Using my sleeve to wipe the last remnants of salted drops from my eyes, I turned around and looked at him. Taking a cursory appraisal of the situation, I noticed his clenched fists and pinched face. Focusing on the latter, I saw angry waves of fire flashing through his eyes and I figured that there was only one way out of this, unless this tension was squelched. Either way you looked at it, one of us was going to get hurt, if not both of us.

Glancing over his shoulders, I spied a small crowd of guys behind him, watching, waiting and looking on. Most of them were his friends, although some were mine. I suspected that they knew a confrontation like this would happen and in typical human fashion, tagged along to see the fireworks and napalm bombs explode when resolution couldn’t be reached.

“Andrew, sup?” I gave him a curt greeting.

Staring at me steadily, he barely blinked. For a few breathless moments, no one moved. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I slid my feet apart and shifted my weight a bit to the back, preparing for anything that might come my way. All those years of training did teach me one thing; people were unpredictable.

“Saw you leave the choir room,” he stated flatly.

A number of thoughts crossed my mind. “Did he wait for me outside the choir room? Or did come to visit Jess and find her sobbing in her seat? The fact that I took off running, and she was crying makes for a great assumption. After all of that, now I’ve got to deal with this.” I simply nodded in agreement and waited for the chaotic tirade that never came.

“Jess was inside, crying,” his voice slowly rising in volume.

“You don’t know shit, man. It’s not about you,” I shot back, annoyed by his accusatory tone.

“But she’s my girlfriend,” he quipped, putting emphasis on the last two words. “What did you do to her?”

His tone of voice had annoyed the hell out of me and I wanted to shut him up once and for all. Sure, Jessica was his girlfriend, but he wasn’t shit to me and I was going to make sure he knew it. I always tried to avoid conflict because of the promise I made to my father, but I also didn’t like being pushed around. If push came to shove, I always did the shoving.

“If you want to know why she was crying, ask her yourself,” I growled, the irritation quite clear in my voice. “You’re her boyfriend, right? I’m sure she’ll tell you. Doesn’t she tell you everything? Or does she keep certain things from you too?” I sneered.

I already felt awful about how things went from bad to worse because of all the wayward emotions between me and Jess. At one time, we were the closest of friends, but now this tumultuous friendship was all that was left. There was no way I was going to let this snot-nosed jackass use it against me. It didn’t take much to turn that feeling of guilt into one of anger. I wanted him to feel the same as I did, so I twisted the knife that was already plunged into his side.

“I guess you two aren’t that close. Maybe she just doesn’t love you, as much as she loves me,” I taunted.

“Fuck you! I’m gonna kick your ass!” He practically spit in my face, as he screamed those words out loud.

Taking a deep breath, I rolled my eyes and drawled,”Kick my ass? Yeah, right. Are you dreaming? Is this the same dream where you think she loves you?”

Those final words had hardly left my mouth before he lunged at me.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

Flipping through the sheaf of music, I saw the teardrop notes resonating with their unique character only I could hear. Closing my eyes, I saw the music come alive, feeling the rhythm of the song as each note swept by, along a riverbed of black pearls. The notes slowly imprinted themselves against my consciousness, becoming an entity that melded with my own.

As I read the music, the words ate away at the lock and key of my emotional vault. When the lock fell away and the gates swung open, a wild storm of unimaginable proportions careened across the plain of my soul destroying every living thing in its path. I was sad, angry and bitter to no end. Try as I might, it was inescapable.

The battle stretched across the vast valley between the peaks of the heart and the mind. They each spoke to me in passionate tones, struggling to coax me onto their path. “We’re the righteous ones,” they both cried. Each trying to persuade me to listen and learn from an unseen wisdom that I somehow knew existed.

In that instant, I gave in to the anger and bitterness that I had held at bay for so long. Perched there in the bleeding blackness that was consuming my sanity, bit by bit, I found it hard to come to terms with rejection. What the hell did Andrew have that I didn’t? Why was he with her instead of me?

