Encounter

Anne is looking outside her windows trying to appreciate and praise how beautiful the sky is when the dusk comes. The sounds of birds chirping on the roof make her miss her village's environment. It is peaceful. Not bustling which is better to her liking than living at her parents' house yet still, she is grateful as she could feel the calmness and is vigorous greater than before she turns 18 nonetheless.

She attempts to comprehend what had happened to her life especially yesterday afternoon not until someone diverts her attention. This one person taps her shoulder twice. She is startled and almost shrieks with a curse word which makes the other crack up to the point where Anne got slapped umpteenth times on her forearm.

She looks at the other weirdly while fuming in anger. That person playfully apologizes while she rolls her eyes and mutters unsatisfied quips over in an audible whisper before she explodes. She unintentionally made it a tad louder. "Oh shhh-! What the?!!" She burst out though it is uncommon for her to go to the roof. "I'm sorry..." She adds.

"But you're lucky that I didn't punch you on your adorable round face Ja when you pattered me! I almost!" She spits while rubbing her forearm to soothe the huge red marks on it and faking her roars laughter shortly afterwards. Something is wrong with her.

"Neither you heard we knocked on your door nor you answer so... ya, I gradually opened it and here we are... and your mom let us in by the way. She thought you're with us. I bet you didn't tell her" Raja explains with apologetic eyes for breaking into her room without her permission.

"Ah, really? Sorry for the shouting earlier... And yeah, I didn't tell my mom that I'm gonna head home early today" She pauses briefly and seconds go by just like that and what feels like minutes.

The two of them could sense there is an air of melancholy. They feel bad as they come at the wrong time. 'O-oh this is not good' 'Who made her mad? What a b*tch' They regard and gauge her mood after that before one of them decided to ask a query.

"Um... are you okay?" Farah asks as she feels Anne is hiding something from them.

She also prays silently to make sure the latter is in a good mood and would tell them what causes her irate outburst. Perhaps. This is a rare case because she is a serene and light-hearted type of person as well as jocular at times yet peculiar. She had never shown this negative kind of demeanour. Farah and Raja are fidgeting while waiting for her reaction and answers. She then unhurriedly dallies to her bed.

"I'm good. Ya, good... Um..." She answers and subsequently ponders whether to tell them what happened yesterday or not.

"I'm a bit stressed since this week is a hectic week and I've some reports that I didn't finish yet" She decided to tell them at midnight. Or maybe not?

"I need to send all reports by next evening... and... there's this one lecturer who keeps throwing insults at my classmates and me just because two of them accidentally texted her on lunch break and after working hours last Friday" She explains and pushes the trifling thoughts away for now.

She considers telling them ideally regarding another matter instead. It did happen and vaguely made her mad. She wants to find the logical reason first behind what had occurred to her yesterday afternoon before telling them about it. She could not lie that she undeniably did not finish some reports as well. Her desk is messy with files and folders. The dustbin is full of crumpled papers too. They did not ask more questions regarding the dejected things that she has come about after that. They did not know she got something else to tell them and take no notice of it.

Meanwhile, Raja makes up her mind later that there is a misunderstanding between Anne and her mother which is common since she also did fighting with her mother to boot every once in a while. She believes Anne will be much better tomorrow as long as she and Farah are there to solace and cheer her up. Conversely, Farah knew Anne needed someone to talk to. She will not let her best friend keep it all by herself and hold a grudge later on. That would just make things worst. She cannot help herself to ask Anne further either. She and Raja silently begin to sit next to her.

"What did she say to you and your classmates?" She indicates her concern as she wants Anne to say it all.

"She said that we were as thick as two short planks and mindless because we don't have common sense whereas they already apologized. But somehow her words did slightly pierced deep in my ticker even though I'm not the one who texts her. But it doesn't make sense too because of just one drop of indigo could tarnish the image of the whole organisation. We, the innocents got nothing to do with her madness. She even made those two come to her office and ticked them off. I never thought that she would show her discourteous behaviour to us like a two-faced woman" Anne clarifies palpably with an air of browned off.

