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June 11th Three Weeks Later
The rain pounded on the roof of the apartment room, and Emma heaved a sigh of satisfaction as she cut the onions while listening to classical music. Once she was done, she grabbed the already peeled potatoes and was about to cut them into cubes when there was a knock on the door. After quick thinking, she decided to look at the last text between her and Gwen before answering the door.
Emma: Are you coming over?425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVdWMJ2Yb36
I am making kare raisu
Gwen: I would love to come425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWZrPPgSkSc
but I can't today. I am kinda busy.
Emma: Really?
Gwen: Yes. Maybe next time.
The knocking continued as she stared at the conversation on her phone. 'She said she wasn't coming today. Then who is behind the door?'
"Emma?" a familiar voice called. "Emma, it's me Jake."
Hearing that, she quickly turned off the music and waited for him to take the hint and leave, but he continued to knock on the door.
"I know you are in there Emma," he yelled loudly. "I can hear your music!"
"Shoot!" she hissed in annoyance.
"Emma! Let me in!" Jake whined this time, banging loudly on the door, making her pinch the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Please let me in! It's cold and I am going to catch hypothermia if you don't. Please!"
Soaked and under the pounding rain outside, Jake waited until he heard shuffling feet behind the door, followed by the sound of it being unlocked. His heart skipped a beat as it opened, revealing an annoyed-looking girl. Just as he was about to let himself in, she barricaded his way with her body.
"What are you doing here?" she hissed.
"I...I came t...to see you..." he stammered, shivering violently to show how cold he was. "M...may I come in?"
Emma took a good look at his clothing: a really thin white shirt that clung to his body thanks to it being soaked with rain water, long brown baggy trousers with slippers, no sweater, no umbrella or raincoat. He was the complete opposite of what one would wear when it rains.
"You mean to tell me that you ran in the rain just to see me?" she asked, finally looking at his face.
Jake looked down at his appearance and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Actually, I was in the neighbourhood when the rain started. Since my home is far from here, I thought it would be best I came to see you. I hope you don't mind me staying until the rain stops."
Despite his words, Emma was still sceptical about his appearance, but she knew she couldn't leave him soaked and shivering like a wet cat under the rain. With a huge sigh, she stepped aside and let him in.
"Thank you," he whispered, walking into the threshold and taking off his slippers. "It's a good thing I wore these. I planned on wearing my sneakers today but I changed my mind last minute."
Emma didn't respond. She quickly rushed up the stairs to her room, grabbed spare towels from the drawers, came back down and gave it to him. "Here dry yourself with these."
"Thank you," he took a quick sniff and frowned.
"Don't worry, they are clean," she hissed.
'I know. I am just upset it doesn't have your scent.' he thought while drying his hair. "Do you have any spare clothes I can wear?"
"I am sorry, but I don't," she replied, putting away the old model of the Bluetooth radio. Then a thought hit her. "I have a baggy sweater that might fit. You can wear it while your clothes dry."
His face brightened at the thought of wearing her clothes and he quickly coughed and covered his mouth. "Y...yes thank you."
As Emma walked up the stairs, Jake quickly assessed the living room. 'Everything still looks the same except it's cleaner now.' He sniffed the air. 'Was she cooking something before I came here?'
"Here," Emma's voice laced with annoyance, caught him off guard, and when he looked at her, he saw the upset look on her face.
'She looks so cute when she is annoyed,' he hummed, collecting the shirt from her. He took a quick sniff before taking off his clothes. "How are you doing?"
"I am fine, thank you," she replied from the kitchen. "You have been coming here pretty often."
"Well, after that incident in school, I thought it should be a good idea to check on you from time to time." he took off his shirt and trousers before wearing the woolly sweater, enveloping himself with her scent, which made him shiver. "You don't like me coming over?"
"No, I don't."
Her sharp reply made him pause, and he painfully bit his bottom lip to hide the smile creeping up his face. "I am only trying to look out for you."
Silence took over the room, punctuated by the sound of the flames of the stove being brought to life and the knife hitting the chopping board. She knew it had been weeks since they met at the store and weeks since the incident in school, but nothing happened after that, so there was no reason why he had to invade her life like this. Despite his good intentions, his presence was starting to suffocate her, but what annoyed her the most was his ability to appear at her doorstep when she made plans to leave the apartment to help the rest of the students investigate the curse surrounding the school or when she wanted to visit Gwen.
