safety net (kepat au)

16

It's been almost an hour since we started to eat and we're now bidding goodbyes, about to part with each other because most of us had a class after lunch.

Well, today my schedule is different so I'm still free but I decided to leave the lounge to deliver my friends' lunch.

"I have no class this hour so I'll just go somewhere," Riki said.

"I want to ditch-"

"Shut up," Riki interrupted Santa who envies his friend for having a long break.

"I don't have class too, but I'll head first. I need to buy something at the cafeteria," I said and then Oscar was just the only one who responded.

"You'll eat again?"

"No, gonna buy my friends their lunch,"

Oscar just nodded and shifted his attention to Yetao. Santa and Riki already bid goodbyes and left. As for Daniel, he's still sitting and on his phone.

"Dude, what about you?" Oscar asked and the guy just 'hmmed' still looking and tapping at his phone.

"You don't have class?"

There Daniel hid his phone and stood up.
"I have, but I need to buy something at the cafe too."

My eyes suddenly widened, I decided to start walking away to go first so that Daniel wouldn't join me. It's sure gonna be awkward, knowing that it would take five minutes from here to that certain place. And also, what if the queue is long? Ugh! I kept imagining things.

"Patrick wait, you'll go to the cafeteria too, right? Let's go together!"

I shut my eyes tight. I don't even have a chance to run away out of the blue. I don't want to look weird, especially right now, he's watching! And we're even friends, I also told him that he can count on me.

I'm in the middle of debating with my inner self when I heard him bid goodbye to Oscar and Yetao, he jogged to where I'm standing and then placed his hand on my shoulder while gasping for air.

I don't know if he exhaled too much air or what because I can't breathe! I don't know, something is blocking my lungs. I swallowed hard and looked at his hand, it's tingling my nerves making a fluttering sensation inside me.

"Let's go?" He said when he's waiting for me, to move. I'm like a statue here, stiffened just because of his hand placed at my shoulder.

What if I'm not drunk the time when I passed out and he caught me? Maybe I'll be dead now and instead of me giving lunch to my friends, I'll rather give them biscuits and coffee.

Back to reality, we're on our way to the cafeteria and I felt that the walkway was so long compared to regular days walking on it. As if it has been doubled.

"Uhm, Patrick?"

I looked at Daniel suddenly, he paused a bit because of my sudden move and started to speak again.

"Do you... Do you remember anything that happened last night?"

My mouth opened when I heard his question. Alright, it's expected to be asked by him about this matter but why right now! I want to cry and rant to my friends.

"Uhm..."

Almost a minute before some words came out of my mouth. To be honest, it's better if we only talk through chats instead of in person, but it's now or never. I want to break the awkward barrier and get comfy with him like Oscar and him or Oscar and me.

"I don't remember anything, I only remembered one thing,"

He stopped walking and then looked at me. He waited for me to continue speaking so I stopped too.

"Just, uhm, some scenes before I get drunk," he then nodded and started walking again.

"Did I do anything embarrassing?" I asked, don't know where it came from and how I said it just like that.

"You don't,"

It took him approximately twenty seconds to answer. Why does it feel kinda strange? I want to ask more but I guess it will just make the atmosphere more heavy and awkward so I just stay silent until we reached the cafeteria. We started to buy and also parted ways after.