TST
Leo was in his room, peeking out of his favorite window. His phone buzzed and he was staggered after looking at it. He gazed over it for several minutes and picked it.
“Daniel?”
“Leo, how are you?” Daniel replied on the other side
“What’s up?”
“You free..?”
“Never ask a man for his time”
“Can we meet at the school cafeteria?”
“Now..?”
“Have something vital to tell you”
Leo gasped, "There are a lot of cafeterias in this school"
“The one near forbidden library”
“Time..?”
“After thirty minutes”
“Fine”
“Tha─”
Leo hung the phone
Leo looked at his watch and it was 8 PM, What does a board of director’s kid want to tell me at this night? Menacing me?
After changing his clothes he walked to the cafeteria.
Why is it called the forbidden library? He passed near the library that was snugly fortified. As he was walking, he saw some eccentric people coming off a bizarre car. It was dark but he was in no doubt that he had never seen those people before.
He stumbled and moaned mutely. Looks like you are too busy minding other people's business, who is busy minding yours? He kept on moving. He had never been interested in other people’s businesses.
He reached the cafeteria and Daniel raised his hand after seeing him, so he walked to where Daniel sat.
“Leo” Daniel smiled, “I didn’t expect you to accept my summon”
“Here I am”
“What would you like to drink?”
“I don’t drink at nights”
“C’mon man” Daniel called a waitress, “please listen to my friend”
The waitress walked near Leo, “what would─”
“A bottle of water”
The waitress ran to the counter and returned with a bottle of water and glass. After serving her customers, she walked away.
“Thanks for accepting─”
“Why am I here?”
“Leo, I have a favor to ask you”
“Don’t have any favors, especially for someone like you”
“I know you are mad at me─”
Leo pounded the table with his fist, “if that’s what you called me for, goodbye”
“No… don’t leave. It’s about Isla”
Leo calmed down, “what’s with Isla?”
“She has become the saddest person I have ever met. She doesn't go out nowadays, she just locks herself in her room"
“That’s none of my business”
“You know what?” Daniel cleared his throat, “Isla and I were born at the same neighborhood. We attended the same primary school, secondary school, and here we are today, taking the same course. In her heart, I was the only one till the day you appeared in her life"
“What a love story!”
“Leo, I know you have feelings for her and she does the same for you”
“Didn’t know that..!”
“But I can’t give up on her”
Leo clapped, “I’m proud of you!”
“I need your help”
“Should I sing this song ceaselessly” Leo leaned on the table, “there is nothing I can help you with”
“There is one”
Leo smiled
“Give up on Isla”
Leo laughed
“Tell her you never loved her, stay away from her. Maybe she will come back to the person she used to be”
Leo leaned on the chair, crossing his legs.
“I’m asking this as a fellow man and as a friend”
Leo chuckled, “Fine!”
Daniel was astonished, “real? You will do that for me?”
Leo stood up, “You heard me” and he started walking away
“Hey! You haven’t drunk anything. Where are you going?”
“To make things better..!” Leo smiled and walked away
It was already 9 PM, so he headed back to his room. He tried to get some sleep but he ended up rolling on the bed for hours. He went to his favorite window and stared over the school campus. It was very quiet. He thought about what Daniel told him. He thought about the message from dean, Isla’s father. He smiled.
Should I just give up? He kept moving around his room. The watch on the wall read 2 AM.
What jolted him from the thoughts was a mammoth smoke coming from the school campus. He walked closer to his window.
Fire..?