Chapter 1 (Part 2)
Unbelievable I tell you, there can never be a lecture as boring as
that! I swear, watching my toe nail grow is twice as
accomplishing, rolling his eyes, a handsome young man spoke in a
mocking tone. He had a pair of sparking eyes, adorned with double
eyelids and long, curved lashes. As he spoke, his larynx bobbed in
synchrony, accentuating his masculinity.
Hell, yeah. Lucky thing I brought my wife here to entertain
myself. Andrew, would you hold my wife for me for a sec? Im
desperately urgent, said another more average-looking guy, as he
pushed his Toshiba laptop to his friend.
Sure, you go do your thing while I get familiar with your wife,
Andrew replied, a mischievous smirk formed on the handsome face as
he flashed his eyebrows.
Turning to a dazed comrade standing beside him, Andrew swept his
open palm in front of his friends face and said almost
exasperatedly, Hey? Hello? Can you wipe that weird smile off your
face now? Youve been grossing me out for the past half an
hour.
Hey dude, I was in the middle of my most erotic fantasy and you
just totally demolished it. Why dont you go disturb someone else
for a change? the guy looked around for something, And where is
Gabriel?
He went to relieve himself. What? You want him to accompany you to
the washroom? Andrew sniggered and pointed in the direction of the
gents, There, hes done. Man, hes fast for someone whos
desperately urgent.
Its called superior plumbing my friend. Ah, I see Daniels not
smiling to the air anymore. I dont know what you did but I sure am
glad it worked. Hes been grossing me out for the past half hour,
Gabriel laughed.
Andrew burst out laughing and when it died down enough for him to
speak, he patted Gabriel on the back and said, Spoken like a true
brother. Come on, lets go get my Biology of the Body text from my
locker before we get lunch. With Andrew in the lead, they trotted
towards the lockers.
Daniel had half his mind in the conversation about last nights
soccer match, and half his mind just aimlessly wondering as he
leisurely surveyed the corridors. People were streaming in and out
of the washrooms, and he secretly marveled at how more people were
going in than coming out, and the washrooms seem to be just
gobbling them up. He suddenly swerved his eyes to the Ladies door,
as though expecting to see a familiar face pop out through it. Due
to his inexplicable lack of attention, he realized only too late
that his foot had already reached the stairs. He began to fall
forwards and grabbed his friends sleeve instinctively to break his
fall. Unfortunately, his unprepared, equally
not-looking-where-he-was-going friend could only manage a yelp
before dropping his laptop.
Jesus Christ! Daniel! Watch where youre going! If something
happens to my wife, Ill have you crucified! Gabriel shot a
daggered look at Daniel and then examined his laptop, caressing it
tenderly.
Sorry! I am really sorry. Did I break anything? Daniel said most
contritely.
Gabriel shot another if only looks could kill look and continued
his loving administrations to his laptop, with a stance that was
just screaming Oh baby! Here, let dada kiss it all better!
Andrew rolled his eyes immensely. He has so got to get used to
Gabriels obsession with his laptop. Swinging his arm over Daniels
shoulder, he whispered deliberately loudly, Dude, schedule your
erotic fantasy to another time. You dont want to be murdered for
that by a psychopath who always mistakes his laptop for his
wife.
Daniel chuckled as he watched Gabriel protest against Andrews
accusations. Daniel remembered how the three of them came to be
such great friends. They had come from different families,
secondary schools, junior college classes, and yet they had somehow
crossed paths at the schools research attachment program, in which
they discovered a share passion for Biology. They formed a project
group and saw through it with plenty of laughter and hard work. The
whole attachment proved to be both enriching and enjoyable, each of
them having contributed to the numerous hilarious episodes. Like
the time Andrew groped the mentors butt in the dark room where
they were shown how to develop X-ray films. As well as the time
Gabriel tripped and sent the perfectly cast agarose gel sailing a
perfectly parabolic trajectory path to the top of the labs radio.
