II
1276 Words
I jumped up from the bench. A boy appeared out of nowhere, crouching down to my height. My eyes met his, and for a moment, I forgot everything. He had long, thick eyelashes that made his crystal-blue eyes seem much deeper. A charming smile appeared at the corners of his lips, but his square jaw gave him a masculine touch.
I stared at him for so long that an uncomfortable heat spread across my cheeks. He chuckled.
“I noticed you were a little distracted, so I came over. Maybe you need someone to talk to?” His dimples reappeared. I cleared my throat, trying to regain my shattered composure. I shifted a little on the bench, giving him room to sit down. I silently scolded myself for my clumsiness. “Oh! I know it's creepy for a stranger to suddenly talk to you, but believe me! I mean no harm!”
I shake my head, still lost in my own thoughts. “No, it's okay,” I murmur.
He hums to himself, sliding his hands into his jacket pockets as he sits down next to me, leaving a considerable space between us. We both watch the people passing by. In the distance, a small playground.
For some reason I feel strangely comfortable in his presence, even though he's a complete stranger. He has a bright aura and a bubbly personality that could charm anyone, and his handsome features don't hurt. But still, I remind myself to be cautious.
“I have a question!” he suddenly exclaims, breaking the silence.
I look at him, waiting for him to continue.
“Do you believe in werewolves?”
I can't help it. My eyebrow raises. Werewolves? Seriously? “Werewolves only exist in movies and stories, so no. I don't believe,” I reply.
A pout forms on his lips, but his dimples still appear. What's wrong with him, seriously?
“Why not? Don't you think they're cool? They can transform!”
I laugh. “Of course they're cool. But they're not real!”
“Whatever,” he says, rolling his eyes. The small earring in his left ear glitters in the sunlight. I look at him amused; he's a little childish. “How about... vampires?”
He whispers the last word, his face turning serious as he quickly glances around. Without realizing it, I mimic his gestures and look around discreetly, as if someone might hear us. A chill runs down my spine. What are we doing? This is weird!
“Stop talking about those mythical creatures, please! You're making me nervous!” I exclaim, rubbing my arm to relieve the goose bumps. He just pouts, muttering something I can't hear clearly as he looks away.
Shaking my head, I look away from him and focus on the children playing.
“So? What made you lose yourself in thought with that frown?”
I sigh. The negativity I had forgotten slowly returns. “Something happened at home, and I desperately need a job.” He's just a stranger. Telling him a little bit about my story wouldn't hurt. Besides, I'm sure I'll never see him again,
“I'm living a simple life compared to these tall buildings and the elegant people around us. I'm a college student with a scholarship, but it's not enough to cover our needs... And now my grandmother is sick. We don't have money for her medicine. It's frustrating...”
“Oh...” he whispers.
Silence falls over us again. Out of the corner of my eye, I see him searching for something in his bag. He pulls out a small piece of paper and shows it to me with a big smile.
“Here! Maybe it's our destiny to have met today? Maybe I'm your fairy godmother?”
His comment makes me laugh. My hand reaches out to take the flyer. “What is this?”
“A job. Someone was handing them out to people in the square a little while ago. I was lucky and got one,” he explains. “This is my gift to you, okay? Don't waste it, Selene.”
I nod unconsciously, not wondering how he knows my name. My eyes narrow. I don't remember seeing anyone handing out flyers. Well, maybe I arrived too late or too early.
Really?! My eyes widen at the amount. $300 for being a simple assistant? And a full scholarship? This is too much! And what does the “courage” requirement mean? That doesn't make sense!
I shake my head. The strange requirement doesn't matter. The most important thing is the huge benefits I could get if I'm hired. My eyes search for more information and find it at the bottom of the paper, written in tiny letters:
Town of Zatoria. We await your arrival.
“Zatoria? This is the first time I've heard of this place,” I murmur. Now I find it intriguing... and a little suspicious. Where the hell is this town? I've never heard that name before! “Hey, do you have any idea where this place is?”
I turn to ask her, but I can't find anyone. She's gone.
Another sigh escapes my lips as that question is thrown at me for the umpteenth time. I face my best friend, Vanessa Garciel, with a smile. Her eyes behind her huge glasses shine with unshed tears, her arms wrapped around her books as we walk off campus.
“I have to, Van. But don't worry, I plan to ask for a day off to come home at least once a month.”
“Only once a month?!” she exclaims in disbelief, frowning. “Selene! That's...”
“Hey,” I interrupt her.
We stopped walking when we reached the parking lot, and a girl leaning against her car caught our attention. She stood up, smiling broadly, an expression that clashed completely with the way I looked at her.
“Misty!” Vanessa exclaimed, approaching her with a smile I would never get used to. Misty Aldivar was one of those people who enjoyed intimidating Vanessa, whether it was with insults, trashing her locker, or even physically hurting her if she didn't get what she wanted.
Vanessa, being the pure and spoiled daughter of a tycoon, did nothing but let herself be intimidated, and that got on my nerves.
“What the hell are you doing?! We should report them, Van!” I had yelled at her one morning, full of rage, when I found her soaked from head to toe in the locker room. My hands were shaking. “Where are they?! Let me...”
“Wait, Selene,” she stopped me, her grip shaky and weak. The tears welling up in her eyes made me clench my teeth. Those bitches...! They really needed a lesson! “I'm fine. I don't want any more trouble.”
I looked at her, feeling anger welling up in my throat. “But you'll always be in trouble if you let this happen!”
“I know... But if my dad finds out about this, he'll transfer me and we'll never see each other again.”
At that moment, all the rage vanished. This girl... my best friend.
“Selene, snap out of it!” Vanessa's hand waved in front of my face, pulling me out of my memories. Her broad smile greeted me, and Misty was still there with her annoyed pout.
Damn it, why do I suddenly feel like punching her in the face?
“Well, I'm leaving now, Vanessa. See you later.” Later? Where are they going?
“Sure, see you later!”
- Writer
