TIMELINE; Volume 1:The Age of Time

CHAPTER 2: Tess's dilemma

         Tess walked home alone under the light drizzle. She let the water wash away her anger at Taylor’s behavior. That moron is always dense to what is really going on. His high intelligence made him always see things thoroughly and beyond the surface looking for evidences, hidden meanings, links and facts. He always uses statistics, intuition and real life experience which look like the perfect formulas for solving life problems. Yet, everything has its disadvantages and the major one for his so called “tactical approach” is that he is blind and dense to things happening just on the surface. Emotions, feelings and sometimes danger seem secondary to him and when the answer is simple and stares him in the face he still wants to find that non-existent “hidden meaning”.
        She clenched her fists in anger as water slipped over it and also her face. The drizzle as if in per with her rising anger was increasing at a fast rate drenching her faster. She hastened her steps then a headlight flashed at her. She saw the driver turn it off and lower his window glass. It was Austin smirking at her.
“Do you need a ride my lady? You know the weather’s pretty cold and not good for your health and we wouldn’t want our Cleopatra sick now would we?” he said teasingly.
“Thanks.” She said and got into Austin’s white 2020 Hyundai Tucson car and sat on the comfortable cream seat in the front. He drove on smoothly on the wet road.
           Austin turned on music, her favorite artist. He usually loved silence and this seemed suspicious. He also removed that his confident and powerful exterior and tried to be meek and subdue his presence. He also seemed to want to talk but didn’t know what to say. However, the music and his attitude actually made her better. It seemed that was what he was trying to do.
“Is there a problem Tess, is it about Taylor? What he did made all of us upset too you know?” he finally asked cautiously. Tess just sighed and threw her head back.
“Sorry if I seem to be intruding but I have a feeling it goes beyond that incident.” He pressed on further.
           At first she looked out the window and it seemed she may not reply. “Yes, the incident was just a result of what really happened and he messed up big time. He is now totally oblivious, blames the incident on me and worst of all is looking for a solution to a non-existent problem.” She finally said but this time not angrily but sadly. 
Austin looked at her with what seemed like pity.
“Sorry, he could be like that sometimes. You have to be patient and if anyone can fix the mess it’s totally you. You are Cleopatra the stunning empress. No one can stop you and I am sure of that. You are my lady after all.” 
      Tess almost felt like laughing. She actually felt better and was pretty inspired. She could solve her problems and no one could stop her.
“You are right, though you shouldn’t let Julia catch you calling me your lady.” She responded.
“Oh please, she has already left me and moved on. Since the beginning a lot of guys had her eyes on her. We were close but never dated. It is hard with one of the most beautiful girls in the class. A beauty like you, should understand what I am saying.”
“Wow, I never knew. I hope you have no plans for me though.”
“My queen, I am here to serve for now. Not ready to join the throng of warriors who want to kill to smell your hair.”
“Hahaha,” she finally laughed “you exaggerate though.”
        After that it was comfortable silence just music smoothly serenading them. When they were near her house, Austin spoke up again, “I know you want to solve your own problems your way but I don’t mind calling Taylor over and having three of us sort things out. If you think three is a crowd I might not join. After all he is oblivious to all these.”
“All right I’ll think about it and get back to you.”
       They got to her house and parted with nods. Then Austin drove off, while Tess entered the large gate of the Frontier large condo. She was going to meet her family again.                                                          🎮⏱️⏲️

           Taylor watched the rain drizzle from his balcony. It had been raining quite a while now though not as heavy as the beginning after the first drizzle. It was letting up now and Taylor was watching it. He loved how the chill air felt in his nostrils and how the little water that got to him stimulated his skin.
        He was dressed in a blue hoodie with white jeans and sneakers. He wore his black back-pack. He wanted to head off to see Tess. What did she mean by not all current flows from its source, was she trying to sabotage one of his electrical inventions? What got into her that night? He needed answers besides the issue wasn’t over yet.        He got on to the wet road and started the walk to Tess’s home. It was 30 minutes stroll. As he walked his mind drifted back to what happened that day.
                  🎮⏱️⏲️