Chapter 4

~~ Connection ~~

Huntsville High...

“Oh, you've got to be kidding me!” the auburn haired Chase muttered with a frown, standing next to Ian, as they stared at their lockers.

A guy with brown hair, clad in a big brown jacket, black trousers and boots, had a girl pinned to the lockers as they locked lips with pleasure.

“Really, Ace? Must it be by our... He's doing this on purpose, you know that right?” Chase muttered again, pointing at the kissing couple.

“Sigh... I'll just tell him to leave,” Ian sighed.

Chase chuckled, “And what if he says no, like he's always done the past five hundred times? Then what?...” he looked at Ian in the eyes, “ A fight? You know you can't beat the guy.”

“Wow. Thanks for the motivation, dude. I really needed that,” Ian smiled sarcastically.

“I know, right? You're welcome,” Chase flowed with the sarcasm, smiling and patting Ian in the back.

Then the both of them sighed simultaneously, and they took slow steps towards their lockers.

“We can do this,” Ian said with enthusiasm.

“Yeah. We can do this,” Chase smirked.

But as they got in proximity, their confidence level dropped to zero. This was Ace Leather they were about to face. The current captain of the school's football team, and has led them to win two trophies consecutively. He was also rich, he had a jeep and was hot — every lady's man. There wasn't anyone who'd never heard of him, including the freshmen.

Ian and Chase were practically nobodies in the school, who were they to talk to Ace casually?

Ian bit his lips, shaking his head as he slowly raised his hand and tapped the kissing Ace from behind. Ace didn't budge at first, but after a few more taps, he slowly withdrew his lips from the girl. He softly sucked her upper lips while doing so.

‘Oh, come on!’ Chase rolled his eyes. He dared not say that out loudly.

Ace turned with the girl, holding her waist as he sized up the two friends with his deep brown eyes.

“If it isn’t the dork buddies”

“Good to see you too, Ace,” Chase feigned a smile as he half-waved. Ian just nodded.

He looked at them for a bit before asking, “You want something?”

“Seriously?” Chase narrowed his eyes, his patience was running out, unlike Ian who looked really calm. “Dude, you're standing right in front of our lockers. So, please... can you just move?”

“Was that why you tapped me and disrupted my fun?” Ace asked with his deep voice, staring into their eyes. Chase and Ian also stared back, fear brimming within them, but they made sure to look tough on the outside.

All of a sudden, Ace pushed his body forward a bit, causing the duo to flinch back in fear. Chase almost shouted, covering his mouth.

Then Ace laughed, “You should have said so. You're lucky I'm in a good mood today.”

Still holding the girl’s waist, they walked away with unfettered ego.

‘Phew... That went pretty well,’ Ian praised in his heart. Situations like this always resulted in assaults and fights, and even though he and Chase clearly had the advantage of numbers, the mere fear they had for Ace always put them at the loosing end. So they mostly ran for their lives when it comes up.

Seeing them leave, Chase mouthed, “Jerk.”

“Heh...” Ian only laughed as he opened his locker. “You're all talk, you know?”

“Huh?” Chase also opened his locker, which was directly next to Ian's own. “No I'm not. I can take that guy on with no sweat.”

“Oh really?” Ian laughed, stuffing his locker with his books.

“Yes. He ain't so tough. I just don't want to be the guy who beats up a rich kid. You know? I'd be seen as a bad guy....”

As Chase kept ranting and boasting, Ian closed his locker and he tilted his head right, taking a glance around. His eyes paused as he saw the new girl from his class come out from the classroom and headed to her own locker. She opened it, but instead of emptying her bag, she poured more books into it from her locker. School had closed for the day, he wondered why she did that.

“Hey, Ian, over here,” Chase snapped his fingers at his friend's eyes, causing the latter to retract his gaze and look at him.

“What?”

Chase rolled his eyes and started complaining, “I should be asking you that. You're the one that zoned off...”

Ignoring his overly dramatic friend, Ian resumed staring at the girl, who now had another girl talking to her. He could barely see her face as she had her head dropped towards the marble floor. This had been her usual habit since he met her. He'd sometimes look at the floor to see what was so fascinating about it.

“See? There he goes again!” Chase's voice snapped him back. “Were you even listening?”

“Nope,” Ian said and nudged his head towards the girl.

Chase raised a brow and half-turned, “Yeah, you like her. So what? Just go talk to her.”

“What? I can't just 'go talk to her',” Ian gave an air quote. He kept looking at her, “She's new... And pretty and sweet...” He began smiling subconsciously.

“Dude, you need help,” Chase only shook his head.

“Shush! She's coming,” Ian whispered and pressed his face against locker sharply.

She held some books in her hands as she walked along the hallway briskly, her head looking straight at the door like she should just appear outside the school. She saw too shy to walk amid everyone. It was like all gazes were fixated on her.

With that on her mind, she accidentally brushed Chase with her elbow, dropping a book, but she didn't bother, she kept on walking. She didn't notice the book drop though, her mind was too transfixed on getting out of the building as fast as she could.

Chase picked up the book and pulled Ian away from the locker, handing it to over him.

“Huh?” Ian was puzzled.

“She dropped it,” Chase smiled.

“Uh... okay... So...?” Ian was still lost.

Chase face palmed, “Go gave it to her, dumbass!”

Ian's face brightened, “Really? That'd be nice, but what would I say?”

Chase raised a brow in exasperation, “That she dropped her book. What else?”

Before Ian could make up another silly excuse, he pushed him forward, “Be quick, she's outside already.”

Ian staggered at first, then took brisk steps till he got out of the building, he then ran up to her and gave her the book.

“Oh, t-thank you,” she managed to say, her head bent down.

‘Heh, and I thought I’d be the shy one,’ Ian smirked, gaining a bit of confidence.

“Uhm, Kira, right?” he asked when she was about to leave.

“Yes,” she nodded, still not looking at his face.

He stretched his hand for a handshake, “I'm Ian. Ian Whitefield.”

She reluctantly took his hand and shook it. Then before Ian could think of another word to say, she whispered 'bye' and ran off.

Sizzle!

A short spark flickered as she removed her hand from his. None of them noticed it.

He waved in her direction, “Okay. Uhm... See you tomorrow, I guess.”