The Butterfly Effect

Chapter 29

Wednesday

Reading period had started since yesterday and starting tomorrow was the final exam week for Columbia students. Jessica wished for the day before Christmas Eve to come faster which was the end of fall semester and the beginning of winter holidays. This morning, Kyle had texted her saying that he was going home tomorrow since Princeton had reached their end of fall semester yesterday. His text made her want to go home as soon as possible, too.

It was 2:00 PM and Jessica just got back from studying at the library with Ashley. She had noticed Ashley kept spacing out and had difficulty concentrating during study session. If Ashley was continuously being like this, Jessica was worried her best friend wouldn't pass the exam this semester. Yet, Ashley didn't want to tell her what had happened and buried everything to herself which just stressed herself out more.

When they were walking in the apartment hall, Harley and Joey appeared from their unit while cracking up. Joey halted suddenly as he spotted them, but then Jessica realized he was staring at Ashley who was petrified on her spot. Weird, unfathomable looks were upon their faces.

"Hey, guys," Jessica greeted on behalf of Ashley too.

"Hi, girls," Harley greeted back. "We're going for some lunch. You want to join us?"

"Uh..." Jessica could hear Ashley mutter an eager 'No' from behind her. "Uh, too bad. We just had lunch. Maybe next time?"

"No problem," Harley said.

At the same time, Jessica sensed something strange between Ashley and Joey. Ashley just stood slightly behind her shoulder, busy twiddling something with her foot. Meanwhile, Joey obviously pretended to be busy with his phone standing a foot away behind Harley. None of them bothered to take a look at each other's existence.

Harley lowered his head to Ashley. "Ash, you okay?"

Ashley's head shot up and she promptly put on a smile. "Uh, y- yeah, I'm fantastic!" she gushed, definitely faking it.

While Ashley was speaking, Jessica caught Joey steal a brief glimpse at Ashley. Subsequently, Jessica exchanged a glance with Harley and knew he noticed something wrong between his best friend and Ashley, too. Jessica asked Harley telepathically if he had any idea what was happening, sending him a signal with her eyes, but he just replied with a little shrug.

"Okay, see you around, then," Harley finally said to escape the awkwardness between the four of them.

After bidding the guys goodbye and going inside their apartment, Jessica dragged Ashley to sit down with her on the couch. Distraught etched palpably on Ashley's face with black circles around her eyes and her long hair tangled under her beanie as if she hadn't brushed her hair this morning.

"Ash, I know something's been bothering you lately," Jessica started, "and you know you can share it with me. I'm here for you. I don't want to see you miserable like this forever."

Ashley seemed extremely reticent about this, so she looked away. "I- I don't know... how to tell you this..."

"Did something happen between you and..." Jessica asked carefully, "...Joey?"

By the moment Joey's name was mentioned, Ashley burst into tears and leaned into Jessica's arms. Holding Ashley closely, it surprised Jessica to see her crying like this over a guy. Or maybe Joey wasn't just 'a guy' for Ashley anymore. Two years being friends with Ashley, this girl had dated a few guys before and never bawled her eyes out over them even after the breakups. Jessica had no idea what Joey got into Ashley, but this time was surely different.

***

Thursday

The bone-chilling cold today forced Harley to scurry across the yard to get back to his apartment as fast as he could. Today's exam was done and all he wanted to do was just to warm himself under a wool blanket and a glass of hot drink. With his hands buried deeply inside his coat, his mind was back to thinking about the more prestigious photography contest he had been signed up for by the art gallery.

The news Harley had received a few days ago was massive for him and the first person he was dying to tell was Scarlett. But ever since their last phone call last Sunday, he had decided to stop bothering her with texts or calls if she didn't even want to reach him back. Yet every time he happened to be around her in campus and she walked away or pretended not to see him instead, it only made him yearn more and more for a chance to talk to her again. The question of why she treated him like this kept clouding his head.

Harley's pace ceased when his sight captured a bench where he had first talked to Scarlett not far from where he was standing right now. His mind immediately drifted to a vivid memory from over two months ago.

It was the beginning of October, right at this spot, when he had heard the sound of heavy belongings thudding to the ground. An old professor with his walking cane just lost grip on his pile of papers and books. When Harley was about to come over and help the professor, an auburn-haired girl already outran him to the poor man and kneeled down to gather all of his things while people around seemed not to care. Her kindness touched his heart and a sincere smile never left her face as she helped the professor.

So, Harley had jogged to them and given her a hand to gather all the strewn things on the ground. Scarlett's eyes widened when she saw his presence there in front of her. When they finished making sure that everything was collected, she offered to help the professor carry his belongings to wherever he was headed. After thanking Harley, the professor limped away with her and she flashed him a shy, faint smile before walking with the professor.

Three weeks later, as soon as he had eventually met her again in campus, he acquainted himself to her and found out her name was Scarlett Krüger, a German girl who had moved to America five years ago. He liked the way her amber eyes always looked at him timidly and the way she tucked her hair behind her ear. Apart from that, he found the way she talked in her foreign accent adorably cute.

Right at the moment, Harley had remembered about the photography contest he was participating and without no more thinking, he asked Scarlett a favor to be his photo model. However, her insecurity about her smile was still very hard to believe for him. If only he could make her see how she looked in his eyes, she would be surprised.

Smiling to himself, Harley admitted their time together had brought so much joy to him even though it was short. Unlike the other girls he had hung out with, Scarlett was totally different. Maybe it was how natural and real she was that attracted him to her. She just didn't act up in front of him, such as trying hard to look sexy and stuff, that could cause him to feel uncomfortable instead.

Harley sighed heavily. He had to profess that he had lost his heart to her. Jealousy had struck him to see her die laughing and have a fun conversation with that Liam guy at the art gallery a few weeks ago while she was always so shy and rather quiet with him. He was jealous to see the chemistry she had with Liam despite the fact they had just met. Moreover, he wasn't willing for anyone to get to know her a little better than he was.

For him, she was like a wildflower on the roadside that nobody even bothered to stop and take a look at and he was the only one who cared to pick her up. Until one day, he succeeded to make her bloom beautifully and made people notice her beauty. Indeed, it was unfair for him if someone else took her home instead of him when he was the one who had taken a good care of her.

Most importantly, were their feelings mutual? If it had been last month, maybe he would've been very sure that they were. But now, his heart was wavering for she was avoiding him like this.

Before deciding to continue his way back to his apartment, Harley fished his phone out of his pocket and captured the bench with his camera for something to remember—the place where everything had started.

***

(to be continued)