I was expecting that everything would turn out to be awkward between Matthew and me after that, but maybe I was dreaming?

" Whoa! " Everyone in class exclaimed in surprise. I can see Riza looking at me so puzzled, trying to figure out what was happening. I can feel my ear heating up as it's turned so red.

I freeze in my seat, trying to process in my mind what is happening. The way his eyes locked on me as he sat in front of my desk, he was so close that I could feel his breath on my cheeks, and it felt like I couldn't breathe.

the way his curly hair falls down to his dark and thick eyebrows; his deep black eyes look so perfect with those long lashes of his; he has those perfect noses, with the visible mole beside the left of his lips. His red lips

I came back to my senses as a little smile showed on his face. 'He is teasing me?'

' I try to push my seat to make some space between us. But he stood up, leaning closer to me. I could feel his skin on my forehead. As I looked so shocked at what he was doing, his left hand rested on my desk while his right hand held my chin, keeping me from facing his face.

I felt so hot at that time, as I felt the blood all over my body just running up to my face. My heart was going crazy, and I could feel how fast it was beating.

"I don't think you're done checking me," he said in between the grins on his face. As he whispered something in my ear before looking so intensely at me, "I always make sure, Lauren, that you have something to check on me."

The grin on his face turns to a soft smile as he takes off his uniform jacket and puts it in my head, like he is trying to cover my face from embarrassment. I can feel everyone's eyes on us, and I can hear their voice as I hear how surprised everyone in the room is.

I feel like my whole body just became numb at that time. I can't find the courage to say something, do something, or even react to what is going on right now. I was so puzzled and felt so lost.

"Lauren!" What was that? "I can hear Riza shaking my shoulder as she asks many questions that I can't really process into my mind. "Are you two already going out? "She continued to ask as she put down the jacket that's covering my face.

"Hey! Are you okay?"
"What happened? Did I missed something?"
As Riza and Jonathan's voices faded from my head, I was floating; my heart can explode at any moment. I was confused. I feel a little bit annoyed, but some parts of me want it more. His attention, his gaze when he looks me in the eyes. I just fell; I can't deny that I like him, Matthew.

"Are there any chances between us? are the words that I want to know, the words that keep bothering me starting on that day, and I want to hear what his answer would be when I ask those questions to him.

"Are you looking for me?" Matthew took us by surprise when he suddenly appeared in front of me and Riza as we walked by in the gym, going to the cafeteria. He was shirtless, as the sweat was all running down his body. I can't even look in his direction, but I can see him laughing by seeing the reaction on my face.

I can't understand what he was thinking at all. He always keeps on bothering me, showing and teasing me about how his presence can really have an effect on me. He was like a kid, but I find him so adorable every time he tries to approach me.

Riza was so amazed by how Matthew has done everything so straightforwardly since that day. "Woa! I didn't expect that he could be that confident about himself!" She says in disbelief as she takes a bite of her burger. I can't help but smile just thinking about how Matthew always tries to tease me when he has a chance.

"Whoa! She is enjoying it; she is." Riza didn't stop and make a face while saying that to me. I just smiled back at her, admitting what she said. We were in the cafeteria for lunch, but most of the seats were empty as I tried to look around.

And my eyes stopped as I met Matthew's eyes as they entered the cafeteria. The grin on his face when he saw me made me want to disappear instantly from my seat. I can see Jonathan waving in our direction and calling my name, but I ignored him, trying to pretend that I didn't see them.

"Lauren! Riza!" Jonathan called our name as I got my food tray and tried to slowly stand up, trying to walk away as I could hear their footsteps getting closer to our table.

"Are you trying to avoid me now?" Matthew said as he sat beside me, stopping me from standing up from my seat. I just made a small laugh, trying to avoid his question, and put my food tray back on the table. I looked at Riza in disbelief, saying, 'I just want to disappear from my seat; please help me'

"Hah, this apple tastes so sweet." As I get the slice of apple in my tray and put it in my mouth, trying to look like I really like it, I can see Riza shaking her head in dismay as she knows that I don't like apples. I almost threw it up, but I can see Matthew's eyes didn't leave me.

His presence is slowly getting on my nerves as I try to calm myself and not show it to him. But maybe I always lose my mind when he's around me, as I smile and offer a piece of apple into his mouth.

Riza dropped her burger on her hand, and I can see Jonathan coughing as he drinks his bottled water. 'I can't believe myself, Lauren. What are you doing? ' I said to myself as I was still holding the fork with an apple on it.

Matthew looks so amazed as he lets out a small smile on his face. 'Did he just smile? ' I was about to smile back at him as I realized where we were at the moment.

"I lost my mind." I just blurted it out of my mind as I tried to put down my hands, but Matthews stopped me as he grabbed my hand and pulled it closer to his mouth as he ate the piece of apple on it.

Did the time suddenly stop? Everything seemed to slow down when I felt his hand on me. It was warm, and it perfectly fit on me as I watched him still holding my hand while he was eating the apple.

