Chapter 23: Chapter 23

Jenny's pov;

"Did you get all the names for the group performance?" Chris asked me while I was checking the namelist of the participants.

"Yeah, I did."

"Okay. Then don't forget to hand it over to the secretary."

"Got it!"

Chris left after getting the name list from me.

"Jenny!"

Someone called my name. I turned to take a look at the person to whom the cute voice belonged. It's Yuyang, one of my students in the piano class in which I'm learning piano. I'm a student too. Since I'm a senior in piano, the teacher gave some second and third graders under my care to look after them.

I squatted down to her height and asked, "What are you doing here? You are supposed to be practising for the dance performance, right?"

"But the teacher didn't come to class so others sent me to get you."

"Okay, I'll come in a few minutes. Get to your class first."

She gave a nod and ran.

Today's the music event, so I was assigned to look after the dance performance of second and third graders too.

After giving the students instructions for the dance, I headed to the soloist performance event since my friend Carey is participating in it, I went to cheer her on.

When I looked around in search of her, I found Liam. My heart started to beat faster as soon as I saw him. I don't know how many days I'm going to handle this but I'm sure I will confess to him someday. I have a secret crush on him.

"Jenny! Here!" Carey called out to me. I saw her standing among other participants near the stage.

I walked to her and asked, "When will the event start?"

"In about ten minutes. And where were you? Why are you late?"

"I went to an elementary building to assist a dance performance for second and third graders. And I informed this yesterday too." I flicked her forehead saying, "Did you forget that?"

"Yeah..."

"Coming to your performance, did you practise well?"

She gave a nod but looked nervous.

"What happened? You don't look fine. Are you nervous?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Hey, you can do it."

She gave a nod and shook me suddenly saying, "Look over there. It's Liam."

I looked in the direction where Carey said. Liam was standing while looking into his phone.

"I already saw him while I was searching for you."

"Look at him. He's always with his phone. Who's he messaging? Was it his girlfriend?"

"Isabella didn't say yes to him."

"You forget to add 'yet'. What if she accepts him suddenly? What are you going to do then?"

"Isabella wasn't interested in him. If she was, she would have accepted him in the middle school itself. Why does she have to wait all these years?"

"Then what about you? How long are you planning to wait for him?"

"We've talked a lot about this."

"Yeah, yeah."

While I was talking with Carey, they began the event.

Carey turned to me and said, "I always get bored whenever we talk about this but now, I'm so happy because since we talked about you and your crush, I forgot to be nervous. So thank you so much."

"Wow! You're the most sarcastic person I've ever known."

"Hahaha. I got to go backstage. Wish me."

I hugged and congratulated her, "All the best."

She left backstage along with the other participants.

When i walked through the audience, i accidentally bumped into Liam. When i was about to fall down, Liam held me and I fell into his arms. I have never seen him this closer before. His arms were holding me and only me. His eyes were looking at me and only me. My heart started beating faster like everytime when I looked at him from afar.

"Are you alright?" He asked me.

"Y-Yeah."

He talked to me!!!

"Okay."

When he was about to leave, no! Don't go! Wait. Keep me in your arms for some more minutes. I want to be in your arms.

I called him, "Um... Excuse me."

He turned and looked at me.

"What is it?"

Don't say something stupid! Don't say something stupid!

"I know you're a friend of Isabella, I want to join Isabella basketball team, shall I know the process to join her team?"

Idiot! What did you just do? Basketball? Really?? You don't even know how to pass the ball.

When he was about to answer, he stopped and looked somewhere. Where is he looking at? When I looked in the direction where he was looking, it's Isabella.

"Bella!" Liam called out her name. Why is he calling her now? Is he going to talk about what I asked him?

Isabella answered back, "Hi, Liam." And walked towards us.

Liam started introducing me to her, "Her name is Jenny. She wanted to join the basketball team so she asked about you."

When did I ask about her? I was just blurting out something to talk with you, Liam! Not her! I don't want to talk to her!

Liam introduced Isabella, "She's the one you asked for. Isabella. She's the vice captain of the school team. You can ask her for the details of what you wanted."

I know her name already. Actually, I know the names of all your friends.

Liam, "Okay. I'll leave then."

No! Don't go! I wanted to talk to you. Be here. Why are you leaving?

After Liam left, Isabella asked me, "Hi, Jenny. It's nice to meet you. Have you ever played basketball before?"

I ignored her and looked at Liam who's leaving. Don't go! Come back!

Isabella continued, "If you want to flirt with him, go and do it for yourself. Don't use others for your flirting."

Wait, How did she know?

"I... I..."

"It's fine. I'm not mad. That's my tone of speaking. As his friend, court him directly. That's the only advice I can give to you." And left.

