Two

                                     N O A H   A R DE N

“You must have love Wolfgang Amadeus,” my date said, I kept on looking at my clock, “Do you always bring your date to a theatre like this? I bet we’re the only ones who got on blind dates in theatre.”

I shrug, “Nah, this way, I don’t waste time.” I said, which is true, I saw how puzzled she was, goodness.

“What do you mean, by that?” she asked in return

"Stride shows temperament, and taste in music shows how cultured you are, whether you belong in a theatre or a night club." I broke the gap between us and look at her closely which made her startled. "Whether you prefer your perfume strong or weak." She immediately smelled her wrist, which I assume she put her perfume, I fixed my sit, before looking in front. "You get your answers back quickly."

The time after this one, it's just annoying, I have some investors to meet, and besides, I hate people, I hate being with unfamiliar presence, it makes me annoyed. "The show is about to start."

                                                     ---

                                          R A E G A N      A I N S L E Y

"That will be five hundred twenty-six and twenty cents." I told the last costumer, when he came out, I went back to reading, I need to review, our midterm is near, I can't do three now, I'm a scholar so I can't get rid of that, because that's all the reason why I can still study.

Fortunately, I have a brain somehow, I passed the examinations for scholarships, I was in College last year, it's only a matter of time before I can go far, I want to go to Flovence, I want to start again.

I don't consider myself a family here, since Mama and Papa died, no one wants to take care of me anymore, the insurance they saved for my studies, they took and cleared, I mean my parent’s relatives, so I had to work alone to finish study. It's been almost a year since I decided to leave Flovence and have a chance at Dreus, I rented an apartment at a nearby university, because I didn't take the entrance exam, so I had the courage to leave, and I don't want to hope to come back don.

A few hours passed until my shift was over, I removed my jacket with the shop logo as well as the cap, and took my belongings to the staff room, I went home to sleep for a while, but I stopped tidying up. when I heard the rattle of the door, indication that there was a costumer.

I saw an old woman go straight to the drinks, she stood for almost a minute before taking two cartons of milk and went straight to the counter, she let out a smile before finally handing me what she was going to order.

I smiled before nodding and scanning the milk. "That would be one hundred and forty -seven, ma'am." She handed me the exact money I was asking for. "Just wait, la." She just smiled and stood up, she sat on a stool near the door.

When I finished what I was doing, I grabbed my bag and sat down next to her, she handed me the milk, I took it immediately and drank it, the straw was already in place. "How are you, la?"

"I'm fine, you're about to take the test." She said, so I nodded, she probably heard that from the students she met, Uni is just near here and that person is really passing by.

"Yes, that's why I'm reviewing, I'm doing it at the same time, it's hard for me to fail, it's just a scholarship that sent me to that school." The tuition was not that big when I went to school, but for me to be the only one to support my studies, the scholarship was a big help to me, and at least I wouldn't have to think about my studies for the last four years, since this was my last.

"You won't fall," she looked at me, as if wanting to say something, "I hope you can handle everything, child." Being called child, made my heart melt, maybe because they no longer have Mama and Papa, and I have nothing beside me, I guess I’m fighting alone. Grandma got up so I got up too,

"Be careful, Grandma, come back when you need anything." I told her, she nodded and smiled at me, and then started to walk away from me, when I saw that she was quite far away I entered the store.

I just finished my shift and headed home, I have no other part-time now, I also took the opportunity to somehow take a break and review.

The next day, I got ready early, I'm at seven o'clock today and I have two quizzes in a row on my subjects, I just sit where I often sit because I can do that, one of them is also where my classmates come, and they didn't even notice me, I wish I was someone worth attention.

I’m just waiting for Emcee and Mark to come, they’re my friends since we were children, and I think they like each other but they just don’t really want to admit it, but I let them.

“Come closer, are you a coward? You just have to say it!” I looked at my classmate Louie who was with Jake and stared at me.

The two are best friends, both varsity players at the school. And just like playboy, almost half of the population of girls in this school have become their girlfriends.

My forehead furrowed when Jake suddenly approached me, while scratching his forehead, like he was very hesitant. "Uhm, Kari."

"Why?" I answered and looked at him.

"Don't be mad or surprised." He said, but other classmates also heard him because he said it with a bit of force. "Can we eat together later?"

"Why?" I asked, because I don't really know why, this is also the first time he talked to me, and we don't know each other personally, so I wondered why he suddenly invited me.

“Because, uhm, nothing. I just want to see you at the same time.” He replied, so I was even more surprised

“Then, no. if you don't tell me why, I won't come with you.” I said, I heard the whispers of my classmates who could hear our conversation.

I heard her deep sigh, "I like you, Karissa, will you go on a date with me?" he said to garner various rumours from my classmates.

My eyes immediately widened because of what I heard, but I also immediately sat up, "What are you saying, isn't Thea your girlfriend?" I’m talking about Therese Anne, the famous cheerleader in our school, they are the ones who come out of school every time the basketball team has a match.

"What?" He exclaimed in shock, “Of course not! We were just friends, we were very close, but she wasn't my girlfriend.” I just nodded, in response, "Come on, go on a date with me."

I shook my head in response, "No."

With a shrug, he nodded and left the classroom with Louie, where I noticed the bad looks of my classmates, which I ignored, but what caught my attention was the woman standing across from the teacher's table, Therese., who looked bad at me, traces of pain and anger in her eyes.

She approached me, I thought she was going to slap me because of her clenched fists he was followed by three friends who were also part of the cheerleading group.

“You’ll be going to pay for this. You'll regret paying attention to Jake.”

Her words are like dagger, piercing through me, I felt apprehension, but I didn't speak and just avoided my gaze, she didn't speak again and left in front of me.

That guy, approaching me is not a good idea in my side, knowing Therese, she can make my life a living hell in just a snap of her fingers. Damn it.