—–

The room was quiet, as we waited for our teacher to come start our practice session. I avoided her eyes and ignored her, lest I unleash the strife that raged inside of me. I wanted to confront her and demand an explanation, but I knew better. She had no answers and there were no answers that could satisfy my bloodlust anyway. I sat there, sullen and crouched in my own personal hell, letting it fuel the darkness that had already consumed almost every part of me.

“Hey, you ok?” she quietly asked.

“I’m fine.” But we both knew that I wasn’t. What was I supposed to say? Was I supposed to scream and yell about how it was unfair? Was I supposed to hammer away at her defenses and make her feel guilty for the way I felt now? Should I just make her feel worse just so I could feel better?

Even with all the anger and resentment I had bottled up, I still cared for her very much and I’d rather stew in my own juices than take it out on her. She was undeserving. But a part of me wished that she could feel the torment that I felt whenever I saw them together and whenever my mind was at rest.

“Please tell me what’s wrong.” she pleaded.

“You really want to know?” I replied.

“Yes, please, I don’t know what to do or what to say. I see you act this way and…but I’m powerless to do anything.”

“Sad and powerless? Welcome to the club,” I bit out, unaware of how I sounded.

“I know that you’re hurt, but you’re still my friend. I just don’t know what to do anymore…” and tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Looking at her start to cry, a part of me felt glad. Glad that she was being made to suffer as much as I was. Sitting there, watching her cover her face in despair, I started to feel terrible. Not only did I let my bitterness overwhelm me, but now I felt guilty for making her feel like she was responsible.

Not being able to look at her tearful face, I grabbed my bag, shoved a desk aside, knocking a chair over in the process and bounded up the steps of the choir room and out into the sunshine. I couldn’t stay there any longer.

I ran.

I ran to get away; to be free of the burdens of my pain. The concrete fell behind me with each step, increasing the distance between the source of my pain and myself. At least that’s what I believed. Reality reared its head and showed me that there was no place on earth that could shield me from the sorrow I carried. When my feet hit asphalt, I stopped in my tracks. Tears had streaked my face during my sprint. The tide of emotional chaos rolled over me and I shuddered in my grief. Putting my hands on my knees, I leaned over and closed my eyes.

Why wouldn’t this just simply end? I could have simply let it go, but I couldn’t. The war within me refused to let up, each side giving no quarter. The clashing feelings I had rode me like a jagged lighting bolt, shearing through walls and shattering my resolve.

Consumed by the turmoil inside, I didn’t feel the hand on my shoulder until I felt a slight tug. Turning around, I looked straight into his eyes. There was anger there, brewing just beyond the horizon and it was approaching fast.

“Hey, I wanna talk to you…”

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

Walking off, I couldn’t help but feel a bounce in my step and a slight smile cross my face with the obvious tension floating in the air. The improbable situation that we found ourselves in, gave me a sense of satisfaction that I didn’t know was possible. I didn’t want to act or feel like a jerk, but I’d been feeling like a sack of shit for months, shunning all of the friends we had in common. This would be both uncomfortable and interesting, indeed.

“Hey, wait!” she called out. I turned around to face her and when our eyes met, she quietly asked,”You’re not still mad at me are you?”

Tilting my head to one side, I tried to puzzle out why she would care so much about how I felt. Why did she care? Sure, she was my friend and I suppose she would care about my well-being, but she was with the “right” guy now. That’s what she wanted, right? I wasn’t the guy she liked, it was Andrew.

“What makes you think I was ever mad at you?” I questioned.

“Oh, I just thought that after what had happened and with you not talking to me, you were still mad at me.”

“No, I was never mad at you. Sad, maybe, but never mad,” I told her as I walked backward toward the outer gates. “I’ve got to get going, but we’ll talk later. We still have practice you know.”

As I trotted off through the gates, I heard her whisper to no one in particular,”but I still miss my friend.”

—

Heading toward the pool, I thought about what just happened and the words I heard that were meant for no one. I had gotten over some of the sting of her refusal at my honest confession, but it still hurt, regardless of the time that had passed. My mind tried to seal up those wounds and push them aside, but whenever I thought about the event, there was bitterness that invaded my chest cavity. The same questions kept repeating themselves, ravaging my spirit. But when I asked those questions, I always came up with the same answers that was the salve for my soul.

