In the cold morning, Zeya walked down the stairs, sat hunched on the floor, her eyes vacant and devoid of life, wearing her shoes. Her mother, heart heavy with worry, watched as her beloved daughter slipped further into despair.
"Oh, my dear," she murmured, her voice trembling, she painted a fake smile on her face. "You're already ready? I'll just fry an egg—"
Zeya's response was a barely audible whisper, her words hanging heavy in the air. "I'm not hungry. I'm going to school."
Her mother's heart sank as she noticed the lifelessness in Zeya's eyes. "You haven't eaten anything since last week. Are you feeling unwell? Perhaps we should go to the hospital—"
"Mom..." Zeya's voice broke, cold and distant. "I'm fine."
With that, she rose and left the room, leaving her mother standing alone, her eyes filled with concern. A deep crease etched itself on her forehead as she wondered about her daughter's health. Zeya, what had happened to you this days?
"Daniel Sir wanted you to help him print the exam questions for the juniors. Oh! You're finally here! How are you doing?" Mina hurried over to Sophia and Amaya as they entered the school. Jen, who had been chatting with Mina, followed close behind. Sophia waved at them, her other hand still intertwined with Amaya's.
"Hey girls, are we late or are you guys early?" Sophia asked Mina.
"We're early. Little Angel School's board exam centre is our school, so we were asked to clean the class and set up the benches," Mina explained. Her eyes shifted to Amaya's leg, and she asked, "You can walk now?"
Amaya nodded her head, yawning. "That's great to know. We'll go now. We have a lot of work today," Mina informed them before heading back with Jen.
"Ama. Sofy." Sophia and Amaya turned around to see Demi and Somiya standing behind them. "Is your leg okay now?" Somiya asked.
Amaya nodded. "I can walk better than before," she replied. "Still you should have rested a little more. What if you break another leg?" Somiya questioned, scolding Amaya a little.
Before Amaya could say something, another sarcastic remark cut through the air like a sharp knife. "Don't worry, she's a pro. She already mastered the art of falling with style." Amaya rolled her eyes, her gaze landing on Seth and Fred approaching them, their footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.
"Speaking of falling, I heard you got proposed to by an hourglass figure the other day?" Amaya's voice dripped with sarcasm as she narrowed her eyes and shot an arrow straight at Seth's pride. "How did it feel when you found out it was all just a game?"
Seth's face fell like a deflated balloon as he realized what Amaya was talking about. He had been the laughingstock of the school all week after he accepted a proposal from a girl, who had turned out to be playing a prank on him.
With a nod and a bitter chuckle, Seth licked his lips, his tongue darting out like a snake's. "At least it wasn't a zombie who came to propose to me," he said, his voice dripping with venom. "Unlike yours."
Amaya chuckled, shaking her head as if she found something hilarious. "Haven't you heard the saying?" she asked, her voice laced with mock sympathy. "Flowers attract bees, and brains attract zombies. Brainless idiots like you wouldn't know about it."
Amaya mimicked the annoying voice of a girl, trying to act cute with big eyes and pout. "I'm so sorry, Seth~ I didn't know you would take it seriously. I mean look at you and me.." She tucked her hair behind the ear and blinked her eyes.
"Pfft-hahaha!!!" Soon everyone burst into laughter, their voices echoing through the hallway like a chorus of mockingbirds. Seth's face turned beet red, and his fists clenched at his sides.
"Ama!" he roared, his voice like a thunderclap. And with that, he lunged at Amaya like a rat chasing a piece of cheese.
Amaya dodged Seth's clumsy attempts to catch her, her laughter echoing through the hallway then stairs like a silver bell. She knew she had gotten under his skin, and she was loving every minute of it.
"Oh god, I didn't know you would take it seriously, Seth~ Hahahahaha!!!!" Amaya mocked again, laughter echoed through the stairwell like a possessed ghost.
"I'll kill you if you talk like that one more time!" Seth screamed, his footsteps were heavy and determined as he chased after Amaya.
"Oh, wait," her eyes widening in mock surprise. "I forgot about your zombie girlfriend. How's she doing these days? Still rotting away after not seeing your brain?"
