Penitent - on hold

Chapter 3

IMPORTANT: I corrected a mistake in the previous chapter, where I wrote that Sally's birthday is two days after her birthday party. It's actually the day after!

The most annoying thing that exists is when someone tickles you. I've never liked it and considering how I'm ticklish everywhere, people do it constantly. But when a person wakes you up by tickling you, I get extremely irritated and all I can think of is how to make that very person suffer.

''Wakey, wakey Sal!'' 

I groan out loud, ''Zach Powell, stop it right... now!'' 

He didn't listen, as he made no move to stop himself.

''Z-Zach!'' I was somewhere between laughing out loud and trying to catch some breath. Fortunately for me, Zach did listen to me a few moments later, slowing his torturing moves, whilst still standing above me.

''Now you're awake.'' He said proudly, chuckling to himself. I knew that it was impossible to stay mad at him for so long, so I joined his chuckles.

''Why did you wake me up so early?'' I ask as I stretched my arms and legs. I probably looked really bad with my messy brown hair and half opened eyes, that were trying to adjust to the morning sunlight. 

''I know your birthday is tomorrow, but...'' He reached into the front pocket of his jeans with his hand, as he was saying, ''I couldn't wait with your present. This isn't the only thing I got you, though.'' He said quickly, like I'd be disappointed that he gifted me with only one little thing. I think he knows better than that.

Not saying much, I waited for him to show me a dark blue, medium sized box with the white cursive words written on it. It looked like a box that contained some gems, but I was still anticipating for the opening. 

As he opened it, he revealed a smaller silver bracelet, which had even smaller diamond rocks, but one particular thing captured my sight. It was a heart-shaped padlock, with a little black hole for the key I had no clue for the possession of it. To say that I was stunned would be a complete understatement and I wouldn't have imagined getting this kind of a gift from Zach never in my life.

I gasped as I carefully placed it on the inner side of my palm, ''This is beautiful.'' Beautiful didn't even describe it the way it really looked like. It was fighting with the definition of the perfection.

I didn't know how long I've been examining such beautiful thing, but I could've noticed Zach's eyes hardly set on me. He was very keen to see my reaction and I was hoping my face was showing enough because I was simply at the loss of the words.

''So... do you like it?'' He asked with a hope attached to his voice.

''I-I don't know what to say.'' I make an eye-contact with him, ''It's so cute and perfect and... and...''

''Here,'' His hand reached out to me, ''let me put it around your wrist.''

Zach did as he said and the bracelet fitted me in the best way there was. I loved every inch of it.

''Well, I was actually hoping you'd like it, to be honest,'' His hand nervously scratched the back of his neck, ''because it kind of has a meaning, you know.''

''Oh yeah? What kind of a meaning?''

''Do you remember that locket we once found? In the back of the woods, when were wandering around?''

I chuckle at the memory, ''When we almost got grounded for the rest of our lives?''

He chuckled with me, ''Exactly.''

''Then of course. We thought someone left it there because the person was trying to hide something. Jesus, I think we'd spent hours just trying to find that secret place or some path that could lead us to there.''