The Wallflower's Revenge

AWR Chapter 19: Will to love

She glanced at Lea again. From her face, sadness and weariness are very evident. She looked stressed and affected by what happened earlier. Leylah sighed as she looked down. It's also a way for her not to follow her after class. It's her idea for Lea to know that she's upset with her. Normally, she'll just go home when things happen that way.

When dismissal came, everybody in school hurried to go outside the room, that includes Eveelia and her gang. Leylah wanted to be the last one. She noticed that Lea rushed to go outside without a word to her anymore. It made her very sad, but relieved at the same time. She will not pester her wherever she will go. She'll not ask where she will be going this time too because she walked past her. She felt relieved as she sneaked out and walked towards the main gate. She glanced at her wristwatch again and it's five minutes to three.

If she takes a shortcut from the main gate turning to the right, which is the mini-forest for study area, she will reach the old science laboratory building in no time.

She hurried by walking and running at the same time. She knew that every Wednesday, she would be fetched by her dad at exactly six in the evening at the main gate. These days were always the 'busy' days for Carson. Usually, he will ask her to stay inside a nearby restaurant to wait for him and buy some smoothies. She knew that she could spend at least two hours with her boyfriend right now, at their meeting place.

When she reached the rooftop of the building, it was already 3:01 in the afternoon. Carson is standing in front of her, as usual. 

"What time did you arrive here?" She softly murmured as she hugged him by putting her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.

"Ten minutes ago." He answered as he caressed her shoulder-length hair.

"I'm terribly sorry. I should have arrived here earlier but our teacher dismissed us just in time."

"It doesn't matter. I can wait for you even for two hours."

"Don't say that, I might let you wait that long if I'm in the mood." Leylah said as she giggled, pulling him close to her as she smelled his unique, fresh scent.

"Are you sure you had a basketball practice a while ago, huh?"

"Yeah, why? Sorry, I sweat a lot a while ago. You should never hug me like this," Walter told her but she giggled again in response as she hugged him tighter this time.

"Nope. I never want to. Just stay closer to me like this. This is actually my favorite scent of yours."

"Good thing I changed my sweaty shirt to my extra clothes."

"You better give me that sweaty shirt of yours."

"What?" He laughed as he replied.

"I'm serious, though. I want to smell you all the time but I can't do it."

Walter let her go and he hugged her just like the kind of hug she had given him. He kissed her on the forehead. Leylah smiled as she closed her eyes and felt Walter's kiss. It sent tingles down her spine. It's as if an angel kissed her just now.

----

Lea hurried to the main gate after spotting Leylah. She looked around and she was lost in an instant. Lea bit her inner, lower lip as she kicked a small stone as she steps to the main gate again.

Negative. No sighting of Leylah everywhere.

Wow, how could she vanish in an instant, just like that? She couldn't help but wonder in amazement deep inside her.

"Hey," She's about to walk to the main gate because her driver might be arriving any time soon.

She continued walking when Eveelia stopped her by grabbing both her shoulders.

"Not so fast, dear."

"I'm about to go home, why are you not letting me?"

"Why? Didn't you miss me?" Eveelia asked as she firmly held her shoulders even more that Lea started to writhe in pain.

"Can you please stop it? It hurts!"

"Whoa, you're even hurt this time? Oh well…" she smiled as she let her go and she fell on the ground. She tried to look around and she could see that some of the students only pretended not to see anything as they walked past them.

"What do you want?" Lea cried as she massaged her shoulders. She stood up and faced Eveelia and Sophia that's behind her, grinning too.

"Do you really trust Leylah?"

"If I say yes, what will you do?"

Eveelia laughed as she clapped her hands.

"Wow! So, Leylah has one, faithful dog now, huh?" Lea clenched her fist as she looked into Eveelia's face. She looked at her too, with a meaningful grin.

"I am not a dog!" She shouted.

"You are, without a doubt."

"You are really evil, Eveelia. Your name suits you well." She sarcastically replied, trying to calm herself down because of the students around her.

"Yes, I admit I am. I am evil. I do bad things and people acknowledge me for that. In fact, I have so many fans who want to be just like me."

"They are a bunch of jokes. I can't believe why people decide to befriend you."

"Well, one fact is that, I can be cruelly honest but I am just true to my words. I mean what I do."

"You're still loathsome!"

"I eat criticisms for breakfast so that's super okay." Eveelia answered that Sophia even laughed with her. Why did she include Sophia? Does she really want to treat her as her very own echo? A sidekick that will support the ripple of evil that she wanted to spread in school?

"Leave me alone."

"Nope. I want to see you because I want to give you a chance."

"Chance? What chance? Coming from you?" Lea asked sarcastically from the grinning Eveelia.

"Yes, a chance to be allies with me and leave Leylah alone."

"Never!"

"Whoa...what did Leylah do to you that you're so faithful to her? Oh, if only she'll realize how you believe in her as a friend."

"Yes, she's my friend, and I don't consider her as a friend only but a best friend. Did you get it?"

Eveelia laughed as if hearing the best joke she'd ever heard from the longest time.

"Okay, okay. I got it. Wow, lucky Leylah. Even if she's a sheep clothed in wolf's clothing, still you're believing in her."

"You don't say that to my best friend! You don't know her well for you to easily judge her like that,"

"Yep. Coming from you, too. You should never put your trust in a person whom you didn't know very well. You might be waking up one day, knowing that your best friend Leylah will become a giant snake that will attack you from behind. Good luck!" Eveelia laughed as she tapped Sophia's shoulders as they kept going.

She could still hear her humming like crazy with a meaningful song.

Did you have to do this?

I was thinking that you could be trusted

Did you have to ruin what was shining now it's all rusted

Did you have to hit me where

I'm weak, baby, I couldn't breathe

I rubbed it in so deep

Salt in the wound like you're laughing right at me…

That's 'Bad blood' by Taylor Swift. She's a Swiftie that's why she knew the lyrics so well even if Eveelia isn't really singing the song but humming it for her as they walk past her.