MONDAY (cont.)
I sighed. Typical Monday, get up, get dressed, walk to school, get interrupted by Tobi, insult each other, continue walking to school, arrive at school, wait a few minutes, go to bike racks, wait for Shikamaru, talk, go to assembly. It was tedious to the highest degree. And now I am stuck here squashed by Shika and Tobi, sitting on a rough bitumen ground listening to the principle say how average our test results were. I sighed again. When will it end? This person standing in front of us with a tie, suit lecturing us about the proper use of the toilets and the amount of afterschool detentions he has received over the weeks. I shook my head and just decided to tune him out, it works for Tobi so why not the principal. I thought of the most incredibly distracting thing I knew. That girl. It was driving me beyond insanity thinking about her. I have never met her before, never heard of her and certainly didn't know her. Just thinking about her again both infuriated and soothed me. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen and possibly will ever see. Blonde hair like pure gold, the softest brown eyes…. She was perfection.
I shook my head as vigorously as possible without hitting either person beside me. Why was this happening to me? This had never happened to me so why now? Why now of all times? I had never felt anything to anyone before, it might seem cold but that is how I am. So why now? I wrapped my arms around my head, and begin to rock slightly. Who was she?
"Oi." Shikamaru said dully.
My mind slowly began to focus again and I noticed that everyone was slinking away to their first class.
"Oh, yeah right…. Let's go" I said heaving my body up.
"You okay?"
"Yeah just thinking about something."
"Was it that hard thing?" Tobi asked then starting to giggle.
I and Shika both groaned but had the ghosts of smiles on our faces. We wound our way through the corridors and upstairs until we arrived at our Graphics lesson. The rest of the class was already there waiting for us as usual. We unpacked our bags, got our equipment and joined the line. Since our teacher was hardly ever on time I decided to just sit down and relax. Soon Shikamaru and Tobi joined me.
"So…. What exactly were you thinking back there?" Shika said with surprising interest.
"Nothing really." I said with a casual flick of my wrist..
"I know you better than that, come on what was it?" he persisted.
"Was it about how much you love Tobi?" Tobi asked with hope, his eyes glittering.
"Why would I think about such a stupid thing?" I spluttered.
"I just said that, you love me."
"Think what you want Tobi, just leave me out of your thoughts."
"But you are my friend, and I will never dismiss a friend, ever." He said with such determination that I was taken back. I began to shake my head in disbelief when I saw it, or should I say her.
She was illuminated by sunlight and for a second time had stopped. The hair flowed behind her like a tsunami of yellow, her flawless complexion showed no faults, her delicate figure the object of perfection. Everything just paled in comparison to her. But as quickly as she had appeared she just as swiftly disappeared behind a corner. All of a sudden life seemed a dull and grey place. The flowers no longer colourful but lifeless and grey, the birds not singing a song of joy but one of dread and loss. The very object of life now seemed confused and foolhardy. It took me a few seconds to comprehend what I had just witnessed. She was real…. The girl was real. My mind launched back into my body as it dawned on me, she was real.
My friends had shock all over their faces as I stood up so fast I left small whirlwinds of dust below me. I had to follow her, find out if she was the girl or whether it was just a trick my mind was playing on me. No, simply not possible my mind does not play tricks. Yes it had the imagination that every mind possessed but mine was like a well-trained pet, it knew when it had crossed the line. Dumping all of my equipment on the cold and dusty floor, I pushed and shoved all of my classmates away from me, considering them obstacles in my way. Soon a vast majority were sitting down coughing up dust and yelling at me. I did not care, that girl was the only thing that mattered, nothing else. I ran past numerous classes, hoping that the teachers didn't notice me and try to stop me. Oh I hate hope.
"Going somewhere eh Kabuto?" said a low and questioning voice. It had a faint Scottish voice and rang of someone who was perfectly comfortable with punishing the most meagre break in school rules. I slowly turned face to face with Asuma Brennan, the genius behind computers. I gritted my teeth in sheer frustration as the worst possible case scenario unravelled before me. I knew there would be no chance of seeing that girl now. I quietly murmured "No sir."
"Excellent, now back in line." He commanded rather than said.
I shot one last glance at the corner where she had gone and trudged back to the class room. I silently picked up my things and stood at the back of the line, head down and eyes betraying no secret. I got many angry or curious looks, many anger, but I simply shrugged them off. I couldn't care less of what anyone thought of me.
"Okay then in you go!" boomed Mr A. Brennan. Without a whisper the class filed in and took their respective seats at their computers. I went in without meeting his eyes and found my usual spot between Shikamaru and Tobi.
