K I M B E R L Y

"Wait!" I stopped Ethan as I ran closer to approach him, "I'll go with you."

He was startled, raising his eyebrows in confusion. Since he's new, I could help him facing the guard.

"Two is better than one" I smirked while walking back to the basketball court.

Ethan didn't say anything and I guessed he didn't follow me either so I turned my back when I'd stopped walking. "Have you forgotten about your bag?" Then I saw his sweats were all over his face, making it looked damped.

"I guess you need this," I handed him a pack of tissue from my jeans' pocket.

He let out a small chuckle whilst walking to my direction and took the tissue. Wiping his face, his breath was heavy that I wondered if he had never exercised before.

"Come on buddy you look pale!" I emboldened him as I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled it downwards.

Ethan was slightly taller than me, but I thought our heights had more than a small difference since he bent his back when his height was about the same as mine. For a girl, my height was considered as tall. Despite my height that was as tall as Kent's, Ethan was taller and so did Clint.

In spite of what I was doing, he only gave me a vacant stare with a pair of light blue eyes, and I was immersed in it.

"How can such eyes exist?" I was scrutinizing over his eyes, drawn into the beauty of it. I never knew that the calmness could distract me, that I didn't realize over the fact that I had loosened my arm on locking his neck.

"How long should I wait for you to release me?" Suddenly the reality hit me.

I had that little bump on my heart that I pulled my arm from him. My jaw was dropped, leaving a way for the air to come into it. While staring at him, I didn't know what to say.

Just then my hand automatically crossed the air, running closer into his cheek and it happened. "Oh no, Kim! What have you done?!" I screamed into myself for the stupidity that I had just done. It was totally wrong!

"That was hot!!", he stroke his cheek, shooting a gaze over me.

I looked down, trying to find a reason. In the end, I faked myself. I made up my mind as I looked up to him while giggling then I exclaimed, "You look sluggish! This is your first day, Mr. Carter!" I regretted for giggling because now I could feel pain in my head attacking again.

Another thing that I regretted was he didn't really pay attention to my joke. Instead, his face turned calm as he said, "Val, are you okay? Actually, you look pale as well."

My mouth was left open for split of seconds and I replied, "Something happened earlier." Without saying anything much, I avoided his eyes, which was following me, aiming for another answers.

I walked forward from him to prevent him asking more questions, but it never happened. He followed me quietly, walking beside me when he whispered, "thank you."

The guard showed up and was waiting for us in front of the courts' door. I was ready to give him plenty of reasons why we were there, when Ethan walked faster and talked to him.

I couldn't really hear what he said to the guard, but by the time I had arrived, Ethan successfully got his bag and smiled at the guard.

"Now we're free, and let's go to class."

If it were me, I thought I would cause another trouble due to my speaking was always using sarcasm. "Val, what's your next class?"

"Basic of Photography."

"I am there too."

I couldn't bear to hold my smile, we were going to the same major. "Am I happy? Or just relieved for having a new defender?"

   ■  

Ethan's facial expression showed that he was mesmerized by the class' design.

It was purely white, and there were only 18 seats as well as desks in it. Each of them was paired so the seats were divided into 3x3 style. That's the system in Redwood; all classes must be designed in white and minimalistic. Except for the paintings, which were hung along the hallway and classes, they were all created by the art students.

"This is where you'll be living from now on," I turned my back, walking forwards after I'd shown a smile to him.

"Hey Kim! Who's he?" Sean, whose question enticed everyone in the room.

"Ethan Carter, Boston. Come here big guy, introduce yourself." I pulled Ethan, awkwardly standing next to me.

There was a short moment of silence that finally he introduced himself. "Hi guys, I was born on 1997 in Manhattan and for some reasons, we had to move to Boston. Eventually, here I am."

"How did you get here?" Kelly, who was sitting on the table, interrupted.

"Scholarship" Ethan answered briefly.

As soon as I'd heard his answer, I raised my eyebrows while the 'whoo-ing' sound of the boys echoed around the room.

"Another mastermind!" George whistled.

In the middle of the chaos, Jennifer, one of Kayden's close friend gazed at me, and interrupted, "Kim you should really take responsibility of Kayden." 

Her question made Sean and the others looked at me and wondered if I was okay. I showed them that I had no injuries from the accident, and they believed me.

Altough I knew someone was staring at me, realizing how pale my face was.

The news indeed spread fast and I didn't like how it worked. It had always been like that. Kimberly Valora made it again as the headline of the campus.

