Chapter 25: Thoughts of Charles

Sitting on a chair in Chelan's garden, Jessica kept on thinking about what happened with Charles the night before, and she couldn't help but smile. She remembered last night with him, she was fidgeting when he talked about "pleasuring himself with her", then he said something that got to her.
"I don't know why you are fidgeting", she remembered he said that exact words, staring into her eyes, she could feel his breath on her neck which caused chills in her spine.
"Should I not be fidgeting?", She recalled asking him.
"I see no reason why you should be scared when I'm definitely going to pleasure myself with you someday", that was the last thing he said before deciding to drop her off.
Her eyes wandered through various things, thinking of how he was going to do it, as he had said it with all firmness. Her eyes kept on wandering till they caught a glimpse of Sophia making her way into the garden with the rest of the Crew. She decided to leave the garden, as it was obvious they will say something once they see her since they were fully aware that she went everywhere with Alyssa lately.
And just as she expected, Sophia stopped right in front of her as she was about to leave the garden,
"I don't see Alyssa around", Sophie gasped, taking her hands to her parted lips, "don't tell me she left you also just to chase a guy".
In response, Jessie smiled and took a few steps forward before Sophie held her back, "I am not done talking to you", she said.
Jessie smiled internally thinking about how funny her day was, every single thing about her day was beginning to piss her off, but she wasn't going to let any of them get to her.
Releasing a killer smile, "I am not ready for your rubbish", she informed Sophie while removing her hands from her grip and walking away, leaving Sophie fuming in rage that to Jessie, could not even light a cigarette.
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"Luciana, everything will be alright", her guidance counselor comforted her, rubbing her back as Luciana was in her embrace.
"I hope everything will be fine soon, I'm scared that they will only grow more apart", Luciana mourned.
"You should not harbor such thoughts, and as for you... I have told you that everything will be fine. I'm still doing research", her guidance counselor voiced out soothingly, wiping off her tears, "I just feel we should inform someone, at least your Mom"
"No don't tell her please, I don't want her to be aware yet, if she is, she will be scared. It's just sad that he is making things worse"
"Everything will be fine, I believe. I hope your studies are going well?", the guidance counselor, Miss Selene questioned.
"I think I have lost interest, there's no vibe for anything", Luciana announced, massaging her temples, trying to calm the head pains that she was feeling.
"You shouldn't give up yet, I see a 98% chance of survival. I don't understand why you are holding on to the 2%", Miss. Selene divulged, hoping Luciana would actually stay hopeful.
"I have no other choice, I feel worse every day. I can't help it",
"Well you just have to be fine for now and look at the good side", Miss Selene said as she rubbed on Luci's face, trying to wipe the tears that kept on flowing persistently.
"I will", she said, forcing a smile as she made her way out of the office.
Walking out of the counselor's office which was the only place Luciana found solace, took her a lot of effort. She was barely three feet away from the door and she could feel the cold air nipping on her skin, and the imaginary stares she thought she was receiving from people, frightening her already troubled soul. At the point of her life where she was receiving some happiness, gradually developing feelings for someone and enjoying the fact that Jessie was happy also, two sad news came into her life, almost at the same time, like she was destined for it. She was gradually accepting her sad reality and taking it as her fate.
Lost in her reverie, she did not realize when she bumped into Jessie, who was also carelessly strolling about.
"Luci..", Jessie yelled out excitedly, "you know, I have been looking for you", she blurted out, "where have you been?"
"Umm..., nowhere important. Just around the counselor's office."
"The counselor's office?", Jessie questioned, her eyebrows slightly drawing in confusion, " is there any problem?"
"Lol..., Nothing. Why are you asking?", Luciana inquired, her heart rate increasing. "No special reason though, you have just been going there too much and I'm beginning to think there's a problem "
"Thank you for caring about me. But everything is fine, I have just been having minor issues with my studies, so my counselor has been helping me out. But it's all fine ", she assured Jessie, praying within herself that everything was actually going to be fine.
Luciana was just informed by a doctor that she was suffering from a brain tumor that was growing quite fast. He told her that she had few chances of survival, but after so much research, she was already losing hope. The only person that knew about it asides from the doctor was her guidance counselor, Miss Selene. Miss Selene knew about it because over time she had become a friend to Luciana as Luciana always soaked herself in her warmth, seeing her as a mother figure since her mother was not always present. She did not want to tell Jessie because she felt it was going to add more stress to Jessie and she did not want that.
Apart from the fear of dying, she feared that her death was going to create more division between her parents as she had gotten some information about her dad not being faithful. Luciana was fully aware that there was no way she could hide the illness for long as her Mom was a nurse, and she was definitely going to notice soon. But till then, she had no plans of telling anyone else.
"Oh okay.., so where are you heading to now?", Jessie said in inquiry.
"Umm... I want to meet Carl. We had an unfinished conversation from yesterday "
"Mmhmm... I didn't see this love story happening", Jessie blushed.
Luciana's face flustered, as her cheeks colored red from the embarrassment, "there's no love story", she beamed, "we're just friends".
"And you are this excited to see him? More excited about talking about him. Well I'm not saying anything"
"Please talk dear, you have your love story also", Luciana started, fully aware that Jessie was not going to appreciate the line of discussion she was getting into, but she was the least bothered, as it was obvious that was the only way to stop Jessie's taunts.
"Okay, okay, it's enough. I will just escort you to meet him, I need to get something from that area"
"You need to get something or you want to see Charles.. ?", Luciana probed, her eyebrows raised in inquiry.
"Whatever you think, dear", Jessie chuckled as they made their way there.
Chelan college was not one of the places to describe as being quiet, as there was something always generating noise around its environs. If it wasn't the noise from the clinking of locks being opened, it was the noise of shoes squeaking on the floor or even from people giggling loudly at a corner. Lately, the noise became a thing that Luciana did not appreciate, so she began to stay locked up in Miss. Selene's office or in any other place that felt quiet.
Strolling out of the area in which Miss. Selene's office was in, inhaling the tell-tale scent of earth and food odors from the cafeteria that filled the atmosphere, Jessie and Luciana steadily made their way to Carl's class. Luciana did not hide the fact that she was going there to meet Carl, but Jessie tagged along with the motive of checking for Charles as she had not seen him the whole day. It was less than twenty-four hours since she last saw him, and every part of her kept on longing to see him.
The feeling she was experiencing was not peculiar, but this time, even when her willpower was fighting off the feeling, her heart still refused to shut it off. Indeed it had gotten deep into her, one of the deadliest weapons that came at her, and an emotion she dreaded the most. Love.