Chapter 9: The past comes back

15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Matthew 7:15

"W-What did you just say?" Zane asked while being completely caught off guard. Hayley looked nervous but continued her confession nonetheless.

"That's right you heard me," Hayley said with a firm nod. "I love you. I didn't realize it until recently and only told my friends about it a week ago. So when you invited me here to the frat house to see the new room, I saw this as my chance to finally tell you how I feel. I kept telling myself that you were just an acquaintance or even just a friend for weeks but now I realize that I can't hold myself back anymore and I want to be by your side as your girlfriend if not your future wife-oh no did I go too far I'm sorry! I didn't mean to come on too stro-"

Suddenly, Hayley found herself being pulled into a deep hug by Zane and was taken aback until she heard him laugh for a bit. At first she became irritated and thought he was laughing at her until he pulled back and gave her a genuine smile.

"Oh Hayley," he said in an affectionate tone. "I love you too."

"Wait, for real?" Hayley asked in shock. "You're.... you're not... lying to me are you?"

"No, I'm not," Zane said with absolute sincerity. "I'm being dead serious. I've been in love with you for a while."

"Really?! Even after I slapped you and yelled at you?"

"Well obviously not during those times but it was after we spent more time with each other and got to know one another did I start to have feelings for you too," Zane revealed. "I know how tense you can be when it comes to the idea of romance and falling in love but I assure you that I want to have a serious relationship with you. But only if you really want to."

"Yes, I do," Hayley said as she began tearing up before burying her face in his chest, prompting him to pat her back affectionately.

"There, there, just let it all out."

"Thanks."

"Awww how adorable!" a male voice cried out, causing both of them to sharply turn their heads to the source of the voice. Much to their annoyance, it was Mikey who had opened the door to see what was going on, despite Zane and Hayley wanting some privacy to themselves.

"Mikey you numbskull! You ruined the moment!" Elis shouted in anger and exasperation as he attempted to pull the energetic boy away. "I am so sorry, Zane. Congratulations though!" Elis then proceeded to pull Mikey away to presumably teach him a lesson off-screen, leaving Zane and Hayley alone. Though Zane was pretty annoyed judging by the slight twitch in his eye, he took a deep breath before facing Hayley again, who was more embarrassed at being caught rather than simply being annoyed.

"So, Hayley," Zane asked while trying not to make the atmosphere even more awkward than it already was. "Wanna go out sometime this weekend?"

"Sure," Hayley said. "Though I'll need to check my schedule first before we can properly go out."

"Sounds great," he said. "Call me if you managed to find the right time and place to go."

"Okay," Hayley said as she and Zane began to exchange phone numbers.

Once that was over with, Hayley bid Zane farewell before leaving the fraternity house with a smile on her face. She made sure to call her friends and inform them of her newfound relationship with Zane which inevitably led to more screams of joy on the other line.

A few days later...

Zane felt like he was on Cloud 9 as he was able to finally confess his feelings for Hayley. Though he was aware of how their first meeting wasn't that great, with her slapping him in the face, he still admired how fierce yet gentle she was towards her friends. He had been feeling a certain connection to her ever since she first met up with him and Janine at the café that Saturday evening and talked with him about their favorite book series. He admired how knowledgeable she was when it came to the series' lore along with her analyses regarding the characters along with their roles within the story. As she continued to see him and Janine during their meet-ups on Saturdays and even outside of that, Zane slowly found himself falling for her. When she wasn't aggressive or curt with him or any other guy that approached her, he admired how honest yet humble she was when it came to thing she actually liked. It also helped that she was trusted him enough to confide in him regarding her tragic past involving her parents when in the past, she would never have done such a thing due to her instilled misandry. But now it seems that he finally had a chance to be with her and show her that not all men were as evil as she was led to believe. For their first official date, they both agreed to go to the Crowning Café as it felt appropriate to go there as it was the place they both felt comfortable at. Though Zane offered to bring Hayley there with him, she insisted that it was fine as she could make it there on her own and there was no reason to worry over her. Regardless, Zane walked to the Crowning Café and waited for Hayley at the entrance though it was getting dark and chilly outside. After waiting for a couple of minutes, he became worried and wondered if she was even coming.

"Maybe I should call her just in case," Zane said as he was about to pull out his phone until he heard the sound of footsteps coming towards him. The moment he looked up, he was relieved to see that it was just Hayley and no one else. He could see how red and slightly sweaty she was as she ran towards him, panting the entire time. "Hayley! You're here!"

