The aura around Adam had shifted as she had twice noticed—when he forbade Gianna from going to Elodie's party and the night he'd shown up after Gianna's danger alert. He looked like a whole different person behind his glasses. "Did you ever notice something strange with Gianna?" Mimie's heart cooled a bit, however, hurt. She'd expected more critical but she'd not expected Gianna to be the source of the cause. Like the other times. "What do you m-mean?" "You know, I was able to delve into her bag the other day in search of a pencil and...I saw this unusual stuff in there. Something like a square or was it a rectangular leather case? Well, she sort of looked...protective of it, is it?" His question was rhetoric and more to himself as if he'd not used the proper descriptive word. "Have you seen it before?" Mimie nodded. "She said it wa-was a pencil c-case. Customized." "Ditto," a heartbeat silence reigned. "But I don't think so, not that I ever seen such before. Why would she be so
Gianna felt a presence. Immediately, she knew who it was. Even though her head was still lowered in the pretense of reading, to avoid the ogles that came with the whispers, Mimie's grip on her hand somehow inoculated bravery in her. However, it wasn't as sufficient as displacement was concerned. She would skip lunch. Mimie didn't say anything but inserted a hanky into Gianna's hand, who hadn't realized her wet cheeks until then. She whispered a wobbly appreciation and dabbed the teardrops off. Gianna sniffed. "Where is Adam?" "He did-didn't show up to-today." "Can't join you for lunch, sorry." "I'm not ev-even hungry. Can I s-sit with you throu-through lunch?" Gianna wanted to say yes but the fear of Sean hurting her again overshadowed. "No. Get something else to do somewhere but don't stay here. It's not safe." "I learned some k-karate moves while I-I was on my sick bed." She demonstrated despite the eyes that watched, causing Gianna to lightly laugh. "Thanks, Mims," She felt
Her mother was still hell-bent furious as they rounded up with dinner that she'd failed to drink water before eating, as per her meal habit, and had spat fire to every question bombarded her way despite it being part of a harmless table conversation. Siesta was a do-or-die with the lady, another contribution to the sour temper. Especially with her finals at the doorstep. A little she could understand there.Gianna had learned that afternoon that her father was the ongoing building project's designer. It did not stun her much. The man was excellent at what he does. However, it was a perfect chance to know what the construction really was. She'd asked.'A little bit of everything,' her father had replied. 'Love hotel, Casino, Night club, and all that.'Gianna scrunched her face. 'Sounds heinous. What about here? What are you up to?''Workers quarters and a wine brewing factory,' her father had smiled, admiring the progressing construction, extremely proud of himself than anyone was of
Adam had insisted they rode in his new car, which of course wasn't similar to that which he showed up with at Elodie's messed up party. This was a white Lexus, no doubt the latest model. They hadn't talked much since his confession to instructing Jay to take down every article concerned with him, her—Gianna—and the party. And as time passed, Gianna's head began to assemble some haphazard puzzles. It was an extremely tough task to walk with the new Adam, especially with the troop of shameless girls whirling around him. Who would've dreamed? Imagined? Thought? that someday, Adam—the stick wimp, the nerd no one noticed—will be chased after. A girl even dared to shove Gianna away just to flirt with Adam. The latter gave her a cold shoulder but the girl did not take the hint. If she ended up leaving, it was as a result of Adam's verbal assault ribboned with a layer of acerbity. A phase of Adam she'd witnessed before.It ached her to admit it complimented his new look as it gave promine
A dark brown-haired girl, who Gianna guessed was in her early twenties, showed up dressed in a crop top and indecently destroyed faded blue jeans with wailing Ethan in one hand and a feeding bottle in the other. The cute baby boy's face was red and wet from crying. Poor thing.The girl froze with an 'oh' when she saw them but that wasn't for more than a second as her duty to rid herself of Ethan was yet to be achieved."Sorry," she flatly apologized as she hiked straight to her mother, handed over Ethan and the feeding bottle, and left. Mrs. McCoy shook her head, her arms pacifying Ethan almost immediately before the bottle's nipple was introduced. "I'm sorry about the interruption. Kids of nowadays. That was my second daughter, Fay. And this is Ethan, my littlest." With a smile, she finger-played with his chubby jaw. The discussion after that was strictly business-related, later on, Mr. McCoy and her father stepped out after a diversion to golf leaving behind the ladies and Ethan w
Mimie stared at the ever-so-impressive building with obvious uncertainty, battling on whether she was making the right decision or not. But if she had made it up to that point it simply meant one thing. She wanted it.After scrutinizing her surroundings, she bee-lined across the highway where she poorly blended with the elegantly dressed clients walking in and out of the once upon a time unhabitable Cold Spring's constructions that no one dared to near at whatever time of the day as it was reportedly haunted by the furiously disturbed spirits of the prime proprietor. And now it was the most beautiful edifice Cold Spring was known for. The place on its own was a touristic sight to forever remember.When her grandma mentioned that it once belonged to the Vladimirs in the early years of the small town, she didn't doubt it a bit.'The curtains had drastically descended on the family,' Mimie thought as she made her way to the porcelain receptionist.
With Ephriam and Draken on his tail, Sean joined Gianna where he'd instructed her to wait for him with a bone-chilling authoritative tone. He'd wasted time to show up, or was it her who was too eager to get rid of the leather case, so much that she'd gotten stuffed with the pungent odor from the garbage dumpster. Good thing she hadn't had lunch just yet as she notified to join Mimie as soon as she'd taken care of 'a little something', as she put it, so she wouldn't worry much. As eager as scared Gianna was, remembering her last encounter with Sean. She kicked his balls for the sake of Christ. There was no way she would go scot-free. And she was prepared to face it as long as he got his stuff off her shoulders. Sean wrinkled his nose. "You stink." Gianna said nothing as quietness reigned. No soul but theirs in the horizon. It was either a lucky day to not have come across the delinquents who perched there to stuff themselves with pot or were warned ahead of time of Almighty Sean's ne
"And I thought you love me.""I do. I swear it, I rea—""Then prove it."The boy's breaths were heavy, his panicked countenance so bold that it shone far more than that of the full moon's sharp beams. "There are so many other ways to prove it besides this, c'mon." He desperately pleaded."No, I do not want so many other ways. This is the only way and the only chance you have but if you can't do just this little thing for me, I swear, you and your pathetic love confessions are as good as useless."The boy gritted his teeth. He'd admitted his love for the girl not so long ago. It'd required dragon balls but the outcome was shocking nevertheless, triumphing. He almost applauded peer pressure for the very short time it lasted.He'd never in his wildest dreams, thoughts, to ever declare his flames of love to this girl until they graduated and parted ways. That was how much of a ban, a peculiar aura she'd built around her. From afar, he'd loved to admire her. In his mind, she'd smiled at h