Jealousy | Wen Junhui [EDITING]

Chapter 52

Jennie's POV

"Ash, please calm down," I pleaded to the sobbing girl over the phone. She called, feeling horrible for what she did the night her inner animal came out, to repeatedly apologize. "It's okay, really."

"No, it's not! I hurt all of my friends, a-and Winter and Tori don't want to talk to me!" Ash cried.

"H-hey, that's not true. Here let me find Winter. I think she's ready to listen to you."

She sniffed a muffled 'okay' and started rehearsing her apology to Winter, resulting in more tears. I sighed at the sensitive girl and initiated my search for Winter. I called out her name loudly only to receive no response.

"Winter, I have food!" I tried.

Oddly, there was still no reply.

"Winter?" I called, opening my bedroom door. I nearly dropped my phone when I found Winter's suitcase gone. I dashed into my bathroom, scrutinizing every corner to find any trace of Winter. All her toiletries were gone, and even the towel she used was folded neatly on the counter. Ash frantically inquired me on what was happening, but I ignored her and combed through my apartment in search for Winter.

After looking through every nook and cranny on each floor, I halted near the door. A worn out voice crackled back to life, startling me since I forgot that I still had Ash on the phone. My phone nearly plummeted onto the marble floor below me when I found and read the note taped onto the door.

"Hello..? Jen?"

"I-I'll call you back." I brusquely ended the call and uneasily rested my phone on the small table not too far from my reach. I gently tugged the letter from its grip on the door and scanned each word to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

She... She left.

The ominous words lashed their tongues at me, as I tried to argue with the cynical part of me that told me she disappeared forever. "I tried to fit in, I tried to stay, but this place keeps telling me to go away. I'm sorry, maybe we will meet again. But as for now, goodbye."

The last paragraph planted a poison apple inside my throat, making it difficult to swallow my bitter saliva. The first thought I reaped was the idea of calling Winter to see if this was all a cruel prank. The clock struck 10 when I began my first dial. I sunk against the door, hoping for a knock from the certain girl, as I held the phone against my ear. 10: 10 a.m., still no answer. 10: 25 a.m., redirected to voicemail. I grew fatigued of hearing the same, cheery tone that would always repeat its words when the receiver didn't pick up.

I gave up calling the girl, and reluctantly dialled Tori. Soon, the ringing turned into the sound of a familiar voice.

"Hello?" Tori spoke groggily, giving the impression that she had just woken up.

"Tori! You're there. I'm-I'm just glad that you picked up," I pronounced quickly, hoping that she caught every word.

"Alright... What's up?"

"It's Winter..."

"Maybe she's hungry?"

"No! This is serious. Tori, Winter's gone!"

There was a long pause.

"Gone..? Wh-what do you mean by that?"

"She left, Tori. She packed her bags and left. A-and without a goodbye!" I blinked away my stinging tears, hoping Tori wouldn't realize that I was close to crying.

"No... That's not true. This is a joke, right? Tell me it's a joke!" she pleaded, almost demandingly.

"I wish it was. But the only trace left of her was a note that she left-"

I was cut off by the sudden alien noises rumbling through the phone. Tori had sped out of her bed towards Winter's room in hopes of finding the girl situated there.

"Winter!" I heard Tori yell. The sound of the ruffling of a bed protruded through the call line, followed by the creaking of opening cabinets.

"No..." Tori whispered. "No, no, no!" Her voice grew into a choked bellow. "It's all gone... Her clothes, everything!"

I stayed silently still.

"How did she..? Why? I have to call her-" A light gasp escaped her lips as the sound of crisp paper was being taken into Tori's free hand. She received a letter as well.

"D-dear Tori..." She read the rest of the letter in a somber silence. "I've planned on leaving for a while now. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. I love you, my best friend. But I want you to forget about me, as I want to forget about this place. I want to start anew. Goodbye."

A sharp sniff lacerated through my phone speakers, echoed by a shaky exhale of breaths.

"Tori? Are-are you okay?"

"I- no, I have to go."

"Hey, are you okay?" spoke an all too familiar voice before the phone line was cut. I never thought I would hear the voice of Choi Caleb after what happened the last time I saw him.

*~*~*~

Tori's POV

"Caleb..." I enfeebled, "M-may I be alone for a little while, please?"

"Oh, yeah, sure," Caleb responded unsurely. He stepped out of Winter's room and slowly closed the door behind him.

I reached for my phone again and dialed Winter's number. There was no answer the first try, so as soon as I was directed to voice mail, I dialed a second time. There was no answer yet again. In fact, there were no answers the third, fourth, and fifth time I called. I was crestfallen, but I pushed through and tried again each second I got.

After the umpteenth time - just seconds away from giving up - I was about to tap on the end call button, when a voice breathed to life from the other end of the line.

"What in the world? Tori-"

"Winter! You-you actually answered," I stammered, not having recovered from the shock that pierced through me.

"Tori, did you read my letter? I'm really sorry that this is goodbye. But I gotta go."

"So it is true... Why are you leaving now?"

"I can't stay. After the recent events, I just can't. I wanna start a new life. Be a new me. Without a past and a foreseeable future. I just wanna be free again."

"... I'm sorry I couldn't give you the freedom here."

"You don't have to be sorry, yeah? It'll be like I was never here."

"Win-"

"I'm sorry, I gotta go. I'll see you when I see you."

She clicked to end the call. I silently stared at my blackened screen, hoping for the sound of an incoming ringing, that still lingered in my head. Hopelessly, I crouched on the ground and wrapped my arms around my knees, as I leaned my back against Winter's closet door. Once again, all I felt was hurt and loneliness.