Now I wonder, where are you hiding your Voodoo doll?

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We were in the cafeteria for lunch when a least welcomed face appears next to our table.

"Hey, there," she tells with her high pitched doll-like voice, looking at Lan Zhan with a tilted head.

When it comes to 'shameless' people, if I use Lan Zhan's words, there are two kinds. First is average pranksters, the second is people who might as well walk naked on the road. This girl, Wang Lingjiao, is the best example for the second.

She's commonly called by her full name, except her boyfriend, Wen Chao, who goes around calling her 'Jiao-Jiao' as if she was an object he possessed. By the looks of it, she didn't mind being one. It's well known that a lot of men had shared her bed other than her boyfriend. No difference with Wen Chao either. So, when she shows up near your table at lunch, that's nothing but an invitation for trouble.

"Hello 'Jiao-Jiao'," I say with a polite smile. "Anything we can do to help you?"

Well, we have a history. Me and Cheng. According to her we 'publically criticized her with ill intentions'. It cost us a beating, but it was worth it.

"I'm not talking to you." She rolls her eyes. "Wangji." She drags the last syllable flirtatiously. "Any plans tonight?"

Lan Zhan looked dumbstruck. He kept looking at the table. I put my arm around his shoulder. "No luck today Jiao-Jiao. He's taken." There's no way I'd let her drag Lan Zhan into any trouble.

She scoffs and raises her eyebrows. "By you?"

"Well, I'd be glad to be," I say, partly because I want to save Lan Zhan, but mostly because I mean it.

"Anything wrong babe?" Wen Chao appears behind her and there was a clear annoyance in her face. For once I'm relieved about his presence.

"Nothing. There's a peasant with a bad mouth here." She says and I smile at her.

Peasant? Interesting word choice?

Wen Chao puts his arm around her waist and kisses her neck. This disgusts me to the core. Not being in a mood for trouble, we stay silent letting them do whatever they want.

Ignoring them completely, we go back to our conversations, but not all of us.

"Get a room." Jiang Chen yells unable to take it, losing his temper quicker than all of us as usual.

Wen Chao stops his actions for a minute. "We're not done." He says and leaves with his girlfriend. If he wasn't so into what he was doing, I'm sure Cheng will be going home with a bloody lip today.

I thought about it today, about what I feel about Lan Zhan.

I try to spend time with him always and I keep looking for reasons to stay a bit longer. His simple 'Good Morning' texts spark up something inside. And today I realized that I feel uneasy when a random girl hits on him.

When I think about how excited I've been since the day he came back, it pretty much answered my question.

I've fallen, a bit too hard.

Question one: Completed. Question two: Complicated.

Does he like me? At least, will he like me?

For me, it's too complex than calculus to figure out. He treats me differently – in a good way – than the others. He's comfortable when I'm around, talks more often, even sarcastic sometimes. But I'm torn between I'm special to him because I'm his childhood friend and I'm special to him because he likes me.

On Wednesday I text him on the way home as usual.

<Me>
Your place as usual?

<Lan Zhan>
Yes, that's okay with me.

<Me>
Cool

<Lan Zhan>
At what time will you be here?

<Me>
Missing me already? :)

<Lan Zhan>
Nonsense

<Me>
C'mon... say yes

<Me>
Lan Zhan?

<Me>
Lan Zhaaan?

<Me>
Don't ignore me!!

For some reason, we devotedly study today. There was a shit load of homework to do and some essays to complete, which takes up most of the evening.

"Did you do the question B-13? This one?" I ask Lan Zhan who was reading through his textbook. He lifts his head from the book to look at the question.

"Mn." He replies.

"I'm checking your answer," I say and he nods.

I take his book and turn to the answer. I read through a couple of times.

"Lan Zhan, can you explain it to me?" I ask even though I understood it pretty well.

He sits next to me on the ground. He starts explaining it and I focus. Not on his words but his deep voice, not on what he was writing but on the smooth skin on his hand. Suddenly I am too well aware of how close we are sitting. How close his voice is, the way our knees touched.

I need every bit of self-control to stop myself from scooting close, or from saying something stupid.

"Wei Ying?" he says at once and I'm brought back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Uh-"

At that moment someone knocks on the door and I internally thank a thousand times to whomever it is. Lan Zhan stands up, walks to the door, and opens it. His brother was standing there.

"Uncle is on the phone downstairs."

"I'll be back." Lan Zhan tells me and leaves, closing the door behind him.

It takes me a good few minutes to calm myself down. If this is going to happen again when we hang out I'm in big trouble.

I go back to doing my homework, but with each line I write I end up staring at the book for some time, recalling what happened.

Should I make a move? Will it be alright? I do trust Lan Zhan. I know he will never hurt me. Can we make it work? Can I make it work?

I wonder what would happen if I tell him what I feel. Will he accept it? But what if he doesn't feel the same way? At least, I've got our friendship now. I can't risk losing it.

This is when my pen decides to stop working. Somehow, I've managed to write some answers while thinking about all of this. Oh no, I haven't. I've been copying Lan Zhan's answers.

I rummage through my bag looking for another pen. Apparently, I didn't have one. Never mind, I'll use Lan Zhan's one. He wouldn't be mad if I open his bag, would he?

I take his bag and open the pocket in front. There were some pieces of paper in it. When I look closely I realize that they were from my notebook. How can they be here?

Curious, I pull them out. I take one and open it. There was something written on it. It was my handwriting.

I read all of them. And then I realize that they were the notes I passed to him on his first day in college. So he kept them.

But why would he keep some useless notes I sent him? There's no way I'm going to ask him.

I fold them again and put it back where it was. I probably should wait till Lan Zhan comes back to ask for a pen.

I was staring at my book when the door opens again. "Are you okay?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm good," I reply with a smile.

"You're distracted today."

Right... "It's nothing."

He nods.

Can I really hope?

Cause my mind was asking for Wangxian in a bit of school drama
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Your votes and comments are much appreciated.
TIll next time...