'At least he is coming when my aunt isn't here,' she thought as the glistening knife blade sliced through the meat, transforming it into thin strips. 'That woman would drain him dry when she learns how much money he has.'
'Don't be rude.' Emma's inner voice cautioned and she rolled her eyes.
"Your apartment smells lovely," his comment interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see him leaning on the doorframe wearing nothing but his underwear and the oversized woolly sweater. "What are you making?"
She ignored him, pushed the sliced beef aside on the kitchen table and his jaw clenched in irritation because he hated it when she ignored him. He watched her cut the vegetables and when she was done, she poured some oil into the pot. The oil heated up quickly and the kitchen was filled with the sound of onions and diced garlic simmering in the oil for a few minutes and she carefully added the sliced beef strips. 425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE04Gu4htGX
As he watched her stir the pot, his mind drifted back to the message Agatha sent him yesterday: 'Gwen invited her to investigate another abandoned building tonight. You know what to do.'
'It had been four weeks since that incident in your room and caution has been your best friend,' he thought to himself and chuckled as she poured the rest of the vegetables inside the pot and sautéd it. 'But I can't help but laugh at the fact you are terrified of me because you shouldn't be because I am taking care of you.'
Unbeknownst to his thoughts about her, Emma poured the beef stock, covered the pot started looking for the packet of curry roux blocks she had bought three days earlier.
"Do you need help?" he asked.
"No thank you," she replied, opening the kitchen drawers. A few minutes later, she found the packet, tore it open and snapped out two blocks before putting them inside the pot. Turning the stove's nob increased the volume of its flames, bringing the contents to a boil as she scooped out some rice in a bowl and placed the contents under a tap of running water.
"Let me help you with that," Jake quickly closed the distance between them and grabbed the bowl before she could protest.
As he washed the rice, his eyes wandered to the rice cooker he bought when they went shopping together. 'I am happy to see it's being put to good use despite the fact she was worried about how much it would cost us when I put it in our cart.'
He signed at the memory and poured out the rice water as she opened the pot filling the room with a delicious smell. Despite wearing a huge T-shirt that covered her down to her knees, Jake's eyes could still make out her figure through the fabric and could make out her signature black shorts underneath the cloth.
'Why are you avoiding me? You reported me to the police twice, changed your phone number, changed the locks on your front door and window, started going to school early to avoid walking with me...' he hummed out loud and sighed. 'At least your aunt gave me the spare keys to the apartment.'
He placed the rice in the machine, turned it on and leaned back on the sink. Thirsty, he opened the cabinet, grabbed a cup and poured himself a glass of water. 'You aren't making it easy for me to love you Beloved, and it breaks my heart.'
"Curry is done," Emma announced, then she turned around to see him drinking a cup of water. "Jake,"
"Hmm?" he his eyes looking up from the rim of the cup.
"Where did you find that cup?"
He nearly choked on the water but stilled himself to relax. "From the open cabinet. Besides," he added. "I was thirsty and, guessing by your behaviour, you weren't going to give me anything, so I helped myself,"
Hearing this, Emma narrowed her eyes and looked at the open cupboard, which held the cups and plates, before looking at him. 'But the cabinet was closed. How did he know where to find the cups?'425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ30ci0liM93
Fortunately for Jake, her hunger stopped her from swelling too much on that. So she leaned back on the kitchen table and folded her arms under her chest. "Well, I suppose that's one way to justify taking something without permission. But next time, ask instead of assuming you won't get what you want."
Her words stung, but it put a smile on his face. "You sound upset. Who put you in a bad mood?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTAKCnuGqmy
She ignored him and started preparing the kitchen table for the meal while Jake blushed and sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "I am sorry."
He wasn't, and she knew it. "Can you help me bring the dishes, please?"
"Sure. Which cabinet are they in?" he asked.
"They are in the same cabinet where you got the cup," she replied without looking up.
"Okay," he turned around and grabbed the items. By the time the rice was done, the table was set, and they were eating quietly.