Seth's face turned purple with rage, and he lunged at Amaya again. But Amaya was too quick for him. She danced out of his reach, her movements as graceful as a willow tree swaying in the breeze.
"You can't catch me, Seth," she sang, her voice as light and airy as a feather. "I'm too fast for– huh? " The taste of fear was thick and metallic in Amaya's mouth as she realized she had made a mistake while taking the steps, her body slowly falling behind. Everything became silent and slow for her, even her own heart. Then a piercing cry echoed in the hallway, "AMA!"
Amaya's heart skipped a beat, and her eyes widened in horror as Seth's strong arms embraced her body and turned their position. In front of her eyes now was a staircase and tiled floor, the hard edges and cold surface sending a shiver down her spine. Her hands were trembling violently, her heart was racing like a runaway train, and her eyes were wide with terror. She wanted to switch positions, to save Seth from hitting the floor first, but her body was frozen in place, paralyzed by fear. Her breath came in shallow pants, and her pupils were dilated, taking in every detail of her impending doom.
"Seth! Ama!" Sophia, Somiya, and Demi screamed, their voices filled with terror. Fred's eyes widened in horror, and his heart pounded in his chest like a drum. Without a second thought, he jumped downstairs, skipping a few steps as he ran to catch them. "Seth, your hand!" he screamed, his voice hoarse with fear.
Seth hugged Amaya tightly with his dominant right hand and stretched his left hand out to Fred. Just as Fred was about to grab his hand, Amaya covered the back of Seth's head with her small and soft hands, her body instinctively trying to protect him. As soon as Fred grabbed Seth's hand, he felt someone's small, soft, and warm hand behind him, stopping him from falling. A sigh of relief escaped from everyone's lips, but their bodies were still trembling with fear. Fred was on top and Zeya was on the bottom, their bodies forming a human chain that stopped Seth and Amaya from falling.
Zeya stared at Amaya, her face pale and scared, her eyes widened and her pupils dilated. When she saw them falling, for a second she felt like her world was ready to shatter. She reached out to Amaya's face, and her fingers trembled as she felt how cold it was. Her heart pounded in her chest like a drum, and her breath came in shallow pants too. She was more scared than she had ever been in her life.
Feeling the warm hand of Zeya on her cheeks, Amaya's lips trembled and tears rolled down her cheeks. Her legs were like jelly, and she wasn't able to stand straight. Her whole body was still leaning on Seth's warm arm, and she could feel his steady heartbeat beneath her ear.
"Oh my god. I was so scared." Sophia ran and hugged Seth and Amaya tightly, her arms wrapping around them like a vise. Zeya narrowed her eyes and tried to take her hand away from Amaya's cheeks, but Amaya held her hand tightly, her grip surprisingly strong. Amaya stared at Zeya, her gaze intense, and kissed her palm softly, her lips lingering on Zeya's skin. Amaya smiled at her, her eyes slowly closing as she savoured the moment.
"Ama!" Zeya called, her voice echoing through the hallway. Seth and Sophia flinched at the sound, their hearts pounding in their chests. Everyone was afraid something might have happened to Amaya, but seeing Seth shaking his head, his one hand rubbing Amaya's back in soothing circles, they all stopped at their steps. "She fell asleep," he whispered, his voice barely above a breath. Everyone sighed in relief, their bodies relaxing as the tension eased from their shoulders.
A smile spread on Zeya's lips, her eyes warm and gentle as she touched Amaya's sleeping face. She tried to pull her hand away, but even in sleep Amaya didn't let it go. Witnessing it, Demi furrowed her brows, her heart aching with a strange mixture of emotions. It had been a week since Zeya had been cold and distant, but now seeing her being gentle and warm on the sight of Amaya, she felt an unknown sense of emotion rising in her chest. She clenched her fist, her nails digging into her palms.
*Ting*
"Papa!"
A man in his twenties, wearing a loose white shirt and black pants, his mobile phone in his hand, turned around and saw his little angel running towards him. With a radiant smile on his face upon the sight of his dear daughter, he widened his arms and hugged her tightly. "Ama!" He exclaimed, throwing her into the air and catching her again, a fit of giggles filling the air. "Hahaha! Papa, where is momma!?" she asked, laughing. He chuckled, pinching her nose playfully. "My cutie, aren't you happy seeing papa?" he asked. Grabbing her tiffin box and bags, he made his way outside, his heart filled with love and joy.
