Behind the glass

Gerald's acts

Nancy didn't have a drop of hope in her blood. She could pass out every moment, so there was no point on working out a nice social profile. Gerald invited her to a dinner with her family, but Nancy refused immediately. Nancy's mother didn't like that.

"Nance." She said, stroking her daughter's hair, "You are a teenager. Go have fun."

"I have fun at home," shrugged Nancy. "I'd love to meet Gerald, but you see, my body wouldn't."

(Of course, that was a lie because Nancy had hated Gerald for the past days.)

"Come on! I'll put your medicine into a juice box, so you have fun. Alright?"

Nancy approved but something in her heart told her that her will to enjoy life wasn't quite about medicine.

—Nancy's mom was religious, so she would often take Nancy with her for church. She stood and prayed while Nancy looked at the statues around. She wasn't really scared of death after all. The church was a peaceful place. And somehow, Nancy always felt like she was a step closer to church than everyone else. Her body could be inside a coffin and here anytime. —

But the boy who she saw last night? He was different. Nancy felt as if she would wanted to go on a dinner with him instead.

"I have no interest in Gerald whatsoever," said Nancy, with increased confidence. "And I won't join anything that he will be joining."

Nancy's mother raised an eyebrow.

"Evelyn told me you have a crush on him."

Nancy blushed.

"Lies."

She then went upstairs to her room to avoid eye contact with her mother, without even asking help to use the stairs. Hours went by, but the portal was not seen.

Nancy felt tears form in her eyes. Had the boy left her?

She went near the wall and started punching it as fast as she could. If the boy could open a mysterious portal on the wall, why couldn't she? Nancy's heart started beating really fast and she had to put her hand on her chest.

She fainted.

Nancy opened one eye carefully, hoping that the portal was there now. But it wasn't. She stood up with sore arms and dizzy head. But the worst of all, her heart was tearing up her chest.

"Stop..." begged Nancy, holding on to the nearest shelf.

But everything was useless. It was already dark, and Nancy did something she wouldn't usually do. She decided to go outside.

She changed her poor clothes into her unworn brown dress and grabbed her leather purse.

"I'm out, mom!" She yelled and left as fast she could to not come across questions.

Her mom sat happily on the couch, thinking that her daughter went out to socialize when Nancy was going to the library all by herself.

***

Nancy had a hard time finding the library since it felt as if she wasn't out for ages. The streets were quiet but still full of busy people, and Nancy took a deep breath.

She had also noticed that her brown dress was quite plain for the girls that were on the streets. Most of them wore jeans combined with delicate tops, while some of them rocked in their mini black dresses.

Nancy gulped. Was this the reason she was that asocial? Maybe her illness wasn't the only one to blame.

She finally decided that her orientation wasn't well and opened the maps on her phone, trying to find the location of the nearest library. Nancy wasn't that brave to go to the doctor and ask why she had been having these visions, but books could tell her instead.

Because 2 years ago, they had told her about her heart.

Nancy blinked, trying not to cry. This made her hate books, but at the same time she knew the library was the only place where she could get answers to her questions.

And there she was.

LIBRARY

An ancient white building.

This was the local library of her town, and the only library she had went to all her life if the small school library full of children books wouldn't count.

Nancy went up the steps heavily. The anxiety of being alone was finally catching up to her.

"I had my attack for today." She told herself. "Not possible."

But her feet went up in slow motion. And she went down.

"Are you okay?" Asked Gerald, who caught her hand just after she fell from the step.

Nancy's cheeks went red and she stepped back in horror.
"Yeah, thanks." She replied  from her shoulder and continued to walk without looking at her savior.

But then, a sudden act of curiosity made her rethink.

"Gerald!" Called Nancy. She had an impatient look on her face and wanted to move on as fast as possible.

Gerald turned back and smirked.

"Aren't you supposed to be greeting guests?" Asked Nancy, smiling wider and wider as she spoke. "Are you running away from your own- house?"

Gerald let out a short laugh.

"Caught me there. But I had to apologize, and I knew that you weren't coming after the ride you gave me last week."

"You were heading to my house, but met me there." Blushed Nancy.

"Exactly."

He looked up at Nancy who was waiting for his apology.

"I'm sorry, but I can't act straight near the girls I'm interested in." He said. "I really wanted to talk to you that day..."

He came closer to Nancy and at one moment, their eyes locked. Gerald leaned in, and so did Nancy.

But then, Gerald jumped back in shock.

*hey guys so its me, the author and I know this episode was kinda boring but dw it gets better pls be patient.*