I Love You.....Just the Way You Are #Watty2018

Chapter 6: Running Away

August 20, 2010 (before)

If I could recall the last time something like this happened, I remembered it perfectly. It was after I stepped in to help Kate's ass, I began to remember clearly what happened last time. It's like a forgotten dream, when you wake up in the morning, and you start remember that dream when something happens during that day.

Something like that.

So, the same event took place, but I believed I stepped in 10 seconds earlier then what happened today. After that incident, I asked Kate if she was was Kate.

"No, it's fine."

"Are you sure?"

She kept holding her index finger, purposely. I grasped her hand and held it before me. It was a paper cut. Her cheeks turned slightly pink and looked in another direction to avoid my eyes. She probably thought I was angry or something since a I found her lying. For some reason, I didn't chase after Vicky. I grabbed Kate's hand and ran to the nurse for a band-aid.

The nurse wasn't there.

I went to her cabinet and grabbed a box of band-aid. There was only one band-aid inside so I used that to put it around Kate's finger.

"Give me your hand." I demanded. I was probably a little aggressive and she was probably intimidated by that. I was just a little infuriated by what happened a few minutes ago. That's all.

"No, I can do it myself..."

Before she finish her sentence, I just grabbed her wrist and put the band-aid around her since I didn't have any patience that time. She was leaning close to me, and I could feel her breathing heavily on my face. She was staring at me in a weird way for some reason....or that's what the teenage Lin thought. Her eye lids were half closed as her pupils dilated. She was nibbling on her bottom lip. Her wrist was quivering frantically that I could feel her pulse from her wrist.

She likes me.

When school ended, I went to Target with Stephen and the rest of the guys. We just walked around as something caught my eyes on the shelf in the Art Supply section. It was a leather sketch book, but a bigger one with more pages. Her sketchbook today was all ruined and I couldn't keep my eyes off that shelf. I secretly snatched one and bought it for like 20 bucks. I gave it to her the next day during lunch.

"How much was this?"

"It's pretty cheap. It was like 5 dollars." I lied with a stoic face. I literally used all my allowance on that high quality sketchbook. To this day, my wife still has it with her everywhere she goes and she brings it to that Art Institute. It remains as something special to her. She still hasn't found out the real price of that book to this day. But I could tell, she knew I was lying.

August 20, 2010 (now)

I was pondering on that event back then and felt kind of guilty now. It was the end of the day, and I was wondering if I should get a sketchbook for her like last time. I shook my head to try to get out of that idea.

What the hell am I thinking? Remember why you are here, Lin. Your future is all in your hand.

I was on my way home around 5pm after practice for swimming before I heard a rustling sound behind me. I looked behind my shoulder and assumed that it was a squirrel or a stray animal in the bushes. But, I noticed a stain on my shoulder. It was black but a hint of red. It took me a moment to figure out why my white dress shirt has a peculiar stain.

It was from her paper cut.

I hesitated. A heavy feeling of guilt and betrayal was upsetting my stomach. I swallowed hard like swallowing shards of glass. It was painful and upsetting. I came to a halt and put my right hand over my left shoulder. For some reason, my lips stretched into a faint smile.

Ugh. Why the hell am I thinking of her. Shit!

The rustling became slightly louder than before, this time, I could hear it coming closer. I turned around since I was irritated a little. Then, slowly, that annoyance transitioned into a sudden fear going up my spine and the hair all over my body started to stand up. That's right, my "spidey" senses are tingling.

I thought it was a stalker or something until I found a shoe that was exposed in the corner of the street. The shoe was tapping on it's tip nervously. It was obviously a person standing there. But I didn't know who it was.

I stomped loudly to let the "stalker" know that I was walking away. Or that stalker thought I was. The stalker jumped out of the corner and then was literally paralyzed to find me standing there, looking straight at "her" just a few feet away. It's obviously Kate.

"Why the hell are you following me, you stalker!"

"No.....no...no I'm not." She stuttered.

I can't believe she's still here after I was finished with swimming practice. She was probably standing outside waiting for me. Ugh! That's sooo Kate.

"Um....I was...just.."

"Go home" I told her.

"Excuse me...what?"

"Go home. It's getting pretty late. It's not safe this late outside, especially in this neighborhood."

"Yeah...right."

Without saying "good bye" I just left her there and walked away. I turned my head behind the shoulder for the last time.

Her hand was still wrapped around her index finger.