Chicken Sandwich: Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Luck

The following day Diane had a high fever and she could not go to school. Paul was early in class and was missing his best friend. Paul’s mind began to wander around and flashbacks of their walk with Kara made him smile. “Excuse me, may I seat here?” a girl’s voice said and as Paul turned to see, his jaw dropped as he nodded. Sarah settled down the seat as Paul was nervous and he really wished Diane was there to hide him. “So Paul where is your girlfriend?” Sarah asked him and Paul was shaking and could not look her in the eye. “I don’t have a girlfriend” he managed to say and slowly looked at her. “So Diane is not your girlfriend?” she asked again. Paul shook his head and said “Diane is my girl friend, I mean a friend that is a girl. She is actually my best friend or something like that I think” and Sarah started laughing.

“Why are you so nervous? Relax I was just asking. So she is not your girlfriend then?” Sarah said and Paul nodded. “Good” she uttered and Paul looked at her curiously. “Why is that good?” he asked her and looked at him and said “Good since there will be no problems then if I seat here beside you” Sarah told him and Paul nodded. “I really thought you two were a couple since I always see you clinging on to her arms or leaning on her back or shoulder” she revealed and Paul felt ashamed and bowed his head. “I was hiding from you” he whispered and Sarah was surprised to hear that.

“Hiding from me? Why would you do that?” she asked him and with his head bowed Paul explained. “Well you see I am ashamed to look at the girl’s who dumped me, except for Diane maybe since she is my friend.” Sarah laughed at him and asked “I dumped you?” and Paul nodded. “I don’t know that’s how I felt after the incident in front of your home. I’m really embarrassed so it feels that way to me” he said and Sarah kept laughing. “You are funny, I remember that day well and I laughed at you because when you where hanging on the branch you were boasting and when the branch snapped you made a funny face as you were falling on the ground. I laughed at your funny face but not at the incident so you don’t have to be embarrassed” Sarah explained and Paul looked at her and smiled.

“So Diane dumped you, did you fall from a branch in front of her too?” Sarah asked and then she giggled. Paul shook his head and said “No, she said I was not her type so even though I have not courted her yet I already got dumped. Still she is my best friend.” Sarah nodded her head and looked at Paul, “So do you still think that I dumped you then?” she asked and Paul smiled and shook his head. “Okay, so now will you court me?” Sarah playfully asked and Paul looked away and started shaking. Sarah laughed and patted his back and said “Relax Paul I was just teasing you, we better keep quiet now the professor is here.”

At that moment Paul was happy knowing that Sarah had not dumped him, for the whole class time he kept glancing at her. He was feeling lucky for the past two days since he got the chance to talk with Sarah and he was able to get to know his dream girl Kara.

Paul found himself interrogated by Jeff and Fred over lunch and he was having a hard time answering their questions. “Look guys, I told you we just shared an umbrella that’s it. I walked her home because she asked me too” Paul said. “So what does it feel to be with Kara?” Fred asked. “It’s normal, just like any other girl” Paul boasted and grinned at him. “Oh man you’re so damn lucky, everyone is talking about you now” Jeff stated. “Hey come on guys I’m telling you we just shared an umbrella and that’s it, she told me her name and I told her my name. Beyond that there is nothing, I already told you that I have accepted my place so let’s not talk about it” Paul told them but the two were looking at him in shock.

“What? Why are you two looking at me that way?” he asked them and Jeff pointed at his back. Paul turned to see what it was and he saw Sarah standing there. “Hi Paul, is this seat taken?” she asked him. “Hi Sarah, please sit down” he said as he pulled the chair for her to sit on. “Sarah, I would like you to meet my friends, Jeff and Fred, guys this is Sarah” he said and the two just raised their hands and waived at her. “Do they always look that way?” Sarah joked and Paul laughed. “No they are just in a state of shock because of yesterday” he said.

“Oh, about you and Kara?” Sarah asked and Paul was surprised. “I told you Paul, I told you didn’t I? You are a hot topic around campus because of yesterday” Jeff reiterated. “So you know about that too?” Paul asked Sarah and she nodded. “Well I heard it from a friend a while ago, so is it true that you two are dating?” she asked him and Paul covered his face with his hands. “We just shared an umbrella, it was raining, I had an umbrella and she didn’t have one” Paul explained. “But you walked her home” Fred added. “She asked me to walk her home so I obliged. Come on guys you would do the same too if you were in my shoes right?” Paul pleaded.

