The next morning was one of the most strangest at base. Apart from the fact that Anna skipped her exercises today, Dylan also didn't leave his house or tell anyone to train so it sort of became an unplanned holiday.
The people at Base secretly celebrate their free time. Dylan had been giving all of them a hard time for the past few days and they could finally breathe.
In the dorm room, Anna sighed into her pillow. She hugged it tight and stared absent mindedly outside the window. It was already very bright out, she was sure she was already late for her exercises with Jason but she couldn't get herself to go…she sighs again and buries her face in the pillow.
"So.....you got rejected?" Chesa asked seeing the girl's gloomy expression. She wanted so bad to say 'I told you so!' but she kept her mouth shut after realizing that the girl was really hurt. She had a feeling that there was more to it than just rejection.
"Yep, I got dumped right after I confessed, " Anna smile was filled with sarcasm. She stared at Chesa.
Anna wished she could put to words what she was feeling at that moment. She hated the fact that she expected it, that some how she felt that she wouldn't be good enough for him and he would reject her.
"I prepared for it…the rejection but I didn't expect all of my short comings to be thrown in my face this way," she never imagined Dylan to be that kind of person but then again why did she think he would let her off easy?
Anna's voice shook slightly but she kept her emotions at bay, she willed her tears back and made sure they didn't fall.
"I...was so stupid to think that...he...he would even have feelings for a girl like me..."
Anna sighed while combing her hand through her hair, she really didn't feel like doing anything today. All she wanted to do was just go to bed, bury her face in her pillow and cry.
"Don't look down on yourself Anna, I'm sure Dylan just doesn't feel the same was that's why, it has nothing to do with the way you are and besides, you're an amazing person,"
Chesa comforted, Anna sighed.
"Any man would be lucky to have you," said Chesa.
"Except for Dylan," Anna couldn't help but mutter, it made Chesa sigh. She didn't know how else she would console the young girl but later settled with letting her deal with her feelings on her own.
Anna felt like her head would fall off from the headache she had. It wasn't easy trying to hold in tears for hours honestly.
If he at least spoke a word yesterday she wouldn't be such a mess, but he was silent.....he didn't tell her she was wrong nor did he tell her if she was right.
Anna put down the comb in her hands and smiled at Chesa "Can you please tell Jason that I can't make it today....you can tell him I'm sick or something"
Chesa shook her head "Anna....lets go!"
"No!" Anna pouted, she was definitely not in the mood.
"Will you stop throwing a tantrum like a child?" Chesa sighed at the pouting girl. "I don't want to run into him, or even see his face!" Anna said burying her face in her palms.
Chesa patted the girl's head. "Ok then, I'll speak to Jason"
Anna smiles at her gratefully.
"You're making a mistake now though" Chesa says "You are doing what you said you wouldn't do, letting another person be the source of your happiness"
Anna sighs not saying a word but mulling over what Chesa had just said, she had promised herself that she wouldn't need others to be happy but yet here she was in the worst mood because of….
She didn't even want to think about him or his name at that moment, she just wanted to mull in her self pity and heartbreak.
Chesa watched the girl deep in thought and sighed, she really wished she would become stronger. Chesa walked away. This is why she never wants to fall in love!
...
YEARS EARLIER…
It was dark and raining heavily. Being his second day at the Duan base Dylan had no idea where he was.
He shouldn't have listened to Su Chen when he knew that guy didn't like him.
Dylan sighed to himself.
Now he was sure he was walking around in circles. "Who's there?"
Dylan heard a soft voice call out, he wasn't sure who it was but he was elated to find out that someone was here in the darkness with him.
"M...My name is Zhang Dylan and I think I'm lost" Dylan stared at the area where the voice was coming from, it looked like a young girl not older than 15.
"You're the new kid right?" she girl said smiling. Dylan couldn't see her smile but he could hear the warmth from her voice which made him feel slightly better.
She raised her umbrella over his head and moved closer to him.
"Come on, I'll take you to the dorm" she held his hand startling him. This was the first time he had been this close to a girl before. She smelled like summer and spring and something else he couldn't pinpoint and he had to bite his tongue so he could resist asking her what it was. I would be rude to ask a girl he just met about what kind of cologne she used...Not to mention weird.
They walked hand in hand till they finally reached the dorm.
It was brighter and Dylan could finally see her face "Pretty..." he muttered under his breath but the girl surprisingly heard him.
"Thanks" she smiled, her pale cheeks tinted pink. "I'm June. Nice to meet you Dylan," Her smile was mesmerizing he found himself tongue tied.
That moment was forever etched in his memories, that name...
....
PRESENT…
Dylan's eyes opened to a familiar surrounding. It was his room, thinking back to his dream he couldn't help but clench his fists tightly.
He hardly had dreams about her, why now?....why today?....
Dylan recalled the events of yesterday and felt his heart beating faster.
'What did I do?...she must hate me now' Dylan massaged his aching temples and sat up.
"Dylan! You're finally awake!" Su Chen walked to him and put down the bowl in his hands.
"This.....is for you" Su Chen said observing the man's face, trying to find out what happened through his expression but he couldn't see anything through his expressionless face.
Dylan stared at the porridge in front of him and he suddenly remembered something.
"Have you seen Anna today?, is she okay?"
Su Chen's brows furrowed, did everything that happened yesterday have something to do with Anna?
"Why are you asking, does she have something to do with why you were passed out in front of the girl's—"
"No!" Dylan cut him off, getting down from the bed he makes his way to the bathroom. He ignored the protests from his bones as he tried to stretch.
"Just answer my question" he says irritated by the questions, he wanted them to drop it, to forget about it…why won't they just do as he asks? They always have to be so difficult.
Su Chen sighed, it seemed he wasn't ready to talk about what happened, he still wanted to prove but seeing Dylan's expression, he chose to stay silent.
"Well....now that you brought her up, I haven't seen her today. She even skipped her therapy today...she says she's sick" Su Chen said, of course he didn't believe Anna was sick. Chesa told him that she was just using it as an excuse to sleep in.
"She's sick?" Dylan asked, Su Chen nodded making him more worried. His heart dropped at the thought of her saying those things to him while feeling sick and him being the asshole he was…
He had to see her and rectify everything or he would just keep feeling worse. He hated that nagging feeling in his chest, the one that kept reminding him that he had probably hurt her feelings.
After taking a shower in quite a hurry, Dylan found himself standing in front of the girls' room. He tapped his feet on the floor and stared at the door.
He stared at the door for a while before raising his hand to knock. He hesitated before putting his hand down.
She must really hate him, if just shows up here now...he wondered what she would do.
Dylan took a step back, he wasn't sure how he should face her.....what should he say?
He sighed and decided to go back, he wasn't ready to face her yet.
There was the sound of the door opening.
"Dylan?" Anna looked up at the man who was staring at her as well. He seemed to be just as surprised as she was.
Dylan took a deep breath 'Here goes nothing'