Notice to readers:
Hello!
Thank you so much for your ongoing support. As mentioned before, Radish Fiction has exclusivity over this story. Thus, I am unable to do regular updates on this on Wattpad. However, because not everyone has access to the App, I can only upload some chapters a certain number of weeks AFTER it's been unlocked on Radish (I have to check again if it's a month, a month and a half, or more).
In the meantime, Chapters 1 to 30 are currently unlocked and free to read on Radish Fiction. The app is free to download from Google Play, iTunes Store, and the App Store.
Anyway, here's Chapter 20. I hope you like it.
They said when people were faced with experiences that threatened their mortality, their lives change. Maybe it followed that a person could also experience this kind of change after being on the brink of death...And she did change–quite significantly for that matter. She was a totally different person. Sure, she lost the ugly eyewear. So it turned out that the girl was hiding an insane pair of eyes. Cat never knew that a very vivid shade of purple was even be possible!
She had always acknowledged the fact that Asha Strauss was a pretty girl. She was busy stacking a pile of puzzle magazines when she noticed Asha behind the checkout counter of the Rosedale Supermarket for the very first time. She seemed like a very nice girl. She had a radiant smile, and absolutely beautiful skin! She thought she would be even more stunning without the spectacles. Cat had seen her several times without eyeglasses when she'd quickly wipe off any smudges, and she was right. The girl was a stunner.
The night when she lost those glasses in the water, it was lucky that she was the one who found it. She was actually going to give it back to her straight away since she knew that Asha was almost blind without them–well, at least that was the story she believed. When she was about to call out to her, she saw Lark beelining towards Asha with a towel in his hand. She was standing by the edge of the pool, exposed to the winter air, practically in her underwear. In a different scenario, Cat expected that he'd offer the towel to her. What the hell? Why would he? He didn't even glance her way to notice that there was a half-naked woman standing by the pool, shivering! She quickly jogged towards her clothes. She was surprised how quick the crowd of guys rushed towards her friend's aid. All she could do was smile at the attention Asha was finally getting. It was funny how a fully clothed, drenched woman could draw everyone's attention while the one who showed a lot of skin was completely ignored.
She stared at Asha in the midst of all the commotion. She shook her head in awe. Asha was extremely attractive. The longer she stared at her, the more she realised how extraordinary her beauty was. She was so proud of her friend, but envious at the same time, most especially when Lark was there fussing over her. If Asha was a superhero...heroine...beauty would be her power. She looked at the glasses in her hand. This will be her disguise. She squinted her eyes, and peered through the lenses with the expectation of a distorted vision. She wrinkled her forehead, noticing that she could see clearly through them. She shifted the eyeglasses in front of her, comparing how her eyes focused with and without them. "You have got to be kidding me!" she hissed under her breath. The glasses were fake. Cat clenched her jaw, irritated by the discovery. Asha lied to her! She didn't understand why Asha would go through all that trouble to hide behind a pair of glasses. She folded the glasses back and wrapped her fingers around them. She felt her anger going to her fingers and she tightened her grip on the frames. There was a strong urge to snap them in half but that was all it was–an urge. Her fingers loosened their hold, and allowed them to drop on the pavement. On the ground, they looked like a pair of empty eyes staring up at her. Mocking her. Ha! Fooled ya! they would say. She shook her head disapprovingly. She lifted her foot and carefully pressed her heel on the lens. She could feel the crunching of the lens beneath her feet. The web of cracks sent a pleasurable sense of justice. She lifted her other foot and crushed the other lens–like crushing the head of a serpent, feeling the bones of its skull breaking underneath the ball of her foot.
Cat's whole body shivered at the memory of that fateful evening. She had never imagined herself to be someone capable of doing something so cruel. She was so angry, and knowing the real reason behind her anger led to her own self-loathing. The issue was not about the fake glasses anymore. It was about Lark. Her jealousy began corrupting every kind fibre in her body on many occasions than one. When he brought Asha a towel. When he was in the laundry room with her. When he was feeding her. When he was paying so much attention to her. When he argued with Zach to take her home...No one ended up taking her home that night.
