GWEN'S POV~
Today was the day where the sun shone over my head radiating a sense of positivity.
Positivity of Ned returning? Well- no!
I didn't want my life to be all somber because of Ned. I needed to be more tougher than this and not sloppy.
I knew deep down in the deepest pit of my stomach that I would be talking to him, that was what precisely cheered me a little.
All I want to do is just sort things between us and tell him how I feel. That's about it!
It's up to Ned if he wants to return. I'm sure once he's done with his post grad he'd come back to me.
I was so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't realized that I reached his building.
I had woken up really early today morning, infact I barely slept at all as I tried to calm my mind down.
Eva had messaged me when I was in shower saying that she'd meet me today, on the other hand, Mel had to delay on me because of some freaky proposal issue. God knows what she meant!
Since no one was there to drop me to Ned's place, I had to wait in the bone chilling cold to catch a cab.
"That'll be fifty miss,"
I got down from the cab into the chilly yet weirdly welcoming air.
Being so radiant and hopeful was partially freaking me out. I had never been so propitious about anything and this terrified me a lot.
It was only a quarter to nine. Mrs Baker would probably be leaving to work or would have left around this time and I suppose the twins would already have been off to school, Ned's eldest sister had left back to Edinburgh so that would leave Eva home alone.
I could almost feel a huge lump form in my throat as I knocked at the door. How I had always expected to see those hazel brown eyes hidden behind those huge spectacles everytime I knocked at the door. He'd always be dug into one book or the other. Oh gosh I miss that geeky face so much!
It's alright Gwen, I kept assuring myself as I have been all morning.
The footsteps behind the door started to grow louder as they neared it and Mrs Baker flung it open.
"Gwen sweety," Mrs Baker embraced me into a quick hug and looked mildly surprised. "C'mon in."
"Thank you Mrs Baker," I acknowledged her as I followed her in to the living room.
"I was just leaving dearie," she said picking up her working bag. "Help yourself to anything dear girl. I haven't really made breakfast as I'm running a little late-"
"Mrs Baker, please-"
However, I was interrupted by Eva
"Gwenny-boo"
Holy moly! That nickname Eva gave me back when we were little. I never liked it back then, but Eva always found it cute on me; Ned on the other hand guffawed everytime Eva called me by that name.
Eva felt much like her older self at that moment as memories came rushing back to me. I used to spend a lot of time with her than I did with Ned at that time, Ned always got annoyed about it, the thought about it made me giggle.
"Hey you," I hugged her real tight.
"Alright girls, will be off now. Love ya" Mrs Baker made her way out of the room.
We waited for her footsteps to die, when Eva finally sighed out loudly. "I'm so sorry about Ned. You have absolutely got no idea how horrible and disgusted I feel at the very moment with myself."
"You don't have to apologize Eva. It wasn't your fault. Besides it wasn't anyone's fault well except for mine perhaps."
I saw Eva swallowing hard. She sat down on the couch and shook her head fervently.
"I've-hmmph...I've been a jerk to you lately Gwen. I feel so stupid. All those years back in Edinburgh we've been the best of friends but-I...kept envying you everytime, though I never showed it. I guess Ned told you that already."
"He did," I couldn't help but stifle a giggle, "He did say something about it."
"Everyone liked you Gwen, many of my crushes fancied you. I was-uhm-really kiddo about it though..wanted to get the same attention, but I never did. Anyway, I couldn't help myself to liking you anymore and I tried to be sweet to you when you first came home, guess that didn't work out right, did it?"
I shook my head in resentment and mumbled, "It's alright Eva."
"Yesterday when Ned was leaving...he wanted to call you real bad..but-I told him off about it. I'm really sorry Gwen."
"You did what?" I couldn't help sounding exceptionally icy.
"I am sorry Gwen."
At the moment I was starting to hate every ounce of her. Nothing made me seem to forgive her for what she did. She was a complete toe-rag and the biggest b- I ever met, even bigger than Surly.
"Why would you do that?" I managed to say with so much composure, yet my tone remained as haughty as ever.
"I never liked you, but I was a jerk about-"
"Ned always did and you stopped him from calling me. That was the meanest thing you could ever do!"
"Goddammit! I did say I was sorry!" she started getting agitated.
Without another word, I pelted away, warm tears starting to blurry my vision.
What a sick world I live in! I thought as I carried my legs to where ever they would lead me to.
The whole world seemed to hold a grudge against me.
Mel had never bothered to call me, despite all the promises that she had made the previous night.
I walked into the warmth of a tiny little coffee shop and sat beside the window,hastily wiping off the tears behind the sleeves of my hoody.
"Can I get you something dear one?" an elderly woman wearing a flowery apron approached me.
"Just cappuccino please," I said
"Right away dearie."
And she flagged away to the counters.
My phone bleeped with text messages from four different contacts; I opened them. The first was from Mel saying:
I have to meet you Gwen. Call ASAP!!