"You're sweet, Lauren," Matthew said softly as he said my name, making my heart flutter. This man may sound so absurd, but I found everything about him so amusing. I want to get closer, I want to know more, and I want to be a part of his life.

And I want to tell him how I really feel about him.

"Ohh, gross!" I laughed as Riza complained to both of us. Jonathan just got back on his seat with his lunch, and Matthew laughing beside me made me feel like I was fulfilling something in my life.

"Oh! It's you!" Someone caught our attention when a girl pointed at the man beside me, Matthew. Her eyes wander around him, and as she looks at our hands, I automatically take my hand out of Matthew and try to look at him, who looks so puzzled at the girl in front of him.

"You didn't remember me?" the girl asked Matthew again as she sat on the table with those weird smiles on her face. Riza in front of me was giving me a look of, 'You know her? ' I simply shake my head, trying to answer her question, 'No'.

But the way she approached Matthew, I could tell that she knew him; maybe she's one of Matthew's admirers. I was trying to figure out everything in my head when the girl let out a small laugh.

"Didn't you ask me if I wanted to go out with you?" I can see Matthew's reaction as the girl leans closer to him, whispering something in his ear. I can feel the way his muscles tighten in a second. He grins.. I can feel a pinch in my heart as I try to put my hand on my chest, but I can't seem to understand what is happening.

"You haven't heard my answer, right? Yes! Let's go out," the girl said as she smiled, looking at Matthew. She didn't even wait for Matthew's answer and just gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Everyone in the cafeteria looks so surprised at what is happening at our table. Even I can't believe what I am seeing right now. I can't even take my eyes off Matthew, who is still quiet and gives no expression to what is going on.

'Did she really know her? ' 'is he really going out with her? ''so why is he acting to me like he cares? ' 'can't he just say something right now? ' It feels like I can't find some air for a moment. I can feel some frustration as I tighten the grip on my hands.

I want to know his answer.

I can see how Riza was so disappointed by what just happened during lunch. Jonathan didn't even say anything, but I saw him having a small talk with Matthew when we left them in the cafeteria. The news about Matthew and that girl ran through the campus like wildfire.

Her name is Miles; she is in her senior year and is even one of the top students in our school. They said Matthew approached her first on his first day here in school. Many girls hated the news about Matthew having a girlfriend now, as he always didn't give attention to other girls before.

"I can't believe him!" Riza said out of frustration as we were walking out of school. I let out a sigh, as I didn't count how many times he cursed Matthew today.

"It didn't make sense! How can he approach you and that girl at the same time? Two-timer!" Her voice sounds so mad, yet I can feel her concern at the same time. "Matthew, he didn't ask me to go out with him; he's not a two-timer," I try to explain to Riza, calming her down.

But she stopped walking and looked at me in disbelief. "Woow! Lauren, are you really going to take his side now? Even after what you saw earlier, he asked another girl to go out with him, while what? making fun of you?"

'Wah, I never imagined Riza could be this angry and nag at me over a guy.' I just looked at her and smiled. I can see her as she rolls her eyes as I wrap my arms around her. "Can't you be angry at least? I don't want others to say you're pathetic," she said as I could feel how warm her hands were around my arms.

'Sob'

I thought love was always sweet and true, as I always saw, or maybe I am the only one who thinks that love can be felt, even though no one of you asked if it was real. Do I believe too much in the false gesture that we shared? Do I become so blinded by all the sweet words that I find so adorable when it comes to him?

Suddenly, I felt lost. I was maybe still a kid and didn't understand how love really works. But I didn't expect that it could hurt me too much more.

TEASER

"Congratulations!" Lauren's awkward voice as she tried to look at Matthew's face, giving a dead air in four of them. Her fake smile as she tried to lighten up the mood between them didn't really help.

"That was fast, Matthew! I didn't know you were into mature girls." Jonathan broke the silence at their table after the girl left them shocked. You can see how Matthew's eyes become serious as he looks at Jonathan, trying to read his sarcastic voice.

"Woah! I can't believe what I saw. So are you in a relationship with that girl now?" Riza stood up to her seat, trying to get an answer from Matthew. You can see from her face how she is trying to hold her anger.

"Riza, lower your voice." Lauren held her arms as she tried to stop her from saying anything. Riza looked at her in disbelief as she walked out of the cafeteria. "Riza!" Lauren called her name as she followed her in a hurry.

"Are you making fun of Lauren?" Jonathan asked in a serious tone as he looked at him. waiting for his answer. You can see how Matthew's attention was diverted to him.

"I don't know what you're trying to say," Matthew answered. You can see how disappointed Jonathan looks by hearing those words from him.

"I am not going out with that girl, I already told you. I have my eyes on Lauren," Matthew continued, trying to break the tension between them.

Jonathan took his food tray before standing up and look at him. "If you can't fix this mess, stay away from Lauren." His voice was cold, his eyes were empty, and Jonathan's face looked so furious when he said that to Matthew before leaving.

Matthew just let out a deep sigh in frustration at what just happened. 'I fucked up,' he said to himself as the grip on his hand tightened.