"Maybe," said Susan, feigning the utmost disinterest. She couldn't tell if what she was feeling was jealousy, not that she hadn't envied her friend before. Because in her eyes, Janice was everything she ever wished she could be. Pretty. Sassy. Confident. Fairly popular. Compared to her, Susan just seemed to fade away.
Janice, however, was too elated today to notice the bitter tears that were starting to well up in Susan's eyes. She kept talking and talking all the way down the corridor to the class. Matthew Newson had suddenly become the sun of her solar system. Susan just sighed and turned away to dry her eyes. There was, after all, nothing she could do, was there?
"Hey! Susan!"
Both Susan and Janice stopped in their tracks and turned around to face the boy, who was jogging up to them. He was quite tall--or atleast taller than Janice, who was considered very tall; slightly tanned; had short blonde hair; was grinning from ear to ear, displaying two rows of perfect pearly white teeth; and had the faintest hint of a blush as he handed the stupefied Susan a notebook.
"Your notes on English Literature," he said, when Susan made no effort to reach out and take the book. "Thanks a ton! I practically nailed today's test with this!"
Susan, whose mind had been lost to her, finally gathered her wits and instantly remembered lending her English Literature notes to someone last Wednesday. She visibly shook herself free from her trance and took the book. Now she remembered it fully! His name was--
"Will, William Archer, right?" Janice said, smiling broadly.
"Right," said William with a slight nod. "And you must be Susan's friend, Janice."
Janice scowled inwardly. Nobody, absolutely nobody, said "Susan's friend, Janice". It was always "Janice's friend, Susan". And for a very good reason, she thought. Nevertheless, she smiled in acknowledgement.
Because, she reasoned, you simply don't scowl when a pretty boy recognises you.
"Anyway," said Will, gesturing towards the end of the corridor from where he had come running, "I gotta go now. Kinda runnin late for my History."
Susan and Janice nodded together.
"So I'll see you around then," he said, taking a step backward, then smiled shortly before breaking into a run down the corridor and disappearing up the stairs.
"You know him too?" asked Susan as the duo walked to their class.
"Of course! I bet I just made enemies with half the girls in school for that hot conversation I just had with him. I say half because not everyone is fortunate enough to be worthy of such exquisites."
'As predictable as she could be,' Susan smirked inwardly. She could hold up her head high for once, because this time, whatever Janice might say, there was no mistaking the tiniest hint of jealousy in her voice. Because William had definitely blushed for Susan. And Janice had definitely seen it.
"Susan," said Janice, when they were at the door. Susan turned her head inquiringly.
"I'm going over to sit with Matthew."
Susan blinked.
"So I'll see you after class."
With that, Janice walked to the back of the class and Susan headed to the two empty seats in the second row on the left where they always sat. Clarence, who was sitting next to her, looked at her blankly, obviously wondering where Janice was.
'From here on, Janice,' she said to herself, 'I'll have to learn to stand on my own.'
When class was over, Janice walked over to where Susan was still gathering her books.
"Do you really need to carry this many books to and fro everyday?" she asked, akimbo. "The lockers are pretty secure, you know."
"Well, I can't telepathically peek into them from home, can I?" answered Susan, rising from her seat with a hefty bag behind her and an armful of books in front.
Janice sighed. She just couldn't figure out how on earth Susan managed to ace through all the assignments, projects and tests, even the surprise ones. Even if she worked twice as hard as Susan did, she doubted if she could produce half as much. Susan truly was a walking library, with every fact and theory tucked neatly into her brain, perhaps categorized into folders and sub-folders. Janice blinked. This was all too much for her brain to process at the moment.
They went home.
Matthew was the last to leave the room. Almost like an apparation, he slowly made his way out the door, when--
"Hey, watch where you're--"
A pile of books came tumbling to the floor like a cascading waterfall. Both boys lay sprawled on the floor. Matthew shook his head dizzily and looked at the tall, slightly tanned, blonde-haired boy who was not grinning at all, and most definitely not blushing.
"Sorry," he mumbled, and began gathering the other's books.
"It's okay," said Will, receiving the books back. "I was running blindly I guess. Didn't expect anyone else to be around."
He finally smiled. Broadly. From ear to ear. Matt looked confused at first, then allowed a tiny smile to creep into his face.
They walked down the corridor, out the building, and finally out the gate where they parted ways in total silence. Never expecting to bump into each other again.
Neither of them knew at that time.
That fate was already at work.
That busy hands had already set to task.
Because things as rare as this are seldom allowed to go unnoticed. Or undisturbed.
But if they knew, what could they have done? What 'would' they have done?
The future is an ever-receding mist of roaring thunder. The wise stay clear of its devilry on the safe side.
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