Ironically, one of them was helping the uncivil lecturer pick her folder up that fell when she opened her door office 14 days ago. Anne fortuitously caught sight of it when she leisurely walked to her class. She squinted and grunted at the thoughts thus queasy whenever she saw her. Still, she had to endure it since the arrogant lecturer teaches her elective subject.

"What?!! That's rude... I can imagine her disdainful looks. Haih(sigh)... Hope you guys can put up with her until next Friday since next week will be our last week before study week" She pauses and later resumes.

"Ya Allah... it is a real bummer" She adds as she feels pity for them.

Raja merely sitting while constantly shifting as she feels a little bit uncomfortable on the bed. She listens to the conversation and slightly nods all the time. Her gaze never leaves them as she trying to attentively understand albeit she did think that Anne is fighting with her mother not long ago. Farah almost curses but braces herself from adding more sins. She stares softly at Anne for being thoughtful. She then abruptly orders her to dance. So sudden?

"I suppose you need a dance. Come, let's dance to your favourite song together" She says and that makes Anne tilts her head in disbelief and gapes. It is out of the blue and she is sure as eggs are eggs.

"You're insane... and a pain in the neck. Why you didn't tell me sooner?" She carps yet she opens her laptop not long after. Notwithstanding, as a result, she wildly enthuses dances with Farah following alongside her. And there is Raja, hugging a pillow nearly shut her eyelids. Such a fruitless best friend. After they finish dancing, she looks at the mirror and saw her shadow as well as the corner incident abruptly comes to her mind.

"Remember me?" He suddenly appeared. But why?

"......." She was caught off guard. Her lips were unmoving like stone and her brain also malfunctioned.

"Cat got your tongue, exquisite?" He moistened his lips while closely looking into Anne's eyes like she was his prey.

"Yo- you??! Wh-what do you want??!" She could not help but falter and began to vociferate at the long-legged figure in front of her. She could not hold in the mixed feelings that swallowed inside her as emotions got the best of her and out of control.

"You don't have to shout. I heard you very well, shadowy ethereal beauteous. And I told you to follow me but you said otherwise... so, I don't have any other choices" He lifted up his left eyebrow and does not bother with how she reacted as he has more important matters to tell her.

"What d-do you mean? You always got options. Please... let me go" She acted gently as she thought he would let her go and leave her alone. Be that as it may, she felt hopeless and almost gave up as she did not know who and what is this loggerhead man purpose following her.

"Well, I guess now I've more time to spend with you..." She rolled her eyes and mentally swore. He just frankly said that to her directly. On. Her. Face. How dare he. He was truly an impudent and blunt weirdo.

'What a balderdash talks. Surely dry as dust. Such a feeble-minded man. I don't want to talk with you. Can't you understand that?!! Ugh!' He eyeing her but everywhere. Creepy.

"In your house... just..." He added. She prayed inside as she was astounded by his bluntness. Sh*t! He was a pervert too??!

"Wh-what are you talking about? You said you wanna tell me something. So, what is it?" She decided to change the topic as his words began to send shivers down her vertebral column. She was a shade shaking unbeknownst to him. Almost got an unreadable mental breakdown.

"You're cute when you're mad. Oh, nothing actually. I just wanna warn you to cancel your trip to Japan" She threw him a sceptical gaze. This is undoubtedly mind-numbing.

"And why is that?" She dryly argued and became undaunted thus facing up to him frantically.

"Just... cancel it. Aside from scrubbing it, you can just staycation here. Much better than going abroad" He huffed and subsequently explained. She could see his hesitation but she rather wrangled with him until he tells her the answers she wants.

"Meh... you don't have a valid reason though why do I have to listen to you?" She scoffed. Plus, thumb her nose at him as he rudely disrespected her. She had to mistrust him as he cannot convince her and be on extra guard, especially on trust issues.

