?SOMETHING ABOUT US?
(When A Tomboy Loves…)
✍️Written by Nuri .F. Chisom Pearl✍️
?Chapter 56?.
“Is this the place? Where I would find happiness? A place of bright light? and glittering stars?” Alexa scoffed, as she took in a spoonful of ice cream from its container, into her mouth.
“Ain’t I right? You can find happiness here or are you still crying like you did before? Can you also see the street lights providing us with its magical bright light? Look, The stars are glittering as well” Eric replied as he pointed at the sky. Alexa looked up, he was right. The stars were sure glittering and beautiful. She smiled as she watched them sparkle.
“I guess you are right–She looked at him.
…..You can find them in the children’s pla-y ground!” She laughed as she began swinging on the children’s pla-y swing. She held the rope ti-ght as it moves her front and back, with the cu-p of ice cream sitting, stiffly on her lap.
“How’s your ice cream?” Eric asked, breaking the silence as he took his.
“It’s sweet. What about yours?” Alexa replied
“Mine is sweeter” Eric retorted
“Huh? Why would yours be sweeter?” Alexa frowned childishly.
“Probably because vanilla tastes better than chocolate?” He answered and laughed
“No. I disagree, Chocolate is better and sweeter” She smiled.
“Why?” Eric whispered looking straight into her eyes.
“Huh?” She blinked, nervously.
“Why is yours sweeter?”
“What do you mean? It’s prolly because chocolate is better”
“No. It’s sweet because you are happy. If you aren’t happy, It is sure gonna be bitter. Mood sometimes gives food its taste. When we happy, We enjoy our meal. When we are sad, Our food becomes bitter” He explained carefully, still looking de-ep into her eyes.
“I guess you are right” Alexa sighed, as she took in another spoonful of ice cream.
“Alexa?” He called. She turned to him and he took his gaze to the ground quic-kly.
“I’m still gonna say this. I don’t care” He whispered. Alexa nervously held the rope ti-ghtly, trying to listen.
“I like you… so much” He looked at her now, but this time, Alexa took away her gaze. Her eyes bec@m£ teary and sad.
Silence occu-pied, only the insects could be heard chipping loudly that night.
“Eric–
“I alre-ady know what you’re gonna say.. I just wanted you to know my true feelings for you. I guess I’m the third wheel”
“I like you too” She ignored his response. Eric turned to look at her quic-kly, she also looked back. Her eyes blinked involuntary and the tears flowed down slowly and carefully.
“But as a friend….” She added. Eric swallowed ha-rd, and re-moved his face away. He was sad and disappointed.
“Do you like Ethan that much?” He asked
“A lot. I just think Love is crazy or don’t you think so?” She looked at the ice cream in tears and took in the last one.
“The ice cream… How does it taste?” Eric reversed the question.
“It’s… Bitter” She whispered slowly, as tears continued flowing freely.
“Why?”
“Because I’m sad…….I’m still sad, Eric” Her tears ran.
“Alexa? Feel free to come to me if you want to. I will be right here. But as for now, I’m gonna let you go”
“Wh… What?”
“Go to Ethan. Make him stay. Make him yours. I know that what you truly wants. It’s okay, I won’t stop you. Instead, I’m just gonna wait for you”
Alexa looked at him, still crying. She stood up slowly from the swing seat.
“Stop giving me such a pathetic look. I might cry–He swallowed his bitterness in.
…..Yeah. you heard me. Don’t leave him! Pester him till death! He should be yours only!” Eric formed a bitter sweet smile.
“Thank you, Eric” She whispered as she felt a hot tear run down her cheek. She turned and ran back to their place. Time slow motioned as she ran while Eric watching.
He sighed and bit hisl-ips sadly. Finally, She was out of sight. Suddenly, He re-leased the tears he had been keeping and hiding inside him for so long. The bitter, painful and sad tears flowed like a waterfall.
He covered his whole crying face,which almost turned ugly with his right palm and cried the more and very loudly at that.
***********************
Alexa hid as she watched Laura pe-ck Ethan’s cheeks. He seemed uncomfortable with this act but he was helpless. More like, He was being pretentious.
Laura smiled, waved to him and entered her car. She started the engine and drove off. Ethan sighed in relief, took his phone out from his pocket and called someone. It was Eric.
☎ Where are you?. Ethan’s voice was hoarse and harsh.
☎ Why?. Eric’s voice was teary-like.
☎ Are you crying?. Ethan noticed his shaky voice.
☎ ….What’s it?
☎ Yeah… Where are you?
☎ And why are you asking me that?
☎ Let’s meet, and talk
☎ About?. Eric questioned instantly.
☎ Tell me where you are!!!. Ethan yelled.
☎ Why? Are you probably looking for the girl you pushed away?
☎ I’m gonna kill you! I know nothing about any sort of girl! Okay! Get that into your empty skull!. Ethan rudely responded.
Eric sighed de-eply.
☎ Meet me then. I’m at Rainbow Children’s pla-y Ground. But Alex… I mean, Alexa… She c@m£ over to you. Can you treat her more kindl–•Beep!•,, Ethan hurriedly cut the call angrily.
