Bubble Gum Kisses

**Kapittel 32** ***Vanessa***

**"I just want to ask if it's true that he switched s-!"** someone suddenly covered her mouth with their neatly manicured fingers before she could finish what she was about to say, muffling her.

"Hi...! Vanessa..." an awfully familiar face came into my view all of a sudden. She bore an awkward smile plastered on her face that had beauty marks just right under both of her eyes that I swore is similar to the moles of someone I used to know. "Sorry for blocking your way," she said, stepping in front of Haley and the brunette girl, covering them behind her. I stared at her blankly, pondering why I find this girl's face familiar. "It's okay," I said, the same smile I was wearing earlier still plastered on my face.

"Ow... don't push me, Sophie!" Haley struggled and tried to get past her but gets pushed away by her taller and wider frame. I looked over to her side and saw her hand gripping tightly on Haley's wrist. What's going on? It seemed that she was on guard with Haley talking to me.

"Uh..." I trailed off, internally rolling my eyes over the back of my head as I began to think and recall. Haley called her Sophia, which sounded awfully familiar too. Hang on... "Sophia? Sophia Tiana Gonzales?" I mumbled her name, looking at her intently. No wonder she looked so familiar, and her name sounded familiar too. We had lunch a few times before, classes too.

"Yes? Yes!" she responded, looking at me with her eyes wide. I couldn't register what her eyes were telling me, but I could sense anxiety in them. She looked rather more tense when I mentioned her entire name.

"It's good to see you again," I said, my smile getting wider. It was nice to see more familiar faces, I hadn't thought that I'd see both her and Haley again. Oh, right. I sometimes forget that the middle school we used to attend is owned by this high school too. So it wouldn't be surprising that I knew some or most of the people here.

"Anyways, we should be going. We shouldn't bother you too much," she said and began to push both Haley and the brunette behind her, turning on her heels to push themselves away from me. "It's nice seeing you again!" she grinned awkwardly before continuing to shove her friends in the other direction of the hallway.

Just in the nick of time, the place was starting to be filled with other students heading to their respective classes. I remained standing on my spot, watching the three-membered clique drift away and stirring in the growing sea of people. "What was that for?" Haley asked while being pushed, glaring at Sophia who kept pushing her forward. "Ow!" she grunted when she stumbled on her ankle.

Sophia grabbed Haley by the elbow and mumbled, "You need to learn how to shut that mouth of yours sometimes!" I couldn't hear them clearly, but I could tell what Sophia was telling with the way her lips moved. "You know, what happens when..." that was all I could last see from Sophia's lips before they mixed further into the slowly growing crowd.

I was too concentrated visually eavesdropping on their conversation, but it didn't hinder me from seeing their other friend, Maddy looking at me attentively and didn't escape from my line of sight. I swear she was looking my way while they were walking away. What was that for? She was looking at me that way ever since Haley mentioned Friso's name. Sigh, I could already bet a dollar that she had a past with him.

With that conclusion, I shrugged my shoulders and proceeded to walk to my next class.

The second class ended more abruptly than expected. Thankfully, Friso wasn't there or I was gonna lose my mind. I know that guy knew that academics meant a lot to me and he meant to distract me on purpose! I should consider thanking the universe that we didn't have the exact same schedule, and was able to make good notes this time.

Here I am, back in the hallways again to take a stroll to the cafeteria while texting Georgia where we should meet up. We agreed to eat lunch together if our schedule allows it. I'll teach her Math when there was still time left. Hopefully, both of us will be free after school so we could go to the library and I'd get to teach her more. It was one way for me to study too, anyway.

**To:** ***Georgia***

*Lunch?*

Thankfully, she was able to reply before I could put my phone away.

