imagination /ɪˌmadʒɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/
a creation of the mind, especially: an idealized or poetic creation.
In the four years he had spent in this school, Zachary was never tasked with something outside of his own schoolwork by someone else. Yet fate would have him be the subject of several “favors” that day, to people he never or rarely spoke with before, as if it was mocking him and spitting in his face.
Due to the recent absence of Mrs. Grace, there was no one left assigned to his class for the literature subject, leading to an incompetent substitute teacher coming in her place. That teacher had him as her “assistant” that day, with help from a “unanimous” vote of the rest of his class.
And so, he was thrown into situations he had never experienced before.
One minute he would be collecting papers from the students while they all left, and in the other, he would be rushing to deliver some late documents to the teacher’s “supervisor.” It was a cruel thing, almost ludicrous, having him carry the weight and the faults of a blundering tutor, and a temporary one at that.
If he weren’t so inept during school time (and was set on just passing the year without raising any trouble even if it cost him inconvenience sometimes), he would be out and about in the school halls, howling criticism over her.
But of course, a student’s worth amounted to nothing but dirt.
To Zachary, this was worse than a filler chapter in a shoddy teen drama book — not that he had particularly read anything of the sort.
“Crap! I’m so late!” He came to a realization.
Making it in time for the meeting place with Lauren was just not in his forte that day. After he was done, he rushed out of the school as fast as possible.
“Please be there!” He said as he made a run for it.
Perhaps working his legs like this was going to be his claim to fame in his chase for that ultimate dream. It was a simple jest in his thoughts, but it was enough to put a smile on his face and make him push through.
Sprinting like this reminded him of the moment he ran out in the rain to get back to Lauren and tell her how he felt and what he truly wanted. He was even repeating the same words.
The difference this time, however, is that he had faith that the girl he almost left out in the rain yesterday was going to wait for him. But then again, his undesired, yet logical thoughts came back to him: there can only be so much time a person can wait for someone.
Missing the meeting won’t mean the end but it wasn’t without consequences.
“You have to… you have to…,” he was losing his breath, “You have to be there… please…!”
He had to make it no matter the cost.
He did not want that setback.
He had to run.
With vim and vigor, Zachary Ashworth ran.
△▼△▼△▼△▼△
Lauren Cherith did not particularly have anything of interest that day.
Being the optimal type of student, she was relieved of her duties in anticipation of this day. It may seem like her hangout invitation to Zachary the other day was out of the blue and something that came on the spot.
That wasn’t the case though.
Everything that had gone down the day before; she planned for, not to the extent of every action taken or sentence that was said, so it was more like she anticipated it.
But it was all plausible.
After all, she couldn’t let go of possibly the only person who understood her.
Despite her popularity among students, she never felt truly at a place she was comfortable with till she spotted Zachary a year ago, writing his little short story in the school’s library. She was mesmerized by his determination as she would see him every day doing the same process — think, write, erase, repeat — and never looked bothered by it. It took all her power to finally approach someone as inept as he was.
Thankfully, it was all worth it. Hearing that he desired the same dream as she, was like music to her ears. She was finally going to find a place she was comfortable, even if it was with one person.
“But where is he…?”
Her disappointment slowly built up as she let out a melancholic groan.
Lauren ended up waiting at the station as intended, but a little earlier than usual. She thought leaving early would guarantee her a meeting with Zachary, as he would always be one of the first students to leave — excluding the other day where he was the last one to leave. Yet he was still nowhere to be seen.
「Should I have waited in front of the school instead?」
As much of an organizer she was at most times, she also had her reckless and impulse-thinking moments.
With a few hours on end and nothing to do, she browsed her phone for anything of interest, to distract herself, till she waited a few more. He wasn’t picking up her calls and he wasn’t about to suddenly appear over the horizon. If he did not appear in the next ten minutes, which would be the third time the tram stopped by, then she would have to do nothing but take the ride and head to the location by herself — it was a place she would often visit, after all.
「Please show up…」
Scrolling through eye-opening headlines and media posts that would usually take up all her time on her phone, she was still thinking about Zachary, this day, and nothing else. Her distraction was not working.
*DING* *DING* *DING* *DING*
The bell echoed deep within her ears, frightening her for a second.
Riding the tram a million times was still not going to stop the sudden fright she would get upon hearing the bell. They were a quarter through the twenty-first century, yet the tram was still stuck with the bell of a train from two centuries ago.
Shaking off the awkwardness of that moment from her head, she thought about Zachary again. There were a few people around so it was easy to distinguish him if he were here somehow, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Doubt filled her mind and she felt the bottom of her heart ache.
「Was I… wrong about him?」
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