“So Paul would you walk me home later?” Jeff playfully asked and Paul angrily said no and they started laughing. “You walked the hottest girl in campus home, you saved a life, you hang on branches, so what other amazing stuff do you do Paul?” Sarah inquired as she looked at him. “Hang on branches?” Jeff and Fred repeated in unison and Paul again covered his face. Sarah began to tell them the story and they ended up laughing at Paul. After the laughter had subsided Fred looked at Paul curiously and asked him, “So if you are not after Kara, then that must mean…” and he winked at him. Jeff started to wink at him too and Paul reacted, “Hey what’s with the winking? You guys are starting to freak me out now. Don’t tell me your going Brokeback on me now” he said and Sarah laughed.

“Oh I forgot to tell you guys, the DVD I ordered online arrived yesterday. Tomorrow is a Saturday so do you want to come watch at my apartment?” Jeff asked. “And what DVD are we talking about here, take note we have a lady here” Fred told him. “Death Note the anime and the movie version” Jeff said slowly as he watched the sparkle in Fred and Paul’s eyes as the two nodded their heads. “Can I come?” Sarah asked suddenly as was surprised and they looked at her. “Just because I’m a girl it does not mean I don’t watch anime. I do love anime and I have watched some like Gate Keepers, Vampire Princess Miyu, Ranma, Law of Ueki but I do like the manga more since they tell the whole story. For the anime version sometimes the whole story is not there. Take for example Death Note, I have read the manga online and lots of people are saying that…” Sarah elaborated but Jeff interrupted her. “Say no more, you definitely are coming with us” he said and they all laughed.

After classes Paul and Sarah were walking towards the main gate together. “You don’t have to walk me to the bus stop I am fine here” she said as they reached the main gate. “It’s okay I’m heading that way to, I have to get Diane some pineapple pie. That’s her favorite and I know she would cheer up when she eats that” he said. “She is lucky to have a friend like you” Sarah uttered and Paul scratched his head and smiled. “Not really, I am the lucky one to have her since she is the only one who probably can understand me I think. I just wish she does not get tired of me, so I have to cheer her up since she is sick” he revealed. “Wait before I forget I don’t know where we would meet tomorrow for the anime viewing” Sarah said. Paul totally forgot about it so he scratched his head. “I forgot to ask the address of his new apartment, and I even forgot my mobile phone at home. I can pick you up at your place or you can give me your phone number so I can call you later” Paul suggested. Sarah started to board the bus and looked back at Paul, “Pick me up at eight. See you tomorrow Paul” she said and she smiled at him.

Paul did not know what struck him but as the bus left he was again smiling. Once he got to Diane’s house he saw the window open so he quickly climbed inside. Diane was asleep so he slowly sat beside her and he opened to the box of pie and moved it closer to her face. “Pineapple pie” she whispered and slowly opened her eyes and smiled. “You left your window open” Paul said as he wiped pinched her cheek. “I knew you were coming but I didn’t expect this” she said as she tried to get up.

Diane took one piece of the pie and started eating it as she watched Paul transfer notes on her notebook. “So how was your day today Paul?” she asked. “Well I surely missed you at school then Sarah amazingly sat beside me and she even joined me for lunch. And the guys loved her so she will be coming with us tomorrow and we are going to watch an anime at Jeff’s apartment” he said as he continued writing. Diane stopped chewing and suddenly felt another pinch on her heart. “So you won’t be here tomorrow then?” she asked him and Paul turned around to look at her. “If you ask me to stay with you I will stay with you” he said.

Diane took a bite of her pie and she smiled. After a few minutes Paul finished transferring her notes and he lay in bed beside her. “So tell me Paul, are you still after Sarah now that you are in speaking terms with her?” Diane asked him. Paul took a deep breath and covered his eyes with his hands, “I don’t know really, maybe it’s better if we were just friends” he said. “Are you sure? She is pretty, she is intelligent, and I think she is kind” Diane told him. “Pretty…like you, intelligent…like you, and kind…like you” Paul said as he looked at her. They both gaze into each other’s eyes and Diane was the first one to blink, “why are you comparing her to me?” she whispered. Paul just smiled and suddenly embraced her, Diane felt a different sensation all over her body and the usual reaction was for a girl to break free but she did not. Their faces were so close to each other and Paul’s lips were inching closer to hers, at that moment time stood still and all she could do was close her eyes.

The kiss landed on her forehead so she opened her eyes immediately. “Get some rest okay? I will come back tomorrow morning” Paul told her as he stood up. “You can go with your friends, it’s okay. Just come by in the afternoon” she said to him. Paul nodded and went out of the window, as the window closed Diane embraced her pillow and smiled.