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Sure. I'll see you at Santino's.*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Currently busy helping a teacher here in the Godfrey building.*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*No way.*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*I'm in the Godfrey building too. *

**From:** ***Georgia***

*That makes 2 of us.*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Floor?*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*3rd.*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*At 2nd here. Faculty office.*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Think u could meet me here?*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*Catch you there. *

**To:** ***Georgia***

*I'll wait for you outside the door.*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Okie, see u. [*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*xoxo []*

With a wide grin on my face, I was about to hit send when I felt my forehead hit and bounced against an unusually squashy yet sturdy wall. "Ow..." I rubbed my forehead, ignoring the wall I had just knocked into, and proceeded to send my message to Georgia.

"You okay?" asked a deep, euphonious voice that resembled a viscous, sweet honey slowly flowing from a dipper down a mint. Smooth and cool that the mere words he said sounded like a lullaby fitting to be accompanied by the strums of the guitar or licks of the bass. As soon as I heard that voice, I audibly gasped as realization hit my mind hard like a strike of lightning. Dang, I bumped into someone again.

"God!" I frustratingly exclaimed, hitting my forehead with a wrist. This was the nth time I bumped into someone. Wait, I should apologize instead of embarrassing myself by hitting my head in front of the person I bumped into. Get a hold of yourself, Vanessa Cole Hathern!

I raised both of my hands and began to apologize profusely while slowly lifting my head. "I'm sorry. I am so so sorry! I didn't mean to bump into you. I don't know what's happening to me today and I'm bumping into people... lately..." my sentence was cut short when I fully looked up and realized that I was coming face-to-face with yet another familiar face.

"It's no problem," Asher said, an easeful smile pasted on his handsome face. Right then and there, I felt a gust of cool air pass by. "Oh, it's you," he mumbled when he got a full view of my face, his eyes blinking. "Vanessa."

I first saw him wearing the design A uniform, and it gave me a neat and breathtaking impression of him, but he looked extremely dashing in the design B uniform. The shorter sleeves show a larger portion of his long yet slightly muscular arms, and he looked noble with the necktie present around his neck. Not to mention that the guitar case hanging behind his shoulder, the woven leather and sterling rosary bead bracelet on his left wrist, and the wristwatch strapped on his right were multipliers for his exceptional style points and the cool air that surrounded him. His wavy hair too, the way it danced in the flailing wind appeared a contributing factor to his cool aura.

"It's nice seeing you again, Asher," I said, lifting the corner of my lips for an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, again." Now knowing that I whacked my head into him, I felt even more embarrassed, especially that I also hit myself in front of him. I mean, who suddenly bumps into you and then hits themself?

"Again, I'm telling you that it's cool. It's pretty far from the gut." He chuckled lightly which rendered blood to rush over my steaming face. Now I felt even more embarrassed.

"What you up to?" he asked, redirecting the conversation.

I stared at him briefly before answering: "Lunch. You?" For an unknown reason, the way he looked at me gave me an eerie sense. His eyes were gazing at me as if he was staring deep into my soul. Maybe it was because of how dark his eyes were that reminded me of a deep, mysterious abyss that lures one's curiosity.

"Same. Let's go eat lunch together?" he invited.

Of course, I didn't have the heart to reject the offer since it was another opportunity to make friends. "Sure. But is it okay if we go with my friend? We already agreed to have lunch together," I asked, hoping he'd say yes. "Why not?" he shrugged, nonchalantly. I guess he didn't mind some extra company.

"Great," I grinned, "She's on the 2nd floor, helping a teacher in the faculty office. Is it okay if we wait for her for a bit?"

"That's fine," he replied and we both proceeded down the second floor, while I quickly texted Georgia.

**To:** ***Georgia***

*I'm bringing a friend with us to lunch.*

**To:** ***Georgia***

*Is that okay?*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Is he a 10?*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*Jk jk*

**From:** ***Georgia***

*I'm good. The more the merrier.*

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**Thank you for reading Bubble Gum Kisses! To keep up with my works, future works, and endless frustrations on Twitter: https://twitter.org/RiosMorpheus**