Shopping

A week has passed and to say the least, it's been extremely boring in this town. I've never been anywhere because once school is over, I go straight to home with Margaret and then we girls help the family with some household works or firewood chopping if it's guys. That's all!

And then we get tired and go to sleep like good little kids. I hate it here! But, Margaret kind of makes it little less boring.

Mainly the stories or I should say the gossips she shares with me are amazing. Outside I pretend like I don't like gossips but I really love it. I guess that's the only thing keeping me sane.

Today we have finally decided to go out together and I'm totally pumped about it. Simon keeps avoiding me since I shot him down, but I'm trying not to care about it.

Margaret and I walk together from school. She promised me that we can reach the market by walk, so we do that.

Anyways, I don't have an idea about this place. If she says something, it must be right. We talk about the day, the classes and the professors on our way. Since some of my professors are currently teaching her too, we talk more about them than the others.

We pass through different kinds of houses. It's not very similar to our neighborhood, but the outline is much more the same.

Because all houses have a huge inbuilt farm and some shrubs which I don't understand. But, it's a beautiful sight.

The roads are muddy and my boots often gets dirty, but that's how it is here. Even Margaret's boots are dirty all the time, but she doesn't mind it.

"How do you feel here?", Margaret suddenly asks, throwing me off course.

I blink for few seconds, before coming up with an answer.

"Good. I like the unpolluted air", I say and mildly chuckle.

She also chuckles but soon regains her serious expression, "You know what I mean.. I was asking emotionally?", she inquired slowly.

"Um.....", I'm really bad at answering these kinds of questions, so I think hard and take more than a minute this time.

"I'm fine, I guess? I... haven't thought about them... in awhile..... So, I think I'm doing better", I say clumsily looking at my feet.

"Do you feel at home?", she asks.

Is she actually worried about me? It feels nice to have someone care for me.

"Somewhat! But, hey don't worry about it. I'll be fine. As time goes, I'll gel with everyone. Even with the girl with two ponytails", I say urgently because I don't want Margaret to think I'm weird.

"Oh! You mean Jenny? She'll come around. Don't bother with her. She's usually like that", Margaret says as a matter of fact.

"I see"

We move on to the next patch of road and this part of the town is completely different from the others. It's very bright, there's no dark forest or woods anywhere nearby. A majestic mountain covers the boundary of this village.

Then, is this a valley? Okay, I don't know.

One thing I know for sure is, this place is awesome. There are so many many shops on the way. It's like how those houses in our neighborhood had farms, here every house has a shop.

Margaret and I smile at each other and go on a fanatic shopping spree.

~~*~~

I think it's almost night when we reach home. Dinner is skipped by both of us, but I'm so happy today. I bought everything I needed. I can't believe that a small town like this would have everything.

They import all the good stuffs from big cities. Plus, they also sell their own organic products. It's unusual for me, that today, I mostly bought their organic products.

Margaret is helping her mom today, I'm tired to my bones, so I come back to our room alone. wow, this is the first time I'm being alone after coming here. that's long! I'm glad to enjoy this time.

I take out a musk perfume that I just bought in the store and try it out. I'm really amazed by the outcome.

It smells just like him!

Am I crazy to buy a scent which is exactly similar to his? Definitely! But I couldn't help it.

All these days, I didn't cross paths with him anywhere. After the incident at the cafeteria, nothing happened where he was involved.

But I keep thinking about him. I'm so drawn to him that my thoughts are only surrounded around him. Although I pretend like I'm not giving a damn about it, it's undeniably always there.

This doesn't feel like crush or love to me. It feels much more intense, which is often accompanied by anxiety.

I'm so mesmerized while I'm inhaling the perfume I just sprayed on, while I hear the mild knock from somewhere.

I go to open the door but there's nobody at the doorstep. That's strange, because I definitely heard a knock.

It's coming again and this time I do not fail to notice a slender guy hanging on the window rail.

Shit! It's Simon!

I rush to the window and open the latch as soon as possible. He pulls himself up and climbs inside my room.

What the hell!

"Hey", he grins like an idiot.

"What are you doing here at this time?", I ask flabbergasted.

He ignores me, and urgently walks over to the front door to put on the latch.

What the fuck!

I'm furious, but I'm still waiting to see what he is about to say.

"I want a favor from you", he says.

"Yeah? And this is how you ask someone for a favor? By breaking down their window?"

"Really sorry about that. But, I need your help.", he says and suddenly takes my hands in his.

I'm totally shocked and taken aback. "Simon, what are you doing?"

"Shh... Nothing... just look at me", he whispers.

"Why?", I whisper too, no idea what's going on. I try to remove my hands from his but his grip is so tight.

I look him in the eye and now I'm very sure he has a crush on me. I sigh and give up.

Suddenly, I hope I'm not imagining stuffs because his retina grows and his eyeballs are slowly covered with black.

What!!

The black eyeballs are doing something to me, because I feel like a stone.

I'm not able to remove my hands from his grip. Neither can I blink, nor move.

What are you doing, Simon? I want to ask him that, but my lips don't move.

"Done", he says proudly.

He leaves my hands and I drop them to the sides of my body. I'm pretty sure I'm automatically moving and my brain has stopped functioning.

I focus on him intensely, hoping he can hear what I'm thinking, but doesn't seem to.

Now, he says "After you, my lady" and I automatically walk towards the window and climb down the brick wall like a robot.

Is this magic?

Is he controlling me? My body?

Once we reach down, he says "follow me" and walks towards the woods.

The woods!!! Fuck, I'm dead!