"it's him."
"Yeah right. My boyfriend to be." Emma replied placing her hand round Gracie's shoulder.
She swatted the hand off.
"be serious… it's him. The Andre guy from 2 years back.
The one who blocked me on WeChat and Insta when he found out I was gonna die." She said. Emma gave her a furrowed brow.
"You mean your first and only crush. Your childhood sweethrt?" Emma said with a mocking chuckle. Gracie scoffed.
Childhood sweetheart that she had never met eye to eye.
"really? that is so lame. Just say you like him."
Emma gave her a look.
"yes I know I never met him one on one.
But we had countless video calls... his eyes.
I can never forget his green eyes. Never." She said.
But hold on, he is supposed to have black hair. So why blonde now?
He must have dyed it.
"Gracie it cant be. You never get the cool guys… remember." Emma said.
"I'm not kidding here.
...his tattoo… the byname he used to call me because I like pink… Pinky."
"what do you mean. His tatoo.
anyone can have a tattoo tag pinky." Emma said.
"yeah, you are right.. " she replied.
"you see."
"but not every guy who has the tattoo tag pinky bears one name." She said.
"I remember we both planned to get a tattoo... but I didn't get mine
I was so excited when he showed me his.
Well we were still young and probably didn't think of the consequence of what he did.
Now he has to carry the tattoo for life." Gracie said.
"hmn... are you sure you are not just trying to take my mind off him." Emma scoffed.
So obsessed with boys. Gracie eyed her.
"fine… I will prove it then."
"prove what?"
"prove that he is Andre"
"how?" Ella asked.
"mnnnn." Gracie hummed thinking and brushed past her.
*
"here's what we should do…" Gracie turned back to take a quick stare at the guy who was at the other end checking things out.
"we'll go closer to him again, and i'll call his name And… Andre to his hearing.
Let's he if he reacts.
It's not possible for two guys to bear the same name coincidentally and also have same tattoo."
"and after that? Are we just gonna be staring into space?
You have to think of a way to escape from there if he really reacts to the name.
Or do you wanna face him and say .
Hi, I was your sweet heart with Cancer two years back… you blocked me on WeChat because of that. Remember?"
"jeez! Of course not.
Don't worry let's just go."
"god… why do you have to drag me inbetween.
This is so childish."
*
They got closer to him pretending to be checking out stuffs on the shelves.
"Andre!" Gracie suddenly called very loudly.
And slowly the guy turned to the direction he heard the voice.
She looked away immediately back at her friend.
"Andre is coming today Emma." She said.
"who is Andre?" Emma asked not playing along. Gracie's eyes dilated in surprise.
"I said Andrea not Andre." Gracie said and walked to her friend who was about laughing. She pinched her arm.
"let's go. Let's go." She whispered and they strode away.
They stopped somewhere to talk about what hust happened.
"it's really him." Emma said.
"yeah." She chuckled sadly. "I don't think he even recognises me." Gracie muttered and walked over to the near end of the section they were.
She peeped.
He was still there. It seemed as if he was searching for something.
"i'm so going to teach him a lesson for what he did to you.
He stigmatized you." Emma said and made to hurry back. But Gracie pulled her.
"oh please you'd only get yourself drooling like a frog.
…like earlier."
Emma snapped her hand off Gracie's and folded them faking anger.
"who was drooling?" she huffed.
They was silence for a while as Gracie peeped at the guy again.
Emma also came near her and peeped.
"what is he doing?" she asked after a while of peeping.
"he seems to be looking around the cameras… or.. oooh hooo is he trying to steal something or what?" Emma asked.
Gracie nodded and brought put her phone and started taking a video.
And just like they suspected, when the cameras moved, the guy pocketed something.
He looked around and then started walking to the supermarket third exit.
She stopped the video.
"oh my god! Did you see that? That was so cool!" Emma muttered dreamily coming out of hiding. "like he can actually calculate moving cameras"
"what was so cool about that, he stole something!" Gracie snapped.
That was really degrading. She thought.
"let's go after him." she made to walk but Emma held her hand.
"he is obviously heading for the exit.
And we… we are still shopping." She looked down at the basket in hand and then Gracie.
"go ahead with the shopping. I'll follow him."
"Gracie you must be insane.
You wanna have all the fun and leave me out of it?
No way." Emma dropped the basket.
"fine."
*
"what? now?... man I'm busy now." He said on a call.
They heard him making a call as he finally walked out the exit door.
They were a little close behind him.
"fine… I'll be at the club in 10 mins then."
They just kept walking behind him without approaching him yet.
Though he was still making a call, but didn't say anymore words until after a while again.
"uh… fine… i'll be at the club at 10 pm sti… you know what...
...............
I know. Fine day break." He hung up and kept his phone in his hoodie pocket.
He probably doesn't have a car cause he just kept stroding down the road.
"at 10pm today? In 10 mins now?" Emma stopped walking and so did Gracie.
"is there a club nearby here?" Gracie asked her all knowing friend.
"about 2… it'd take 7 mins to get to one from here and about 10 mins to get to the other one from the first."
"shit, how do you know all that."
"what are you implying. Of course I know that." Emma brushed past her going back to the supermarket.
"where are you going, let's go after him and ask him to return what he stole."
*
"I asked you to stay home didn't i!" Gracie's mum yelled at her.
Mrs. Vanessa just returned home from the restaurant and she unleashed the anger she felt.
Imagine the delivery guy calling to report that no one was home to accept the goods.
"mum… i'm sorry okay."
In serious issues, Gracie never wasted time to accept her blames.
She never defends herself when she's proven wrong.
She probably couldn't aford it. It saves them both time and energy anyway.
