Being the youngest child, I had always followed Leah, the second youngest. But sometime at the end of my senior year of middle school, we ended up drifting apart. Ashton, too. Since the the solstice festival in middle school, he had stayed by her side. But there was this one time where he reached out to me. He wanted to let me know he was going abroad with Leah.
Class had just ended.
"Hey, Julia! Can we talk for a bit?"
"Ashton! Coach says he needs you on drill ASAP!"
someone said.
"Wha? Ah, geesh. Julia I gotta go right now, but can we talk for a bit afterwards?"
It was the first time after the festival he had talked to me. I just nodded and started on homework in the school library.
It was getting dark and I had wondered how much longer he would take.
This would happen often.
He would try to ask me to stick around, but he'd never come back. And me, being the friend I am, I would always stay until dark. But then he'd text me, saying I should head home.
I was starting to get tired of being stood up, but this time I had a late night project and I decided to work and wait in the library for him.
A few students sat behind me were chatting as I worked.
"Hey, have you heard? There's a trespasser on campus and they're trying to find him. Better head home soon."
"Probably some kid who's trying to prank the seniors. It's almost grad time."
"You think so?"
"Yeah. By the way, have you heard of the new installation of heaters next year? Apparently, it's going to include a microwave and fridge for every classroom!"
Again. He had left with his friends and told me to go home. Why do I do this to myself? Is he really a good friend?
I was leaving home from school. I missed the bus and decided to go buy snacks for myself.
Some students were heading the same direction as me. It was a little creepy when I heard footsteps behind me, but I reminded myself, I'm out in the public, I'll be fine.
I split ways with the students and started to scurry to the store because I was getting hungry.
But as soon as I turned a left, I could hear louder footsteps hastily running towards me.
I panicked and started to run. We were still in an empty neighborhood. It was empty due to renovations.
I loved to jog every morning, but running was always a dragging chore to me. I was always good at endurance, but running was stamina draining. So. Even though I hated running, it was all that I had to escape my stalker. But, unfortunately, my stalker was a better runner than me. I didn't want to look behind me, but I started to realize there was another runner.
I decided to just run home. That was the safest bet. The public stores were on the far side of the city and I was closer to the living districts near home. Could I make it though?
As I ran for my life, my oxygen was depleting from my system, leaving my lungs dry and exhausted.
I ran and turned a corner then sprinted around the opposite corner and climbed into someone's yard, in hopes of driving them away from my trail.
It had been at least half an hour. I was too scared to head back out, but that should have been enough time to drive them away. I'm close to home.
I had been able to catch my breath for those 30 minutes, so I started to climb over the fence, but my phone in my pocket started to ring. I struggled to silence my phone and I heard footsteps heading towards my direction. But because I was midway over the fence, my struggling over my phone had lead me to fall over the fence.
I scraped my knees and gashed my left elbow. I could feel my flesh and bone of my elbow.
"Whole crabapples, did I just fudge my elbow?!"
The louder steps alerted me to start running, but my knees were hurting and my tears were blurring my vision.
Then a hand grabbed my hoodie, yanking me onto the floor. The other person sat ontop of me and started to giggle and felt my neck with her fingers. I could see a bust at the chest. A woman? But, why, why is this happening? Why were they chasing me? Was I their target? Or was any student a target?
We were at the end of a road when a biker at the edge of the street turned towards us.
Finally, a person! Bright lights from the bike hit us.
"What the f*ck are you doing with my sister you assh*les!"
"Hellian," I couldn't speak well. I just kept crying.
Helian had snapped and started beating up the stalkers with her helmet.
"Ria! Call the cops!" Hellian yelled out.
"G-got it!" she fumbled with her phone," I can't believe this is really happening."
Ria was Hellian's friend and had biked with her to find me.
One of them pulled out a knife and darted towrds Hellian. She had just knocked out one of them.
"Hellian! Knife!" I screamed out. She was stabbed in her lower back and used that chance to elbow him in the face and knock his head down, pinning his body flat onto his chest with her weight, immobilizing him with a leg lock.
The cops had come and asked us questions, escorting us to the hospital and called for our parents to pick us up.
"Julia! You know it's dangerous to walk by yourself at night!" Mom kept scolding me, but Dad would try to calm her down.
"Honey, she just went through something traumatic, what she needs right now is not an earful," Dad said in a soft voice.
"I'm sorry.. I'm just mad, frustrated this happened to you. From now on you're not allowed to stay at the library until late. Just head straight home and me and Dad can just buy what you need or ask your teachers alternatives," Mom sniffled and slapped Hellian," And you! Why would you risk your life like that?!"
