In Between [ATARAXIA Series #1]

017

"What is my schedule for today?" I asked my secretary. I didn't glance at her. I'm focused on signing the documents in front of me. I checked the time it was just 10:45 am. 

"You have a board meeting before lunch boss," I stood up. I fixed my coat and tie. It's been years since I'd work as the CEO of my own company. At first, it was hard. I need to study everything to be a perfect boss for them but with the help of Mr. Lee, I coped easily. 

My secretary opened the door for me. When I entered the members of the board stood up and greet me in unison. I just looked at them without expression. I sat in my seat. 

"Let's begin," I said. The presenter begins. The meeting takes an hour before it finished. My life is always like this. Filled with meetings and paper works.  

"Goodbye, Boss," I just give my secretary a quick nod. I leaned on my swivel chair and look at the city light from my glass window. It's already 8 pm. But I still don't have any plans to go home yet. I'm too tired from attending those meetings. And signing those papers. Waking up, going to the office, and sleeping that the cycle of my life ever since I started working. My friends before were trying to contact me but I always declined them. I don't need them. I heaved a sigh. 

"Why do I feel so incomplete? It's so tiring looking for something you even don't know what you're missing." I whispered to myself. I can't help but think deeply. I don't have any heart disease anymore but inside me, I feel so empty. 

 My phone vibrated. When I read it I smiled a little. It's Nana Elise. She didn't leave me through the years. With a faint beam, I gathered my things and left the office to go home. When I arrived I saw Nana Elise waiting for me at the main door. 

"You should stop being a workaholic, Azzelle. You always going home late." I just chuckled and kiss Nana's forehead. "Give me your things. Go to the dining area and eat your dinner." 

"How about you nana? Did you eat already?" She nodded. I handed her my things before going to the dining to eat the food that she prepared for me.  When I am done eating I went to my room to rest but before I could enter inside Nana appeared.

"Azzelle, I found your old things inside the attic when I cleaned it." She handed me a black box. 

I frowned. "Nana, I told you. You shouldn't be cleaning. We have other maids to do that." She just smiled. 

"I just missed doing the thing I'm doing before, Azzelle. Don't worry that'll be the last time." 

"Just make sure, Nana. You're too old for that." She just laughed before leaving me. I placed the box on my bed. I opened it. It was the books that I used to read before when I'm high school. Albums,  a familiar sketchpad. My hands trembled while opening the sketch pad. Tears immediately ran down my eyes. When a familiar drawing welcomed me. It's him. It's Jazxer. 

"W-what?" I flipped the pages of the sketchpad it all had sketches of him. Sketches of him in different places that I don't know where. The last page of the sketch pad makes me cry harder. It's him again but this time it was a drawing of him in a very familiar place. The faces of the people that I saw when we are in the car going to the abandoned park. And his drawing of those stickmen. I get the photo albums. My jaw dropped when I saw the pictures inside. It was us. Me and Theon smiling together. We also have pictures of his sister. But on the last pages of the album were class pictures of me and my classmates before. My eyes caught Ganther. And I suddenly remembered him. He is my classmate before and he is strange. A weird one.

My hands seem to lose their energy I accidentally let go of the sketchpad and photo album. My eyes landed on the last thing inside the book which made my heart thump loudly. It's a familiar notebook. A blue notebook is the same as Jazxer's Diary that he showed to me at the hospital. Suddenly a scenario entered my mind.