Was I a famous person? No, I wasn't. I was just too freak that everyone came to know me as a weird person. Thankfully they hadn't thought that I was crazy.

Professor Wayne clapped his hands while entering the room as the students went back to where they usually sit. "Alright guys! Back to your seat. Go! Go!" 

"You can sit behind me," I said to Ethan when we were walking among the third row, heading to where I'll be sitting; second line from the back.

"Who's going to sit beside me?"

"Him" I'd pointed Laurent, a pudgy guy, with my chin before I took a seat beside Kayden.

As we were all seated, Mr. Wayne continued to speak, "I'm sorry class, I'm late for about-" he checked his watch, "10 minutes. And we have a newcomer, Mr. Carter, sitting at the back and I believe you have known each other."

"Now Mr. Carter, I had assigned a new partner project for the students last week, and the due date will be next monday. Mr Flemming, whom you know as Laurent, should've been your partner but since he had already done his, I suppose you won't mind but to do it by yourself."

"Yes, sir."

Everyone was looking at Ethan, including me. I uttered 'good luck' silently, which he replied with quick smile.

The seat beside me was empty. It was supposed to be Kayden's chair. Remembering the accident made me sigh, and once again I lost my mood today.

I had known Kayden from the first we entered the school. We couldn't get a seatmate because both of us knew no one. Since then, we had been partner on every classes we attended and every projects we had.

As Professor Wayne continued his material, I couldn't focus on his class. My mind kept trying to find something in order to erase the guilt out of my heart. And it went back to Ethan.

I realized that he had been calling me 'Val'. No one called me that, except my mom. The moment when he called me 'Val', something was tickling my stomach that I felt jumping and screaming as in I was happy. 

Although Ethan might be the type who didn't talk much, I hadn't been able to be friends with a person who was silent because I thought it would be awkward and boring. 

Simply saying, I was afraid of being ignored. 

■

I looked at my phone, and it was 4.35 p.m. when I stood in the hallway of the place that I hated the most, hospital. The smell of medicine got me sicker than before. 

"Relax, Kim. You're here to console Kayden. If you're done with your business, you're free from here." 

I had made up my mind, I walked to Kayden's room and got in. Few of his friends were present to pay a call. 

When they saw me, they were asking me bundles of questions related to the accident and Professor Smith. I was uncomfortable that I told them to give me some space between me and Kayden. 

For the second time of the day, I heard the whoo-ing sound again. "This is something you shouldn't hear, from a person like me." I replied nonchalantly. 

But unfortunately, Valentine seemed to understand, "Kim are you shy?" 

And there they went to whoo me again. "Grr-- this is annoying"  I was ready to get mad at them, but Kayden cut in and told them to go out. 

"Thanks," I huffed and sat on a chair beside Kayden's bed soon after his friends exit the room. "How's your elbow?" 

Kayden smirked at my question, "are you worrying about me right now?" 

I pouted at his answer and he laughed. Seeing him laughing out loud was a rare moment.

Kayden had always been a bit arrogant and somehow mean to others. People kept getting the wrong ideas about him and I thought, why would he wanted to be misunderstood? But he never told me the reason why. 

"I think I should do the project alone, this time," I sighed jokingly.

"Please don't. I'm okay," he answered as he showed me his casted hand. 

"Kayden I'm really sorry about earlier- I'll make it up to you. Just tell me anytime, and I'll do my best to help you." 

He patted my  arm with his left hand, "I'll take that as a promise." 

I didn't understand what he meant by that, but I felt reassured seeing his condition. Altough I couldn't really do something, but I hope I could help him, more than just that. I would be his right hand, if it was needed. 

"That's weird. Being Kayden's right hand woman, that's a no no. I'll cancel on that one."  As I had that thought, I shook my head. 

"So tomorrow let's do our project, and as usual I'll catch up on the garden near your apartment. I bet Clint will be mad if I showed up in front of your door, right?"

I nodded in agreement as a reply. 

Yeah, Clint is being Clint. When people heard that we lived together in London, they got the wrong idea about me and him.

We weren't in that kind of relationship. In fact, my father brought him in exactly five years ago when I was still in middle school.

At that time, Clint was only fifteen and I was thirteen. He was adopted because Clint lived in oprhanage since he was a child. He worked in dad's company as a cleaning service and I didn't know how he managed to get dad's attention. 

However, my father got what he wanted. Clint was doing a good job for taking care of me. One thing for sure, I thanked dad for bringing him into the family. Without Clint, I might not make it better for the past five years. 

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