I nervously sat next to my bed, waiting for the redhead to wake up. My conscience was beating me as I looked at her bruised head. I would never have thought someone so gentle could deliver such a hit. Alas, today I saw it, although only catching a glimpse of the blow, it didn't lessen the shock.

My mother had been tight-lipped ever since, brows furrowed while staring at her phone. Alfie was also safely hidden inside her room. Our breaths were a crescendo under the deafening silence.

It took me some time to finally muster out words. "What should I tell her? She saw him."

"Tell her that she imagined it. We can't let her know about Alfie, " said my mother with an undertone.

"What if she doesn't buy it?" I got up and tailed her as she walked to the living room. "I mean you hit her, ma."

"She trespassed into our house... What did she expect?"

Despite the fact her reason was right, it still felt wrong. Amy was my friend, and we weren't acquainted with many redheads in the district. Would it even make sense to say my mother didn't recognise her?

Seeing her put on her work coat added up my anxiousness. She looked at her phone again and continued, "I'm sorry. I have to go."

Her expression was no less worried as she walked to the door. The orange hues crawling on the sky outside warned me I couldn't delay her any longer. I would have to deal with the explanation alone.

On my way back to my room, I saw my mother's door ajar. I practically started running, but it was too late when I saw Amy and Alfie facing each other beside my bed. He was calmly observing her, and she also didn't look scared at all. Her eyes were glimmering with excitement.

"This is amazing!" she gushed.

I walked to them slowly, "Amy, I...I can explain..." I stammered.

"You know what you have here? It's living... Breathing... Moving p--"

I jumped to her and covered her mouth with my palm before she could manage the word and possibly let the whole world know about Alfie.

"Amy, I'm begging you, if you are truly my friend, please keep this a secret, " I cautioned. I looked straight into her eyes with my most hopeful expression.

She nodded and made a signal of zipping her lips.

"I swear I won't tell anyone... But please tell me everything."

As my end of the bargain, I told her every single detail up to the part my mom had hit her head with a frying pan. I thought she would be mad at me, but she laughed at the revelation instead.

"Your mom is really something, and I thought she couldn't hurt a fly," she said with a chuckle.

"You tell me. I was so shocked that it took me minutes to register it in, " I said while fiddling with my fingers. "Are you going to press charges? I--"

"No, silly, why would I do that? I may probably do the same. I shouldn't walk in like that unannounced. Just tell her I don't remember anything and keep this between us, okay?" she uttered and winked at me.

She shifted towards Alfie and tapped his nose playfully, " And you, behave next time and don't walk into strangers."

"Anyway, talk about walking. Why did you barge in like that?" I asked curiously.

"You left your phone in my car. " She reached inside her skirt pocket and pulled out my phone.

I felt silly the second I got hold of the phone back. How was it possible to forget such an important thing?

"Thank you. It probably dropped from my bag."

Amy chuckled and shook her head lightly, "Oh, did you now? I forget my phone often too." She smirked and glanced over to Alfie, "When I'm in love, " she added.

"No... I just, " I tried to reprimand her, but by how she was giving me the accusing eye I knew she wouldn't listen to anything I would say.

She hunched down closer to me and whispered, "If you guys are planning to run, I'll be more than happy to help. Maybe someday you'll make history, and I wanna be a part of it."

***

The second I woke up, the sleeping Alfie greeted my eyes. I figured how he ended up on my bed when I saw the pot plant sitting on my bedside drawer. As my eyes roamed over his face, Amy's words crept into my mind.

"I'm in love with you?"

My index finger trailed his nose down to his lips. His strange feature made me question my sanity if I really love him. This time I meant the kind of passionate love. When he suddenly opened his eyes and gazed at me, I felt my heart leapt inside my chest.

"Love... you, " he muttered.

Despite assuming he was repeating what I just said, hearing those words came out of his mouth added more fuel to my racing heart.

I was scared and sad. Who would ever know the outcome of this and I fear the unknown would break me. "I don't know what to do, Alfie," I mumbled. The overwhelming worry and emotion made my eyes sting.

The alarm clock suddenly went off, performing its usual duty as time reminder. I blinked away the tears in my eyes and got up from the bed. While I prepared for my last day of the exam, Alfie silently watched me. He wore his expected blank expression.

Before I kissed his cheek to say goodbye as I did for the past few days, his lips unlatched.

"Wish luck... Charis," he said.

Distracted by his words, I didn't realise he turned his head. And when the kiss accidentally landed on his lips, my eyes boggled out in surprise.

I clasped my mouth as the heat rose to my cheeks. Only the sound of my mother clearing her throat pulled me out of my dreamy state. I saw her smirking silly as she leaned on the side of my bedroom door frame.

"I didn't see anything, " she said, holding her hands up stating her innocence.

"It's an accident." I bent my head to hide my flushed face and rushed to the main door.

"Honey, " she called out to me.

I halted and turned my head towards her, letting out a hum as my reply.

"I got two days off. You should join your school field trip. It will be suspicious if you don't go."

Suspicious?

The thought bothered me, but I didn't have time to think about it since I was already late. "Okay, if you say so, " I replied with a smile and stepped outside.

Late was practically not in any part of my vocabulary, so I was a little nervous when I saw the empty school ground. Nevertheless, Alatha was still present in the corridor. A smile registered on her face from a distance.

Her long legs only took a few quick steps to close us in. "You are late, " she commented.

"I was talking with my mom about the trip and-- "

"So, can you go?" she interjected.

Thankfully the trip enticed her more that she didn't push about my new tardy accomplishment.

I was about to tell her the good news, but suddenly a book flew past me, just barely missing an inch from my face as it hit the wall.

"What the heck!" Alatha fumed.

She pulled me and placed me behind her when a particular angry girl sauntered towards us. Another girl was trailing behind in an attempt to stop her but failed miserably when she was pushed aside.

To be continued...

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