CHAPTER TWO:BETWEEN WAITING AND LEAVING

The following week passed in a blur. Everyone in the school campus was busy with the preparations of Annual day. People barely had time to think about matters otherwise. The corridors were crowded. Several thoughts clouded Elora's mind, and the notification remained burried deep inside her heart and mind.

However, It was something she often thought about.

Sarah only made it worse by telling her stories about Marcus. And what surprised her was that she looked forward to hear them. Stories about how he cried like a baby after he lost a match, how he cooked cookies and it turned out a absolute disaster and how he tripped while running a marathon but didn't give up winning the hearts of hundreds.

Elora refused to acknowledge the small feelings that grew within her towards Marcus.

Near the mountains,Marcus too stared at the screen. He waited patiently,not loosing hope.

‘It'll take her time, after all I am stranger to her. I hope Sarah does the work for me’

The thought of pressing the unfollow button crossed his mind multiple times, but he couldn't bring himself to press it. Why? Even he was fighting battles inside himself to answer that.

However, he did know this was coming.

Sarah did her work perfectly, after all she was getting paid. She did everything in her limits to ignite that little spark every time Elora heard Marcus's name. And a smile tugged at Sarah's face each time she knew she succeeded in doing that.

What unsettled Marcus most was the thought-‘What if she never accepts my request? ’

Later at night, Elora comes back to her room tossing her phone on the bed. She opens her laptop settling on the bed. Her fingers stopped at the notification again, the cursor just hovering over it. She almost pressed the ‘Accept’button.Almost.But she caught herself just in time. “What did I.. Ugh! Stupid guy..! ”

She closes her laptop trying to sleep.

That same day earlier at dawn, where the sun rose in between the Rocky hills, the two teams clashed. Marcus is usually disciplined—routine, focus, control. But today particularly, he was distracted. Probably because he was checking the time too often, forgetting peace did not lie inside his zipped bag but in the green field.

That was the exact time he realized he is loosing his usual grip. His friends tried to cheer him up but nothing seemed to work.

𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦.

On the other side, during the Annual day practice Elora seemed to be distracted too. She stared out of the window, her mind elsewhere-maybe somewhere between trains and screens. Her friend nudged her gently, “Hey girl! Come back from your thoughts”She shook her head instantly and got back to practice.

This was unusual. Nobody had to ask her to focus. It was something that came naturally-at least for her. Later, she notices Sarah watching her quietly, not teasing this time, just observing.

Elora realizes she’s becoming 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦,and that 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘴 her.

To both of them, loosing themselves wasn't a option. Not to a story that hasn't even begun 𝘺𝘦𝘵.

As the sun set and the moon arose, to look after the sleeping city, along with the soft song of Cassette at every house, Marcus stood in his balcony. He watched the entire city preparing to drift to sleep, to hear the quite lullaby of life and to face the hustle of life tomorrow again. Cold breeze touched his face. His inner turmoil, partially calmed.

He had decided to not focus on the notification, not to a extent that he loses his usual self in the process.

𝘐𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦. 𝘐𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮.

That same hour, Elora was rereading her old chats with Sarah. A quite thought came to her mind-‘The words didn't chang, she did’.

It's her feelings, the small and quite ones that stirred occasionally. That awoke that small hope inside her that even though sometimes or some situations, might break her and make her question 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦, maybe a chance isn't that bad. What if it actually works out? What if she actually finds someone to trust? To hold her when she breaks down?

Her phone made a sound. It was a picture sent by Sarah. It was a story uploaded by Marcus. Her eyes immediately drifted to him. He was standing with his friends... Maybe classmates? A girl was standing too close, his arms were draped around her neck. Elora squinted her eyes. She felt jealousy muddle inside her. She sighed turning off her phone, placing it on her table whith a soft thud. ‘Maybe.. He has someone better, already? ’

Marcus was sitting at his study table. He closed the book, checking the time. He had finished his work early than he expected. He opended his phone. His eyes lignered on that request and that profile pic, he blinked.

𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘴𝘢𝘧𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘴.

If Elora accepted the request too late, maybe it wouldn't mean the same thing. He knew his request would automatically be cancelled after exactly a week from today and that disturbed him more than he admitted. He counted the days, but he denied telling himself it didn't matter.

ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴇxᴛ ᴍᴏʀɴɪɴɢ ʀᴜsʜᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴇʟᴏʀᴀ ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ sʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴄᴀᴛᴄʜ ʜᴇʀ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜ. sʜᴇ sᴋɪᴘᴘᴇᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋғᴀsᴛ, ʙɪᴛɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ ʜᴀʟғ-ʙᴜʀɴᴛ ᴛᴏᴀsᴛ ᴀs sʜᴇ ʜᴜʀʀɪᴇᴅ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʀᴏᴡᴅᴇᴅ sᴛʀᴇᴇᴛs, ʙᴜᴍᴘɪɴɢ ɪɴᴛᴏ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ᴀᴘᴏʟᴏɢɪᴇs ᴀʟɪᴋᴇ. ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴀs sʜᴇ ᴡᴀs ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴏss ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴀᴅ, ʜᴇʀ sᴛᴇᴘs sʟᴏᴡᴇᴅ. ᴀ ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴏʀᴇ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʜᴇʀ ᴇʏᴇ. sʜᴇ ᴅɪᴅɴ’ᴛ ʀᴇᴍᴇᴍʙᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴛᴇᴘ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ—ɪᴛ sɪᴍᴘʟʏ ʜᴀᴘᴘᴇɴᴇᴅ.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴀɪʀ sᴍᴇʟʟᴇᴅ ᴏғ ᴘᴀᴘᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ǫᴜɪᴇᴛ. ʜᴇʀ ɢᴀᴢᴇ ʟᴀɴᴅᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴀ ɴᴇᴡʟʏ ᴅɪsᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴡᴀs ᴍᴜᴛᴇᴅ, ᴀʟᴍᴏsᴛ ʙᴀʀᴇ, ᴛᴡᴏ sɪʟʜᴏᴜᴇᴛᴛᴇs sᴛᴀɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴀᴘᴀʀᴛ. sʜᴇ ᴘɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴜᴘ, ғɪɴɢᴇʀs ᴛɪɢʜᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴀs sʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ: 𝘉𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘞𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ɪɴsɪᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ sʜɪғᴛᴇᴅ.

ᴀᴄʀᴏss ᴛᴏᴡɴ, ᴍᴀʀᴄᴜs sᴛᴏᴏᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴀɪsʟᴇ, ʜᴏʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ, ᴘᴀᴜsɪɴɢ ᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀᴍᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴅs.ʜᴇ ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴄᴀᴍᴇ ɪɴ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴀ ʙɪᴏʟᴏɢʏ ᴛᴇxᴛʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ sᴛᴏᴘᴘᴇᴅ ʙʏ ᴛʜɪs ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀ ᴏɴᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴛɪᴛʟᴇ ᴄᴀᴜɢʜᴛ ʜɪs ᴇʏᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴀᴠᴇs ʀᴜsᴛʟᴇᴅ ᴏᴜᴛsɪᴅᴇ ᴀɴᴅ sᴏ ᴅɪᴅ ʜɪs ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ. ʜᴇ ᴛᴏʀᴇ ʜɪs ᴇʏᴇs ᴀᴡᴀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴡᴀʟᴋᴇᴅ ғᴏʀᴡᴀʀᴅ.

𝘚𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥-𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘥.

𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧.

ᴇʟᴏʀᴀ ʜᴀᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴅᴇᴄɪsɪᴏɴ.

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