chapter 4

‘Thanks for the hard work!’ said Mr. Chan happily to Clover. Clover turned to face him and smiled.

‘She seems happy today. I hope she’ll always be that way,’ said Mr. Chan to himself.

‘Gosh what a day! It’s already 1 a.m. and I still got class tomorrow’ thought Clover.

She smiled as a familiar face drifted in her mind. Alex was more than a gentleman than she thought he was.

‘Gah! Why am I thinking bout him? I should be thinking of my soft warm bed waiting for me at home’.
‘Soft warm bed?’
‘Yea, hopefully I can still feel his heat and his perfume smell is still there’.

‘Hey? Who said that?’ said Clover turning towards that voice. It was a familiar voice. Where had she heard it before? It couldn’t be, could it? The voice was nostalgic to her ears. It rang like a symphony of gathered memories playing together pieces that were lost before.

‘Yo!’ said a shadow walking towards her.

‘Still talking to yourself eh? I guess you haven’t changed a bit,’ said the shadow again. The street light hit his face and for a moment Clover felt her heart skipped a beat.

‘Bryan?’ whispered Clover.

‘Hey lucky charm, miss me?’ said Bryan with a cheeky smile. Clover just stood there unable to move at all. Her mouth hanged open in astonishment and disbelieve.

‘Haha! That is still the funniest thing I have ever seen and will ever see!’ laughed Bryan. He placed his right palm on her head and poke at her nose with the index finger of his left hand.

‘Surprised?’ asked Bryan. Clover still couldn’t speak.

‘It’s a yes then,’ said Bryan brightly. ‘Come on lets go home,’ said Bryan again after finally knowing that it was useless to try to talk to Clover that night.
He put his arms over her shoulders and pushed her forwards back to the way she was going.

Why is he here? Did her mother called him to check up on her? Clover looked up at Bryan. He still looks the same as she remembered him except his hair was longer now. His face was what she missed the most. His brown eyes that always looked surprised, his long nose and pink lips than are so kissable, all supported by a big square jaw. To Clover this was what she found attractive since this was the first face of the first boy she ever got closed to.

Memories swarm her mind as they walked back to her apartment, causing her to wrinkle her forehead. She was trying to hold back the tears that were coming. It came rushing down her face as she covers her face from Bryan. Her legs became weak instantly and she fell to the ground on her knees.

‘Hey! What’s wrong? You’re crying!’ said Bryan surprised.

‘I like you.. I love you,’ said Clover stuttering to keep her voice steady.

‘Yea, ok,’ said Bryan in a soft voice. It was too dark to make out his face expression.

‘Come on. Stop crying now,’ said Bryan sympathetically. He reached for her right arm and pulled her to her feet. Clover looked at Bryan for a moment and broke down again.

‘Hey you’re Clover right? The indestructible Clover Floral who injured every single guy who came at you with a baseball bat right?’ said Bryan with a tone as though he was talking to little kid.

‘You were the only one I let my guard down for. Why did you leave me that night? I tried calling you but you never returned my calls. Why did you leave?’ said Clover still shaking to keep her voice steady.

Bryan looked away but it was still to dark to make out his expression.

‘I tried to bury everything. Everything we ever shared or had. I tried to bury them yet… yet…’ Clover continued now shaking really hard and trying to choke back her tears.

‘It wasn’t planned. You know I had feelings for you but I just… I can’t give you what you want,’ said Bryan finally, still looking away. He couldn’t face Clover, not after what he put her through for the last few months.

‘I’m sorry Clover,’ said Bryan again. He searched for a tissue and found one after going through all his pockets. He pulled Clover’s chin up and wiped her cheeks.

‘I want to always be there for you but I can’t do it as your boyfriend,’ said Bryan now looking at Clover.

‘You kissed me. You took my first kiss. If you never wanted me to think any further then why did you do that?’ asked Clover croakily.

‘I’m sorry. It won’t say I didn’t want to but it was a mistake because I caused you so much trouble after that. I felt so guilty till I couldn’t even face you,’ answered Bryan gravely. He turned his back to Clover and gestured her to jump to his back.

‘I’ll carry you home. Hop on me,’ said Bryan a little cheerfully. Clover obeyed and they went home without saying a word to each other.

‘Hey Clover! Yoo hoo!’ screamed Lily.

‘How many times to do you want me to call you to shut up?’ said Clover grumpily.

‘Who is that hottie sleeping in the living room? Is he your friend? Does he have a girlfriend? Hehe…’ said Lily cheekily. Clover felt a sharp pain in her chest, got up suddenly and accidentally bum Lily.

‘Owh sorry bout that,’ said Clover angrily.
Lily looked at Clover for a moment and asked irritably, ‘what’s your problem? If you wanted him for yourself you should have just said that.

