Chapter 30: Sig, Ess, & Incubus: A Love Story(?) by warelander

'This is gonna be it, for once nothing will get in my way.'

Ess was confident about this like never before, none of that pesky crippling awkwardness was there to haunt her.

'I got it all wrong. I should just be casual with him! He'll see soon enough for himself what a catch he has in front of him.'

Surely, this had to be it. All this time she tried to nudge him into noticing her when in reality all she needed to do was hang around him and let him fall for her.

It made sense to Ess at least.

In good spirits and with her head held high, Ess confidentiality marched towards the locker of a certain someone and indeed, he was still there.

No doubt. No hesitation. Ess stepped closer to greet him. For once, she felt like she knew exactly how to approach this situation.

''Hey there, Sig.'' She called out to him, actually succeeding in trying to come off as perfectly casual.

Sig wasn't even that surprised. He was getting used to her approaching him. He turned around and yep, his guess on who it could be was spot-on.

''Ah, hey Ess.'' He greeted back, with that subtle, yet warm smile that never failed to make Ess swoon just looking at him.

'How can a boy like him be this cute!?' She thought to herself, repressing her body's urge to blush.

She kept her cool, all to further pretend that this was just a normal chance-meeting for her.

''Nice to run into you again. It's been a while.'' She said while twirling a few locks of her hair with a finger, giving off a lax vibe.

''Yeah. Haven't seen you since Carrie put you on the flagpole.'' He casually replied, not really thinking much of it.

Now Ess did blush and for far more unpleasant reasons to boot.

'Can't anyone forget about that already? Biggest mistake ever! He must think I'm a total loser! Oh my gosh this is humiliating! I'll be a laughing stock forev[Etc...]' Ess internally babbled to herself. She avoided talking to him for weeks to make sure he'd forget and yet he clearly didn't.

Sig took note of Ess' sudden shift in attitude and quickly tried to calm the situation back to where it was before.

''You okay?'' He asked, swiftly snapping Ess out of her thoughts.

Now she was at a loss of what to say. All that confidence, gone with the snap of a finger. It's not even like she jumbled her words in nervous nonsense, she didn't feel like talking again period.

So it was up to Sig to make a move, and so he did.

''Hey.'' He began, patting Ess' shoulder in a gentle manner.

The sudden physical contact made Ess almost jump. It was such a small thing, yet also the furthest she had ever gotten. She could feel her face heat up, a faint blush finally coloring her face.

''They do this stuff to everyone. It's fine.'' He tried to reassure her, giving her as focused of a look as his face allowed, to show that he meant every word.

Ess could outright feel her heart skip a beat. This was the most intimate she had ever been with him.

Sure, it would have been nice if he had given at least some mention of how incredibly selfless and brave it was of her to go up against the bullies, but Ess wasn't about to complain. Especially when her confidence began to slowly come back, like a boomerang on its return path to the thrower.

''True.'' She agreed in the end, swiftly shifting her attitude to move away from the subject.

''Say. Me and my cheerleading squad have been practicing some new moves. You can come by and watch if you want.'' She offered, it wouldn't net her much alone time with him, but any degree of hanging out was a step in the right direction.

''Sure, I don't see why not.'' He said, complimenting the latter part with a light shrug.

''Yay~~ Looking forward to seeing you there!'' Before Ess could even respond another voice entered the scene. Even if she didn't know said voice all too well the incoming smoke of someone poofing into the scene was a blatant giveaway.

She could only watch as Jaan appeared next to him, grinning as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders and Sig was clearly happy to see her too, judging by his expression. Ess never did get how those two got to become so close.

''Have you been listening in?'' Ess asked the obvious question, but did surprisingly well at masking her irritation. Enough that Jaan didn't seem to pick up on it.

''Nah, just got here.'' She gave a quick answer before switching her attention back to Sig. ''Yoko wants to hang out this weekend. You got some time to join us?''

''Got no plans. So sure.'' He agreed to it. Even if he did have plans, he owed it to his new friend to make some time for her….even if her little elf buddy continued to give him the sceptical stinkeye.

''Mind if I join in too-pfft! Hahaha!'' Yet another voice came up. To the surprise of nobody who heard the laughter, it was Hilda.