Although it would get easier with time, rejection was still very new to me. This was the very first time where my honesty had netted me a backhand from Life. Simply put, it sucked. I had missed her too. Our friendship before my big mouth was what I missed most. We were buddies, pals and though the chance that I had taken failed, I couldn’t help but remember that we were still friends first.

Approaching a copse of trees, I wandered inside and looked up to see sunlight filtering through the branches at the very top. I had often climbed these trees, searching for something; adventure, fun and ultimately a sanctuary. Here I found some peace in the shadows and silence, blocked by the leaves that surrounded me.

“Why me? Why couldn’t it be easy? Why did you make this so hard?” I shouted into the forest of green leaves, heralding the coming of summer. When no answers came, I resolved to seek my own answers and find my own way. I wasn’t her boyfriend, but I could still be her friend.

Leaving that solitude behind, I realized that this duet might be more than just a simple song.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

The pain of rejection hovered around me like a cloud of frosted glass; obscuring my view from the world that continued to spin, unbeknownst to me. The days and weeks that followed overlapped each other, merging and melding into a continuous nearsighted blur. There was nothing to discern the difference between one day and the next. Even thick, coke-bottled glasses were of no use here.

Time found me huddled deep in the shadows of an unspoken alcove, wanting to disappear from the questioning gazes and sympathetic murmurs of friends and acquaintances alike. After all, everyone had heard about what had happened, but no one had been given specific details. People wondered what had transpired, but I wasn’t up for any interviews, less an open forum to hash out the events of that afternoon. It was still too raw for me; nursing that constant sore that refused to scab over.

To alleviate the social pressures, I buried myself in my school work and activities. Tackling each day with fervor, I was able to forget, at least for the time being, the ache which filled the space where a buoyant heart once was. Those shattered remains of my core still existed; I hadn’t lost it completely. Instead of sitting where it belonged, I carried it around in a dull, grey leather satchel, cinched tight. Maybe one day some power would come along and piece it back together.

School days came and went. Avoiding the darkness festering inside of me was tough, but between choir practice, competitions, swim practice and meets, they all came as a blessing in disguise. They gave me purpose and focus, for that I was glad for.

Toward the end of that year, preparations for the year end ceremony were underway. I was always very involved in choir and some might say that I had a talent to match my interest. Encouraged to audition for a solo, I found my way in front of the music teacher, pouring my heart and soul into a song, harnessed by the emotional turmoil that had struck its first blow against my teenage soul.

The results of the audition were quite favorable, and I ended up getting the sought after part. Although I had beat everyone else out for that solo, our teacher felt that a duet would be appropriate and wanted a soprano to balance out my tenor/baritone. Another audition was held, only this time, it was for girls only.

After two days of auditions, the results were posted on her classroom door. The final bell of the day rang, and a mass of bodies hurried to see which girl would get that coveted slot. Looking at the sheet taped to the door, I paused as reality slapped me in the face. I was slated to perform the duet, with Jess.

The ache returned. Why did this happen? After all this time, I had thought myself clever enough to avoid the issue, waiting for time to wrap itself around my wound and close it. But now I had to face it head on. Was some unseen force amused with the situation I now found myself in? Did they have any idea what I had gone through for these last few months? The questions thundered inside my head, as the voices of my classmates drowned out the beginnings of my apparent pseudo-psychosis.

Stunned and subdued, I turned around to leave the throng of kids milling about and spotted her as she approached. I suppose she hadn’t heard the news yet. Mustering up my courage, I managed a cordial greeting.

“Hey, Jess. How’ve you been?”

“Hey there… I’ve been ok. How’re you…doing?” she asked, careful concern edging her voice. “I haven’t talked to you in a while. I didn’t know if you’d ever talk to me again.”

“Yeah, well, you know how it is…” I trailed off. “I’ve been busy and so have you.”

