Natia

Despite it being our free day, Ting, Ruth and I were back at the NYU hall. However, instead of my usual bulky formal wear, I was fitted in a loose blue and purple plaid over some mildly ripped jeans.

I had been worried sick the entire time yesterday, fearing the results that were now less than a few feet away from my eyes. Ting and Ruth were both forgiving of my stupid mistake in the test - Ting significantly more so than Ruth. They were fully persuaded that it wasn't possible for me to do badly in this test, let alone fail it. I highly doubted their confidence in my abilities. After all, at least twenty out of the hundred multiple choice questions were left blank due to my absence.

"Sorry, coming through!" Ruth called out to the large mob of students crammed within the small area right outside the exam hall. Her tall figure cleared a clean path for us, allowing Ting and I to follow her footsteps like little ducklings.

We made our way into the clearing, where all eyes were trained on the bulletin board layered with papers, the qualified student's scores enlisted right beside each name. To my horror, the scores were listed from highest to lowest.

From my side of the semi-circle, I peered over horizontally. Instead of spotting my name, I recognized a specific lanky male with a pair of midnight blue eyes.

"Sean!" I yelled over the lapping voices. He looked around to pinpoint where the sound came from before finally landing his dark eyes on me. Sean flashed me a clouded half-smile before turning around, disappearing into the crowd of thousands. My heart pounded with anxiety.

I was still deep in the unknown about what happened yesterday between Freddie and Sean. I had locked up all the worries out of my mind since yesterday, afraid of the countless possible punishments that might be unleashed onto the poor boy.

I squinted my eyes into slits, straining to see through my blurring short-sightedness. I scanned the pieces of paper instantly, frantically searching for his name. In my memory, his full name on the name card had been Sean Rutherford. I flew through the last three pages of scoresheets and saw no sign of his name. I was suddenly overwhelmed with relief and fear at the same time. So either Sean hadn't manage to make the qualifications at all, or he did decently well on the paper in his limited amount of time. I crossed my fingers and prayed for it to be the latter.

I identified a familiar name on the next page, but it wasn't Sean's. Ting's name was listed number 645, scoring a total of only 56 marks. I glanced over to Ting who was on the same page as I was on, her eyes unmoving and blank. It's like she's given up altogether and couldn't care less about her scores anymore.

I tried out some comforting words in my mind, but all of them sounded hurtful - like throwing a pot of oil into a pit of sizzling fire. I was still considering my words when Ruth wrapped a tight arm around Ting's shoulders protectively, her hands rubbing her arm in console.

I returned my attention back onto the sheets of paper. Five more pages in from the back, and still there was nothing.

On the fifth page from the back, right at the top, I saw something that made my eyes go popping out of my sockets.

#82 - Natia Jiang - 74/100

No way. I thought, adrenaline coursing through my veins. I was beyond ecstatic. I felt like jumping up into the sky and announcing to the world of my placement in the thousands of insanely gifted students.

A few slots above mine was Ruth's name, and her eyes were beaming proudly when I sneaked a peek at her.

I continued up the list. My heart fell after every page. Still, there was no sign of Sean's name.

The names trickled down to the last few. Every name grabbed my utmost attention, and I moved on the next one with a stronger, more dreadful sense of anticipation. How could I ever live on knowing that I stripped a sweet boy of his rightful eligibility for the competition? Perhaps he needed this certificate for his university applications, or maybe-

I halted the senseless ramble in my head. My mouth hung wide open and I stood, completely astonished. There it was. Right in second place, his name written bold and clear.

#2 - Sean Oliver Rutherford - 98/100

I pushed through the crowd, ducking under arms and shoulders. He couldn't have left yet - not so quickly.

I was right. He was just by the entrance, his face unreadable as he walked beside his two teammates. I sprinted as fast as I could, ignoring the peculiar looks of the surrounding students.

I caught up to him, breathless and panting hard. His two teammate's faces turned from curiosity to a slight concern for my crimson cheeks. Finally, he turned to me, his eye brows raised and lips upturned when he realized the incredulous look on his teammates too.

