loading......99.9% "Beast" [#Wattys2022]

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"She had this cover of innocence. I was fooled by it." Zen said to Matilda.

 He couldn't imagine the amount of pain he had given to this one girl who treated him differently, and the only thing he could think was, she was just like those. A mask that people wore. He could not reason, why would a girl like her wanted to wear a mask of innocence when she tried to be a silly person? No one hated to be called an innocent more than Naomi. It reminded her how much incapable of facing the world she is. What about him was different? He said those curses that oozed out his mouth. Love? A person who loved someone badmouthed her girl. What's worse then this could be? her world based on fantasy of his lies that turned into dirt and vanished?  He couldn't express his love for her but at her back he expressed better than anyone how he despised her? It was like showing her underwear to the world and making fun of its size. And thinking just a sorry could fix the shame she had to face. What's done can never be undone. He started the war, when the spear missed out when Naomi threw at him, they became enemies. Why had he have to use her name when there was Matilda, Isabelle, why her?

"I'm in love with her." He fired at Ann.

"I knew it was her." She replied.

"It will always be her." Zen replied.

He cropped the chats to think he can still have his ways. She had already see the complete version of the story.

"I don't know her! when have I spent time with her? how much do you think I know her? She is someone who bluffs of being someone on the sky, she is words and nothing." He replied to Ann. "I'm just using her, why I want to be with her when I can get better?"

Girls like Matilda said he is her fiance and he would enjoy it. "What can I do?" Was what Zen replied when Naomi told Zen. "Tell them to stop! I don't like it."  When she told people he is her friend. He had issues. "When did I said I know her?" He said to shut the rumors. We can ignore mistakes we have done but just because we ignore the truth does not mean, the truth can be changed.  

 You give them taste of their own medicine, then they tell everyone you poisoned them.

"Your choices are weird." Matilda sat on his lap.

He couldn't count how many times he has heard it.

"I thought she was simple and innocent." He said it again. "She conspired against me, said me things." He shrugged. 

"Now that she is gone I have you all by myself." Matilda curled her hands around his neck as she placed her head on his chest.

She looked straight in his eyes. "You have me." It was she who could look without shame and nervousness in his eyes and then there was Naomi who couldn't even look at his face. Her eyes always stared his nose and mustaches she would gulp empty breaths.

Matilda, a girl he had interest in. Who was just a friend. Much closer than his breath.

Two friends celebrating their eternal love over a girl's innocent heart break.

Matilda had her own believes. She posted vulgar songs on her statuses as she always captioned. "For Z.., the love of my life."

It looked like she was celebrating every second.

They both were aware of the games they played.

"I have been with you. I have seen you in your good and bad. Why don't we just be simply us. With me, you don't have to say goodbye to your friends. She held his hand. I have pictured us over and over again. What is more beautiful then two friends who can understand and respect each other?"

She had a point. Zen thought to himself.

"I don't know." He replied.

She took his hand as she placed it over her flat padded chest.

"Can you hear it?" The word 'us' can do me wonders. She reminded him of the days she proposed him.

"Will you marry me?"

Zen went in the day when he felt this heartbeat of being in Naomi's arms.

"Zen?" Matilda looked at her.

"I prayed, one day when tears slipped through my eyes. Can you guess what I prayed for?"

Zen looked at her lost in imaginations.

"I prayed for us. And to get rid of all the hurdles in our way."

"Zen Morrison."

"Shall we get married?" Matilda looked at him.

It wasn't Matilda nor it was anyone who forced him to think that people are double faced. It was he himself, his lack of faith and poor judgment that made him doubt. Overthinking was poison and it killed many things. He called unexpected crushes love, never knowing the duration of crush buddies end fast. If it was love he would have used any reason to stay.

"Girls are all cheaters, unworthy of  love." Question isn't who loved or who was betrayed. Question was did he loved back? 

Matilda from timely made Zen remember Naomi's worse deeds. She used to put things in privacy to start the fight and when it was time, she showed them to Zen as if she is killing two birds with one stone. Naomi, never even twitched a muscle but she was always used and she often realized it at the end of the happening. She ran to Zen, poor of her to think that a man who never once stood beside her will stand at the moment she was at her worst. At the beginning  it was an indirect red flag. Then it was a direct red flag. The more desperate she was to prove herself innocent the more Matilda made her angry. She did nothing wrong but Zen was exceptional he made her think she was behind them all but reality was when had he ever put an effort? when did he stopped his friends from interfering in his personal life? Did he had one that was not being interfered by his friends? How was he even living with that peace. Matilda was an art of black magic pure definition of wickedness but she is not to blame a man who says understanding is important easily fell for tricks as if the beast  blind by the grapes fed in his mouth never knowing poison comes in many forms. Whenever he saw a message written in awe of madness and anger he would get pissed never thinking he did the same,  said same things behind her. He did it a sorry could do, she does it its unforgivable? 

"I was going through old things. Look this is what I found." She showed him those things again in the most humorous way. 

He was again mad.

"Shall we get married?" Zen asked her. Matilda jumped from the sofa as she kissed him, her mouth reeking of onions she had during lunch. 

*********************

Five days, Bazel stood outside the door as he looked at the miserable Naomi from the small glass window on the door. He stood there for hours but he struggled going inside.

"You are just like your mother!"

"You had nothing, the only thing you had, you gave it to the players thinking they would return it to you?" He hissed.

Bazel walked steps away from her room. "Bazel!" Angela yelled. "If Naomi wakes up, I will tell her, you came at the door but never came in to meet her. She hears everything. It's just, she can't respond."

"Come in! I will leave you two alone."

Bazel walked to her, each step heavy, heart racing and nerves pulsing. He sat on the chair. His head down. 

"I. I am sorry," tears licked down his cheeks. "I should have been here. You were alone, you thought no one cared for you. I should have told you I did." His tears started coming abruptly. "When you told me you can see fairies and they give you coins." I should have told you, you are not crazy. He tossed in his pockets and flipped out a coin. I looked for a similar coin but this is the one of its type. Naomi! he sighed, every time people made you cry I stood their telling myself I cannot protect anyone. And I wanted to be a man. The day I pushed you, I was so guilty. I haven't slept in peace since then. Even when your sister died I saw you begging. I have seen you begging for things and I stood their feeling helpless." Bazel caressed her face. Whoever did this to you, will pay!

 If they are players. I will be the game and I will show them how its played.