This is not a true story.
First day of the first semester...
I was a freshman student of social science. It was my first time to see the university because my parents took care of everything, from my application papers, up to my medical exam to which I did not in the slightest, participate. I just woke up, hearing a voice message on my cell phone saying, "Congratulations Soran, you made it to the so-and-so school."
The truth is I really don't want to go to school. Senior high is enough for me and originally, I intend to skip college, look for a job and live separately from my foster parents. But then I guess I just can't decide on my future. Not yet.
That morning, I pulled myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, wore my favourite shirt and comfortable jeans; took a piece of old cheese from the fridge and went off to catch the 7 o'clock train.
The class starts at 7:30 and it would take forty minutes for me to get to school. I knew I'd be late for sure, but that didn't push me. I even slept inside the crowded morning express, cramped with high school students and office employees.
As I entered school, the feeling of laziness doubled, wearing me down even more. I retrieved the student guide inside my bag and scanned what's written in there.
"First class… let's see… History 100..."
My student card stated "room 14-D". I assumed 14 meant "fourteenth floor", but then the building only had 5 floors. I went to the student information desk first.
"Good morning, may I help you?" A student assistant cheerfully greeted me.
If I had been in a better mood that day, I could've noticed how cute she was. I could have smiled and chatted with her for a while. That moment however, my only purpose was to find the damn classroom.
"Hi, may I ask where 14-D is?" I asked.
She adjusted her eyeglasses and asked for my student card. I read her nameplate.
Feldt – a weird name, I thought.
"Mr. Soran Ibrahim, right? She said as if confirming that I was the real bearer of that name, or that card perhaps.
"Just take the elevator at the end of this alley and go to D-floor. The rooms here are unconventionally labelled as well as the floors. Instead of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, the floors are labelled with A, B C - A for 1st, B for 2nd, and so on. So your room is located technically on the 4th floor. The 14 here (she pointed again at the card), refers to the room number. Is that clear?"
"Sure, Miss Feldt," I said, partially smiling.
"Have a safe trip then," she replied.
"Thank you."
I immediately lost her attention as she sat back on her chair and tended to her computer.
I sluggishly searched towards my designated classroom. It was a confusing alley with a lot of corners, twists and turns. It was certainly, a confusing building.
I was able to reach the elevator and press the D button. It was a small elevator, good for about three or four people. I wasn't claustrophobic but the air inside was heavy and nauseating. It made me want to throw up.
I got out and began to trail the hallway.
I reached the 14th room and slowly turned the knob.
The door made a screeching sound as I entered. I found no one inside the classroom, so I re-checked my student card. The class supposedly started by then and I should've been 15 minutes late. But I wasn't.
I was the only one there!
Left with no choice but to sit down and wait for a while, I settled at the farthest chair and stared at the ceiling. The room was quite dim, with only the sunlight passing through the partially opened windows, shedding a faint glow and the place reminded me of my flat: it smelled old and mouldy.
It wasn't long before when I felt the urge of sleeping.
I woke up to the sound of a voice and a tap on my shoulder.
A classmate apparently found me dozing off and was concerned enough to wake me up.
"Hey," the voice said.
I grunted, opened my eyes and stroke my forehead to regain my focus.
"You're the only one here, sorry to wake you up."
I focused my eyes again and saw the guy clearly.
"My name is Saji Crossroad. I'm a social science student…" I found his hands stretched out to me.
I returned the favour and did shake his hand once.
"Soran…"
"Our class for today has been cancelled. There have been early protests this year. I heard from the upperclassmen that our teacher's currently talking with the protesters- the junior students."
"When did that happen?" I was referring to the protest.
"Yesterday." He answered. "But the negotiations are on-going. I'm not sure how long they'll take though."
He shifted his eyes from the windowsill, to mine.
"You're a freshman like me right?"
"Yes."
"I don't know anyone from this school. I'm staying at the school dormitory that's why I've heard about the stories of student protests. Isn't it weird? I mean, the school's just starting."
"Yes of course it is. I'm a bit shocked," I admitted.
"So, if you're a freshman like me, then we probably share same class schedule," he diverted.
I retrieved the student card from my pocket and gave it to him. I knew he was going to ask for my student card to verify so I handed it over in advance.
"This is nice," he said after glancing at my card for a while.
"We have 3 out of 6 subjects together."
"Cool," I answered.
We decided to go to the school cafeteria to before our next class starts. I was practically starving that I suggested the idea of the cafeteria to him. I immediately had an impression that Saji was a nice person. That we'd get along well.