"You got second?"

He itched at the nape of his neck, for some reason embarrassed. "Yes."

I was jumping on my toes. "How on earth did you manage to only get two wrong? That's impossible!"

"Sean doesn't get questions wrong." One of his teammates chided from his side. He had olive skin, his black eyes dripping with venom. "He just didn't fill them in because someone got him into trouble-"

Sean sent him a powerless look. "Noah-"

"What? You would've gotten full marks if it wasn't for her." Noah responded matter of factly. "Your parent's would've been so proud of you. Freddie would've -"

"Noah, stop. I don't care." Sean said, his voice teetering between patience and annoyance.

"And you forgive this girl? Just like that?" Noah asked, his eyes burning.

"Yes." Sean said. It only fueled his bubbling rage.

Noah sneered. "That's not what you said when I slipped a few marks in our practice rounds at school."

"Noah." The third boy said, his voice cautious. He was careful not to relight the boy's flickering, dangerous fury. "Let's head back. It's still early, we can go grab breakfast first."

There was something in Noah's eyes that I couldn't place a finger to. Sure, there was anger, but I felt an emotion far more chilling beneath the murky darkness. He ignored the chubby boy and took a step forward.

"And who are you?" Noah asked, his beady eyes drilling into mine.

I stammered. "N-Natia." I glanced around helplessly. "Look, Noah. I'm so sorry. I was dumb and stupid and senseless-"

"No." Sean said, his gaze the hardest I've seen. The look of hostility retreated from Noah's eyes at Sean's boldness. "You're not." He said, his eyes softening in sincerity when it met mine. "Don't be sorry."

The tension in the air was suffocating. The stiff, steely coldness of the air was wrapping its long fingers around my arms, feet and neck; penetrating my skin with its icy touch. I didn't know what to say.

"What's going on?"

I turned around. Ruth was standing square-shouldered, her arms crossed and eyebrows raised in demand for an answer. I couldn't help but admire her strength in moments like these. The way she held herself so confidently and fearlessly, how she talked without choking on her words, how she was able to stand there challenging the boys who were staring down at her with blatant unease in their eyes. She looked like she stepped foot out of a Wonder Woman comic book and was Wonder Woman herself.

"I -" I looked over at Noah, Sean and the chubby third boy. Humiliating them in front of Ruth and Ting would be the last thing I should be doing if I was to get on their good side.

"Nothing." I said, managing a smile. "Wanna grab breakfast?"

Ruth scrutinized the boys, suspicion crystal clear in her eyes. "Yes, I'm starving." She said, her gaze never leaving them. She grabbed my wrist and began guiding me away from Sean's team.

"Wait."

Ruth stopped in her tracks. So did I.

"Can I speak to you for a moment?" Sean asked, his hands fidgeting behind his back and his eyes locked on mine. "Please?"

I turned around and gazed at Ruth pleadingly, as if asking a mother for permission. She nodded reluctantly. "We'll meet you at Sally's Diner?" I agreed.

I was aching to ask her whether she mad at me for something I did. I wanted to apologize to her. I yearned to wrap my arms around her in a bear hug. I needed to tell her that I appreciated how she still stuck up for me even though we were engaged in a cold war.

I didn't though. I watched them turn around, their silhouettes dark against the morning sun.

Noah sent me one last loathing glare before leaving with the chubby boy. I was still mortified by the abrupt explosion of Noah to say the least, and was certain that Sean could see it blatantly written across my face.

"Don't mind him." He spoke, his voice comforting. "He's always like that."

I leaned against the concrete pillar, burying my head in my hands. I moaned loudly. "As many times as you've heard me say this before, Sean - I'm sorry."

He sighed. "I don't actually care that much about my marks."

I didn't lift my head up. He continued. "Trust me when I say this. he's not angry at you. He's just using the chance to take it out all on you."

I tilted my head up, resting it on the wall. "What happened?"

The moment the words came out of my mouth, I regretted it. It was like he noticed for the first time that he was exposed as a naked baby - vulnerable and and defenseless. His eyes dimmed, and to my surprise he managed to wipe away all traces of emotions from his face, as easily as if it was just a dirty windshield to be cleaned. Sean shook his head, his lips pulled tight.