It was amazing how one can change overnight. Cat was an emotional wreck since she became an unwilling witness to her friend's attack. She was not a religious person. Despite attending fellowship gatherings all her life with her parents, her mind was never really there. She always regarded herself as a better Christian when she was a child. She prayed. She said the words as they were taught. She knew what prayer meant. Sort of. As she got older, the words came out smoothly just as she had memorized them. Words. That was all prayer was to her...Until she saw Asha lying down on the cold concrete with her head soaking in her own blood did she discover what it really meant to pray. They said she was dead. How could that be? Was it really that easy to kill someone? One hurl. One instant contact on a hard surface. That's it? Gone?
Without hesitation or inhibition, she dropped down on her knees. She worshiped. She begged. She prayed. Pleaded God to wake her up from the nightmare, and manifest a miracle that would turn the horrible reality into a perfect fantasy. She watched the paramedics carry Asha on the gurney. Her tears fell as the world started to spin around her. She didn't understand how it all ended up this way. We were just talking awhile ago! She felt more nauseous. She had never seen so much blood gush from someone's nose and forehead in her life. Was it normal for blood to continue gushing even when they're dead?
In her mind, she tried to convince herself that she was in the set of a horror movie, and Asha was an actress, playing the victim. Bloody good actress she was! Great even! And the award goes to the make-up artist, and special effects people who did a fantastic job on the prosthetics that made a perfectly structured face immensely swollen, and bruised within a couple of minutes from impact! Yey! Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Now, why wasn't the director yelling, 'Cut!'? Stop the scene! Stop the scene! No one stopped the scene. This was not a movie set.
Truth of the matter was, she was not the perfect Christian. Throughout her life, her prayers had been shallow. The only time they became more meaningful was when she needed to ask God for something. She was the typical child whose tone changed ever so sweetly when she wanted something from mom and dad. But this prayer is not for me! She peered through a curtain of tears to see Asha one last time before they pulled the sheet over her. Was it so much to ask God to save her life? Dear God! It's not for me! Please save her!
"Wait! Stop!" she heard the paramedic bellow. "Did you see that?"
To Cat, that didn't make sense. All she could hear were random murmurs of the crowd screaming in her ear. Amidst the noise, she begged louder. She noticed someone go in and out of the ambulance with an armful of packets, and hurriedly ripped them open. What were they doing? She watched a lady hold a mask in front of Asha's face. What was the point of letting a dead girl breathe? Unless...Could it be? Were her prayers answered? Cat collapsed down to her elbows. Can she possibly bow even lower to worship an unseen being? More tears streamed down her cheeks. Between her sobs, she laughed. She wasn't going to mourn that night. "Thank you! Thank you! God! Thank you!"
Indeed, one night in the face of death, one could change; including those who were around to witness the tragedy and the miracle. Cat was a different person the very next day. Every free minute she had was dedicated to a prayer of forgiveness and of gratitude. Her mother was surprised when she asked for the schedule for the fellowship, and if there were activities she could help with. In one night, she found proof that there were such things as miracles. Where there were miracles, there was a god; that was what her faith told her. God existed and He answered her prayers. He allowed Asha to come back to life. God returned her to this world...But who exactly did He return?
Cat squinted her eyes as she peered over the rim of her coffee cup. She had the cup against her lips for over five minutes, barely taking a sip of the warm liquid. Her eyebrows furrowed in deep contemplation while she stared at Asha from across table. She seemed lost in the book she was reading. For some reason, Cat had a feeling that she wasn't reading. Asha's purple eyes told her that her was elsewhere. She noticed Asha's lips move very slightly to almost form a smile. Cat wondered what may have amused her.
