Chapter 4.1: I didn't know it was you

Ivy was exhausted from listening to confusing equations in science class earlier. She laid on the bench under a tree by the college's field, letting her mind wander away to the crime novel she started reading last night as she closed her eyes. She wondered of the possible ways for the girl in the novel who was caught in captivity to escape.

"Hello, please help us fill up this survey form." A male voice disrupted her day-dream while a piece of survey form was flying in front of her face when she opened her eyes.

Agitated, she grabbed the annoying piece of flapping paper to read the first question without looking at the requester as she sat up.

"What is your ambition?"

"No options and it is subjective." She scolded in her mind. She was too lazy to write and expected some objective questions, so she skipped to the next question.

"What course(s) are you interested in?" Ivy rolled her eyes. "Another question without options." She noted in mind.

"How old are you?" At this rate Ivy was fuming and wanted to throw the piece of questionnaire away within seconds. "No option again and such a rude question!" Ivy thought as she rolled her eyes again.

Jason knew who she was and instantly recognised her as the insolent girl he encountered in Mane's college induction event. It made him approach her again on purpose with the intention to agitate her. He stood amused watching her eyes roll many times as he patiently waited for her to finish reading the entire questionnaire.

"Have you attended a career talk? Yes/No."

"Good!" She thought as her face was less tense when she mentally circled "No."

"What do you expect from a career talk?" The last question was again without an option and instantly poke on her nerves to explode in rage.

"What the ...?! Seriously, this is pathetic! Majority of the questions required subjective answers and only one was with an option. Do you know kids these days are drowned with so many subjective questions in exams yet we need to help you fill up our opinion in subjective format. You should have a direction in your questionnaire and what do you want to achieve. There are thousands of thoughts in us and how would you pool the various categories at the end? Stop asking people how old they are and expect us girls to write the truth. Seriously?! So absurd!" Ivy scolded while looking at the paper before throwing the piece of questionnaire back at the person who handed it to her. She collected her bag on the bench and stormed off to the bus stop.

Jason who wanted to pick on her ended up being stunned as he pondered on her feedback and agreed to her points.

"Things are always unexpected when it is her." He thought to himself as he noted her points down and went on to get a few more students to help him out with the survey. Many were hesitant and he tried asking for opinions on whether there were too many subjective questions.

True enough it was one of the top reasons he wasn't able to get many responses. He drove back to his office and worked on revamping the questionnaires to objective questions instead. He mentally scolded himself for making a mistake on a fundamental point as he pondered on how his focus has been distracted by his company's investors issues.

Ivy got home wanting to cook a sumptuous meal but instead decided to catch up on the crime novel she was anticipating in the glass house in the middle of her grandma's mini garden outside their rooftop unit while nibbling on a granny smith's apple she took from her refrigerator. The crime novel was captivating her thoughts and keeping her bad day away as the fan was blowing at the highest speed on a sunny day. Staying in a tropical climate country has made Ivy wonder many times the need of having a glass house when her grandma was around but she was glad for its existence these days as a hideout especially at night where she could enjoy solitary while watching the glittering stars in the skies.

The fatigue and hot weather tend to throw her appetite for lunch which she would opt for tea at three in the afternoon with an early dinner thereafter. She thought about supper and reminded herself to buy some bread while heading out for dinner.

As she enjoyed the last bit of the apple, an urgent project she was supposed to complete within the week crossed her mind. Her mobile phone rang as she ran to the kitchen to throw her apple before picking up the call.

"Hello!" She put Auntie Soh on the loudspeaker while she washed her hands.

"Ivy, have you eaten lunch?" She asked.

"Yes, Auntie. Just about to do my history assignment." She replied as she dried her hands.

"Don't skip your meals. Auntie is cooking some pumpkin rice. Come over to collect yours later."

"Oh, you don't have to be troubled by it. I have dinner prepared."

"Alright then. Auntie needs to head back to cook the orders. Drink lots of water to stay hydrated!"

"Thank you, Auntie. Talk later!" She said as she ran to sit in front of her laptop and get started.

She instantly knocked some sense into herself to rush her tedious history project which was due on Friday; another two days. She typed away after plugging in her earpiece while humming to her favorite songs list on her music player.

Jason was busy modifying the questions by giving more options but limiting them with some controls to match to his objective of providing a better career talk among the students. Students were his first attempt to give a talk that made him conclude that adults' expectations were more manageable.

After hours of modifying and reassessing his objectives, he wondered if this was alright and the only way to test it out was to get Ivy involved by approaching the college's dean to obtain permission to work with Ivy. He chuckled to himself at her reaction earlier and thanked her for her brutal honesty which would save his talk.

Ivy had lost track of time as she stayed in the dark when evening dawned upon her while she rushed her assignment. Her phone has been vibrating with text messages for the entire afternoon. She didn't hear them and ignored her phone every time it lit up when a text message came in. She noticed her phone stayed lit up for a long while as it was too bright for her that she finally went to check her phone.