They extended their friendship beyond the laboratory to chilling
out with each other on weekends, due to a contagious lack of
girlfriends. Actually, he suspected that Andrew was chasing a girl
in their second year, but Andrew had kept the juicy details
jealously guarded. And Gabriel was too shy and unconfident of
himself to approach this other cute girl who caught his eye.
Whatever it was, they had been good brothers ever since, and
thankfully, all three of them decided to pursue further education
in Biology.
Daniel! Can you, like, crawl faster or something? Andrew turned
and saw Daniel almost lost in the crowd and his own world.
Andrew had always been the most energetic and talkative among them.
He had an acid-tongue, and a sharp wit for ammunition, forever
having something insultingly humorous to dig at someone. He was,
Daniel had to admit grudgingly, rather good looking too, and has
always been the focus of female attention.
Hey, I think Ill just wait here for you guys. Too long to crawl,
Daniel winked at Andrew.
Yeah, sure old man. You just sit there and dont go roaming about.
Be back to collect you. And hold my wife for me, handing his
laptop to Daniel, Gabriel suddenly pulled it back into his arms and
continued, Dont let me see you drop it again or Ill-
Crucify me. Yes, I get it, Daniel said dryly.
Gabriel followed Andrew up the stairs. Daniel sat sown at the study
table and placed the laptop by his side. He smiled incredulously to
himself. He had known Gabriel for a long time but he didnt realize
that Gabriel was a man very protective of his treasured
possessions, for Gabriel had always been a mild-tempered guy. His
temperament had always been as calm as a sheltered lake, gently
rippling in sync with his circadian rhythms. Indeed, he had never
seen Gabriel get angry or upset over anything at all. It seemed
like nothing could move him. Yet ever since Gabriel bought that
laptop, he had been unfathomably attached to it, and his emotional
tides rose and fell according to the welfare of his wife. Daniel
wondered if his friend would show the same devotion to his future
girlfriend. It would be such a sight to behold, he was sure of it.
In fact, he was also absolutely certain that the Andrew-in-love
would be equally, if not surpassingly, phenomenal. He could almost
imagine Andrew teasing the hell out of his girl, balancing her
thinly on the verge of crying and laughing. He could scarcely
believe how any girl is able to handle a guy you can love and hate
at the same time.
Daniel could hardly suppress a grin as he pictured his friends
holding their girls and gazing tenderly at them. He mentally added
himself to the picture, but he needed a girl. What kind of girl? A
face began to solidify in his mental sketchpad. Long hair, fringe
delicately caressing her brows. Eyes as innocently pure as a
newborn childs, growing more sparkling with each blink. Daniel
smiled as he replayed the girls smile in his mind for the
hundredth time. He had seen her on the first day of school,
clasping her phone in both wavering hands and looking around
anxiously. He remembered they were all waiting for their turn to be
matriculated and there was a massive crowd outside the halls.
People were standing with their cliques and chatting excitedly. And
then he saw her, backed to a pillar by a stream of people alighting
from the shuttle bus. He remembered how her head was lowered in a
rather defensive manner, flinching every now and then when someone
brushed past her, frowning ever so slightly. She only managed a
flicker of a smile when a senior handed her a can of coca cola.
Daniel breathed a sigh of amusement when he recalled how cute he
had thought that lip-nibbling girl was at that time. He never
figured out what hit him but when he saw her again at the library,
he was mightily surprised. There has got to be forty to fifty
students in there, yet he had spotted her the instant he stepped
in. it was almost as magical as the time he saw her on the first
biochemistry lecture, amidst the three hundred faces.
Hey! a really loud voice shattered Daniels daydream and ear
drums.
What?! Daniel snorted vindictively. This guy was always
interrupting his blissful thoughts in the most destructive of
ways.
What what? Andrew was taken aback by the hostility, Ive been
calling you like three, four times?
