CHAPTER ONE;
The First Talk

She was only in her first year in high school when Althea met Tyler. He was more dazzling than the sun, one can't help but squint their eyes when they see him. Tyler was one year ahead of her.

She was 15 that time, and Tyler was 16.

Of course, as a normal teenager, Althea is also a victim of his charms. She sometimes blush when their eyes met, then hastily drag her eyes away, making the other intrigued and curious of her.

She can even still remember their first conversation like it was yesterday.

--

Lunch.

The cafeteria is full of students as usual. The place was chaotic that even scraps of foods were flying in the air. The voices of other students are loud enough to drown the conversation of others. Some looked at the noisiest group with disdain.

Lunch is supposedly peaceful!

Althea, who was sitting alone near the corner, was busy with her books. Her foods are remained untouched on the corner. She cannot bother eating them since the finals are coming. She's conscious about her grades. Failure is not an option for her.

Her head is bowed as she was reading and high lighting the important words and phrases and she naturally did not noticed the almost flying figure heading towards her table.

Althea's focus is topnotch, she did not even noticed a fight broke out.

As the flying figure, who was unfortunately kicked by his enemy, flew towards her table, another sturdy figure appeared just in time. He stopped the figure from directly crashing towards Althea's table, but because of the force, he was pushed back a little and managed to distrupt the still table of Althea.

Althea was in the middle of highlighting a sentence when her table moved. The pen was pushed upward.

Stratled, she raised her head to see what was going on. Many heads are turned towards her table and stared at the two figures in front of her. Some were laughing loudly, some were frowning since their lunch is ruined. It was too noisy that she can't make up almost the words they said.

But she still managed to caught one word; Tyler.

Suprised, Althea focused her attention at the man who was currently laughing while holding another man by his collar.

The man, who was apparently Tyler, was facing his back to her. He's body built is sturdy and the lines of his muscles are visible under his shirt.

What is he doing here? Althea asked herself.

As she was busy asking herself why, Tyler suddenly whipped his head to look at her over his shoulder. Incidentally, their eyes met.

At once, Althea blushed. Why not? She has been crushing on him ever since she saw Tyler on the school grounds months ago. That time, too, their eyes met. As the weakest one between them, Althea was the one who dragged her eyes away and stumbling for escape.

So, naturally, she did not saw him gazing at her back with amusement on his eyes.

Althea really scolded herself that day. Stupid! She's usually calm and rational, but how can she be flustered by just one man?

Come on Althea! You have faced many men already!

"Hey."

A low and tempting voice pulled her out from her internal battle.

Althea almost jolted in shock, fortunately, she stopped herself. She looked at Tyler with wide eyes.

Di- Did Tyler just talked to me?!

She was already squirming inside but she she remained calm, except for her traitor cheeks and ears that were currently reddening in shame.

"Hey, hello."

Althea mentally sighed in relief. Thank goodness, I did not stammered, if she did, she would literally dig a hole and bury herself, or just pray for the ground to open up and swallow her whole. She can't take such humiliation. Not in front of anyone, and absolutely not in front of this man.

Seeing that Tyler was still staring at her, she blushed even more and hastily looked down then she pretended that she was reading. She wanted to persist and stubbornly hold their gaze together but she can't handle the intensity of his gaze. She cowered, like she always did.

Unbeknownst to Althea, a smoft smile with a hidden amusement appeared on Tyler's face, only to disappear a second after.

"Is this sit taken?" Tyler asked.

Althea raised her gaze again, but carefully avoiding his piercing eyes. She was already composed and the red tint of her ears and cheeks were already gone as if it never existed in the first place.

'Aw,' Tyler thought. 'Such disappoinment.'

If Althea happens to hear what he was thinking, surely, she will not only have red cheeks and ears, but from toes to head, will be colored with flaming red. Her head might even let out some steam.

But unfortunately for Tyler, she isn't a mind reader, nor a psychic.

Althea looked at the plastic chair he was referring to and shook her head. She was thinking about saying it was, but she did not want to be rude. Besides, she have no friends in the campus. Not that she did not want to have one, it's just that, no one approached her. That is understandable though, she is after all a transferee.

"No, it isn't."

"Sweet!" Tyler sat down almost immediately after Althea said her reply and, once again, bore his gaze towards Althea.

Althea was feeling really, really uncomfortable under his gaze. She straightened her back and asked.

"... Is there something wrong with my face?"

"No, of course there isn't."

'So why are you staring at me like that?' Althea wants to ask, but she have no courage to do so.

Althea just nodded and pretended to read her books again.

Even if wants to focus, she can feel Tyler's gaze on her. How can she focus?! One cannot focus if they knew that someone is staring at them. Of course she's not an exemption. Unless she was already too focused about something before they gaze hard at her, she won't notice.

But Althea is fully aware that someone is staring at her. And that the man who was staring at her is not a random person, he was the person she was crushing for months now!

She originally thought that it will just last for days, now, after many months, she confirmed that it did not even lessen, worse, it even intensified!

How in the world?!

Althea is a rational woman. She firmly believes that there's no thing such as love at first sight!

She can't explain it herself, but she took the liking of looking at him from a far.

"So, how about you?"

Tyler suddenly asked. Althea's internal suffering paused for a while after she heard him talking to her again. She looked up and Tyler directly hold her gaze. His deep green eyes are holding her aquamarine one.

Those eyes...

Althea unconsciously holds her breath. Those captivating eyes again!

"Althea, how about you?" He asked again. His eyes showing a small smile.

Althea was startled. How did he know her name?!

"What about me?"

Tyler smiled and leaned back to the chair he was sitting. He crossed his arms accrosed his chest, not breaking their eye contact even for a second.

"Althea, how about you?" He paused for a while before his smile widen. But unlike his previous smiles that carries carelessness and amusement, the smile he was showing right now was full of seriousness.
"Are you taken?"

Silence engulfed their table.

It took a minute or so until Althea understood what Tyler just said. She opened her mouth but nothing came out, she closed it again.

Thi- thi- this Tyler is, Tyler is, Tyler is too lame! He's lame! Super lame! That was not cool at all!

Even though she has that in mind, under the gaze of many students inside the cafeteria, Althea's face heat up. Her face is colored in deep, deep, red.

--

If only she knew what will happen 4 years from that, she would never, ever asked that question.

No, if she did know, she will never, ever meet those eyes of his again