The Hunt

33

As I sat in my study chair and pulled out my due homework, I heard Mumma laughing on something downstairs. I concentrated further, and it felt like the words grew clearer. I could distinctly recognise the channels Papa was surfing on television, and Mumma asking him about which juice he wants to drink. All of it, the conversation downstairs, the reporters in the news channel, Mumma pouring a glass of juice, everything was crystal clear, when I concentrated calmly.
Did some fairy clean my ears with detergent?

And not ONLY that. My night vision was like watching through a red filter, not pitch black. I could feel the direction of light breeze, minuscule fluctuations of temperature, and the warmth of moonlight.
Nope. I'm not in love that I'm blabbering poetry.
This is how I feel, unnaturally deep.
Is this how a monster should feel like?
Damn that Amanda for putting something so ridiculous inside my brain.

*****

Rio didn't come to school today.
Well, precisely, I haven't SEEN him today, so I guess he really didn't come.
And I feel relaxed. Not because I hate him, but due to my constant worries about being weird around him, trying too hard to hide my stares with doing nonsense.
And then being ignored by him.
Yes, he has been ignoring me for quite a while, and it hurts.

Though everyone's not like him.
Ruth took my hand, my right one, in hers, and we marched together. It isn't at all awkward when we have been BFFs since elementary, closer than sisters.

We were outside the school building, near the fountain. She was telling me something about her and Dan. She talked about where they went this weekend. She was justifying the fact that they weren't dating yet, and it was just a friendly walk to the park, and blah-blah. I knew they've been closer since I started sitting with Rio for lunch break in cafeteria. But suddenly, their closeness didn't bother me at all.

I stopped. Ruth still held my hand.
I saw Rio, on the other side of the fountain, holding Amyra's hand.
Rio came? But he wasn't in the class.
So, did he spend the morning with....... her?

My body stirred up.

"Ouch!" Ruth gave a shout.
Did I grab her hand too hard?

"Oh sorry!" I mumbled.
But then I saw her hand, her palm. It had an inch cut, blood oozing out of it.

"What? Blood? How did...."
"You.. cut my hand?" Ruth asked, but her eyes already bloodshot.
"It hurts, Vinnie. Why does it hurt so much?"
Her eyes brimmed with tears.

I know how much she HATES blood. More like she is too scared of it. But the way she says that it hurts, it must be a deep cut too.
And now, I'm unable to stop it flowing.

I know I didn't do it. I definitely didn't. But how did it occur in the first place? Her hand was holding mine. She couldn't get that cut from anywhere else, than me.

"I didn't do it, Ruth. Come on, let's go to the nurse office."
I tried to hold her wrist to see the wound better, but she shook my hand off.

"I know why you did it. You don't like me being close to Dan right? I always thought you couldn't possibly fall for him..... but when he's closer to me than you, you did this to me? You hurt your BFF?"

What the actual hell?
Who told her I fell for Dan? And I didn't like to see them close?
It never even crossed my mind.
All I saw was Rio and Amyra, together.

Ruth was crying, not because of the pain. I know her better. She's hurt. Inside. She conveniently believed something which wasn't a bit true.

She was protesting, but I still held her wrist again and dragged her to the nurse's office. I cleaned the wound and put on a band aid.

Her crying stopped gradually. Sigh.

After a few moments, she spoke.
"You could've told me, Vinnie."
"Told you what?"
"That you like him, and you don't want him to be with me. Why did you hurt me instead?"

What, again?

"I don't like him, Ruth. It's a misunderstanding."
"So how did this cut appear on my palm from nowhere?"
I'm thinking on that too.

"I don't know."
"You trying to be innocent?"

Something enters her mind, and she becomes persistent.
I kept silence.

She stood up, and walked outside the office, ignoring me. I felt myself, broken.

*****

I had student council meeting after school, so I couldn't return home with Ruth. I had to tell her about it.
So, when the last bell rang, I stood in front of Ruth's desk, and spoke.
"Ruth?"
No reply.
"I know you are mad at me but I swear I didn't do anything."
Still no response.
Her eyes and hands were all focused on her books which she was packing meticulously in her bag.

"I can't walk home with you today. Student council has arranged a meeting after school. I'll stay back."
She didn't even nod.

I returned to my seat and started writing the report which I had to submit. Shirlyn opened her Maths notes and started solving our homework problems. She had to stay too.

Rio had attended all the classes after recess. He slowly packed his things and waved a good bye. I half-smiled and looked away. It's all because of him that my life's become a mess.
Damn him.