The Altered Destiny | #wattys2022

Chapter 2 (cont.)

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I sat there motionless, not even blinking for a couple of seconds. Joshua had never said something like this before. That was a very unusual thing Joshua has ever said.

.....Or anyone in a very long time. The casual warmth and friendliness Joshua exudes are a tad bit overwhelming after four years of not engaging or even attempting to get close to any guy.

"C'mon Maya, you know I won't be able to sleep at night in peace knowing you are going out alone. Since when you get back to your place will be after dusk, I don't agree with the fact that you being out alone, okay? On top of that, I can spend my birthday with you as I wished! Whad-ya say?"

He squealed with delight as if he were a puppy. Hearing his "amazing plan" to be my guard on his birthday made me facepalm in disbelief. *deep sighs*

"Spend your birthday doing chores for me? Nah, I don't think so. Go home and celebrate with your friends. On birthdays, you should do just that. And I'm not going to bother a birthday boy with my grocery bags! So that's an absolute NO from me, Shua."

"What! Why not...it's a birthday boy's request after all. This might sound pathetic, but I don't have any so-called friends to spend my day or whatsoever with anyways. So...please, please, pretty pleaseeeeeee."

God, this boy can be a real pain in the ass.

Though I was not entirely convinced by this suggestion, it's the first time Joshua has ever asked for something from me so I guess it's fine then.

"Fine! But this is the first and last ok? I'm not sure if you have a "life" for yourself since you already work on weekends. Next time spend it for yourself . Promise?"

"Promise my darling. But like I said, I don't have any friends. Because I'm wealthy, the ones I used to have don't treat me like a normal guy. They think I'm arrogant and things like that. When they hang out, they usually 'forget' to invite me, so I stopped bothering them after some time. So don't worry about me, okay? I'm doing fairly well on my own. With all honesty, Maya, I'm really grateful to have met you."

And with that, Joshua carried on to share another chapter of his journey, somewhat a rather traumatic one. I was unable to respond to anything. Most of the time, all I did was nod and smile. All this while, he never mentioned his colleagues or how he was treated by them.

I suppose that no matter how well you think you know someone, you don't truly know them until they feel safe enough to share their sorrows. The sufferings that we believe defines us. All the tainted secrets that are hidden in the darkest depths of the heart.

When we arrived at my place, I went to put all of my books away and get a few items for the shopping trip. As I gathered my belongings, my thoughts kept repeating the same phrase:

"...Maya, you are my one and only true friend who has seen me for who I am. That is something for which I will be eternally grateful. Because of my American family background, I've always been treated differently. I never had a typical childhood or adolescence. That is why I moved to Korea to start over and create my own future...."

"...Even then, some of my friends were aware of my family and began to treat me with skepticism. Since you've started coming to Starbucks, I've noticed that there are those who aren't like the others I've met thus far. All I needed to do was wait for the perfect people to enter my life. So it isn't just because it's my birthday. It's because I wanted to express my gratitude for how well you treated me and accepted me for who I am."

It was approximately 7.30 p.m. when we reached back to my apartment. I was still upset for having him go shopping with me and carry all the bags. For crying out loud, it was his birthday. As a thank you and a birthday gift, I invited him to stay for dinner.

Joshua seemed more at ease that night. Glowing to be exact. Maybe because he finally let go of a part of himself that was dragging him down the rabbit hole, along with other painful memories within.

"Ding...Dong. Ding...Dong"

The clock struck ten o'clock. We both got up, tidied the table, and made our way to the front door. Joshua expressed his gratitude for the birthday gift, saying that it meant a great deal for him.

After saying my goodbyes to Joshua, I walked up to the showers. I didn't waste much time browsing through my phone because it had been a long day, so after a hot shower, I hopped right onto the bed. I expected to fall asleep fairly immediately, but my mind was preoccupied with what Joshua had told me today.

Poor thing, must have been through a lot since he was a kid. I decided to be a good friend and offer him the space he has craved for a very long time. Though, I don't want him to think I'm in love with him or anything along those lines.

But, don't you think everyone deserves to be accepted for who they are, without being judged or discriminated against for any reason?

After a few seconds of internal ideological battle, my eyelids gave up and went off into a deep slumber.

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..................end of chapter 2..................

Hey Guys!! Soooo, how was the first two chapters? Was it exciting? Well, I'm pretty excited for the next chapters!!! LOL

Do look forward to it! Thank you all for the love and support! <3