Oh, sorry. I was just trying to recall if glycine is an acidic or
basic amino acid, Daniel said lamely, Wheres Gab?
Gabriel tapped his shoulder from the back and Daniel jumped.
Gabriel picked up his laptop and hugged it to his chest, Whats
wrong with you? You havent been yourself the whole day. First that
creepy smile, now this out-of-body experience thing. Dont tell me
youre thinking about
. Gabriel contemplated his words for a
moment while Daniel held his breath in suspense, what to buy for
me for Christmas already? Gabriel beamed.
Er yeah, I was thinking of getting the anti-wrinkly moisturizer
for your wide. She needs to conceal those scratch lines, Daniel
retaliated.
She does not! Gabriel scrawled very much insultedly.
According to my professional analysis, Andrew spoke in a deeper
than usual voice, there can only be one reason why Daniel is
acting as if he is in love, and that is he hasnt been getting
enough sleep and vitamin C.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with me! Daniel denied
vehemently, and if anyone is not getting enough sleep, its Andy
over here, Daniel strangled Andrews neck with his arm, so why
did you not come online to send me that mp3 like you promised? I
couldnt even get you on the phone. What, may I ask, were you doing
on the twenty second of February, 2006, around eleven pm to one
forty-five am? You may choose to remain silent, but anything you
say would be held against you, Daniel waited through slitted eyes
for an explanation to why he got ditched by a trusted friend.
Dude, relax. Ive saved you the file while I was chatting over the
phone last night, Andrew stuffed a thumb-drive into Daniels hand,
confident that this would appease his friend, I never forgot a
promise, he said, flashing his eyebrows.
Actually, you promised to meet me online, and not leave me to wait
like an idiot, killing my patience and brain cells trying to call
you. Are you going to compensate me for my beauty sleep
deprivation, or do I have to call your parents who did you cal
anyway? Which girl is more important than sending your cute,
adorable friend his mp3? Daniel demanded schemingly.
Nah, of course she isnt the same as you bro, but uh, well, I
wanted to call you when I was done, but I thought I shouldnt
kindle the wrath of a sleeping handsome by waking him up, Andrew
never forgot to dig at his friend, even though he was supposed to
be apologizing.
Alas, my importance pales in comparison to the fair lady. Pray,
tell, who might the damsel be? Daniel dramatized a little as he
spoke.
I wouldst bare mine heart to thee, yet time is our enemy, and we
must nay tarry here. The locker expedition has rendered us slaves
to time. Let us hence, to the barracks where-
Okay okay, you win. Now lets hurry for lunch, you have lessons
later right? Daniel glanced around for signs of Gabriel, whom, he
spotted by the pillar behind them. Gabriel was energetically
engaged in a highly animated conversation with a rather pretty
pony-tailed girl. In fact, Gabriel was so animated, he seemed to be
conversing in some kind of tribal sign language.
Sorry to interrupt this delicious chat, but Gab, Andrews going
miss lunch if u continued to chat till kingdom comes. Daniel
peer-pressured Gabriel to bid adieu and the threesome paced towards
the canteen. They weaved their way through the unusually crowded
canteen and procured for themselves a table, littered
inconsiderately by its previous occupants. But they were desperate
in the race against time to be picky.
Queuing for his food in an impossibly long queue, Daniel let his
eyes wonder around the buzzing of the canteen. There was order in
the chaos, and it was almost entertaining to watch people follow
the traffic rules in the crowded canteen. Suddenly, he caught
sight of the girl he had been sort of thinking about today. He
tried not to stare, but found himself do the look-dont look-look
routine every three steps she took. He took a step forward in the
moving queue and turned his eyes back to the girl. He let out a
silent gasp when he saw her glance his way and they exchanged eye
contact for a split of a second. And then, it was gone. She fleeted
her eyes away as naturally as if she had just locked eye contact
with a stranger.
I think she still doesnt remember me; Daniel thought rather
hopelessly and gave a most disconcerting sigh.
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