Chapter 13
She squinted as she stared at Neil who was currently still holding her hand.
She noticed Neil's smile when she suddenly pulled her hand away so she got even closer.
"I need your fingerprint," he said then used Pershey's finger to open it. Her iPhone immediately opened. Neil smiled slightly when he saw her wallpaper. "Who's this girl on your wallpaper? Your sister?"
Pershey shook her head then withdrew her hand. "Maybe you can return my iPhone. Give me back my phone-"
"Not yet, Miss," he replied quickly. Pershey immediately frowned then stood up to exit. She was already at the door when Neil spoke.
"Here's your phone, Miss Pershey." Pershey stopped then closed her eyes tightly as she smiled.
She took a deep breath then said, "Looks like you don't want to give me back my iPhone. It's yours." Pershey immediately pushed to open the door to get out when Neil grabbed her hand again. She looked at the hand that Neil was holding. Neil immediately removed her hand and then returned the iPhone to Pershey. He smiled then left first.
Pershey was still blinking before she came out.
She took out her cellphone and opened it. She just blushed when she saw that her wallpaper had changed. Perhaps, Neil has already replaced it. Her picture is on her wallpaper. Picture of her when she joined the Pageant when she was only 10 years old. Now, her wallpaper has turned black with notes. 'Miss Pershey, don't lost your phone again.' That's what the notes on her wallpaper say. Perhaps, Neil made the wallpaper and replaced her previous wallpaper.
She went back to where Leighden was waiting for her. The smile on her lips could not be erased.
She was still smiling as she ate. Sometimes, she slices the spoon over the plate or the plate instead of the pizza.
Leighden just watched her as she continued to eat.
Now, Pershey mixes the juice with a knife. She was still smiling as she glanced past the juice. She was continuing to mix the juice with the knife when Leighden put the straw in her juice and took out the knife.
She looked up, still smiling.
Leighden frowned then she asked, "What are you doing?"
Pershey nodded with a weak laugh then she looked at Leighden again and smiled.
"You're getting crazy," Leighden said shakily then resumed eating. "Can you stop smiling? Maybe, Pershey. You've been smiling before. You look like you're crazy, you're just laughing," she took the juice that Pershey mixed then she drank. "Tell me a story. What miracle happened to you to make you smile like that?"
"Nothing. I've already seen my iPhone. Fortunately, it's not gone. It's important because -"
"Is Neil with you?" she cuts to what Pershey is saying. Pershey was almost taken aback by what Leighden said.
She drank then replied, "What are you saying?"
Leighden laughed softly then brought her face closer to her. "You lost your phone, right?" Pershey nodded then ate again. Leighden took a slice of pizza from her plate for a moment and then went on to say. "Where did you find your phone? In the library?" She shook her head. "I know. Now, where did you find your phone? Is it in your bag?" Pershey shook her head again then put a slice of pizza on her plate again. "I know there's really nothing in your bag. Now, where did you find your phone? In the food? Is it hidden under the table? In the bank? Outside the restaurant-"
"The restaurant manager saw it," she replied quickly.
"I know."
"You know. You've been bumping into each other before. You've been asking questions before, you know," Pershey complained while chewing the food.
"Because, I know the manager saw your iPhone."
"You know? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because," she took the pizza on Pershey's plate again and put it back in its box. Pershey just let her then take another slice and place it on the plate. "I want you to find the thing you lost," she continued then she would have picked up the pizza again but Pershey stabbed the pizza with a knife so she didn't get it. Her forehead furrowed as Leighden took her food. "The thing you lost is just worth looking for, you lost it. You lost and you found it," she smiled at Pershey who was looking at her while eating.
"What do you mean?"
She let out a deep sigh. "I saw you put your iPhone on the table. I just let it go. I didn't say because you should know what you're doing," she stopped to drink."Because you have to be careful and responsible for everything you have," she added then she took Pershey's plate and gave the juice.
"I forgot, Leighden," she defended then picked up the plate on Leighden's side again. "I thought I put my iPhone in, not yet. I'm busy choosing what to eat," she added.
"You don't understand me, Pershey. I mean-"
"I know. Forgetful, absentminded. I'm too lazy," she replied quickly.
"No, Pershey. That's not what I meant," she picked up Pershey's plate again then covered it with the pizza that was in the box. "There's only one thing you should have learned today," she handed over a plate of spaghetti. "Be responsible. That's what I mean and that's what I want you to learn so I didn't tell you right away about your iPhone," she explained then handed the juice to Pershey.
"Okay," she replied.
"Are you mad?" She shook her head. "Are you mad?" She shook again as she turned the fork over the spaghetti. "Aren't you really angry?" She shook her head again as she continued to do so. "Are you sure? You're so angry, it's obvious."
She stopped what she was doing then stared at her. "I'm not angry, Okay?"
Laughing, she asked, "Why are you like that when you answer? You're obviously mad, Pershey. You're mad at me."
"Why are you taking my food? Huh? You've been there before. You've been taking away what I'm eating before," she growled and then snorted.
Leighden laughed first before she replied, "Because," she scratched her eyebrow so hard. "You're eating too much. You might have diarrhea," she added.
"Seriously? What's the real reason?"
"Well, you'll get fat. When you get fat, you don't look good. How's the pageant? Your ball? Eat more, don't-"
"Getting fat? I'm hungry so I have to eat," she replied.
"No, I mean, you have to be tested on what you eat. You overeat, don't you notice? You buy a lot of food, when you don't like the food you buy or when you don't like the taste or don't want to eat, the food is wasted. Straight to the trash," she explained.
"I pay for what I eat, Leighden," she insisted then took the burger and looked at its contents.
"I know, Pershey, but," she sighed again before answering, "You shouldn't be wasting food. Many poor people endure hunger. A beak, a beak. We are rich, we are very lucky because we eat more than three meals a day."
"You know, we better go," she whispered.
"Just like today. Look," she pointed to the dishes on their table. "There is a lot of wasted food. There are many beggars on the road, we can wrap them up and give them to the beggars," she offered. She laughed then shook her head and stood up.
"Let's go," she said.
"But what a waste of food, Pershey."
"Wrap it up if you want. Okay? I'll wait for you outside," she replied then left. Leighden actually wrapped the food before she left.
Pershey was not outside the restaurant so she looked around.
"Such a crazy, lazy and weird woman," she whispered then walked away.
From a distance, Pershey waves to Leighden but Leighden doesn't notice her immediately. Leighden was walking straight out of the university so Pershey immediately ran to chase her.
She met a man who was entering the University with the ball.
As she ran, she did not notice the rock so she almost fell when someone grabbed her arm. She was unable to balance her body so the man grabbed her waist.
They were both staring at each other. Gradually, the strand of her hair fell out, soon, it fell out and her hair fell out. Her hair is not messy when you look at it. Not messy. The lower part was still shiny which she dyed with golden brown. A few strands of her hair were blowing in the wind.
It took a few seconds before she let go of the man.
"T-thankyou," she said calmly then nodded. She could not stare again, she knew her cheek would be red.
"Are you blind?"
She looked slowly before she replied, "No, I'm not."
"You've already lost your iPhone, now, you're going to stumble," he commented then left.
"T-thanks, N-neil," she replied so Neil stopped.
He just raised an eyebrow then walked away again.
Pershey looks like a statue. She seemed to be stuck in her position as she stared at Neil who was currently walking away.
A wide smile drew on her face. Her right hand rested on her chest as she felt the throbbing of her chest.
"Stop smiling that way, Pershey," Leighden rebuked from her side.
She turned slowly, still smiling. "You're here," she replied.
"Are you nervous?"