‹ Prequel: Yugto
Us
P
The sweltering heat caused beads of sweat to form on his neck, trailing down his collarbone until they finally fell to his chest. Honestly, he liked the heat, but this was simply pushing it. He was in a suit and tie in a 40 degree weather. If only his sister didn't hold a reception in this godforsaken heat then he wouldn't be in this predicament right now. It's too much, he thought, as he cowered under the feeble shade of a young mango tree, struggling to remove his necktie.
"Shit!" he muttered hotly, stomping his foot like a petulant child as the Eldridge knot became even more tangled. However, before he could try once again to free his neck from the ruthless confines of the necktie, a soft tap on his shoulder broke his focus.
A girl stood there, a few steps away from him, lips curled up with a glint of mirth in her eyes as she laughed, "You look like you need help."
Shifting his weight from one foot to another, he tried to play it cool with a chuckle (although it was a weak attempt at one); but embarrassment had already colored his cheeks rosy pink and his ears, a shade of humiliation red. Before he was able to compose himself though, she had boldly closed the gap between them, fingers deftly grasping the intricate, tangled mess of a knot.
"So, what's your name?" she asked as she began to loosen the loop. At the question, he felt the palms of his hands sweat profusely. It was a million-dollar question - and it was one that he raked his mind for an answer. But the neurons in his head had briefly failed to connect, and he almost forgot his name.
Craning his neck upwards, he looked up to the heavens momentarily, and hoped to God that she didn't feel or hear his heart beating rapidly at her touch. "It's Patrick," he croaked out, his voice breaking in the middle of his speech.
"That's cool," she murmured distractedly as she finally undid the knot, letting the long, wrinkled, strip of cloth simply hang around his neck. Shoulders sagging in relaxation, a sigh escaped her lips as the annoying tie was finally tamed, frustration ebbing away as the tension in her fingers disappeared. And with a smile that was worthy of all the stars in the universe, she then looked up at him, and made his heart stop — figuratively, "My name's Sabine. Nice to meet you, Patrick."
"Shit!" he muttered hotly, stomping his foot like a petulant child as the Eldridge knot became even more tangled. However, before he could try once again to free his neck from the ruthless confines of the necktie, a soft tap on his shoulder broke his focus.
A girl stood there, a few steps away from him, lips curled up with a glint of mirth in her eyes as she laughed, "You look like you need help."
Shifting his weight from one foot to another, he tried to play it cool with a chuckle (although it was a weak attempt at one); but embarrassment had already colored his cheeks rosy pink and his ears, a shade of humiliation red. Before he was able to compose himself though, she had boldly closed the gap between them, fingers deftly grasping the intricate, tangled mess of a knot.
"So, what's your name?" she asked as she began to loosen the loop. At the question, he felt the palms of his hands sweat profusely. It was a million-dollar question - and it was one that he raked his mind for an answer. But the neurons in his head had briefly failed to connect, and he almost forgot his name.
Craning his neck upwards, he looked up to the heavens momentarily, and hoped to God that she didn't feel or hear his heart beating rapidly at her touch. "It's Patrick," he croaked out, his voice breaking in the middle of his speech.
"That's cool," she murmured distractedly as she finally undid the knot, letting the long, wrinkled, strip of cloth simply hang around his neck. Shoulders sagging in relaxation, a sigh escaped her lips as the annoying tie was finally tamed, frustration ebbing away as the tension in her fingers disappeared. And with a smile that was worthy of all the stars in the universe, she then looked up at him, and made his heart stop — figuratively, "My name's Sabine. Nice to meet you, Patrick."
♠ ♠ ♠
This chapter sucks. I suck.