Hui Jie's POV:
Did I just...flirt? I slumped back in my chair and glued my eyes to the ground. No way I just said that. I pretended to read on my phone as my heart trashed about mercilessly against my ribcage. My mind thrummed as everything around me felt amplified—the clamour of the cafe staff; the ruckus from the pair of rowdy boys in the corner; the smell of the chair's leather. I became more sensitive to all these things as I focused hard on averting eye contact with anyone. More so, I was fully aware that Lilith was gaping at me.
"What did you just call me?" she whispered.
Even above the din, I could hear her loud and clear. However, I pretended to not have heard anything. Standing up, I shoved the remainder of my doughnut into my mouth.
"Oh look at the time," I said nervously, "we should get going."
Gathering all my things, I wandered out in a daze.
The others were already there when we arrived at the lobby.
"You're late, both of you!" the teacher chided.
Although I hated the teacher's nagging with all my heart, in that particular moment, I appreciated that more than anything in the world, thank god she saved me from the awkward tension brewing between Lilith and me.
"We weren't, miss. We arrived exactly on time," Lilith pointed out audaciously.
The teacher's eye twitched and she was about to say something before a classmate cut her off.
"Miss! The bus is here!"
The teacher took a last bitter look at us before turning on her heel and briskly walking away.
The bus ride to the elephant rescue park was especially draining, given that there was a duo of guys seated in front of me who would not stop turning around and bombarding me with questions. Gosh, why was it so difficult to get peace around here? What's more, most of their questions were about Lilith, ugh.
"What's her favourite food?"
"Her favourite colour?"
"Would she prefer perfume or a handbag as a gift?"
I groaned, "Could the both of you just shut up? What's with all the questions? Do you like her or something?"
Hearing that, the boys let out a high-pitched, girly squeal. I rolled my eyes and turned away, looking at Lilith, who was seated in the opposite row, for help. I witnessed her chuckle slightly before smiling at me apologetically. I pursed my lips. Luckily the bus ride ended shortly after.
I got up from my seat and snatched up my bag before bolting off before anyone else could torment me with more questions.
