I hate to admit it, but on Friday evening when I finally stepped off that bus, I was still thinking about her. By Monday morning, she was still on my mind. I sort of found myself wanting to know more about that girl. I mean, not that I cared that much. But… I didn't even know her name.

Chapter 3

For some reason, that girl just randomly inserts herself into my thoughts every so often for the entire weekend. She doesn't linger there for long, it's just a brief appearance. But it happens more than once. Far more than just once. I figure it must be because she does look pretty distinctive, with that hair and all. After all, even if I don't hit on every second female that walks past, I am still a guy, and that girl… well, she's pretty, to say the least.

Whatever the reason, I find myself arriving earlier than usual to school the next Monday - not on purpose, of course. Still, I take the extra time to stop at the school office and flip through last year's yearbook. I want to know her name.

I look carefully, and examine each face of our year level last year, but I don't see her there. Maybe she's a new student. I spend such a long time looking, by the time I'm done, the bell for Form Assembly has already rung. Dammit. But I guess I wasn't planning on attending anyway. I'll show up for first period. English is probably one of the better classes that I take, along with Literature.

"How nice of you to join us today, Elazul." The teacher is politely sarcastic, and she gives me a thin-lipped smile to match her warm welcome.

Shrugging, I dump my books on the desk. "All right, I'm here. Don't make a big thing out of it." I mutter. It's not like I do this all the time. Don't need to give the teachers an excuse to expel me. Besides, it's not like teachers are bad people or anything – Yes, I'm just making their job harder. But not on purpose. It's just sort of a side-effect of my class-skipping.

Great. It looks like today we're doing an essay to prepare for the exams coming up. Didn't I pick a great day turn up to class? I get out my books and make an attempt to look half-interested in the things the teacher is trying to tell us. Though, I'm actually not too concerned about exams. If you don't have high expectations, you won't get disappointed. If I pass, that's enough.

"Pearl? Are you paying attention?" The teacher pauses in her explanation to give a pointed glare at someone sitting somewhere behind me. For once, it isn't me.

"Yes miss," the response is so quiet even I can barely hear it, and though I doubt the teacher caught any of that, she nods, as if the fact that she actually responded is good enough. That's when I know. I turn around sharply in my chair to get a look at the owner of that quiet voice. It's got to be her. What did the teacher call her? Pearl.

A row back and three seats to the right, she's caught off guard by my sudden stare. I can tell by the way she shrinks back in her chair, her eyes widening. Does she recognise me? I think she does, judging by the way she blushes and looks away. But then again, she probably responds like that whenever any guy looks at her.

Why didn't I notice her in my class before? Probably because I rarely attend. "Hey-" I begin to speak in her direction, but I'm very abruptly interrupted by the teacher.

"Elazul, turn around. You can pick up girls after class." she tells me bluntly.

I turn back to the front as ordered, but not without the predictable giggles from the rest of the class. I roll my eyes at the lot of them, and prop my chin in my hand, the facsimile of boredom.

I don't look at the girl for the rest of the class. When the bell rings, I'm the first one out the door. I do consider waiting for her, but I first have to rationalise it to myself. Why should I wait for her? I don't know who she is, I don't know anything about her, and from the little I do know, she's probably going to one of those hopeless, damsel-like people that I can't stand. Furthermore-

"Excuse me?" I nearly jump at her voice, and to my mortification I realise that I've spent so long musing over whether to wait for her or not, she's already come out.

I lean against the wall in an attempt to look nonchalant, (I'm not trying to look cool in front of her, I just don't want her to think that I have nothing better to do with my time than wait for perfect strangers.) and nod at her curtly. "What." I say it flatly, like a statement. I don't want to look at her, but again that hair catches my eye. Today it's tied back into a loose low ponytail.

She blushes, as I've seen her do so often now, and opens her palm to show me a pen. "Um, you left this behind…"

I look at the offering, then up at her, my gaze not quite friendly. "How do you know it's mine?"

She hesitates, and lowers her eyelashes, looking at the ground with a blush staining her cheeks and a stammer edging her voice. "Uh, well… I, I found it on your desk…" she looks up at me and bites her lip. "I… well, I thought…" she ducks her head down again and withdraws the gift. "I'm sorry…"

"Wait!" I grab her wrist instinctively to stop her from walking away. It's the first time I've ever touched her, and I can feel her flinch. "I-I…" I'm obviously an idiot. I shrug, and withdraw back into my comfort zone, releasing her wrist. "No, I'm sorry. That is mine. I was just…" Being difficult. I shake my head and take the pen. "Thanks."

She bites her lip again, and nods, not looking up at me. But I can't let her go just yet. "Wait!" I call after her again, just as she's beginning to turn away. She stops again, this time a little anxious. She glances up at me. Why does she seem so fearful all the time?

"Do you know my name?" I blurt out the question without thinking. Somehow, it's important to me that she knows who I am.

