Metanoia: A Change of Heart

Chapter XV~ Joshua

What if it was really her all along?

The possible answer could not sink in my mind.

She, her sticks, had managed to control me for two weeks! That did make sense. I also wondered where I got the terrible idea to search her in my phone book and dialed her number.

"May, I gotta go. Be right back before mom and dad do." I got my jacket from the stand beside the door and rushed out.

"Wait, Josh, where are you going? I'll come." She wore her shoes and reaching my pace.

I stopped walking and turned to her. "No, stay." I ordered her too rudely. "I—I forgot to... get something from Fredd," I said in a calmer voice. Her concerned face seemed to change. "Unless you want to come with me, I'm fine with company."

She walked back to the house.

"I thought you want to come?" I smirked.

"Nah, thanks, Josh. I'd rather stay home than to see your crazy friend."

I got my bike and went to Love Cup where I was supposed to meet her. My mind was spinning. Why? Why her? Among thousands of people in my school, why her? Maybe she planned that to happen. She planned everything to make me feel paranoid about those stupid sticks. I entered but thought I should not have come here.

I was about to leave the coffee shop when she entered. "Joseph?" She said, addressing me.

"Joseph?" I weirdly studied her in knitted brows.

She shook her head and laughed. "No, I mean Joshua. Where were you going?"

"Leaving," I simply said.

"Leaving?!" She repeated. We noticed that people were looking at us and some of them were familiar. Without another word, we sat in the table where I sat earlier.

"What do you really want?" I asked her more aggressive that I expected.

She smirked like I just told her a corny joke. "What I want? Well you're the one who called me to meet you up here!"

I did not know what to reply, so I showed her the latest stick I found on my table. "You're the one who gave me that and these," I placed all the M-sticks I found then pushed them to let her see.

She looked at them without interest. I knew it! She planned all of these. "I didn't give you those! Only the last one okay? I randomly placed them all around the school as part of our club project. That's it. I had no idea why you had them."

No point in admitting my weakness to her. No point in admitting I was crazy about those freaking sticks. Maybe my friends were right. There was no point at all. I stood. "I had to go."

She stood too. "Wait! Don't tell me you asked me to go here for nothing!"

Now, all I wanted to do was to lie down on my bed and play games with my friends. "Sorry I wasted your time."

She sighed and gathered the sticks in her hands. "Don't worry, it's fine." Her voice was full of sarcasm. She turned and left me there standing. It was an abrupt situation but it was my fault. Tomorrow, I wasn't sure what to do when I saw her.