Chapter Three

Martini came inside the clubroom and went in front of the class. Everyone stared at him, waiting for his announcement about the activity to be conducted.

"Today, what we're going to do is all about words: you will be working with your assigned pair," he announced. Pair? Partner? God. I would be interacting with him again!

Martini took a marker at the desk and starts to write something at the board. "What you'll do is to brainstorm words that you will used for the poem you will write," he discussed. "10 words to be exact," he added.

We all nodded in agreement and he then told that we could start our brainstorming. I remained on my spot and waited for Giovanni to come towards me, which he did after a few minutes. He sat beside me, carrying his bag and a dictionary. He smiled at me and for a moment, I felt flustered.

"What are we going to do?" I stuttered. He shrugged and opened the dictionary. I glanced at the book he's reading and we were in a moment of silence, to focused to disturb each other's thought.

"Hey—" we chorused. I signalled him to talk first. He scratched the back of his head. "Why were you avoiding me yesterday?" he asked curiosly.

I felt unease and ignored his question. I grabbed the dictionary from his hands and pretended that I am searching for words. He was still staring at me which made me more and more uncomfortable.

I felt the sweat flowing from my hands and a sudden glimpse of nervousness.

"Stop staring at me!" I growled. But instead of removing his gaze towards mine, he stared even deeper. My heart beats faster and harder, so in order to escape, I ignored him.

But there is a part of me that likes the stares he has been giving me. "Could you just stop what you're doing?" I shouted, too loud that the whole club had heard of it. Giovanni's eyes widened and he bowed his head down mumbling his apologies.

I felt annoyed, not with him, but with myself for I didn't want him to feel like I don't want him around me. I did want him, I really do. "I am sorry, I was ignoring you yesterday because..." I confessed. Yet, felt a sudden slump in my throat, making it more and more difficult to say.

"Because?" he guessed. "Because what?" he added.

"Because I had diarrhea yesterday and I felt like pooping and I don't want anyone talking to me when I felt like pooping because it's embarrasing!" I lied.

I chased my breath and saw his amused eyes staring mine. I gulped and removed my gaze on his. Trying to figure out myself of what I had said earlier. That's the stupidest reason I had ever said in my whole life.

"Let's do the task, we need to finish it today!" I commanded. I glanced at him and he is still staring at me. I throwed him the dictionary, hitting his cheeks; It slumped on the floor, he took it and held his hands from the part where the book had hitten him.

He rolled his eyes and opened the book for the second time around. He invited me to read with him and so I went nearer so I am also able to read.

He handed me the book which I took. He unzipped his bag and searched for a pen and notebook. He placed it on the desk and started scribbling some words: "A poetry about beauty."

"That's what we would be writing about today?" I asked. He nodded and took the book from my hands, causing our fingers to swipe for a little. I felt flustered again with that simple detail, and I liked it.

"We find adjectives which is similar to beauty, then we define it in the poem we would be writing," he discussed. I nodded and started searching for the assigned words he told me to find.

I took my pen and asked a sheet of paper from him. He gave one and so I started to write down the words which are synonymous to the word beautiful:

Pretty. Majestic. Exquisite. Gorgeous. Handsome. Giovanni.

"Wait? Giovanni?"

My eyes widened and hid the paper from my arms. Why did I wrote his name from my paper? I am so done!

"You like Giovanni?" Sky asked. He was the person who saw what I had written from the paper. I nodded in defeat and told him to shush and he pretended like he zipped his mouth and winked at me.

That guy! I gazed at Giovanni who seems busy writing which made me feel relief. I immediately took my correction tape from my bag. I was about to erase the paper but life is so cruel because the paper flew. I stood and rushed to catch the paper before anyone else.

When I finally grabbed the paper, I whooed and celebrated of my victory. But it was late when I realized that I was inside the clubroom and the attention was attached onto what I was doing, even Giovanni who pretended like he saw nothing.

Martini laughed at me and requested to go back on my spot which I followed. I bowed my head down because of the embarrassment I felt.

"What were you doing? You stood out of nowhere!" he asked, still preventing himself to laugh at my stupidity. I slumped my head on the table and gave him the paper which he took anyway.

I GAVE HIM THE PAPER? I rushed and took the paper back. Giovanni was shocked of what I did. He wasn't able to read it also because the paper has been crumpled badly. "I was about to open it," he stated.

I torned the paper down and placed it on my bag. I grabbed his paper pad and took one sheet and started writing the words I wrote earlier, minus Giovanni.

I handed him the paper which he akwardly accepts and added it on his. He handed it back to me, " Now we write two stanzas of poem having the two words we gathered on each of this stanzas—and the last word from us together will be combined on the fifth stanza which we would write together," he explained.

"What were your words?" I asked. He handed me his paper and saw the words plastered onto it: Lovely. Attractive. Cute. Fair. You.

"You?" I asked. "Yes, you!" he replied.

