Chapter 3

Dua left the room; the door made an eerie sound. Even though she made is less audible possible. The sound echoed the house, along with my mother's occasional sniffs.

My mother is really pretty, I've heard a lot of people saying that, but I never saw it. She has a straight nose, thick eyelids, and perfect eyebrows (as my father's opinion) she is the kind that has the perfectly proportioned face, and lips with the perfect cupids bow. She could be a model if she was born in this era. It's an ugly truth that nor I or Dua looks anything like my mother.

My dad is calling all my friends, it's a mystery how he has their numbers. My mother's face frowns every time my dad hangs up his phone with a sigh.

"Lizzy was tensed this morning, I think it's about the calculus test; she's a few classes behind," my mother says as if she remembered something important.

Dear mother, if I had a calculus test, I would have stayed home because of some kind of sickness, easy. Maybe I should have written a letter or something,

Even so, what am I supposed to say?

My mother's eyes are in a shade of red that I didn't know that existed, until now.

I wonder what happened to the ladyfingers. ...

…

"Lisa! What are you always thinking?" Aarish asked from his seat.

"None of your business" I replied, closing the book in my lap.

"Since when do we keep secrets? Best friends forever. Remember?" He asked reaching for my book.

"Oh, I don't know, maybe since Maya told me you said you have a crush on me" I pulled the book from his reach, narrowing my eyes at him.

"It's not like you don't know that, I liked you back in 5th grade... You just didn’t care"

He narrowed his eyes at me too, a hint of a smile in his lips.

"You said it was a one-time thing! How am I supposed to know my best friend is a psychopath" I took a breath.

 “I don’t like you. Tell anyone in the class and you are dead meat "I finished.

"I know, I know. I am a boy in love Liz, you have to give me something" he said

“That is ridiculous” I scoffed

“You don’t think I know that?”  He asked.

"Love is overrated “period. I replied.

"Friendship isn't? I know what you are trying to do Liz. You are pushing me away. It’s what you do. You push people away, whenever you see people getting close to you. You push them far away. You are scared of commitment, you are scared that someone might figure you out" He paused and continued

"I don't know what you are doing to me. You are like a piece of art, Liz, exceptional, and pretty”

He had something in his eyes which made me think he was telling me the truth. He sure does know a lot about me. Just not enough.

"Listen brother, save the essay. I am not scared of anything, and just so you know, you sound so idiotic" I smiled

"Oh I do know that, Just that you know, I do not care" He smiled

"Hey what do you guys have for lunch?" Maya came over winking at me.

"I don't know, but you guys can have it, I gotta go, I have something to do" I gave a wink and exits.

"She's weird. I don't know why you like her" I heard Maya saying. "For the same reason," Aarish replied with a smile...

…

 I got to the jungle through the old building. There is something about that building that feels kind of odd.  My parents and teachers are very strict about going there, so strict that we are supposed to not even going near it. It used to be a girls' lavatory.  I go there every Monday and Friday, I

  I went there last Friday and noticed a pair of shoes there, just perfectly laid on the grass. Not one but a pair. It was a new pair and a really clean one too. At first, I panicked, then panicked some more.

Who’s this dumb to leave their pair of shoes in the Forrest?

 A lot of  People enter the woods, This certain place which I call my secret place, is not really an easy place to find, even though I come here twice a week and sometimes more than that, It's really easy to get lost. The forest changes every day, I've marked the trees on the way so that I don't ever get lost.

 What haunts me is that someone is here; in a place I call to be secret. I keep my diary here. And I come every day so that I can write in peace, it is really a beautiful place, it’s like my second home. 

To be honest I was scared when I found someone's shoes in my secret place. Why would anyone leave their shoes in the middle of a forest? Who is that dumb? So that' why I am going today.

Something inside me told me to not go, me being me. And my level of curiosity was not helping either.

             I followed the trees. I didn't know what to expect.  I felt different, I was even almost scared. I reach there, the shoes weren't there. I looked around the tree, the bushes.

 Where are the shoes! Somebody took them!  I looked around, I couldn't find my diary either, and my heart weighed 100 pounds. I've had that diary since I was a little kid. I looked under the tree which I usually keep it; it’s actually pretty well hidden. Tears pooled in my eyes.

   It had my sketches, my over-the-top-private thoughts. Someone is playing me. Every instinct in my body is telling me to go back, and I stood there crying into my shawl in the middle of the woods. 

   I heard something from behind, my heartbeat raised up. I could hear my heart pumping blood fast.  I couldn't turn around. My heart was beating so fast. I might faint.

     "Looking for this?" a man's voice said.