Chapter 1

Met the New Guy

I started to walk at the direction that leads to the seven-eleven convenience store. It’s 9:00 in the evening and I’m wearing my black flip flops, grey sweatpants, white fitted sando which I cover up with my grey jacket. I didn’t even bother to brush my red, wavy hair, I just put it on a messy bun. There are a group of men drinking at the table outside of the store, and some of the teenage girls inside, eating some noodles. I started to choose from the shelves of products inside the store. Donut, footlong, sandwich, spicy noodles, hmmm? What should I buy? Maybe some noodles to warm my freezing body. It’s summer, but it’s really cold when the sun hides its rays. Only one black noodle is left in the shelf, so I hurriedly get it, but to my surprise, a swift big hand got it first before I could. I looked at the noodle thief and I was taken a back because of how close the noodle thief is to me.

“It’s mine” he coldy spoke to me while his icy eyes looked at me with such boredom. His adams apple move up and down as he said those words. He has a foxy eyes, long eyelashes, pointed nose, and a perfect jawline. His skin is just right, not too brown and not too white. He’s wearing a black sweatpants and a simple white t-shirt with a word ‘starboy’ printed on the front. Even with the big simple shirt he wore, his muscles are visible and it’s really obvious that he goes to the gym often. Maybe, he’s a model and I bet, a famous one.

“Oh, okay” I said coldly and turned my back on him. I have no energy to argue for some black noodle. I just get the spicy noodle that was on the same shelf as the black noodle and I was about to walk towards the cashier, when I was interrupted by a voice.

“You won’t argue with me?” the noodle thief asked in the same cold voice he used earlier.

“Why would I? I won’t waste my energy on you” I plainly said. And I turned my back on him.

I put the spicy noodle, yogurt, and a calamansi juice to the cashier’s desk and opened my black plain wallet for bills.

“Here” he said as he gave some bills to the cashier. With confused look, I stared at him.

“Let me pay” noodle thief added. I don’t know his name, so noodle thief will do.

“For you” he added again. He looked serious but not sincere.

“Okay” I said with no hint of any gratitude or joy. I looked at the cashier and notice that he stares at us like she is seeing some kind of an alien. The cashier handed me the plastic with the food that noodle thief paid for.

“You really don’t know to argue huh?” noodle thief asked. Why does he even bother to asked?

“Ofcourse, I know how. It’s just that- - - “ I stop myself from saying more things because I realized that proving my point here will just lead to arguing with this noodle thief.

“Thank you for this” I said and turned my back on him, and get out of the convenience store.

I really don’t want to socialize with people. I don’t want to talk to them. Why? Because I’m afraid that if I get friends, or I’ll be close again to others, I’m afraid that they’ll leave me again. I’m tired of being left alone. I’m afraid of creating ties because it might kill me again if those ties will end up being cut.

Call me weak, but I’m just protecting myself from pain. Because pain became so familiar that I almost mistaken it for being a permanent feeling inside me. Not having anyone on my side makes me feel empty and lonely, but I’m glad it’s not pain. So I really prefer being alone, away from happiness and sadness, just pure emptiness.

As I arrived at my apartment, I surely locked the door and jumped on my bed. I don’t feel hungry anymore, but I feel really tired. Maybe because I just walked the distance between my apartment and the convenience store, lately, I have been lacking physically, I’ll just take a jog tomorrow and atleast do some of my exercise routines on the past. I decided to sleep so that I can woke up early tomorrow.

*RINGGGGGGGGGG*

Annoyed, I smacked the thing that’s been ringing at the side of my bed, to found out later, it’s my alarm clock. Due to the impact of the hit that my alarm clock got from me, it was broken, shattered to pieces on the ground. I cleaned the mess first, washed my face, change my clothes into a short black jeggings, black sportsbra, and top it with my nike white jacket. To finish it off, I tied my hair into a high ponytail and wore my white nike running shoes. I picked up my phone from my desk and plug my airpods to my ears. I got out of my apartment and did a little stretching at the front of our gate. I started to jog slowly until I run like I’m on a race. I was catching my breath when I notice the lace on my shoes, loosen up. So I stop a while and knelt down to tie my shoelace until a big shadow was in front of me. I lift my head and looked at the owner of the shadow, but to no use, the light from the sun blinded me.

“Oh” I said as I covered my eyes from the light. He knelt down and face me with curious eyes.

“Am I that handsome, for you to cover your eyes?” he asked in seriousness. I almost choked with my own saliva. Where did he get that confidence?

“Your face stings my eyes” I coldly said to him. His eyes stayed on my face that made me a little uncomfortable.

“What?” I asked him while standing up. He also stand up.

“I thought we were already friends, you know, I paid for your food last night” he said in a cool tone. Ha? What’s this boy talking about. We even didn’t have a good impression with each other last night, how come we can be friends?

“Where do you got that kind of rubbish? I’m no one’s friend” I told him coldly and started to jog again slowly. I know that I really sound mean to him, but that’s really what I intend to do.

“I’m new here, I just want to be friends with you” he said while catching up with me. I looked at him and notice that he wore a black jogging pants, a white thin t-shirt and a pair of branded running shoes.

“Don’t me” I replied to him and jog a little faster.

“Pre- - pretty please?” he said while catching his breath.

“I’m not pretty. But why me?” I asked him.

“You are. Because you’re not staring me with sparkling eyes” he said and I stop from jogging.

“What?” I asked him in confusion. What sparkling eyes?

“I mean, you don’t look at me with interest or admiration like the other girls here, you know those kind of look from them, really makes me uncomfortable” he said.

“Okaayy? So why not be friends with the other boys in town?” I asked him curiously.

“I just don’t want to” he said. Okay, this noodle thief is a little weird.

“Weirdo” I said to him and started to jog again.

“I’ll treat you everyday” he said. I automatically stop from jogging. Well, it’s a very tempting deal. I’m lacking on bills right now, and he might save me from hunger when time comes that my wallet will be empty.

“I’ll take that as a yes, see you later” he said and jog away from me. I was left at the spot still thinking of what just happened. That noodle thief has a weird way of making friends. Psh, whatever, as long as there’s free food, why not hangout with him? I’ll just make sure to keep my walls high.