I was full aware of all the glances shot my way as the boring lesson began. I just focused on my computer monitor and nothing else, which was the only way. I couldn't think about the girl or what had come over me. To be completely honest not even I knew what had come over me, was it curiosity? That emotion fell far short compared to the strong feeling I had. What was it then? What was compelling me to act the way I did. What was so appealing to her that made me this way? Damn it!
"Now we will allocate our two dimensional plan to an approximate structural design." Asuma-sensei droned on and on and on about a program which would only be helpful to an architect who I was fairly positive that no one in this tortured class wanted to be. Asuma-Sensei's knowledge on this subject was so great he forever had a forest of hands requesting assistance. The only person who seemed to have any grasp on this subject was Shikamaru. His expert hands glided over the mouse and keyboard with ease as he changed Hardware accelerations, scaled floor plans, providing overhang for his home. Tobi was constantly prodding him to do it for him, even though Tobi was fairly impressive with his grasp of the basics. I seemed like the only one with the trouble. Not that anyone could complain as I stared at the forest around me. I swung my head back around to my monitor and basically followed Shika's movements. He caught my glance and lifted an eyebrow as if to ask about the earlier scene. I almost imperceptibly shook my head and he nodded as if to say we would discuss it later. I scowled my signature look and resumed to mimic his movements.
All too late, Sensei ended the lesson and we all logged off and filed out with relief written all over their faces. I filed out too, with nothing but emptiness on my face. I strolled over to my bag and dumped my materials into the dark abyss that was my bag. I considered isolating myself when I thought of the inevitable confrontation that would follow, but as soon as I concluded that thought both Shika and Tobi took both my sides and I slumped my head in defeat. Soon they would bombard me with questions and I would simply say I don't know what happened. Then they would say that it wasn't a good enough answer then Tobi would say something completely off topic then Shika and I will hit him. Not that it would even make him flinch. But no, that was not the course of action they chose. They just stood there. I turned around to see them both smiling a little.
"What?!" I spluttered.
"Nawthing." Both Shika and Tobi chanted in unison.
"There is no need to speak in unison." I spoke once I regained my cool.
"Well I think there is every need to speak in unison." Tobi said with a gleam in his eye.
"Oh really, and that reason is?" I said fully aware that I was probably going to receive a stupid answer.
"Makes us sound ominous." He said with an even brighter gleam.
I allowed myself to smile, just a small one but still a smile nonetheless.
"Isn't this the part when you question me about my irregular behaviour and my lapse of character?" I asked.
"We've known each other for what…. 4 years now? I know you better than that. Give me some credit. I know you would never act like that unless it was something really important, or rather, you felt that it was really important." Shikamaru said with his eyes closed and chin resting on the back of his hand.
"This meaning…?" I said hoping for an appropriate answer.
"What you felt was pure emotion; one that I find is the strongest. It can cause wars, relationships and completely change someone." Shika said in the exact same pose but his eyes were slowly opening.
"And this so-called emotion is?" I said even though I was 79% sure I already knew the answer.
"Tobi, can you do the honours?" Shikamaru silkily asked with his "I am enjoying this immensely" smirk.
"Sure!" Tobi exclaimed with pure glee. He grasped my shoulders and looked deep into my cobalt eyes.
"You are in…. lo." That was as far Tobi got until I punched him straight in the nose. Though all it managed to do was make him stagger. Release his grip and a look of puzzlement.
"Well that was uncalled for." Shika said with disapproval etched heavily in his voice.
I held him by his shoulders and gripped tightly. "Now listen to me closely, I am not in love. Never have and it is certainly not happening right now." My blue eyes flashing.
"Sure, whatever you say." Shika said not with the I'll do whatever you want attitude but with the accent of someone talking to a 3 year old. I hated it when he did that. I let go and began to head for our usual spot.
I didn't realise the day was done until I stepped through the front door of my home. I dumped my bag next to the door and headed for my bed. I collapsed and buried my head in the spongy mattress. My thoughts drifted from one thing to another. The parade, seeing what looked like the girl, the chase, Graphics, Tobi's and Shika's confrontation, me storming off. Now that I thought back to it, it did seem incredibly childish and so out of character. At least they knew not to pursue the subject further. We or should I say they ate in silence. I couldn't afford food right now. We were only to be interrupted when Tobi started talking about some show. I can't remember the name. Disregarding the morning, it was a pretty average day. I didn't see that girl again and people still threw me an odd look or two but I could deal with the later.
"I should apologise to Shika, hmmmm, tomorrow then." I mumbled into the fabric. I decided to fall asleep right then and there, glasses, shoes and uniform still on. I was too emotionally drained to deal with it right now. I closed my eyes and welcomed the incoming darkness.