There was an incoming call from Andrew and Sandra. Annoyed by the distraction while rushing the last bit of her project, she paused her music player and put the caller on loudspeaker instead.

"Hello!!" Both of them greeted her. She continued to type away and kept quiet.

"Ivy, what are you doing? We have been asking you questions on history for the past few hours... Have you finished your project?" Andrew went on chirping his questions one by one without her answering.

Ivy's mind was focusing on finishing her sentence she was typing when Andrew called out again. "Hello?? Am I talking to the wall? Has Ivy become a white cemented wall?"

Sandra laughed along with Andrew as she decided to step out of the house to check on Ivy in her house. Ivy finally couldn't help it as she laughed. "You numbskull! I was finishing the project. Why? What did you both ask? Too busy to read. Date line is in two days, got to send in tomorrow at least. "

"You know the part where it says write some objectives of the project? What did you state?" Sandra asked as she rushed back into her room and sat in front of her laptop.

"Have you both finished your math assignments? It's so tedious to juggle. Had to write the silly steps all out when the calculator could provide the final answer." Ivy asked, ignoring her question as she flipped through her other assignments while trying to judge how much time she needed to finish everything before tomorrow's lectures.

"Yeah we did. Hey, answer my question. Hurry. I want to send it in tomorrow too." Sandra said.

"One second, I am almost done. Once done I will email both of you but don't copy everything. Ms. Opalan, the history lecturer will know." Ivy said as she rolled over to her bed from her laptop while glancing at the clock.

"Oh my goodness! 8pm and so much to do! Damn, I still have math! This history project is killing my time. Oh boy, I was supposed to do one set of practice questions for accounts!" Ivy grumbled.

Both Andrew and Sandra were stunned by Ivy's sudden self-talk which gave away to them that she had been concentrating too hard on finishing the history project the entire afternoon.

"Ivy, have you eaten?" Andrew asked.

"Oh crap! I didn't! I was supposed to go for an early dinner. Damn, now I need to go buy some bread for supper but I guess I can barely manage." Ivy whined.

"Awww you poor thing. Want us to send food to you? Let's see I had stew for dinner." Andrew teased. "I had pumpkin rice but no left overs. Sorry!" Sandra giggled as she join in to tease her and stepped out again of her house as she walked up the stairs.

"Stop! Stop! You both are making me super hungry now. I wish I had agreed for your mother to save some pumpkin rice for me, Sandra. Alright I will just make some instant noodles to the rescue!" Ivy said as she ran off to the kitchen to boil some water in the pot before choosing her noodles.

"That's so unhealthy!" Andrew lamented. "And fattening!" Sandra added as she walked past the glass house but halted her steps as she heard footsteps behind her from the stairs.

"Just tonight alright. Had to bear with it for tonight. Sumptuous breakfast is enough. Don't forget please, I want a large bowl of chicken strips porridge with lots of pepper tomorrow morning!" Ivy reminded them as they both often reserve orders for her breakfast knowing she tends to get in late for lectures.

"Yes Missy. Don't worry. Having extra lectures tomorrow?" Sandra asked as she quickly hid herself by entering into Ivy's main house side door.

"Ah yes, Science. Tell me about it. I dread that class the most. Yet I'm stuck with more classes on it." Ivy explained as she checked the refrigerator for some vegetables and eggs to add on her tom yam flavored instant noodles.

"Alright then shall we plan to study together since the exam is coming up? I would suggest every Wednesday for Science, since Thursdays you would always focus on your accounts and Fridays too, right?" Andrew suggested.

"Algebra on Thursdays. Fridays for accounts. Weekends are for resting, other languages and memorising history and algebra notes. Monday and Tuesday are so packed with lectures. So Wednesdays for group study are excellent. I will make it Science day and consult you both experts on my questions!" Ivy mentally listed out her weekly packed schedules as she skipped around waiting for her noodles to be ready.

"Wow, that is one super hectic schedule! Extra curricular on Saturdays, don't forget! You would be exhausted, Ivy!" Andrew wailed suddenly, scaring both girls.

"Andrew! You don't have to wail! We could hear you loud and clear..." Ivy scolded while cracking an egg into her noodles before serving it. "Extra curricular can be done on weekdays after lectures too you see! You just need to clock in enough hours to fulfill their extra curricular minimum requirements." Ivy nagged after being agitated by Andrew's sudden wails.

"Sorry but anyway, study group next week onwards? Every Wednesday?" Andrew double confirmed.

"Call!" Ivy replied while serving her meal at the study table.

"All in!" Sandra whispered as she could smell the instant noodles Ivy was cooking and saw three shadows standing outside at the main door. Sandra figured there were two girls and a guy from their shadow.