CHAPTER 8

Just as promised, Glen waited for Williams outside his department nervously fiddling fingers staring holes in his hands.

He suddenly heard Chloe's high pitched voice from a distance.

"Glen!!"

He looked at her direction to see her beaming face running in small steps towards him.

"Chloe.." He muttered her name.

"What are you doing here?, let's walk together." She said enthusiastically.

"Uh… I'm actually waiting for senior Williams…"

A sudden beam emerged on her face and she responded. "Oh! Let's wait together then!"

"S-Sure.." He replied hesitantly glancing at her grinning expression. She's always so full of energy…

Abruptly she starts. "Hey Glen, do you know Williams is my cousin?"

Glen flinched blinking his eyes quite stunned. "Oh…no wonder you two were acting familiar with…each other."

Her face crinkled in a sudden frown and she balled her fist disagreeing. "Not really!, I hate him to be honest!"

What could Williams have done to make chloe hate him?

Unsure of wether he should believe Chloe he replied hesitantly. "but…senior Williams is nice to me."

"That's cause he's a devil in disguise, i tell you! Don't be deceived." She leaned closer to him whispering in his ears in a playful tone.

They suddenly heard William's languid voice from behind startling them.

"What did I tell you about slandering my name?"

Chloe jolted behind Glen obscuring herself with his body like she had committed a crime of some sort.

"A-ah W-williams, ha ha, is not what you t-think." She said laughing awkwardly.

William pinched his forehead fatigued from Chloe's behavior before exhuding an exasperated sigh returning his gaze to Glen. "Ah, whatever. Glen, sorry I kept you waiting."

"I-it's okay." Glen replied.

"Let's go together!" Chloe yelled giddily, Waiting for a yes. But Williams was already displeased by her presence.

"No, go home." He frowned pulling Glen away from her by his wrist.

"Huh? Why not?" She blinked and replied sulkily drooping her shoulders.

Williams paused and returned to her thwacking her forehead and returned to pull Glen continiously by his wrist leaving Chloe behind.

"What the?" She muttered blinking her eyes baffled.

"Hey!!" She suddenly yelled in a sulky temper, fuming as she watched them strode off into the distance.

She paused cocking her brows uncomprehending and let out sudden exasperated sigh. I see…Does he like Glen?

— — — —

Williams kept striding fast nonstop, like his thoughts have trailed off elsewhere. His grip on Glen's wrist was quite strong but he didn't seem to take noticed of his unconscious strength.

Glen winced silently supporting the aching wrist with his other hand. It felt like his wrist was about to get detached.

Is he angry? Why is his grip so strong?

"S-senior Williams…your hand."

Williams flinched in realization. "Ah…sorry." He slowly darted his hands and paused with a concerned expression—awkwardly scratching the nape of his neck.

His brow crinkled. "Uh…Im really sorry, I didn't realize I was holding on tight. My thoughts were elsewhere…do I make you feel uncomfortable?"

"N-Not really!" Glen blotted out without realizing and became abashed averting his eyes.

Williams exhuded a loud sigh. "That's a relief."

A sudden beam of relief emerged his face shortly before his eyes wandered to Glen's wrist and saw the red brusing from his grip. He became more concerned abruptly grabbing Glen's hand closer to him and slightly pulled up his sleeve to reveal the bruising properly.

Glen became more abashed, flushed red from his hands to his nape covering his expression with his other hand.

"I-I'm fine…" He said stuttering from embarrassment as he watched Williams examine his wrist.

"I'm really sorry about your wrist…" Williams said softly rubbing the bruise mark on his wrist in a saddened eye.

Glen was really sensitive to touches, he easily became embarrassed from Williams warm and long hands rubbing his wrist.

It unexpectedly triggered his body—making his heart to pound faster. He was utterly stunned unsure if he should pull his hands away from Williams.

Williams noticed Glen was indeed a very skinny guy as he intently reflected on his uncontrolled behavior staring at his wrist.

He slowly massaged the bruising and momentarily stopped to glimpse at Glen's face halting halfway.

Glen was already so red as a tomatoe with his mouth obscured by his knuckles, trying to hide his abashed expression.

William realized he was unintentionally rubbing his hands perversely. His face flushed from Glen's expression as it made him realize he overstepped his boundaries. He darted his hands away from Glen abashed—lowering his head slightly.

"I'm sorry."

Glen was stunned seeing williams wear an abashed expression, he always had a soft expression on his face—but as of the moment his cheeks and ears were burning red.

Why is he acting so shocked? I'm the one who got touched. He thought.

"L-Let's go…" He said with his hand over his mouth avoiding eye contact with Glen as much as possible.

Glen quietly followed behind him and could still feel William's warmth on his wrist.

