The Ugly Puppet

There was an evanescent wind in the ear, blowing a faint taste of lime, mixed with a smell of tobacco.

The sun fell on him, fainting with a golden silhouette, adding a bit of softness.

Haven't seen him for two months, Jacob's hair has been cut short. She didn't know if it was her illusion, but he seemed to have grown taller.

He was still so arbitrary and dazzling.

Ashley's heart beat hard.

Because of his words, there was a sense of guilt of being poked into her mind. As if she had really done something wrong, she was so panicked that she didn't even know where to put her hands and feet, and her spine straightened involuntarily.

After a while, she stuffed the puppet into his hand and whispered, “I didn't know it was yours."

Ashley lowered her head and moved a step outside in a somewhat awkward manner.

Without hearing his response, she pointed to the books in the trunk and solemnly explained, “I'm here to help my brother. When I saw there are some books in the car, I wanted to help him carry them."

After waiting a few more seconds, he still didn't speak.

Ashley hesitated, and added, “If I know that the doll is yours, I won't take it."

"..." Jacob's eyebrows moved, and he straightened up, repeating questioningly, "If you know it's mine, you won’t take it?"

Ashley nodded immediately, “Absolutely not."

"Absolutely?" Jacob's voice was lazy, with a slight accusation, "Kiddo, do you have a conscience?"

"..."

‘When she took it, he said she was a thief, and if she didn't take it, he said she had no conscience.

This man is more fickle than the sky.’

Jacob said again, “Do you remember that I have helped you?"

As soon as these words fell, most of the dissatisfaction in Ashley's heart dissipated, and she muttered, "Yes."

"Then should you treat me well?"

Ashley glanced at him and said nothing.

Jacob chuckled lightly and didn't tease her anymore, and handed her the puppet, “Take it if you like."

Ashley moved her right hand manually. Suddenly, remembering the sentence he had just said, "targeting me", she took it back quickly, without the guts to take it.

Jacob withdrew his hand. "Then I will throw it."

Ashley paused, then took it.

Jacob thought it was funny, “Just take it, why are you so awkward?"

Hearing this, Ashley was a little dissatisfied, “You just said I was a thief."

"Brother made a joke with you." Jacob took out the stack of books in the car, freed his other hand, and closed the trunk of the car, "Let's go, go upstairs."

Ashley followed him without speaking.

Jacob glanced at the phone, and then asked, "Unhappy?"

Ashley remained silent.

Jacob, “I’ll give you the doll to compensate you, ok?"

Ashley said frankly, "It is ugly."

"Ugly?" Jacob raised his eyebrows and glanced sideways. "It's okay."

"Why did you buy this?"

“I didn't buy it." Jacob thought for a while and said not caringly, "I forgot where it came from."

Ashley suddenly understood something and asked, "Brother, someone gave you this?"

Jacob, “Huh? Maybe."

Ashley was not interested anymore, “Then I will give it back to you."

Jacob stretched out his hand to her, "Then give it to me, I’ll take it."

Ashley went back in silence.

Jacob asked, “Is the schoolbag heavy?"

Ashley, “Nope."

Jacob asked again, “We have to climb the fifth floor in a while, can you make it?"

"Of course I can. I'm thirteen years old, not three years old." Ashley frowned, very upset that he took care of her like a baby. "And if I can't, will you carry me up?"

Jacob glanced at her up and down, and twitched the corners of her lips, “It's not impossible."

Ashley, “You wish."

Jacob paused, and suddenly laughed, “I wish?"

Ashley pursed his lips, “Yes!"

"Ok." Jacob admitted in compromise, "I wish."

The puppet was placed on the books by him. The size was not small, and the shape was a bit distorted, which looked particularly conspicuous. Ashley glanced a few more times, and soon lowered her eyelids and retracted her gaze.

The width of the stairs was not small, but many people were going up and down.

Fearing that she would be squeezed, Jacob walked ahead and let her follow behind him.

The two went up to the fifth floor quietly.

