Chapter 5 [otorhinolaryngologist, is hard to pronounce]

I screw up so bad, not a single voice can be heard in the gym, I cover my eyes with one of my arms. I was too arrogant, now I pay the price, I can feel Lina disappointment and others toward me. I lay there on the cold gym floor with one of my arm covering my eyes and another hand holding the ball I caught earlier, I can imagine Brandon stupid smile on his face. I sigh loudly.

Suddenly, I hear Lina Shouted "HARU!!!" I can hear her fast footstep getting closer to me. I move my arm from my eyes and turn my head toward Lina, I can see her smiling but there something in her eyes, Worried?.

Lina get down on her knee beside me while her both of her hands in the middle, She spoke softly "Why?" She continues, "If you didn't try to catch the ball, you would win the match". I let out a sad laugh "I would never let anything hurt you" I say, smiling, "I appreciate the gesture but the ball would not hurt me, you know that".

I laugh "I would do it all again, just to keep you out of harm", She smacks my forehead gently and say " You dummies" I look at her eyes and saw gladness. I guess I lose the match and I'm gonna be Brandon Slave, Damn, this probably gonna be my second worst day.

"IT A DRAW!!" Ms. Kelly shouts toward the entire gym, I look at Ms. Kelly surprised, then Glance to Brandon, his turn into disbelief. "What, how?!!" Brandon yell.

"Haru manages to catch your ball that you throw before he lands outside of his area, which outing you from the match and disqualified Haru, so nobody wins, It a draw" Ms. Kelly smile, Stephanie starts to clap and cheers "GOOD GAME!!" which cause others to follow her, everyone was clapping and cheering. I look at Lina and she also claps slowly while a wide smile on her face, I also smiled, shocked and confused about the result of the match.

Brandon, displeased with the result, can be seen storming out of the gym with his goons.

Lina wipes her knee and stands then she offers her hand to me, I take the offer and grab her hand, I can feel her strength just from the way she grabs my hand. She one strong girl, I wouldn't want to fight her in one on one.

"OKAY BREAK IT UP, EVERYONE GO TO THE LOCKER ROOM!!" Ms. Kelly yells, this cause everyone to begin to disperse and head to the locker room, As they were heading there, everyone was congratulating me by giving a high five or a pat on the back on the draw and the way I play earlier.

I stand there looking at the area which I was playing earlier, I couldn't have guessed that I would stand up to Brandon, something just clicked when he was insulting Lina parent, I just felt anger toward him and wanting him to take back what he said. I look at Lina beside me she just smiles right there, I look around and almost everyone already entered the locker room.

"I'm gonna head to the class first, see you in class," she said then her smile change into a smirk "Don't you get into any trouble when I'm gone," Lina said while heading to the locker room, I turn to her watching her leave.

Somebody pat me on the back, I jump a little when I turn my head, I see Stephanie standing behind me giggling. "I need to speak to you after school. so wait for me, OK?" she said while winking and walking with her body facing me toward the girl's locker room.

I stand there in the gym, jaw dropped. Stephanie just asks me to wait for her after school, this may be my best day ever.

"flies gonna enter your mouth if you keep it open," I snapped back to reality, I turn my head and saw Ms. Kelly, a grin on her face and crossing her arm "Ms. Kelly, I just.. sorry, can I help you, Miss Kelly?" I said.

"I have an offer for you, how about you join the track team?"

"Track team?" I said surprised and confused, "I saw you run earlier to catch the ball, you are perfect for the track," She said enthusiastically to me, I can see determination burning in her eyes.

"Track team? but we don't have a Track team," I recalled

"This a new team that I'm gonna create and you will be my Star, We will show that arrogant Coach Johnson," Coach Johnson, the coach of Brandon football team, he a jerk that all I can describe him, I have seen him belittle other teachers before and cover for Brandon behaviour in school.

