Chapter Six– The Lost Diary

Edward

It was closing time, the students were out of their class chattering as they walked to the school gate.

Edward, a seventeen-year-old, tall, with long legs, his white sun-kissed, walks calmly amidst them, hands in his pockets as he listens to his two friends bickering. 

"Ed, back me on this."

Elliot, the shortest among the three, being 5'9ft, his white hair was in messy bangs, and his shirt was not tucked in, he nudged Ed with his elbow to grab his attention.

"Who do you think teaches better?"

"Hmm?" Ed asked to pretend he wasn't hearing their argument because he had no intention of answering.

He huffed jumping on him. "Who teaches best Among English teachers or  Biology teacher?" 

He chuckled "Don't tell me you've traveled into your dream world again?" Elliot huffed.

"Don't know, I read ahead of class so..."

"Yeah, yeah so, you can't tell." Elliot rolls his eyes, making a face.

"You're such a killjoy." He added while Ed was walking unbothered.

"Liot, leave Ed out of it, you know he won't answer otherwise."

The other guy Lark chirped. He had a serious look, his shirt was well tucked, hair was neatly combed.

"You just prefer the English teacher because she's a woman." Lark stated, making Elliot grin from ear to ear.

"Mrs. Benjamin is friendly, while Mr. Perry is always stern, who'll learn under such pressure?" He paused, analyzing Lark from head to toe. 

"Only you I guess, you're just like him because you're similar to such a no-nonsense character."

"What?" You can't learn..."

Ed's lips curved in satisfaction, seeing they leave him alone and back to their argument. 

Just then he remembered lost something important. It fell from the window, during lunch when he was about to leave the library.

He didn't go search for it because he was already late and had to search for it, this meant a lot to him.

"Guys, I forgot something." He announced while turning away.

"Huh, this is not like you, okay, we'll wait for you."  Lark said not moving from his spot.

"You're rude as hell, Lark, let's go pick it up together Ed." Elliot proposed walking towards Ed.

"No, you don't have to guys, you should just go." 

"See, he'll just shove you away, that's what he's good at." Lark pointed out.

"Nah, I appreciate it, but your driver's are already here."  

"If you insist, see ya tomorrow." Elliot waved.

He turned and continued walking, raising a hand. Giving a bye sign.

He headed to the backyard to search for the bracelet. He couldn't tell them, so he wanted to pick them up.

Lark would be like 'buy a new one.' Even before he could explain and then mock him if he saw the butterfly pendant.

'What's up with not having anything to do with girls.'  

Ed huffed that brat does know how to annoy him.

While Elliot being the extra sweet guy would insist on helping him search, even when his driver was already here. Teasing him to tell him who's bracelet it was.

He rubbed a hand over his hair pushing away his friends' thoughts on his little secret when he reached the backyard.

He searched for the window of the library among the long building in the backyard.  When he finally saw it, he was standing opposite to it. 

Adding a step back, shading his eyes from the sun with one of his hands around his eyes, he hit his leg with a bench. He recalled seeing a girl sleeping peacefully on the bench when he was in the library during lunch. He usually saw a girl sitting there alone during lunch when he needed an escape from those two in the library.

Who on the earth sleeps there during lunch? He chuckled, shaking his head. And hit the bench with his foot, but only received more pain. 

"Ouch." He exclaimed, shaking his leg.

He noticed an orange hardcover under the bench, he bent and picked it up.

It must be a girl's book. Should he just leave it here, so she'll find it tomorrow?

No, what if someone else finds it?

What if it rains?

Heck! He knows there's only one right thing. To take it with him, and he did.

He picked it up with him heading to the window where the bracelet fell. 

He doesn't like interacting with girls as the school would start new rumors of him having a girlfriend. That happens several times and not leaving it to happen again.

He'll just come and keep it here. Or in her locker ... No, Absolutely no!

He searched for the bracelet and minutes later found it, hurriedly he ran to his ride home.

***

Areena

The lights in her room were still on as she entered the room, she strolled towards her bed that was facing the door but stopped at the gallery wall opposite her study table. 

The room is small, neat, and casual. But she felt at home, she didn't care about clothes, so she had just a few. Not that they can afford all those luxury clothes. Her clothes are mostly baggy shirts, baggy pants or shorts, and hoodies. And they are stuffed into her bed cardboard, making the room spacious and tidy. 

There is a window above her bed, making the room have more natural light and airy. 

Her eyes linger from one picture to another, pictures of her and her mother and some alone. Since she was a baby. Another one was when she was a toddler. Her first day in school. Together with her mother on her last day in grade school. Her first day in middle school. Last day at middle school. She has an admission card to an elite high school. 

Her first day in High school. 

In all the pictures she had long hair,  but before her first day in Elite High school, she cut her hair leaving just a neck-length bob.

The incident that happened before, made her into what she was now. 

A nerdy, tomboy.

She glanced at her clothes. She was wearing baggy pastel orange pajamas.