Both Sig and Jaan were remarkably quick to turn around and pull their friend into a group hug. Ess could only watch and try to pretend that this wasn't messing up what she wanted.

'Where are all of them even coming from!?' She thought to herself, failing to find answers to how the universe seemed to know what would be the worst timing of anything for her.

''I'm sure Yoko is gonna love you, Hilda! She'll be happy to have another friend!''

''I found a blue bug recently.''

''Wanna see what I came up with for my hand trick?''

''I ha-hahah!-ve some hopes for this job application!''

The trio lost themselves in chatting with each other, jumping from topic to topic, with even Sig keeping up with the long string of conversations, contrary to his quiet nature. They were so lost in each other that they failed to notice Ess at this point, much to her frustration.

Little did any of them know that a certain infamous wannabe-womanizer Incubus was watching the scene unfold as well, taking note of all the female attention Sig seemed to attract.

''How interesting. I wonder how he does eet.'' The senior student mused to himself.

Of course, not that he needed help, it was the girls around school that needed help to realize what a winner they had pining for them! Still, he took interest in trying to figure out what Sig's secret was.

He kept watching. After several minutes passed, Ess was the first to leave and Hilda and Jaan would follow not too long later, still needing to get some things done before class.

Now that Sig was alone, it was Incubus' turn to approach him at his locker and maybe get some of the answers he was seeking.

''Bonjour!'' He greeted with his usual french dialect.

Sig was rather confused by how yet another person came to him at his locker on the same day. Still, he just took things as they came and was willing to humor him.

''Hey.'' He simply responded, not really sure what the older boy could want from him. Incubus figured as much and decided to be as direct about it as he could.

''I must say, I am eempressed by how many girls seem to fancy you.''

''Well yeah, they are my friends.'' Sig replied, oblivious to what Incubus actually meant by that,

''You clearly 'ave your way to attract them, no? But what is eet exactly?''

''...What?'' Sig didn't follow. At all.

''Is eet your 'aircut? Ze fashionable red arm? Ze calm way you conduct yourself? I am most curious to know about it.'' Incubus kept pushing into the conversation while trying to mask that he was essentially asking a student in a lower grade for advice on girls.

''Yeah, we other guys deserve to know too!'' Practically out of nowhere, Choppun crowbarred himself into the scene as well.

He was quick to notice that Sig and even Incubus were none too happy to see him. Turns out even a skirt-chaser seemed to disapprove of his ways of ''appreciating girls''.

''Hey don't give me those looks! I changed!'' He tried to get himself into better graces with both. It doesn't work out so well.

''Okay, I don't believe you.'' Sig said with a very dry tone of voice, even for him.

''Hey come on, give me a chance with that Jaan girl especially! I'd be supportive and crap! Do those date things. Give her flowers! Pretend that I haven't looked up her skirt a lot and tried to take pic-'' He couldn't even finish that last sentence without noticing the sudden glare Sig gave him. One that was much scarier being done by someone as stoic as him.

''I said a wrong thing didn't I?'' He asked sheepishly, realizing there was no way to wiggle himself out of that one.

''Go away.'' Sig didn't raise his voice, there wasn't even force behind his words, but they sounded stone cold.

Deciding that testing Sig's patience, especially looking at his red arm, seems like a bad idea, he turned and ran for the hills.

Incubus silently watched the whole thing go down. Seeing this strange stoic boy get like this was quite something. Something great for sure, turns out there wasn't much to learn!

''Of course, good old-fashioned chivalry!'' He said out loud, beaming as if he just won the lottery.

''Huh?'' Sig, having calmed down already, was now in a state of confusion instead.

''You show you care about a woman by treating 'er like royalty. Keep zose who act purely out of lust at bay and let pure love triumph!'' He proclaimed, very much more to himself than Sig.

''What are yo-''

''Ze ideals of romance still hold true. I 'ad it right and my time is waiting to come! Thank you for showing me this, mon amie. Au revoir!'' He bid his goodbye, throwing a rose into the air for Sig to catch, without looking back.

Sig meanwhile could only scratch his head as he let the rose drop.

''I don't get it.''