I had turkey sandwich and a cup of coffee, while Saji ordered for a cup of hot green tea.
"So why did you choose social science?" He asked after sipping his tea.
"My folks did it, not me," I clarified.
"I thought you were interested in social stuff. You know, philosophy, human societies, revolution. I love reading books about those things. John Locke is my idol," said Saji.
"The only philosopher I know is Karl Marx. Das Kapital," I stated.
"Have you read it?" Saji's eyes widened.
"Hey I'm not a genius. I only read half of it."
"So how was it?"
"It's communist shit yeah." That's the only thing I could think of.
We left for our second class shortly after.
"It's called Introduction to Humanities and the room's 7-C," Saji read his student guide.
Another boring subject- I ruminated.
Soon we found ourselves inside the same suffocating elevator, going to floor C… and then to the 7th room.
There were a number of students inside. Some I presume were sophomores and maybe some were already in their junior years. I myself don't look like a freshman, for I'm already 19. Saji said he's a year younger. When he asked why I had been a year delayed, I told him about being sick for six months, but I didn't dwell on the details.
We took the seats near the window. I sat exactly beside the window. We remained affixed on our chairs for a while, not speaking to each other. I took out a book from my bag, my favourite one – The Trial by Franz Kafka and began to read. I was reading my favourite chapter, the scene of Josef K. scrutinizing the examining magistrate in charge of his trial.
I wasn't able to notice a figure in front of me, watching.
"Nice book!" she said.
I put it down to see, a face so closely bent towards mine. She was sitting in front of me and Saji.
Saji on the other hand was quiet. But he was also baffled by the girl's presence.
"I'm Louise Halevy," the girl began.
She looks like a pop star, the ones you see on teenage magazines wearing the latest spring collection of whatever. Her eyes were round and expressive, and she had a nice pair of dimples etched on her face when she smiles. Her straight hair was cut to complement the shape of her small face.
She is so damn cute. I suddenly thought of the student assistant named Feldt.
There must be a lot of cute girls in this school, I concluded.
I introduced myself and Saji. Louise borrowed my book, opened it and scanned a page with her big round eyes.
"You have a good taste for fiction writers," she complemented.
"I guess so," I said.
"I'm a lit major. Literature major," she clarified. Then she returned the book to me.
"We're both social science students," I said in return.
"Saji isn't it?" Louise turned to my seatmate.
Saji nodded.
"Are you two, boyfriends?"
"What?!" I shouted.
Do I look like I'm gay?
"No, you misunderstand," Saji said. "We're not like that. I just met him this morning."
Why the heck are you explaining? I thought while looking at Saji.
"Good," the girl said abruptly. "Because I like you."
I thought she was referring to me; however she was looking at Saji.
A lucky guy I thought. Instant girlfriend. He got her without even trying.
"I hope to see more of you guys," Louise beamed as she turned around, leaving the two of us speechless.
"What was that?" Saji whispered.
"Someone to look forward to I guess, for your part," I replied.
Afternoon came and one by one, the classes have ended. I decided to drop by the library and check out the books while Saji went to his part time job and left early. We separated at the end of Logic, the last of the 3 subjects we have in common.
I checked in my bag at the counter and went inside. It was a big library, with wooden chairs and tables neatly arranged on four rows. The library has a massive collection of novels, general information books, encyclopaedias, even maps and magazines.
I took a seat after borrowing a book of plays written by Euripides.
I had no interest in Greek tragedy; it's just that I wanted to kill some time before I go home. I was about to be absorbed in reading when I noticed someone sleeping on the nearby chair.
The woman was wearing a white dress with sleeves almost covering her entire arms. She had on a purple pair of shoes. She had pure white feet too, I noticed by looking at the partial exposure of her skin beneath the long skirt. I must have sensed myself doing something perverse staring at her feet like that, so I returned to my reading. But seconds after, there I was again, studying her like a piece of biological specimen.
I wasn't able to see how she looked like because she was leaning face down onto the wooden table. Beside her were 2 books for 5 inches thick. Her hair was long and incredibly dark.
Another interesting character, I thought.
Everything was so silent that I could even here my own breath, but I just couldn't hear hers. I went closer to her, swallowed by some kind of interest and leaned forward to listen. But still, I couldn't figure a single sigh. I was actually quite worried she may have had a heart attack and just died there. It's amazing, listening to someone sleeping as though they were dead.
She moved a little that I jumped away and walked farther past the other chairs, until I was able to reach the librarian's desk.