☎ Hello? Hello? Aiish!!… Annoying as*h*le!. Eric cursed as he wiped off the stagnant tears on his face.
Alexa walled up to Ethan slowly. She held her dress by each sides, ti-ghtly trying to push in her nervousness. Her face was alre-ady pale due to her excessive crying. Ethan looked up and his eyes caught her. He re-moved his gaze like she was a total stranger and walked past her.
Alexa stopped quic-kly, and gr@bb£d his arm.
“Ethan.. I’m sorry, But plea-se. Spare me a minute?” Her voice was calm and sad.
“Urrgh!” He gr-unted irritably and for-cefully pu-lled his arm away from her hand which made her almost stagger.
“Are you crazy?” He stormed. He was obviously mad, insane, furious and was about to go bonkers.
“Give me a chance, huh?” She had tears rushing out again.
“I have nothing to say to you!”
“Ethan… It’s me, Alexa… Alex! You don’t remember me? Huh? plea-se… Answer me”
“The only person I remember, and know perfectly well is Alex! Not you. I also don’t talk to strangers, and obsessed fans, more like stalkers!”
“Don’t say that. It really hurt” She whimpered.
“…..I was the foolish one!! The stupid one! Even though, I had strange feelings and uncertain vibes from you. I decided to act like a fool to think you were really a guy! I didn’t want to believe anything from the ordinary! I ignored it! I was re-ady to say I was a liar after having such thoughts about you! But I noticed things!!”
“Wait? You had a feeling I could be a girl?”
“Why wouldn’t I? Especially our ki-sses, to-uch, being together! Eye contact! Everything! I felt them all! I decided to feign ignorance in order to believe you were really a boy! I wanted you to be a boy, Alex!!”
“Yeah… Yeah.. I un-derstand. But I’m still Alex… But my true name is Alexa. Nothing else changed about me”
Ethan ran his eyes from her head to her toe and scoffed.
“Okay Alexa… Have fun! You’ve had enough fun with me alre-ady. Toying and pla-ying with my feelings! ma-king me behave like a total nut job!…. You wanna know something,….I prefer Alex–He paused and looked at her from head to toe again and whispered.
……To a girl like you whom my heart suddenly got stoned cold from”
Alexa watched him, in despair as he turned around to leave. She cried bitterly like never before. She also cried loudly that some neighborhood dogs began to react by barking loudly. Most people blocks away heard her cry.
Ethan stopped, and turned to her.
“Go home. Don’t ever come back here, talk less of stepping a single toe here. You just to-uched me, So… You’ve lost all your points. You know what that means! You… Are… FIRED!”
Alexa heard this painful words and busted down in more tears. She slowly knelt down and couldn’t help but cry loudly. She held her che-st ti-ghtly after feeling her broken heart aching. She placed her head on her lap, still crying loudly as her knees was still on the cold stony ground while Ethan disappeared from sight.
Ethan was still walking when he saw Ken at a distance. He heard his heart skip and walked fas-ter to him.
After getting to Ken, He stopped.
“Hey. What’s up. Why is your face so–
“Did you know?” Ethan cut him short.
“What?”
“You knew, right?”
“What’s that about?”
“Alexa–Ethan paused, after noticing Ken’s face changing suddenly.
“Aah.. So, you did. Wow! You guys really made me a fool!” Ethan bit hisl-ips in anger. Ken stared at him, dumbfounded.
“Guy–He was about to say something but was interrupted by a strong punch from Ethan. He held his face which was hurting due to this.
“Dude!!!” Ken yelled painfully.
“You Guys!! You guys lied to me!!!. You turned me into a clown. Wow, So… Was it fun? More like it was a refreshing ro-mantic comedy, Huh?”
“I un-derstand how you feel–
“No. You guys don’t. Let’s talk about this later–He snapped.
…I have some other business to attend to” He added, walking away. Ken sighed de-eply, still holding his affected face as he watched Ethan leave.
Ken walked away and eventually, met Alexa whose cries were alre-ady less-ening down. Though, Her face was still hung low. He sighed sadly and walked closer to her. He bent and gently patted her back.
“Softball… It’s okay… It’s okay…You’ve tried alre-ady. Trust me”
“I don’t un-derstand but I still love him, Ken. I really do but now, He hates me like hell” Her voice trembled as her tears continued flowing.
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Eric stood up from the swing seat after sighting Ethan from afar. He watched him confusedly as Ethan walked fas-ter to where he was with ti-ghtly clenched fists.
Suddenly, He felt a ha-rd, strong and painful punch land right on his chin.
“Owwww!!” Eric gro-an ed painfully as he held his face.
“I’m gonna kill you!” Ethan cried out bitterly as he pushed Eric to the ground. He started hitting and punching him heavily. Eric gro-an ed painfully and finally pushed him away. He stood up and got back at Ethan. He started hitting him as well.
That was when their fierce fight started with lots of pains and loud yells.
TBC