Theo walked out of the dormitory in his tidiest appearance—perfect slicked-back hair, neatly tied necktie, and shiny black shoes. He was about to pass by the gate of the dormitory when a car beeped behind him. It was Stan in his car. Stan rarely used his car to school because it was not that far from the dorm. He only rode it when they went on long trips.
“What made you drive this little baby?” Theo asked as he got inside.
“I just want to move my fingers for a faster recovery,” Stan replied.
Both of them got rid of their cast and splint a few days ago.
“You changed your perfume,” Stan said.
“Zara likes this scent. When we went to the mall, she kept on smelling this.”
“You’re growing up better than I thought.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Stan slowed down when he saw Elsie by the street. She tripped and fell to the ground when Stan blew his horn. He stopped the car and rolled down the window.
Stan pulled his head out. “Are you okay?”
Elsie immediately stood up.
“Come on. Get in the car,” Stan said.
“No, thank you. The school is just over there,” she replied and pointed to the north.
“Would it hurt you to come with us? Your knees don’t look good. An actress must take care of herself. Your body is your asset.”
“Fine. If you insist,” she said.
“Hey, Elsie. You look cool today,” Theo said with his thumb up.
“Thanks.”
Stan looked at her through the rear-view mirror. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. It’s just a scratch,” she replied.
“I’m not talking about your knees. I mean you look worried about something.”
She heaved a sigh.
“Today is the recognition day. I know I’ll be at the bottom.”
“Don’t worry, Elsie. You got me! I may not look dumb but I am,” Theo said, looking so gullible. A smile slipped from her lips.
“You’re proud about it?”
“The level of academic intelligence doesn’t matter in our circle. After all, there are many types of intelligence,” Stan said.
“Circle? There’s only the two of you.”
“We used to be three,” Theo said.
“So where’s the other one?”
“He’s dead,” Stan said as he parked the car. “We’re here.”
“Thanks for the ride,” Elsie said. She walked ahead of them and waved goodbye. Stan surveyed his eyes from her hair to her five inches shoes. Her red hair glittered under the sun like a burning fire.
Elsie was startled when someone held her backpack.
“You are at risk of falling down with this heavy thing,” Stan said. He raised her bag. “Is there a pot of gold in here?” He carefully removed it from her shoulders.
“You don’t have to—”
“I’ve never been to the gym lately. This could help,” he said and lifted it up and down like a dumbbell. She didn’t have the chance to complain because he hurried to the elevator.
“You’ll be late if you come with me,” she said.
“Our building is seven minutes away from here.” Stan checked his watch. “I got ten minutes. It’s more than enough.”
“What? It takes ten minutes to walk there.”
“That’s because I have long legs and I don’t wear high heels.”
They stepped backward when some students surged inside the elevator.
Elsie held her stomach when it growled. Her face twitched when she felt the pain. She tried to hold on to what’s wanting to come out of her. She couldn’t do it at that moment. There were many people, and she was with Stan. She could let go of people, but not gas from her digestive system. Elsie shouldn’t look stupid. Not anywhere with Stan.
Elsie held his arm as sweat formed on her head. She needed mental support because she was about to explode seconds from now. Stan looked at her and at the arrow going up.
Everyone pinched their noses and covered them with their hands when she farted. Elsie closed her eyes out of embarrassment. They whispered and blurted out some complaints.
‘No one will know it’s me if I stay quiet,’ she thought.
“I guess I haven’t fully digested the carbohydrates I ate last night. I’m sorry. When incompletely digested, carbohydrates enter the colon, bacteria partially break them down into hydrogen and carbon dioxide fumes. I can’t hold it out because it could cause a significant amount of pressure and discomfort. Abdominal distension can be caused by an accumulation of intestinal gas, some of which is reabsorbed into the bloodstream and part of which is expelled in the breath,” Stan stated.
The students looked at him with a mixture of incredulity and bewilderment. The elevator halted and opened. Elsie grabbed the edge of his blazer as she bowed her head. She couldn’t look into his eyes.
