What if?

Chapter 37: Nicole

Nick

“Are there any questions, class?” Teacher Krystal asked as soon as we all finished looking at our names on the board. “None!” All my classmates said except me. I don’t feel well right now. It is better even if I don’t get to be together with Michael or John as long as I am not together with Jake. He just hits differently. How can I work with him? He doesn’t seem like the guy who would listen to you if you want to say something. What if while we are working and doing our chores, how can I ask him to do something? “Ugh!” I exclaimed to myself while overthinking about my future with Jake.

“Okay so then, you can go to your group mates and work together.” Teacher Krystal said with a cheerful voice. I believe that all she wants is to let us all be friendly and productive but what she wants is so impossible for my group. 

Everyone started to stand up and meet their group mates. In each group there are only 5 people. I went to where my other group mates were standing. They were waving their hands to me as well as to Jake to come to them. I immediately went to their direction to avoid any delay. “Jake… hurry!” My other classmate said. I guess she knows all our names here. As she was also calling my name a while ago. Well, I think that there are only the two of us who are new to the section though. 

“So now we are complete. Now, let me remind you that this will be our group until school finishes. So it means that we are going to clean that area for the whole school year.” My classmate said. I believe that he will be the leader of this group. In fairness, I kinda like this person. She seems reliable and a good leader. “What area will we be cleaning?” Jake asked in a monotone voice. “What the hell? Didn’t he check the board a while ago to see which area we are going to clean?” I said to myself as I reacted to what Jake said. “I see. You did not stand up to look for your name a while ago, right?” My classmate asked. “Is he serious? He did not come to look at his name on the board?” I said to myself again. “Unbelievable!” This is my inner thought as of the moment. 

“That is correct.” Jake said in a soft voice as if he doesn’t care. “I see. We are going to clean the back area. Lucky for us, we don’t have to do much work at the back since not a lot of people go there. Besides, it is an open area with no place to sit and no trees. In short, there aren’t that many leaves for us to sweep every morning.” My classmate explained it to all of us. “I have a question, do we have to clean it morning and afternoon?” I asked to clear things. This is what I wanted to say. 

“Good question for newbies. Actually, we are not obliged to clean our areas in the afternoon since we are still going to clean it in the morning.” My classmate answered with a nice tone of voice. I can really feel her sincerity and care. 

What my classmate just said makes sense. I don’t really understand why my past teachers in my past school used to tell us to clean the classroom and the surroundings. When in fact we are still going to clean the other morning. It is just a waste of time. “I see. Thank you for your answer.” I replied to my classmate’s explanation. 

“Okay so are there any questions left?” My classmate asked all of us. “None. Let’s clean.” Jake said and got a sweep inside the broom box and went outside without even letting us say something first. “He is really something.” My classmate said as we all saw Jake got out of the classroom. I turned to look at my classmate who said it. “Maybe he was just born that way.” I said to my classmate. “Hmm.. hahaha.” My classmate said and laughed. “Don’t tell me she finds Jake interesting? What the hell is wrong with girls?” I said to myself as I also saw my classmate follow Jake outside. 

After her, the other group mates followed them until I am the only one in the classroom that belongs to their group. “If I am a girl, I would never like a person like him. Nowadays, women’s standards are getting lower.” I said to myself while scratching the back of my head and finally walked outside the classroom too. 

As soon as I went outside, I directly went to the back since that is the area where we are going to clean for the whole year. “Ugh!” I shouted without knowing that my other group mates also heard me. “Sorry.” I said after seeing their surprised looks on me. 

They might be shocked that I suddenly shouted. If I were them, I could have done the same. “What is wrong?” My other classmate asked. “I forgot my broom stick, I will just go back inside the classroom to get it.” I said while scratching my elbow. 

I was about to step on my right foot when someone grabbed me. “Ehh?!” I exclaimed as soon as I felt the hand on my arm. “Let’s go together. Let me help you get the things because the others did not bring a thing for them to use too.” Jake explained. 

At first, I was really surprised when I turned to look at the person who grabbed my hand. After Jake said something I was not able to give my reply because I am still flustered. “With his attitude, he can just ask me to get the things for them, so why go together with me?” I asked myself because I am not sure about Jake’s actions. 

