•••

Summer seemed to approach quicker as I laid on my bed struggling to peel my eyes open. Despite my mother's persuasion for me to spend the break at home, I chose to stay in school solely because she wouldn't be perpetually at home, which was more of me staying alone.

Evermore to my dread of going home was the constant scrutinising questions my mom will force their answers out of me, though it never exceeds the parental questions of one's studies, friends and how one copes with this dungeon named school but I will be very much delighted to dodge that interrogation.

My phone's vibration beside me forcefully jolted my slumbered self and I sluggishly changed to a sitting position and yawningly rubbed my eyes as the time was minutes to noon. People categorised their selves as morning person or night person but 'I'm just a person' because I'm not sure if I'm the only person that could sleep early and wakes up late.

I slide the button and placed the phone to my ears. "Hello".

"Hey, its Jamal".

"Yeah?".

"I just have nothing to do this summer, so... Can I come take you out?". I paused creasing my eyebrows. "Not a date". He added, like he read my mind.

To be in a person's life and that person would tend to be delighted by my not so jovial self and still proffer to spend more time with me was odd to me, peculiar to the one person that always endure that much boringness was Hailey and somewhat my new clique but Jamal was off the picture.

"Okay, where are we going?". I asked after some breath.

"Just get ready, will you? I will be there in 20". He hung up and I watched the phone for a moment before bouncing on my feet as Stacy wasn't in her bed and walked to the bathroom.

I brushed my teeth, bathed and sauntered to the closet, took the nearest jeans and shirt, because those were my favorite summer dress, fixed my hair into a bun and sauntered out. I looked at my fitted eyebrows, long lashes, blue eyes, leveled nose, plump lined lips and creamy_pale face in the mirror, and without wearing any make up, took my phone, wore my sturdy sneakers and walked out.

Well, I have zero Idea on make_up.

I sauntered out of the school meeting him parked at the parking lot, strode to him as he hastily hopped out of the car. "Hey". He said looking at me.

"Hey, so can I know where we are going?". I asked and he simply opened the passenger's door for me. I huffed, hopped in while he did the same, we drove out of the school to the freeway. We parked at a certain Book shop and we sauntered in.

We walked to the thriller book shelves and Jamal stretched his hand up to a certain book which turned out to be 'Tainted ride' by James blossom whilst I looked at him confused as he thrust it to me.

"Do you remember writing in your journal that you want to read James blossom's books?". Jamal asked.

"Oh!". I said speechless.

"Why James blossom?". He asked folding his arms which I noticed he does that gesture a lot.

I averted my gaze to the book cover solely because I hated having audience, being in the frontal of someone's sight to voiced out whatever, was never in my diary, hence I hated whichever situation that will lead me to fall on that; in front of many audience scene or whatever.

Options:

A: Stand in front of many people and speak.

B: Dig a hole and hide.

Me: "well I always love to hibernate" *It is time!!*

I sobered back from my weird thought. "Uhmm...", I cleared my throat. "Well he is a good Author, a very good one at that, and he is a biggest-selling author, a best selling thriller writer. I mean as a bibliophile I read lot's of books but back in high school I read one of his book, Cross Age. The book was brain bursting and I fell in love with his work ever since". I stated dreamily.

He stared down at me blankly before he beamed. "That's.. That's impressive, I wish I had something I love this much".

I looked up at him. "Well you do love Basketball and that's kinda more productive than my reading".

"Your reading is also productive because you gain to explore and learn from just a piece of book".

I love how just a piece of book will thrive you off from the reality and how you can explore ahead of your small bubble which inflict on both the fictional and non_fictional stories.

"I will agree with that". I said.

Well in most cases, non_fictional books can be more relatable to reality but I will weirdly choose fictional books, to plunge into the chimerical minds of the authors, peeking through the non-existent world and just escaping from the mundane reality is therapeutical.

"We are going somewhere else". He took one of the book for himself before I could talk and started walking whilst I halted before following behind him.

***

I looked at Jamal with wide eyes standing in front of the Twin otter. "What are we doing?". I looked up at him.

"Skydiving!". He exclaimed.

My mouth agape, "What?!". I shook my head repeatedly. "No I can't!". Mainly because I wouldn't want to throw up my intestines.

He retorted. "Yes, you can". While I shook my head, "I thought you are not a scaredy-cat?". He smirked.

I snorted. "I'm not..". I trailed thinking for a moment. "Let's do this!".

I was screaming internally!!

We matched into the twin otter and we were buckled with the skydiving ensemble. We slowly treaded to the brim and after heart races, and stomach rumples. I inhaled deeply, gulping down my fright whilst I spread my arms and let the wind engulfed me.

I screamed as I was wallowed by the atmosphere, the air patting my face while I was goggling with fright and amazement and after rambling in the air, we parachuted down, descending unto the earth, hugging the ground as I was surprisingly alive.

Perpetual to my not so entertaining life, I had always love adventures, risking my life to have a delightful memory, albeit it always ended up with me shying away to cocooning myself back to my comfort but a skydive was a starter and an adventurous memory I would love to keep forever.

"It wasn't that frightening after all". Jamal said coming toward me.

I dusted my jeans. "Well I'm still Alive!". I grinned making a tiny jumps while he beamed watching me.

We strode off to the car, hopped in and drove back to the school. We sauntered in as Emily texted us to meet up at the cafeteria via our new group chat of I, Emily, Stacy, Jamal and surprisingly Mason, declared by her, that he was now part of the 'Maine's A1' a name by Emily, hence I wasn't the only weirdo.

We met Emily seated pressing her phone as the cafeteria was less crowded, hence we were on summer break and we joined her whilst a moment later Stacy joined in.

"Okay guys, you can't believe this, Jack for once in the history of Maine's college, publicly rejected Violet's proffer of going to the BTS concert with him". Emily said checking her phone.

"So what does this mean?". Stacy brought out a ticket. "Jack gave it to me?". She said more like a question.

Emily and I both squealed. "Oh my god! I'm so jealous of you". Emily pouted.

"I also have this". Jamal brought out four tickets, held one and handed three to me.

I looked up at him, "What are this?".

I know I sounded dumb!

A gasped escaped Emily's lips. "Are you blind Annah, they are the tickets to the summer concert!". She exclaimed holding the tickets.

I turned to Jamal and mouthed 'thank you'. He playfully bowed and I laughed.

It was clearly true that having some people in life is a blessing howbeit everybody I encountered before doesn't strike that but I don't think those people I called friends were of that category and I could possibly say; I am blessed.

"So Stacy already has her ticket from her armored knight". Emily teased. "Who else will have this?". She wiggled the extra ticket in her hand and on the cue Mason walked into the cafeteria while we all turned to him.

*****

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