"It's okay." I said. We stood in silence, watching the students leaving the building.

I turned to him. "Do you want to walk back? They're probably waiting for us."

He nodded. We strode along the battered road, taking in the cloudless blue sky and the tall towering trees by our sides. I breathed in the refreshing scent of the cleanly cut grass as I admired the morning dew perched on the tips of each dainty leaf. Everything was so beautiful, yet there was an unmistakable sorrow blooming in my chest.

He wasn't talking anymore. We were back on square one when we first met.

"I'm going this way." I said. He gazed across the road, seeing Sally's Diner just around the corner.

"Do you have snapchat?" I asked, hopeful.

Sean blinked, clueless. "Instagram?" He shook his head, his bright golden hair shaking loose.

"A phone?" I was getting desperate, but was relieved when he fished his phone out from his plain jeans. The relief didn't last long before it turned into amazement. I couldn't help but smile at the bizarre sight. In his hands was a little rectangular device, the shell heavy and awkward.

"This is practically antique!" I failed to hold in my fascination as I stared at the Nokia. I moved my thumb to slide the device open and close a few times. "Do they even make these anymore?"

He chuckled nervously. A deep dimple formed on both sides of his cheeks. "Its a hand me down."

"Can you text with it?" I asked, genuinely perplexed. He nodded.

I plucked the phone out of his hand and tried my best to navigate through the unfamiliar settings. It was easier than expected, considering I've never operated one before.

"Hope we'll talk soon!" I said, waving. I didn't want to leave. Somehow, his sole presence comforted me. Though he was silent for the most part, I had to admit that he was a good listener. Frankly, it was the rare moments of when he decided to open up that warmed my heart the most - like a sweet, bubbling cookie dough in the oven.

~*~

We thought it was such a brilliant idea of ours to visit the statue of liberty on this sunny day. Little did we know it was also half the population of student's great idea too.

Ting, Ruth and I were crammed onto the ferry along with our Goodwill school supervisor, and I was assigned next to a snoring old man. Ting shot me a pitiful glance.

"Ms. Whittaker, may I go over to the head of the ferry?" She didn't even glance up from her phone when she nodded, shooing me away with her free hand. I happily hopped out of my seat.

I walked down the aisle and opened the screen doors to a strong gust of ocean wind, the salty essence hitting my nostrils like a crashing wave. I lept over the protruding metal piece on the floor and headed over to the white, rusty metal frame. There, I crossed my arms and let my head sink into the soft fabric of my sleeve; letting the cool breeze run run through my thick, entangled chestnut hair.

"Isn't it beautiful?" I asked, sensing a presence beside me.

I turned my head over so the side of my face was lying on my arms. I resisted a scream of joy when I saw who was standing in front of me, his face a glowing incredibly handsome under the bright sun.

"It's you!" I said, delighting emerging from my chest. What were the chances of us meeting on a ferry, alone on the tip to such a beautiful view?

"Hey." Amsyar said, managing a grim smile. He turned his attention back to the ocean, watching the lights blinking on the tip of each ripple, crashing wave after wave.

"How did you do in the mock examination?" I asked, closing my eyes against the warm sun. "I thought I did super badly, but it actually turned out alright! I got ranked 82nd, isn't that awesome?"

Amsyar didn't respond. His lips were sealed tight, his eyes trained on the view. I watched him - his perfectly disheveled hair, his ghastly white skin, his cracked, dried lips...

"Uh..." I noticed the pain in his eyes. "Are you alright?"

He snapped out of his daze. His eyes were still hazy when he looked at me, out of focused and distracted.

"Yeah," He managed, his expression frazzled. "I'm sorry, I just -"

He turned to the ocean, his hands gripping the railing so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He hurled, his back arching and his head thrusting forward - the brown content pouring out from his mouth.

"Oh my god."

