Shadow vs Protector

As the first day of the sports festival drew to a close, students began to filter out of the court following the conclusion of the match. Despite Ash's team not clinching victory, they had put up a valiant effort, securing commendable points in what proved to be a fiercely contested competition. Nia, determined to offer moral support, lingered until the very end, long after El had departed. Ash ensured that Nia's presence didn't distract him during the game. Yet, as the match concluded, his gaze swept the surroundings in search of his significant other, only to find her conspicuously absent. Though Nia harbored the desire to offer Ash words of encouragement, she felt unprepared to engage with him directly and opted to depart with the dispersing crowd. With El nowhere in sight, Nia reached for her mobile phone, intending to check on her friend's well-being. However, she soon discovered a missed call and message from Joyce inquiring about her whereabouts, prompting her to realize that amidst the tumult involving Pip and El, as well as the nail-biting match that ended in a tie, she had inadvertently forgotten about Joyce.

Nia dialed Joyce's number, but was met with silence on the other end. Recollecting that Joyce's singles match would have concluded by now, Nia held onto the hope that Joyce might be waiting for her at the badminton court despite the day's events coming to a close. With a sense of urgency, she hurried to the indoor sports center, scanning the dimly lit court for any sign of her friend. To her astonishment, Joyce was the sole occupant of the bench, her gaze fixed intently on her racket in a manner that seemed almost enigmatic. Observing Joyce lost in thought, Nia couldn't decipher the nature of her contemplation. Hastening to Joyce's side, Nia knelt down beside her, offering a patient presence. Uncertain of the outcome of the match and hesitant to inquire, Nia waited for Joyce to speak, prepared to offer support regardless of the result. However, to her surprise, Joyce broached a different topic entirely.

"How did you know I was here long after the match ended?" Joyce's question hung in the air, laden with curiosity and a hint of something deeper. With her gaze fixed intently on the intricate patterns of her racket's strings, she seemed lost in thought, as if searching for answers within the confines of the woven strands.

Nia hesitated for a moment, considering her response. "I somehow knew you would be waiting for me here when I couldn't reach you back. Sorry I missed your call," she replied, her voice tinged with a touch of uncertainty.

Joyce remained silent, her focus unwavering on the racket in her hands. It was as though she was wrestling with her thoughts, each string a thread of contemplation leading her further into the labyrinth of her mind. "I was wondering, is it too much to expect to reach for things on the other side of this netted frame, just because I can see through it clearly?" Joyce questioned, her words laden with introspection.

Perplexed by Joyce's riddles, Nia pressed for clarification. "What are you talking about?" she inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion.

With a sudden turn towards Nia, Joyce held her racket between them, her gaze piercing. "I can see that you are on the other end of this netted frame, Nia," she stated matter-of-factly.

The weight of Joyce's words hung in the air, leaving Nia to grapple with their significance. Though she sensed Joyce's unease, the true meaning behind her cryptic message remained elusive.

"Let me put it this way," Joyce began, her voice laced with a poignant blend of frustration and hurt. "You said you somehow knew I'd be waiting for your return. But why am I always the one waiting, left disappointed when you don't show up? Why am I just a backup plan for you, when I put you first in everything?" Each word struck Nia like a blow, causing her heart to ache with guilt and regret.

"Why did you leave me hanging on our night out?" Joyce's voice trembled with emotion. "Why didn't you share your worries with me? How can you confide in someone you've only known for a few months, while I've been here waiting for you to share your burdens?" As the weight of Joyce's words settled on her, Nia found herself speechless, unable to offer any answers to the probing questions that echoed in her mind.

"I heard your conversation with El about Ash. Not once did you put me first," Joyce's voice trembled with a mixture of sorrow and frustration. "You never considered how I would feel. Even today, I bet you forgot about my match. And if I'm right about you, you were at Ash's game." Each word from Joyce pierced Nia's heart like a thousand needles, weighing it down with the truth it held. Nia remained silent, unable to defend herself against Joyce's accusations. Deep down, she knew they were true. She had failed Joyce, repeatedly putting her own needs and desires above her friend's.

Nia listened helplessly as Joyce continued. "Maybe I shouldn't have followed you to this university. I think I now understand that you will never see me the way I see you." The weight of Joyce's words crushed Nia's spirit, leaving her feeling hollow and broken as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Nia, stop it," Joyce's voice softened, but it carried a resolute tone. "I'm not saying this to upset you. Even now, I can't bear to see you crying. But I'm tired. Tired of waiting for you, tired of relying on you, tired of losing myself in the process." Her words hung heavy in the air, a painful admission of defeat. "I'm not even sure what this feeling I have for you is anymore. I waited today because I couldn't hold it in any longer. But I won't be waiting for you next time. Goodbye, Nia." With that, Joyce gathered her belongings and walked away, leaving Nia with a heavy heart and a sense of emptiness that echoed in the silence between them.

***

Barging into the bustling canteen, Pip's gaze swept across the room like a storm cloud, finally settling on El, seated beside someone he never wanted to see her with. Her smile, a rare sight these days, directed towards her companion, ignited a surge of unease within him, intensifying the tension that had been building up inside him. Ignoring the curious gazes that followed him, Pip approached El's table with determined steps, his jaw clenched in anticipation of the confrontation that awaited him.

As Pip loomed over their table, El's heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, his piercing gaze fixed upon her like a laser. She hadn't expected him to show up here, and now she felt trapped in this precarious situation with no means of escape. The eyes of the entire canteen seemed to bore into them, eagerly anticipating the unfolding drama. El's fear of this moment outweighed even her discomfort in the presence of her ex-boyfriend. 'How dare he come here after what he did,' she seethed inwardly, her arms instinctively wrapping around herself in a protective gesture against the impending storm.

