Chapter 3 ~THREE~

"Where are you, Judy?!" I shouted into the phone.

I had already spent three hours at Ms. Jenna's house and within the period, read two novels. I had nothing else to do than to deal with Kieran's insufferable self and I couldn't do it.

"At a meeting. It's going to last very long. So, I'll be home late, okay?" She said breathlessly.

Wait, a minute.

"That would've been fine with me but you removed the spare key!"

There wasn't any response and all I could hear was shuffling and periodic thuds.

Wait, a damn minute.

"Judy?!"

"I didn't do anything. Go to the neighbour's house like you always do."

"But-"

"I gotta go." She slurred and my suspicions were finally confirmed.

"So?" Kieran asked when I finally ended the call.

"She's at Tyrone's house. Her boyfriend."

"And you know this, how?" He raised a brow.

I shot him a glare and he got my message.

"Oh, were they-"

"Yup."

"And she was-"

"Yes." I sighed and collapsed on the chair behind me.

"So, until she gets back from his house, you're going to stay here?"

I ran my hand through my face and murmured, "Unfortunately so."

"What?" He asked.

"Nothing. Don't you have homework to do or something?"

"Yeah, actually but it isn't due till Friday."

I rolled my eyes at him. My question was rhetorical. I asked him that so that he could get off my back and go do something else. I wasn't expecting the imbecile to answer.

I got up and went outside to get some fresh air but I froze in my tracks when I spotted someone at my door.

"What the-'' I gasped. Hadn't he troubled me enough?

"What's up?" Kieran said from behind me, making me jump.

"Uh, Nathan is at my door."

"Okay?" He prodded.

"Well, I don't want to talk to him."

"Then don't." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

I rolled my eyes and walked back to the parlour.

"Why don't we do something fun till your Auntie gets back?" Kieran stated more than suggested.

"Something fun like what?"

"I don't know. Wanna watch Netflix?"

I sighed, I had nothing better to do anyway. "Sure."

I stood up and went to the kitchen to get some snacks.

Before I opened the fridge, I spotted something weird. It was like a burning flame on the wall.

I shook my head, grabbed the chips I found in the fridge and walked away briskly. I had watched enough horror movies to know that you don't touch or try to investigate weird things especially when you're alone.

"I was wondering where you wandered off to." Kieran commented as he pressed the play button.

"Hey, what movie did you select?"

He smirked, "How I Met Your Mother."

I sighed. I'd watched it before but it wouldn't hurt to watch it again. I loved the series.

It was a few minutes past one and I hadn't heard from Judy still.

"We should probably stop watching, we have school tomorrow." I said standing and stretching.

Kieran rolled his eyes, "Ugh. You're such a buzzkill."

There was a bit of silence then he asked, "Heard from your Auntie yet?"

"Nope, she hasn't even texted or called-"

Just then, my phone rang and I picked up almost immediately.

"Finally. Are you done with your stupid meeting because it's been nine hours in case you didn't not-"

I paused mid-rant when I heard the voice on the other end of the call.

"Veronica?"

"Nathan?" Kieran's head spun to me as I mentioned the name.

"Please don't hang up. I just wanted to talk to you."

"Well, I don't want to talk to you. How hard is it to move on with your life?" I said through my teeth.

"I don't know. Normally, I wouldn't want to talk to you but I have to."

"What the frick are you talking about?"

"I don't know. I can't explain it. It's like a force attracting me to you. I can't get the image of you on that ledge out of my head. And it's driving me crazy especially since I may have had something to do with your decision. So, please can we talk?"

I sighed, "It's the middle of the night, dude. Maybe later?"

I heard the relief in his sigh, "Thank you."

I ended the call and my shoulders slumped.

"What was that about?" Kieran said.

I shrugged and turned my back to him, picking up my bag and novels. "Nothing important. Going to the guest room now. If I were you, I'd sleep."

I nodded at him and walked away. I saw the look on his face that said there-ain't-no-way-in-hell-that-that-call-wasn't-important-because-it's-one-in-the-freakin-morning but I ignored it and went straight to bed.

***

The bell rang and my head shot up from my desk.

Darn it. I slept through the class.

"Um, Veronica? A word please." Miss Cynthia smiled.

"Yes, Miss?" I walked to her.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble or anything." I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and she continued, "How is your Auntie?"

"She's doing good. Why?"

"Oh nothing. Tell her not to forget about the PTA meeting we have on Friday. It's been a while since she attended."

I nodded and left for lunch. I had a feeling that with or without my reminder, Judy still won't attend the meeting.

I felt a hand drag me into a storage closet.

"You know, you could have just walked with me to the cafeteria." I said exasperated.

"Sorry, but we need to talk in private." He said.

"I sit alone in the cafeteria now, Nathan. I believe that's 'private' enough, no?"

He ran his hand through his hair and I kind of felt for him.

"I'm sorry, okay? I don't know what to do anymore." He said.

I stayed silent and waited for him to say something but-

"Can we start over?" That was not what I was expecting him to say.

"What?"

"Yeah. Forget everything you know about me. And I'll forget everything I know about you. Let's have a fresh start."

"That's not even humanly possible."

"Well-" He started.

I rolled my eyes, "I mean, it's not intentionally possible."

"And yet, here we are, about to do it. Aren't we?" He held out his hand for me to shake.

I stared at it for a while then took it. And we shook hands and smiled.

Of course, I knew that there was no way I would forget all the things that Mia and Nathan had done to me. But, I could give him another chance.

"Yes, we are."

And I was going to.