Chapter 5
1035words
Another week of poetry club activities passed, and afterward, Jeffrey caught me at the door. "Lucy, would you like to grab dinner?"
I happily accepted, pushing thoughts of Kane from my mind.
After dinner, we strolled side by side down the tree-lined avenue on campus, the setting sun casting everything in gold.
"I'm sorry about the other night," he suddenly said.
I glanced at him, surprised.
"I was too forward that night." Jeffrey stopped walking, turning to face me. "I knew you might not be ready, but I got carried away."
I blushed, my heart picking up speed. Was this heading where I thought it was?
He took a deep breath and gently took my hand in his, his palm warm and dry. "I like you, Lucy. Will you be my girlfriend?"
Time seemed to freeze. I could hear my own pulse in my ears. Jeffrey—handsome, attentive, seemingly perfect—was asking me to be his girlfriend. It should have been a dream come true.
I opened my mouth, but the "yes" got stuck in my throat, refusing to emerge.
"I..." I lowered my eyes, my voice slightly husky. "Jeffrey, you're wonderful, really. But... this is a bit sudden for me. Could I... have some time to think about it?"
I felt his fingers tighten slightly around mine, then quickly relax. "Of course. I'll wait for you, but don't make me wait too long." His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
His apparent patience made me feel even more conflicted.
Over the next few days, I kept thinking about how to respond to Jeffrey. But for some reason, Kane's warning kept echoing in my mind—that I was out of my depth with Jeffrey. What did he know that I didn't?
No, no, no. Kane must just be jealous of my happiness.
When he finds out Jeffrey asked me to be his girlfriend, he'll be shocked. I'm not just that insignificant girl who used to follow him around—I'm a woman who can attract someone as popular as Jeffrey.
So I decided to find Kane, not because I missed him or anything, just to ask what he meant by those words.
I sent him a message, but Kane never replied. I had no choice but to track him down myself.
I knew that whenever the weather was decent, Kane would be playing basketball. As a kid, whenever I couldn't find Kane, I'd head straight to the basketball court.
On my way to the basketball court, I found my path blocked by a group of girls with perfect hair and matching sneers.
They were led by a girl named Erin who had been obsessed with Jeffrey for months. Since she found out how close Jeffrey and I had become, she'd been gunning for me.
Campus bullying—I was all too familiar with it. Throughout my life, I'd been an easy target. Too small, too quiet, too different.
I instinctively backed away, my hands curling into fists.
Erin stepped forward and slapped me hard across the face. "Where do you think you're going, bitch? Didn't I warn you to stay away from Jeffrey?"
I laughed coldly, tasting blood in my mouth. She was clearly enjoying this.
"What's that look for?" Erin slapped me again, harder this time.
I angrily tried to fight back, but two other girls grabbed my arms and slammed me against the wall.
Erin grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back. "Lucy Leahy, you're so pathetic that I feel dirty just touching you."
My scalp screamed with pain. But I gathered my courage and slammed my forehead into her nose.
Erin stumbled back with a shriek, blood streaming from her nose. Then she lunged forward, slapping and scratching me until I couldn't fight back anymore. Only then did she signal for the other girls to release me.
I collapsed to the ground, my face throbbing, my vision swimming, my body feeling strangely weak.
Erin looked down at me with a sneer: "Consider this your final warning. Stay away from Jeffrey."
With that, Erin and her minions stalked off, their laughter echoing behind them.
I clenched my fists, fighting back tears. Looking like this, I definitely couldn't face Kane—he'd just mock my weakness again.
I struggled to my feet, intending to head back to my dorm, but somehow found myself passing by the basketball court.
The sound of cheering and bouncing balls reached me before I saw the court.
The basketball court was packed, surrounded by spectators, with girls' cheers and whistles filling the air.
I stopped, about to turn away, when a familiar figure soared above the crowd, basketball in hand.
I froze, my breath catching as I stared: Kane jumping, suspended in air, dunking with perfect form. His eyes blazed with intensity, alive with the joy of the game.
As a child, I'd spent countless hours watching Kane play basketball, mesmerized by his grace and power.
"Bang!" The basketball slammed through the hoop, the crowd erupting.
The spectators went wild, screaming and cheering as Kane landed with catlike grace.
As if drawn by an invisible force, I found myself moving toward the court, squeezing through the crowd.
As I navigated through the sea of bodies, a wave of déjà vu washed over me. Yes, I used to do this all the time—pushing through crowds to watch Kane play... countless times, desperate for a glimpse of him in action, hoping he might notice me, always forcing my small body through walls of taller people...
Lost in memories, I suddenly realized I'd reached the front row, only to see the campus beauty queen, Selena, throwing her arms around Kane, the two of them embracing in celebration.
I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach.
A sharp, bitter feeling twisted in my gut.
I really hated Kane Lyons because he always made me chase after him, because he never truly saw me.
My heart felt like it was being crushed, aching with a familiar pain. I suddenly felt utterly foolish.
Just then, Kane's head turned in my direction. Before our eyes could meet, I quickly melted back into the crowd and fled.
