Min Ah's Trick

"Derek," she called out loud. Min Ah ran away immediately to hide from approaching. She had the intention of giving a back hug and cover Derek's eyes to play a guessing game. But unfortunately Taaliyah shattered the plan. It angered Min Ah. But she controlled it well. Yet Taaliyah had no idea about. She just interrupted. Min Ah showed a facial expression of mocking her and smirked. Taaliyah got angry.

"What are you doing here?" she aksed.

"What else? Looking for the books you," he r

paused and from the corner of his eyes he saw Min Ah behind the shelf opposite him.

"Really?" she aksed him. Derek understood that immediately. He had no idea how to manage it.

"Yes, why?" he asked if he still had no clue.

"Great, continue searching," she said and turned away. But she did not leave. Since Min Ah was the one to tiptoe behind him, she let it go.

"Okay," he said and continued with the search. Derek was looking for Jane Austen's 'Persuasion, novel that Taaliyah has been searching everywhere for reading. Taaliyah loved 'Pride and Prejudice' book and Kiera Knightley's movie version. Hence she wished to read 'Persuasion' too. But it was unavailable. He failed to find it. But he heard a voice behind her.

"Mind if I ask you what you are searching for?" Min Ah asked him. She had the work Anne of the Green Gables in her hand though she had no idea what the book or how popular it is.

"Mind if it take that?" Derek asked for the book and grabbed them. He thought that Taaliyah had left. But unfortunately she was still searching for the book she wanted.

"Sure," Min Ah said and smiled. "This is my first time coming inside a library," she said. "Because of you,"

"What?" he said not even looking at her face.

"I followed you and came here, I see you like books,' she said. He replied nothing. "What genre do you like the most?" she aksed.

"Horror," he lied looking at the shelf in front of him where horror books were stacked. He had never tried horror before.

"Really?" she was excited. "Then pick one for me," she requested him. "Let me try reading once,"

"Here," he said. Taking a random book. Stephen King's Pet Cemetery. One of the super intense novel ever written in this century. Min Ah happily accepted them.

"Derek, see I got the...." Taaliyah suddenly walked towards them. She looked up at him only to get surprised and feel awkward. She dropped Malory Towers written by Enid Blyton she held in hand and looked at Min Ah who was smiling devilishly at her. She raised her brows.

"Sorry for interrupting," she said and returned. Derek went numb having no idea what to do. "Derek, are you free on weekends? Am learning guitar, but my teacher said he would love to have one more student, would you mind thinking about it?" she aksed him about his interest to distract him from going behind Taaliyah.

"Well," he was lost. "I will think about it,"

"You won't have to lay the tutoring fee, he needs an assistant, I cannot possibly go, so you can," she said.

"Oh really?" He asked.

Taaliyah heard about it. And she did understand how important music us for him though she had clear idea that Min Ah is trying to win him over using her rich tricks.

"Call me, I will give you the number, then you can talk to him directly, if so join me from this weekend onwards, my house, two hours in the afternoon from 2 to 4 PM," she gave him the complete details and left.

"Okay, thank you," he said and remained still. The moment Min Ah left Derek looked around for Taaliyah. She was no where around the books. The he stepped out of the maze and looked at the hall. She was sitting in the bench alone, with a magazine in her hand, she was not reading through them. Her heart boiled inside her chest. Min Ah trying to hurt her and win him. She could not understand why. But she hated it. She got upset. She got mad. She went crazy but she could do nothing but watch it. Min Ah is showing off her power and money well and Taaliyah can never climb such a financial ladder.

Taaliyah could not understand that. She could not understand why somebody would try to buy another person who is desperate in life to make things work out. She could not blame Derek at all. Derek being in a very difficult position will push his dilemma away and try to take to opportunity which will take him to one step closer to his dream. Be it learning new music or an instrument, or choreography, he would give a chance to it when it knocks on the door. Min Ah is that chance. And Taaliyah could not ask him to not open that door. Taaliyah calmed herself to not react to the situation. To let it go and think of best things for him. She took a deep breath and dried her eyes. She corrected her blurry vision and wiped her face with tissues she always carried. She fanned the magazine and kept them back on the table. She had no plans to read them.

He walked over and sat next to her. She did not say anything. He then slowly moved his hands towards her and held them. He took out a chocolate and inserted them inside her palms and patted her. She looked at him. The two were not aware about themselves, their heart and mind in their childish heart in the adolescent age. But had a lot of ego.

"Taaliyah," he called her. She suddenly looked pretty in his eyes than she usually does. Prettier. Prettiest. He took a deep breath, seeing her eyes. It held a world. His world. The world he is comfortable living with. The world where he remembers only her and him spending time together and grew up. He had something to ask her and tell her. "Liya," he licked his lips.