'Despite everything that has happened to you, I finally discovered the reason why you like that fantasy series; you have a crush on the actors playing the main cast. You told your friends you like a partner with long black hair, strong, someone who knows how to defend you, wields a sword, who is honest, loving, and trusting, just like the main couple. So I trimmed my hair, changed my wardrobe, and joined the martial arts club to get your attention. The downside about this is I am starting to attract unwanted attention from the opposite sex, and it is driving you away,' he placed another spoonful of rice in his mouth. 'I wish they left us alone.'
He looked up and saw Emma putting her old phone down with a disappointed look on her face.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked with concern.
"No, it's nothing," she replied.
"How have you been?" he asked, breaking the silence between them. "Anything exciting?"
"Hmm?" She quickly looked up and shook her head. "No. It's nothing exciting has been going on."
"I see," and they continued to eat in silence while he continued to muse over the events in her life.
'Nevertheless, I also realised that you started going to that new manga store that just opened this week,' he thought, putting another spoonful of food into his mouth. 'The place looks alright and is located in a well-protected area, but no one ever visits because of the owner, it doesn't stop you from going there. It seems like a haven for you, and that's fine with me, but I need to investigate the owner.'
"I hope you are doing okay," he said as they washed the dishes together. "Do you want me to accompany you to school tomorrow?"
"No thanks," Emma turned to look at him. "I want to go by myself this time."
"Okay," Jake replied despite irritation pricking him as silence took over the room. "Okay."
June 13th
4:30P.M425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB30kw0EZp8
The clock ticked loudly in the classroom as Emma looked at the cards in her hands, and she sighed at the pair. Looking up, she saw the smirk on Gwen's face and knew she was going to lose again and hummed loudly.
"Here," she said, showing her cards.
Gwen laughed in victory and showed her cards. "It looks like I win again."
Emma smiled weakly and looked away.
"What's wrong?" Gwen asked with fake concern.
"It's about Jake," Emma started, and she looked at her friend with tired eyes. "He has been...how do I put this..."
Gwen leaned forward on the desk that separated them and probed her elbow on the wooden table. "What did he do?"
"He has been invading my life." Emma finally said, embarrassment hanging in her voice. "And it's been getting annoying."
"Really?" Gwen's face still showed fake concern, but inside she was laughing. "This is the first boy who has been giving you trouble. Could it be that he likes you?"
Hearing this gave Emma a thought, and she gave a stiff shrug. "Maybe."
"Then maybe he is doing this because he likes you," Gwen suggested.
"Yeah. I have to admit, he is my type."
"Your type?"
"Yeah. He is tall, handsome, with long hair, knows how to do martial arts, smart..."
"What about his attitude?" Gwen interrupted. "You told me you like honest guys."
"Yeah, and I am yet to see that in him, and like I said, he is getting annoying. Remember that night we were to explore that unfinished building?"
"Mmm hmm?"
"Well, he appeared at my apartment door and insisted on following to wherever I was going." Emma huffed and folded her arms under her chest. "I had to stay home and entertain him for a while."
Gwen's eyes secretly flashed at that statement. "'Entertain him'?"
"Don't get it twisted, Gwen," Emma said quickly. "We just watched TV and talked. Well...I was the one who did most of the talking while he looked at me with those...terrifying huge eyes."
"Oh," Gwen was disappointed at that. "You said you had a stalker, right?"
"Mmm hmm."
"Could it be that he is your stalker?"
Emma looked at her with confusion written on her face, but thought about it for a moment. "I don't think so. He looks..."
"Looks to what?" Gwen asked. "Soft? Calm? Stupid?"
"Well..." Emma was trying to find a way to put her feelings into words. "He looks too perfect to be a stalker."
"Too perfect?"
Emma nodded with affirmation. "People like him, who are perfect, can slip up when it comes to things like this. They would be sloppy, and it would take them a year to perfect them. I would have caught him stalking me months ago."
Gwen huffed at that and shuffled the cards they were playing in silent frustration. As they played another game, Emma's words replayed in her head, and she slowly concluded that she might be right. Jake was everything she wasn't: handsome, popular, and perfect. He was too perfect to be a stalker. However, she also learned that he was rich, although that was a rumour spread by the other girls in the school.