I am still staring at him. So he decided to walk first and grabbed my arm along with him. Since he is somehow bigger than me and I don’t have that much strength to contradict his action, I followed his lead.

When we were already inside the classroom, he let go of my arm. I just looked at him getting the things in the broom box. “Help me hold these.” Jake said as he turned to give me 2 broom sticks. I grabbed both of them. “Are you okay holding those two?” He asked me before leaving the classroom. “It is not that heavy. I can hold these.” I replied to him in a soft voice. “Why the hell is he acting as if we are close with each other?” I asked myself. “Good.” Jake said and started walking first. 

I just stared at him walking for a few steps because I want him not to be that close to me when we walk. I was flustered when he suddenly turned to look at me at his first step. “Why aren’t you walking? Don’t think I am being nice with you or what? I just don’t like the fact that the others went there without the things and then you who realized that you did not bring anything will get inside here and get it. It is a group cleaning that we need to do, it doesn’t mean that they are girls, they won’t work just because they have us in the group. Besides, I don’t want to be alone with girls there.” Jake explained a lot. 

“I see, I really thought you were being kind to me and wanted to be my friend. I guess I am wrong.” I said to myself. “I know.” I replied to him and walked first and let him follow me. I feel so hot right now. I can feel my face burning with embarrassment. I would have been better if he did not say anything. “Ugh! So stupid, Why did I even thought that he wants to befriend me?” I said to myself while tightening my hold to the broom sticks. 

As a result, I arrived at the area where we are going to clean first. After a few seconds, Jake arrived at the area too. I gave the 2 broom sticks to my two group mates. “Here.” I said as I gave the broomstick. “Thanks, Nick.” My other classmate said to me as I gave it to her. Jake did the same on the other hand. But, there is one thing that is different, he is not saying anything and just hands out the broomstick. 

We started cleaning the area together. “So this is what Jake wants, it happened. He might somehow feel good.” I said to myself as I swept the dried leaves on the ground.

“Jake, you can put them here.” Our group leader said softly with a matching cute voice. “Jake… can you help me sweep this area?” Our leader again said to Jake. I turned to look at them sneakily because I don’t really like meddling with other people’s lives but I just feel like I want to see something. 

Jake did not reply and just did what the group leader asked him to do. “Something is fishy.” I said to myself. I then continued sweeping because we have a time that we need to catch up. We still have to attend our first lesson with Teacher Krystal. My other girl group mates are quite diligent because they are not flirting with Jake and just kept on sweeping. 

After a few minutes, I noticed that my other girl group mates that were a while ago which you can hear the sweeping of dried leaves suddenly perished so I turned to look at them. They were talking to each other softly without letting the other people around them be aware of what they were doing. Because of my curiosity I changed my sweeping into a soft one so I can hear what they are talking about. 

“Ugh! Guess Nicole won already.” My other group mate said to the other girl. “Yeah, she is really fast when it comes to boys.” The other girl replied. “I thought she likes Michael, why is she flirting with Jake?” The other said to the girl she is talking with. “She likes all means that are potential. She even liked John after knowing that he came from a family that has a company.” The girl on the other side replied. “She is really amazing. She thinks about her future at this age already.” The other replied. 

“What the hell?!” I exclaimed as soon as I heard a lot of things from them. She thinks superbly. I wonder what her parents do and if her parents know what she is doing at a very young age. 

“Is something wrong?” The group leader said after she ran from her place to ask me. “s**t! Did I just shout it out?” I said to myself while still in the position of sweeping. “I wonder if they are all talking to me. The thing is it would be really embarrassing if the two girls would learn that I was listening to their conversation. I looked for a way out and saw the time on my watch. Sorry. I was just shocked to see that we only have a minute left to finish this and go to the classroom already because we still have our first lesson.” I said smoothly. 

I did not even sound hesitant or suspicious about my reason. “Really?!” All the girls shouted. See? I am so lucky that I have the watch that mom and dad bought for me. Who would even know that this could save me? “We are finished here though, let’s pack up and go to the classroom already.” The group leader said. 

“s**t! She is acting as if she did a lot when in fact Jake and I were the only ones who did a lot. At first, I thought she was good but she is only a pretender. 

They all started to walk to go to the classroom. “This is what they say, not to judge the person easily.” I said and followed them in walking.