To One Conversation to Another
As exciting as it was texting Pierce last night, I'm debating whether it was such a great idea to stay up that late. I rub my eyes sleepily and yawn. I am so freaking exhausted right now. Like I'm struggling to keep my eyelids from dropping while I stare hard at the board, squinting at the numbers our teacher is writing on the board. I yawn again. Can I please just curl up in a ball and go to sleep right now? I've been struggling all day. And avoiding Pierce. Literally I felt so awkward, and if our gazes did even meet for a millisecond, I looked away. When I passed him in the hall, I made sure to maneuver as far away as possible, feeling my face warm up. I don't know how I'm supposed to act around him. What did that conversation mean?
"Mishal, do you have work today?" Asad asks me, sitting down in the chair next to me. Pierce, who is with him, sits in the seat right behind him.
"Yes," I grumble, rubbing my eyes. He makes a disgusted face.
"Why are you so tired? You went to bed early yesterday, miss grumpy pants."
"I couldn't sleep properly," I mutter, trying my best not to look at Pierce. I catch him smile to himself. I purse my lips to hold back my own smile.
"Oh." Asad frowns, then turns in his seat and puts his air pods in, tuning us out so he could finish the assignment we were given. I watch him pick a playlist, then hesitantly turn to Pierce.
"Um," I look over at him, wondering if he's better now. He raises his eyebrows.
"What's up?" he asks me. My heart thumps. I take a deep breath, mustering up my courage and trying my best to calm all the jittery nerves in my body.
"A-are you ok now?" I ask. "Like, at least a little better than yesterday?"
"Yeah." Pierce gives me a small, sad smile that makes me want to give him a hug. "I'm better, but life will always come back to hit you." So he's not really over it yet then.
"Oh." I shift my gaze to my desk before lifting my eyes to meet his again. "Well, I hope that what ever it is, it gets better soon."
"Thanks, I appreciate it."
"Mhm." I smile brightly. "If you ever need to talk, I'm all ears, okay?" And then I turn to my work, and pick up my pencil, just a little more wide awake than before.
As I leave the school that afternoon, I see Pierce coming out of the office, his lips pressed into a firm line. He looks angry, I think to myself. And upset.
"Yo!" Jake comes down from the other end of the hall. "You coming to practice?"
"Nah, I got something I have to take care of," Pierce says. Jake pauses for a moment before nodding.
"Ok. Did you let coach know?"
"Yeah." Pierce adjusts the strap of his bag on his shoulder. "I'll see you later then."
"Yeah." Jake walks away, side-eyeing me as he brushes by. I look at him too, lost in thought, before following Pierce out of the building.
"You don't have practice today?" I ask him, pretending I don't already know. He shakes his head.
"Nope. I have somewhere to be."
"Ohh." I nod and look at the sidewalk. "Where?"
"A rehab center," he says. I stop walking. Rehab?? A whole bunch of scenarios pop into my head. Does he have a family member there? I wonder.
"Rehab?" I continue to walk after him. "Is it... bad news or good news?" I ask hesitantly. Pierce sighs and runs his hand through his hair.
"I don't know yet."
"Oh." I give him an annoyed look behind his head. This guy isn't giving me much of a conversation to work off of without sounding too pushy. "How come?"
"I don't want to talk about it right now," he says.
"Okie dokie," I say with a nod. I give him one of my usual smiles and wave, turning in a different direction. "I have to go to work. Byee." He throws his hand up into a little wave too, then goes to his car. I watch him shut the door before turning to go on my own way, thinking. Rehab... does this have something to do with saving him? Ah damn it. I forgot to ask if he knows Seojun. I guess I'll just ask Seojun if--
"Hey!" I stop in my tracks and look up. Seojun? What? I see him wave to me with a big smile from the window of a silver Mercedes. I slowly lift my hand to wave back. Why is he here?