'But if the rumours are true, could it be that he paid someone else to stalk her? If so, who would it be?' she thought.
Despite the lingering distraction in her mind, she won the game and offered to walk her home.
"I forgot to ask this, but how did he know the way to your house?" Gwen asked as they walked home in silence.
"He told me he takes this route on his way to school," Emma replied. "Which was odd because I have never seen him come this way before."
"Oh, he is an early bird. I always see him with the early students." Gwen suggested and hummed out loud. "Now that I think about it, he has stopped doing that."
Emma sighed loudly.
"Why don't you tell him to stop?" she asked.
"I did," Emma replied. "He must have stuffed tofu in his ears."
Gwen laughed loudly at the joke but huffed silently in annoyance. Nothing was going according to plan because of a popular perfect student, and she hated it.
'It would be easier to eliminate him once and for all,' she thought to herself. 'But this means I have to find where that jerk lives. Killing him on the school grounds would be risky because he is surrounded by students. Maybe I should disguise myself as Emma, lure him to the school grounds and eliminate him. It worked for Brandon but...'
She glanced back at Emma and silently gritted her teeth. 'At least I can use this to get her to trust me.'
"Umm...Emma?"
"Hmm?"
"What's your favourite food?"
Hearing this, Emma beamed with relief and started to talk about her favourite things. Gwen took note of all these things and grew increasingly frustrated at the lack of information to blackmail or convince her to sign the contract. She saw Emma off at her apartment building and quickly walked to the bus stop.
The bus came thirty minutes later, and she walked inside the vehicle, keeping her head high and ignoring the gazes the passengers gave her. Taking a seat near the window, she stewed at the fact that Emma proudly declared that she did ballet, but an 'accident' during her solo performance put an end to her dreams.
'I wonder how a girl with such a big chest could do ballet,' she gave a mocking chuckle at the sheer audacity. 'It's no mystery why she was picked. She would look so sexy in a ballet suit, especially with that figure of hers.'
The image of Emma wearing a typical ballet body-hugging figure, standing in a crowded room filled with ballet stars laughing at her, flashed in her mind, and Gwen laughed silently. She wondered what the 'accident' was that caused her to stop doing ballet, and many theories surfaced, each more humiliating than the last. Excitement brewed inside her when she stepped off the bus and walked to her house.
Her home was a silent abode with pictures of her family hanging on the walls, and in her bedroom, the shelf holding her trophies she won in martial arts tournaments many years ago, the symbols of her existence in this world. Gwen took her time to admire the trophies with hidden scorn in her eyes before her eyes fell on a picture of four girls wearing ballet costumes and striking cute poses.
'If only you didn't get in my way. At least you are useful to me now.' she turned her attention to the computer. 'Now I have another one to get rid of.'
The rain catcher hanging outside her window started to move violently, signalling an oncoming storm. By the time Gwen was settled in front of the computer, the wind picked up the speed the raindrops were beating on the roofs. She moved the cursor towards the internet's search engine and typed the words, 'Emma Cross-wood'.
'I never got to know who you are,' she thought, hitting the 'enter' key on the keyboard. 'Now let's see who you really are.'
Emma's profile slowly appeared, and Gwen sneered at her smiling picture. Scrolling down showed more pictures of her in a tight ballet suit until the photo of her dressed in a white ballet dress performing a Sauté with a smile on her face appeared.
'I need to get rid of you before you get in my way,' she thought as her eyes flickered with rage clicked on the link and it led her to a school's website page called: Peterson Highschool Website but when she clicked on the student's profile tab to search for her, Emma's name wasn't there.
"Interesting," she hummed.
Then her phone rang, breaking the silence, and she answered it, "Hello?"
"I have an assignment for you." Caroline's voice boomed through the device.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"That boy who is hanging around Emma. Get rid of him."
Gwen passed a hand over her face and nodded. "I'll do it."
"Good."
The call ended, and Gwen's fingers danced on the keyboard again, typing out Jake's name on the global search engine, but nothing appeared.
'What the...' she typed his name again using the school's search engine, and when his profile came up, she smiled. 'The idiot is a loner so framing him should be easy.'
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