"What are you doing here?" Pip's stern voice shattered the silence like glass.

El's heart skipped a beat as she looked up to see him standing there, his gaze piercing into her.

Before she could respond, another voice cut through the tension. It was Carl, his presence suddenly adding layers of complexity to the already charged atmosphere.

"Father wanted to see you, he is not well. I came here to take me with you," Carl explained calmly, though his words only seemed to fuel Pip's anger.

"Were you planning this? Using her to blackmail me into doing whatever you want?" Pip's accusation hung heavy in the air, his tone laced with bitterness.

Carl's eyes narrowed in response, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "You're wrong. We just happened to meet. I was helping her out of a potential threat situation. It has nothing to do with you," he retorted, his voice firm and unwavering despite the tension crackling between them.

"Do you expect me to believe that you being here with her is a coincidence? If there's one threat she should be wary of, it's you," Pip accused, his voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

Carl remained silent, his gaze fixed on his coffee cup. He knew the implications of El being seen with him, especially given his line of business. But he also knew that this particular encounter was purely happenstance, and he had only stepped in to help her in a moment of need.

Before he could respond, El interjected with a fierce determination in her voice. "You're wrong. It's you I have to be wary of. He only helped me in a dire situation. Unlike someone who doesn't hesitate to cause such situations," she retorted, her anger boiling over after a day of pent-up frustration. "Just to be clear, I'm not involving myself in your family matters. I would have done the same thing if it was anyone else."

"El, you don't know him well enough," Pip's voice was strained, the tension palpable, especially when it involved his brother.

"True, I don't know you well enough either. So stop pretending like you know me and humiliating me like you did today," she finally spoke the words she had been holding back all day. With that, she gathered her bag and made her exit, leaving them to sort out their family drama.

Pip was left in utter shock. He knew what he had done earlier was wrong, and he had intended to apologize, but he never expected it to backfire in such a manner. He hadn't anticipated Carl being a factor in the situation. As El walked away, he realized that his actions had pushed her away further than he had anticipated. With her departure, it was time for the long-overdue confrontation.

"Why are you here? I told you not to visit me," Pip's voice was stern, his eyes piercing as they met Carl's.

"I told you already, come with me to meet our Father. He is not doing well these days and kept asking for you," Carl replied without lifting his gaze from his coffee. He couldn't help but notice how El hadn't finished her coffee before they were interrupted, but he was determined to fulfill his purpose for coming.

"No, I won't. And don't you dare involve anyone else in this mess, stay away from El," Pip retorted sharply.

Carl remained unusually quiet in the face of Pip's accusations, but he couldn't sit idly by and accept orders about who he could or couldn't interact with. Turning to face Pip fully, he locked eyes with him. "Why, do you like her or something?" he challenged, his words laced with a subtle threat.

"If I say yes, are you planning on harming her? Don't delude yourself into thinking that you can find my weakness so easily. It's not like I care about her even if you do, but I don't want me or anyone around me to be involved with you," Pip's words were laced with a coldness that masked the turmoil within him. His usual facade, carefully constructed to portray him as indifferent and untouchable, served as his shield, his only way of protecting those around him. But beneath that facade, there was a vulnerability he dared not expose, even to himself. Carl could sense something amiss, a crack in Pip's armor, but couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Despite Pip's assertion that he didn't care about El, Carl wouldn't harm her; in fact, he would go to great lengths to ensure her safety. But Pip hadn't realized that yet.

"I don't know if you care about her or anyone for that matter. Just a word of advice, if I were you, I would make sure she gets home alright and not get troubled by that boy again. I guess we both can agree on that," Carl warned, rising from his seat as he prepared to leave. He was determined to ensure El's safety, whether Pip appreciated it or not. He knew that to keep her safe, he needed to remain very close or keep his distance entirely; there was no in-between. So Carl chose to be a shadow, watching over her from afar.

Even after Carl left, Pip couldn't shake the weight of his words. Was El really in trouble for Carl to intervene? Who could that boy be? Questions swirled in his mind, each one adding to his unease. He wanted to ensure El's safety, but after the way she stormed out, he knew she wouldn't accept his help. He could ask Ash to escort her home safely, but he couldn't trust anyone else with her safety, so he resolved to follow her discreetly, without her knowledge.

***

As El trudged home from the bus stop, each step felt like an eternity, elongated by the eerie sensation of being followed along the desolate road. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing the rhythm of her quickened pace. With every shadow cast by the dimly lit street lamps, she couldn't shake the feeling that Noah was lurking behind her, his presence lingering like a haunting specter from the events of the day.

The road stretched out before her, a winding path leading to the safety of her home. Yet, the distance seemed insurmountable as fear gnawed at her insides, twisting her stomach into knots. Clutching her phone tightly in her trembling hand, she found solace in the thought that it could be her lifeline in an emergency. In times of uncertainty, there was only one person she could turn to, the enigmatic figure who preferred to remain in the shadows.

As the darkness enveloped her, her senses heightened, each rustle of the leaves and distant sound amplified by her mounting anxiety. Amidst the cacophony of her racing thoughts, a voice pierced through the silence, calling out to her. But in her panic, she brushed it aside, unwilling to slow her pace until she reached the sanctuary of her home. With trembling hands, she fumbled for the latch of the gate, desperate to shut out the world and the unseen threat that lurked in its shadows. Yet, as she moved to close the gate, a familiar voice broke through the darkness, freezing her in place.

*****