I went over and patted his back, alarmed as he continued to puke. What was anyone supposed to do in these situations? I thought back to the countless chick flicks I've watched in the past, and recalled that friends often held back each other's hair in the bathroom floor of a frat party when they drank too much.

Awkwardly, I stretched my hand out to hold back the locks of dark hair poking his eyes.

"What are you doing?" He asked, confused in the midst of his extreme suffering.

"I-I-I don't know! I thought people did this when-" I didn't even finish when he turned back to the ocean and began hurling again, more content shooting out from his mouth.

I continued to rub his back in slow, comforting circles until he emptied his stomach and he began dry heaving. I waited until he finally stopped. There were beads of sweat falling from his temples, down his neck and shoulders, soaking his thin blue T-shirt.

"Feeling better?" I asked.

Amsyar nodded, breathing hard. He buried his head in his arms, his shoulder blades sharp against the loose material. His shirt was stuck like a second skin onto his back, outlining his curving muscles precisely. I turned away in shame. How could I still be infatuated with his beauty when he's so obviously in anguish right now? I must be insane.

What's more insane is that he still looks like a total walkway model in his sickly state. I thought.

"Thankyou." He said, his voice muffled. I patted his back to say that it's okay.

Amsyar lifted his head, and I noticed with relief that color had regained in his lips and cheeks. He propped up his head on his hands, his eyes tired as he blinked slowly.

"Do you get seasick often?" I asked, attempting to distract him from his uneasiness.

He nodded his head. He exhaled heavily, his breath shaking with discomfort. "Its mostly because I don't like the ocean, that's all."

"What?" I asked, shocked by his unusual fear. I would've expected a carefree person like him to see the ocean as his second home - not a site of pure horror. And definitely not a thing horrible enough to make him vomit like this.

"The ocean's scary, don't you think?" Now I knew. He wasn't paralyzed by the sea's incredible beauty, but was actually numbed with fear.

"No, not at all." I said, looking at him. "In fact, its one of my favorite places."

He raised his brows in disbelief. I grinned at his utter shock.

"Its just so...calming, you know? Like you can forget about everything, because when you go to the beach or the ocean, you don't go there to fulfill a purpose." I thought aloud. "You're just there."

He looked at me for a second, and there was amazement in his eyes.

"What? Do I have lettuce in my hair again?" I asked, paranoid.

"No, no." He said, grinning his champion smile again. The defenseless, sick Amsyar was gone, replaced by the confident, radiant Amsyar I knew. "It's a twig."

"What? I can't believe this!" I exclaimed, going at my hair in extreme irritation. How did these things always seem to happen to me at moment's that do matter?

He smiled and ruffled my hair playfully. My heart raced at his touch. "I'm kidding, its just a bit messy from the wind."

"Natia!" Ruth called from behind. We both whipped our heads around. For some reason, I felt the need to take a step back from Amsyar at the presence of my teammate.

She arched a brow, the smile playing on her cheeks mischievous as her eyes darted between Amsyar and I. My cheeks flushed pink instantly. I could feel the towering boy's presence growing warm too.

"Uh," She was still smiling. "We're getting off."

"Yeah, of course!" I said, striding across the deck in a few quick steps. I linked arms with her and began walking quickly. The tension between Ruth and I seemed to have disappear after the argument between Noah, Sean and I, and I was more than happy that we were back to normal.

"Debate boy?" She whispered, tipping her head down to reach my height.

I turned my head back to see if he was there. He was, catching my gaze before I tore my attention away immediately. "Yeah."

We were off the boat soon after. I was waiting for a chance to say goodbye to Amsyar, fantasizing our departure as I would hug up tight; breath in the scent of his shirt that would most probably smell like peppermint or something boyish; let the hug go a second longer than a usual friend hug would last. Yet when I looked back - it was as if he was gone with the wind.

~*~

Author's notes: I still can't believe 'Talk to me' got listed as #410 on chicklit! Thankyou guys sososooSO much for everything. I'd just like to say that I really REALLY appreciate your time dedicated to reading my works, it means so much to me that you guys are enjoying the stories I'm writing. So again, THANKYOU <3

- Jaeanne