Taint, Time and Tangents✔️

≑ Chapter Twenty-Nine

To, NRLarissaC, for your message inspired me to finish this chapter today. Do what you love to do and don't limit yourself and fly <3

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C H A P T E R    T W E N T Y - N I N E

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CALLIE

Ceremony at the Knotting Hill.

Those words reverberated inside my head as my eyes fell on the girl in front of me, focusing on her messy tie. That tie, covered in ocean of royal blue with silver stripes, was stealthily dangling against her white poorly polished oversized polo. Looking at it from afar, it seemed that the tie was just placed there, untidily as it could be.

The girl then raised her hands to adjust the knot, trying to make it appear neat, only to fail after as the tie just sluggishly lean against the blouse- slanting until it reached the top of the waistband of her skirt. The tie was too long for a girl her height. It might be because those ties were the ones that should be worn by guys. It was funny that those small differences only spurred the ideas of girls in their school that short girls needs men to protect and love them.

I almost smiled. That is so wrong.

As the girl briefly ran her left hand on her necktie for the last spur of effort to straighten it, my eyes were caught by the brown bracelet around her wrist.

Neckties. Bracelets.

Humans are certainly an enigma. They love, they want somebody to be theirs but they don't want to be owned. They fight for their freedom, and yet these couple of things, when worn and afterwards be bound, make them happy.

Why do humans need to tell others they are in love and being loved? Isn't loving each other enough?

I sighed, shaking my head, as I remembered that today is the day. The day everyone- the girls was all waiting for. The day the neckties would be given and be received by those whose love are reciprocated.

The ceremony is an annual event in our school, a weeklong celebration before the end of autumn. The founders of the school turned out to believe that hearts should be happy and loved before welcoming winter, the season of sleep and recuperating.

The special event, though - which everyone was so hyped about- was its last day, wherein the tradition of exchanging ties of couples will be held.

According to Nikki, and what I've understood from her incomprehensible, excited words, girls usually invite guys by leaving their tie on the boys' locker. It is then up to the guy which tie to choose, or in other words, which confession to accept.

That battle of love usually begins on the start of the week, building up the tension and anticipation within the campus throughout those five days. All would be concluded on the last day, the midnight a huge bonfire would be set up under the rain of fireworks. It is a hurricane of yes and no, and a condominium of smiles, kisses and promises- of tears, regrets and broken hearts.

Tonight is, indeed, a festival of requited love and false hopes.

I grabbed my backpack, not wavering for a bit despite its weight. And pulled some random books from the shelves. Before stepping out of my room, I happened to glance again to the girl. She was slightly bent probably from the heavy backpack on her shoulders, books pressed hard against her chest. I have seen her for so many times, but it was not her pale lips, darkened eyes and thin face that got stuck in my mind.