New Life: A Second Chance

Kay pursed her lips, "I guess. Kayla Smith, the pampered young woman who is lost. Will that do?"

Lance laughed, "The young, rich pampered young woman who is lost. Do you know how many people will kill you for that sentence?"

"Pah," Kay said, putting up a fist, "Let them try."

"You know," Lance said, tilting his head as he looked at her, "You don't really have that typical rich girl problems, huh?"

Kay frowned, "Just what rubbish are you talking about now? Have you been reading trashy romance novels again?! Lance! Those things will rot your brain!"

"Hey!" Lance argued, putting up his hands in surrender, "I am stressed out working all day, thinking of this and that - reading trashy novels calms my head."

Kay rolled her eyes, "What is it this time? Some woman waking up having had some forced s.e.x due to drugs with a random man after being schemed by half-sister who stole her sc.u.m boyfriend?"

Lance put a hand over his c.h.e.s.t, with a 'shock' look on his face, "My my my, Kay. And here I thought, you don't read such trashy novels! You are an expert!!"

"Shut up, you," Kay snarled at him, "I read one and that was enough. It can give you cancer, reading how the abusive male lead gains the sympathy of readers just because he turned over a new leaf. Pah."

Lance rolled his eyes at her and said, "Well, any-way, as I was saying, you don't have the typical rich girl problems. You know, arranged marriages, bitchy ex's and stuff like that."

Now it was Kay's turn to roll her eyes and said, "Like I said, trashy novels filling your head."

Lance protested and Kay teased, and that's basically how they spent the night. Lance stayed over, and slept at the sofa bed in the living room while Kay lay in her own bedroom, pondering over the day.

Well, it looked like she was pondering over the day when in fact, she was watching the recorded footage of a certain someone going through his day.

'I really am a stalker' Kay thought to herself, but she didn't think she could stop. It helped ease the longing, though a part of her felt that she was only prolonging the pain.

She sighed, then eyes grew wide.

What was this?!

✿ Several hours before ✿

"Joseph!!"

Joseph's head whipped up towards the sound of the person calling him.

"What?!" he replied, even though he could guess why he was called.

His classmate, Erik, was at the front of the class, at the open door and grinning stupidly. 

"Somebody is here to seeeeee you," Erik said in a sing-song voice.

As expected, the class started going 'ooooo' and 'whoop whoop whoop' while Joseph kept the smile plastered on his face as he got up.

What number did this make it?

He lost count.

It seems he has become the entertainer for the class as this seemed to become a regular occurrence. Joseph had no idea why and figured it must be because Country Tz was not as reserved as Country M.

Back home, you wouldn't have girls coming up to the guys confessing. Especially if you don't even know the guy!

The first time it happened to him here, he had panicked.

Joseph had felt extremely flattered, of course and his ego was stroked but he was firm in rejecting her. After all, he didn't want to create false hope. He didn't know the person, so how could he accept such a confession?

It felt all fake, really, even if the girl was looking at him all sincerely with hearts in their eyes.

"Go on, you stud you," one said to Joseph as he passed him by. 

Joseph just laughed, shaking his head and not taking it seriously. As he reached the front, he saw a rather sweet looking young girl looking at him nervously. 

Before Joseph could say anything, she stuffed something in his hand and ran away.

"Bro," Erik said, laughing while flinging his arm across Joseph's shoulder, "You scared her away."

"I didn't do anything!" Joseph protested.

He looked down in his hand and saw a slightly crumpled pink envelope. He could smell the sweet smell of perfume emitting from it and his nose started to hurt a bit. He didn't like such strong smells as his nose was rather s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e but he endured.

Turning his back to shield the contents of the envelope from the nosy Erik, Joseph read the simple single sentence, 'Please meet me at the Blues Corner after school - Laura'. The handwriting was neat and tidy.

Joseph sighed and folded up the envelope and letter. 

Blues Corner was just a meeting place most commonly used for confessions. It was out of the way yet not too secluded that it was a dangerous place. 

Just beyond the corner, really.

As if there was some tacit understanding, people won't go to the Blues Corner after class, unless they were there to give a confession. Joseph did wonder whether they had a system or something - otherwise, why hadn't there been several confessions happening at the same time at the same place, right?

Joseph looked at the folded envelope and put it in his pocket. At least, it wasn't decorated with little hearts and kisses. Not meeting her was not an option as he wouldn't feel nice letting her wait for him. 

Thus, when the bell rang signaling the last lesson was over, Joseph headed to his sister's classroom first. She would have had to pass by his classroom to exit the building, thus, he hoped to catch her before she did.

His gamble paid off and upon seeing him, she gave a roll of her eyes and sighed.

"How long?"

Joseph shrugged, "Shouldn't be too long."

"Fine," she said, "You're lucky it's Zero that picks us up lately. If it was Papa, you know you'd get an earful."

Their father was the type that would be waiting for them before they came out and if they were late, he would be giving them the third-degree. 

Their father wasn't a fan of school romances either.

"I know," Joseph replied exasperatingly. 

Why does his sister always state the obvious? If their Dad was the one that picked them up, he wouldn't see the girl at all but would ask a classmate to send his reply letter.

"You shouldn't take it for granted in getting away like this," Lianne said, "Sooner or later, Papa may start asking questions, then you will get into trouble."

"I can't help it! It's not like I ask them to call me," Joseph protested, feeling indignant.

"If you can be firm with them should Papa be picking us up, you should do the same even though Zero is the one," Lianne pointed out as she walked off, "I'm just saying. You should be more careful."

Joseph watched his sister walk off and shook his head, thinking that she had a point. He sighed and walked off towards the place Laura said she'd be waiting. With his sister's reminder, Joseph decided that this would be the last time he came personally.

She was right, and somehow, her warnings or reminders always came at the right time. He wasn't going to be stupid to ignore it.

When he reached the Blues Corner, he saw Laura already there, waiting. She was wringing her hands and Joseph took a deep breath before heading over.

He stopped a few metres away, smiled and said "Hi."

"Thank you for coming," Laura said nervously, biting her bottom lip as she gazed up at him.

"Um-hmmm," Joseph replied non-committedly. He discovered, through experience, if he had responded in any other way, they'd get some hope. Any polite words like, 'it's nothing' or 'it's the least I could do' made them think he was looking forward to it. 

If he said 'what's up?' or something equally vague, they'd think he wasn't taking them seriously or looking down on them. 

He really didn't understand how girl's thought.

It was best to just say nothing or hum, for they could interpret it anyhow they wanted.

"Joseph, I like you," Laura said, her voice quivering, "Will you be my boyfriend?"

Joseph looked a bit sad and down but he had to say the words he had rehearsed and said quite often, "Thank you, Laura, I'm flattered but I am not looking for a relationship right now."

However, instead of looking dejected or accept his rejection, Laura pressed on, "It's okay! I can wait!"

Joseph shook his head, "I'm sorry, but I really am not …"

She rushed over and took his hand, much to his shock. But he couldn't push her away as she was a girl.

"Please, please!! Let me be by your side!"

Joseph shook his head and tried to pry his hands away but she just held on tightly. Suddenly, she pulled on his hands and stepped forward, planting her lips on his.

Joseph's eyes went wide open.