"Hi.... Zane..." Hayley said as she struggled to catch her breath. "Sorry... for.... being.... late.... missed.... bus..."

"Oh I see," Zane said with a slight chuckle before offering her his hand. "Well, then shall we go in? This is our first date after all."

"Right," Hayley said with a blush as she slowly grabbed his hand. "Our.... first...."

The 2 of them entered the café together though the atmosphere felt different as they were now dating rather then simply going there as friends. Given that Janine herself wasn't there to accompany them this time, this would be a serious moment for Hayley as she was completely inexperienced with men. She was told by her mother to never trust men as they will only break her heart and laugh at her tears. Back then, she believed her mother and went along with it out of hatred towards her father for the way he treated his family. But this.... for the first time, Hayley felt a certain warmth emanate from both herself and from Zane (and it wasn't just body heat or even the warm temperature within the café that warmed her up). As she spent time with him and talked with him while they were seated at their table, she felt that warmth start to grow within her the more she looked at him and got to know him better. This.... this feels nice... way better than I expected... Hayley thought to herself as she continued to listen to him talk. Even as they ate their dinner together, they still talked with each other about "The Cabell Family in Another World" series. Though neither of them had any experience with dating, this felt surprisingly natural for both of them despite it being their first time going out together. After an hour or 2 of dining and talking, the young couple decided to finally grab their things and leave the café. As soon as they went outside, the 2 of them stood for a moment with the frosty air passing by them in silence.

"Well," Hayley began. "That was.... great. Better than I expected."

"Yeah, it was," Zane said with a smile. "I guess I'll see you next Monday then. Same time next week?"

"Sure why not?" Hayley beamed as she nodded in confirmation before giving him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you for the lovely dinner, Zane. I'll never forget it."

Zane was left stunned as he saw her walk away as if she didn't just give him a kiss on the cheek. He could only blush a bit as he placed his hand on the area where she kissed, especially since the old Hayley would never have been that openly affectionate to anyone let alone a guy like him. He could smile almost giddily as he too walked back to his dorm room without a care in the world. Thankfully it wasn't too far from the café as he was able to arrive at the front entrance without any issue.

"I'm so happy that Hayley enjoyed her first date with me," Zane commented as he was about to open the door to his home.

"Oh I'm sure you 2 had a fine date together," another voice sneered, causing Zane to stiffen.

Zane immediately stopped in his tracks, feeling his blood run cold and a chill up his spine as he slowly turned around. Once he did turn around to face the person who spoke, he immediately glared at the mysterious figure who was standing not too far from him. The figure was partially obscure in the darkness until they stepped into the nearest light and revealed who they were. The figure was revealed to be a woman who was relatively short and wore a magenta-reddish coat that was slightly puffy but thick enough to stave off the cold while also wearing pink mittens and a matching pink hat with brown boots on her feet. The woman wore glasses that were of a black color though they seemed to partially obscure her eyes until Zane got a closer look at them.

"Wasn't it wonderful?" the woman said in a slimy yet nasally voice. "I'm sure you're precious Hayley was enjoying the date far more than you ever were."

"You...." Zane growled as he took on a slightly defensive stance. "I've seen you before. Don't think I didn't notice how you happened to be at almost every single place I've been to in the past, including the café."

"So you noticed me after all," the woman responded with a light giggle. "I must say you're senses are sharp as ever."

"Who are you?" Zane asked with growing frustration. "What do you want from me?!"

"Oh nothing important really," the woman claimed. "Though I must apologize for being so rude as to not properly introduce myself. I'm known around the campus as "Paola Schnee" so it's nice to meet you."

"Okay," Zane responded unsure of how to respond to the creepy woman. "What about it?"

"Well silly billy," Paola responded with a smile that looked a bit too wide for her own good. "I also go by another name. A name you probably forgot about years back." As she said this, she removed her glasses, her hat and even her hair! Her real hair color was not brown like it looked but rather it was a bright red color, a color that Zane recognized much to his horror.

"No... it can't be..." Zane began in a shaky tone as his eyes widened with terror. "Y-You're.... you're..."

"Hello, Zaney!" Paola said in a sickenly sweet tone that promised great terror. "It's me! Parnaz Steinberg!"