The Boy in Blue

Chapter 10

"You're staring at him."

"Staring at who?" Eden innocently turned her head and tilted it questioningly at Lei.

"Lucas. You've been staring occasionally."

"I'm not," she replied. "Simply just gazed over in a direction and he was there."

Both girls looked over at the boy that was the topic of their conversation. He was sitting on the cold cement of the handball court, smiling and spectating the handball game. He took a bite of the sandwich that was held in his left hand and used the other to point, informing the others that they played a foul.

Lei turned back and looked at Eden

"Then what was that look on your face?"

"What?" Eden asked. "What look?"

"You look a certain way when you see him," She informed. "You look at him and it's like... you're admiring the sun or whatever."

"And?"

"I know that the sun is one of your favourite things."

A mandarin flew onto the table, almost knocking a stray water bottle to the ground.

"Eden, peel my mandarin for me?"

Nikita slipped into the seat on the other side of the table, clutching a ziplock bag with cookies in her hand.

Eden rolled her eyes and picked up the fruit. Lei stared at the sandwich in her hand, before offering half to Eden. A few minutes of fighting later, Nikita had a peeled mandarin, Lei held half a sandwich and Eden the other.

"What are we talking about?" Nikita picked her mandarin apart, making sure all the parts were separated. Lei looked at Eden questioningly, asking permission with her eyes.

"It's alright Lei, she knows."

Lei nodded in response and turned to Nikita.

"We were talking about how Eden is always staring at Lucas these days."

"Wha- That isn't-"

Eden's protests went unheard as the other pair continued talking.

"I know right, she has!"

"Girl needs to tone it down a little."

Eden slumped onto the wooden table and placed her head on top of her hands. She dramatically sighed. "You guys are mean."

Lei snickered, before leaning down to Eden's level and speaking with a more serious tone in her voice.

"Why him?"

It was a good question. Why not the guy with the good grades and the perfect hair and the pretty eyes. Why did she choose to like him- him with the mysterious aura and the smile that melted her soul whenever she caught a simple glimpse of it.

"I don't know Lei. It just happened."

"Do you even talk to him?" Lei looked at Eden with contention, head tilted softly.

Eden thought about the light conversation she had made with him on multiple occasions, the times she had laughed alongside him and Hong, when she helped him set up before class, the conversations they had at detention. She thought of the times he beat her at chess, a victorious grin on his face although they all knew she was easy competition.

"Sometimes."

Lei finished off half of the sandwich and shook the crumbs of her skirt.

"Hmph. Well. I'll support you in whatever decisions you make, but try not to be an idiot." Lei put on her hat and leaned on the table, speaking matter of factly. "I don't want to like anyone. Or fall in love yet. I just wanna be with myself y'know?"

Lei laughed at Nikita and Eden's confused face, before Nik piped up.

"How could you not want to fall in love?"

"Easy. I don't want my happiness to depend on whether or not someone gives me their attention or not." She fidgeted with the ends of her hair as she continued speaking.

"I don't want to stay up late and wonder about sad things anymore, and I don't want to cry over people who don't care. I don't want to be kept waiting for a text either. And most importantly, I don't want to give another person the power to destroy me."

"Is it commitment then?"

"I'm not afraid of commitment. I'm just afraid of surrendering control too quickly and placing my heart into hands that won't know how to hold it."

Eden felt something for the girl sitting in front of her. What an icon she was, how strong she was. Lei was truly a badass. The cutest badass ever that was. Eden truly aspired to be like her, learn from her wits and courage.

"Lei, you are truly an amazing, amazing, woman."

Lei looked at Eden with a mock face of disgust, the usual.

"Ew."

Eden laughed and gazed wistfully at the boy across from her.

"I still hold onto the small, childish hope that there's someone out there in this crazy world for me. Maybe I've already met them, who knows?

Lei caught on and sighed, smiling a little before glancing reverently at the focus of the conversation. Lucas was still on the floor, cross legged and waiting as reserve.

"Well, I'm going to meet my future lover at uni, probably. Preferably at a coffee shop. Ooo, or maybe he asks for a pen during a lecture?"

Eden and Lei looked at Nikita, this time both of their faces adopting a disgusted yet amused look.

"Niki...who the heck uses pens in uni these days?"

Eden giggled as Lei and Nik fought, before promptly joining in on bullying helpless Nikita.

A tall boy walked towards them and held his hand out to Lei, asking for a high-five. The fight hastily ended.

"Oi Kash, move outta the way!" Lei swatted his hand away and tried to reach over the table.

"No. He laughed at the table's futile attempts at pushing him away, running his hand through his hair and talking. You guys are acting like children, lol. Act your age maybe a little"

The three girls paused and looked at him.

"Act our age?" Nikita flipped her ponytail and packed up her lunch. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Eden picked up from where Nik left off. " Why should we care about age? The ocean is old as heck..."

"But it'll still drown your ass with vigour." Lei finished off and made a face.

"Damn alright. Bit more intense than expected but yes Lei."

Kash stared, before feigning hurt and stifling a laugh. "Alright then. I'll leave now. But don't forget your English homework."

The bell rang, and he stalked away, joining his friend group.