Given half a chance

Chapter 18

Anna

If there's anything that don't quite set well with my mind is calculus. Who the hell discovered it ? Like really ! I've never used it at grocery store , supermarket , mall , restaurant , KFC , in a cab or airport or train station . I bet even my father doesn't really uses it when he prepares the finance charts. He says there are computer softwares for calculations . As an accountant , he doesn't even has to do sums or maths.

I scratch my head as my final answer and the answer on the book are like two non identical twins. I put down my pen in frustration .

My phone buzzes and buzzes. I lean over the edge of my bed to grab my still buzzing and vibrating phone , which is laying beside the keyboard of my desktop on top of the wooden table.

There are three texts from an unknown number.

1.  Hey! You busy ?

2. Stupid question ! You must be easy. It's calc tomorrow. ☹️

3. Just wanted to say thank you :)

One eyebrow of mine rises automatically . Thank you ? Who will text me thank you like this ? I shift on my bed to sit more comfortably. Hunching over my Samsung Galaxy which is a hand me down from my father when he bought his new iPhone two years ago , I type : who is this ?

The reply came almost immediately. It's Ian . Ian McPherson ? Does that name ring a bell ?

I roll my eyes and then instantly sit up straight. How on Earth did he get my number ? I never gave him my number. I huff and type furiously back . How did you get my number ? And how is your nose ?

I watch as the dots come and go , come and go and chew on the inside of my lower lip .

I had your number since I started dating Cath. I stole your number from her phone and saved it as gf's annoying friend. Oh btw, your love of the life did give my nose a hairline crack .

I stare at the screen dumbfounded. I don't know which part of his text makes me feel so hopelessly stupid. Is it that he had my number all these years and I didn't even have an idea. Or that he just called Sebastian the love of my life.

I groan. Why does Ian had to write that. Now , it'll swim around in my head for the rest of the night and I've to prepare for my exam ! The love of  my life ?

I shake my head in an attempt to clear all these words . My phone buzzes and it's Ian again .

Ian: just in case you're wondering , I never texted or called you despite having your number because I never had anything to say to you . xxI:)

Me: then why text me today ?

Ian: In case you haven't noticed , I said thank you . )

I scroll above to see the first three texts he sent me. I read the last one , just wanted to say thank you. Right ! I type back again .

Me: for what ?

I can hear footsteps climbing the stairs. Since it's only me and mom in the house now ,  it has to be mom . I contemplate to put down my phone and pretend I was studying. But I was studying before my sum messed me up and Ian distracted me.

Those words . The love of your life . Shit ! I have to forget them . No I have to delete them from my memory. The door opens at the same time as my phone buzzes and my screen lit up in my hand.

My mother pokes her head in through the door and peeps at my hand then back at me. " There's a boy named Sebastian waiting for you downstairs." My lips parted as my jaw slackens. Sebastian here ?