Her mum who didn't know what else to say calmed down a bit.
"uh… you're grounded!"
They were both silent after. Then she went out of the room.
Gracie smiled.
Her mum wouldn't want her to leave the house ever if it was up to her.
Because she is prone to infections.
She got up from her bed and walked to the door.
She locked it.
"come out now."
And Emma who had been in the wardrobe came out.
Gracie took off her night robe to reveal the strapless short gown she wore.
She took a thick jacket from the wardrobe and wore it.
Okay. They were ready… ready to scale the window.
But Emma held her hand.
"Don't forget what I told you.
If you give us away, they'll get us arrested for nothing." She said.
"i know... though I admit I'm scared."
If only her mum agreed to fake an I'D for her.
"And don't also forget what I told you about that Andre guy." Emma said. Gracie scoffed.
"All right.
Even if It's absurd."
"Whatever, you should get back at him for what he did to you two years back."
"well... that's if It's really him."
*
They entered the club.
A cool music was playing by a live band.
They passed many dancing figures till they got to an empty table.
They were here for one reason period.
And anytime Gracie thought about it, it seemed to flutter her heart.
"where is he?" Emma asked looking around.
"shut up and relax… He'd probably be the bar guy."
"I never knew you had some sense." Emma said and she frowned.
Gracie started moving her body to the music. In this life, she loved two things.
Music and stories.
"holy shit." Emma suddenly muttered. Gracie spared her a glance.
Hot boys again. She thought.
"shut up and dance." She said.
"no… It's him." She said.
"who?"
"Andre guy." Emma pointed at the live band.
Gracie followed her hand to the guy in front of the Mic.
She shrieked and palmed her mouth.
"oh oh."
"I can't believe this. Who ever thought such a cool guy would be a club singer?" Emma chuckled.
Gracie itched her nape at the thought of the one reason they were here.
"at least It's better than being the bar guy."
"hmn… his voice is great though." Emma squeaked and relaxed back to her chair.
Gracie then kept staring at the guy singing and playing the guitar.
She thought he did it with his heart. She thought his voice beautiful.
People hardly paid them attention though. They were like causal things.
Maybe she was the only one who just kept listening with rapt attention… And feeling the lyrics.
It was really beautiful.
*
Hours later
*
That was their third music, it was faster and more soothing than others.
Suddenly Gracie stood up... She was a little tipsy.
"eh… where are you going." Emma pinched her jacket.
She didn't reply as she made her way to the live band.
She climbed the stage stairs up to them.
Emma was frightened at what her friend was up to.
Andre probably didn't noticed her yet, but his crew did and wondered why she was walking to them.
I mean did she like their performance?
It's been so long someone appreciated them in this club.
She walked to their guitar pack and dropped some money in it… some real cash.
And she started swaying her body to the music heartily.
Andre who hadn't noticed her yet, finally stared at her.
He stared at her like something casual for a short while and took his eyes off.
Her brow furrowed and she stopped dancing.
His crew were all smiling at her but him.
She smiled and walked closer to him dancing. He spared her another glance.
No… It was a wicked devilish glare.
She huffed and stylishly danced back to her chair embarrassed.
"uh… not cool Gracie." Emma said with a look. She nodded negatively.
"he is so cold." She looked at the band again.
"do you think he recognises me now?"
"no way…
Even you didn't recognise him, if not for his tattoo."
"what if he recognised me for something else only I have?
Like brown hair… uh… small teeth… uh…"
"oh please… you have cancer and you have literally lost all your hair to chemotherapy.
Never forget that you are wearing a black wig."
She sighed.
"this is stupid!" graaice muttered.
*
*
"dude who was that girl earlier? Do you know her?"
"what girl?" Rick asked.
"don't you know her?
That girl dancing earlier. She seemed interested in you… I mean obviously Rick."
"I said I don't know her." He said.
But they was something about her… though.
Since when he bumped into her in the supermarket... and she even tried to get his attention.
"oh... if you say so.
She looks rich you know and into you.
maybe if you Just spread your lips a little bit wider, we'd have earned more money." James said to Rick.
He scoffed taking out his cigarette pack. He took one and lit it.
For a while they stood there silently as he smoked.
"good night" Rick said finally and made to leave.
"more like good morning." James blocked him from leaving.
"I thought your car is bad.
I'm dropping the guys off, ride with us... come on." James sent his hand round his shoulder and they walked to the back exit.
The moment James opened the door, he stopped walking.
Rick followed his gaze to a girl outside.
The one who has be stalking him. Something like that.
She was by James car some few feets away.
Seeing her at James car, it became clear to him that she was really stalking him.
But what's her problem?
"I told you." James said. "she's waiting there for you obviously."
Rick scoffed.
"for me? But that is your car." He said sarcastically. James chuckled and nodded negatively.
Rick stared at her again. She was looking all around. It's obvious she had seen them but was pretending.
He scoffed and took a drag from his cigarette walking out the door.
*
Gracie stood for a bit not looking at their direction. She didn't want it to seem like she was stalking them.
She nodded negatively and nervously.
Was she really gonna take Emma's advice? Come on! It's insane.
She finally decided to peep again. The moment she turned to stare at them, they weren't there any more.
A light gasp escaped her.
"huh?" she took some steps forward and looked left and right but he was gone.
What?
"but he was right there!" she scoffed.
After eye-searching for a while, she turned back to go but bumped into something hard … someone actually.
It made her feel a little pain on her boobs.
"aww." She sighed softly and rubbed her chest before looking up at who she bumped into.
A nasty shrieked escaped her lips and she palmed her mouth.
Jeez! That was embarrassing.
TBC