It has been exactly one week since she was released from her five-day confinement. Asha wasted no time to return to work and school. Cat felt sorry for Uncle Nigel. He was close to breaking down, trying to convince her to rest for a few more days. If it was the money she was worried about, he was more than happy to cover her expenses. If she was behind with her assignments, for sure her lecturers would be understanding enough to give her an extension. Cat was there when Uncle Nigel was pleading with her. The man practically had to raise his voice at her. He was fuming. Despite the intensity of his anger, his niece remained calm the whole time. Was Asha always like this? Had she always been this composed even when faced with aggravating situations? If she were Asha that day, maybe she would have thrown a tantrum already and told her uncle where to go. It even came to a point where Nigel insisted for her to pack up her bags because he was taking her back to Sydney. No ifs and no buts! Of course, she said 'no' with a steady voice. With one very simple word uttered with a shade that was almost soporific, yet stern enough for Nigel to raise his hand in defeat. That easy? How the hell did she manage to do that? She shook her head, still bewildered how one word from her ended that verbal war. Was she so spoiled that she could get her way, or did Nigel not have any backbone at all?
So Asha chose to stay. Cat had mixed emotions about her decision. Part of her was delighted that she was staying, and another part of her wished that she had left. If she was gone, she would miss her, but that meant she didn't have to fight for Lark.
She put her cup down on the table, her eyes stayed on Asha's face. If dying for a moment meant to come back with a face that can literally launch a thousand ships, Cat wished she'd die right now.
"What are you thinking?" Asha asked without lifting her eyes from the pages of her book.
Cat stiffened. Asha must have noticed her staring at her so intently. She shook her head. "Nothing much. J-Just amazed how quickly that gash on your forehead has healed. It's like it never split." she said instead. There was no way Cat was going to admit what was in her head. But hang on! Her head jerked back at a realisation. Come to think of it, it's weird for her wounds to have suddenly down so significantly within a short period of time. She remembered the blood that trickled over her face. Her face was badly swollen up from the impact, then within a couple of days, the swelling went down. Looking at the wound, it might not even leave a scar. Strange!
Asha put her hand over her forehead, lightly running a finger across the area where the skin had split when she was thrown against a car. She could still feel the slight scabbing that formed. She just shrugged. "Modern medicine, hey?" She pulled the hem of her white hood forward, letting the cloth cover as much of her forehead as possible, casting a shadow over eyes.
Cat smiled in amusement at Asha's effort to cover her face as if she was protecting herself from the cold. It wasn't the cold that she was covering herself from though; she was shielding herself from the mesmerized stares, from the unsolicited attention, from everyone else. What the hell was wrong with her? If she had the same gift as Asha did, she would love to bathe in the admiration and attention! I don't get it! she thought in frustration. "Why do you do that?" she blurted out. Well, she wasn't really complaining. Asha could wear a paper bag over her face for all she cared! But it doesn't make any sense!
She tilted her head. "Do what?"
"Why do you cover yourself like that? Why are you hiding?" Not realising how stupidly she worded her question, Cat braced herself from a possible lashing. Instead, Asha stared at her blankly, totally unaffected. "I-I'm sorry. Wrong choice of words," she apologized immediately.
Asha smiled at her, curious of what she meant. "Hiding from what?"
There was no trace of annoyance in her voice.. "I-I don't know, from everyone?" Asha sat in silence. Her eyes bore into her skull as if she was searching her brain for answers. She didn't know why she was nervous all of a sudden.
"From everyone," she repeated without a flinch.
She didn't seem to be a bit surprised at the question. Cat gulped. The timbre in her voice was different. She had noticed it since she woke up at the hospital. It still sounded like the her, but the condescending tone was evident. There were times when she spoke quietly, it was unusually soothing, but at the same time eerie. And those eyes! The way they looked at her made her feel uneasy. It was like they were judging her. It was like she was digging for deep-seethed secrets that even she didn't know herself. She instantly picked up her coffee and drew it back to her lips just to hide behind the cup.
"What is the matter, Cat?" She knew that Cat had sensed something odd. Even if she wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to cause any disruptions to the living's beliefs. Besides, she wouldn't know how to explain what was going on in the first place since she was trying to understand it herself. Death discovering her humanity, and her humanity trying to be one with her true essence was a burden. It was difficult to continue being Asha when she's overwhelmed with so many mysteries that she wanted to solve. "Tell me what's in your mind. Tell me what's bothering you."
