She crossed her arms and pretended to throw a tantrum.
"Aww... come on!" he said.
She shook her head and puffed.
"Come on, man!" he said, pleadingly.
"No," she said sternly.
He continued looking at her, it always works. She's going to give in sooner or later. He counted in his mind, five, four, three, two... one...
She slumped her shoulders, rolled her eyes and sighed, "Urgh! Fine! You win..."
He grinned widely as she shoved the piece of paper into his hands and continued to cross her arms, still looking as if she's having a tantrum. He reads the poem on the piece of paper and was nodding to himself. "Hmm... doesn't sound like your style..." he concluded.
She snatched the paper out of his hands and said, "Why do you care? Not happy? How sad then..."
He shrugged. "Well, I wrote one too!"
"About?"
"Oh, something... you know. The usual..." he said coolly.
"I didn't know there was a 'usual'..." she said, confused.
"Sad... you don't know me enough... Oh look! I'm catching your annoying habit of saying 'sad' all the time now..." he pointed out with a smile.
Somehow, she can never be mad at him for a long time. So she felt herself smile too. She can't even help not texting him for one day. He is her best of all her three best friends after all. Two boys and one girl. Darren, Louise and Melissa.
Darren and Kate always compose poems together. And she likes it.
The last time Kate and Darren ever declared a 'silent war', and the longest one, lasted less than one day. Whenever they argued, either one of them always broke the ice first. She doesn't know why she can't help it. She just knows that, she loved talking to him.
Once, when they had a 'silent war', he'd come over to her place in class and said, "I'd never let you lose another best friend." and walked off. It made her day. She couldn't help but smile.
She sat down on the chair beside him and listened to him, recite his poem.
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There was once they had a silent war, again. He ended up saying, "I promised you I'd never let you lose another best friend, didn't I?" he grinned.
She was overjoyed. Frankly speaking, she doesn't even remember that promise...
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There was another time when Melissa was talking to Kate about horoscopes. Melissa has told Kate that to make her friendship with Darren a good one, they both need to compromise.
Kate told herself she'd remember. So from now on, she'd tolerate Darren. Since he's hard-headed. And her mum had always taught her that patience is virtue. She's glad she's inherited that from her mum.
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"Stop it! It's annoying!" she shouted at him in frustration.
He continued whistling despite knowing that she hates it. She stood up and held her hand in a way that says, 'if you're not stopping this instant, this hi-5 will be a free tattoo from me on your back'. He flinched and started running as she chased him.
Halfway through, she stopped and shrugged, oh well... he's stopped anyway. He turned back and grinned. He knew she wouldn't do much damage anyway. They both knew each other. They just love annoying each other, sometimes. Just for the fun of it.
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Hey, you free? from Kate.
Quite. Why? from Darren.
Nah, just wanna chat... from Kate.
About? from Darren.
Stuff... you know... the usual... from Kate.
There's a 'usual'? from Darren.
Don't copy me! from Kate.
I'm not! from Darren.
You are! from Kate.
No! from Darren.
Fine! Whatever! from Kate. Kate rolled her eyes.
You are wierd! from Darren.
It's spelt 'weird'!!! How many times must I correct you on that??? from Kate.
Fine! wEIrd... happy? from Darren. Kate smiled.
Yea, very! from Kate.
And then, there was no reply... again... Kate waited for a reply. She hated waiting. Yet, she waited patiently. She didn't want to be too annoying. He might be busy now. Or he's slept off, again. She felt that sick disappointment growing and she felt like throwing up. Hitting something. Crying... screaming. Didn't he know how she hated waiting? Why is history repeating?
She tried to think back what she's done. She knows she was really careful this time. Trying not to bother him too much. It's been days since she last texted him. It's been some time since he last initiated a conversation. Even if he did, it was to ask for something.
Suddenly, she felt used. She felt being taken granted for. He used to talk to her a lot. Texted her. Talked for hours on the phone. Fighting over who's turn is it to call because of the sky-rocketing phone bills. Now... it's not the same anymore... she missed those days.
After some time, she felt drowsy. She made sure her phone was not on silent. Slowly, she fell asleep... still, no reply...
