Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
I attended one of the community colleges in Hong Kong the next year after my high school graduation. It was the longest year that I have ever had to live through. I made no friends and I found myself ditching most of my classes. School was just not interesting to me and I realized at that moment that it would never be interesting.
I don’t know how I survived three years of it, I was finally 21 an age that I dreaded because I knew everyone would be more successful than me. Ginny and I wrote often but in the past year it had slowed down to one letter a month. I didn’t mind since I knew she was busy with her school work and she was an intern at a law firm. As for Daniel, apparently they had broken up within their second year in college, for whatever reason I never found out because Ginny was very vague about their breakup. I didn’t want to pester her so I left it at that.
As for everyone else, I never kept in touch with any of them. Lance gave me a call a month after we last saw each other at the Luai dinner. He sounded a bit awkward, like he didn’t know what to say to me. None of the less that was the last time I ever had any contact with him, yet my feelings for him never faltered. My crush turned to something deeper eventhough he was not around.
I often have dreams about seeing him again, about how much both of us have changed and we would talk for hours but nothing more. It was strange how the human mind works. I tried to not think about him too much but it was almost useless, the harder I tried the more I found myself thinking about how he was doing.
By my fourth year in college, I still had an undetermined major. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and I figured that college would somehow, magically show me the right path but it did nothing for me. Instead I found myself in a Psychology major that I was not interested in but did well in my classes so I decided to keep the major.
I soon started my first semester of my fourth year. My morning class was in a huge class of 300 students, I sat close to the back with very little people around. When the professor began his lecture, I was so busy taking notes that I didn’t hear someone calling to me. “Pss…hey…”
I looked up and found a guy sitting next to me “Yes?” I asked with a bit of annoyance.
“I came in a bit late, did I miss a lot? Can I borrow your notes?” he smiled goofily at me. I sighed with obvious annoyance, one of my pet peves were people coming into class late. I ripped out the first page of my notes and gave it to him. “Thanks.” He smiled again and took the notes that I had taken.
After ten minutes, he gave me back the notes. I smiled shortly and returned to the lecture. But at the corner of my eyes I could see him looking at me. And every time I turned to face him, he would turn away like he was looking at something else. We went back and forth a few times as I was determined to catch him, too bad he was too quick. I felt like I was in high school all over again. Guys teasing girls cause they want their attention.
I sighed with relief when the teacher excused us. I grabbed the books and notebooks as I stuffed them into my bookbag and took off before that strange guy could say anything else. Lucky for me, I only had that class every Monday but the thought of having to sit next to him for the next five months gave me the chills.
The following week, I had almost forgotten about the odd ball guy sitting next to me. But I was soon reminded when he walked in on time and took his seat next to me. This time he was prepared with a notebook and pen ready to take notes. “I’m Neil.” He smiled at me.
I nodded quickly as I prepared for some more boring note taking. “Hi Neil.” I muttered, trying not to be rude but it was hard.
“What’s your name?”
“I don’t have a name.” I said with obvious annoyance.
“Oh, well, let’s change that. You look like an angel so I’ll call you Angel.” His corny pick up line would not get him in front of any ride.
“Yeah, whatever…” I mumbled, secretly hoping that he would get the message.
“So…what are you doing after class?”
“ShhH!!” I put my finger to my lips as I pointed to the front of the class where the teacher started his lecture. After class was over, I rushed out of the class room without acknowledging him.
Our short and curt conversations seemed to be a routine every Monday morning. I began to despise that day every time it came around. I have never found anyone so obnoxious in my life and he was just so persistent. At one time in the semester, I was almost debating to go out with him so I could be mean to him and then he’ll realize that I wasn’t as nice as he thought I was.
On the last day of our class, he made his final attempt. “Angel, you want to go out for coffee later?”
“I don’t drink coffee.” I replied quickly.
“Okay…how about coke?”
“I don’t drink coke.” I couldn’t believe he could be so thick skin.
“How about tea?” he tried again.
“I don’t drink….” I sighed as I stopped talking and thought about everything before I asked him “Look, you’re not gonna give up if I keep saying no huh?”
Neil smiled as he nodded “Ah, she is smart and beautiful.”
I shook my head in defeat “Fine. After class…”
“Great.” With that he stopped asking and pestering me. All it took was to agree to go out with him for a drink? Gosh, I wanted to pull out my hair!! I mean no one said I had to like the guy, all I had to do was get a drink with him. I cursed myself for not being more logical with myself.
