?WINGLESS AND BEAUTIFUL?
?EPISODE 21?
If before, Chaise was pestering me, pretending to be cute
and teasing me around school, he was now staying away.
I could still see him watching me during lunch or on the
grounds when he was hanging out with some friends and I
happened to pass by.
I couldn’t make out the expression on his face. He looked genuinely hurt… or pissed.
“Did you do something to Chaise?” Denise asked me
one time during lunch. I was sitting with her at the far
corner of the cafeteria. Chaise was in the center table with
all the other popular boys and girls.
When I looked at Chaise, he was staring at me. He was
wearing a red jacket over his hooded sweater.
I stared at Denise for a while and then I shrugged.
“You know… ever since he came to school, he was
always watching you. He looked really interested.”
“Seriously?” I asked Denise. “Have you looked at my
face lately?”
Denise rolled her eyes. “Yes! And I say you’re pretty!
Prettier than most girls in this school. Prettier than Chelsea and her gang. And they didn’t have the scars you have.”
“Exactly! I have ugly scars.”
Denise sighed. “You’re beautiful, Alice. And when you
cover your scars with your hair like that… no one would
actually guess you weren’t flawless,” she said. “Chaise must have seen what I am seeing. Don’t you want to give him a chance?
Wasn’t he nice enough to help you out with your
job at his aunt’s shop? Maybe he really does like you.”
I shook my head.
“It’s still that guy, isn’t it?” Denise asked, looking at my necklace. “H?”
I looked down at my pendant and remembered Hunter.
Yes. It will always be Hunter.
“You don’t know what happened to him,” Denise said.
“Maybe he’s not coming back. Has he even called you since
he left? Emailed or snail-mailed you? If he’s serious about making you wait, he would have at least given you hope
that you are waiting for something.”
I bit my lip. I hate to admit it, but Denise had a point.
Where was Hunter? If he had a treatment, or a transplant, it
would have healed by now. If it was unsuccessful, then he
would have returned to the center. And if he’s back, he
would have called me, right?
After all, Meredith’s contact
numbers were still there. He had a way of reaching me. But I
had no way of reaching him.
Has he given up on me? On us?
“Maybe it’s time you give some other guy a chance,”
Denise said. “What if Chaise was serious about you? What if
he was sincere? He knows about your scars… and he’s still
making an effort to reach out to you.
Don’t you think that’s
reason enough to give him… a chance? Just get to know him
at least?”
“I don’t think so, Denise,” I said. “I don’t think I’d be
dating soon.”
“You won’t,” Denise said sadly. “Because you weren’t
even trying. Because your boyfriend… who may never come
back… still lives in you. You’re not even giving another guy a chance. I hope you think about this. Before it’s too late.”
That night, I closed Alibri thirty minutes later than usual
because of last minute customers. Good thing, Meredith
wasn’t in town tonight. She wouldn’t like me getting home
later than ten-fifteen.
As I double-locked the doors, I turned to look at the
corner street and something caught my eye. There was a
guy standing behind the post in the corner. He was wearing
a dark gray hooded jacket. He looked like he was waiting for
someone.
Dismissing him, I began to hike. After I walked a block, I
turned to look behind me, like I always did. I saw the hooded
guy walking about thirty meters away. He walked a normal
pace… his strides didn’t look suspicious at all.
Coincidence!
I turned the corner again. After a few steps, he turned
up the same corner and walked on the same direction. This
time, I kept a faster pace to increase the distance between
us. He didn’t make an effort to walk faster.
I turned the last corner leading to my house. I ran to the porch and inserted
my key. I quickly got inside and double-locked the doors. I
went to the window and took a peek.
The guy walked past
my house, looked at it for a couple of seconds and then
walked away. I didn’t catch a glimpse of his face. But his
form looked like he was just a teenager.
I know it isn’t possible, but suddenly, I had a strong
feeling that it was Chaise.
But why?
I couldn’t help remembering that the last time I spoke to
him, I gave him a power slap on the face.
What if… he was following me and finding the right time
to attack? What if he couldn’t accept the fact that I rejected
him and he was thinking of avenging his ego?
The next day in school, Chaise was still the same. He
never made an attempt to talk to me anymore. But boy, if
looks could kill, I would be dead already. He kept his eyes on me. Watching me. Sometimes, even glaring at me.
That night, I saw that guy again. He was standing in the
same corner as last night. And when I started walking, he
started walking too. My heart pounded in my chest and I
could feel all the hairs in my body rise.
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