— — — — —

Charlotte sat beside her grandmother caressing her hands while she was still in a coma. Her eyes were all puffy and she looked unkept—drowned in her thoughts.

The door suddenly swung open startling her out of her thoughts. She looked up and it was Glen and Williams.

"Charlotte." Glen called out her name swiftly moving to the a small cabinet in the ward.

"Hey…" Williams said waving at her slightly.

"Hey." She replied in a hoarse voice, forcing a smile out of her agonizing expression.

"Charlotte…I bought fruits." Glen said lifting the plastic bag up before placing it on the cabinet.

She lowered her gaze to the tiled floor before replying. "…thanks…"

Williams sat on a chair fixing his gaze on her grandmother briefly before returning his gaze to sad Charlotte.

Her hair looked unkept and tangled, her eyes and face all swollen from crying.

He softened his gaze. "Hey, Charlotte take heart will you? She'll get better."

Charlotte replied woefully narrowing her eyes to stop her tears from oozing. "She won't…" tears trickled down from her eyes and she sobbed squeezing her dress.

The room atmosphere instantly became dejected. Glen swiftly pulled her close to his chest as he tightened his to console her. She sobbed continuously wrapping her hands around Glen's waist rumpling his shirt with her squeeze. Whilst Williams just watched.

****

After a while, the sky became dark. Glen and Williams decided to take their leave to their various businesses as they head outside in front of the hospital.

Glen stopped halfway through their walk swiftly turning to his direction. "I should go for my part time job from here."

"Ah…I guess we can't talk much today either." He said exhuding a forced smile tilting the corner of his lips in discontent.

Glen averted his eyes griping his bag strap."I-im really sorry…"

"Is alright, im sure there'll be a next time." He took a step further to Glen patting his head again with a soft smile on his face.

It's definitely a habit of him to touch people's head when saying goodbyes.

"See you." He said and turned away from Glen, striding off to his direction.

"O-okay…" Glen's face flushed from embarrassment as he patted his hair down in case his strands are stuck up.

Is it a way of saying goodbye for him? I can't tell if he's doing this because he likes me or… no.

He suddenly recalled his past incident with Phil and a feeling of nausea overwhelmed him—making him to squeeze his clutch strap even more.

I shouldn't become too comfortable yet. Senior Williams is definitely a straight guy and since liking Henry…my heart's been dulled to other people.

— — — —

It was another day of college, some students headed to the art club studio for their first practicals. All students observed the previous paintings to artifacts and sculptures in the art room.

What caught Glen's eyes was a painting on a board that reminded him of Henry's face, he sneakily glimpsed at Henry's direction as Henry scrutinized a small ceramic statue on one of the table top—crossed leg with his friends chattering about the ceramic statues behind him.

Glen couldn't hear what they were saying as he sneakily observed Henry.

Does he like ceramic statues?

One of Henry's friend picked up a carved naked female statue. "Henry look at this."

"Oh."He took it from him and continued. "It reminds me of one of my exes."

They all laughed out loud holding their stomachs. "Do you even remember your exes?" One of the guy continued tittering.

"Henry what was the name of your last ex?"

Another of his friend asked satirically holding his stomach.

Henry held his chin slightly tilting his head in a thoughtful way. "I can't recall that."

They all busted out laughing boisterously.

Glen just stood at a distance pretentiously examining the artworks on the table while he observed Henry's group.

I'm sure Henry has been in a lot of relationships. He pouted his mouth sulkily from the thought and continued. Any girl wouldn't mind having an uncommitted relationship with him. I'm so jealous of them.

A male lecturer's voice interrupted the entire students drawing their attention towards him at the door entrance. Surprisingly for Glen, Williams was also present in the art studio.

He blinked baffled. Senior Williams? Williams sneakily waved at Glen with a soft smile as usual.

"Everyone! I'm going to be taking the practical aspects of this course—with my assistant Williams Dwight from 300 level department!" He continued. "You can all address me as Mr Roy."

"Hi, I'm Williams. Let's take care of each other." He beamed with a soft smile.

"Good morning senior Williams."

"Good morning Mr Roy."

"Good morning Mr Roy."

Numerous greetings followed and they all assembled their various tables in front of their drawing boards.

The lecturers gave a brief overview and introduction of their supposed work and told them to proceed with their various niches.

Time slowed down and the room became quiet with the students painting their various works. Williams and the lecturer sluggishly strode around each tables crossarmed to observe their works.

Williams noticed Glen still hadn't gone far his sketch and kept glancing over at a particular direction looking distracted.

Williams tapped his shoulder and he flinched,jolting out of his thoughts. "S-Senior Williams." He said in a low voice to not disturb the other students.