NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

As Ali was mulling over whether he really should take the next step, he remembered that story-slash-sermon Kyle had told him. The bus stop.

If he didn't do anything, would the opportunity be lost? No, he didn't think so.

If she was meant to be, it'll be ...

but

if he didn't do anything, would it mean that it would take longer?

His mind kept going around in circles.

Just then, he felt a big, resounding slap at the back of his head.

"OW!!" Ali shouted, rubbing the sore spot as he turned to see who the abuser was.

"Why did you do that for, Kyle?!" he shouted indignantly, getting up from his chair and was ready to punch him.

"Do you know how ridiculous you look sitting there?" Kyle said, raising an eyebrow, "Your face was going like this."

Kyle then showed him a myriad of facial expressions, from goofy to seriousness, to confusion and then goofy again.

"I was not!" Ali protested, then looked around to the other Sage Class members, "Was I?"

Everyone looked up from their desk, looked at Ali, nodded and went back to work.

Kyle pulled up a chair and sat down next to Ali.

"You've been like this for the past few weeks, you know," Kyle pointed out, "If you're not going to be doing anything about it, then just stop thinking about it."

Ali sat back down in a huff.

"You're worse than Sam," Kyle said, egging him on, "He wouldn't even dare to make a move until he had every single detail planned and laid out. You?"

Kyle poked him in the forehead, "You already have all your plans yet you don't dare take that first step."

Ali swatted that offending finger off his forehead and growled.

Kyle growled back.

Suddenly, Xing Han pounced in between them and started growling as well then asked, "What are we growling for?"

Ali blinked and shook his head, laughing.

"You guys are hopeless," he said.

Kyle slapped down a piece of paper in front of Ali.

He picked it up, asking, "What's this?"

"Congratulations!!" Kyle shouted, his eyes wide open while clasping his hands in front of him, "You have won the grand prize of being in charge of the farewell party!"

Xing Han gave the Macaulay Culkin famous pose from 'Home Alone' - his eyes wide open, his mouth in a huge "O" position and his hands on his cheeks as he sucked in his breath loudly through his mouth.

Ali looked at the piece of paper.

All it had on it were the bold words "Natasha Kinsky's Farewell Party" right in the middle of the paper.

Ali flipped it over and two names popped up:

1. Muhammad Ali - Organiser

2. Sophia - Helper

3. Whoever you want, as Secondary Helper - NO

Ali waved the piece of paper that had his name on it at Kyle, "What the heck is this?"

"Well, this is Natasha's last year at Sakura Academy, you know," Kyle said softly, referring to their Sage Classmate.

"I know that," Ali said, "I wasn't talking about the farewell party. I'm talking about this!"

Ali pointed specifically to the names listed there at the back.

Kyle just looked at him like he was an idiot.

Then he opened his mouth and said slowly, "It's your name. You. Leader. You. Arrange party. With Sophia."

Ali gnashed his teeth, staring at Kyle, "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Pretending not to know what I'm talking about."

Kyle raised an eyebrow and replied, "Do you really need an explanation? Duh. I'm giving you the opportunity to spend time with Sophia before the year ends."

Kyle got up, patting him on the shoulder, saying, "Use the time wisely. Make your decision and do what you need to do. Stop dragging your feet and take the next step, you fool."

Ali pursed his lips, watching Kyle go off while Xing Han was practically hanging onto him. Wailing something about pork chops ...

Ali focused back on the task at hand, staring at the piece of paper.

Kyle was right.

Picking up his phone, he started texting Sophia.

Ali was thinking hard while he was texting.

<Hey, you busy? I was wondering> Ali's fingers stopped.

Ali scrunched his face. No. that was wrong. He never sounded so pathetic before. She would think he was up to something. Well, he was but she's not to know about it! It had to sound natural. Natural.

He tried again, deleting the text and started texting again.

<Hey, what's up? Could you help me?>

Ali scrutinised the text.

Urgh. No. What was that? It sounded like he was contacting her just to ask for help. Well, he was but it didn't have to be that obvious.

Delete! Delete!

<Hi! Busy? Need a favour>

Ali smacked his head when he read that. It's so ... stupid. Domineering? Taking her for granted and didn't even bother giving a full sentence?

Ali angrily deleted the text. He tried again.

<Hi, Sophia? You busy? Need your help on something. Text me when you're free>

Ali looked at the message and re-read it ten times before nodding his head, satisfied.

