Wrong Arrow

3 : Love Candidate

In the end of the day, everyone leaves.

And I've learned to cope with it the hard way.

So as I step out from the confinement of lecture, there's that fresh feeling of pure bliss pouring down on me.

It's been a three days since Valentine's Day. And much to my utter relief, all those cringy decoration were finally taken down.

I flutter my gaze to the sky, combating sun's light with my own two. I might get blind for a couple of minutes, but I don't care.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Still intercepts easily from beside me with a grin causing my lips to drop to the ground.

Tommorow?

I bit the bottom of my lip. 

The guy forgot tomorrow's Saturday, which meant I'd want to see less -if not at all- of him. 

At all cost. He mustn't come.

Mouth still agape, Im ready to tell him that we have no school the next day only to halt upon realizing he's already stormed off.

Brat.

Id have to deal with this tomorrow then. He’ll probably call me or stop by my house. Again. 

With limp muscles, I stride towards Vaeri who was currently spilling the content of her Pepsi bottle on a plant. 

She's standing idly on the corner, a pillar shading her from the setting sun. 

"Again?" No doubt did my exhausted features go unnoticed as I lean wearily against the wall, watching. 

The girl simply chuckles, shaking the bottle before tossing it into a near-by bin. She does this thing of swiping her hand in a swish manner before turning to me, winking. 

"It was warm anyway. You know I like them cold." She tells me. "What time should I come over?"

"Around seven thirty. Dad's probably staying at the center tonight."

"Okey. Then I guess I'll see ya." After a a quick hug, I watch my best friend disappear off within the rivers of students piling out the gates.

I turn my heel, ready to get home.

It's a fair thirty minute ride from the university to my place, the lonesome moment usually companied by the soothing music from my earphones. When Im lucky, the bus’ usually empty. 

So while patiently waiting for my bus, I reach for my backpack in search for my plugs. My fingers roam the insides, facing the fabric and many other things I keep inside. They brush past rough surface of books and forgotten wrappers of candies.

I can't find it. "Where is it." 

Surely I hadn't left it. 

Please don’t tell me I actually left them at school.

But after giving myself a few more seconds, internally convincing myself that I had brought them, I come across a saddening realization that I indeed left my earphones. 

Or it could be that I actually lost them. I could have sworn using them on my way to school after all. . 

Well. There goes my source of entertainment. 

If my head wasn't throbbing a while ago, then it most certainly did now. I set myself down ungracefully and stare blankly into the empty concrete street. With the approximate time of five minutes till my bus arrives, might as well relish on the cold breeze of the coming night.

And this goes on for the next couple of seconds until I feel like there's a presence sitting beside me. A gush of wind blows by, sending a wave of goosebumps all over my body. Shivering, I lick the bottom of my lip, leaving a glossy effect. 

Ignoring the erratic beating of my heart, I force yourself to stay neutral as I possibly can. Like there isn't a suspicious masked-guy sitting beside me. 

One might think Im being paranoid, but let's get one thing straight. 

Im a college student, a female one at that. Currently alone waiting underneath a bus stop with no sight of illegible witnesses apart from the rushing cars, and it's dark. 

The suspicious man shifts beside me, his face craned towards the opposite side from where I sat. From the corner of my eyes, I see him subtly wave.

Then stands to leave.

I feel like an i***t.

Okay. So I jumped into a conclusion too fast. But to my defense, Ive had people follow me around before. And they were neither harmless or dangerous.

Relief reflects from out my eyes as I watch the man walk off. No longer alone, but with a woman proudly showing off her baby bump beneath the autumn coat.

And at that very moment, my bus arrives, beckoning me to scramble for my backpack, clutching it close to my chest before stepping in.

In all your years of living, Ive never once been this exhausted. The fact that Ive had my heart practically begging to jump out of my chest from the beginning of this week almost made I wanna drown yourself at someplace dark and die. 

Ive lost count of how many times I've thought about that.

"You're crazy." It's a bitter taste to the tongue. Selfish. Cause if I were to disappear, then i'd be leaving my already broken dad alone.

And I didn't want that. 

"I wonder what's on your mind little miss." The soft whisper cradles the side of my ear, tempting me to turn. But instead, I gently close my eyes and lean my head against the window seal. 

Zacharias’ Pov

For this whole week, Zacharias' been doing nothing but following her, observing her, learning a thing or two about her.

Timid would be one way to describe the little miss Pearl. Yet she still had that goofy persona when it comes to people she's close to. Like Stell for instance.

The thought of the certain male has Zacharias biting his lip. It didn't seem like she liked him. And believe it or not, what might've surprised him even more was that fact that maybe Stell didn’t like her in that way as well. 

Cause unlike his previous missions, both individuals would at least have a thing or two for the other. And with the little boost of a Cupid, would they take it to another level. This case however, was different. Which leads him to his question.

If neither of them liked each other, why would the headquarters want these two paired up?

Zacharias groans huskily into his prompt wrist supporting his chin, still eyeing the back of Pearl's head. Her hair’s smooth. The hue of the sun glides down elegantly above it. His fingers tingle for the slightest moment before he snaps himself back to reality. Even if he wanted to try running his fingers across her hair, he’d most likely pass through.

He goes back to pondering over the suspicious love candidates.

Did this have anything to do with why Pearl's folder was purple?

Did purple stand for unrequited love? So they force humans to just fall in love with another human being?

The fountains of possibility running in his head has overflown.

“You're one tough case, Pearl." He mumbles under his breath, taking the empty seat beside her.

She had her head against the window, staring solemnly into darkness. Zacharias comfortably leans back, face craned her way with his eyes still glued on her.

As much as he'd want to deny it, he can't. Pearl’s a pretty girl:  long hair, beautiful eyes and lips. If he was human, he'd have already asked her out.

Such a shame she couldn't see him though.

“Such a shame I can't call you mine either." Zacharias flickers his onyx eyes towards the window, catching the lady in subject already staring at him.

And he narrows his brows. "Or can I."