Court him directly? If I had that courage long back, I wouldn't be waiting like an idiot. But I'm satisfied after hearing from Isabella about how she thinks about Liam. Even though I already know that she wasn't interested in him, her words kinda assured me. Let's think about the courting then. What did she mean by 'court him directly'? Did that mean I should court him directly??? After all these years, how will I do that?

Carey and I went to the basketball match which is the final event of the day. I know Liam doesn't play basketball but he'll be there for Isabella to cheer her so I get a chance to see him from afar.

"Why did you drag me here?" I started acting like I was whining since I don't want to make Carey think that all I can think about is Liam.

"Stop acting and Look over there and feed your eyes!" She shouted in my ears since the crowd cheering was louder around the court.

When I looked down, guys and girls in jerseys jumping and chasing the ball around the court. I spotted Isabella and Noah among them.

I let out a sigh and took my phone out to check my phone. The girl who's jumping beside me hit my phone and it dropped on the floor. When I bent down to pick my phone, I saw Liam among the crowd.

I asked the excuse that I'm going to the bathroom and walked towards Liam among the crowd.

"Hi."

He looked at me and gave a confused look and asked, "Do I know you?"

"We met in the morning at the soloist event."

"Yeah, the girl who asked me about Isabella."

"Yeah."

"Um... Do you want something?"

"I really didn't approach you to join Isabella's team."

There! I said it! Let's face whatever comes after that!!! I don't want to lie to you.

"What?"

"I like you."

"What?"

"I-I... I'm sorry. I-I didn't mean to say that... It doesn't mean that it's not true... The thing is what I said was true but not..."

While I was stammering, the people around me started shouting like there's a proposal going on here. Everyone looked at us which made me nervous. On the other hand, Liam got mad at them and looked at me and gave a death scare.

"I-I'm sorry. I was..."

He left after giving me a death stare. I followed him out of the basketball court while calling out his name.

Liam didn't stop so I grabbed his hand. He gave me a death stare again.

I let go of his hand and said, "I'm sorry. What happened back there was..."

"Who are you?"

After hearing that, I stood still without moving.

He left.

You don't know me? Yeah. How do you know me? We've never talked then how will you know me but I know you. You never looked at me since I've always been in a grey area. You never talked to me. I know your likes and dislikes. I know your favourite dishes. I know your favourite colour. I know your favourite place. I know your house. I know your parents. I know your sister. I know your friends. I know when and where you hangout with them. I know everything about you! How come you don't know me?

I dropped on the ground and started crying.

Carey hugged me from behind and consoled me saying, "I saw what happened. Why did you do that? Why did you confess to him? Don't worry. At Least you tried after all this time." She patted me and said, "Did you forget the rules about liking someone? 'Dont say hello till you're ready for the heartbreak'

I hugged Carey back and cried.

On the next day,

"Hey Jenny! Are you feeling better now?"

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"Your dark circles around your eyes say otherwise. Your eyes are red. Did you cry all night?"

"I didn't" and hid my eyes with my hand.

She removed my hand and said, "Don't lie, girl. It's ok to cry. It's ok to be like this but it's not ok to let go like this."

"What are you saying?"

"Do what Isabella said to do. Court him directly and get your guy!"

"He rejected me."

"Because he didn't know you well. This time, show yourself to him. Show him how you are and get him."

I smiled and said, "Okay. Okay."

When I was about to leave school, I saw Laila standing alone near the gate. What is she doing here?

I walked to her and asked, "Why are you still here? Did you miss the bus?"

She gave a nod and asked me back, "Did you miss the bus too?"

I laughed and said, "Are you hungry? Do you want ice cream?"

I bought ice cream for her and she started eating it.

While eating, she made a call to someone.

She said, "Liam, pick me up. I missed the school bus."

Oh! It's her brother.

"Please, come quickly." ended the call and continued eating the ice cream.

After some time, Liam arrived in his Red and black Mountain Bike road racing speed bike.

Laila screamed at her, "Brother, you're late."

"Did you buy this?" He asked her to see the ice cream in her hand.

"No, Jenny did."

Liam looked at me.

Liam took his wallet and took the money and gave it to me.

I gave it back and said, "No. It's fine. It looked like she was hungry so I bought ice cream for her."

He kept the money back into his wallet and said to Laila, "Why did you lose the bus?"

"I didn't lose the bus. The bus left me."

"Hop on. Let's go home."

While Laila was trying to board my bicycle, I helped her to get on and said to Liam that I didn't know that she's his sister. Why did I blurt nonsense again? Sh*t!

He ignored me and started driving his bike along with her sister. Laila waved to me while she's with her brother.

What's going to happen between us?