Not to needy, not too desperate. Not too long, not too short. Sounds normal. Like a normal friend asking for a favour.

He quickly pressed the 'send' button before he changed his mind.

He put down the phone, and he discovered that there were beads of sweat on his forehead. He took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it, wondering ... since when did texting someone become so freaking hard?!

?? Sophia ??

At lunch break, Sophia took out her phone from her bag and was surprised to see a text message from Ali. Unlike Sage Class students, students in the normal class like her were forbidden to have their phones out during class time. Otherwise, it would get confiscated.

She eagerly unlocked her phone and read the message, a smile on her face.

"Why do you have that goofy look on your face, huh?" the girl at the next table asked then teased her, "A text from your boyfriend, huh?"

"No," Sophia answered, saying as she replied to the text, "Just a good friend."

The girl snorted but didn't say anything. The way Sophia was behaving, it was obvious that the 'good friend' status may not be for long.

<For you? I'm free anytime. What's up?>

Right after Sophia sent the text, she panicked. Did that sound desperate? Would Ali misunderstand? Rather, would Ali figure out her feelings that she's been keeping hidden?

She quickly sent another text.

<Your best bud here has got your back!>

Sophia patted her chest, thinking that it was good she was a quick thinker.

In Sage Class, Ali had been holding onto his phone, staring at it since lunch break started, waiting impatiently for her to reply. The moment the text came in amidst the sound of tinkling bells, he quickly opened it.

Reading the first text got him excited. See? She responded so quickly to help! No questions asked. For me, free anytime?

Ali had a goofy look on his face until he read the next line.

'Best bud? Best bud?!'

Ali didn't want to be her best bud. He snorted angrily, thought deeply and text again. They started conversing.

'Great! You're a lifesaver, best bud! Do you have any co-k activities today?' - Ali

'No.' - Sophia

'Great! Meet you in the cafeteria? I can tell you during lunch. My treat' - Ali

'Sure' - Sophia

'Great! See you there' - Ali

Ali grinned stupidly again as he managed to secure a date with Sophia, even though she didn't know it. Then he looked at the chat.

He groaned and slumped his head on his desk, still holding the phone with the screen of the chat open.

Since when did he become an idiot? He said 'great' at the start of each sentence? What was wrong with him??

It was as if, the moment he was aware of his feelings for Sophia, he couldn't act normally. He was so self-conscious and nervous that he became stupid.

"Whoa, Ali. I didn't think you were that dorky," came a voice from behind him.

Ali turned his head, to see Xing Han looking at him in amusement. Ali put the phone face down, so no one could see it anymore and he growled at him, "What do you know?"

"I know enough to know that you're being dorky," Xing Han replied.

"Shut up," Ali growled.

Xing Han laughed and shook his head. Ali really is like a beast sometimes. He just growls when he's annoyed. Or angry. The only time Xing Han growls is when he's hungry.

He patted his stomach, lamenting at how much smaller it was. Well, he was trying to get fit now so the fact that it was actually working should be good, right?

But it meant less of his favourite food.

Wasn't fair that Kyle seemed to eat like a pig yet not gain an ounce. He still had that stupid physique of his.

Xing Han gritted his teeth and stared at Kyle's back.

He pounced on Kyle, hanging on his back and wrapping his arms around Kyle's neck, saying, "It's lunchtime! Let's eat!! Come on come on come on!!"

Kyle slumped over his desk, groaning while Xing Han's weight pressed down on him, "Xing Han. Aren't you supposed to be watching your food intake?"

"I am watching it," Xing Han protested, "I'm watching as I am eating. You could say I'm on a seafood diet."

"I see food, I eat."

"Xing Han, I didn't think you'd be able to deliver dad jokes even before you're a dad," Kyle mumbled, then got up, bringing up Xing Han at the same time.

"Fine, come on," Kyle said, "Remember to add in the report for your Dad - say that I'll have you lose weight and get fit. Then he'll definitely let you spend the holidays with me."

"Really?! So I should eat even more now so that the weight loss would be so much more dramatic!" Xing Han said enthusiastically.

"As if you weren't doing that already," Kyle said with a laugh as Xing Han finally peeled himself off Kyle's back.

He shook his head as Xing Han kept on talking about what sort of food he was going to order later.

Truth be told, Kyle was looking forward to Xing Han spending the holidays with him. Spending nearly 8 months away for filming made him miss all of this far more than he thought he would.

He smiled to himself, letting Xing Han lead the way.