Chapter 2 - Invisible

Kate

My goal for today is to be invisible. I know, no one notices me around the school but what I’m trying to say was not to be able to see or meet him. And the him that I’m referring to was the guy named, Dylan. This may sound weird but I don't want him to see me because maybe he'll get mad for turning down his offer which I know that he's probably serious but then again, he's a playboy and he pretty much deserved it.

“Dear, why are you wearing your jacket? It’s very hot outside.” My mother said. She’s cooking us some pancakes for breakfast. I think it’s the first time that she cooked for me since we moved here. She's always at work and insisted me to cook by myself, the problem is I don't know how to cook that's why I just eat cereals or order pizza.

Now she's asking me why I have my jacket on? What does she care? She went home at 11 o' clock in the evening last night and forgot to call how her daughter was. I was in the staircase of the porch, cold and as if I want to take a rest. I pretended that I lost the key and I have no mother and my father was working abroad.

“I just want to wear it.” The sad part is, it's hot outside. And still, I chose to wear it just to be completely invisible and for Dylan not to notice me. Small things really matter to me and I don't want to risk any of my life.

“You know, you wearing a jacket in a very hot day will just attract people.” She fusses, “Can you get the syrup in the fridge, thank you.” She placed the pancakes both in our plates. I rather ate cereals.

“You don’t care even if they do.” I muttered, silently. I stood up and took the syrup on the fridge.

“Here.” I hand over the syrup on her hand.

My mother doesn’t look like me. As how I described it, I don’t look like her. I resemble my father features more and the only thing that I got from my mother was the color of our eyes, or I meant was- we both have the same eyes. She has a curly brown hair, big round eyes, she’s two inches taller than me. She’s not that fat and not to thin either.

I take my seat and stared at my plate topped with the pancake that my mother made. It reminds me of my father whenever I see pancakes. He loves pancakes and he usually makes me some when I was still a kid, he usually placed it with chocolate syrup.

Thinking about him makes me miss him even more. How is my father doing anyway? Is he okay? Is he eating well? Does he miss me? Why hasn’t he called me? It’s been a week now and I don’t know why he stopped calling. Maybe he’s just busy? I’ll try to understand him.

“Kate, Kate, Dear? Are you even listening to me?” she snaps her fingers, “I’ll be home late, just lock the door and take the key, okay?” she wipes her mouth with her handkerchief.

She stands up and faced the mirror that we have on the kitchen, she puts on her red lipstick and blush on.

“Wait, you’re going already? I haven’t finished eating my food yet.” I watch her put her plate on the sink. She wore her heels on, tied her hair in a ponytail and kisses me in the forehead.

“See you later.” She rushes her way out of the door, carrying her black leather bag and suitcase and left.

Want to know what her job was? She’s a lawyer. I think she loves the law more rather than her daughter who is seated in this chair that I’m seating in.

What did my father see on my mother anyway? That made him love and marry her?

Enough about this, I’m going to eat and leave at once. I don’t want to be late for school.

-

Dylan

“It’s so hot. What’s with the weather?” Austin opened the window in his side of the car, letting the air enter.

He’s right, it’s so hot and I don’t know how to deal with this kind of weather especially when I’m not in the mood.

“You should’ve fix the air conditioner of your car you know.” Ryan hissed. He fixed his awfully messy hair using the rear view mirror. Can’t he just used his front cam? He’s blocking the mirror and I can’t see.

“Move your big face, I can’t see.” I retorted. I was really not in the mood and when I’m not in the mood, I usually get angry in small things.

“Geez, calm down.” Ryan answered back, admitting in defeat. He’s seated at the back, while Austin was seated beside me. I don’t want Ryan seating beside me because he’s talkative and in the same time, annoying.

“What’s with you?” Austin faced me, waiting for me to answer back. Which I would definitely not answer. Why would I tell him? He’d probably tell me to not let small things get stuck inside my head. He’s like my father or the so called wise adviser.

Why would I be fine in the first place? First thing in the morning, I answered a phone call from my mother. Shouting at me like I’ve done something wrong, which I didn't do anything wrong at all. She loves making her voice high on the phone because she feels as if I can’t hear her clearly.

She was calling me just because she wants me to go home and keeps on asking me why I haven't visited her yet. The truth is, I live in an apartment. I live on my own, away from my mother and father.

My father is always out because he's always in a business trip while my mom owns a shop that sells fabulous clothes for women. Both were always busy and I don't want to stay at that huge house, wherein I'm the only one who’s staying there. Plus the butler and the maids that I’m not comfortable of having.

I asked my father to let me stay in an apartment for my own and he let me even if my mother disagrees with it. What can my mother do?

"We're here." I parked the car and turned off the engine. I feel like going back to the apartment.

"See yah guys later, don't want to be late." Austin jumps out of the car, he wore his backpack on one strap and head inside the school. He doesn’t waits for us whenever we go inside the school. He’s crazy about being late.

Austin Lanter has a fair complexion, blonde and composes of clear blue round eyes. He's body is average, not fat nor thin. Pretty muscular too. He's into sports but he is pretty much academically active. Popular with girls? Well yeah, he have some fans.

