They sat on an iron bench under a black iron light pole. Wilson unwound his blue-gray knit scarf from his neck and bound it around Renata's neck. The snow had stopped pouring, but the air was getting chillier. Although her crying had ceased, her lifeless silence was unbearable. "Renata, talk to me, please." He rubbed his palms up and down on her upper arms to warm her.
Was she quiet because she was ill? Had her pneumonia relapsed, or worse, hypothermia? He jolted her as he asked her. "Renata, do you feel uncomfortable anyw-"
"I'm OK," Renata said faintly.
"No. You don't have to pretend, Renata. I know you are not alright at all." Before Wilson could register what he was doing, his body reacted first by hugging Renata tightly. He caressed her head down to her back over and over. And soon, soft sobs racked her petite body. He could only soothe her while he was clenching his teeth in anguish. How he wished he had let James punch Lyle earlier or landed some jabs himself. Renata mumbled incoherently as she clutched the sweater he had worn again earlier.
"........J-James.... ha-hates..... m-me....n-now......." She gazed into Wilson's eyes with her round, teary eyes. Pitiful, like a whimpering little puppy. He would do anything he could to chase those clouds away from her.
Wilson wiped her tears. "He's not, Renata. James was just angry at Meghan and Lyle. Once he is on his right mind, he will come around. Believe me."
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A week had passed since the birthday party, and Renata was still gloomy. Did she love Lyle so much that no matter what, she was inconsolable? Was he already a lost cause? The thought he dreaded the most haunted him over and over.
"Wil...."
The thing was, what could he do to make everything better? Maybe he needed to make a to-do list. He should have talked to Millie about Renata.
"Wil...."
Millie was her roommate; he was sure Millie knew her better. Would it be weird if he asked Millie about Renata out of the blue? What would she think-
A violent jerk to his left upper arm, followed by a low voice calling his name, jarred him. “Yes, Renata?”
If her brows knitted further, it would be difficult to untie. "What are you thinking about so deeply? I've been calling your name many times."
About you, he wanted to say it out loud, but he managed to refrain. "I'm sorry. Why did you call me for? Is there any difficult homework?"
"No, I want to ask you to go with me this weekend. I want to buy presents for my parents this weekend. Can you spare your time? I'm not that familiar yet with this town. And I can use a second opinion."
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Wilson's stoic face hid his astonishment very well, even though his inner mental world was jumping upside down. "Of course. What kind of present are you looking for?" He would definitely make a long list of stores and suggest them to her.
She thought as she stroked her chin."Hmm.... I might need to go to some men's store and eclectic store."
Eclectic? That close to the men's stores? Suppose the school bus was leaving at 10 a.m.; they would have 6 hours to roam around. But the places couldn't be that far from each other, or they would spend most of the time on the road. How much is the taxi fare? Should he borrow James's car? Right, James. He was still sulking at everyone. Then, he need-
A slap at his upper arm brought him back to the library. "You are doing it again. What is wrong with you these days? Are you perhaps angry with me, so you ignore me? Do you blame me for James?"
Her outburst caught him so off guard that he forgot how to speak for a second. "No. I was contemplating which part of Connecticut to visit." Wilson shook his head while blinking incredulously. "I never angry with you or blame you- Why? How on earth were you able to think that way?"
Was that doubt in her eyes? Why would she doubt him? Renata was threading her words as if to test him. "Since that party, you have become quieter than usual. I thought you blamed me because James was also angry at you. It must be uncomfortable for you to be in the same room with him. I'm sorry." She raised her right hand for a shake.
He paused for a moment before he clasped her delicate hand. "You are not in the wrong, Renata. I didn't mean to be cold; I just thought you needed some time, and I didn't want to disturb you. Regarding James, he was sad, and to cope with it, he blamed everyone. You don't need to worry about him. He is an arse sometimes. I also assure you, I will list the plan with the stores. You'll have it on Wednesday at the latest."
"A L-List?"
"Yes, I'll give you the store list the day after tomorrow. If we need some adjustments after we go through it, we still have time until Friday. I give you my word that you will find the presents for your parents." He was so hyped up that he didn't notice the perplexed look on her face.
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Coeus dorm was one of the newest male dorm buildings, which, considering its age, was not that young. The dorm was built around 20 years ago. The avant-garde work of a Russian architect inspired the five-story building, made of grey brickwork and dubbed “The Gainsboro” because of its black and white interior.
This was the second time his dorm appointed Wilson as a resident assistant. To be a resident assistant, one must be a role model and, such as, set a responsible example. And ultimately, he had to have a keen sense of fairness. It was hard to do; he had to admit he had difficulties initially. But after so long, Wilson could briskly complete the duties.
With one thought in mind, Wilson strode with determination into his room. No matter what, he had to find the solution between James and them. He put away his laptops and books after he removed his sweater and hung it. As usual, James was already on the bed, pretending he didn't exist. "When are you done having a pity party? We need to talk, James." He sat on the edge of his pristine white-sheet bed. His elbows rested on his knees, and his fingers intertwined toward James.
James, still unmoving, was facing the wall decorated with posters of artists, PC games, and sports teams. James's side, especially his tall black mahogany shelf, was used so full of trinkets and whatnot that Wilson called them all junk. After the Meghan fiasco, James threw away almost all of them a few days ago.
"You have been mourning for a week and blame everyone, including Renata. Don't you think you are being an arse? You should ask Renata's forgiveness."
That got a reaction from James. He turned to Wilson in unabated fury.