These are just pajamas, who doesn't prefer PJs over a night dress? She shrugs her shoulders. As she went and sat on her bed.

She lay down on the bed looking at the light hanging above her, she was exhausted from all the trekking to the taxi and cleaning the house. And cooking. But it was worth it. She felt great after a hearty time with her mom.

She would do anything in her power to make sure she keeps in contact and on good terms with her mother all the time. To enjoy the time they have together. Not wanting to repeat the same mistake.

Shoot! She forgot their physics teacher gave them assignments.

And they had to submit it first thing tomorrow. She wasn't feeling sleepy either, so she sat at the study table to do her assignments. Some part of her still has the thought of if she closed her eyes, she vanished from this world, it's just a one-day reunion with her mom, and had to go away.

She picked up her light orange and black backpack, to bring out the books. She forgot to take out her lunch bag too.

She keeps the small black and little orange pattern bag on the desk. Remembering it was there when she woke up from her nightmare ... death ... Back to life?

The bag and dairy were the first things she saw ...

Where is her diary?

She checked the bag again and didn't see it. She poured everything out of the bag to confirm.

She didn't bring it back with her, so it must be in the backyard. She left it there when she dashed out on hearing the bell. She would go check it first thing tomorrow and start picking up the book that was on the white and touch of black carpet as realization hit her.

Wait!

Wait! 

Wait, she froze when she remembered the content of the diary. Closing her face with her fingers, as her cheeks warmed up, she was embarrassed.

Well, everyone doesn't want their diary read by someone, but hers ... Hers is the worst ... She would rather die than let anyone get his hands on it.

She heaved deeply, her shoulder slumped. 

In that diary was ... was the ...

Sighs.

She'll find it anyway, no one usually passes through there. So, no one would get his hands over her book.

Except for the gardeners. They'll just take it to the principal's office. And he won't open it. 

Thank God her name was not written on it. She is never gonna have it back.

"No, I'm gonna find it tomorrow. It was just lying there where it fell.

She breathed in, consoling her worried heart, no bad thing going to happen. And with that, she did her physics assignment.

Areena always studies ahead of the class, having a sharp hand she always understands after solving two or three questions. Since she doesn't want to go to sleep she solves the next topic. 

And she always gave physics extra time, being the subject she understands least and their teacher being strict, but after just studying and answering two questions she fall asleep and murmuring a–"I don't wanna slwweep, I'm not gonna swleeep tonight."

She gets up, yawning, spurting nonsense, and falling on the bed, and sleeps comfortably.

***

Edward

He stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. And another one wiping his wet hair. 

His black and white room was lavishly decorated to his liking. The master bed at the other end of the room near the wall-to-wall windows, with thick white curtains. A study table with his desktop on it. A white full carpet covered every inch of the room.

Ed just finished eating dinner with his Mom, while his dad wasn't around, he called saying he would be busy again. 

Isn't he satisfied with the wealth and fame he has already and pays more attention to his family? 

Ed sighs, keeping the towel in his hand while his eyes are on the digital clock on the wall.

10: 40 PM

He would head to bed right after he is done with his physics assignment, letting out a yawn. He changed into his gray pajamas. And sat on the study table. Picking up his bag to bring out his book he saw the orange diary, a cool breeze swooping with his hair. It's going to rain soon.

If he did let it there it would rain. And feel he would feel wronged. He feels bad every time he does wrong and does what's right. That's what a mature man would do.

While grabbing his book from the bag, the dairy fell and a piece of paper came out of it.

He picked up the paper and walked to close the windows.

He has no idea about peeping into someone's property. Because that would be wrong. So, he'll just return the paper. But what he saw made his droopy sleepy eyes pop out.

On the paper he was holding was a sketch of his face.

He furrowed his eyes and his brows while looking at it.

What the?

It does look like him.

Sitting on his bed nearby, his eyes trace every detail on the paper, he observed the picture very well.

The style of his bangs, the shape of his eyes, lips, and face. And the beauty mark under his lips. She surely knows how to draw. 

She's one of those girls, who gives him a love letter or Valentine's chocolates. 

Remembering tomorrow is Valentine's day he'll have one of the hectic days at school. 

He denied girls chocolates or love letters.  But they won't stop and put it inside his locker or in his desk locker. 

But what is he to her, an idol, or something, sketching his face like that? The tip of his ears reddened. He got curious and picked the dairy and started flipping through it.

It didn't have a name, so he didn't know who she was. He wasn't going to know her either. Not that he keeps track of the girl's love letter. He didn't even read any of them while Elliot always helped himself by eating all the chocolates.

That guy is a gourmet, he should thank God for not being fat. Ed thought, smiling as he imagined fat Elliot.

Leaving the diary on his bed he went to finish his assignments on the study table.

After finishing his study, curiosity got the best of him and read a few pages from the dairy before going to sleep, curious about who the owner was he decided to find out the next day.

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Are you curious how Ed would out whose diary it was and how they first met?

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