She didn’t say anything, but I knew. The story read like a novelette in her eyes. They had been going out for a few weeks now and she knew that I knew. She wrung her hands with anxiety and lowered her eyes. In the distance, I saw him watching our uncomfortable interaction. He avoided me, as I avoided him, not wanting to cause a stir or a fight. At least he respected my wishes, as many others did that year when it came to that subject.

“It’s ok. You’re happy, right? That’s all that matters,” I managed to say as I smiled slightly. “I’ve got to get going now. Swim practice…”

As I turned to walk away, I said over my shoulder,”You got the part, Jess. I guess this time, it’s just me and you…”

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

She started crying again, knowing that she had wounded me deeply with those shards of truth. Standing there with my arms hanging uselessly at my sides, my mind was a whirlwind of scattered spirits; a complete void. Nothing seemed to function and I felt like a deflated balloon, lacking the will to move.

I couldn’t change how I felt about her, even if her words cut me like a searing hot knife through ice; sizzling and boiling what was left of my heart into vapor. Her continued sobs wracked me with a certain kind of guilt; by laying open my heart, I put this situation in motion. We were both hurting and there wasn’t much that could be done.

Closing my eyes, I shut down my own pain, at least temporarily and I pulled her to me. Wrapping my arms around her, like I had done dozens upon dozens of times before, I rocked her slowly. Back and forth, back and forth.

“Hey, shhhh, shhhh…it’s ok.” I tried calming her with light clucking sounds, as a father would do for his child.

For those long moments that I held her close to me, I wasn’t her boyfriend, but merely a friend and I could accept that. The pain was nothing I’d ever experienced before, but I could understand that you can’t make a person feel the same way as you feel about them.

“Everything will be alright.”

“Will it? Even after that…” she trailed off, while she sniffled loudly and cried into my shirt.

“Yeah, it will. Shhhh…I’ll be ok. Don’t cry. It’s not your fault. It just wasn’t meant to be like this.” I murmured, as I stroked her hair.

“My father always said that there is a time and place for everything. This just isn’t our time, that’s all. It’ll be ok. There’s nothing to worry about. We’ll still be friends. I can accept that, even if you aren’t with me. What matters most is your happiness.”

The sobbing died down and she backed up a little to take a look at my face. Gazing into my eyes, she tried to ferret out any hints of deception. I knew that she wouldn’t find anything there. The pain that was carved into my face was now hidden behind a thick veil of concern that even she could not penetrate. The facade wouldn’t last long, for I could feel the sadness, white-hot and piercing, coming back as I continued to relive the last few minutes.

“I’ve got to go grab my stuff. But I’ll be back, ok? Sit down and take a breather. I’ll go get our stuff.”

I had to get away before she saw the tears forming in my eyes. It wouldn’t do her any good to know how I physically felt. Having confessed and knowing that her heart belonged to another, it was almost too much to bear. I turned and bolted, trying to keep the physical signs from manifesting, giving me away.

Turning the corner, I collapsed against a sun-lit wall. Leaning back, I stared into the bright blue sky with thin wisps of clouds hanging overhead. Exhaling the lungful of oxygen that I held onto for so long, the tears finally spilled forth without a single sound from my parted lips.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

“Jess?” I called quietly.

Reaching out, I took her arm in my hand and slowly turned her around. What I saw was truly disheartening. Her lovely brown orbs were almost translucent with tears, as they welled up in her eyes. They had filled to the brim and threatened to spill down her now semi-rosy cheeks. Hugging herself in her arms, she looked at the ground, desperately trying to avoid my own curious eyes.

“What’s wrong? Hey, hey, why’re you starting to cry?” I questioned softly.

I didn’t know and I really had no idea what had happened at the time. Looking back upon that moment, I don’t think I would have been able to tell, even now with my age and experience. There was something wrong, but what was it? Did I cross a line? Did I say something that hurt her? I reflected on this, as I witnessed her tearing apart at the seams.

“What’s the matter?” I prodded.

“I’m so sorry!” she cried, bursting into tears.

“Hey, why the tears? There’s no reason to cry,” I tried to awkwardly reassure her.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she sobbed faintly.

