Chapter Seven: Clara and James
He squeezed the trigger, but Clara was ready. She reached out, imagining the bullets turning into harmless ropes. Each shot fired from the gun became a thick rope, falling uselessly to the ground.
"What the—what's happening?!" the officer shouted, staring in disbelief as ropes flew from the barrel instead of bullets. He quickly grabbed another gun, and this one fired normally.
"Great, now I'll get them for sure," he muttered, taking aim again.
Clara saw him preparing to shoot and decided to end the chase for good. Stretching out her hand, she imagined the police car coming to a complete stop. The car slowed down until it halted entirely, leaving the officers with no choice but to watch as James and Clara sped out of sight.
James let out a sigh of relief, glancing over at Clara. "Clara, that was amazing. I don't know how you did it, but you saved us."
"Just another day," she replied with a smile.
With the police far behind them, they continued on their way, finally making it back home safely.
******
James finished cooking and decided to check on Clara. Gently pushing open her bedroom door, he found her lying on the bed, her face pale. Concern etched across his face, he stepped inside.
"Clara, how are you feeling?" he asked softly.
"I'm not okay," she murmured, her voice barely audible. "I have a headache."
James frowned. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've brought you some medicine."
"I'm sorry," she said weakly. "My body feels so heavy. I tried to get up but couldn't."
"It's alright," James reassured her, moving closer. He placed a hand on her forehead, checking for a fever. "Apart from the headache and weakness, is there anything else?"
"No, just that," Clara replied.
"Okay, hold on."
James left the room and returned a few minutes later with a tray of food and some medicine. Sitting beside her, he helped her sit up and carefully fed her.
After she finished eating, Clara took the medicine. James smiled gently. "There's more food in the kitchen if you feel hungry later. I'm heading to the office now, but please call me if you need anything."
"Thanks, James," she said softly.
James left for work, and Clara spent the next three days recovering at home. By the third day, she felt well enough to return to school.
---
On the morning of her return, Clara dressed and got ready. James dropped her off at her department building before heading to his office.
She entered the classroom and took her usual seat. Minutes later, the lecturer arrived, prompting the students to stand and greet him.
"Thank you. Please be seated," the lecturer said. "Where is the assignment I asked you to submit?"
"We've submitted it," the class replied in unison.
"Good." His eyes scanned the room and landed on Clara. "Clara, I didn't see you yesterday. What happened?"
"I was sick," she replied.
"Sorry to hear that. I hope you're feeling better now."
"Yes, sir. Thank you," Clara said with a small smile.
The lecturer nodded and began his lesson. The class lasted nearly an hour before he wrapped up and left the room.
As soon as he was gone, Clara's friends gathered around her.
"Clara, how's your health now?" one of them asked.
"I'm fine," she said, smiling.
"I came to your house yesterday, but your neighbors said you'd moved out. I also tried calling you, but your number wasn't reachable. Why didn't you tell me you'd moved?" her friend asked, sounding hurt.
"I'm sorry," Clara said apologetically. "It slipped my mind."
"Where are you living now?"
"I'm staying in Cooperative Estate."
Her friend's eyes widened. "Wow, an estate? Your money has finally come through! Why didn't you invite me over?"
Clara laughed. "It's not what you think. I'm just staying with someone."
"Who?"
"My boyfriend," Clara admitted.
Her friend's jaw dropped. "Wait, didn't you say you wanted to stay a virgin until marriage? How can you live with your boyfriend?"
Clara sighed and explained the situation, recounting how an incident with the police had forced her to move in with James.
"I just didn't want the police harassing me anymore," she said. "And James has never pressured me for sex—not once since we met."
Her friend raised an eyebrow. "Wow, you're lucky. Is he a pastor?"
Clara chuckled. "No, he's not."
"Well, you're blessed to have someone like him," her friend said, just as another lecturer walked in, signaling the start of the next class.
---
Later that day, as Clara walked to her department, a young man approached her.
"Hi, Clara," he said, flashing a confident smile.
"Hello," she replied, studying him curiously.
"There's something I need to tell you," he began, hesitating for a moment before continuing.
"What is it?"
Meeting her gaze, he said, "Clara, I have feelings for you. I think about you all the time, even in my dreams. I want us to be together. I promise I'll never let you down."
Clara blinked, momentarily taken aback. "Alright. I'll think about it," she said cautiously, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
"Okay," he said, his face lighting up with hope. "I'll wait to hear from you soon."
That evening, Clara shared the encounter with James over dinner.
"Someone approached me today," she said casually. "He told me he has feelings for me and wants us to date."
James tensed. "I hope you didn't say yes."
"No, I didn't. I told him I'd think about it."
James set down his fork, his expression serious. "Are you considering saying yes?"
"Yes, I might," Clara replied, her tone matter-of-fact.
James stared at her, his voice heavy with emotion. "Clara, don't you know I'm in love with you?"
Clara looked at him, stunned. "I didn't know. You've never said anything."
"I know," James admitted, his voice softening. "But I've loved you since the day we met. I've been planning to surprise you with a ring before the end of the year." He paused, taking a deep breath. "Clara, do you love me?"