Ashley's physical strength was not good. At this time, she was panting, her cheeks were a little red, and her forehead was also sweating. Climbing up the last step, she leaned on the wall, squatted on the ground, and said, "Stop, I have to rest for a while."

Jacob looked at her for two seconds, “Okay, I will pick you up in an hour."

"..."

Ashley immediately grabbed his right leg, as if reluctantly, “I'll just take a rest, which wouldn’t take an hour."

Jacob joked, “Kiddo, your physical strength is too bad."

Ashley retorted, “It's obvious that your school is stingy and doesn't even build an elevator."

"It's only six floors in total."

Ashley muttered, "Then you are too unlucky. You live on the fifth floor."

"Okay, get up." Jacob looked at the phone again and said, "Your legs will be numb."

Looking like he was in a hurry.

This time Ashley stood up obediently.

The two went in down the corridor.

Ashley followed him to the right and looked around curiously.

Soon they reached the door of 525.

The door was not closed, Jacob opened the door directly and put the books on the table closest to the door.

Ashley walked in slowly, turned her head to look, and met Liam's gaze.

At this moment he was sitting on a chair, with his long legs raised on the table, drinking water leisurely, “Good job, bro."

Ashley said dissatisfiedly, “You said you didn't have time to come down to pick me up."

Liam said without batting an eye, "Yes, just finished packing. I just sit down and rest for a while."

Hearing other voices, a fat boy popped his head out of the bed, “Hey, is this Liam's younger sister?"

Ashley nodded, “Hello."

Another boy came out from the balcony, “Damn, your little sister is so cute."

Liam screwed on the cap and threw the water bottle in his hand, “Watch your language."

The boy quickly took the bottle and threw it to him, “What are you talking about? You usually say--" He didn't continue to speak, and he suddenly reacted and said with a smile, “Oh, I’m sorry. Little sister, don’t learn."

Ashley nodded silently.

Her gaze moved to Jacob's body and soon dropped again.

Jacob tidied up the things on the table, and then pulled his chair next to Ashley. The corner of his mouth bent a small arc, and he learned to call her like the other boy, with a silly tone, “Little sister, sit here."

Ashley whispered, "Oh".

Later, Jacob walked to the toilet.

The small dormitory suddenly became noisy. Ashley roughly clarified that the fat boy was Mike, and the swearing man was John. They were both nice.

Liam seemed to have a good relationship with them. He chatted with them while playing with his phone, occasionally picking up a few sentences.

The three of them were chatting, and suddenly they decided to have a barbecue outside the school.

Bring Ashley together.

Not long after, Jacob came out of the toilet. He changed his shirt, returned to his position, did not talk to them, he opened the drawer and turned out his wallet.

John looked at him and said with a hippie smile, “Jacob, we just moved here. Let's go to eat hot pot later."

"Tonight?" Jacob shook his head, "I have something to do."

Ashley looked at him immediately.

Mike said, "What are you going to do? Do you have a girlfriend? Absolutely not! Our dormitory is a group! If you want to find a girlfriend! You must find a girlfriend for me first!"

John argued with him, “No, help me find one first."

Mike, “I don't have any conditions for my future girl, just don't have a bad temper."

John, “Just be a woman."

Mike, “Men will work, too."

"..."

Ashley stared at them, and suddenly he said, "Aren't you chasing my brother?"

Liam, “..."

John looked over in horror, “Little sister, you must be kidding!"

Mike sat up from the bed, looked at Liam thoughtfully, touched his chin, and said, "Liam does look pretty handsome."

Liam's forehead twitched, “You two get out of here."

Jacob smiled silently, put a pure black school bag on his back, and walked out, “I'm leaving first." Halfway through, he suddenly remembered something, stopped, and rubbed Ashley's head, “That doll, take it yourself if you want it."

After speaking that, he left the dormitory.

John sighed, “Then let's go, too."

Mike, “Okay, I'm hungry."

Liam looked at Ashley, “Kid, do you want to eat hot pot?"

Ashley was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head, “I'm going home."

