bapa: from here to eternity

chapter 3: the notebook

Chapa POV:

It was late at night, and I was alone in my small apartment, the city's nighttime noises a distant hum. I sat at my desk, staring at my bag with Bose's notebook in it. The guilt of keeping it weighed on me, but curiosity tugged at me stronger. I wrestled with the ethical dilemma—was it an invasion of privacy to look through it? Yet, something urged me to open it.

I unzipped my bag and took out the notebook, running my fingers over the cool cover adorned with stickers. Hesitantly, I flipped it open. The first few pages were filled with charming sketches of trees and beaches, even a portrait of his mother and their old house. I was taken aback; I hadn't known Bose was into drawing. The sketches were simple but full of a quiet, personal charm.

But then I turned to the next pages, and my breath caught in my throat. There, sketched with a delicate hand, were images of me. I recognized myself immediately: my face, my expressions—captured in ways that felt too intimate, too personal. I stared at the drawings, unable to process what I was seeing. There were several pages of me, depicted in various scenarios, some I remembered and some I didn't.

The room seemed to spin around me as I tried to make sense of the notebook. It was surreal and unsettling, and I found myself frozen, unable to tear my eyes away from the pages. How had Bose seen me this way? Why had he drawn me so many times?

I shut the notebook abruptly, slamming it closed as if to shut out the images it held. My heart pounded, and I felt a rush of emotions—confusion, embarrassment, and a strange pang of intimacy that I wasn't prepared for. I tried to shake off the feeling, to unsee what I had just witnessed, but the images lingered in my mind. I placed the notebook back in my bag with trembling hands and stood up, trying to calm myself.

As I paced the apartment, the weight of the drawings still heavy in my mind, my phone buzzed on the desk. I grabbed it quickly, relieved to see Elena's name on the screen. Maybe a distraction was exactly what I needed.

"Hey, Elena," I answered, trying to sound more casual than I felt.

"Hey, Chapa! How did it go today?" she asked cheerfully.

The stress of the evening's revelations made me snap a bit more than I intended. "Oh, you mean how I was left alone with Bose while you 'rushed' back to save your precious paintings? Seriously, Elena, I was about to lose my mind!"

Elena laughed on the other end of the line. "Oh, I knew you'd figure it out eventually. I didn't have any paintings drying outside. I just wanted to give you both a bit of privacy."

I paused, feeling a mix of annoyance and relief. "You're unbelievable. Here I was thinking I had to rush back to avoid being late, and you were just playing matchmaker."

"Guilty as charged," Elena said with a chuckle. "Well, I'm glad you're okay. Anyway, I guess I should let you get some rest."

"Yeah, goodnight, Elena."

As the call ended, I set my phone down and leaned against the desk, feeling a bit lighter. The revelation about Elena's antics was a small relief amidst the chaos of my thoughts. It was nice to have a laugh, even if it was at my own expense. The drawings of Bose were still on my mind, but for the moment, I allowed myself to focus on something else, trying to push the unsettling images away.

Bose POV:

I barely slept last night, my mind replaying the events from the day before. I still couldn't quite understand why Chapa had been so cold, but I found some comfort in the fact that she had defended me, even if it was only for a brief moment. I was hopeful that today would offer a chance to clear the air, maybe even get some answers.

As I approached the building where I was set to observe a shoot and help the students, I scanned the crowd, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Just as I reached the entrance, I saw a familiar face. It was Chapa. My heart skipped a beat, and I quickened my pace to reach her.

"Hi, Chapa!" I greeted her with a smile, trying to sound as friendly as possible.

She looked up, her eyes wide with surprise. "Hi," she replied, but then her expression turned to one of irritation. "Are you stalking me or something? Why do you keep showing up around me?"

I felt a pang of disappointment at her words. I had hoped she might be more receptive, but her tone was as cold as ever. I tried to keep my voice steady. "I'm not stalking you. I just like to see you and say hello."

Before I could say anything else, Chapa unzipped her bag and pulled out my notebook. "Here's your notebook, by the way. I found it on my desk."

My heart sank. She had seen it. I tried to mask my anxiety. "How did it end up on your desk? I didn't see it there when I was in the classroom."

Chapa hesitated for a moment, then deflected with a question of her own. "Why did you even leave your notebook in my art class? What are you doing here anyway?"

Before I could respond, Bridget walked in, clearly excited to interject. "Oh, that's because Mr. O'Brien's stepfather bought this building for him and is now overseeing it, and he turned it into a place for academies."

Chapa's eyes widened in shock. "Your stepdad bought this building and now it's yours?"

I turned to Bridget, surprised she had shared that information. "Bridget, you shouldn't have said that. And you shouldn't interrupt us."

Chapa's disbelief was evident as she looked at me, her expression a mix of confusion and surprise. She handed me the notebook and, without another word, turned and walked away quickly. The brief contact of her hand against mine as she returned the notebook sent a jolt through me. I couldn't quite figure out why it felt so significant, why I felt this strange rush of emotion over such a simple touch.

As Chapa disappeared into the distance, I stood there, feeling a bit disoriented. The touch of her hand lingered in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder why it felt like such a big deal. Despite the confusion and the emotional turmoil, a small part of me was simply happy that our brief contact had meant something, however inexplicable it might be.

Chapa POV:

I walked away from Bose, my heart pounding, feeling more embarrassed than I ever had before. All this time, he had been connected to this building, the place where I'd been struggling to make a name for myself. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks—Bose's stepdad owned the building, and Bose had a hand in managing it. I couldn't wrap my head around it. It felt like my entire world had just tilted on its axis.

After class I went straight back to my apartment, I tried to focus on my painting, hoping that losing myself in my art would help me escape the whirlwind of thoughts and feelings. I set up my easel and began working on a new piece, but my mind kept drifting back to the notebook and the sketches. The images of myself, drawn with such detail and care, were seared into my memory.

Elena, who had come by to check on me, noticed my anxiety. She came into my room and watched me in silence for a few moments before speaking. "Chapa, you seem really off. What happened?"

I didn't respond right away, lost in the strokes of my brush. I could feel her concern but was too overwhelmed to articulate what I was feeling. The weight of the drawings, the notebook, and Bose's unexpected presence in my life was too much to process all at once.

Elena seemed to understand my unspoken distress. "Hey, how about we go out tonight? A night on the town might be just what you need to clear your head."

The offer was tempting, and I knew I could use a break from everything swirling around me. I hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah, that sounds good."

As the evening approached, Elena and I prepared to head out. The thought of spending the night away from the chaos of my apartment and the intense emotions that had surfaced was comforting. We decided to hit a few local spots, places where I could lose myself in the music and conversation, even if just for a little while.