My eyes widened and gazed at him, "Me?" He nodded and grabbed the paper from my hands. I was flabbergasted and felt my cheeks blushing. In order to be unnoticed, I bowed down and focused on what I was doing. I started writing the poem:

"All colors are prettier,

when it's combined with more colors.

An exquisite formation of structure,

that is seen on the world of humans, animals, and flowers.

If you stared deeped from it's roots,

You'll see how gorgeous would it be.

Like a treasure you would like to loot—

A heart as pure as gold would you see."

I finished mine and requested Giovanni to read it which he later on approved. He also handed his paper and requests for me to read it:

"Well, complex things has complex explanations.

That a lovely mind shall understood,

with fair judgement and benevolent sensation—

of an answer that we shall understood.

Where I find such things in this world attractive—

for it is made to look fair and beautiful.

And cute things such animals would be active,

in this world where they share goodness and make it full."

We criticized each other's stanzas and started writing for our last stanza where we would combine the last two words from our list: Majestic. You.

"Who shall start the first two lines?" I asked. He volunteered and so I let him. I was already forming such sentences in my mind to connect with the word 'You.'

Why did he even thought of that word? Is that even synonymous to beautiful?

"I'm done!" he announced. He handed the paper and so I started writing mine:

"All things in this world had been majestic,

every objects in different smell, structures and hues.

But always remind yourself that of all the most beautiful objects,

one of the prettiest would always be you."

Martini gasped as he read the poem we wrote about. He congratulated us for the second time as well as our fellow club members. Sky winked at me and signalled that I and Giovanni could be great partners.

No, I am just kidding. But yea, we really could be great partners.

"Okay, now we would be dismissing our meeting today. See you tomorrow!" Martini announced and all of us bid goodbye with each other.

I was waiting for Giovanni so that I could come with him as we go home, but he was busy socializing with some of our club members. I didn't want to disturb them so I hurried outside and went downstairs.

However, Erica and Kurt weren't in sight. I sat at the bench near the entrance of the school. I searched for a book inside my bag and started reading it to kill some time.

I suddenly felt someone standing in front of me. I glanced at the person and it was Giovanni who had a charming smile, "I thought you left."

My eyes widened and I was out of words. He sat beside me, having to realize that Erica and Kurt weren't there and we should wait.

"Most of the members interacted with you. Good thing, you were a great writer!" I remarked. He smiled at me and scratched the back of his head.

"It was akward. But fun at the same time, I made new friends," He replied.

I felt relief that I saw him made friends, he's such a great guy to know. I closed the book I was reading and put it back in my bag. Fortunately, Erica and Kurt arrived at the same time. They greeted us and we all agreed to go home together.

Erica signalled me a thumbs-up sign because I am now interacting with Giovanni. She even whispered something at Kurt which made the guy smile amusingly.

I rolled my eyes and focused on the road that we're taking. Giovanni was beside me, quiet and was just walking. I felt the urge to talk to him on that very moment.

"So, why is that you are now the one who's zoning out?" I teased. He raised his eyebrows and laughed. "I wasn't zoning out, I am just happy?" he explained. I was mesmerized of his character and became silent.

I felt my heart beating faster and my hands sweat, it's like I couldn't resist such time to be just with him. It's making my body infuriate with such hard feelings: this stupid love.

I didn't interact with me after that simple conversation. I was adjusting with myself because it's still strange that I feel nervous and very much flustered everytime that he's near.

We reached 7/11 and went inside. Giovanni was feeling uncomfortable when we came inside 7/11. I walked towards him and asked if he's okay.

"I don't have money to buy," he confessed in such a low tone so I would be the only person to hear. I glanced at his shy face and patted his shoulder. "I'll buy food for you, don't be shy!" I cheered. He was uneasy at first until I was able to convince him after a few minutes.

He took a piece of biscuits and a kinderjoy egg. I was confused at first and he glanced at me, "It's for my sister."

I feel so mesmerized with the attitude he's been showing towards me. I am slowly being able to understand why there was a part of me who had liked him even we just met in a short time.

There is so much of him that I didn't know. But now, I am becoming more willing to know him, and understand him. Maybe, that's why I was crushing on him—because he deserves such admiration.

We went to the counter to pay for our foods and bid farewell with each other. Giovanni was smiling widely at me and I nodded at him. He then departed and went in the streets where he lives.

Erica came near me as she eats the ice cream she bought at the convenience store. "What was that?" she asked. "Yes, what was that?" Kurt added.

"He's just being real," I beamed before walking away from them. I still hear them blabbering about what I mean but I didn't bother to answer any of their questions.

Giovanni is such an adorable guy with so many great character. I really want to know more about him.

We arrived home and Erica wasn't stopping of persuading me to tell the whole story which I ignored. Mom laughed at us and she told Erica to help her. Erica fumed at me, "You need to tell it tomorrow or I'll tell Beckett you like him!"

I just laughed at her and went to my room. I layed on my bed and thought of the things we could do tomorrow. This time, without the akward vibes. I like to understand his existence and life. I want to know more about him. I like him. I like Giovanni.