How would Cat answer that? How could she explain what was in her mind. All she knew was Asha was different. She had changed. Is this what happens when someone returns from the dead? She clasped her hands as she began to tremle. "I-I–" Her lips couldn't utter the words that her mind was yelling at her. She met Asha's stare. "It's just that–"
"Oi! Asha! Cat!" Zach yelled as he waved from across the grassy courtyard.
Zach's voice brought a great relief to Cat. She was getting too inexplicably uncomfortable with their conversation. In an instant, her mood changed at the sight of Zach trudging towards them. Cat leaned forward. "Ooohh! Looky!" she squealed quietly with delight. "Prince charming is here!" Her eyes were fixated at his muscular physique. "Is it me or is he getting yummier every time I see him?" She quickly winked at Asha. "Don't worry, hun. I have no interest in him. I still think he's a jerk though." She craned her neck back to Zach "I think he adores you." Asha remained quiet. She looked at her friend, and the way those purple eyes drilled on her made her shiver. "What's wrong, Ash?" She gulped.
"What is really bothering you Cat?" she asked again. This time her voice was demanding for answers.
They were back to where she had hope they had left off. It wasn't the right time to discuss it, especially when Zach was briskly approaching. Cat just shook her head. "Look, I'm just confused at the moment, okay? A lot of things happened and..." She looked over her shoulders, checking how far he was from them. "Like for example, you used to nearly swoon when you hear Zach's name," she whispered. "For all I know, your internal organs are doing synchronized somersaults right now!" She studied Asha's face, which was framed delicately by the edges of her hood. Deep dark locks peeked out from underneath the hood. During the past week, Asha's expressions were difficult to read most of the time, but when Zach was around..."Now, you look at him as if you're seeing him for the first time. Like you've just recognized him from somewhere." She paused, thinking about what she had just said. "I don't think that even made sense." Shaking her head vigorously, "Oh forget it!"
Asha tilted her head and smiled. She definitely knew what she meant. She cast a glance at Zach before she lowered her eyes to the table. Cat was wrong. Whenever she heard his name, chords would strike vigorously within her. When he spoke, the familiar chimes of his voice invoked her pulse to quicken. Her insides still did somersaults at the mere sight of him. She felt wonderful., but at the same time, a sense of apprehension filled her. She pushed her concerns aside, deciding to deal with the erratic emotions later. She reached out for Cat's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Sorry, I'm making you uncomfortable...Just, please, give me some time to adjust."
Cat felt her muscles jolt when Asha touched her. She pulled her hand away abruptly. "Geez! Your hands are cold!" she gasped.
She clasped her hands together and shrugged. "Sorry," she sang with a chuckle. "It's been very nippy today." Her tone softened, and so did her face. "Things will go back to normal. I promise."
Cat remembered her saying something like that when they were at the hospital. "Oh and–" The thud made by the stack of books Zach laid on the table cut her off. "Hey there!" she greeted him. Arching an eyebrow at the books, "What are those?" she asked.
"These," Zach began, then turning to Asha, "are the textbooks you might need to review for Monday's oral." He picked up the top book and flipped the pages. "I thought I'd check them out before someone else did."
It was so thoughtful of him to do that for her. "Thank you." Asha picked up one of the books. Her fingers flipped through the pages. The words came to her like undecipherable codes. Internally, she was laughing at herself. On this occasion, she couldn't even understand another language whilst being in an ordinary vessel. She squinted, and frowned even more. "You reckon Mr. Peters will grill me on Monday?"
"Monsieur Peters," he corrected, waving a hand smoothly in the air while he mocked a French accent.
"Monsieur Peters," she copied him with a snicker, revealing a cute dimple near the corner of her lips.
