All Cloaked Up For You

Chapter 15 - Sophia

As I went home, I opened the front door and plopped my backpack on the floor. I then store the clean water bottles in the freezer. Yes, the freezer. I grabbed my bow and arrow. I went to the nearby forest, the trees were withered but they were still able to withstand my shots. Bulleyes, bulleyes, bull eyes. Do you know what bothers me this much enough for me to go out shooting arrows? I miss C.M. 

I know it has only been like 2 days but I fucking miss him. During that time in the Sterling and Herrington Foundation, I felt his presence everywhere. This time it's muted. Shit about him makes me chuckle and giggle and I have never been so happy in my life until Cloak Man comes around and treats me like a normal human. A friend. I hope he comes around and we hang out, every day if he can. 

I picked up all the arrows and walked home. My face went from a sad demeanor to a warm smile very quickly. I ran to my house ever so quickly. Cloak Man is back, this time with books. BOOKS. He waved to me from the porch. I ran to the porch and plopped all my bow and arrow on the furniture on the porch. "Hi Cloak Man, what made you go here today?" I asked. I look at his jade eyes, the ones I miss so much. He showed me the books.

"HEY! Those books I was looking for! Did you find them?" I asked. I jumped up and down and pointed to the books. He chuckled. "No I'm giving new ones to you, well pre-own ones since I brought them and read them," he said. I chuckled and jumped while clapping my hands. HIS BOOKS. I smiled. I missed him so much. My friend is finally back to me, my only friend. He puts his left hand on my right shoulder.

 "I won't be here for long, I have shit to do in the city. I got 3 hours. What do you want to do?" he said. I slowly put my books inside. "I have no idea." I paused. I began to ponder. What do I want to do with C.M.? I haven't thought about that. I didn't know C.M. would come to the wasteland and hang out with me. Plus, there's nothing else to do here. My eyes sparked, I was just shooting arrows I could just invite him. 

I look at his eyes. "We can always hang out in my house or shoot arrows at a tree, we don't have much to do here in the wasteland." He chuckled. "I bet," he agreed. I giggled. "Have you eaten yet?" I asked. "Yeah I already ate," he said. I smiled. "All alright," I said. I grabbed an extra bow and arrow set, and gave it to C.M. "You know how to shoot?" I asked. "Yeah, I have done archery before," he said. I smiled, at least I didn't have to explain archery to him. 

He follows me into a nearby wood. Where I practiced on a tree. "Did you carve that target on the tree?" he asked. I nod. "Not my fault we don't have money for good targets."  He didn't say anything. I starting to wonder if he missed me too. My heart rushed with serenity, I had been worrying about him for the past 2 days. I noticed something dangling from his hands, I took a good look at it. The watch and my bracelet pair well together on his wrist. 

He noticed me looking at his wrist. "What?" he said. I look at him. "Nothing much, I just thought that the watch would pair well with my bracelet," I complimented. He paused a little longer. "Oh," and brought his wrist up looking at both the watch and the bracelet. "where did you get that watch from?" I asked as I shot one more bullseye. I don't know what he was thinking when he paused. He just looks at the watch and then up at the sky. 

He sighed. "What if I told you I had a lover," he said. I turned around to face him and put down my arrow set. "Oh, you had a lover?" I said in a sing-songly way. His eyes became cold, icy, and reserved. I obediently shut the fuck up. "Oh, I didn't know that this lover of yours would be a bad thing," I humbled. He sat on a log and I sat next to him. I pat him on the back. "If you want to talk about it, I'm always here," I said. Just that same night he was there for me when I vent. 

He brought his head down to his chest and covered his mask with his hands. I sat there all concerned for him. "Do you love her very much?" I asked. He looks at my face, his eyes are teary. My heart sank for him. "Yes, I still love her," he mumbled. I nod respectfully. "Should I tell you about me though?" he asked. I look at him perplexed. "I barely talked to anyone, and you are my only friend," I said. He crossed his arms, grabbed a big sigh, and looked at the sky. 

He then looked at me. "I was so in love, I mean to the fact I was willing to date other girls. The wasteland girls want money, and the rich girls want social status. I never found real love. Until I locked eyes with one girl and she treated me so well but, after a long time, she left me in a dress store and ran away with the red dress with the damn price tag. I paid for the red dress. She told me to never follow her to the wasteland, and I never saw her again." he vented.

I felt so sorry, I don't know what to do to cheer C.M. up. "So that was the girl that gave you the watch?" I asked. He nods. "Why do you keep it still?" I asked. He looked at me. "I have hope to find her, that's why I keep the watch and decided to go to the wasteland to see her while aiding people from the war. I found no traces of her. Like she disappeared and her stuff vanished out of thin air," he said. I pat him on the head. I felt so bad for him. 

He suddenly grabbed me by the wrist. I didn't know what to feel. The way he suddenly grabbed my wrist softly made me feel something. I don't know what it is. I see his jade eyes staring down at me like he is in a trance. Was the conversation about his ex too much for him? Did I accidently hurt him when I patted his head? I didn't want to hurt him and I didn't want to make him feel bad. I'm concerned and scared.