Beautiful

I was walking slowly on the roads, I could see high buildings on my head, and number of cars around me.

But I didn't know what to think of it, I was emotionally and physically very tired now. I shook my head.

I had the acceptance letter in my hands that I wanted to show her, but could not. I looked at the small piece of paper in my hand and made a hasty decision, "I'm not going there, " I uttered and started to crumble it in a piece of ball. When I suddenly heard honking behind me.

Surprised I looked at the source to find that I was in the middle of a road without knowing. In my dazed thoughts I had walked in the middle of road, I hastily walked to the other side of road.

I found myself standing in front of a garden. Sighing to myself I entered through the gate and started to look for some bench or something to sit on. I saw the white envelope still in my hands, so I just threw it in my bag that I had slung on my right shoulder till now.

I kept on strolling around the gardens, kept seeing different new faces. Children were running around laughing joyfully. I could see young couple at one side and elder couples enjoying their golden time with each other on the other.

"What would have gone wrong if Dad did not leave us? If he had stayed with us?" I thought bitterly.

I probably said out aloud because it caught attention of many passersby. I looked at the girl looking at me with some unasked question clouding her eyes, I looked at her embarrassed and mumbled a small, "Sorry," even when I did not know why I was apologizing anyway.

I heaved a sigh and walked to one of the benches those were placed near swings in the playground.

I sat there blank, with no emotion and no more thoughts, I was basically at ease now.

"You are beautiful, " I heard a small voice beside me. I blinked my eyes a few times and directed my attention towards a small boy with jet black hair, and penetrating blue eyes, who was now standing right in front of me in his yellowish top and some shorts.

I gave him a small smile in acknowledgement not knowing how to respond. "Can I sit here with you?" He asked sheepishly pointing towards the empty spot on the bench.

"Of course, why not!" I replied with a smile on my face. "What is your name?" He asked me again with a smile showing off his two broken teeth.

"Alicia," I told him and saw his face glowing up with sudden satisfaction. "You have such a beautiful name as well! " he exclaimed exaggerating.

I looked at the young boy sitting with me, with an open mouth, "How old are you?" I inquired surprised.

"I'm 7," he replied in a happy tone, I nodded at him but he carried on, on his own ." I'm Adam," he offered me his small hand which I took for a handshake.

"It's nice to meet you," I told him. He blushed a little bit. I saw a woman coming towards us with some cotton candies in her hand. Adam saw her and made a run for her as well. "Mom!" He shouted excitedly.

' Of course she would be,' I mused seeing the woman who seemed to be in her mid twenties, she had her beautiful blonde hair open in their natural waves, and was wearing a very beautiful sundress that reached just above her knees.

"Thank you for taking care of him," she said in a grateful tone and took Adam's hand in hers'. "Bye bye Alicia," Adam said waving his small hands. His mother gave me a small smile.

I waved him back with a small smile on my own face now. I saw mother son going away from me leaving me once again alone with my thoughts.

After spending some time in garden. I saw the sun setting, the birds were going here and there. "You guys are going to your home as well," I said to no one in particular.

Of course after whole day of working they are going back now. Work. I recalled. I could feel my eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"Damn me, How could I forget!" I mumbled out in frustration and started to run towards the gym.

"I had to train guys, I have to clean the gym, Just how could I forget it?" I inquired myself.

I walked in the empty hallway of the gym. I looked around all the greyish walls and empty room to see someone there, but there was none.

"God everyone is gone," I slapped my palm at my forehead.

"Wow, what are you doing here now?" I turned around to see Damon standing there in nothing but his short and some boxing shoes on,

"Uhh, what are you doing here now?" I mimicked his question.

Damon raised his gloves, indicating he was practicing. "Oh," I made an 'o' shape with my lips.

"Oh yeah, 'oh' " he mimicked me now. I frowned at him. "Now tell me where were you? You did not come for training, I did not have your phone number, dad was not around. I did not know how to approach you. I thought something bad happened to you." he continued talking in a hasty manner with his hands flying here and there while he was walking in circles around, lecturing me.

"Stop," I interrupted him. "Your all circling around me is giving me a headache," I told him stopping him mid track.

"Uh, right." he said rubbing his neck.

"But where were you?" He pressed on.

"I was in garden and lost track of time." I answered him, half truth not lying completely at least.

"And here I thought you had some problem," he said moving to the sand bags hanging in the room.

"No, I'm okay." I said nonchalantly.

Damon nodded his head and responded. "Okay," And continued hitting the bag.

"Aren't you going back?"I asked him picking up the gloves lying on the floor to place them on their original position.

"I'm waiting for you, complete your work then we will go eat something I guess."

I looked wide eyed at him. But nodded anyway and returned to my work.

After an hour I was finally done cleaning with Damon's help.

"Thanks for your help," I said to him locking the doors behind me and giving the keys to Damon.

He simply shrugged and started moving towards some cafe, I guess to find something to eat.

We finally settled on eating pizza after our bickering for 20 minutes on what we should eat.

We sat on the cozy pizza parlor which had dim lights in it and some Italian kind of music playing in the background.

"They take it serious," Damon gushed. I turned my attention on him who was observing the cafe. "What?" I frowned.

"That pizza is Italian," he told me in a serious tone. I burst out in laughter, and looked at his confused face who was looking at me now.

I tried controlling my laughter, and responded him, "What's that even suppose to mean? We all know it's an Italian dish."

"No, I mean this parlor just had all the Italian mafia kind of emotions running through these walls and, man music? seriously!" He replied in an exagerating girly voice.

I shook my head at him as the waiter placed pizza on our table. I gave him a small smile and directed all my attention to the pizza.

"You can eat it now," Damon said looking at me with a smirk. I scowled at him. "You are looking at it as if it were some, " I stopped him and threw a pizza piece at him to stop him from saying anything.

"There eat it," I said and took one of the slice for myself as well. "I was not going to say something," he said grinning like an idiot.

I rolled my eyes at his stupidity. "Of course," I put on a sickly sweet smile.

We paid for pizza, no let me rephrase he paid for it because according to him it was him who brought me there and was his treat and all that, After our bickering again. He paid for it in the end.

"Here," he said giving me his phone I looked at his phone and then at his face confused, "add your number in it, "

I took it from him and added my name in it.

Damon looked at it with a serious expression. "That's it?" He inquired.

"What?"

"That's all you can come up with?" I looked at him suspiciously. "I mean the name, "Alicia'?, come on be more creative." He stated in a serious voice again.

I hit his head, and frowned at him once again, "Change it with your creativeness then,"

"I will," he declared puffing. I shook my head at him.

"You know , you are going to have wrinkles very soon from all this frowning of yours'." he said as if it were a fact.

I turned to him with my hands clenched ready to punch him again, when he ran away from me.

" Hey, hey don't," he said running away.

"You just come back here," I threatened and ran after him on the dark paths those were illuminated by the street lights.