Chapter 2: A brighter day. But a more painful one.

I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I couldn't believe that he was really here. The only thing that was keeping me from walking over and touching his face to see if he was real was that;

One: I caught him glancing at me and he didn't seem to know me so it would have freaked him out. And...

Two: Mrs. Geniro was still in the classroom so she would send me to the principle's office or to the nurse if I did and risk him avoiding me the rest of his learning experience here or even get a restraining order.

So, instead of making a fool out of myself, with almost all of the restraint that I have, I walked over to his table.

But just as I reach his table, he walks off, not even noticing my approach. I let out a sigh and dropped my head. "Right... I'm an idiot..." I mumbled to myself. "Not entirely." I snapped my head up and saw Mrs. Geniro looking at me. "Thanks... I think." I turn and walk toward the door.

"Mia." She was shuffling the homework that we passed up today when she spoke to me. So, maybe she wants to talk to me about my essay. But my essay's are never outstanding nor are they bad. They were just average.

"Yes?" I asked curiously. She doesn't normally talk to me after school.
"Please try not to scare that boy out of this school."

I was shocked at her random remark, but I recovered quickly. Why is she speaking to me this way?

"I've never done that before but I'll try." I smiled a fake smile at my caring teacher.
"I saw the way you were looking at him. It worried me. Imagine how he would feel if he was the one to see it." She didn't even bother to see my expression at what she just had said, she was still looking at her paper's.

Anger spread through me like a wildfire. Who did she think she is? Did she not care about offending me?

"He didn't even notice me. So I think you can sleep with ease tonight." I said with a little too much anger that would fuel her 'concern'. I knew that my anger was unnecessary and a tad bit juvenile, but I couldn't help it. I regretted it as soon as I said it. I heard her take in a breath of air. Obviously, she had much more to say. So, before she could say anything else, I quickly walked out of the wretched room that they call a class.

The hall felt oddly comfortable compared to Mrs. Geniro's class. I took in a deep breath to smooth out the tenseness of my face after the conversation that I just had. I'm surprised that I didn't just punch her in her pretty, nosy face. I was proud with my tolerance.

"Mia, are you alright?"
I look up at the concerned voice.
"Hey, Heath. Yeah, I'm alright." I could tell that there was a bit of tenseness left in my voice.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah. Why?" I frowned and wondered. What was wrong with me?
"Because your arm's are shaking." As he spoke, his big brown eye's looked at my hand's and then he looked behind me.

Up until he mentioned it, I didn't notice that my hands were clenched into fists and that they were shaking. I released my fists and shook my hands, up and down.

"Ah..." he said as realisation hit him when he saw what class I've walked out from with repressed anger.
"Mrs. Geniro giving you a hard time?"
"Hard time doesn't even cut it" I said as we walked to one of the classes that we have together.
"What evil unforgivable deed did she do?"
"She was basically saying that I scare her students away until they have to move to another school."
"Well, you do have your moments," he chuckled.
"Shut up. What kind of best friend are you? You are supposed to make me feel better not tell me I'm scary." I hit his arm playfully.
"Hey, an honest friend is a loyal one. And it's true. Don't deny it."
"Fine, I have my rage blackouts but it doesn't mean that I'm a scary person. And they don't happen often."
"Uh huh...Why does it matter so much anyway?"
"Well... Cuz... I saw... Him." I felt myself blush and look down. My hands started to tremble again.
"Oh...." He said as realisation hit him again.
"Does he recognise you? Did you talk to him?"
"No. He just glanced at me. He didn't even notice me." I could hear the pain in my voice.
"I'm really sorry." He said as he gently rubbed my arm soothingly.
"Yeah." I said in a whisper.
"Well. Look at it this way, you get a new start in his life. All the things that you regret telling him is all erased. A blank white sheet of paper. It might be a good thing."
"But what if he doesn't want to talk to me. Like what if we thinks that I'm weird or something?" I stopped walking and turned to him.
"You wouldn't know if you didn't try right? Tell you what, if he is in any of our classes that we have together, I'll go with you to introduce ourselves, but you cannot chicken out or choke in the last minute because if you do, I will not do it again. Deal?"
"Kay. Deal. Thanks. But you cannot introduce yourself alone if he is in any of your classes which you don't have with me. I have to be there with you."
"Okay. Now can we go? I don't want us to be late." He gestured his hand for me to walk.
"Oh, right... Sorry. Let's go."

My heart was pounding in my ear's and my throat felt dry by the time we reached our class. I kept thinking that he might be inside. He might be just a few seats away from me. But what would I say?

"Wait." I gripped onto Heath's sleeve."Can you check if he's inside. I cannot go into that room unprepared and I don't want to go in expecting and looking around the room like an idiot for someone who may or may not be there."
Heath gave an exasperated sigh. "Sure." He said as he pulled my hand away from his sleeve. "Thanks." All I could manage was a whisper. I imagined how I would be acting if I was actually talking to him and shuddered. It did not look pretty.

Heath's back was facing me as he approached the door, then suddenly, he turned to me and said to me, "You know, you are not the only one who misses him and is scared to meet him again. You may be the one who misses him the most and is the most scared but not the only one." Then he turned back towards the door.

A slight movement caught my eye. Heath's hands were shaking. Not the only one. He's in pain too. He misses him too.

"Is he there?" My voice was shaky. Even if he was, i am still not ready.

Heath looks back at me and says,"No. He isn't. Sorry." I let out a breath of repressed air that I didn't notice I held in. A mix of emotions passed through me. Realisation, relief, disappointment, uneasiness and worry. I had to face him later if he was in any other of my classes. Shoot.

I didn't pay much attention to all of my classes. I was too busy wondering and thinking.

The bell announced that school was finally over. The mere hours felt like long week's. I felt exhausted. I must have looked exhausted and worried because most of my teachers asked if I was alright or if I needed to see the school nurse.

I was always tempted to say this; "Well, do I look fine? NO. That's because the person I dream about every night, the person who I haven't seen in more than a year, the person who I love most in my sad existence has suddenly turned up again in my life and he doesn't even remember me. Bloody screwed up right?" But I thought better of it.

It turns out that he isn't in any of my classes except English. Luck must hate me.

Today, hope is returned to me but good things come with consequences, and mine are brand new worries. The worries seem to be piling on top each other. I didn't know whether to laugh with joy or cry with pain.

I drive myself home, debating with my feeling's. I park my car in my usual spot in my apartment's parking lot.

I lock my car and walk to my apartment while I took out my house key's. As I put my key into it's key hole, I felt disquieted but I put it in the back of my mind.

The door was already unlocked. That's odd. I lock the door every time I leave the apartment. I listen carefully and if I wasn't mistaken, my television is on. Someone is in my house. My eye's widened in surprise. i took an instinctive step toward the possible danger then I stepped back. "Don't be stupid," I thought to myself.

I was about to run back to my car and drive to Heath's house when a familiar ladylike voice spoke to me,"Miss Mia, please come in." I froze. "What in the world is she doing in my apartment? And how did she get in?"

I reluctantly turned and opened my door.

"Mrs.Geniro, what are you doing here?"