I Sigh a little, I don't want to break her hope but I have no interest in taking the sport, I have been trained in my life for so long by my uncle, and I have had enough of constantly training my body, I just want a quiet life that all but before I could reply to Ms. Kelly offer. I was cut off by her.

"Don't answer now, think about it at home and gave me the answer tomorrow OK?" she says with a huge smile on her face. Afterward, she walks away ignoring my effort to answer her offer.

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Afterward, the class was pretty uneventful, I study sometimes, other time I'd goof around with Lina in class, we chill and hang when it break time, that was pretty much what we do after P.E. well I did get a lot of other attention from other kids since I stand up to Brandon. I can't decide yet if this is a unwanted attention or a wanted attention. I try not to let the few minutes of fame get to my head but it hard not to, but thank god I'm friend with Lina she helps keep me grounded, I never receive this kind of attention from other students before.

time went by faster than I can say 'otorhinolaryngologist'. Lina and I were walking down the hall we just finished our last class for the day and it time to go home but when we're walking down the hall we saw that other students were putting up decoration and banner.

I look closely and it says 'PROM IS NEAR, FIND YOUR DATE NOW!!!', I finally remember that prom is in 3 months, I look at Lina while we were walking, she doesn't seem bothered by the decoration or sign at all, is she planning to skip Prom?.

When I look closely at her hands, I can see it shaking then I realized that Lina is nervous, the prom does affect her. I wonder if she has someone in her mind for Prom. As we pass the door leading outside of the school, Lina turned her body facing me and was about to say something when I interrupt her as I saw Stephanie waving at me from afar.

"Lina, I'm sorry but can you wait for a second, I need to talk to Stephanie,"I say to her and walk past her.

"wait? what? HAru?" I can hear Lina voice behind me as I head toward Stephanie.

Stephanie face light up when I finally getting close to her, the warmest smile possible can be seen on her face. "Haru, I'm glad you didn't forget," she said, "so what is it you want to talk about?" I ask nervously.

"Someone told me, that you have a crush on me," she says twirling a lock of her hair, the moment I hear it my heart skip a beat "what....... who told you that?" I try to say nervously.

"it fine Haru, I feel the same too" she say to me, I can feel my heart stop and restart again, did she just confess to me? no way it real, I pinch myself and I can feel the pain. Stephanie giggled as she saw me pinch my arm.

I calm myself and look at her face, her starry eyes meet mine and it was almost perfect except for one thing, I turn my head and look at Lina, this isn't what I wanted. My lip forms a smile when I look at Lina, she had this annoy expression on her face that so cute while waiting for me with her arms cross and tapping her right feet. I know what I want.

"I'm sorry Stephanie but I don't feel that anymore," I say while I turn my head to Stephanie, I was surprised to see Stephanie face, she had this burning anger oozing out of her eyes but her face remains the same. she moves her mouth close to my ear, "how dare you reject me? did you forget who am I?" she whispers in my ear, I was shocked to hear that from the kindest person in this school say that. "you pay for this," she said slowly as she back away her mouth from my ears.

She turns her body and walks away without saying anything, her face still remain the same innocent face she had, I stand there, wide eyes, wondering what just happen.

I shake my thought away then I turn my body toward Lina and walk to her, as I walking, I look to my side and saw Jeanie watching me far away on the other side of the street, She then proceeds to wipe her eyes behind her thick bangs with her arm, is she crying?.

I stop on my tack and was about to call out to her when a car blocked my view as it passes by. When the car finally passes by, she is nowhere to be seen. I look around to find her but my effort failed.

Someone tapped my shoulder and I turn my head, Lina is there looking at me confused "Is something wrong?", she said with a worried look on her face. "I just saw Jeanie crying, when I was about to call out to her, she just disappears into thin air".

Lina look at where Jeanie was standing "I don't see anyone there" Lina look at me, "you say she was crying?" one of her eyebrows raise.

"Maybe it just my imagination,"I look at where she was standing earlier, Lina shrug "C'mon lets go," she said while grabbing my arm.