She looks at me, and when the silence stretches on for more than a few seconds I begin to regret asking. After a few moments of that vague, unfocused gaze, she says softly, "Elazul…"

My name had never sounded so alluring as it did then, coming from her lips.

I knew it was him from the moment he walked into the classroom. He was late as usual. Isn't it strange how you can notice someone, without noticing who they are? The teacher told him off, but she didn't put much effort into it. I think she's given up on him. He's just sat down, behind a desk about a row ahead of me. I can't see his eyes from here, but I can see his hair, dark and just a little too long, tickling the nape of his neck.

It's him. It has to be him. The boy from the bus. The boy with blue eyes.

"Pearl? Are you paying attention?" I've been staring at his back too intently. The teacher gives me a disapproving look, and I blush and look down at my desk.

"Yes miss," I whisper. What she's saying is important, I know. Our exams are only two months away, so I have to be studying as much as I can. I know my parents want me to do well, and I have to work really hard so that I can get into a good university. But English isn't really my strong point. I should really be listening to the teacher, not looking at-

He's looking at me!

Those blue eyes are unmistakable, and they're directed right at me! His expression is a little surprised, as if he didn't expect to see me here. I guess that must mean he recognises me, right? I think he's talking to me when he begins with "Hey-", but I guess I'll never know, because at that moment the teacher interrupts.

"Elazul, turn around. You can pick up girls after class," she tells him in a matter-of-fact tone. Elazul. What a… pretty name. The whole class breaks into sniggers, but he just sort of glares, and turns around to face the front again.

He doesn't look at me again for the entire lesson. And when the bell rings, he's the first one out the door, even before the teacher finishes writing our homework on the board.

What did I expect?

I can't help give on last lingering glance to Elazul's table, but when I do, I find that he's left something behind. Nothing romantic or personal like a love letter, or a journal, (I can't really imagine him owning something like that anyway) just a pen. He must have been in such a hurry to leave class, he didn't pack his things up properly.

I debate whether I should return it to him or not. I mean, I should, because it's the right thing to do, but I… I don't really like talking to people, and besides, he's probably already long gone.

"Pearl? Is something wrong?" I've deliberated over this for so long on this my teacher is beginning to worry about me.

"N-no miss," I mumble hastily, then before I can think about it, I pick up his pen and scurry out the classroom.

I can't believe I'm making such a big deal about this.

To my surprise I find him right outside the classroom. Doesn't he have another class to go to? Perhaps he's planning on just not going. He seems to be thoughtful, pondering on something. I hate to interrupt, but… seeing as he's already here I should return his property to him while I still have a chance. Right? "Excuse me?" I say it just softly, but he still visibly jerks out of his reverie, and casts his blue eyes on me.

He slouches against the wall and glances my way. "What." he says gruffly.

I blush, and open my hand to give him the pen. "Um, you left this behind…"

He glances at it, then stares at me, his gaze bored, suspicious and unfriendly. "How do you know it's mine?"

I don't really know what to say to this. I hadn't really thought he would argue about it; I thought he'd just take it and go. But now he's questioning me, and I have to give him an answer. "Uh, well… I, I found it on your desk…" I risk a glance at him, and find him glaring at me with the full impact of his intense eyes. "I'm sorry…" I'm beginning to regret doing this, and I start to withdraw my hand, but before I can, his hand flashes forward and snatches my wrist. It's the first time he's ever touched me, and I can feel power in his grip.

"Wait!" his voice is uncharacteristically distressed, and he hesitates. "I-I…" his grasp slackens, and he lets go of me. He leans back again, folding his arms. He looks at me, and mutters, "No… I'm sorry. That is mine. I was just…" he shakes his heads and doesn't finish the sentence. "Thanks." he takes it with a brief look in my eyes.

Now that my duty is done, I feel awkward just standing here. I don't know what to say to him. I begin to leave, but again he asks me to wait. I stop, but I'm beginning to wonder what he wants with me.

"Do you know my name?" The question is so sudden, and so unrelated, my mind goes blank for a few seconds. He's watching me with growing unease as my mind remains frozen. But I do know, I remember it… It's…

"Elazul…" I manage to get it out. I look up at him shyly, and he seems slightly stunned that I would know it. "Do you know mine?" I ask, in a burst of initiative.

He looks sharply at me, but his answer is hesitant. "…Pearl?"

The way he said it, from his mouth, in his voice - my name sounded… beautiful.

Neither of us knew what to do after that meaningless, yet strangely personal moment. We just looked at each other, though I didn't feel as acutely awkward as I usually do in situations like this. I think he was about to say something, but-

The bell rings.

We were late to class.

That seems to be his cue to leave. He glances at his watch, then back at me. Then he gives me a small shrug, and his lips twitch in a way that could almost be interpreted as a smile. And walks away, down the hallway, out of my life.

Or so I thought.