely audible.

My heart started pounding thousand times a second. I felt like I was dying all again, things started coming in my head.

Aarish took a step closer to me and then another,

He came so close I realized for the first time what space was and how there wasn't any between him and I. He slowly tucked my hair behind my ears and said, 

 It’s not your fault many died. I won’t let you think that, and don’t even dare to think you are alone" he whispered, 

It was the first time I was afraid to look into somebody's eyes; I never knew that they could be so warm.

"Promise you'll think about the flowers now?" he asked coming closer, his head touching mine.

I realised he meant something else too.

"Okay" I replied.

"I'll keep it safe" he said.

"What?"

"Something"

"Okay"

"Okay?"

"Okay"

Okay.

 I don't know how long we stayed like that, what was it? 

Just his eyes burning into mine.

He was for a fourteen year old. I let him into my life, he held on the bumpy ride.

I put up my first flower on the wall that day, next to a butterfly. It was a rose.