Strange but True

Chapter 3

It's already three.

Oh no.

That means I have to go to the pier and hang out with Lui for the rest of the day.

That's going to be an adventure.

The pier isn't that far away from the WBBA, which is both comforting and unsettling. It's comforting because I don't have enough time to think about this and second-guess myself. It's a bad thing because I don't have enough time to think about this and second-guess myself.

All I have to do is walk out the door, and walk down the street a block. Once I get there, I see Lui sitting on the pier, staring off at the water.

I don't want to walk over to him.

I don't want to initiate the conversation.

But I have to.

I walk over, taking my time to get to him. "Hi, Lui," I say.

Lui turns back around and looks up at me. "Hi," he says. "Sit down."

I sit next to him, dangling my legs over the edge of the dock. I notice the way he's holding his hand out, like he wants me to grab it. I reach out instinctively. He notices, and takes my hand as quickly as he can. His grip is tight, and firm, and he shows no interest in letting go anytime soon. He's staring at the water still, watching the waves roll. I do the same.

We're stuck in this silence for quite a while. I can't tell if I like it or hate it.

Eventually, Lui turns and looks at me. I feel his eyes, and turn to meet them.

"Is there anything you wanna do?" Lui asks.

I'm not sure how to answer that. I can think of a few things I would rather be doing right now. I want to go see Quon and make sure he's okay. I want to be spending time with my actual boyfriend instead of someone who's crazy obsessed with me. I want to go out with Quon for ice cream, like he mentioned in his text.

There are plenty of things I want to do, but can't.

He stares at me, waiting for an answer. His stare is both holding and terrifying. I start squirming slightly, but I can't look away for some reason. His eyes got me in their death hold.

"Uh..." that's what comes out of my mouth. "I can't think of anything..."

"Hmm." He never takes his eyes off me. "I actually have something for you."

He has something for me?

Another gift?

Oh, God, not another gift.

Stop buying me things!

"You do?" I say.

Lui reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a small box and hands it to me. I stare at it for a second before opening it.

It's a pair of earrings.

They're shiny, silver, and shaped like horseshoes. I nearly sigh with relief. They don't look expensive. They're not dramatic, sparkly, or over the top like the bracelet he got me. They're small, simple, and something that I'll actually wear more than once.

I actually smile at them. "Thanks. They're perfect for me."

I see the corners of his mouth twitch. He came so close to smiling, but he didn't smile, for some reason. "I saw them and thought of you."

I have a feeling he wants me to put them on, so I do. I take out the pink earrings that I always wear, and replace them with the silver horseshoes. I have three piercings: my left ear has two, so one of my holes still has the small pink gemstone in it. I don't really care. I'm sure it looks fine. I put the pink earrings in the box he gave me, and stick it in my pocket.