Zach held his breath. "Tres bien, Madamoiselle Strauss," he said, mimicking their lecturer's adenoidal voice. He slid into the space next to her, and leaned closer. "All I can say is for you to expect the worst," he warned. "If you want, we can study together. My last class finishes at three. What's your last class?"
Asha shook her head, "I'm done for the day. Just planning to do some research at the library, then try to hunt down my Creative Writing prof. Then I have to be at work by five."
"Well, if you're staying for a couple of hours at the library we can meet up after you've seen your prof. I'll take you to work. We can study in between. Let me know what time you finish your shift, so I can pick you up, and take you home."
"You don't have to do that. I can take the bus home," she declined.
Cat watched their exchange. They looked so good together. The way Zach's eyes lit up when he looked at Asha sent goosebumps down her back. If Lark will only look at me like that, she yearned with envy. She leaned over, taking a book from the pile. Pressing her thumb down the side of the book, letting pages flip rapidly against her skin. "Gosh! This is a lot of reading! As in really? You only missed a couple of classes. What's he gonna do? Make you recite all French words from the dictionary for your oral exam?"
Throwing her hands up in the air, "Ah well! We'll just have to expect the worst, and be prepared."
"You've pretty much caught up with most of your assignments, right?" Cat asked.
Asha shook her head. "Not really. But I'm not rostered for the weekend so I'm devoting my Sat and Sun to try to finish them. My only prob now is getting my Creative Writing prof to give me an extension." She wrinkled her forehead. "If he doesn't give me an extension, that means, I only have a week to write a story."
"Yikes! And finals are not far away either," Cat groaned, feeling sorry for her.
Zach put a hand on Asha's shoulder. "Remember, you need any help at all, we're here."
Asha sighed as she turned to Zach. It was only for a moment that they were locked in each others' stare before she forced herself to free herself from his gaze. "Thanks, but I think I'll manage."
"Hello ladies," a cheerful Lark greeted them.
Cat's heart jumped to her throat. She didn't even see him coming, and there he was, resting his weight against the edge the table. She glanced towards Asha and Zach. Even they were surprised to see him. "Hi, Lark!" His presence lifted her spirits. She flashed him her widest smile, just like the one she had been practising in front of the mirror for months. "You're done for the day?" she asked for the sake of asking.
"Nah," he wrinkled his nose as he shook his head. "I have a class in an hour."
Cat knew that. She knew his class schedule by heart. She did a great deal of research to find out his routine so she can immerse herself in his world. It was Thursday. His first class started at eight-thirty until ten. The second class didn't start until ten-thirty, and finished at twelve. His next and last class for the day started at two-thirty, and he was off at four. After that, Lark would head off to the Student Council Office, followed by basketball practice at five-thirty. She smiled, quite pleased with herself. He followed his routine like clockwork until he met her. That precise ticking of the clock was broken. At this time, he was supposed to be with is friends, or at the Student Council office, but he was here, with them...With her. She painfully watched him sit next to Asha, his eyes mesmerized once again by that face. She was invisible once again. Well, I refuse to be invisible! "Have you had lunch?" she asked to remind him of her existence.
Lark nodded. "Yup." He turned to Asha. "How are you doing?"
Asha pursed her lips for a smile. "Good," she replied.
He reached towards her, gently caressing her cheekbone with his thumb, then his forefinger touched lightly across her forehead. "You're healing nicely," he said, his voice getting husky.
Lark's brief contact with Asha did not sit well with Cat. She found it too intimate for her liking. She shot Zach a quick glance and his furrowed forehead only meant that he was not impressed at all.
"So what brings you here?" Zach asked, his tone hard, but controlled.
Lark fished for his mobile phone from his pocket. "Oh, you got a message from your uncle." Asha raised her eyebrows. "Oh, I see." She bit her lower lip, and matched it with an expression of guilt. "I'm sorry if he has been bothering you. He shouldn't be using you as a messenger."
Waving his hands in front of him. "It's no bother at all," he reassured her. "I don't mind. Especially if it's going to put his mind at ease."
