Angry city

Chapter 2: Surprised

Alex dropped in while Jenny was writing her essay in the library. After classes, if she didn’t go to the science room, she often went to the library to sit until evening to plan contents for the media channels – it was for the research team. The quiet space here made her more focused. Partly because she hated the sight of Charles surrounded by female members. He seemed nice to everyone.

“Charles asked me why you left this morning,” Alex whispered to Jenny because they were not allowed to make noise in the library. There was also a time when he had spoken so loud. The librarian had got angry and had told him to go out.

Jenny looked at Alex pulling out his iPad and his stylus to edit the sketch and suddenly felt a little strange. He didn’t like quiet places like libraries, especially after getting kicked out by the librarian. The over 6’ tall, smoky hair, and well-groomed style always made Alex stand out and be easily recognized.

“Then what did you answer?” Jenny whispered back.

Alex shrugged his shoulders and said, “You go research a new project with me,” and then he smirked. He had a slightly spoiled smile, despite being a nice guy. Sometimes there was something contradictory in his personality. The first time she met him - a year and a half ago - Jenny realized that. Alex’s appearance was more like an art school student or freelance singer than that of a guy passionate about scientific research.

“Do you want to make a time machine? I thought you were just joking?” Jenny asked him.

Sometimes she found Alex’s ideas even more ambitious and crazier than Charles’s. Alex wanted to time travel into the past. The scientific research team was full of enthusiasts like that. The most “hard playing” was the university, very willing to encourage the student's research. This was also the reason that this university became the top in Genright City and the ideal place to study.

“If you want to know if I’m joking or not, you just have to wait and see if mine finishes first or Charles’s drug finishes first, hahaha,” he said and smiled happily. Alex would love to compete with Charles like that. They were also close friends.

“I don’t know the future. But what I’m sure of is that now we’ll be kicked out for making noise,” Jenny said. “Let’s go, Alex, before that happens.”

***

“Hey, do you think I would make Charles jealous?” Alex asked her, half-jokingly.

They were sitting in Jamart - a cafe near the campus - to continue writing essays. They often went to this coffee shop when they felt stuck in university.

So far, Jenny had been joking around about Alex being kicked out of the library last time and drinking a latte with a new recipe that her friend, who was Jamart’s barista, had just invented. Jenny shook her glass of light brown latte filled with ice, looking at Alex.

“What? That you told us to go work on a new project?”

“Yeah,” He said. Something like shyness appeared in his dilated, amused blue eyes. Jenny didn’t know why.

Wait. She thought Alex was the overconfident type? Since when had he becomes shy?

“Who knows? I don’t care anymore,” Jenny said, taking a sip of her latte. This drink was quite delicious, fatty, not too sweet, and not too bitter. The smell was good, too. The friend who worked here looked suspicious but had a taste, not kidding. Jenny looked over at her, pointed at the glass of latte, and gave her a thumbs up. The friend immediately glared back “I told you so”.

When Jenny looked back, Alex’s blue eyes were still staring at her. She didn’t know if it was because she was sentimental or if the afternoon sun was slowly fading, that look was a little sad. It wasn’t quite fit the situation, but the sad look on Alex’s face was artistically beautiful. Charles was different. He didn’t get upset easily. No, Jenny had never seen him sad. She didn’t know if it was because she was not close enough to see him or if he was never sad. She wished she could know.

Alex suddenly said, “I feel worried for you.”

Damn it. Every time she thought about Charles, her head hurt, and she put on such a boring face.

“Don’t worry. I’m not too sad,” Jenny said. “I knew from the start that we were going nowhere.”

Sometimes, she regretted coming to this city, joining the science group, and getting to know Charles. Perhaps this affection should have stopped with admiration. She stroked her hair, trying to stop thinking about it and change the subject when Alex said, “In that case, Jenny, do you want to start a relationship with someone else?”

Jenny looked at Alex in surprise. He had always been serious about relationships but this time he gave her the unwise advice.

“Someone else? Like who?” She asked him. She was curious.

“Me.”

What?

***

Why did everything have to be so crazy?

Jenny laid on her stomach on the bed, trying to finish her essay but not be able to focus on it. The laptop in front of her had automatically turned off the screen light several times. She turned it on and then looked at it again but couldn’t type a word. After a while, she decided to fold it and hit her head on the pillow. In the afternoon, she also asked Alex why he was telling her that at that time. Because at that time, her feelings were so flustering and chaotic. Alex’s reply was, “I was going to tell you, but you told me you liked Charles first,”

Well. Everything was as chaotic as the rhythm of life in this city.

The first day she joined the scientific research team flashed in her mind. In the past, the team had only had less than ten people. And getting in had been more difficult than she had expected. Professor Keylor - the manager - made her submit a so very long research essay and application for admission. The team also was not allowed to use the university’s lab comfortably and their meetings were spontaneous. When Jenny came to talk to Charles, he was sitting with three other people in the green zone of the library. This zone was another area where group study and conversation were allowed at a medium volume. The rules were not as strict as those of the zone Alex and she sat in the afternoon. After the greeting trying not to get too excited and flustered (for meeting her crush), Jenny thought so, she remembered she asked Charles this, “Have you ever thought that doing research without anyone knowing it would be a bit of a waste?”

“You think so?” He answered with a question, apparently not interested.

“Yeah. We should have a media team to build the team’s image to attract investment...”

“This is a science club, not an art club,” the brown-haired girl with glasses sitting next to him suddenly commented.

That sentence turned Jenny off. She was about to refute but was afraid of making a bad impression on the team, so she restrained herself.

“I think every industry needs media support,” finally she said.

That girl looked at Jenny with surprise. “Really?” She said.

Everyone else in the room glanced at Jenny as if she were an art student or an economics student who had strayed into this group. She smiled weakly and looked back, was about to walk over to the chair in the corner and sit down so as not to attract more attention when an excited voice spoke, “Sounds good. The media always has its power. I’ll join you. What’s your name?”

It was the smoky-haired guy who sat with Charles. Then he introduced himself as Alex.

Right. He’d also been her biggest supporter ever since.