Intertwined: An Uncanny Encounter

Chapter XV

The Disappointment

 

Sally’s heart sank as she slipped the ring onto her finger, hoping to experience the same sensations that Celestine had described. However, to her disappointment, she felt nothing out of the ordinary. Determined to give the ring a fair chance, she decided to wait until the following day to see if anything would change.

The next morning at school, Sally’s eagerness to find Nathan overshadowed her guilt over stealing the ring. She hurriedly searched every corner of the campus, her eyes scanning the crowds for any sign of him. In her haste, she nearly collided with Celestine, who seemed oblivious to the missing ring on her finger.

Sally forced a smile and exchanged greetings with Celestine before quickly resuming her search for Nathan. “Hey, Sally, have you seen Nathan?” Celestine asked, her eyes darting around the courtyard.

“No, I haven’t,” Sally replied, her voice tinged with guilt. “But I’ll let you know if I do.”

As Celestine walked away, Sally felt a knot form in her stomach. She knew she had to find Nathan soon, or her deception would be exposed.

Despite her efforts, he remained elusive, and Sally’s frustration grew with each passing moment. Finally, defeated, she removed the ring from her finger, feeling a torment of disappointment.

Returning to her classroom, Sally tried to focus on the lesson, but her mind was consumed by guilt and remorse. As the teacher droned on, a piercing scream echoed through the classroom, drawing everyone’s attention. It was Celestine, frantically searching for her missing ring.

Sally’s heart pounded in her chest as she realized the extent of her deception. She had caused her friend unnecessary distress, all because of her selfish desires. Unable to face the truth, she clutched the ring tightly in her hand, unable to bring herself to confess.

When the class finally ended, Sally searched for Celestine to return the ring, but she was nowhere to be found. “Where could she be?” Sally muttered to herself, her anxiety mounting with each passing minute.

As she wandered the school halls, she bumped into Avi, who raised an eyebrow at the troubled expression on Sally’s face. “Hey, Sally, everything okay? Para kang nakakita ng multo,” Avi asked, concern evident in her voice.

Sally hesitated, unsure of how to respond. “I… I need to talk to Celestine,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Avi frowned, sensing that something was amiss. “Well, nakauwi na siya kanina pa,” she replied. “But maybe you can tell me what’s going on?”

Sally’s resolve wavered as she looked into Avi’s eyes, seeing nothing but genuine concern. “I… I did something bad,” she confessed, her voice trembling. “Yung ring ni Cel na nawawala, I took it, and now I don’t know what to do.”

Avi’s eyes widened in shock as she processed Sally’s confession. “Why would you do something like that?” she exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief.

Tears welled up in Sally’s eyes as she struggled to find the right words. “I don’t know,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “I was jealous, and I thought… I thought it would help me.”

Avi’s expression softened as she reached out to comfort her friend. “We’ll figure this out together, wag kang mag-alala” she said gently. “But first, you need to return the ring to Celestine and apologize.”

Sally nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. With Avi by her side, she knew that she wouldn’t have to face her mistakes alone. And as they set off to find Celestine, Sally vowed to make things right, no matter what it took.