A new friend suggestion

*rings

  I jump from the notification on my phone since it's late night and dead silence dawns all over. I check and it is a new friend suggestion from someone on snapchat. 

I ignore and continue to finish my work to sleep. 

The following morning, I felt bad for reaching highschool late. I sprinted to the geography class after quickly parking my bicycle. When i reached the door, it was already closed and i knew i was in trouble then. Plus i sneaked a look inside and saw the professor scolding a girl. It was better to leave than to be the next prey. 

I left the class and went to sit in the park bench. I spied a few teenagers there, probably the non-academic ones. I took a seat in the distant corner near a wall draped with mosses, facing the school building. After a while of self-reading of the to-be-taught geography chapter in today's class, I looked up to find a boy staring at me from the lunette window at the topmost floor of the A-side school building. He seemed a bit blur to be fully comprehended but i could see his brunette side fringe hairs and a fair face. After our eyes stared for a good 2 minutes, he left. I don't remember seeing him before. It must be a coincidence whatever i saw, but I can't guess if he had been staring for too long. I brush it off my mind and collect together my books for the next class.

When i reached in too early, i took a seat in the middle and took out my phone. Through the window, the clouds seem to be clouding together to fall and the brightness outside dimmed. I realized the last night notification was still there when i remember swiping it out. I again swipe it out and continue my scroll. 

"That's me"

I jumped so suddenly i almost fell when i heard the voice at my back. I catched my chest and looked back to find the same boy i saw at the window sitting at the immediate back seat. He has blue eyes.

"You scared me, duh." I let out a few quick sucked up breaths and turned back. 

"By the way, snooping is a very bad habit." 

He is sitting so still, i almost took his appearance for a dummy doll. 

"Sorry if i scared you. I just wanted to make friends."

"Well, that, as far as i have seen, is surely not how you make 'friends'." I darkened my tone.

"But politely sent you a request."

I narrowed my eyes at him and opened my snapchat.

"I don't make friends."

"But you did just 15 minutes ago."

I goggled my eyes in realization. "Staring is a bad habit too." And now i know much that he had been staring the while i was talking to a calote.

"Fine. I've never had a friend before. Will you be one?"

"And why do you think i will be a suitable friend for you?"

"You just seem like a good person."

I stare at him a bit and come to a conclusion in my mind. 

"Fine. But why do you even want to make friends?"

"My mom says friends are like clouds in your white empty papers, rain in your happy moments, sunshine on your darkest days, um..um-"

"Oh, okay fine. Fine. We are friends now. Nice to meet yo though. I'm Mary, you?"

Suddenly he starts glaring at me like he would swollow me whole before anyone ever got to know about a new friendship. I thumped his bench loudly to get his attention but he didn't flinch. He was actually glaring. 

"What?"

"Your eyes are hazel. Do you know what this color signifies?"

"Yes. It signifies kindness, curiousity, etc." I said proudly.

"Fine."

"You didn't tell me your name."

"Is it important to share names in friendship?"

"Of course! How would i know then what to call you?" That is so odd to say.

"Is it it?"

"Yeah like it's that general. What the hell do you mean like if we know each other we should know each other's names."

"I don't see how that is important."

"Fine. I will call you dummy then. Will that be okay then?" I scoffed.

"No." He looks down and says after wondering a bit. "My name is Calif."

"And why did that took you so long?"

"I have never told anyone my name before."

"I'll call you Cali then."

"No. Call me Calif."

"Friendships don't have rules. I'll call you Cali and that's it."

"Even if the other person disagrees?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Children started to fill up and the class started after 5 minutes. All the while we sat and studied, i saw with my side eye that Calif was looking out of the window the entire time. When the class ended, after packing my stuff, i looked back for Calif but his seat was empty. Why did he leave without me?

I went out and searched for him in the hallway but he was nowhere to be found. I secured my locker then and went out to grab my bicycle, when i saw him standing beside my bicycle. 

"How did you know it was mine?" I don't know if i should have asked about him leaving before me.

"I saw you yesterday."

"Have you been stalking me for like a week?"

"No. Just since 2 days."

"That is so bad."

"And that is how i know you always lock your bicycle." I glared at him while took my ride out. 

"And how do you leave for home?"

"Um, i walk by."

"Where do you live?"

He suddenly looked up and stared at me for too long till i remember many children leaving the campus.

"You have a blog right?"

"Yes, but how do you know?"

"Send me the link when you reach home."

And he sprinted in the direction left to the school gate without saying another word. He is so weird and he just stares a lot.

I reached home and parked my cycle where i usually do, in the garage. But while i was leaving it there i noticed a paper note in my basket. I unfolded it to find a number, 29, and under it written in an almost incomprehensible handwriting, Calif.

I wondered for a while in my room, after having my lunch, to where text him my blog link and ask the meaning of the note, till it struck me about the friend suggestion. I quickly opened my friend suggestion and found his account hanging in the suggestion box. I accpeted his request and sent him my queries. 

To my surprise, he quickly replied a 'thankyou' to my link but left my question unread. I again sent him a message highlighting the question. But this time no reply came soon.

It came when i was about to sleep after doing all my work at night. 

"I didn't send you any note, where did you get it?"

"Your name is written under the note. Don't lie."

"I must have mistakenly dropped it in your basket. It was a math answer i wanted to ask professor about."

"Okay"

"Are you about to sleep?"

"Of course"

"okay"

I didn't reply and dozed off. 

When i woke up the next day, i found a message by him reading 'rule1: friends don't lie'.