"I've got to go my literature class bro. See you later." Ryan ruffled my hair, making it messier than before. That annoying douche doesn’t fail to annoy me. He should have drove his own car.

Ryan on the other hand has the same height as me. He has a messy brown hair, he wants it to be messy because he always claims that girls loved it. Blue eyes, built body, he’s a soccer player (just like me), not academically active and has a tanned skin complexion.

I hissed and closed the side of my car door. “Shall I go inside?” I said to myself. I don’t want to go inside and I don’t want to attend the first period.

I hate math and math doesn’t like me either. I was standing at the back of my car, it was hot and I’m glad that the shade of the tree was helping me not to expose myself under the sun. I don’t have the will to attend our math class and I don’t want to attend.

I lean my back against the back of my car, “Natalie, when will I ever see you again?” thinking about her makes me laugh. She’s tough and fierce. I never thought I’ll meet a girl like her.

I focused my eyes on the parking lot which is completely empty. And by I meant empty was, there are no people around except me. I hope no one sees me or else I’ll get detention if I’ve been reported to a teacher.

Without any further delay, someone catch my eyes. Is that a girl? Or a boy? Maybe a boy. He is wearing an awfully large grey jacket in this very hot morning. Doesn’t he know that it’s hot?

“Hey dude, hey.” I called his attention and he wasn’t responding. “Hey, hey you with the grey jacket.” I called his attention once more.

-

Kate

I am definitely late, I should have taken a cab. What I hate the most is being late because I’ll get too much attention, especially when the teacher makes a fuss about me being late which isn’t my fault at all. It’s so damn hot and I can’t take this jacket off even if I’m full of sweat, I won’t risk myself to be seen by that Dylan guy.

I’ve made a lot of conclusions last night and something came up. I think I just humiliated him and what if he was mad about it? I mean, no one turns down a guy like him except me. He’ll probably go look for me and I wish he won’t.

“Hey dude, hey.” I heard a guy’s voice calling someone at my back. Is he calling me? I don’t think so, because I don’t have friends in this school and no one has ever called my attention before. Might as well ignore it.

“Hey, hey you with the grey jacket.” He said.

Grey jacket? So it’s me?

I put my hoody down and faced whoever that guy was.

“Yes?” shit. My eyes widen in shock and in the same time, I want to run and get away from the place that I’m standing now.

I should’ve looked. I should’ve walk straight and pretended I heard nothing. I should’ve run now, while I still have the chance.

He smiled at once when he saw me. “Nice to see you again.” He followed it with his playful yet irritating smirk.

“What? Who are you? I didn’t saw you before.” I divert my eyes to the tree, avoiding eye contact with him.

He takes two steps forward while I take two steps back, “Will you please stop right there?” I bump my back in the car, stopping me to take more foot steps back. And there I stand still, looking at him how he walk towards me with his arrogant smile. I can’t barely move.

He takes more steps, taking every inch of the space that’s left between us. “Don’t pretend that you don’t know me Natalie.” He stops right in front of me, leaving one step space between us.

“I have to go.” I didn’t answer his reply and decided to change the topic. I was about to escape, until he stops me by blocking both his arms around me.

“I’ll let you go, just answer my question.” He said.

“Okay, fine. What is your question?” I replied. I’m already late. Fighting with him will not help and solve anything of this. My goal for today? It failed.

He focuses his eyes on me and said, “Answer my question truthfully and without any hesitation.”

I take a deep breath, “Fine.”

“Two questions, first. You’re pretending you don’t know me right?” He crosses his arms and waited for me to answer him back.

I nodded, “Yeah.”

“Last, is your name really Natalie?” His final question and I don’t think that can answer it.

“Hey, who is that?” I put on act. I’m going to make a run for it.

“Who?” He came to look at his back, he’s easy to be fooled.

And now, make a run for it Kate.

-

Dylan

Who the hell is she pointing? I turn my back and found nothing. No one is there and nothing is there. Is she playing with me or something? Why don’t she just tell me her name?

I face her once more but she was already gone. She didn’t even answered my question.

I roam around the parking lot and I didn’t even saw her.

“She’s fast.” I said to myself. Where did she run off to?

I can still meet her, we’re both in the same school and that’s a good start. Never knew that Natalie has been staying at our school.

“Hey Dylan!” Someone called my attention.

I turn my back and see who it was and it was Austin. He was holding both his waist, exhausted and tired was evident on his face.

“What’s with you?” I questioned him.

He was catching his breath and raises his left hand, signaling me to wait.

“Why—“ He breathes heavily and continued, “Are you here?” He takes a step forward,

“I left my book on your car, that’s why I make a run for it.” He finishes.

“I see.” I took out my car keys and open the car.

I took out his book from the front seat that he was sitted a while ago and throw it to him.

“You really make a run for it just because of your book?” I teased him.

He defends himself, “At least I don’t skip class.”

“Okay, okay.” I surrender, admitting defeat. “You won’t believe what happened a while ago, I’ll tell you the whole story later.” I added.

“Whatever your story was, I’m can’t wait to hear it.”

-

Kate

Goal? Failed!

Be invisible? Failed!

Don’t let myself caught by him? Failed!

Get on school on time? Late!

Whatever happens today, will completely turn my life in a complete mess.