Bewilderment was stamped on my face. I didn’t know what to do. My first reaction when a girl cried was to comfort her, calm her down and console her. When the tears stopped falling, then the talking could begin. There was no way one could understand a person when they’re trying to talk through loud sobbing. It always came out a jumbled mess.

Sniffling, battling her emotional tears, she looked up at me and took a deep breath.

For an instant, I felt like a commander on a sinking vessel, doomed to go down into the murky depths at sea. Totally powerless to stop the inevitable, but being a stubborn person, I held on. That dead weight suddenly wrapped a thick iron chain around my heart and tugged. The hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach floated up to fill the space in my chest, where my heart once was, and I knew that this couldn’t be good.

“I’m so sorry. I care about you a lot. You’re kind, sweet and good to me. You make me laugh and you’re always there when I need someone to talk to. I don’t know how to tell you this, but I like someone else.” her voice cracking with confusion and despair.

A long moment passed as I didn’t breathe, watching the pins fall through the air and drop, scattering as they hit the floor. Air refused to move around inside my chest, and I didn’t pay much attention to it either. I was trapped, suspended in crystalline-blue water, with eyes wide open and burning from the chlorine; everything moving by in slow motion.

A part of me wanted to ask her “Who?” and another part of me wanted to scream in arching pain. The conflict within, left me numb and lifeless. Not knowing what to do left me unable to say a word, seeking, searching for some stable surface to stand on.

I simply stared, mouth slightly agape, halted in mid-breath.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

“What is it?” she asked me innocently.

Looking into her dark-brown eyes, set into a face that was framed by straight, glistening locks of black hair; I noticed the round, child-like cuteness had started to fade. In place of it was the slender frame that would later define her as a beautiful woman. As the moment passed, I almost forgot why I had chased her down the two flights of stairs and into the warm late-autumn setting sunshine.

Hesitating, I had an involuntary gut-check and wondered if this was the most prudent course of action. Inside, my stomach churned and my lungs quivered with each short intake of breath. The possibility of rejection was always there, but I never thought about it before. This topsy-turvy, gut-wrenching feeling was something totally alien to me. Up until this point I was virtually fearless; some might even say that I was reckless with purpose.

So this is what fear felt like.

Taking a deep breath, I focused and exhaled, quelling the nervousness I felt inside. I shook the last waves of fear from my muscles and with an increasingly rapid clip, I spoke.

“You asked me about who I liked and I’ve been avoiding the question and simply not answering because it’s a loaded question, especially coming from you.”

Looking up at me expectantly, a small smirk played across her lips. She stayed quiet while I found my words.

“So I do like someone. She’s really cute, thoughtful, fun and sweet. She makes me laugh out loud and that’s not easy to do. There is something about her that makes my heart skip a beat, but yet calms me at the same time. I’d tell her, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what she’s thinking or feeling. I’m going to hate myself, if I don’t say it cause I’ll always wonder, but I know that I should just tell her.”

Putting her hand on my arm, she looked straight at me and said,”You should tell her. You’re funny, a really nice guy and you’re cute too. So who is it?”

“Jess, that girl is you.”

Stunned silence filled the air as the very last words left my dry mouth. Our eyes locked and it felt as if I went deaf. The world stopped spinning and the rushing sound of cars became a dull roar. Before my short monologue, I didn’t know if she already knew, but her expression told me all that I needed to know. This was a surprise that she wasn’t expecting.

She finally tore her eyes away from mine. Turning away from me, she hugged herself and sighed.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

“Wha?!” I almost yelled, jumping into the air as her sudden appearance startled me. Totally lost in thought, I didn’t notice that she had come back and had found me perusing the shelves of books.

“Oh hey, yeah, I was looking around for a book.” I tried to play it off by pulling a book off the shelf and thumbing through it. But she could tell that her untimely appearance unnerved me.

“So what were you thinking about?” she inquired.

“Oh nothing…just some thoughts about, you know, things.” I was trying to stall for time as my mind raced for an excuse, but I was simply trying to pull myself together. The tension was overwhelming and I feared that I would explode any minute now, pouring my heart through the obviously gaping hole in my demeanor.

“That was real clear,” as she rolled her eyes at me. She turned and walked away, much to my relief.

