Mizar ch1

chapter 1- Locker Partner

-Xyza

Sigh! Life is very dull today... costumers are few during these days. I'm standing here in The Pickles Pastries and Coffee Shop. Aeris was gone playing basketball with Daniel... I wonder how long Aeris can stand Daniel's clumsiness.

Suddenly... the bell tickled... signaling for costumer. I mean costumers. A cute little girl came rushing towards the glass cabinet.

"Mark! I want some chocolate mousse," the little girl said while tugging the shirt of the guy.

He's a tall, raven haired cute guy. I think he's mute... I didn't hear him talk or complain.

"Hello," I greeted them.

"I wanted that," the girl pointed out.

"Here you go," I said handing the chocolate mousse after putting it in a box.

"How much?" she asked.

"That would be two dollars"

She turned to the guy and asked for it. He handed me a crisp two-dollar bill.

I smiled then said, "You look new here"

I waited for an answer... but there was none.

"Hello... What's your name?" I asked the kid.

"Shareen," she said smiling.

Then... the door swung open... and Aeris came. She's talking really fast, that I don't understand a single word. She's walking backwards, not looking at where she's going. She's heading to Mark's direction! And... Mark is not even looking at where he's walking.

BUMP!!!@#*#@!!!

When I opened my eyes... Aeris is sitting on top of Mark.

"Ouch! Xyza, next time... don't ever put a sack of flour in here" Aeris complained.

"Um Aeris" I stammered, not knowing how to explain to her.

"Get off me" he said.

It's the first time I heard him speak. He has a manly voice... you'll definitely fall for. Daniel suddenly came and...

"Oh my... Aeris... you should not do that in public!" he exclaimed.

Good thing... Shareen is busy eating her chocolate mousse... and didn't see her brother laying on the ground on his back with a girl on top of him. That's the time... Aeris realized her position. Her face suddenly turned bright red... red like her strawberry blond hair... or redder than that.

"Sorry," she apologized.

He just stood up... didn't utter a word and left the shop with his sister.

"What's wrong with that man?" Aeris asked.

Daniel and I shrugged.

"I think he was annoyed," Daniel guessed.

She then smelled herself... and said, "I just smell like sweat... but not that awful."

Aeris is my best friend ever since we were kids. She's very sporty... that's why she's a varsity player in women's softball team. Sometimes... she's thought of as lesbian. She's always wearing jeans and shirts.



The next day... as we are walking on our way to the bus stop... we passed by a beautiful mansion with this lush garden covered with colorful blooming flowers. This was a vacant lot for years... until last year... some wealthy couple bought it and had a mansion constructed. Now... a beautiful mansion stood here... the one like those of fairy tale castles.

"Earth to Xyza... are you still here? Or the Martians have already experimented on your brain?" Aeris said poking me.

I nodded.

"Look at that house... I wonder who lives there" Aeris said.

I shrugged.

"Someday... I'll see what's inside there... or I'll live in that kind of mansion" Aeris suddenly said while staring at it dreamily.

"Okay... but for now... we've to finish our studies... if we stay here... we'll not catch the bus"



We came to the classroom about 15 minutes before the class.

"I wonder why the management suddenly gave me a locker partner" Aeris suddenly said... remembering about the notice last week.

"Well... that's good for you... You're the only one in the school left with no locker partner" I said smiling.

"That's a disgusting idea" she commented.

I shrugged.

"Hi guys" Daniel greeted us.

"Hi Daniel" I greeted him back.

"Have you heard about the transferee?" he asked.

Aeris and I shook our heads.

"Well... I heard that he's just about our age... and I guess... he'll be in this class"

"I can't wait to see him..." Aeris suddenly changed... and said giggling.

Daniel and I looked at her in surprise. It's not that she's always interested with guys.

"If he's my locker partner... he's my soul mate" Aeris said.

I looked at Daniel and he just shrugged at me. Everyone in the class paused when Vice Principal Watson entered the room followed by a very familiar tall and raven-haired guy.

Oh my! It's Mark.

All the girls' mouth fell open, of course except Aeris and I who already saw him yesterday in the Pickles. VP Watson introduced him to us... so... he's Mark Carter. He didn't even smile... exactly just like yesterday.



-Aeris

OMIGOSH! Xyza turned to me with this teasing smile on her face. I remembered what I've said a while ago... I think I should take it back.

"Mr. Carter... you can sit beside Ms. Thompson... the girl in pony tail" VP Watson announced.

Oh no! Daniel gave me the same smile. All the girls turned and whispered at each other... giving me sharp glances. He suddenly met my eyes.

"Hi... we meet again" I said giving him a nervous smile.

He just stared at me those sharp onyx eyes of his.

"I'm Aeris"

He didn't reply again. That lunch time... Daniel and Xyza are teasing me.

"So... I thought you can't wait to see him?" Daniel asked smiling.

"Yeah... you even giggled" Xyza supported Daniel and both burst in laughing.

I just ate my lunch and didn't argue with them.

"Why don't you join your soul mate... look there... he's alone" Xyza said as a follow up tease.

"I bet ten dollars, she can't" Daniel said.

"Make it twenty... I can make it" I said then stood up and went to him.

I chuckled to their funny reaction.

