Mon. 04/09, 09:32
Something wet fell on Zayn's cheek. Without opening his eyes, he brought his hand to it and realized it was cold liquid. Another drop landed, then another. This time, they kept falling, slowly soaking his clothes. It was like an aerial assault ! He struggled to open his eyes and realized it had started raining while he had been sleeping.
"I fell asleep on the bench again..."
He looked at the time: 9:32.
It wasn't by pure chance that he had dozed off there. In reality, he had been eagerly waiting for Tora's arrival. It had already been two days since they last saw each other, and he had a lot to tell him. He had even brought some food, just in case. It was the first time in ages that he had a friend, so he wasn't sure if he was overdoing it.
In these circumstances, he couldn't bring himself to keep waiting for him in the rain. He quickly took refuge inside, in the cafeteria. At the far end, he noticed another student typing away on her laptop at lightning speed. She didn't take a single moment's break. Had she not, even for an instant, doubted herself or run out of inspiration ? Her efficiency was impressive. She was so focused that she didn't even notice Zayn's presence.
Without thinking about it to much, he went to sit in the first chair within reach, rested his head on the table, and fell asleep again.
So, two more hours passed. To check if Tora had arrived, he peeked into the classroom, in the middle of the lesson. When he learned that he wasn't there, he quickly closed the door, leaving both the teacher and the students stunned.
"Still nothing… Could it be that he simply didn't come today ?"
Zayn couldn't hide his disappointment. He didn't even want to go to class anymore (not that he had gone in the first place), so he headed back to the cafeteria.
The girl from earlier was still there, but she wasn't in the same spot. She had moved two rows ahead, for some reason. And just like two hours ago, she was still typing away at a frantic pace.
"But what on earth could she be writing so passionately ?"
Zayn's curiosity took over, and he walked toward this mysterious figure. The closer he got, the more anxious she seemed, glancing around as if to check whether someone else had caught his attention. But no, it was indeed her he had focused on.
When only a few meters remained between them, she gripped her laptop tightly, pulling it into her arms with all her strength, before bursting into tears.
— Please, don't hurt me ! I don't have any money to give you, and this laptop is the only thing I have left, please !!
Zayn, completely shocked, took a few steps back. The other girl was crying loudly, as if her life depended on it.
— What ?! You thought I was going to mug you ?! Who do you think I am ?! I'm not that kind of person ! he exclaimed, offended by the harsh assumption.
— But... why were you... looking like that, then ? she stammered, still crying.
— What look ? My face is normal !
Zayn touched his face with both hands, worried that he didn't know what was wrong.
Seeing that he was acting foolish, she calmed down, realizing that he wasn't a threat and that she had nothing to fear.
— Sorry, I thought you were like all the other thugs around here.
— But I'm not a thug !
— Oh really ? she said, surprised.
— Of course !
— But you're really muscular, and earlier, you were looking at me like you were going to rip my head off !
— Not at all... Ah.
Zayn finally realized that he must have had an awful expression on his face, given the frustration he had felt over Tora's absence.
— Sorry, I was angry about something else, haha.
— It's fine…
She quickly wiped her face with her sleeves to remove the tears that were still there. Zayn thought aloud, unable to stop himself.
— So cute.
— Did you say something ?
— Ah… no, nothing.
Zayn was almost hypnotized by the charm of this young girl.
She was of French origin, 20 years old, and in her second year. She had a round face with slightly puffed cheeks, giving her an innocent look. Her light brown hair fell beautifully to her chest. She had bangs, with a few rebellious strands hanging on either side of her face. The majority of her hair cascaded down her back, while the rest draped over her shoulders. The strands on her right profile were tucked behind her ear, revealing an earring that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. Although it wasn't authentic, it suited her perfectly.
A watch adorned her left wrist. It was turned the other way, like soldiers do in the army. Beside it was a silver bracelet with a golden-brown beryl pear-shaped gemstone, hanging from a chain that extended from her bracelet. It looked like it could be quite expensive. Several other small stones were arranged in the same way, but none were as striking as this one.
Her eyes were exactly the same color as her hair, or at least, that's what it seemed like (In reality, they were honey hazel.). Even when looking closely, it was clear that she wasn't wearing any makeup, yet her beauty was breathtaking. It almost felt unreal.
Her fashion style was very monochromatic. Today she was wearing beige clothes, and it seemed to suit her quite well. She had on sneakers, a beanie, oversized pants, and a sweater. But damn, let's be honest ! It was insane how cute she was !!
— Uh, what's your name ?
— Me ? Uh…
— What, you've forgotten your own name ? Haha, he joked.
At this remark, she blushed, embarrassed.
— I… Uh…
— Wait, seriously ?…
A tense silence settled between them.
— It's okay, you know, sometimes I forget my age too !
— …
Seeing that this didn't help much, he tried to change the subject.
— Um… And your laptop ? (He pointed at it.) You were writing relentlessly, you seemed really passionate about what you were doing !
— Yes, I really enjoy writing, that's why I spend all my time here. Usually, there's no one around.
— You prefer to be alone ?
She tapped her finger on her lips.
— Hmm… Yes, that's it !! she exclaimed, pointing her finger up like she had just figured it out. Actually, I don't like being surrounded by strangers, but I don't like being alone either.
Zayn pulled out a chair and sat across from her. He rested his arms on the table and clasped his hands together.
— What are you doing ? she asked, surprised.
— You did say you didn't like being alone.
— That doesn't mean I want you to stay.
— Wow ! You're slow to answer my questions, but when it comes to saying what you think, you're as fast as lightning !
— Pff, I don't know what you're talking about.
She rested her elbows on the table, placing her head between her hands. Her attention seemed to be elsewhere.
— Tell me honestly. You're not acting like this on purpose because I'm bothering you, right ? If that's the case, I can leave, it's no problem.
— Oh no ! Not at all ! You must have misunderstood me. Earlier, I just wanted to say that I didn't want you to stay because you thought I wanted you to stay so you wouldn't feel obligated.
— Aaah, I see. You're not easy to figure out.
— Yeah, I get told that a lot. That's also why I prefer to write. It might sound weird, but seeing the words form on my screen helps me visualize what I want to say and know if anyone will understand me or not. If it's wrong, I can just delete it and try again.
— I'm not sure I understand. Why do you need to see what you're thinking ? If, by reading, you can tell if someone will understand you or not, that means you realize yourself when you're not being clear enough. Am I wrong ?
She closed her eyes for a moment and murmured words to herself. Then she opened them again and looked Zayn straight in the eye.
— I… can't separate what I say from what I think. I can't tell if I've said something that I was thinking or if I've provided enough context for what I wanted to say before saying it. Ugh, I can't explain it properly.
She scratched her head, frustrated.
— No, I completely understand. It was very well explained.
— Thank you.
A satisfied smile brightened her face. She looked happy.
— It's funny, at first you seemed very cold, but now I realize you're actually very friendly and expressive, haha.
— That's very kind. Usually, people aren't as understanding.
— They should be ! And what were you writing with so much passion ? I guess it's a book, then…
— What ? How did you… (She covered her mouth with both hands) Oops.
— Ah ? If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. By the way, do you remember your name now ?
— My name ? Well, it's… Huh ?
— I see. It's okay. You wouldn't happen to have amnesia or something, would you ?
— I don't know. If that were the case, would I even know ?
— Now that you mention it, I wouldn't be able to tell you.