Oh and there's something that I must tell you!
The second was from dad:
Gwen get your phone OFF that ruddy voicemail! CALL ASAP!!!
Frowning, I went on to the third one which was from Scarlet:
You disappeared off without a notice. Call back pls!!
That was obvious, I hadn't bothered waking either one of them before leaving. After the events of last night when Zack left, I returned home to find that all the lights had been turned off and both Scarlet and dad had fallen asleep. I never slept the whole night, so I took shower in the early hours of morning and after a couple of hours tip- toed to see Eva.
The final text was from an unknown local no:
Call back AS SOON AS YOU CAN!
So suddenly the world turned up side down for me
"Here's your cappuccino dearie."
I was too distracted turning the voice mail off that I hadn't notice the elderly lady place my cup on the table.
While trying to call back the unknown number, I accidentally slurped down a mouthful of hot cappuccino and began to gag on the coffee that was burning my throat and watering my eyes.
Giving an apologetic smile to the couple sitting beside my table, who were then shooting me wry looks, I pressed my phone to my ear and the bell was ringing.
However, no one seemed to be answering the call so I tried again after another two minutes and there was no answer yet again.
Scowling almost to myself I thrusted my phone back into the pocket of my hoody and simply gazed out of the window looking into the distant hustling bustling of the passerby's. How engaged every one seemed with their lives and here I was having absolutely nothing to do, but just brood about how unlucky and hopeless my life has become.
Suddenly, out of no where my thoughts started to linger on to Zack and how I had turned him down the previous day. That despicable git!
"Anything else that you might want dearie." I hadn't realized the old women almost leaning into me.
"Er-no, thank you. This is enough," I said, shuffling in my seat. "You could get the bill. I'll pay and head off."
And the women trotted towards the cashier and returned back with the bill. I paid and exited from the warmth of the coffee shop into the cool air, just when my phone started buzzing noisily.
It was Eva.
It's best if I don't pick up the call, considering how my mood seems to be lightening already, I thought as I made my way over to the signal.
Immediately after Eva's call I received a text from her:
CALL CALL CALL CALL ASAAAAAAAAP!!!!!!!
What the hell was wrong with the world and the use of the abbreviation 'ASAP'
I never bothered calling any one of them except for the unknown number which later seemed to go busy and then dead everytime I tried to call it.
After crossing the signal I arrived at the bus stop it was already crowded with people in suits and kids about school going age. Sighing to myself I stood at the very corner, inclining my back against the pole and plugging the headphones into my ear listening to some of the old songs that were in my pink little Champ. It was about time I actually changed this phone, it's been years since I had it, perhaps I could ask dad to get me one or maybe I'd earn and by one for myself. The latter idea sounded much convincing, I could work for a while since college was over. I needed to have some experience and then I could probably-
My thoughts suddenly seem to get fuzzy as I was very much distracted by the skinny person who had been trampling over every now or then. I couldn't really make out the face since the person was on the other side of the road. In fact the very person seemed to be getting a lot of attention as the kids standing beside me were pointing in that direction and giggling.
When he neared the signal I could make out the sandy brown hair and the confused expression on his face.
One moment I stood completely frozen to the ground and the next moment I was making my way through the people walking by as I bolted towards the signal
"GWEN!!!"
HOLY MOLY! I would've cried then and there itself. I wanted to run towards him, slap him, pull him into a hug from which he would NEVER escape, but the stupid signal was still green. Neither of us could make our way to the other ends.
"NED," I screamed ignoring all the stares and frowns I got from people in the surroundings.
"I AM SORRY!" He screamed back.
"WHY DID YOU COME BACK?!"
"BECAUSE-" his voice drowned in the sounds of the speeding cars. Ned and I had already become the center of attention. Everyone who passed by us was looking at us as if we were maniacs who escaped from a circus.
"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!" I had to shout back
And finally the stupid signal turned red and I literally charged over to him and grasped hold of his collar really tight pulling him into this hug that lasted for ages.
It was as if I were dreaming. This seemed like a dream and if it were a dream I never wanted to wake up.
I could feel Ned sniffing into my hair and smiling as his hands tightened around me.
"Gwen-Gwen....I don't know if you realize it but we're making quiet a scene,"he whispered into my ear.
I let go off him and worryingly stared into those hazel orbs, "Tell me this isn't a dream."
Beaming widely, he leant over me his face in close proximity of mine.
What followed next was exceptionally incredulous!
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A/N: An EPIC chapter for my epic readers
So you might've noticed (or not for all those who haven't)the ending is almost near.
Leave your sweeet comments
MUUUUWAH
P.S. pls excuse me for ny spelling errors or grammatical errors that I might've made cuz I haven't had a chance to edit the chapter.
P.P.S: Note I had to change the cast to more suitable character for Zack and I think he's perfect! :)
till then
ABIENTO ^^