We went to sit down and started gossiping, instead of doing our homework. We talked about who liked who and who was going out with who and who looked good. Jess did most of the talking, with a few sound-bites coming from me now and again. I was totally enthralled about the various tidbits of “news” spilling forth from her glossy lips. I never knew I could be so shallow.

“So… who do you like?” Her simple inquiry set me back on my heels.

“What do you mean, ‘who do I like?’”

“You know exactly what I mean,” she pressed.

“Oh, like a girl,” I offered,”…no one really. You remember Soo-Min, right? I liked her a lot and we were together for a while…” I trailed off and tried to guage her reaction to what I had said and how much she actually knew about what had happened between Soo-Min and I the year before. Did I cover up all the jumpy mistakes I made up until this point?

“I remember her. She’s so cute! Do you two still keep in touch?”

“Yeah, we do talk now and again, and she writes me too. I write her back, but we’re just friends now.”

“So you don’t currently like anyone? You sure about that? Sometimes I look into your face and I know that look. That far off daydreaming look, as if you’re thinking about someone.”

“Nah, I just look like that cause I’m always lost and I don’t understand what the teacher is saying,” I lamented.

“You’re lying. You’re one of the smartest guys in school. You’re never lost,” she flatly stated. “Come on, who is it? I know you like someone, just tell me,” she pleaded.

This miniature tug-o-war lasted for a good 15 mins, neither side letting go of the rope. Although we were both getting tired as the clock ticked away, I wasn’t about to cave and she was too curious to let it go. She knew there was something hidden away inside of me, but out of everyone in school, I was the most tight-lipped and held the most secrets and that she knew.

“I’m going outside. When you feel like telling me, I’ll be at the phone,” she huffed. She got up out of her seat and started to walk toward the stairs.

She wasn’t mad at me, but frustrated since I wasn’t one to give up information so easily. I sighed to myself and took a drink from my water bottle. “Here goes nothing,” I thought. I descended the stairs in a hurry and saw her walk out the front door of the library. Running outside after her, I grabbed her arm and turned her around.

“Hey Jess, I’ve got something to tell you…”

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.

Walking to the library didn’t take long. Along the way, we stopped by a mom ‘n pop burger joint to pick up some food to go. While we walked, I ravaged my food like a starving animal; shoving food into my face as fast as I could chew, sometimes not even bothering to breathe between bites. While I inhaled my burgers faster than a vacuum cleaner, she looked on with amusement as she daintily munched on fries and sipped on her milkshake.

“One of these days you’re going to choke and die, if you keep eating that fast,” she scolded.

“What is with you and food? In fact, what is with boys and eating like animals anyway?” she questioned, words floating into the air.

“Aiih mmmph uhhmph uhumph irrump,” I managed to say.

Shaking her head, she just walked and watched as I was able to keep my pace, pay attention to where I was walking and eat all at the same time. I didn’t even drop any of the food, making sure that every single tiny morsel made its way into the cast-iron kettle that was my stomach.

“See? Not dead,” I announced, in my perfect english.

Under her breath I heard her mutter something to herself. It was probably something along the lines of how frustrating boys could be. At least I didn’t choke and prove her right. Now that would have been a shot to the ego.

We arrived at the back entrance of the library, after cutting through the park and made our way upstairs. Setting our things down, she headed off to the bathroom and left me alone in my thoughts. Wandering around the exceptionally quiet library, I wound my way through the rows of knowledge and the stories buried within. Tilting my head, I read the book spines, trying to occupy my mind so my nervousness wouldn’t take flight. Was this the right time to tell her what I thought and how I felt? Would I have the chance to sit there and see if our friendship would blossom into something more? Or would this be the day where I go down in flames cause I’m the biggest sucker alive?

The nervousness had crept into my body like a rodent burrowing into the dark recess of my mind, planting seeds of doubt and suspicion wherever it went. These seeds germinated and grew as the minutes ticked by. My mind was blank, yet I had these nagging thoughts knocking at the doors of my heart, making me jittery and uncomfortable.

“There you are,” she called out.

Part: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22.