FEW days passed by. Today will be out final exam, yet I haven’t got the chance to talk to Nathan... Nor he ever did something to show signs that he wanted to spend some time with me as well... Alone. During our review sessions, I tried to act fine, knowing that the squad will keep on nagging us about our situation. But then, as time passes by, Nathan already realized that something is wrong, making him chase after me every single time that he will see me walking on the hallways of Jackson High. I tried my best to avoid him, but to no avail. He just keeps on following me, and I have no other choice but to talk to him just like what happened this morning.
“Nat... Do you want us to have a great lunch together after the exams?” he asked me.
“Uhm... Maybe. It depends how hard the exam is, Nathan.”
“No endearment this time?” he asked me, and I shook my head in disapproval.
“Nat is not an endearment or something. It is nothing but a shortcut to our names,” I bluntly answered.
“Too grumpy this morning, huh? Not in a mood? Don’t be such a killer. I’m wishing you luck for this exam, by the way,” he answered, before tapping my shoulders.
And just like that, he walked away. I feel mad, because he is acting like nothing is wrong between us. We finished the exam earlier than expected, because seems like the professor are getting easy on us since it will be our graduation day in the next few days. After the exam, I went straight to our home, feeling to heavy to celebrate even though I feel great about the exam. I was hoping that maybe this time, Nathan can notice that he did something wrong... Or did he? He was just being friendly to Freeda, the same way that I did to Lia before... So what could be the mistake in that case?
“I was impressed by the results of your exam. Nobody failed, and every single one of my you will be marching in the graduation rights next week!” our adviser announced, making me come back to my senses as my classmates starting to clap their hands out of too much happiness.
“We made it! High school is over!” everyone shouted.
Despite the fact that it should sound happy to our ears, I feel bad. All those memories... It will be over soon. High school is done, and me and my friends will be parting our ways to take different paths of our lives. It was a bitter sweet smile that slowly formed in my lips, before the classes had finally come to an end. I was about to get home when all of the sudden, I saw Nathan by the gate of Jackson High, looking at me, with his brows furrowed in confusion.
“Nat,” he started off.
“Nathan... You’re here. Are you not going to celebrate with Scott and the rest of our squad?” I asked, hoping to make him feel better since I don’t want to ruin his mood.
“Everyone has a celebration of their own... So I wanted to spend mine with you,” he answered, but I shook my head.
“I can’t. I need to help my Mom with the household chores later today.
“But... We just got the results,” he complained.
“Congratulations. I knew you made it. Class valedictorian, huh?”
“Why do you sound like that?” he asked, looking as if he is not satisfied by my response.
“Sounds what? I’m really happy for you, Nathan. I just can’t have a celebration with you today,” I answered, before attempting to go away but he stopped me.
“How about applying to college this Friday?”
“Uhm... I haven’t thought about that yet.”
“I already found a perfect school nearby. You can be my roommate in the dormitory. It would be fun.”
“I’ll ask my Mom about it.”
Again, I tried to walk away. But he pulled my arm to stop me, before he put himself in front of my direction so that I won’t be able to get away again this time.
“Are you avoiding me again? Please Nat... Not right now. We are finally graduating and we are not yet sure if we are going to be in the same university,” he stated, sounding frustrated as ever.
“I just... Why don’t you ask Freeda to apply to college with you?” I asked him, unable to hold it anymore longer while raising one of my brows.
“Freeda? I mean, why would I ask her?” he wondered to himself.
“And why not? You’ve been with her the other day that is why you were unable to join our group study for the exam. And now you are wondering why you should ask her instead of me?”
“Wait... Are you... Jealous of her?” he asked, before he chuckled.
“Jealous?! Of course not! Are you crazy? Why are you talking nonsense things?!”
“Why are you so defensive?”
“Then tell me, do I have something to be jealous about?!” I asked as if challenging him.
“There is. What happened in the Library... It was nothing. I just feel sorry for her, and she was just so sad that it’s been too late for her to change her mind. Now no one wanted to be her friend... She apologized for everything and she even gave me this,” he lengthy explained, before pulling the blue string from his pocket.
“What is that?”
“Her blue string. She wanted me to give this to you. To say sorry, for everything.”
“Really?”
“Yep. I feel like she is too shy to do it. I even gave Elyzz and Lia her red string. She wanted to thank them for being her friend, even after what she did to them...”
I stopped for one second, thinking that maybe Freeda isn’t that bad at all. And Nathan just helped her realize about that... So there is nothing for me to be jealous about.
“Now would you tell me why you are being jealous of me, huh?”
“Stupid. I didn’t say anything like that in the first place. It was you who initiated to use that word,” I fired back.
“Really? Then why are you avoiding me these past few days?” he asked me.
“I am not avoiding you.” He chuckled by my response, before grabbing my hand and started to pull me away.
“You know what, let us get this over with.”
He pulled me away with him, and I was left with nothing else to do but to follow him, if I didn’t want to be dragged by his hands. Until we reached my house, and I gave him an awful look.
“What are we doing here? Did you just took me home?”
“Yep. And I have something to say to your Mom.”
“Wait, what? What is that?”
“Just follow me.”