Project Genesis

Chapter 9

Sometimes,
happy memories
hurt
the most.

†††††

"Ohh you can do better than that." Althea squealed as she started rolling the pedals of her bike faster, forming more distance between her and Issac than before.

"Ohh I know I can. I just don't want you to lose on your birthday." Issac replied with a smug smile.

"Please. All I hear are excuses." She said looking at him behind her shoulder with a sassy grin.

"Let the record state you begged for it." He said as he fastened his pace and within seconds went ahead of Althea. She put all her remaining stamina and tried her best to catch up with him but his legs moved so fast on the pedals, it was impossible for her small, tired legs to catch up to him.

When she finally reached the end line, he was leaning on his bicycle, waiting for her. A smile spread across his face when he saw her finally finish the race. She was panting and puffing as she breathlessly pedaled a few more times and stopped her bicycle right in front of him.

She leaned over her bicycle and took long, deep breaths to recover herself from the oxygen deprivation due to the long, competitive race that she just lost.

"Tell...me...again...why I...did that...to myself?" She said between breaths.

"Because you are masochist? Because you like to lose? Because you will probably die of happiness if you ever beat me? And I can mention about a dozen more reasons." He said smiling down at her.

"You...know what?" She panted and looked up.

"What?" He asked back thinking she would say he is right.

"Fuck off." She said raising a brow at him. And he just rolled his eyes and offered a handkerchief to her. She took it and wiped her forehead without sparing a glance towards the cloth.

Issac flinched a little as he saw her wiping all of her face and neck with the handkerchief without even looking at it. He looked at her through squinted eyes and raised eyebrows with a straight face.

She glanced at him and raised her own eyebrows in return and asked, "What?"

His gaze turned to the handkerchief in her hand before returning to her face and she knew he was pointing towards it. So she moved it away from her face and her eyes widened slightly when she saw a mid-sized red 'A' embroidered on the handkerchief in a corner.

She looked back at him and said, "Don't tell me this is my birthday gift. You aren't getting off the hook that easily."

"No genius. It's just something I did." He replied sheepishly.

"You did? Wait a minute. Don't tell me you made it." She said with disbelief and shock and gained a shy smile from him.

"What the fuck!!"

"Yeah. I just wanted to give you something special, you know. Something which would be our little secret." He replied with a big smile plastered on his face.

"Hmm. I wonder what would be your mother's reaction if she saw you doing this." She said raising the handkerchief and showing the embroidered 'A'.

"Amm..."

"Don't tell me."

"Yup. She saw me doing that." He said pointing to the handkerchief and they both laughed.