Opus 2

For the most part it was easy showing Jessica around - she pretty much had all the same classes as me except for Music and Biology, which she swapped for History and Physics. Throughout the first half of the school day though, Jessica never said a word to me. All my attempts at conversation had been binned relentlessly and so I just chattered endlessly, on and on, about anything I could think of. It was because I found the silence between us unbearable.

And then came lunchtime. As Jessica's official buddy I was meant to make sure she wasn't alone during lunch, whether that meant sitting her at a table with my friends, or just sitting with her at a table of her choice. I'd been looking forward to lunch all morning since I'd had to sit through double Higher Biology (Cell Respiration, what the heck was with the Krebs Cycle?!) and I knew Mum had packed a particularly sumptuous lunch for me today. My stomach growled in anticipation. Boy, was I hungry! "Your choice of table or mine?" I offered Jessica. Of course, no answer. I don't know what I was expecting. "Alright then, let's go with mine," I began making my way towards the table where Tink and my other two friends usually sat.

But then...Jessica spoke.

"I'm actually not hungry." "Huh?"

I was dumbfounded.

"Yeah, you heard me right. I'm not hungry at all." Her eyes narrowed at the small blue icebox at my side that carried my packed lunch.

Oh no. Oh no she wasn’t. She couldn’t make me! I’d waited all day for this moment! I was STARVING. COME ON!

"Okay then, what do you want to do instead?" I heard myself saying. Why me? Why me?!

"I...." her static expression flickered for an instant. What was it I had seen there...longing? "I want to see the basketball club."

Unbelievable. After half a day of trying to get her hobbies out of her she finally decided to tell me at the most. Inconvenient. Time. I gave a resigned sigh, patted my icebox one last time and then shoved it under the nearest table. It would be safe. People knew from experience what happened if they tampered with my lunch.

This time, I didn't bother making useless chatter. I knew she wouldn't listen to me anyway and I was still a little peeved at her. So instead, I just walked sullenly on in the direction of the indoor basketball court. My mind began drifting to other things. What day was it today? Wasn't it a Tuesday? Which meant....Yune probably had a lunchtime basketball practice! This considerably improved my mood. At least I would get to see Yu. I led Jessica in from the court's side entrance and stopped immediately. There was Yune. The sweat streaming off him in rivulets yet giving his skin a sparkle in the pale light. I could watch him forever. He crouched, ready to spring up for a jumpshot -

Ah.

I was supposed to be showing Jessica around. Idiot. "Um..this is the boys' basketball team. Well I mean...obviously, but yeah um..they've lead the school team to the regional high school championships three times." I paused. "And this year since they've been developing their three newest players, they're aiming for the nationals." I turned to look at Jessica to check if she'd been listening. I noticed her face immediately. It had literally come to life and her eyes were bright with unrestrained excitement. I smiled inspite of myself. I'd often seen Yune make the same face before games and so I thought maybe I'd begun to understand her a little. "Who - ?" she whispered. "Oh! Sorry, I forgot to tell you the players' names! Well that's the captain, Joe," I pointed to Joe who was marking Videl, "and then we have the three hulks: Mack, Phil and Adam." I now pointed to the practice-opposition. "Videl's new this year but he's seriously got some flair. He works the best with Talal and Stefano, who're high school juniors. Felix is the one on the bench watching, he's second-string since he's got a bad knee."

Yune dunked. The game was over. He turned to high five his team-mates and caught sight of me. His face lit up instantly in my beloved grin and he waved.

"And who's that?" I smiled. "Yune the ace-regular," I said.

"He's my. . ."