The Veiled Love {Wattys 2016}

CHAPTER 3 - ADAM!!!

CHAPTER – 3

ADAM!!!!

MIA COLLINS

What did he just say? That I was beautiful? No one has told me that. However I can't hide my expressions. I flush.

"What?" I ask in a feeble tone. Adam goes a step backward and still has that smile on his face. I can't stand straight. I move with awkwardness. 
 

"You are happy today, aren't you?" he asks already knowing that my answer would be 'Yes'. Are my actions so predictable, like ALL THE TIME?

 Before I could answer him, he continues, "You're beautiful." 

He throws his hand in the air and steps far from me. 

He adds, "Of course you're beautiful with your smudged mascara all around your eyes!" he exclaims and starts laughing at me.

 I widen my eyes and stare at him. I try to suppress my laugh but as always, I failed in hiding up my feelings. I gave up and joined him laughing.

'You're laughing at yourself, you silly girl?' asks my psyche and I try to stop myself from laughing but one look at Adam's face, anyone will start laughing even before knowing the reason. His laugh is contagious!

"Okay, stop now!" I say him and finally he tries to control himself. "Help me find a restroom to get this makeup off!" I hold his hand and pull him so we're out of the myriad of people. 

"Okay, it's in that direction." He points out somewhere towards a dark area. 

I can see nothing but lights all over. I walk with Adam wherever he's leading me. The night sky has not many twinkling stars. The atmosphere around is cool. As we're walking away from the crowd, the music loses its intensity. Adam has his hands stuck inside his pockets and walks like a gentleman. I look around and there are a lot of trees on the other side. 

Oh no! I am scared of trees in the dark. I wonder how strange and conjured they look when the night sky gazes upon them. I try to avoid looking at those trees and I walk more closer to Adam so that I get a feeling that I am not alone and there's someone with me. If anything scary has to happen, we'll share it. This feeling calms my mind. Finally, we reach the restroom area.

"Here we are!" Adam says looking at the restroom. It wasn't very far from the crowd. 

"I'll be right back." I say him and enter the restroom. 

I walk out from the restroom after removing the tangles from my hair by simply sliding my fingers. Adam is patiently waiting outside. We walk towards the party area in complete silence. The silence gives me an awkward feeling. I suddenly become cautious about the darkness engulfing us and the surrounding trees that stand in weird shapes.

"I think it's too late. I think I should leave now." I say looking at my wrist watch. It's 11 pm and I think it's really late. 

"Umm.... What about Emma? Are you ditching her? She'll worry." He says in his casual tone.

 "Emma said that John is going to drop her home tonight." I inform him and he has a wry smile on his face.

"What is your opinion about their relationship?" he asks and that makes me tighten my lips.

"It's their life, their love, their story. I have nothing to tell." I say rather unwillingly because I don't want to converse about this topic. We slowly head towards the parking lot.

"But, Emma is your best friend isn't she? You must have some thoughts about her with John or something?"

"Ah.... Yeah, I think Emma is really too happy with John. She's' excited and...... she says that's John is a very different person from all the guys she has dated." I say him looking at the ground and the things around me.

"So, she's happy....." he deciphers.

"No doubt about that." I reassure him. There are a million cars flashing in front of me and I remember the place where I'd just parked my car some hours ago. I find my Ford shining in gray parked right in between Emma's Audi and Adam's Chevrolet. I get my keys from my jacket and put it in the ignition. I start the engine and slide my window to look at Adam who's waiting for me to leave. 

"Thank you for this amazing day." I say him with such a calm voice and his green eyes are staring at me. 

"Take care, have a safe drive..." he trails off still looking deeply into my eyes.

"Thanks.... Bye....." I say him and drive off. I see him through my rear view mirror. He's still standing where he stood when I pulled away. I drive away swimming in the thoughts about today's party. It was my first party with my friends and it has been fabulous. I really thank God for all this.

On my way, there are a couple of people surrounding something. There's a Chevrolet being damaged really bad and I pull my car to a side and switch off the engine. I walk towards the myriad of people. There's blood all around and I can hear muttering sounds from the ground.

"OH NO!" I yell. "It's........."