“ How do you know someone values you? You don't even question it. ” 
***
— Cecile —
I'd just taken a seat at a secluded spot in the restaurant when I heard a cough from behind me. “ Hey. ” 
There he was, looking handsome and dashing as I'd known him to be. 
“ Hey. ”
“ Can I have a seat? ” 
“ Sure. ” I nodded watching him take a seat in front of me. 
“ What have you ordered? ” 
“ Hamburgers. You? ” 
“ Same. ” He grinned. 
Silence reigned between us, and I simply gazed at the ornamental plants in front of me with fascination. It was on days like this I'm glad I was an ambivert. 
Easy to avoid awkward conversations, isn't it? 
“ So… You found out about it online, right? ” I stared up at him in shock, out of a million, and one thing to say, I'd never thought he would bring that up, cos why would he? 
“ Yeah. ”
“ How? ” 
I looked around to make sure no one was watching or listening to our conversations, before replying. “ I hacked into the school's database. ”
“ Oh. ” Contrary to what I was expecting, he didn't look at me with judging eyes as most people do when I tell them about my hacking skills, rather he had a faint smile hanging on his lips. “ How weak is the firewall? ”
“ Transparent; paper thin. ” I replied to which we both chuckled. 
“ But really, Cecile. What you did was a crime. You could get suspended for it. ”
“ That would only happen if I'm found out. ” Our gaze met and I thought I felt the connection, or maybe it was just my feelings getting the better of me. How could I be so smitten by someone I'd just met? 
I'd had several crushes in the past, but absolutely none of them had a deep impact on me as this. 
“ Yeah… ” 
“ So you write poems? ” 
“ I thought you'd figured it out already. ”
“ I do… ” 
“ So what inspired your poems? ”
“ Everything around me. ” He'd said simply and Cecile decided not to push him any further. 
Their lunch arrived and they munched in silence. 
***
“ Principal wasn't wrong when he told me that everything about this school is magnificent! ” Cecile mused as she stared at the spacious school field which contained, a football court, a basketball court, and a tennis court.
  There was enough space and required equipment for every sport that could be played in school.
“ Yeah. This is one of the reasons why it's crowned one of the best schools in the city. ”
“ Yeah. ” She stared at the court, before finally bringing her gaze back to him. 
“ So what's your first day in this school like? ”
“ My first day in Stardust Hills? ” He repeated the question subconsciously. Because according to him the only thing he can recall about his first day at school was seeing his Angel from a very close angle.
He got to watch every move of her's like a stalker. Thinking back now, he wondered how he could have done that without feeling guilty.
But he couldn't help himself, her presence was just too difficult to be ignored. 
She was like a city built on a hill, which couldn't be hidden.
 If it hadn't been for his low self-esteem, he would have approached her on the very first day. 
He hadn't, though he wished he had. 
The sound of her laughter and giggles was still fresh in his mind as if it were yesterday. He recalled how she and Stella had met and became best friends that very day. 
They'd acted as if they'd known each other forever, must he say, their bond was ethereal.
He wasn't unaware of how Essy came into the picture. Once a slave in the house of her uncle and Aunty. Essy had been adopted by Stella's father and ended up becoming her sister by adoption.
Though they weren't blood-related, the bond between the duo had been unbreakable since the very first day. 
They were called the inseparable duo and the name fitted them well. 
How had he known all of this? Because he'd learn to love and admire from a distance.
He wished he had more courage to have approached her, but he couldn't.
His Aunt had shedded any piece of courage with her daily words. Which was like deadly poison to his bones. 
Jemmy was gone and never coming back, he knew he would have had more time to spend with her if he had been more courageous. 
But there's no use crying over spilled milk, is there? 
“ Hey, are you okay? ” Cecile's worried voice rang out interrupting him from his thoughts. 
He had completely forgotten that he wasn't alone and that she was waiting for his answer.
“ I am. ” He contemplated before adding. “ My first day was okay. There wasn't any drama as yours had been. ” His words earned a hearty chuckle from her as they recalled their first meeting and how awkward it had been.
 “ Yeah. I've always been clumsy. ” She admitted with a smile.
“ That isn't so hard to guess. ” He grinned, taking a glass of his juice.
“ Well, whatever. ” The bell rang following her words and they exchanged gazes before giggling. 
Seems like the Time is perfect,
Didn't have anyone to talk to today,
Because if he did he wouldn't have rang the bell so early.
Or maybe, they'd become too lost in their conversation to notice the passage of time.
 ….
A/N: Hahaha. What do you think, guys?