And Mom continued to yell, until we got home. She ordered take out pizza, since we hadn't eaten yet.
I was really tired, but I couldn't sleep, so I went to where Ashton and I used to hang out in, my little green house in our backyard forest. I was on the rooftop doodling sketches and listening to music when he slapped his hand onto my shoulder.
"Yo, it's been awhile," his appearance surprised me.
"Dude, would you give me a warning next time?!" I irritatedly erased the dark line across my paper.
"Still sketching? Woah, what happened to you. I came up to tell you that I'm leaving to Yurah this weekend. I'm finally going to get to learn and get a close up on professional filming. Aren't you proud?"
"You tell me now because..?"
Angry thoughts kepts filling my head.
Why. Why. Why is he here. Why.
"What do you mean because. I'm telling my best pal I'm leaving on an adventure to stardom. Shouldn't you be proud?!" he said busting out his chest.
"Cool."
"Wha- That's it?"
"Yep. Have fun."
Perhaps it was the left over adrenaline in me that spiked my anger, or perhaps it was the patience that had dried up waiting for him.
"You're such a grouch right now."
"What about you then."
"What about me?"
I sighed," Ah, nothing."
"Nothing? It can't be nothing. What is it? What's wrong, lil bro? Did something happen?"
I couldn't deal with this anymore. His ignorance towards me. Why.
"Shut uppppp, I'm not you're bro. Let me do my sketches. If that's all you wanted to say, then goodluck."
"Bruh, what's wrong which'yu. Why you such a grouch?"
He pulled my cheeks and held up my hair, trying to tickle my nose.
"Would you leave me alone?!"
"Geez. Seriously what's wrong? You'd always play along."
"Well, maybe I don't want to anymore!"
"Julia.. are you okay? You know you can tell me whatever is on your mind."
"No, I don't have to. Now can you please leave."
"Did I do something wrong? Was it because I played with your hair? Or did you always hate it? But you always laughed. So what did I do-?"
"Well, it's not like it's been a a whole year you haven't talked to me! Or that you have been ignoring me for Leah! Or that you have been leaving me out in the dark forever! I don't know! What do you think?!"
I took a deep breath. My blood was boiling.
"Ugh! If you're not going to leave, I will!"
I picked up my papers and my cat print pencil pouch.
He grabbed my left wrist and my pencil pouch skidded across the floor.
"Don't touch me!" I screamed.
It reminded me of that devil's grasp.
I tried to pull away from his hand, but his grip was strong.
This time my eyes wanted to pour out the words I didn't want to say.
He saw my tears and firmly kept his grip and pulled me into his chest.
I couldn't stop my balling.
"I'm sorry."
"No, you're not, you jerk." My voice trembled and wavered. I sounded like a child," You left me all alone. You left me and never came back."
"Hey, I'm here aren't I?"
"Now of all times? What about the past year?!"
"I-" he sighed," I'm sorry. Please, hear me out. I brought some steamed buns and coconut milk as compensation."
"Well, it's going to take more than that."
"I, I know."
"So, you've been wondering why I've been hanging out with Leah so often?"
I nodded.
He scratched his head and ruffled it up.
"Aghhh, where do I start."
"The beginning, duh."
"Right. Smart pooch. Um, yeah, the beginning. What happened is or was, um-"
"Just hurry up! What takes you so long to just talk. Spit it out already!"
"Ahah, yeah um, yeah."
"I'm gonna knock you out if you say um yeah again." I held my fist up.
"Okay, okay! Uh-"
I raised my arm.
"Ahem! Hahaha. So what happened was, you know how I was recovering from my crush?"
"You mean that one girl you always knew?"
"Yeah, that. Well, she basically rejected me indirectly and so I was healing. That was around the time we started to hang out with Leah more right? It was really hard since she didn't trust me just being your friend. And when I saw Leah got hurt from that one guy who confessed to you infront of the whole school, I went to talk to her."
"And you know how she is. Awkward and uptight. So it was a little difficult talking to her. She'd make it sound like I should leave, but then she'd force me to stay behind to listen to her problems. And you and me were in different groups and I had my own thing with my teammates, so I couldn't see you much. But she and I were in the same group. So... we kinda worked together to win the contest, but then you got stuck under the snow.