"Just... do it, d*mmit! Aargh! Don't make me-" She madded him then briskly cut him off. She could not carry on and abided by her frame of mind any longer as he was getting on her nerves. Just. Answer. Her. Questions!

"I've many things to do than listen to your abrupt remarks if you please!" She was blazing with huge fires as he drove her fiercely angry.

"Is it about the place that I'll be going to??? Or is it because of the weather??? Or is it because of the aeroplane that I'll be getting into??? Or is it about the tourism agency that I booked last 5 months??? Or is i-" She avidly grilled him as to why she had to cancel her travel to Japan yet her home phone rang.

Ring! Ring!

Ring! Ring!

He glanced his head to the left, right, and centre as he heard her house phone ringing and swiftly without hesitation, he went to the door and unlocked it easily. He made a beeline to his car like the wind. She gaped and her light brown orbs flickered at it. Instantaneously forgot about her unanswered questions. But again, the phone rang quite a few times. She picked up the call and prattled for 16 minutes straight with the caller. The call then ended.

Not-so-surprised, it was Farah. She wanted to ask her if she and Raja can sleepover at her house and Anne agreed. They chew over what to eat the night and choose to watch a thriller and action movie later. They would share a bit on dit as well as blow the gaff about anything, especially love or infatuation stuff.

____________________________________

Anne is leisurely climbs upstairs using a way that she always use to go to her Business Analytics and Financial Modelling class when suddenly she hears a loud thud in a store-like class at the corner. The first class that she will come across twice a week while her class on the other hand is in the middle between another two classes after the store-like class.

'Wait... isn't this is the abandoned class that the whole campus chinwag about?' She contemplates either checking on what is happening or just ignoring it. Or does neither of them is the better option?

'Ah, but too bad... I couldn't catch or apprehend what they gassing about with foods that were full in their mouth. Can't they just finish it first? What uncivil humans being' She sighs and shakes her head as she vividly remembers what had happened in the cafeteria when she was waiting for her best friends. She takes some steps to the abandoned class while making an effort to peek inside. The class's doors are slightly open and the class is a bit dark.

'This class looks somehow... fine... it doesn't look bad as what people believe... or I expected' The room coloured with full dark brown and a little black which made it dim as well as the black tinted windows also did not give any benefit to her at all. She paces slowly to the other side of the door while look-see around to make sure no one sees her. Good for her since she reaches early so there is no one on the 4th floor at this time.

'Wonder why this class didn't lock today... not like any other day... weird' Her eyebrows knits.

'Well... today is not even my birthday so... you want to surprise me in advance huh' Gibberish thoughts that would help her ease her mind for the time being even though she is distressed with nervousness all over her body.

She begins glimpses starting from the floor one more time. There, she sees two dark silhouettes moving back and forth while listening to whatever who knows what they are discussing. Believe it or not, she is questioning herself later as to why she did this in the first place. She is a jammy bastard for not getting caught. Yet. Or does she will? She cautiously dares to peek a little at the mysterious figures as much as she desires. But to her unbeknown, one of the shadows already senses her presence. Uh-uh, today is not her day. And anew, spesh these past few days.

On the other hand, Farah is taking a nap in her friend's room in the university's dormitory. Her next class will start in the next two hours so she rests for a while as she is influenced by her friend to just sleep. Come here, Farah. The bed is calling for you, dear. Well, while they still have time and of course not bother to study as well. It is not like she is a heavy sleeper whatsoever. Whilst Raja is sketching on an A1 paper with her four close classmates under a hovel near her class in the Arts and Design faculty. She is waiting for her Arabic language class that will start in another forty-five minutes. She is concentrating on her sketching but her phone vibrates at once all of a sudden.

'Who the h*ck texting me at this hour' She exaggerates complaints but smiles. The one she did not expect to reply to her direct message.