"Hi seatmate... Why are you alone?" I asked him with the sweetest smile I could give.

Here I go again... making a fool of myself... making me look stupid in front of this guy. But... I can't deny that he's really cute. Maybe... he's thinking how stupid I am right now. His eyes are sharp... but they could also reflect misery. I sighed and went back to where Xyza and Daniel are.

After lunchtime... I'm going to get my things for the next class... when I saw someone doing business in my locker... I hurried to look who it is... and to my shock and dismay...

"What are you doing at my locker?" I asked.

"Can't you see I'm fixing it?" Mark replied curtly.

"Of course I know... but... you have no right to fix my things or whatever is in my locker"

"Your locker? Well... for your information... this is my locker too"

WHAT!!! MARK IS MY LOCKER PARTNER? OF ALL PEOPLE... WHY HIM? WHY THE SNOB? OH MY GOSH... WHAT WOULD DANIEL AND XYZA SAY ABOUT THIS? IAMSODEAD.

I suddenly felt embarrassed. Then... the girl next to my locker came... Zoë Clarkson... the cheerleader.

"Hello Zoë" I greeted her.

She just raised an eyebrow. I've expected that reaction... we're not really good friends.



That afternoon... during gym class... our lesson is SOFTBALL. HURRAY! My forte. We had a game... girls vs. boys. Of course... I'm the pitcher. The boys were the first to bat. And for their first batter... Daniel... ok... this'll be their first out. I chose Natalie to be my catcher... she's pretty good in catching. We girls have special codes... when I scratch my nose once I'll pitch a strike and so on. For Daniel... I'll give him a strike. Natalie nodded... she got what's on my mind.

As expected... Daniel didn't hit it.

"Strike one" Ms. Venus said aloud.

Daniel gave me a funny look... he knows I'll not be easy on him.

"Strike two"

Until...

"Strike three"

"Oh my, what am I going to do?" Daniel asked while panicking.

"RUN YOU IDIOT" Bryan yelled.

But too late... Natalie already tugged him.

"OUT" Ms. Venus announced.

Bryan, the team captain of the boys... gave me Don't-be-too-easy-on-us-or-else-you'll-regret look. I just gave him a shrug.

ONE DOWN. Then...

"Strike three... OUT" Ms. Venus announced.

TWO DOWNS .

Bryan escaped me and managed to get a score for the team... but he didn't manage a homerun with me... he just run base to another base. Mark is their last batter... and all bases are full. I scratched my nose... Natalie nodded... all the members of the team understood. I gave Mark a strike pitch.

"Strike one" Ms. Venus announced.

For the second strike pitch I gave... he managed to hit it hard and flew away!

"OMIGOSH" I yelled as I run after it. I don't want to let him get a home run. Chiquita got the ball.

"Give it to me" I screamed.

After she passed to me the ball... I quickly threw the ball to Natalie.

"SAFE" Ms. Venus announced.

Oh mmmmmmmmmmmmmen!

Bryan smirked at me... probably wants to annoy me.

"You'll see" I mouthed at him.



Then... like what we've done... they attacked our weakest point... Zoë.

"Ms. Venus... I'm a cheerleader... not a" she complained.

"Ms. Clarkson... you're in my gym class, you're my student and not a cheerleader here" she said shaking her head.

Uh.Oh

"Strike... OUT" Ms. Venus announced.

I didn't know Mark is a good catcher. At last... it's my turn... I'm the last batter... and we don't have full bases.

"Give it to me baby" Bryan teased.

"Give me your best shot"

I hit his pitch... and hard enough to make it fly pretty far for me to make a homerun. Bryan is cursing "B*$# S#@%"

When I was about to run to the home base... I knew Bryan already threw the ball... there's no other way... I threw myself to the base... knocking Mark down before he catches the ball. And my head even collided in his head protector... 'OUCH'

"SAFE" Ms. Venus announced.

Everyone has this funny look ... they're all looking at me. Uh.Oh. I remembered knocking Mark down... our position is really not accepted in public. I quickly stood up.

"Sorry" I apologized.

He stood up and shook off the dust in his clothes.

"You've got a bump in you forehead" he said.

I felt for my forehead... he's right... and it's aching. I turned to Bryan and gave him a malevolent smile. During the next innings... you'll hear Ms. Venus announce either...

"Strike... OUT"

"Strike one"

"Strike three... OUT"

"SAFE"

After the game... no one won... 14-14. And... I guess I've knocked down at least all the basemen and the catcher. ^_^

"Nice one guys... you're the first in my classes to have a time in the game... boys usually win" Ms. Venus said smiling and dismissed the class.


"You're merciless Aeris" Daniel said as he came by my side.

I let out a nervous laugh.

"Sorry if I took the game seriously... I just don't want to lose with that Bryan "

"You have a bump... does it still hurt?"

I almost forgot about the bump I got when I knocked Mark down and collided with his head protector. I came home that afternoon very tired. Good thing... Psyche is the first to approach me. Psyche is my baby... she's a St. Bernard.

I remembered knocking Mark down a couple of times... I wonder is he's all right. Ugh. Why am I thinking about that snob?

But... he's my locker partner... I remember saying that if the new guy will be my locker partner... he's my SOULMATE.

OH NO.... OH NO... It's just coincidence... yeah... pure coincidence.