"We can eat something else." Liam curled his eyebrows, "I'll take you back after eating."

Ashley shook her head again.

Liam was impatient and got up and said, "Think about it for yourself. I'll go to the toilet."

Ashley also stood up silently and moved Jacob’s chair back to the position. Later, she noticed the doll on his desk again, and she hesitated to pick it up, feeling a little depressed.

When Mike put on his shoes, he happened to see Ashley's actions, and subconsciously said, "Hasn’t he thrown it? Is he insane?"

Hearing this, John also glanced, “He seems to put it on the bed as a decoration."

Mike, “Don't you think it's oozing when you put this thing next to you when you sleep?"

Ashley squeezed the puppet a little harder, gathered courage, pretending to be curious, and asked, "Is this a gift from brother Jacob’s girlfriend?"

John immediately said, “What girlfriend, how can he have time to have a date?"

Mike, “Yes, he is too busy."

John, “But I’m not busy and I have no girlfriend!"

"Because you are ugly." Mike looked at the doll in Ashley's hand and thought for a while, "This doll seems to be a prize given by Jacob to participate in a competition."

John, “Yes, last semester."

Hearing this, Ashley's hand was relieved and she let out a sigh of relief.

There were two toilets in the dormitory. It may be because Ashley was present, Mike and John did not change clothes in the dormitory and squeezed into another toilet together with their clothes.

Ashley stared at the puppet in her hand and unzipped the zipper of her schoolbag silently, trying to tuck it in.

But the size was too big, she could only take out the doll that was half-stuffed, and took out all the things in the schoolbag, and put them on the desk of Jacob. Half of the space was freed up, this time just enough to fit it in.

The next moment, Liam and the other two came out of the toilet at the same time.

This time Ashley really felt like a thief. She immediately turned her back, pretending to calmly walk back to Liam's position.

Liam pulled a paper towel to wipe his hands and asked, "Have you made a decision?"

Ashley, “I'll go home."

Liam nodded, “Okay, I will take you to the station."

10 p.m.

When Jacob returned to the dormitory.

Mike and John were sitting in front of the computer and playing games, clamoring about beating and killing. Liam was lying on the bed, motionless. Hearing the movement of his return, he raised his head sleepily, “Hey, Jacob."

Jacob put his school bag on the desk, “What?"

"My sister just called me." Liam handed him the phone, "She said that you have something left to her, she didn’t tell me what it is, you call her yourself."

Jacob opened the closet, but couldn't find any clothes, “You can get it through first."

Liam was so sleepy that he turned on the screen, found out Ashley's number, dialed it, and handed his phone to Jacob again. Jacob took it, put the phone to his ear, and went to the balcony to collect the clothes.

Ashley picked up and shouted, “Brother?"

Jacob said lazily, “Kiddo, what have I left?"

"..." Ashley calmed down and quickly said, "Brother, it's not you who left things with me, it's me who left things with you."

"What?"

Ashley said honestly, “My homework."

Jacob humbled indifferently, "I asked your brother to send it to you tomorrow morning?"

"But I didn't ..."

"..."

Jacob's action of collecting clothes stopped, and after a few seconds of silence, he suddenly understood her intention.

"Do you want me to do your homework?"

She seemed to feel that her request was very unreasonable, and Ashley stumbled and explained, “I could have done it myself. But, but there is a 500-word weekly diary to write, and I can't finish it at school tomorrow morning."

"..."

Jacob smiled with a little absurd, “Why don't you tell your brother?"

Ashley, “He won't do it for me."

Jacob, “Then I will do it for you?"

As soon as the words fell, there was silence on both sides.

After a long while, Ashley almost cried, "Please help me... That teacher is so strict. I dare not write other homework before, just not the English homework……"

"..."

"Why are crying?" Jacob was speechless and smiled, "Kiddo, how about this? You get up early tomorrow and go to school to write. I'll take it to you earlier, okay?"

She sobbed, "No!”

Jacob asked, “Why not?"

"I, I can't get up that early...uuuuu..."

"..."