The Soulmate Guide

Chapter-14

Blake's POV

The four of us sat in the quiet library. Leah, Rachel, Ethan and I. We were discussing about tomorrow's final exam. Leah and I questioned each other on various topics to ensure our preparation. It was a group study, you can call it that, though Ethan and Rachel were barely contributing.
I was distracted by the sound of old paper sheets colliding against each other.

"Let's try solving these multiple choice questions," Leah said with some excitement. I agreed. I wanted to test myself because I hadn't very well prepared for the exam. I had been missing classes, my notes were incomplete, it was hard. Hard for me to remain consistent with my grades. I couldn't stand a chance to be defeated. I had to stand first.

"The first answer is option a" Leah interrupted my thoughts.

"Yeah it.. is option a," I shrugged. She solved a number of other questions, but I was stuck. I couldn't recall a single answer. It had never happened before. I inhaled deeply.

"Leah. I can't. I can't answer a single question. I really want to stand first but I am not prepared. After Charlie left, I...can't just sit back and study like nothing happened. My mental peace doesn't allow me to do that," I sighed.

Leah gently kept a hand on my shoulder.
" It's going to be fine, Blake. You'll make it. I promise, " she murmured.

I hadn't noticed Fiona had joined us in the conversation.
" Hey Fiona. I didn't notice you were here. When did you come back to New York? And how was the contest by the way?," I asked her, trying to completely dodge the deep conversation Leah and I were indulged in.

" Oh! Mr. Anderson, glad you took time to notice me. I came here all the way from Brazil, spent eight hours in the flight, left my award ceremony for you, and you are saying you did not notice me? As far as the contest is concerned, why do you even bother?," she replied fuming with anger.

" And you Miss. Loser, you have any idea how precious Charlie was to him? You brought him here at school for doing this shit?," she almost shouted at Leah.

Leah stood up from her seat, unable to bear the insults anymore.

"Studying for exams is not shit okay? I needed to distract Blake. I couldn't let him cry over his dog. I know that it is a huge loss but, he can't risk his final year exams," she retorted back.

"Well, I can understand. For middle-class people like you, exams are very important right? After all that's the only way you can have a job and make your ends meet. But Blake is super rich. Even if he doesn't work his entire life, he would never need to ask for money, " Fiona spoke mockingly.

" I agree. Of course I am doing it for money. After all, I am not super rich like you. I can't have fun on the money that doesn't belong to me. I want to establish myself and be self-sufficient and I am not at all guilty of the fact Miss. Jennings," Leah uttered the words with disgust as her face became red. She was so angry, that her lips trembled. She banged the table and left.
" You're trash Fiona!" Rachel murmured as she followed Leah out of the library.

" Fiona, that was rude. You can't comment on anyone's financial conditions. You must apologize, " I told Fiona almost as disgusted as Leah herself.

Fiona said nothing. She just looked down, her dark eyes filled with tears and her lashes wet.
"I am always at fault. I am sorry I came between you two. After all, I am no more your best friend from seventh grade , right? I am replaced," she took her bag and left, her footsteps depicting the amount of anger and hate she was carrying.

"What is wrong with Fiona? She has been behaving differently since the past few days. I don't know why," I asked Ethan.

"She is just being a bitch," Ethan replied unbothered and glued to his phone screen, as he kept scrolling down with his thumb.

"Ethan put the phone down, I am serious about this," I said being visibly annoyed.

He put down his phone on the table and looked at me.

"Don't act like you are innocent Blake. She has been giving you hints since ninth grade. She is so into you. Can't you see that in her eyes?" Ethan revealed.

I became quiet.

The little moments I had ever spent with Fiona since ninth grade flashed across my mind like a movie. It made sense. Now I had an answer to all questions. Why was she always so overprotective? Why did she get hurt so easily when I raised my voice at her? Why was she the one who always interrupted when my ex and I wanted to spend quality time with each other?

Probably, I had known her feelings all this while. Probably, I was just denying the fact. Probably, I never looked at her like that. Probably, I had chosen to remain clueless, because I never wanted the friendship to fade away. She was gorgeous but I never felt something like that. I considered her my best friend.

"I can't stay here Ethan. I am not prepared for this," I walked out of the library. School was supposed to be over in half an hour but I left early. I walked down the pavement hurriedly, hardly able to concentrate. There were so many things going on in my mind right now. The realisation of Fiona's feelings, Leah being hurt, Charlie, tomorrow's exam and.. THE SOULMATE GUIDE.

Damn! I had forgotten all about it. I hadn't opened it for the past three days. That means, three new characteristics waiting for me. I hopped into my car and accelerated it, making my way directly to my place.

I ran up the stairs. I was in such a hurry, that I stumbled upon the carpet but I didn't care. I quickly latched my door, sat on my study table and opened the guide.
I read the characteristic of my soulmate being an orphan. It was the last characteristic I had read before all this happened. I turned the page but to my dismay, three pages were stuck to each other. I took out a steel ruler from my pencil case and tried to separate the three pages so that I could read them. But they didn't budge. They were permanently stuck to each other. Being extremely annoyed by the fact, I turned to the next page. It read:

I am glad you are back Blake. So sad to hear about Charlie, but rules are rules. You were supposed to open the guide every day. One new characteristic unveils every day. But you are late. Three days late. Now, the three characteristics which you have missed will not be repeated again which means that now, you have come three steps backward. You have missed three vital characteristics of your soulmate. Make sure you don't do this mistake again, because if you don't find her by the end of this year, you will never find her. New characteristic tomorrow. Good luck.

I was dumbfounded. Three damn characteristics were wasted. The year was ending in three months. That was a very short period of time. It was now or never.
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