"I'm happy! Oh, you didn't bring the car again?" she asked, her voice filled with excitement. He pouted and shook his head, his eyes like a puppy's, pleading with her. "I wanted to spend more time with my sweetie only. If I had brought the car, it would have reached us home earlier. I don't want to face your momma." Amaya laughed at her father's reaction, the sound of her laughter filling the air. She hugged him tightly around the neck, her small arms wrapping around him, and rubbed their cheeks together. "Ama will protect papa from momma. Don't worry, papa! Ama is a big girl!" she said, her voice filled with determination. He widened his eyes in amusement and started to tickle Amaya, his laughter mingling with hers. "Ama is a big girl, huh~" he said, his voice filled with love and pride. "Hahaha!" Amaya laughed in her father's arms, both of their laughter echoing through the air.
"Two red velvet ice-creams and one chocolate ice-cream." He ordered, taking out his purse. Amaya swung her leg, her eyes darting here and there, taking in her surroundings while still being carried by her father. Suddenly her eyes widened, a wide smile spread across her face, and she glanced at her father, her eyes shining with excitement. "Papa! I forgot to tell you! Today I made another friend!" she excitedly said, moving in his embrace. "Ama, don't do that. You'll fall." He said, giving her a red velvet ice-cream. She nodded her head and licked the ice-cream, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Yummy!" She smiled at him for the ice-cream, her eyes filled with joy. He chuckled, his eyes warm and loving, and his heart filled with love for his little angel.
"Ama, is your new friend good?" He asked, licking his own red velvet ice-cream, its sweet and creamy taste melting in his mouth. Amaya nodded her head vigorously, her eyes sparkling with excitement and her grin stretching from ear to ear. "Her name is El! She helped me beat Sid!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with pride and joy. He widened his eyes in surprise, his eyebrows raised in amusement. "What? Why did you beat Seth?" he asked, his voice filled with curiosity and concern. Suddenly Amaya's face widened again as if she remembered something else too, her voice louder than before. "Papa! Sid is like you!" she said, her eyes shining with a mixture of admiration and affection. He wrinkled his head, a confused expression on his face. "Seth likes me?" he asked, thinking she had misinterpreted the words. "No! Ama likes papa! Sid doesn't!" she shook her head hurriedly, her voice filled with a hint of jealousy. He chuckled seeing her cute and adorable jealousy, his heart filled with love and affection for his precious daughter. His cute adorable baby girl.
"So how does Seth look like Papa?" He asked, his voice filled with curiosity and amusement. Amaya grabbed his hand and ate his ice-cream, even though it was the same flavour as hers. She also gave her ice-cream to him to taste, her eyes shining with a mixture of mischief and affection.
"Today my candy fell on the ground and I picked it up and tried to eat it, but he slapped my hand and my candy fell again! And he said, 'No! It's dirty!' He stopped me just like you do! But Sopy picked it up and ate it in front of me!" she said, her voice filled with a mixture of anger and frustration. He couldn't help but laugh seeing her pouting angrily, her cheeks puffed out and her eyes narrowed in annoyance.
"Hahaha, so my little baby saw Papa and Seth the same?" He asked, his voice filled with love and affection. He wiped the ice-cream from her chin with his gentle touch, his fingers brushing softly against her delicate skin. Amaya nodded her head, complaining to him in a sweet and pouty voice, "Papa and Sid, never let me eat my food." He pouted like a baby hearing his daughter's accusation, his lips forming a mock frown. "But that was dirty!" he defended himself, his voice filled with playful innocence. "But momma and Sopy eat that later! You love momma more and Sid loves Sopy more! No-one loves Ama!" she said, her voice filled with sadness and jealousy. She puffed out her cheeks like a cute baby panda and turned her head to the other side, folding her hands across her chest.
"I love my sweetheart more than the whole universe! My Ama is the cutest human being ever! How can anyone resist loving my sweetie?" Amaya glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, her pout turning into beautiful laughter again.
"Papa is Ama's Uni...sun? Uni...us? bus?"
"Hahaha!!"
"Papa!"
"Sorry sorry hahaha"