Her uncle flew back to Sydney a couple of days ago. He really didn't want to leave without her in tow, but she was persistent in staying. "If I were you, I'd block his number," Asha chortled.
Wrinkling his nose, "Nah! I'm not doing that. Besides, I really don't mind," he insisted, as he patted hand her gently.
Zach could feel the muscles in his jaws tightening. "That's rather nice of you."
Sensing the irritation in Zach's voice, he shrugged at him. "Part of my charm, mate! Part of my charm!" He saw how Zach's jaws clicked. He just laughed internally, not really caring what the guy thought or felt.
Cat started to feel the heaviness in the air between the two boys. She looked at Asha who sat between them. She seemed oblivious to how the guys acted around her. "So, what did you have for lunch, Lark," Cat asked, trying to get his attention again.
"The Triple Decker Cheeseburger meal from the cafeteria," he replied, just briefly craning his head to her.
"Oh my god! That meal is so huge!" Cat exclaimed, desperately trying to hold on to his attention while also attempting to defuse a potential outburst of jealousy from Zach. "I have no idea how you guys can eat that much!" Lark shrugged at her with one of his most adorable smiles, and she heart melted instantly.
"Well, I'm a growing boy!" he exclaimed.
Her eyes wandered towards his well-defined chest, hugged nicely by his brown, knitted sweater. "Plus you'll burn it easily with all the running and jumping and more running you'll be doing later." Cat bit the inside of her lower lip, hoping that Lark didn't wonder why she knew that he had basketball practice later. She didn't want him to think that she was stalking him.
"True," he concurred. His attention was then drawn by a half-eaten salad bowl in front of Asha. It was the most boring thing he had ever seen–lettuce and tomatoes. It didn't seem to have any dressing at all. "I'm hoping that you ate more than that," he said with concern.
Asha poked a fork into her salad. "I'm not that hungry." If she could help it, she didn't want to bother eating at all. But this body needs to eat! She straightened up, "So, what did Uncle Nigel say this time?" she asked, changing the subject.
Lark frowned. "Seriously, Asha! You should eat more than that."
"She said she wasn't that hungry," Zach shot back.
She widened her eyes and leaned a bit towards Lark. "Well, I'd rather eat just that than have triple bypass burger!" she challenged.
Lark opened his mouth in retort but nothing came out. Instead, an amused laughter escaped his lips.
Cat forced herself to join in his laughter, hiding her irritation of seeing that smitten look on his face. "That's funny!" Even Zach started laughing as well.
"So, what did Uncle Nigel say?" she asked again.
"Oh yeah!" Lark remembered. He squinted at his phone while his finger slid up and down the screen. "He said, 'how's Ash going? Is she taking her meds in time? Please tell her to call me. Thanks, mate! Look after her. Nigel,'" he quoted with a smile.
Lark must truly be one amazing guy, Cat thought. It was surprising how easily he had gained Nigel's trust. He was very charismatic after all. No doubt, Nigel had sensed what a decent man Lark was that he entrusted Asha to him. She wondered if he knew that Lark only met Asha on the night of the attack. Technically, he was still a stranger, but there he was, putting his faith in this wonderful stranger to look after his niece. If it weren't for Lark, he would probably still be in Perth to keep an eye on Asha. Suddenly, she wondered how exactly did Lark convince Nigel to go back to Sydney so soon, and without Asha. She sighed as she gazed at his face adoringly. He was truly such a remarkable man!
Asha shrugged. "I'll call him later. If not, I'll shoot him an e-mail."
The tone in her voice seemed unconcerned. "Why don't you get a new mobile phone? The new Samsung is out now. We can have a look at the deals," Cat suggested, forcing herself to sound cheerful.
Asha shook her head, obviously not interested. "I don't need a mobile phone."
Surprised at the statement, Cat shot, "Don't need a mobile phone? It's a necessity these days!"
Asha lowered her head to the pile of French books, and shook her head. She smirked. "It's not a necessity. People who have it make it a necessity."