“You shouldn’t have done that. It was me,” she said.
“I know.”
“Then why…”
“There’s nothing wrong with natural phenomena. You did what you are supposed to do.” He held her wrist and pulled her. “Let’s hurry.”
Stan suddenly stopped in the middle of the corridor. “Wait a sec. Please hold this.” He handed her the bag. Stan opened his bag and got a white pouch. He picked a small bottle of alcohol, some cotton, and two band-aids.
“You carry medical stuff around?” she asked.
“If you have a friend like Theo, you would.”
Stan crouched. “Stay still.” He cleaned her wound and put some band-aids on it.
“I don’t mind you wearing those heels if that’s what makes you confident and comfortable. But it bothers me when you hurt yourself because of that,” he said and gazed up at her.
Elsie couldn’t find the right words to say.
“It doesn’t happen often. I’m clumsy sometimes. I’ll make sure that you won’t see me falling again.”
Stan made sure that she was already at her desk before leaving her. Elsie’s stomach ached again.
Inside the restroom, she heard the girls talking while putting on some makeup.
“If I were him, I would really be embarrassed to admit.”
“I know, right? He’s so confident and smart.”
“He’s even more handsome up close. Gosh. I would smell his fart forever if it means being his girlfriend.”
“Why do you think he’s here, though?”
“Maybe to observe and come up with new plans as the campus president.”
“He’s so dedicated.”
***
The recognition ceremony began. Stan got the highest honor, while Cade was second. Dexter was among the commendable. During the lunch break, everyone stared at the huge leaderboard near the Admission office. Elsie sighed as she found her name in number 490 out of 500 students.
“What do you want to eat?”
Elsie was surprised to see Stan beside her.
“Stan,” she uttered. “Ice cream? But they don’t have it in the canteen.”
“That’s not a problem.”
Stan pulled her to the gate. The guard said students could not get out of the school premises during lunch.
“I am the campus president, sir. Mrs. Tinsley ordered me to run an errand for the school paper and print some banners for the top ten students,” Stan said.
“Really? Alright. But do not stay out for too long.”
“We’ll be back in twenty-five minutes.”
While in the car, Elsie couldn’t stop staring at him. The car smelled like him. So manly but not too strong yet addicting. The veins in his hand were visible as he maneuvered the steering wheel. His gray eyes were fixed on the road. She wondered what he looked like without some glasses. Would he be less attractive?
Her eyes darted to his lips. They looked moisturized and his cupid’s bow was tempting. She tried to look for some pores on his face. It seemed healthy too. Stan’s Adam’s apple moved when he gulped.
“Is there something you need to tell me? Is there some dirt on my face?” he asked.
Elsie blinked and looked away.
“Nothing. I’m just guilty. You lied twice today because of me. You’re not the type who breaks some rules.”
“It’s not a heinous crime. Don’t worry.”
They arrived at an ice cream shop. It was a small shop, but rumored to be the best in the city. The interior design was a mixture of black and white, with a subtle hint of shades of pink. There were cute figurines, jars, and plants displayed on the shelves. Inside their food display cases were colourful pastries.
They ordered Ice Cream Hot Chocolate and Brownie Sundae.
“Hm. This is so good,” Elsie said.
“I’m glad you like it,” he said.
“Congratulations, Stan. You are number one. I can’t believe you’re hanging out with me.”
“I don’t believe in social stratification. If I like your vibe, then we’re good.”
“By the way, where’s Theo?”
“He’s having the time of his life at the Senior’s building. I’m having mine here. I like ice creams.”
They were silent for a while. Elsie was mixing the ice cream in slow motion.
“Do you want me to tutor you?” Stan asked.
“What?”
“I can’t stand seeing you so troubled about your grades. So teaching you is more convenient.”
“If a professional teacher couldn’t teach me well, how could you?”
Stan crossed his arms. “Because I am Stan Carline and I never lose.”