When the class finally ended, he quickly wrapped up his book bag and turned to me waiting for me to get my stuff together. I almost laughed at his eagerness and wondered if there was someone out there so interested in another person like the way he was with me. My final conclusion? No, no one was that strange.
“I know this great little café that serves the best pasta. You like pasta don’t you?” he rambled on and on about pasta before I even answered. Lucky for him I love pasta.
I allowed him to drive me to the restaurant since I was too pooped to drive myself there. When we got there, he practically jumped out of the car as he raced to my side to open the door for me. “After you, my Angel.” He put a hand behind his back like he was my driver.
“My name is Nicole.” I said shaking my head at his character.
“What can I call you?” he asked, probably hoping that I had a pet name, which I did but I wasn’t ready to tell him.
“Nicole.” I answered matter of fact.
“Okay…actually, I prefer Angel.” He whispered softly into the sky as we walked toward the restaurant.
“Suit yourself, but don’t be surprised if I don’t answer to Angel.” I teased.
“Oh…finally seeing the true person that you are!” he exclaimed with exaggerated excitement.
“After you, my lady.” He reached for the door and opened it for me. I shook my head again, he was different from what I thought he would be. “That’s the third time you shook your head at me. I’m beginning to wonder if you have a crick in the neck?”
I laughed at the comment but decided not to say anything. I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself. We were seated next to the window where he requested. “I see you are a usual guest here?” I noticed the host referred to him by his first name.
“I come here when I have time. They make the best spaghetti.” He recommended.
“Well, I guess I will order that.” I opened the menu to see my other choices, it was too hard to pick one. “Gosh, they all look good.” I said to myself.
“We’ll have plenty of time to return to this restaurant. Heck, we’ll come here every day if you like.” He said nonchalantly.
I dropped the menu, wincing my eyes at him “And who said I would come here every day with you?”
“You will.” He said with much confidence.
“And how could you be so sure?” I tilted my head as I asked him.
He looked around to make sure no one was staring as he flicked his forefinger for me to come closer. I leaned in and he prepared to tell me the secret “There are some things you just know.”
I laughed as I shook my head again “You’re strange, you know that?”
“Four times. Hmm…maybe I should recommend you a chiropractor.” The concern in his voice made me laugh harder. “At least I know you can laugh.” He waved for the waitress as he ordered our food “Spaghetti for the beautiful lady that will soon be my girlfriend and I’ll have lasagna.”
I wrinkled my forehead at him after the waitress left “You have some nerve saying what you said.” I knew I sounded upset but I wasn’t.
“Well, you need to face the fact. The more we spend time together, the more you will find me adorable and well, need I say more?” he was so full of himself, but it was the way he was full of himself that I found almost amusing.
“How many girlfriends do you have?” I asked straightforwardly. “I mean, you’re so smooth with your words, I am guessing maybe four?”
“Five, but who’s counting.” He waved his hand in the air like it was no big deal. I nodded with not much surprise “I’m kidding! Actually, I don’t have time to find a girlfriend.”
“I see…”
The food came quickly as we dug into our lunch. I was surprised at how good the spaghetti was. He must have noticed my expression “Good huh?”
“Yeah! It’s better than the way my mom makes it.”
“Can I be the judge of that?” he asked.
I smiled “I usually don’t take guys home to my mom unless I was actually dating him.”
“Ouch!” he dropped his fork and grabbed onto his heart like it was hurting “But remember, we are on a ‘date’. So technically, we are dating.”
I shook my head again “Five, I know.” Counting for him before he could make another comment “You just don’t give up do you?”
“Give up on what?” he looked innocent as can be.
I opened my mouth to say something but instead I said “Nevermind.”
“Nothing to say?” he tilted his head downward but his eyes was bestowed on me and it almost made me uncomfortable. “Okay, well then we’ll continue this conversation tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Sure, same time same place?” it wasn’t a question, more like setting a date.
I nodded “We’ll see if I have time.”
“Okay.” He said lightly. We finished our food and he took me back to the school where my car was. “Alrighty! See you tomorrow Angel!”
I got out of the car but before I closed the door, I leaned into the seat “I prefer Niki.”
A slow smile came on his face as he nodded “Niki, that’s more like it.” I shook my head and closed the door as I walked towards my car. “That’s six!!” I heard him yell before he drove away.