Storming into her apartment, knocking down the half-empty cans of champagne into the carpet, forcibly opening the flimsy door that led to her bedroom, and slamming it shut before falling into her bed, Lucy's turmoil was at its greatest. “I don't want these dreams anymore! Just go away! I don't want this anymore! It's not him! It can't be! He's an adult and I'm just a kid. He's some stranger. It's not right, it just isn't.”

Her aggressive breaths would be absorbed by her pillow as she grasped the edges of her bed. When enough of her aggression was released for her to calm down, she turned around and faced the ceiling. “He's a stranger, right? Then why do I feel like I know him? And the type of people who kidnapped kids, they're all creeps and perverts, right? He doesn't look or act like a pervert. In fact, he was, like, a gentleman. But still, he could be faking it, trying to lure me away. But that doesn't explain how he knows about my dreams.” With her mood now set to a more temperamental chagrin, she sat on the edge of her bed. “He's clearly not a mind reader. So how does he know? Anyone I told didn't care, not even my parents.” As she contemplated her situation, a memory revealed itself. “I told my mom back when I was very young, but she didn't care back then either. There's no point in telling her-”

The sound of the front door opening interrupted her thinking as she heard her mother talking. "Oh sure, no problem. I'll be there right now. I just came back home to change my shoes... Yeah, I'm going on another date tonight. This time with a handsome young man. You won't believe this. He's a college student." Lucy jumped out of her bed and got close to her bedroom door, opening it slightly. "He seems to have a thing for women that are, like, years apart or something like that. I don't remember the term, but he likes them very young or very old and he was captivated by my beauty... I don't know how old he is but he's around the age one would start college after high school, maybe one or two years after... Yeah, he's really handsome. He'll even wear a suit tonight. He likes to dress nice apparently." Lucy's covered her mouth with her hand and struggled to keep the tears from escaping her eyes.

A car honking was heard when she heard her mother say, "That's him. I got to go now." Lucy waited until she heard the front door close and immediately went into the living room to peer out the window. Standing outside of a white car was a young man with red hair and pale skin wearing a very gaudy brown suit with shiny floral patterns imprinted. Soon, her mother appears to embrace the man before going inside his vehicle and taking off.

Lucy exhaled. "It wasn't him.” Only a brief moment passed before Lucy got an awkward feeling inside and straightened herself up. “Wait, why am I worried? He made it clear he didn't want to hang out with me. What am I worried about?” The emotional duress she felt a moment ago returned as she sat on the couch. “I don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm losing my mind.”

In the silence of the solitary living room, her mind wanders, recalling the past. 'To think I ran into him during that field trip. To think that was our first meeting. I feel kind of silly almost falling into the water. But to think that we would eventually start chatting online, and then meet properly. He was so kind and quite shy. Except for that moment when he broke his phone. I guess he's having his own problems. But after that, he felt better, and we had fun that weekend.' She gave a weak smile. 'When was the last time I went out and had fun with anyone? Not from my parents, that's for sure.'

Her mind continued to dig into the past in an attempt to ease her suffering when a flash of inspiration came to her. "My friends. My old friends from elementary school. Before I moved, we... but, we don't talk anymore. In fact, they probably forgot about me by now."

Grabbing onto her skirt tightly, her breathing getting as heavy as her emotions, she could feel the atmosphere turning gloomy. The ill sensation that continued to haunt her was reaching for her once again to send her down a dark abyss of emotional turmoil. She would be powerless against this force and could do nothing but let it devour her. But on this evening, a small sense of self-worth had given Lucy enough power to run into her bedroom and grab her phone. She scrolled down the list of contacts to the name Eliza. “I guess it's up to me to call them back.” Lucy pressed the name and the phone begins to dial.

After two tones, “The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please-” and hung up. “You changed your number? Really?” She scrolled back up toward Brenda and dialed its number, only to get the same result. She tried again with Francine and then Reina, but the outcome was the same.

Lucy sat on the bed and held her head as she dropped the phone on the bed. “I really am alone, now.”

[https://i.ibb.co/sgd30sd/ch28.png]

"Busy as always,” Wendy commented entering the kitchen.

"This is the last dinner before it's your turn," Johan said adjusting the heat of the stove.

"I look forward to your meals but not mine. I can't beat you."

"This isn't a competition."

"You make it look like one with the meals you create."

"Then how about I make dinner exclusively, breakfast too."

"Are you serious?"

"Studying all day isn't cutting it anymore. I need more activities to keep my mind busy."

"Well, I don't know what happened to you, but I accept the change in your personality."

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Johan reached for a saltshaker and started shimmering it above a pan only to receive a few grains. "I'm out of garlic salt. I'm heading to the store to buy some more."

Turning off the stove, Johan grabbed his keys and put on a jacket. He only managed to open the front door before Wendy interrupted him. "Hey, Johan. While you're going to the store, can you buy me some chocolate?”

Johan smiled as he answered, “Sure. What kind?”

“Anything is fine.”

“I'll get you a Snickers then.”

“No, that's too tiny.”

“Okay, then how about Reese's?”

“I don't feel like peanut butter right now.”

“Then just let me know what you want.”

“It doesn't matter, I said anything, after all. Oh, as long as it's not Hershey's either.”

