Chapter 05

The week had rolled in quickly. It was Friday already. Adrian was returning to the staffroom from his last class of the day. Even though the week had gone well, he felt a little tired. It’s only natural to get tired when you have a hectic schedule. When he reached the staffroom, Jordan caught his attention. She was talking to Matthew about some assignment.

Adrian could not avoid Jordan as he had thought. Left or Right in school, they ran into one another. He was waiting for the weekend to try and forget about her.

He went to his desk and placed his books. Jordan noticed him but didn’t react to it. By that time, Michael enters the room. And everyone’s gaze in the room turns to him.

He looked at everyone and chuckled, “Even my parents don’t give me this much attention.”

“Over here, Mr. Whitaker,” Matthew calls for him. Michael walks to Matthew’s desk.

“Mr. Whitaker, I don’t want you to repeat your last semester actions this time and also I hope you don’t skip any assignments. It’s your last year, be a little responsible,” Matthew says to Michael. He stood there as if he had no concerns about anything.

Michael nodded his head in acceptance and Matthew gets back to Jordan. “Here’s is the list of the universities I recommend to you for English literature studies. Think about it again if you want to study something else.” She nods and gets the sheet from him.

Adrian couldn’t stop himself from asking her, “You want to study literature, Ms. Bright?”

He asked her only to swear at himself in his mind for jumping around without thinking.

“Yeah, I have always been interested in it,” she says to him. Adrian couldn’t miss the spark in her eyes when she said that.

He tells her, “Good choice.”

Michael, who was still in the room spoke up, “Why didn’t you ask me anything about it?” Nobody knew to whom that question was directed to. But Adrian gave the reply, “I thought you don’t like attention.” Everyone in the room bursts into laughter. “Fine! Fine! Come on J, let’s go.” He grabbed Jordan's wrist and walked out.

“He’s a really nice guy. Just a little spoilt.” Matthew says to Adrian.

Adrian nodded a yes, “I figured it. His grades are good too from the previous year.”

It was evening when Jordan returned home, to an overly excited Harley and Lily. She can’t help but laugh at their craziness.

“What’s making you two so happy?” she asked them.

“Chocolate! Harley got me,” Lily tells her and shows three different brands of chocolates.

“Guess who has joined karate!” Harley sang.

Jordan grasps dramatically, “Don’t tell me you seriously joined karate.”

“Oh, yea! I did!” Harley said winking at her. She rolled her eyes.

Jordan went to her room after talking to her siblings for some time. She couldn’t help but blush when she looks into the mirror and remembers about Adrian.

It wasn’t only Adrian who was getting attracted to Jordan. After all, feelings are a two-way thing.

Jordan could hardly concentrate in classes. She wondered if she could ace in maths this year. All she thought was about Adrian, in class, at home.

It was Saturday when Adrian had taken Aaron to nearby kids' playground. Boy did he not loved it! He was excited, is an understatement. Aaron wouldn’t stop jumping around, trying out all of the games and silently making friends, capturing everyone’s hearts with his cute charms.

Adrian noticed his son walking towards something or someone in a particular direction. He got worried and got up from his seat to follow his son.

He left out a breath, it defined his relief about his son walking towards the stranger and also to see the person, who he thought he would drag off of his head.

He saw Aaron walking up to Jordan and a little girl. Aaron was talking gibberish with the little girl. He assumed the little girl as Jordan’s younger sister who she had mentioned in the supermarket. She seemed older than Aaron because she talking with proper words, not the gibberish his son was using. He went near them, and squatted to the kids’ level and spoke, “ Hey, sweetheart.”

The little girl giggled and said, “Hello.”

“hbvjbgvg,” that was Aaron. He could hardly speak two proper words but wanted to hold a conversation with her.

“What’s your name?”

“Lily,”

“It’s beautiful, just like you.” Lily smiled at him.

Adrian got back to his feet and turned towards Jordan. She had wore jeans and a t-shirt. The jeans showed off her long legs and the t-shirt gave a defined look of her breasts.

He got back to his senses and spoke to Jordan. “Ms. Bright, good to see you on a weekend.”

“Likewise, Mr. Marcel.” Awkwardness evoked between them. They kept staring at everywhere except at each other. It seemed like both of ‘em had forgotten how to talk.

After a few minutes of clunky silence, they were interrupted by Elena when she called out Jordan’s name and walked towards them.

Elena looked at her daughter with a questioning look. “Umm… mom, he’s Mr. Marcel, my math teacher in school.”

“Hello,” Adrian puts his hand out.

“Hello,” Elena says and shakes his hand.

“I thought Mrs. Frank taught maths at Harrison High, sorry I don’t remember seeing you around,” Elena says to him as if she doubted his existence.

“I’m new here. And as for Mrs. Frank, I have no idea why she retired earlier than her actual date,” he replies.

“I’m sorry for doubting. It’s just that PTM isn’t held in school yet and I didn’ know who you were,” she intoned.

“That’s okay, I understand.”

“Who is this cutie here?” she asks smiling at Aaron

“Aaro!” he replies with confidence. They all burst out laughing at his cuteness.

“That’s a sweet name, cutie pie,” she tells him while patting his head.

“Mommy! He is a baby!” Lily says to Elena. “Right baby, he’s a baby,” Elena replies to her and they all walk towards a bench to sit down.

Lily and Aaron played see-saw, while Jordan stood behind Aaron and held a safety hand behind his back, after all, he is still a baby as Lily said earlier and had no knowledge of how to play on it. Adrian watched at the scene in front of him. He wondered why was Jordan showing interest in his son! Is she trying to pull something or is she being genuinely concerned about Aaron’s safety, he thought.

“How are you finding the new place, Mr. Marcel?” Elena asked him.

“It’s been wonderful,” he replied.

“What about your wife?”

“Umm… I’m a widower,” he says sternly.

“I’m sorry,”

“That’s okay.”

“How’s Harley?”

“He’s good-” Elena looks at him trying to know, how he knows about Harley. “wait, how do you know him?”

“Last week I had met Jordan and Harley in the supermarket.”

Elena bursts out laughing. “You were the man he was talking about!”

“The man?” Adrian asked, confused.

“Yea! Who he claimed that he protected his sister from-” Elena still giggled. “-He’s a little overprotective about Jordan.” Adrian just nodded with understanding Harley's intention about protecting his sister. If Jordan was an important person in his life, even he would be overprotective of her. Would he?

“You should come home sometime, The little boy seems to like my daughter, Lily.”

“That’s really nice of you. And we would love to come over sometime.”

“How about tomorrow? Unless you have something else planned.” Adrian shakes his head a no.

“Tomorrow it is then,” With that, he got their address and also they wrapped up the unexpected play date.

It was Sunday morning, Aaron walked around the house with only his diaper on. The little guy had problems with wearing clothes. It’s almost like clothes itched him. And now that he was going to Lily’s house, he wanted to look cool. He said no to every single set of clothes Adrian chose for him.

“Champ! Choose your clothes soon, it’s not like you are going to meet your in-laws or something.” Adrian’s energy was half drained by choosing clothes for his son.

Aaron ended up wearing Army printed pants and a black T-shirt matched with a cap and sneakers. And Adrian wore jeans and a hoodie. They were good to go now.

Upon arrival at Jordan’s place, Aaron ran towards the door and knocked on the door with his tiny hands. Adrian came and rang the doorbell, which was opened by someone he never expected.