~Recap~

While everyone has already grouped with their fellows to hangout or for lunch during the break, Azura is here at her locker nonchalantly placing and settling her stuff. Some of nostalgia and memorandums come across her hands as she picks them our and admires them.

She strokes her fingertips on the set of photographs she has in her hands as a smile of glee appears on her lips.

“Is this a good time to talk to you?”

Azura flinched at the sudden arrival of the noise and all the pictures in her hands fell down on the floor. She swifts back to look at the unexpected visitor and by now, she was not surprised to suspect this very person to be Theo anymore.

______

“I am so sorry to interrupt you in between your business and making a mess for you. Please, let me.” Theo insists as he sits down to the floor with Azura and helps her with collecting the photographs of a family. Precisely numerous pictures of an unknown woman whom Theo assumed to be Azura's mother. “Such a beautiful woman.”

It hasn't even been a second for Theo to leave that comment and Azura is already glaring at him for his act which makes him lower his eyes in an attempt to avoid the daggers given by the latter.

Though, it doesn't take him much time to lift his face back to the lady, admiring her rarely visible beauty which she seems to have hiding behind her black baggy outfit all the time. “Hey, I'm sorry if my words offended you. I just meant to compliment that lady in the picture.”

Azura once again gazes in an unimpressed way at Theo and the man expects some yelling to hear because of which he closes his eyes.

However, the unheard voice never came and even the presence next to him seemed to have faded away.

Theo opens his eyes in a blink only to find that the young lady is leaving him unattended, once again. He rushes towards her and unintentionally holds onto her wrist to precent her moving any further. Preventing her to move away from him.

“Azura.”

And of course, Azura could and would definitely scream at this point at Theo but the matter has come to a point that she is just stunned to even make a simple conflict of sound.

Her eyes are wide and her mouth is slightly agape. Instead of noticing her wrist held by Theo, she is staring in the man's eyes. It happens to be Theo notices his own deed as he swifts his hand back and only then Azura realizes that he was holding her hand even.

Just after a few moments, Theo begins rambling, “I am so very sorry. I didn't mean that. Please. That was an accident. You can report this and me as well to the principal if you want. I will bear the consequences. Just please don't get me wrong and most of all, don't hate me.”

Out of everything that Theo imagined to receive in response, Azura decides to ask, “What are you?”

There could be a thousand reasons for Theo to have such a haze in his state. Like, hearing Azura's voice for the first time. Having a touch whether unintended. Being so close to her that he never imagined. Though, despite all those reasons, the only reason that seemed the most accurate one was fear.

Fear that he had in his eyes as if his deepest and darkest secret was revealed.

Even Azura frowns in confusion. “Why are you behaving as if you're in a live viva and the professor has asked you the question that you skipped the most?”

Blinking at the lady's question, Theo comes back to his senses and whoa… She wasn't totally wrong about him feeling as if he was in a viva because gosh… Was he terrified? “Yes!”

“Umm, what do you mean by yes?” Asks the young woman.

“Yes, I mean, I would definitely be frightened if there would be a question in the assessment that I haven't prepared for.” The man answers hastily.

“Exactly. Because this isn't an examination nor did I ask such a question to have you stunned like that?”

A startled chuckle leaves out of Theo's mouth as he adds, “Obviously, you did. I mean, you can clearly see that I'm just a normal honors student like you. A normal human and yet you asked that.”

“Well, that's because it actually seems doubtful if you're all after me instead of many others here who are much better than me to be with. Just like Cindy herself. Yet you're after a weirdo like me which makes you a weirdo as well.” Azura snaps and the man frowns.

“What? I'm not after you because I'm a weirdo. Though, it does make it look weird to think that I'm always trying to talk to you but not for any such weird intentions.” Theo explains with generosity.

The woman keeps on her perplexity as she voices, “Then why are you bothering me? What do you want from me?” Her voice almost sounded as if she could cry at this point and Theo felt excessively bad for this. It seemed as if he was the reason she was acting this way.

Which he even somehow was.

“Friendship.”

There was a moment of silence as soon as the word friendship was left out by Theo. Azura's expression felt as if she heard some magical words which she never expected to be.

“I want to talk to you. To know you. To become good friends with you. And all that only if you're okay with it. Which I hope that you are?” The adds the quotation with a glimpse of hope in the end.

Azura kept staring at the man for a few more seconds before she began speaking once again. “And why would you want to be a friend of mine? I'm not interesting, funny or anything like that in the first place. Besides, I've never been in any such friendship so maybe it will not work anyway.”

“Hey, no, no. I'm not even looking for all that you mentioned. It's not about being funny or entertaining or anything like that. It's about… You being you. Your silence amongst all, your uniqueness makes me want to know you more.” Theo takes a subtle breath in between his statement before he concludes. “I feel like you're a dark mystery book which hasn't been opened and read by anyone. Because of which they are missing out on something that they haven't even imagined in their lives. And I for sure don't want to miss out this chance to get to know you, Azura.”