10

Ricky

From the time after Noel had left him in the lecture hall, Ricky was left in a disheveled state. He was now alone in a bookstore, seeking for a reference book for Adam who suddenly have to manage the basketball team’s evening practice and asked Ricky to buy him books.

“I told you, book A is better than book B. It contains better explanation and easy to remember short notes for an educationally dumb person like you.” Ricky told Adam as they talked by phone.

Ricky flipped the pages of reference book B before his face twitched in disagreement. Then he put down the book on the display table before picking up reference book A that was just beside each other and was now reading reference book A about mechanical engineering. His eyebrows raised in agreement and satisfaction towards the contents.

“Okay, okay. I know I’m dumb, but don’t you think that book C is better with me?”

Ricky’s face contorted into a look of dismay.

“Book C is for the second year.”

“Yeah I know.”

Ricky fluttered his eyes, confused by himself and by what Adam was talking about.

“But Adam, you’re a senior.”

The two of them suddenly fell quiet. Only the bleeping sound of the bookstore glass door sliding open was heard.

“…Anyway, I leave it to you to buy me books, Mister Genius! See you again!”

Ricky was about to retort, but Adam cleverly dodged the bullet and ended the phone call. Ricky heaved a deep sigh while staring begrudgingly at the screen phone.

“Each and every one of them is trying to piss me off. Those ass…”

He sighed again before slipping his phone into the pocket of his leather jacket, before picking other reference books including reference book A for Adam.

Suddenly he felt a presence nearby him. A familiar presence that jolted his whole being. He glanced to the side where the children books section was located, and saw a familiar figure of Noel focusing his reading on a hardcover book. His eyes were intent on reading the content that he didn’t even notice Ricky staring at him, before he immediately went to the counter to ring the exact same book he took with him.

Ricky gazed at him in disbelief.

“Oh great, now he’s reading a children book. That nerd…”

He shook his head and continued his search. Just a few moments after that, Noel’s focusing face resurfaced inside his mind. He turned back to the children book section while wondering about what book made him look like that.

So excited and so…

Ricky snapped when his mind constructed the word dazzling. He must’ve been out of his mind to think about that. He then walked past the children books section to pay for the picked reference books, ridiculing Noel, yet his mind felt unease. Only a couple of books away from when the cashier finished ringing all the books, Ricky darted to the children books section and picked the same story book that Noel had formerly read before dashing back to the counter with the book in his hands. His actions surprised the cashier and the other employer that was near him at the time.

“What?” He said, almost nonchalantly, placing the book on the counter to be rang.

***

“Taylor. Bastard. Remind me again why I need to help you buy your groceries?”

Ricky was scowling at the phone as he conversed with Taylor, while at the same time bulldozing through the discount section of the fresh ingredients, exchanging battle glares with the aunties that were also shopping there.

Ricky got out from the crowd after successfully grabbed two packs of freshly picked and cheap mangoes. He heaved a satisfied sigh. Then he returned to the phone with a scowl.

“So, any reason before I come to your house and kick your ass?”

“Aw come on man, I’m in a rush to prepare things for my house date with Maggie.”

Ricky raised and eyebrow while placing the mangoes in his shopping basket. “Maggie?”

“Ohoho…” There he came with his stupid laugh. “She’s my current girlfriend.”

Ricky froze for a few seconds, before mouthing an OH.

“I see. TEMPORARY girlfriend, right? Okay.”

“Dude, I’m trying to impress her okay? Just help me this once and I’ll treat you to ramen later.”

Ricky narrowed his eyes before heaving a long tired sigh. “Alright, whatever.”

“Awesome, dude! I’ll see you later then.”

Ricky and Taylor exchanged farewells before Ricky hung up the call. Then, his eyes wandered to the fruit section to see any more sales that he could bulldoze through. These are one of those times Ricky was glad to have a bulky and tall figure given how proficient he is in being a quarterback. If there are those Karens out there who wanted to clash their strength with him, then they’re welcomed to do so.

Ricky’s blue eyes stopped when he spotted a familiar figure. Of course, like a string of fate, Noel Kieran was standing at a fruit section not too far from him, staring listlessly at a fruit. Ricky cursed himself for frequently stumbling upon this nerd bastard. Even so, out of curiosity, Ricky peeked at what that nerd had been intently staring at.

The fruit bear was green, yet their features were spiky. Ricky got an immediate idea of what it is.

“…I won’t buy it if I were you.”

Noel’s eyes twitched upon hearing Ricky’s beside him. He turned to look at Ricky, and his face immediately twisted into a look of irritation, before he immediately pulled his insincere smile face.

“Aren’t you that bully?”

Ricky’s eyes twitched reflexively for Noel’s comment.

“Where did that come from?”

“Oh, am I wrong? I thought you bully people at uni?” Ricky hated to admit it, but Noel was spot on with his guess. After all, he’s one of the top group with many bully records based on the Jocks Alliance. If it wasn’t because of his achievements in sports and academics, he would’ve been immediately expelled from the uni.

Ricky averted his gaze from Noel and glanced at the Durian fruit in front of him.

“Are you planning to buy this?” His head jerked to the fruit.

Noel also shifted his focus to the Durian, one hand at his chin.

“In fact I do. What’s this fruit called?”

Ricky glanced at Noel briefly, before drifting it back to the fruit. “It’s called durian.”

“Durian?” Noel shot him a surprised look. “It’s not a material used to make armors?”

Ricky’s eyes twitched again. “What BS you’re talking about now?”

“So it’s edible, huh?” Noel started to mumble on his own. Ricky started to regret his decision on striking a conversation with this oblivious spud beside him. He should’ve just go.

“What does it taste?” Noel now stared straight into Ricky’s eyes, his lunar grey eyes sparkled with curiosity. Ricky couldn’t help but to answer his question even though he’s unwilling.

“At first encounter, the smell is like a skunk has farted in front of your face. The taste, well, if you’re able to hold in the slightly disgusting taste, then you’re all good.”

Noel suddenly fell silent.

“What if I manage to make something from this that doesn’t taste gross at all?”

Ricky sneered.

“Well, you can try if you want. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He then quickly walked away from Noel as he continued his shopping, deciding to not intervene more into that nerd’s life.

***

???

“My child… My precious child…”

A solemn voice said sadly from within the darkness.

As if chanting that words countless of times, a lonely figure sat alone while she stared at the empty surrounding.

Suddenly, a light in a form of pale grey came to her and took a form of a humanoid.

Upon completely morphed into it’s shape, a male—race unknown—possessing a pitch black eyes that shone with a dark grey aura, stepped near the solemn figure. His rounded eyes narrowed into a look of concern.

“Tyr… My love…”

“Don’t call me my love! I DON’T EVEN LOVE YOU!” She trembled in anger, her eyes welled up with hostility towards the male.

Before he could speak, the female called Tyr hollered at him to go away and disappear from her sight.

Defeated, the male dispersed himself from her view.

A few moments after he disappeared, Tyr suddenly broke into a laughter; a continous, mad laughter.

She ended that giggling with a suck of breath, and chanted a spell that creates a glass globe.

Inside the globe, a reflection of Noel was seen.

She giggled again.

“My child, my lovely child…”

She raised one of her hands. A sculpture of a skinny dool suddenly appeared before she brought it over the globe.

“Retrieve my child back to me.”