‘it’s not that..’ replied Clover quickly but before she could answer Bryan came into the room sleepily.

‘Who’s making so much noise so early?’ asked Bryan with a sleepy voice.
Lily laughed and said, ‘so sorry. Our little Clover here has problem waking up all the time’. Clover looked as though she could have killed Lily with a single punch.

‘Anyways, why don’t you take a bath and I’ll cook for us breakfast? Sounds good?’ Lily said after a long pause. She walked happily out from the room.

‘She’s your housemate eh? She’s hot!’ said Bryan still with a sleepy voice.

‘Then why don’t you kiss her and make her fall in love with you?’ replied Clover, getting more and more irritated by the minute.

Bryan was shocked for a moment and laughed, squinting his eyes into slits. Clover looked at Bryan as he continued laughing. He looks so attractive and cute at the same time that it was impossible for her to tear her eyes away from him. She felt her cheeks burn and quickly turn away to make her bed.

‘So what do you plan to do later? Why are you here anyways? Don’t say you just came here only to apologize to me,’ asked Clover.

‘Still with the many questions in one go? You never change no matter where you go,’ answered Bryan with a smile.

‘I wanted to surprise you at your apartment actually but it was luck that I bumped into you last night. Besides do you happen to know if there’s an available room in this building?’ continued Bryan, looking around Clover’s room.

‘what do you mean? You’re planning to hang around?’ asked Clover slowly as though she was waiting for an answer that could change her life.

‘Yup! Of course! Since I’m going to the same college as you!’ answered Bryan happily. Words just wouldn’t come out from Clovers mouth so she just left her mouth hanging. Bryan laughed, this time louder than before.

‘I knew you would make that face! I wish I had my camera with me!’ laughed Bryan.

‘Did I hear wrong? You are going to the same college as us?’ asked Lily cheerily, holding a spatula in one hand. Bryan nod vigorously to Lily.

‘That’s great!’ said Lily with a wide smile.

Clover felt her heart throb uncomfortably. She stood there looking from Bryan to Lily then to Bryan again. She felt tears forming in her eyes as she sees Lily flirting so openly to Bryan and Bryan sharing that happy smile with Lily. It was so painful to watch that she felt like jumping out of her bedroom window.

‘Let’s go have breakfast!’ said Lily after noticing Clover standing there like a statue looking at the floor.

Walking to college never felt like a drag to Clover. It felt like the pathway just won’t come to a halt at the college’s front gate. Hearing distant laughter from both Lily and Bryan was heaving her depressed heart. She looked behind and saw Lily holding on to Bryan. She felt sick and quickly turned to the front again.

‘How long can I choke back these tears?’ Clover thought to herself but more and more difficult questions came popping in her mind. Why is he here? Who sent him? And how did he find out that she was here?

Finally they reached the college gate. ‘Whoa? This is great! The college is huge!’ said Bryan awed.

‘Well what do you expect from the country’s most prestigious college? This is after all Greenvulle College,’ answered Lily happily.

‘This is freaking cool you guys!’ said Bryan while putting one hand on Lily’s and Clover’s shoulders. The two girls looked at each other, Lily was really happy.

Clover shook off Bryan’s hand and said ‘I’ll meet you in class Lily. Take care Bryan,’. Bryan looked at Lily then at Clover then smiled and nodded at Clover.

Clover felt a sharp pain in her chest, turned and left both of them. Her walked became faster and faster and then broke into a run. At that moment she just wanted to disappear from the world. She still loves Bryan even after two years they were apart. Her feelings for him never changed or swayed a bit.

‘Ouch! Hey watch where..’

Clover fell back to the ground and looked up but it was too bright to see who it was under the sun.

‘Well well, if it isn’t my lucky Clover,’ said a sinister like voice. It was Alex and walking towards them were Adrian, with his usual smile, and Jimmy, who was still as good looking as ever.

Alex squatted down to face her. Her heart thumped heavily as his clear brown eyes stared into her. She felt her face turning red and looked away, pulling herself back up to her feet.

Alex followed suit and asked ‘where’s the good looking one?’.

Images of Lily and Bryan flashed through her mind instantly at those words. She couldn’t hold it back in anymore. She had to get away.

‘Look there they are! Hey who’s that guy next to her? Is he her new boyfriend? Look she’s holding on to his hand,’ said Jimmy, shocked and pointing at a direction.

They looked at that direction and true enough, it was Lily and Bryan walking, talking and laughing like lovers on Valentine’s Day. It was too much for Clover to take it all in. she ran the opposite direction and continued without looking back.

‘Clover?’, asked Alex, stunt for a moment.

‘Hey Clover wait!’, called Alex running after Clover.

At every step images of Clover and Bryan back then flashed in her mind. All the memories that she held so dearly to her heart. All destroyed and replaced by Bryan’s and Lily’s laughter.