"She panicked like crazy, it took a lot for me to stop her from heading out there to you. And when you finally came back, she couldn't bring her self to talk to you. So, basically all this time, I've been trying to make her talk to you again. But that's going to be awhile. And also. She asked me out."
"What!? That's so unexpected."
"Right?"
"Wow. So are you guys..bunking bun buns."
"Ahhh! Shut up! Don't say it like that! That's so embarrassing! And no!"
"Huh, coulda fooled me. You guys have been buddy buddy lately, so who knows."
"Julia, who do you take me for?"
"A bad friend. You stood me up so many times and left me for Leah."
"I said I was sorry!"
"It's... not enough. Do you know what happened to me tonight? I almost died."
"What?!"
"Yeah, after waiting for you, for who knows when, I was stalked by two crazy weirdos and I fell and scraped my knees and elbow, and now you could see the bone sticking out, and I was running for my life and one of them sat ontop of me and laughed like a creepy murderer!" I started crying again and he patted my head.
"Wtf!"
"But Hellian and Ria came and rescued me. Hellian beat them up and we got them caught by the cops."
"What the, I didn't know. Leah didn't say anything."
"Yeah, that's because it just happened and she's at her singing school dorm program thingy."
"She's also probably sleeping right now. She's such an early worm."
"Ew. Stop. Now you sound like her boyfriend."
"Yeah, well maybe I will be."
"You're not?"
"Truth is. She confessed like a long time ago. And I wanted to tell you, but so many things came up and I felt awkward and nervous each time I tried to tell you."
"So you thought standing me up was better?"
"I'm really really sorry! I never knew you stayed out so long. You never told me you were still waiting so I always assumed you went home, standing me up. I would go back to the classroom and the library but you weren't there."
"Well, maybe I was in the bathroom! Or the teacher had me do an errand! You never asked either!"
"Augh, I'm sorryyyyy, forgive meeee."
"I don't know. I'll think about it."
"Nooooo. Thinnkkk about it nowwww," he whined.
"Ah. Okay, I guess I have no friends now."
"I mean nevermind! Take your time!"
We bursted out laughing.
"So, are you gonna be my brother in law now?"
"Brother in law? Don't you think you skipped steps?"
"Well, don't you date with the intention of marrying the other person?"
"Not always. It depends if both parties want to, it's not just because you date you get married."
"Hm.. Well, goodluck then. Leah is the type to want to marry after dating. So I guess, she would like to marry you."
"Wha?! Really?! You think so?!"
"Why are you so shocked... You know how she is."
"Um, no, it's just. I didn't. I never would have imagined she'd ever like me let alone think of marrying me. Remember how she would always glare at me whenever we went to hang out? I always thought she hated me."
"Well, now you know. So what're you gonna say."
"Mm.. I'm still not sure. I don't dislike her, but our relationship is kinda awkward, in an interesting way. I think we should still be friends and learn more about each other."
"What do you mean? You practically knew eachother since elementary school."
"Yeah, but we only saw each other because I would come to visit you. We never really hung out together until last year."
"Don't go breaking my sister's heart, Ashton. I'll never forgive you if you hurt her."
"I won't! I'll be there for her just as you did for me."
"Yeah and how? You're going abroad now, so you won't be able to."
"Oh, didn't I say? We're both going to Yurah. Me and Leah. Leah is going abroad using her scholarship from her singing program. Didn't she tell you?"
"No," I pouted.
"Ah, she still giving you the silent awkward treatment?"
"How is it awkward. It's just silence. She doesn't talk to me at all."
"She.. Ah geez. Why don't you try to talk to her?"
"I can't! She doesn't reply to my texts or answer my calls or even look at me when I try to talk to her. She even ignores me and leaves off somewhere."
"Wah, that bad. Ah, well, she's just an awkward person with a tough shell. She really cares about you, but she has a really hard time showing her real feelings. One day, she'll talk to you. I'm working hard on making her talk to you, too."
"Oh, whatever. You're still leaving me."
"I am... For a few years. I'm sorry."
" Y-years?! We didn't even get to do anything together and now you're leaving like tomorrow? What the apples Ashton! That's so unfair... Agh, I hate that I'm such a cry baby!"
"It's okay. I know Yurah is a no communication with outsiders kind of country, but I'll try to send letters when I head back and forth during my enlistment."
"You're enlisted already?"
"Yeah, I'll be heading there in two years, which is why I won't be back for awhile. If I knew this, I would have spent more time with you."
"I didn't think we had to part so early...so fast."
"I'm sorry"
That was basically all he said as we ate buns on the rooftop.