After that for the next several hours my mind was in an endless loop - what should I wear? How should I dress up? Would it be weird if I dressed up or something? I drummed my fingers on the desk, thinking.
"Nami, what should I wear?" I finally blurted out.
She didn't even raise her head up from the table. "What do you mean, what is it to wear? Wear whatever you want, where are you going?
I sighed and rushed toward the hem of my sleeve. 'Group study..."
That got her to pay attention; she leaned slightly upward and gave me a flat face: "Oh man, it's just a group study, not a fashion show ,Wear whatever feels comfortable."
I exhaled, pressed my lips together "Yeah, yeah but... hey... this is my first time going... I should at least look a little nice, right? "
Nami groped passionately. "Ugh... I'm really bored out of my mind! I want a crush on a guy! "she slid onto her side and rested her chin on her arm. "But no guy is even coming into my life! "
I glanced at her. "You are worrying about boys but the least you have to do is listen to what I say! " I said irritably.
"Yeah, yeah we only have to talk about you all the time, " she said, turning her back to me and curling up on the bench, as if she were going to sleep.
I sighed, accepting my defeat. "Find"
Worried, I let my gaze wander round the room -- until it hit him.
Arin.
He was sitting at a table several rows away, bent slightly over his notes, his pencil being drawn by deliberate careful strokes. Between each pen stroke his fingers tossed it, a tiny thing I never noticed before. His eyebrows furrowed in concentrated concentration; lips not quite half closed, as if they were whispering what he was writing.
For some reason, I couldn't look away.
It 's not like he was doing anything particularly interesting, but somehow something about his movement - calm, focused, in the middle of nowhere - made me stop. My eyes wandered from his fingers to his lips and followed the faint movements as if hoping to catch the silent words that were being whispered out of his lips.
My breath hitched.
What are you doing Aira, I threw off my gaze and retracted it. Get a grip.
I tried to get myself to look away, but the burn on my face told me that I 'd been gazing for a long time.
by the time 2: 00 was done school and we all went our different ways.
"You two, come next to me in front of the café, right? " Suhina shouted, ensuring we both understood her. "Okay, bye! " Nami and I repeated in unison before cutting off.
My first impulse on arrival home was to grab my plate right there at the dining table, as if I was in some sort of speed eating competition.
" Slow down! Why are you eating so fast! " Mom yelled as I began to literally inhale what I was eating.
I couldn't even see my reflection, my mouth half full. "I 've got to go out for the group study today, " said I, over squirming bites.
"When are you going?" she asked, folding some clothes nearby.
"I'll be out about 3: 00, " I said, already counting down the minutes.
She just nodded and walked away, when I managed to get through my meal in record time.
After eating I ran to the washroom and took a quick shower, then stood in front of my closet as if it were a major decision. Something simple, or something more stylish? The question kept coming up in my head as I stared at my clothes. I glanced at the clock.
Oh no - it 's already 3: 00!
My heart just stopped.
Why am I doing this? Once I 'm trying to be cute and then I 'm actually on a real-life version of Running Late: The Aira Edition.
I put on a fitted white top with high waisted jeans and stepped into my shoes of choice. And a simple pendant lay against my collarbone — discreet but ok to make me look put together.
... standing in front of a mirror I fumbled around with my hair till I got the half up half down look.
Right at that moment I noticed my younger brother lying on my bed, his eyes fixed on his phone.
"Hey, how do you look? " I asked with a tilt of my head hoping he'd get at least a "meh" response.
He didn't even glance up.
I shut my eyes wide. "Do you not hear me? " I cracked a scream. Looking towards him.
Finally, he sighed dramatically and looked up. "What?"
"I asked how I look... nobody needs to know I've already told you - I look lovely " I smirked flipping my hair like I was in a shampoo commercial.
He had stepped up his game suddenly. "Don't go outside", i whispered seriousness. "Why? Are you afraid people will become blinded to my beauty? " I said proudly and straightened my hair again in the mirror.
he snorted. "Nay. People can just go into a coma if they see a ghost. " he said, making a big laugh and running out of the room.
"Oh you little - hold on until I get your hands on you! " I said, running after him.
And suddenly the whole house was all set up like the whole movie "Wrong Turn". He jump over the couch like some parkour class, and I nearly fell over my own feet trying to catch him. He was fast - too fast. But I was not giving up. I swerved around a chair, almost knocked over a vase and I ran down him and grabbed his hoodie - almost got him! But he just slipped away at the last second, laugh like some guy who just won the final big battle.
Then, we froze.
Dad's stern gaze landed on us from across the room.
Silence.
We immediately stood still, pretending nothing had happened.
I swallowed hard and slowly turned to check the clock.
3:40.
Oh no! All that mess and now I 'm late! I mentally screamed.
Without any other words I grabbed my bag and ran out the front door with a pounding heart, not just from running, but from thinking about Arin again.
Would Arin even notice me?
Ugh, get a grip, Aira! It's just group study… right?