Chapter 6

"Don't stare at him, it would be obvious", she cautioned him immediately, and she quickly directed her gaze towards her cup.

"You are right", her voice was low.

"What are we gonna do now", he asked her, while staring at the rim of his cup which was halfway full.

"There is a backdoor behind us, I am sure it would lead to the alley beside this building....", she paused and looked at Ben with seriousness in her eyes, "get him there", and with that she stood up and made her way to the backdoor and was gone.

Ben sat there feeling stunned and confused. He hated it when she did that, leaving him to decide on how to solve an almost impossible problem. He liked it, in the fact that it made him push himself but he hated it sometimes. He sat there with his thoughts and his beer, getting a guy out to an alley should be an easy thing to do, he thought and planned and unplanned and thought again. Feeling frustrated with the fact that he was getting nowhere, he stood up and walked blindly towards an empty seat that was behind him.

"Hey man", he raised his right hand in salutation and sat opposite a guy with white T-shirts and blue jeans pants who was engrossed in a conversation with a lady that sat in the seats behind them. The guy nodded in response. He sip his bear aimlessly, pondering on the task before him.

"Hey man, is that Martinez you got there?", a voice behind him asked.

He turned his head towards the voice and there he was, Augustine. His expression nearly betrayed him but he quickly collected his composure.

"Yeah bro", he replied with little interest.

"I heard their Martinez is good", Augustine added.

"Yeah, the taste is wild. it takes you on a journey of liquid ecstasy", his explanation was funny and intriguing.

Augustine laughed at his manner of comparison.

"Wow, i need to try it then", he smiled and turned his face quickly to the red hair girl resting her head comfortably on his shoulders, "order one of us Tracy", he gestured towards the barman. Immediately she stood up and made her way to the bar.

"What brings you here", he turned his heads towards Ben.

"Just chilling, you know a guy has to let off some steam", he replied.

Augustine laughed and tapped him on the shoulder, "I understand bro, same here."

Meanwhile, the red haired girl was already standing close to them with two mugs in her hand.

"Here you go babe", she handed over the glass cup on her left hand to Augustine and he received it with smiles on his face, afterwards she resumed her position by his side, resting her head comfortably in his chest.

Ben examined both of them and could clearly see that the love between them wasn't mutual, it was either one was compromising for the other but not either. He laughed silently under his breath, they could never have what he has with Janet.

**************

He looked at her from the corner of his eye, she has been sitting quietly at the stands, her hands resting gently on her laps while she watched the football team trained. It was unlikely for her to be here, for any students to be sitting and watching at this hour. It wasn't the usual drill time when the field was filled with sweaty, half naked guys, a sight that could cause any hormonal teenage girl quiver, yet she sat quietly in the stand that was occupied by five students some of which were made to watch the team as a form of punishment.

He studied her gaze frequently, most times both of their eyes almost meeting each other. Each coincidental meet of their eyes gave him goosebumps and he could see little smiles playing on her lips too, even Britney wasn't here.

Britney, his mind immediately was overshadowed by guilt, she was loyal and faithful to him, trying and doing all she can to make him happy. He enjoyed her company but deep down in his heart, he knew that the ship has sunk and there wasn't nothing she could do, his heart was already captured by another.

It was the fifth day since she began attending Malmo's high and was yet to have a lengthy conversation with her. He thought to himself, this was the day he was going to break the ice.

*************

"...my drinks cold, is there no ice", his mind was jolted back to the present by Augustine complain, his voice sounding irritated and dissatisfied.

"Let me ask the barman", she stood up almost immediately and sauntered to the counter.

"You love it cold, don't you", he asked for his opinion after she had left.

Ben smiled and nodded in agreement, he was still figuring out how to get him to the alley.

"But they don't serve it cold here", he replied.

"Hmmh", Augustine complain restlessly.

Soon she came with disappointed on her face, apparently the bar doesn't serve cold drinks, Ben thought to himself.

"No ice babe", the red haired girl spoke in a childish tone

"Can't a man get a cold bear around here", the tone of his voice increased and sounding almost irritated.

She quickly bent down and placed her hands on his face, directing his gaze towards hers and giving him a very comforting look.

"It's okay babe.....", she calmed him, her voice so soft and musical, "we could go get ice, i mean buy some", she continued.

"I have ice", Ben chipped in impulsively, not knowing why he said that.

They both turned to look at him, Augustine looking relief and happy while the girl looking surprise.

"Well, let's go get some", he urged him, with excitement in his voice.

Ben quickly forced a smile and stare at them like someone that knew what he was doing, "right this way", and with that he lead them towards the back door unto the alley into the waiting arms of the revenged filled Janet.

It was going to be brutal, he thought to himself.