Zydal didn't want someone else to deliver Helzeny's birthday photos for her. She wanted to do it herself since there were some things she also needed to talk to her about. They had planned for a meeting at a smoothie bar in town and Helzeny was the first to arrive. She placed an order for both of them because she already knew what Zydal liked. Those two knew more about each other than people thought.
Zydal arrived a few minutes later with the photos in a beautiful leather bag. Although she was excited, Helzeny looked forward to opening the bag when she arrived back home.
"How did they turn out?", she excitedly asked,
"What do you expect? Absolutely gorgeous.", Zydal truthfully stated, easily complimenting the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen.
"Can't wait to open and see them.",
Zydal took a sip of the smoothie, and it immediately hit the spot. Only crazy people enjoy cold foods during a cold weather, and those two were the craziest of the crazies.
"You said you wanted to ask me something.", Helzeny began,
"Oh, yeah.", she gulped, "Remember what Queen Minzy said about me?",
"Yeah, about someone confessing something to you _",
"And that I have to support them once they do.",
"Yeah. Did it happen already?",
Zydal heaved a sigh and nodded, "It's Scully.",
"Your brother? What did he confess?", Helzeny asked, intrigued.
"He told me that he has feelings … for you.",
Helzeny nearly choked. She quickly put the glass down and coughed for a good 5 seconds. "What?", she needed clarity.
"That's what he told me. I've never seen my brother that determined and desperate before. I don't know how to say this but I think he's genuine.",
Helzeny shook her head, "That's very impossible. Your brother doesn't have feelings. Maybe feelings of grumpiness.",
Zydal chuckled, "I know exactly what you mean. But for me, just give him a chance. Meet him once and see how it goes. If he doesn't peak your interest, leave him, and I'll help you remove him from your personal space.",
"What if I'm seeing someone now?",
"But you aren't.", Zydal was too certain, "Scully is grumpy and all, but he's a good guy. I'll let you decide the rest, but just go on one date with him. If you want this to be a secret I won't tell the girls. Please, trust me.",
Zydal was a very neutral person who didn't share her feelings randomly. She always asked for what she absolutely needed and never otherwise. So, maybe she deserved a chance, one chance.
"One date only.", Helzeny stated, "Nothing more.",
"I promise.", Zydal beamed.
…
Lessin's phone rang at exactly 6 pm. Although the number wasn't saved, she knew it by heart. She answered it, fingers crossed.
"Hello.", she said first.
"Meet me at the park.", Zabron hung up as soon as he said that.
"I guess he wants to talk now.", Lessin told herself as she got off the sofa and searched for her sandals.
…
5 minutes later, she was at the park. Since it was now evening, very few kids and their parents were there. She spotted Zabron sitting on a bench far ahead, and that's where she headed without wasting time.
At the bench, Zabron sat on one end, and she sat on the other. There was a huge space left in the middle, and there were nail scribbles there; L+Z to be exact. That bench was their spot for many years and all the conversations they had there were happy, funny ones, except the one they were about to have.
"I know you didn't come for my mom this morning.", Zabron proceeded, "What did you want?",
"To talk to you.", Lessin replied,
"About?",
Whatever she was about to say wasn't something easy to speak up. But that is what being an adult means, saying what you don't like to say, doing what you don't want to do, stepping out of your comfort zone for a better future.
"It was Isack.", she finally uttered the forbidden name.
Zabron instantly eyed her. What do you call a feeling of mixed anger and disbelief? I don't know. The expression on his face was unreadable. He eyed her quietly for a long while, and Lessin let him. Tears flooded his ducts and that's when he looked away. He believed men shouldn't show their tears in front of women, but that was very hard for him.
His head lowered, and tears fell to the ground like rain drops.
"Fuck you, Lessin.", he cussed, jaws clenched.
Okay. So, obviously Lessin didn't want it to go there. But every spark predicted a messy outcome.
"Is it wrong of me to share that with you?", she asked, also angry now.
"It's always been easy for you, right? To you, that was just nothing.",
"How can you say that?", she hissed,
"Because it's true!", he yelled at her, "You're fucking heartless!",
"Just shut up! What the hell do you know? Were you the one carrying him?", she yelled back,
"You didn't want to have him! You said that a million times.",
"I WAS SCARED!",
"I WAS TOO!",
"BULLSHIT!",
Before they gained an audience, they personally calmed down. It became silent for a long minute. Then _
"There's no way to know it's Isack.", Zabron said.
"I do.",
"How?",
"I can't tell you.",
"Like how you can't tell me the truth of what happened. But", he huffed, "you don't have to. I know what you did.",
"I'm going to let you think what you want. I can't waste my energy on you anymore.",
"I never asked you to.",
Lessin got up and started to leave.
"No matter how much you pray, God will never forgive you.",
And that was out of line. Lessin went back and before he could blink, she slapped his face hard.
"Whichever devil is sitting on your ugly brain, tell it not to mess with me.", Lessin grind her teeth, "You know nothing!",
She waited for him to say something but that slap had shut him up. So, she left him seated there hopelessly, only the truth hanging by a thin thread, waiting to be mentioned.
***