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She was walking with her third best friend, Louise, around the school, discussing about his problems. Then they decided to go out for lunch together, since it was after school. So she went and find Darren. She found him and asked him if he wanted to join her and Louise. He said, "No. I don't feel like going out."
Rejected and dejected, she turned on her heels and walked off. Her smile still plastered on her lips. Just as always, to show the world, she's fine, she's okay...
She ended up having lunch with Louise in the school's cafeteria. Listening to Louise's stories and problems is interesting in some ways too. She listened out patiently as she carefully advised him on his recent problem, careful not to say something stupid or break down on her own feelings too.
After lunch, Louise suggested they walked around the school and talk. So they did. On the second round, a teacher, who was sitting at the school's cafeteria, stared teasingly (or is it accusingly) at them. "Dating?" she said.
They both gasped. NO! They're best friends! How can they be dating!?!? "No! No! No! No! No! No! No! Nooo!" she shook her head wildly. Louise shook his head too. This is ridiculous!
"Louise, let's go get Darren. Just in case anyone else misunderstands..." Kate said.
"Yeah! Good idea..." Louise agreed.
They went and find Darren.
"Darren, come join us!" Kate said.
Darren followed.
Kate started enthusiastically, "You know what happened?"
"I don't want to know," Darren said curtly.
Kate was taken aback. That was like a tight slap to her. First rejecting her offer to have lunch. Now this? She stopped walking and said, "Fine!" and turned the other way and stormed off. She couldn't believe what kind of person Darren has turned into.
Louise was left standing awkwardly in the middle, having a dilemma on who to follow, "Uh... guys? Come on..." after not getting any response, he followed Kate.
"Kate... cool down..." Louise said, fanning her.
"I can't believe he just..." Kate said, disbelievingly. Holding her both her hands up in an exasperate gesture.
"I know... cool..." Louise said.
She sighed. What has happened to their friendship?
After that, they had some music practice. She sat at one side and read her novel. Not talking to anyone in particular. It's like, she ignored the world. She wasn't really reading actually. She was deep in thoughts. What had she done wrong? Was it something she said? Was it something she's reacted to in a wrong way?
Darren came and sat beside her. She didn't acknowledge him. She rolled eyes. and turned another way.
He went off and a few moments later, he came back with chocolates and left it on her book. She looked at it. She can't accept this. She can't forgive him again, she's forgiven him so easily before this he doesn't even know when he's hurt her. It's too much, this feeling building in her. It's so over-whelming she wanted to cry.
She took the chocolates and shoved it back in his hands and shook her head. He said, "Take it, Kate." she was still holding out the chocolate at him and shaking her head. "Just take it. Sorry, Kate..." he said. She felt tears welling up. She blinked them away. That stupid lemon in her stomach always make her a cry baby. At the same time, she was surprised. Did he just apologised? Did he just spent money to get her chocolates?
But she thought again. Is her forgiveness worth that little? Is she going to forgive him for a packet of chocolates? This was so offending.
She was still holding out the chocolates and he stood up and said, "Take it..." and walked away to practise.
She stared at the packet of offending chocolates on her lap. She glanced at her watch, 8 minutes before my mum comes. She continued reading. And thinking, what's she going to do to the packet of chocolates? If she takes it, she forgives him. But, how can she just let him get his way again?
After about 5 minutes, she stood up. Took the packet of chocolates, kept it in his bag and went home.
At home, she waited for him to ask her why she didn't take that packet of chocolates. But he never did.
So she slept in disappointment again.
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The next day...
Darren? Are we having a silent war? from Kate. She prayed he'd say no...
We're just cooling off... from Darren. We? Cooling off? He's cooling off from???
A packet of chocolates doesn't buy forgiveness. Especially not mine. It only makes me madder... from Kate.
No reply.
Aren't you gonna say anything? from Kate.
Still no reply. She sighs. Another night drenched in disappointment. How can she not have learnt from her past mistakes about setting her hopes to high? Didn't she already know that guys always end up disappointing her anyway?
----------------------------------------------------
In school, they weren't talking.
Kate was avoiding Darren. It pains her to be avoiding him. They have never fought this long before. What's happening to their friendship? What happened to the promise?
Now, she's crumbling... it's like, part of her is missing.
What's going to happen now?
WEINI
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