FATED SEATS

CHAPTER 18 part 1

Flashback ARA POV

After class, Zen and I found ourselves walking in the same direction, a comfortable silence settling between us.

"Do you know Ani?" I blurted out, the question hanging in the air like an awkward confession.

Zen paused, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. "Yeah, she's my ex. Why do you ask?"

"Oh," I mumbled, suddenly feeling foolish. "It's just... Ani talked about you a lot in our ninth-grade class." I hesitated, then couldn't resist adding, "How did your relationship end?"

Zen's face closed off, his eyes hardening. "That's a secret," he said, his voice flat and final.

And with that, our conversation ended. I mumbled a quick goodbye and turned to head home, the unanswered question and Zen's sudden coldness leaving a knot of unease in my stomach.

End of flashback

The day of the intramurals dawned bright and sunny, a stark contrast to the darkness that had been consuming me lately. The campus buzzed with energy, students milling about in their team colors, preparing for their respective events. The air was filled with the sounds of cheers, laughter, and the bouncing of basketballs.

I tried to immerse myself in the festive atmosphere, but the memories of the alleyway, of Zen's twisted words, still haunted me. I felt like I was wearing a mask, pretending to be okay when, inside, I was still reeling from the encounter.

As I walked towards the court, I spotted Alan practicing his shots on the basketball court. He looked focused and determined, his brow furrowed in concentration.

I hesitated for a moment, then approached him cautiously.

"Hey, Alan," I said, my voice a little shaky.

" He stopped dribbling and turned to me, a warm smile spreading across his face. "Ara! Hey, what's up?"

"Just wanted to say good luck," I said, trying to sound enthusiastic. "I'm sure you'll do great."

" He chuckled. "Thanks! I appreciate it. You gonna watch?"

"Maybe," I said, shrugging. "I'm here for the volleyball games."

"Ah, right," he said, nodding. "Well, maybe I'll see you around later."

"Yeah, maybe," I said, turning to leave.

As I walked away, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced over my shoulder and saw Zen standing near the volleyball court, his eyes fixed on me. A chill ran down my spine.

I quickly averted my gaze and hurried towards the court, trying to ignore his presence. But as the volleyball game began, I couldn't help but steal glances at him. He was watching me intently, his expression unreadable.

He was standing near the volleyball court, watching the game intently. But it wasn't the game that caught my attention. It was his eyes.

Zen's eyes… they held an intensity, a piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate my very soul. His eyes when Ara knew he liked her sparkling eyes with lots of emotions inside ,zen eyes are like a sword that is stabbed in Ara chest, it was like the remainder of khen eyes.

They reminded me of something, someone…

Khen.

The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. Zen's eyes mirrored the sparkling, hopeful gaze I had once seen in Khen's eyes, the eyes that had conveyed unspoken interest and admiration.

The memory of those eyes, the memory of the hope and excitement they had sparked within me, was a trigger, a painful reminder of my past vulnerability.

(Flashback - Afternoon Class)

It was 1 PM, the afternoon sun streaming through the classroom windows, casting long shadows across the desks. Ara nervously clutched her pen, her heart pounding in her chest. This was it. The class where she sat beside him.

Khen. The boy who had captured her attention from the moment she first saw him. He was everything she had ever dreamed of: kind, intelligent, funny, and undeniably handsome.

She had been too shy to speak to him before, too afraid of rejection, too worried about making a fool of herself. But today, she was determined to break the ice, to finally have a conversation with the boy who occupied her every thought.

He walked into the classroom, his smile radiant, his eyes sparkling with warmth and intelligence. He sat down beside her, his presence filling the space around her.

"Hi," he said, his voice gentle and melodic. "I'm Khen."

Ara's heart skipped a beat. "Hi," she replied, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm Ara."

He smiled at her, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "It's nice to meet you, Ara," he said. "I've seen you around. I like your style."

Ara blushed, feeling a surge of happiness flood through her veins.

"Thank you," she said, her voice gaining a little confidence. "I like your style too."

They talked for the rest of the class, about everything and nothing. They discussed their favorite books, their favorite movies, and their dreams for the future. Ara felt like she could talk to him for hours, for days, for the rest of her life.

As she looked into his eyes, she saw a spark, a light, a connection that she had never felt before. It was a beautiful thing, a magical thing, a thing that made her believe in love at first sight.

She remembered a saying she had once heard: "When a guy likes you, you see it in their eyes." And in that moment, as she looked into Khen's eyes, she knew that he liked her too. And Ara fell in that eye.

We only had three person to person conversations and the rest is only eye contact. Ara hit the past.

End of flashback

In that moment, I felt a surge of panic, a desperate urge to escape. I don't like eyes, I won't look at everyone's eyes because of the past, she is slowly getting anxious again.

I hated that piercing gaze, the way it seemed to see through me, to expose my deepest fears and insecurities. I wanted to recoil, to hide from his scrutiny, but I found myself frozen in place, unable to look away.

His eyes were like a sword, stabbing into my chest, reopening old wounds and stirring up long-buried emotions. They were a reminder of my past vulnerability, of the pain and disappointment I had tried so hard to forget.

As I stared into Zen's eyes, I felt a wave of anxiety wash over me, threatening to drown me completely. The past was back, haunting me, reminding me that no matter what I try to forget that.