Another: The Class of 1999

Flashback 2

"Hey..." Mai followed the boy down the road. "Hey! Listen to me!"

The boy stopped walking and turned around with a sigh. "What do you want?"

Mai stopped walking too, and took a deep breath. Her breath came out exhausted from the quick walking. "So much for trying to get along. How long did it take for you to go back to your mean ways, a week? Anyway, I couldn't help notice that you didn't do so well on the exam today."

"Are you stalking me?" The boy snarled. "My grades are none of your business."

"We're in the same class, and the teacher mentioned it so all of us to hear," Mai reminded him, "I'm also aware that you were deducted marks for using blue ink instead of black ink. So... Here..."

Mai held out a black ballpoint pen towards the boy.

The boy looked at it, keeping his hands in his pockets. He made no sign that he was going to take the pen.

"Why?" He asked, sounding more confused instead of harsh.

Mai glared at him. "Just take the damn pen, for god's sake."

"I don't need to take things from you."

Mai sighed. She didn't want to put the pen back in her bag and walk away. She didn't know why, but something inside her was telling her to help this boy.

Mai put the pen on the low wall nearby. The boy watched, his face expressionless.

"It's there if you want it," Mai motioned to the pen, before turning around and walking the other way.

However, Mai turned the corner and hid behind the wall, watching the boy. He slowly reached out and grabbed the pen, and then examined it, as if checking for anything wrong with it. After a few seconds, he smiled. He tossed the pen in the air and caught it, before walking away.

Mai smiled too. Helping the boy had made her feel good. Despite his tough act, he was a struggling student, failing his classes, and clearly crying out for a tender touch. Perhaps Mai had unlocked something new for him.

Before she headed back home, Mai took a short detour to the shops. After all, she had just given away her only black pen.