“You keep mentioning the more popular choices.”

“I don't know what they do to the chocolate but these factory chocolates taste disgusting. Well, after all those, get whatever you can. Except for Almond Joy or Mounds. I hate coconut.”

“How about I send you a picture of the counter and you text me what you want.”

“There's no need for that. You don't have to go through that trouble. It's just chocolate. Well, as long as it's not-”

“Edwin, you're doing again. Just let me send you a picture and you can choose from that, okay?”

Wendy groaned, “Fine, fine. I don't know why you're going through the trouble when you can just bring me anything you want. Well, as long as it's not what I mentioned. Or Kik-Kat. I don't feel like having Kit-Kat right now.”

Johan laughed. “Just look out for my text. I'll be back,” and finally took his leave.

Going down the steps and landing on the sidewalk, he walked down the street as his chuckle subsided. He sighed, 'I wish he would shut his stupid mouth and leave me alone for a minute. Get your own darn chocolate if you're going to be so-' He groaned as he clenched his fist. 'Forget about it. It won't be long anyway.'

The trip to the store with the purchase of the salt and chocolate went without incident, but the return home was a different story when he spotted a woman walking in his direction. 'Oh no, it's Margaret. I hate her so- Uh... I better go around the corner and wait till she passes me.' He took the next corner and after some distance, he gave a relieving sigh.

"Johan!" The shout that made him clench his teeth also propelled his legs in a vain hope of reaching the opposite corner. A clawed hand with red and pink glitter nail polish clenched him putting an end to his hopes and dreams.

"Why, Johan, I'd swear you were trying to run away from me."

The grimace on his face would have shown Margaret his agony had his head not been turned away from her. Through his clenched teeth, a very silent growl could be heard as his hands turned red from gripping the grocery bag tightly.

He turned around. "Hey! Hi Margaret," he said in a very cheerful tone through a gleeful expression.

"Oh, look at you, pretending you didn't hear me."

"Oh, did you call me? I really didn't notice," He chuckled a bit.

"Come on, confess. You didn't want to meet me."

"Nothing of the kind. I'm just cooking dinner and I need to attend to that. I'm on my way back so if you'll excuse me."

"But you don't live here. You live on that street."

Both laugh at the quip as Johan thought, 'Can you please just go away and leave me alone?'

"So, Johan," she continued, "Making dinner? For your roomie, right? Perhaps room for one more?"

"No, Margaret. You wouldn't like my cooking."

"But Wendy says it's marvelous."

"She's exaggerating. They're just recipes online. I bet you like more fancy stuff."

"Just because I'm a rich girl doesn't mean I have an exclusive exquisite palette.”

“After using such words, are you sure?”

Both laugh once again with Johan thinking, 'How long must I endure this torture?'

“Well, there's only one way to find out," Margaret said and wrapped her arm around his.

A look of discontent and discomfort was on Johan's face, which he promptly replaced with a subtle understanding one. He unclenched his fist and gently pried her arm away. "Margaret, I don't know what to tell you. I have said many times before that I'm not interested in you."

"I heard the first time, but one doesn't quit so easily."

"Please, do make an exception," Johan responded with desperation in his voice.

"You are quite fascinating. You are a complete mystery to all of us women on campus. Nobody can figure you out. We find that irresistible."

“No, you don't. Trust me, you do not find me irresistible at all.”

“You're also so shy. So sheltered. So vulnerable. We find that irresistible too.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment?”

“What I'm trying to say is that I really don't want to give up on you. If the previous theory from before isn't true, then why not me?”

"Why not you... for what?"

“Johan, don't be so modest.”

“Modest?”

“So awkward. So very dense. You're something else, you know that.”

“Awkward? What is this evaluation you're giving me? Because that is the most awkward part of this conversation.”

"Give me a chance."

Johan's shoulders slump. "Why me? There are more than enough men to pick from. So many of them. I'm just one guy out of the many. I know it's hard for a beautiful woman, and yes I acknowledge your subjective beauty, to understand that not every man wants them, but it's true. Some men are not interested in all women."

"I don't believe that one bit. It's clear you're not interested in men. That's been established. So what other option is there.”

“You already proved you don't care about that particular subject.”

“What do you mean?”

“Oh, nothing, never mind, but my original point is that I'm not interested in you or anyone.”

“And my point is that every man wants a woman, even you. I don't know why you are denying your desires, but I don't buy it that you have none."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well..." She gave him a playful look and it was replied with a look of disapproval.

Johan cleared his throat before responding, "Looks like courtesy does not work on you, so I'm going to say this bluntly. I apologize for my rudeness, but I'm not interested in you, okay? Nothing you do will convince me to be your boyfriend if that is what you want from me. That is the admitted truth about me. I have no interest in anyone." No longer hiding the fact that he was discontent, he passed her to turn around the corner and left her sight.

"Not even Lucy?" said Margaret.

A few moments passed, expecting him to return, but no such thing happened. Brushing her shirt, Margaret simply proceeded back into the main street.

She merely turned the corner to find Johan leaning against the wall with his back arched, in time to see him slide down towards the ground onto his hands and knees. She ran toward him to see him covering his face as tears were seeping through his fingers.