Cat shifted her eyes from side to side, trying to figure out what she had just said. She turned to Zach and Lark who just sat there, listening and staring at her. "What do you mean? Obviously times have changed and in these times, being able to communicate to one another is very important." With her friend's silence, she was pleased that she may have just made her point across.
Asha raised her head and stared at her steadily. "Yes, times have changed. Sad isn't it?"
Her eyes twitched. So did her ears. There it was again. The tone in her voice. Distant and almost ethereal.
"Sad?" Zach repeated in confusion.
"Sad. How times have changed. Sad." Her lips curved very slightly.
Cat turned to Lark who seemed to be studying her. Probably wondering what she was talking about as well. "Ooh-kay." Tapping her right finger on her lips, her eyes looking up, "It's sad that times have changed?"
Asha winced at the thought of how her mood could suddenly change in a snap. Because of that, something churned deep inside her. "Time has moulded us to rely on these contraptions to communicate...But are we really communicating?" Asha took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Uncle Nigel doesn't need to hear from me every so often. We both have access to e-mail, if he really needs to get a message from me every single day. If he needs to hear my voice, there's a landline at home, we can call each other on that. If he wants a simple text message..." She paused. "No, he doesn't need that...There's hardly anything left to talk about now. If he only needs to know that I'm okay..." She paused again. "The mere fact that I'm at school should be an indication that I'm okay. I go to work. I go home. Sleep. Wake up." A lump suddenly formed in her throat. "I'm alive." She lowered her head. "I'm alive," she said in an almost inaudible whisper. "I-I have to get going," she decided suddenly. In one quick swoop, she slid the books into her bag. She swung her legs over the bench and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Lark asked.
"I don't know. Library. Maybe," she replied.
"I'll wait for you at Parking Lot B at ten past three, okay?" Zach reminded her as she was walking away.
Asha stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Thanks, but if I'm not there, don't worry about waiting for me." She waved and scurried away.
They watched her as she moved farther and farther away.
"What was that all about?" Zach scrunched his face in confusion. He was about to get up to run after her when he felt Lark's hand around his arm, pulling him back. "Dude!" he snarled.
"Just let her be, mate," he said calmly. "She needs to be alone."
Zach sat back down on the bench with a huff as he straightened his jacket. "What's with her all of a sudden?"
Cat wondered if Zach had noticed the same things she had. Then it hit her. "Oh my god! How could I be so insensitive!" Cat whined, covering her face.
Lark snapped his head to face her."What's wrong?"
She dropped her hands on the table. "You think she needs counseling?"
"Counseling?" the boys blurted out in unison.
"You think she's suffering from PTSD? I don't know! Think about it. Since leaving the hospital, she has always hid under hooded garments....Maybe she's being paranoid. Then she gets funny about being alive like what just happened. It was her birthday a couple of weeks ago and when I asked what she wanted, she laughed!" Cat ranted without taking a breath. "As in laughed hysterically like it was a bloody joke!" She raised her hands up in the air. "What the?"
Zach just stared at her with his mouth open. It was difficult to process everything Cat had blabbed about. "Well, maybe she just doesn't want to stand out. With eyes like those, it can be unnerving when people keep staring."
"I don't know–"
"Instead of speculating and making our own theories," Lark interrupted. "Let's just give her some space. She knows that we'll help her when she needs it. She has gone through a lot, and there are so many things that she needs to deal with. It's best to leave her alone for now."
"If she has to deal with so many things, we can help her!" Cat insisted.
Lark shook his head. "No."
Zach grimaced. "No?"
"Only she can deal with those many things," he said with all seriousness.
"Lark?" Cat squinted at him. "Is there something that you know?"
With a straight face, he answered, "No."
Zach stared at Lark suspiciously. He felt that he was hiding something. If he knew something about Asha, he was desperate to know. If Lark did have an idea on what was going on with Asha...How did he get the information? He hasn't known Asha long enough. Did Nigel say anything to him? "Ah well," he sighed. "I'd better get going and head off to class!" He didn't wait for Cat or Lark to say anything, he just walked away.