The trouble maker

Chapter - 20

The reason my mates ate dinner at my house turned out in a way I did not quite expect, I guessed Mum told Toni how much she wish I was more social the last day he came to my house, so he took that as a chance to tell my parents that we were supposed to be having a school trip which is really important for school marks and now my Mum forced me to go to the trip. Toni is as cunning as a fox, and his methods work out and now I'm being forced to go along to the trip which I have no interest in going, I could not argue much with Mum, I know from the moment when Toni told Mum that we were having a school trip, Mum already made her mind that I'm going too., no matter what. I never told my parents about trips even back in my old Alma Mater, because I knew that if Mum had the knowledge of knowing, I'd be forced to go, pretty much like right now.

This news which did not really bring smile to my face brought a lot of smiles on Ashlynn's face, after a lot of rejection, I decided to do last minute shopping with her.

Every nook and corner of the mall was filled with people, sometimes I wonder when I stared at people in a crowded place, some dressed like they own this world, some are in a haste, and some walk as if they don't have a home, some are laughing, while some people are so shy just by talking to people in a low voice, I look at them and think, even the shortest and the tallest all have life, they all have life, some people who are smiling maybe the broken one, some who dress like nothing maybe the richest, in a word, we are all acting, nobody is as perfect as they seem to the world, the people who just passed me by may not have parents anymore, or breaking up with the love of their love or broken by a friend, or having big insecurities over their lives. I was thinking about everything which does not really benefit me, this is me, just thinking it all out. And I wonder sometimes if it's even healthy for me to think so much every time, why can't I simply sit and relax with nothing on my mind? I couldn't even remember the last time I had nothing on my mind, just blank, empty.

I always had number of thoughts on my mind, from if there's another colour in this world besides the eleven primary colours, and the 10 million colour combinations from them, what would it look like? I didn't had any idea how or why or where these thoughts of mine came from, but odd as they are, they kept me occupied and I'm never really bored because I always have my big thoughts with me, and as I had been sitting with nothing but my thoughts it's been half an hour since I waited for Ash to finish her shopping, I had no energy to walk around anymore, I have no single interest in buying anything anymore so I decided to simply sit and do what I always do, which is thinking.

I was thinking all the shits out of my head, I pictured myself in 10 years, will I still be alive? Will my parents still be alive? Will I already have kids? Only God knows.

I look at my watch and guess what took Ash so long, it's going to be dark soon, I really wish she would not waste her time trying on something she did not even want to buy, that's how Ash shopped, if she sees something pretty and she did not even want to buy it, she will still walk into the store and try it on, just to see how it fits.

I sighed and look around the people in the mall, then I spot someone quite familiar and our eyes met briefly, I couldn't quite figure out where I've seen him before in a second but he walked up to my direction, grinned to me and bend down at the chair and sat beside me, he looks like about my age, and his lips formed a smile as he blurted out a hi.

"Do we know each other?" I asked carefully, not wanting to be rude or sound too inviting in case this man was not who he seemed to be, he could be a kidnapper for all that I know.

He smiled and nodded, "I know you, but maybe you won't know me, I'm Vernon and I'm one of your classmates." Phew, not a kidnapper.

It was a shame I couldn't even remember my own classmate, and almost accuse him of being a kidnapper in my mind just because he wore all black and a cap on his head. But the blame is not on me yet, I'm a new transferred student who became popular by the Math competition and some may also say by Alex Bilimoria, but I don't accept that fact so I'm not counting it.

"Oh yes, I know you, I just can't really remember you on such a meeting, my bad," I smiled back to him, now that I scanned his face clearly, I remember I had seen him quite a lot of time, I even know some of his mates, his coterie of friends were involved in a fight a lot so it was kind of hard not to know them.

"I understand," He said casually, "I won't be even surprised even if you don't know me, you're still new and it would be hard to know every single student in the school."

"Yes, and thank you for your understanding." I replied formally, not knowing how to keep the conversation going but he didn't seem bothered by my lack of conversation skill and went on.

"No, no, everyone would say that," He said putting his hands inside his pocket, "Gonna go on a trip?"

"I think I am."

"You should come, it's gonna be nice, I promise," His tone was high with an excitement.

"Really?" I raised my eyebrows., really doubting in my mind that a school trip would be fun.

"Really." He assured me, "We rarely have trips, but when we do, nobody ever regrets going, but I can give you one tip, bring lots of warm clothes, or you'll freeze to death." He laughed.

"Okay, I'll take your advice Vernon." I called out his name in order to let him know that I know his name even though he only just told me minutes ago.

"By the way what are you even doing here alone?" He suddenly asked.

"I'm not alone, actually I'm with Ashlynn, she's in some store right now collecting stuff for the trip."

"Oh, that Ashlynn?" He made a face which shows he knows her, well why would he not? They were classmates even before we were. "She and one of my mates used to date in the past." He continued.

"Is that so?" I was actually kind of surprised to hear that, when he said 'one of my mate' I can bet it's a bad boy because all of his mates are bad, well, at least they seem to be, they are like a group which never really pass any test, the type of group which the teachers punished every day, but aside from the fact that Vernon's in that group too, he never really get punished, or maybe I just haven't seen him being punished. Why would Ash not tell me about this? Wait, there's still a lot of exes of hers that she never mentioned to me.

But why would she date such a bad boy? But no, why would she not? She is also currently in love with one of the most popular trouble maker and playboy in the school, Simon.

"Yeah, they dated for a few months, and I also got to know a little bit about her as she used to come to our hang outs and joined us for lunch." He said.

"Then why did they break up?"

"Well I guess you better ask her that, because I only know the other side of the story Morris told me so, what I know may not be the whole truth." He laughed.

"You're fair, I like that," I joined his laughed.

He nodded, "I like the truth."

He looked around quickly and stood up, "Maybe I should get going, it's gonna be dark soon, you also should get going,"

"Yeah sure but I still need to wait for Ash, it would be very inappropriate to leave her hanging," I said.

"Of course, yes." He laughed awkwardly. "Then see you on the trip?"

"Yeah, see you." Then we waved goodbye.