Chapter 53: I Want Him (1)
3RD GRADE – MORNING BREAK – CANTEEN CORNER
The canteen was loud. Kids running, laughing, trading snacks. The smell of fried food and cheap juice filled the air.
But in the corner near the trash bins, it was quiet.
Too quiet.
Syka was backed against the wall. Her snack — a small bag of crackers she'd been saving all morning — was clutched to her chest. Her hands were shaking.
Three boys stood in front of her. The leader was taller than the others. His uniform was wrinkled. His smile was mean.
"Give it," he said.
Syka shook her head.
"I said give it."
She shook her head again.
The leader grabbed her wrist. She flinched. He pulled her closer.
"Don't make me—"
"Let her go."
The voice came from behind them. Calm. Quiet. But firm.
The leader turned. A boy stood there. Brown hair. Brown eyes. Not tall. Not big. Just... there.
El.
The leader laughed. "And who are you?"
"Someone who doesn't like bullies."
The leader let go of Syka. Turned to face El. "You're going to regret—"
El moved.
Not fast. Not flashy. Just... precise.
He grabbed the leader's wrist. Twisted. The leader yelped. El punched him. Once. Clean. The leader stumbled back, clutching his face.
The other two boys froze. El looked at them. They looked at each other. Then at their leader, groaning on the ground.
They ran.
El watched them go. Then he turned.
Syka was still against the wall. Her hands were still shaking. Her crackers were still clutched to her chest. Her eyes were wide.
El walked toward her. Stopped in front of her.
"Are you okay?"
Syka opened her mouth. Nothing came out.
He saved me.
He actually saved me.
He—
He's like a knight.
Like a prince.
Like—
"Syka?"
She blinked. "I—yes. I'm okay."
El nodded. He looked at her crackers. "Are those yours?"
She nodded.
"Good." He almost smiled. Almost. "Eat them before the bell rings."
He turned to walk away.
"Wait—"
He stopped. Looked back.
Syka's cheeks were red. Her heart was pounding. She couldn't stop staring at him.
"What's your name?" she asked.
"El."
"I'm Syka."
"I know."
He walked away.
Syka watched him go.
He knows my name.
He knows my name.
He—
She hugged her crackers to her chest.
I'll remember this forever.
---
6TH GRADE – CANTEEN – MORNING BREAK
The canteen was still loud. Still smelled like fried food and cheap juice. But now Syka was sitting at a table. With El. With Demi.
She was eating turon — fried banana wrapped in spring roll wrapper, sprinkled with sugar. Sweet. Sticky. Her favorite.
El and Demi were talking. Something about English grammar.
"...so the subject and the verb have to agree," El was saying. "If the subject is singular, the verb has to be singular. If the subject is plural—"
"The verb has to be plural," Demi finished. "I know that. I just don't care."
"You should care. It's important."
"Says who?"
"Says the teacher."
"The teacher doesn't know my life."
El almost smiled. Almost.
Syka watched them.
He's so patient with him.
He's always been patient.
Even when we were younger.
Even when—
When he saved me.
When he—
He held my hand.
He said I was safe.
He said—
She smiled. Her cheeks felt warm.
He's my hero.
He's always been my hero.
He just doesn't know it.
"Syka?"
She blinked.
El was looking at her. His brown eyes were steady. Calm. Patient.
"Syka? Do you have notes for English grammar? I'm a bit lost on the lesson."
Syka opened her mouth.
Nothing came out.
Demi leaned forward. Grinned. "She's spacing out again."
"I'm not—"
"You were." Demi reached for her turon. "You gonna finish that?"
Syka's hand moved before she could think. She grabbed her turon. Held it to her chest. Just like she held the crackers all those years ago.
Demi blinked. "Wow. Fast reflexes."
"It's mine."
"I know. I was just joking."
"You were not joking."
"Okay, I was not joking. But now I'm joking."
Syka narrowed her eyes. Took a bite of her turon.
Demi laughed. "She's like a dragon. A very small, very protective dragon."
"I'm not a dragon."
"You're a dragon who guards her food."
"I'm not—"
"Fragile girl," Demi said. "You were spacing out. What were you thinking about?"
Syka's cheeks turned red. She looked at El. Looked at Demi. Looked back at El.
"Nothing," she said. "I was just... remembering something."
"Remembering what?"
"Just... something from a long time ago."
Demi tilted his head. "Something good?"
Syka smiled. "Something good."
El was still looking at her. "So... notes?"
"Oh!" Syka reached for her bag. "Yes. I have them. Here."
She pulled out her notebook. Handed it to El.
He took it. Flipped through the pages. "Thanks. This helps."
"Anytime."
He smiled. Not almost. Not barely. A real smile.
Syka's heart skipped.
He smiled at me.
He smiled at me.
He—
"Syka."
She blinked. Demi was grinning again.
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Spacing out."
"I wasn't—"
"You were." Demi pointed at El. "He smiled and you froze."
"I didn't freeze."
"Your face is red."
"It's not red."
"It's very red."
"It's—"
El closed the notebook. Looked at her. "Thanks again, Syka."
She swallowed. "You're welcome."
She looked down at her turon.
I'll remember this forever.
Just like I remembered the first time.
I'll remember every moment.
Every single one.
---
3RD GRADE – AFTER SCHOOL
Syka sat at her desk. The classroom was empty. Everyone had gone home. But she stayed.
She was drawing.
A knight. A princess. A castle.
The knight had brown hair. Brown eyes.
The princess had her face.
She looked at the drawing.
He saved me.
He really saved me.
And I'll never forget it.
Never.
Not even when I'm old.
Not even when I'm gone.
I'll remember.
I'll remember him.
Forever.