"She's a regular resident here," said the old librarian. It made me blush with embarrassment that someone took notice of my actions.
I went home carrying two books, and a shopping bag.
I managed buy mustard, ketchup, pastrami and cucumber. I made sandwich.
Great, all of my meals were nothing but sandwich…
I went to bed with the thoughts of my first day in school. I wonder if the student assistant would still be there tomorrow. If that weird girl named Louise would pop some off-the wall question to me and Saji when we see her again, and about the sleeping woman with purple shoes and white feet.
Morning came suddenly, like I haven't even closed my eyes for sleep. I pulled myself again from the bed and did the same routine.
I arrived almost the same time as the day before. Passing through the student information desk, I noticed no one was sitting on the reception. Miss Feldt was not there. I took the same elevator and walked towards 14-D. The classroom was still silent from the outside. Already knowing that I'm 15 minutes late, I entered the room, intending to take the farthest seat so no one would notice.
My eyes were aiming the empty chair on the backside corner of the room as I entered. I settled on the chair without looking at anyone. Not long after, I heard someone whisper my name. It was Saji. I acknowledged him with a curt nod, after which my thoughts again drifted.
My eyes drifted too- and landed on a familiar pair of purple shoes. As my gaze moved higher, I saw the same white dress, the same white sleeves. In addition, a thin gold bracelet and a dark blue belt encased the waist of that white dress. Everything was painted with white, as if I'd witnessed an apparition of a saint.
"Soran Ibrahim," a small voice called out. The figure standing in front of me, wearing the dress I was staring at, spoke my name with precision of a Middle Eastern accent.
She owned a pair of cerulean eyes, and her hair, as what I've described earlier, was incredibly black.
I was dumbfounded. I only had to blink twice in response.
"Since you came in late, we were just discussing about the requirements for this course. Please refer to the board for I've written there all the details."
My eyes then, diverted to the black board.
50 per cent of the course grade would be taken from the term paper, 20 per cent for each of the two term exams, and 10 per cent for attendance and punctuality…
On the middle of the neatly scribbled characters was her name.
M A R I N A- I S M A I L
The woman I saw in the library the day before, sleeping so quietly was my History teacher.
"Marina Ismail," I repeated.
"Yes? Do you have any questions?" she spoke.
It was the second time that she referred to me, and I intentionally avoided her eyes.
"You were sleeping in the library yesterday…" I said without thinking.
That remark made her face turn red.
"Don't get me wrong… I… find it… interesting." I felt myself cringe after saying such a stupid comment.
"I believe you've quite enjoyed observing me yesterday, Mr. Ibrahim. But that was rather rude," her voice trembled.
Everyone in the class laughed. Someone even whispered the word stalker – referring to me.
I heard Saji grunt, but from the corner of my eye, I saw him smile mischievously.
"Sorry about that," I said.
"Apology accepted." She turned away and walked towards the black board.
For the rest if the session, I remained sitting quietly, while observing Marina Ismail. She might have been right, for I was quite amused by the way I'm looking at her. She looked so small, standing in front of everyone.
She got her ballpoint inside her small purse, picked up her notebook and wrote something there. Her hands were slender and white and a slight movement of her shoulders made her long black hair glide sideward. Then she bit her lip and spaced out for a while. After that, she went on with her discussion of history, though I never remembered neither concept, nor a word.
I was unaware that the session already ended. It was Saji who tapped me on the shoulder.
"Time for the next class," he said.
While walking towards our next class Saji said, "I can't help but notice how you stare at Miss Ismail earlier. Good thing she didn't melt!"
"Really?" that was all I could say.
"Do you like her?" Saji asked.
"What sort of like? I like a lot of girls."
"I don't know, I haven't had any girl since junior high," Saji confessed.
"She has a good pair of eyes, and I like the way her hair moves. Her fingers are slender and she has a mannerism of biting her lips. She sleeps as if she's dead."
"Man how did you know all that? You must be in love!" Saji concluded.
In-love? How could I be in-love? Well I haven't had a decent sleep because I kept on recalling her memory last night, and I couldn't eat properly because I hadn't slept well, and when I found out that she's my teacher, I was dumbfounded the whole time she's in front of me. Does that mean that I'm in-love?
I felt nauseated once again…
Maybe I was.
AN: This is my first Gundam 00 fanfic, but then you won't read about Gundams here. As usual, almost all of my fics are original stories. I was saddened by the lack of romantic connection between Marina and Soran in the series. So forgive me if I vent my frustrations in this fic. Don't worry, I don't write mushy stuff.