Loving Someone

If Tomorrow Never Comes_4

It was Christmas and he was at the mall scouting for a really last minute gift for David. He was just looking into shops through the glass when he saw her in a toy store.

Ryan wasn't sure why, but just as he caught sight of her, he was halted in his tracks. There was something about this stranger that causes a slight flip-flop in his stomach.

She was kneeling beside a little girl in the shop, showing her a small toy piano. She had on a red sweater and jeans, her long shiny black hair cascading down her back.

When she pressed a button, a funny tune flowed out the shop. Finding it very amusing, the little girl clapped her hands enthusiastically. Smiling with pleasure, the girl take the little girl's hands and they started a sort of wiggly dance, with the girl on her knees and the little girl swaying to the tune.

Seeing her smile, Ryan got a funny warm feeling in the pit of his stomach. He was entranced by the twinkle in her eyes and the warmth that radiated from her.

Reluctantly, he tore himself away from the enchanting image. He willed his legs to carry him far, far away. Tentatively, he placed a hand over his chest. Forcing a small smile to smooth the hurt inside, he went to look for a gift.

He never saw the girl again, but her image was forever imprinted in his heart. He seemed to think of her in the most peculiar times; during studying he thought of her smile; listening to music and he thought how she would dance to it.

He even went back to the mall, with the hope of seeing her again. Never had he hoped to garner anything from that. He just wanted to.

But alas, he never saw her again. Nor did he think he would again.

Fate must be very keen on making fun of him, for he saw her again in a place he never thought of before. In school.

He was standing at his locker, balancing some books in his arms, when he saw a figure walk passed him. Something about that figure caught his eye, and he looked up. When he recognized the girl as the one he saw in the mall, he nearly spilled the books on the ground.

He followed after her quietly. When she went into the office, he held back. Shaking his head, he had every intention of punching himself. What was he thinking? Just when he wanted to move away, someone called him from behind.

"Ryan Frankley. Just the person I'm looking for."

Looking behind him, he saw that it was Mrs. Quartz, his English teacher. "Morning, Ma'am."

Smiling approvingly at him, she said, "I have a favour to ask of you. We have a new student in school, and I thought you would like to be her guide, show her around the place, and make her feel at ease."

Grinning, Ryan said, "Okay. Where is she now?" He was very familiar with this kind of work, for he was a constant volunteer. He realized that he liked to break the ice for some new students, it made him feel good.

"Very good. Her name's Aria and she's now in the staff office. Thank you, Ryan." With that, she walked off, not realizing the sudden change of look on his face.

In the office? It couldn't be her, right? The girl who he saw in the mall, who just went into the office. Crossing his fingers, he opened the door, and stepped into the room.

Upon entering the room, he saw her standing nervously in a corner. When she saw him, she quickly turned the other way. Smiling to himself, he could feel his own nervousness subsiding a little. Here was a person who's more nervous than he was.

Confidently, he approached her. "Are you Aria?"

When she turned around to face him, Ryan recognized the uncertainty in her eyes. Tentatively, she nodded.

A welcoming smile lit his face,"Hi! Nice to meet you. I'm Ryan and I'll be your guide for the next few days." Then he stuck out his hand for her.

Smiling shyly, Aria shook it.

Ryan showed Aria the ropes around the school. He made sure she got to her first class on time and knew the way to open a very tricky locker. All through these, Ryan was sure he was distantly friendly. He couldn't afford to have her think too much about it.

They met again during the first break of the day. Ryan had told her to meet him in the cafeteria. He managed to find a seat for the two of them there. He knew that lunch break would be the most awkward time for a new student, considering the fact that they would not have any friends to sit with.

"How are your classes?" Ryan asked, taking an apple out from a paper bag.

Smiling shyly, Aria said, "They were alright. You were right, Mr. Oldstein was very friendly, but extremely so. He was funny when he introduced me to the class, but I almost choked when he slapped me in the back."

Ryan laughed softly. "He thought that will make you feel more at home."

"I thought so too, but not when he practically shoved me into my seat. He said something like, watch out for the vultures in school. What's up with that?"

Enjoying himself, Ryan grinned, "He find it his God sent duty to watch out for the fresh bloods around. He thought the school as some battle ground of sorts."

Gesturing at the apple in his hand, she asked, "Is that all you're going to eat?"

"Yep. I was late this morning, so I just grabbed this off the table."

"Would you like to trade with me?" She held out her sandwich, "It's ham. My sister must have switched it with mine this morning."

Shrugging, Ryan exchanged with her. "You don't eat ham?"

Taking a bite out of the apple, she replied, "I'm a vegetarian." After a thought, she added, "Well, at least for a few days."

Confused, he asked, "Why a few days? What's the occasion?"

Blushing, she shook her head lightly. "It was nothing. Just something silly."

Interested now, Ryan urged her to say.

"Have you ever read the book Oldie Rodie's Farm?"

Ryan shook his head.

She gestured with a hand. "Well, it's a story about a farmer named Oldie Rodie and his pet pig named Oinky. Every time I read that book, I ended up being a temporary vegetarian."

Ryan laughed out loud. "Because of Oinky?"

Smiling at her own silliness, she defended righteously. "Oinky's a very loyal and brave pig!"

Then both of them broke into a bigger laugh.

But as he drew her out of her shell and let her true self shine, Ryan was drawn into her. He knew she was unconscious over the light in her eyes every time she talked on something that excited her; or the animated way she gestured her hands to explain something rapidly. Ryan paid attention to all these, for he was helplessly falling for Aria.

He thought all was well between them until Aria slowly but surely drew away from him. She turned very defensive around him, as though every word from his mouth was meant to insult her. Instead of being offended, he was baffled. The more he tried to find out what was wrong, the more she withdrawn from him. And this lasted to the point where a polite exchange was impossible between them.

From then, they stayed out of each other's way as much as possible. Ryan knew that he should be relieved, but he couldn't help the frustration that had built in him. Therefore, he didn't know whether to groan or cheer when he found himself working side by side with Aria on a school project.

Thinking about the project, he smiled. Through this, he managed to get David and Meg together. He really hoped David will make good use of this opportunity.

Meanwhile, working alongside Aria proved to be days of torture and confusion for Ryan. He felt tortured because he had to endure her very much appreciated presence. He was confused because through work, he learnt that Aria was not the kind of person she led him to believe she was. She was not fickle minded or rude at all. This struck off a whole new question in his mind. Why was she acting the way she was with him?

When he told this to David, David laughed. "What are laughing about?" he asked, clearly offended.

Wiping the tears off the corner of his eyes, he said, "Oh, Ry. Don't you see? She's just the way I am whenever I'm around Meg."

Ryan frowned, still confused. "But you like Meg."

"Of course I do. But I don't know how to express myself, that's why I acted defensive and offensive around her."

Smiling brightly, Ryan finally got the idea. "You mean, she likes me?"

Rolling his eyes, David said, "As clearly as the sky after a rainy day."

The happiness that was budding in his heart was suddenly dampened by a thought. "But so what, I still couldn't act on it."

"And why is that?"

"I'm weak, remember?"

Huffing, David punched him playfully. "Come on, Ry. If you're weak, then I have a leg in the coffin already. Furthermore, when's the last time you had an attack?"

Before Ryan could reply, David cut in, "A long time ago! Face it Ry, your health was not what's bothering you. You're afraid that she might not like you."

Ryan gulped, for David hit it spot on.