Chapter 3 : Battle of heart and mind, Fate wins
*Splash*
Splashing cold water onto my face, my gaze drawn to my own reflection in the mirror. "How foolish was I? The first thing that I thought was staying away from you for your good? You will be able to live your life but what about me?" I questioned myself. Disbelief with my own mentality, I splashed cold water on my face again. It hurts.. a lot more than I imagined but for decades she didn't glanced at me why would she– Dream? Hallucinations? Why.. Why is Amaya behind me!? Why!?
Amaya's icy gaze pierced my broken soul, reflecting on her cold face in stark contrast to my countenance, etched with pity. Our interactions were a constant dance of silence and unspoken emotions. Amaya remained an enigma, her face devoid of any discernible expression. She never smiled, never cried, never displayed a hint of anger. Her gaze, always blank and unwavering, held me captive in a perpetual state of uncertainty.
"Excuse me? If you're done, can I use the tap?"
"Huh.. uh.. ye-yes.." I nodded my head and ran outside slamming the door behind, tears rolling down my cheeks again. In a perpetual battle between mind and heart, I found myself hopelessly torn. All of a sudden I felt a sharp pain in my heart. Clutching my chest, I shut my eyes closed and tried to take a deep breath. Is my heart losing the battle?
*Ting*
Fate took an unexpected turn, altering the course of our lives. Our paths, originally destined to intertwine in the evening's embrace, crossed unexpectedly in the morning's light. That day, I neither visited the restroom nor encountered her. Today, however, I went to the restroom and found myself face to face with her. If my objective is to obstruct our path, I must replicate my actions from that day then alter my course only upon meeting Sophia. Amaya..
"Somiya, read the next paragraph."
"Zeya.. which paragraph is it?" Somiya nudged me, standing straight she hid her face with a book and looked at me. For you I can fight with the world let alone a heart that only beats for you. I smiled at Somiya and pointed at a random paragraph. I wasn't paying attention either. I'm ready to break my broken heart but I'll never let our fate intertwined again.
"Uh.. As darkness engulfed her, the sole light that accompanied her was-"
"Somiya, weren't you paying attention when your friend was reading?" The teacher's stern voice reverberated through the classroom, causing everyone to sit up straighter and fix their gazes on their textbooks. A flurry of whispers erupted as everyone frantically sought assistance from their bench mates, eager to catch up on the missed paragraph. Amidst the chaos, I caught Somiya's bombastic side eye, and a wry smile spread across my face as I offered her an apologetic glance. As the class was instructed to stand and face the front of the room, Somiya took her place with her leg propped up and her hands clasped over her ears. The sight was so comical that I struggled to suppress a burst of laughter, but the fear of becoming the next target of my classmates' ridicule kept me in check.
"Demi, continue the paragraph."
*Ting*
The final bell pierced the air, signalling the end of the school day. It was now or never—the moment we returned from the bathroom, we would inevitably encounter Sophia and Amaya. "Let's go to the bathroom," Demi suggested, packing her belongings. "No, today we'll go home straight," I interjected firmly. "My mom asked me to come home early today. So let's just leave." I hurriedly packed my bag, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and dread. I couldn't risk a chance encounter with Amaya. I would never allow her to regret meeting me because, from this day forward, our paths would diverge, never to cross again.
"Wait! But we have a detention." Somiya's voice halted my hand, her arched eyebrows conveying a mixture of amusement and exasperation. If it weren't for her reckless actions earlier this morning, we wouldn't be facing this predicament. Amaya, Fred, Sophia, Elli, and Seth... they would all be gathered in the detention room. "We'll bunk the detention," I declared confidently.
*Thwack*
"Ouch!" I exclaimed, rubbing my forehead. "Bunk the detention?" Mrs. Hailey, of all people? Why!?
"Zeya, I'll have a little get-together with your mom tomorrow. Please call her for me, and you three will have two hours of detention each week. Good luck." Mrs. Hailey, a devil in disguise. I despised her more than anyone else. And to think that she would become our class teacher from next month after Ms. Ruby's marriage... Wait... what is this aura? "So-somi... De-demi..." I took a step back in fear, my gaze shifting between my two friends. I could see the anger rising within them with each passing second as they glared at me.
"Z.E.Y.A." Both of their voices dripped with frustration as they gritted their teeth. Gulping nervously, I managed to escape their grasp by pushing Somiya away. "Zeya!!" "I'm sorry! I didn't see Hailey ma'am!" I exclaimed, my voice laced with panic. I couldn't risk taking the path to the bathroom. Instead, I abruptly changed direction and sprinted upstairs. Today, at all costs, we would avoid running into—
*Thwack*
"AHH!"
"Sofy!" Why? Why did we collide even though I had altered my course? Fred and Seth swiftly caught Sophia before she tumbled down the stairs. "Are you alright!?" Seth inquired, his concern evident in his eyes. It should have been Amaya asking that question. As I stood there in shock, Demi and Somiya rushed upstairs to join us.
"Excuse me, are you alright?" Sophia's gentle voice broke through my daze as I nodded blankly. Was it impossible to alter our destinies? Were we doomed to repeat the same fateful encounters? Those past days had been a living hell... No, I couldn't bear to witness Amaya's suffering once more. I couldn't endure that agony again... No... "Zeya, what happened?" No... never... I wouldn't allow Amaya to endure that torment again... I wouldn't subject myself to that pain once more... No... "Zeya!!" No... no... it couldn't be... It couldn't be... It's... it's hard to breathe... more than that, it'll be hard to live again... if... if... Amaya... falls into darkness once more... Why am I seeing... darkness...? "Zeya!" Who?