Chapter VII: The Trip Home
Story’s timeline: 17/05/2023 late at night
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ79StyXNrci
The students were walking and Adelle worriedly looked around for Nick. Nick was way behind with another group of students. Adelle kept thinking about what would happen if Nick forgot to sit next to her. She knew he wouldn’t forget but there was an aching worry that it would happen. The bus had already arrived. Adelle started overthinking about what would happen. She knew she’d better ask Shanice what to do.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbijvpQTUDs
Adelle: Shanice? Nick is all the way behind. How will I ask Nick to sit next to me again? Go up to him and ask him.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJ5MbbtdNd
Shanice: Just do that.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN83lZV4pEi
Adelle: Alright then.. I hope this goes well.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavEQ6DV93i
Adelle walked up close to Nick.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdP7g9xn7w3
Nick: So we’re sitting next to each other again?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhM3OI4fVeZ
Adelle: Yes. (said as she smiled)
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzb5NCqjcCn
Nick smiled back at her and let Adelle walk up the bus first. Adelle felt so lucky to know this gentleman as her crush. Like earlier, she rushed into the seat and got the window seat again. She looked at Nick and smiled at him again. Adelle couldn’t help but smile. Nick just made her too happy. She even took out her phone for a little bit to banter on text with Shanice.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTJqL4j09y2
Adelle sat awkwardly next to Nick.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8jY8tQ405C
Nick: We’ve met again.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvexKbKgl1E
Adelle: Yes we have. Ooo there’s a paper in this compartment. (a paper stuck in between the hook of the bus seat)
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4tIHyhsisk
Adelle: Mirror mirror on the wall. Your birthday is on 2nd May.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXlhexga1wn
Nick: What? That’s my birthday!
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFAgIYhrUih
Adelle: Wait really?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE1Ld8bvo3x
Nick: Yes!
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdUcvD9eFli
Adelle: Are you joking..?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA3XnBxWDnw
Nick: No.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YziCfN1AA
Adelle: The paper was empty. I just said whatever that was on my mind.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHp7tIG7KNz
Nick then stared at Adelle like she was some sort of psychic. Adelle just smiled at him and turned to the window to overreact.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBwdsmvVnhB
Adelle: Do you ever use photoshop for anything? Have you ever used it for anything?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc5dFdjJ2Yy
Nick: No but I’d use it to edit my pimples.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsz1oSKDx6
Adelle’s POV:
To be honest, I never noticed Nick had pimples. He’s just so perfect in my eyes.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxmBDXZDDOh
Adelle: Speaking of pimples, when I care about my face, I get pimples, but when I don’t care the pimples disappear.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj0MY5CDbm6
Nick: You don’t have to care about them then.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrjzTtd5bqp
Adelle: Well, if I really don’t care, my face would look like pepperoni pizza. Or like my face now.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTSwBxyzEJt
Nick: Pepperoni pizza is still nice you know?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcJWqN1Deaj
Adelle was speechless and just smiled at him again. She looked in front and blushed a little. She had more small talk with Nick and it just made Adelle so happy. However, her happiness started fading away as she took a look at the familiar highway. The same highway the bus travelled across at the start of the trip. They were coming back on campus soon. Adelle knew she had to talk as much as she could.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIoATgCG2Nj
Adelle: Do teachers use you as a good example during attire checks?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjQ1tAptqcb
Nick: Yes. I even conduct the attire check sometimes.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0FngdcaAqi
Adelle: WHAT HOW?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNiFhSZNFQV
Adelle: Isn’t it annoying to cut your nails? (as Adelle stared at her long nails)
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGL06nmLyH3
Nick: I don’t like cutting my nails.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWkjEEzfPZM
Adelle: Would you report my nails to the teacher? (Adelle showed Nick her nails)
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu4xAxUm9KM
Nick: No.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDd4p9AWcxR
Nick: Actually, your nails look quite nice.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5TXosKnV4t
Nick’s POV:
Her nails look so nice. It looks so solid, Her fingernails are natural, slick and glossy. Such nice nails. Now why didn’t I notice it earlier?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcZCSFP574r
Adelle: Oh thank you. (she said as she smiled)
Nick started staring at Adelle with his huge, deep eyes without blinking. Adelle chuckled a little and stared back while staring away to keep her composure. Her gaze kept turning back to meet Nick’s eyes as Nick continued staring. “Is this a staring competition?” asked Adelle. “Yes, and you’ve already lost,” replied Nick. Adelle then gave Nick a little jump scare and he got a little scared. Nick blinked and Adelle laughed. Her laughter seized when she noticed the even more familiar road.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeLHyWCDmLZ
“We’ve arrived,” Adelle said with a sad tone in her voice. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Nick. Nick stared at Adelle longingly.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡorGJdbf8rL
Nick’s POV:
We’ve arrived… I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to leave her. If only I could just give her a hug before we leave... I know what to do now.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEbxHgw1MSo
Adelle and Nick alighted the bus together and stood by the school. The moon glowed brightly and beamed radiantly on the trees and ground. There, Nick and Adelle were standing. Dead in the night with absolute silence, besides the students rushing for the last train in the subway and the crickets chirping. They stared into each other’s eyes. Nick reached out his arms and wrapped his arms around Adelle’s waist. Adelle squealed a little but quickly loosened up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies touched each other and they both stood there in an embrace.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsKY949IUzg
Adelle’s POV:
OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M HUGGING NICK RIGHT NOW. He is so huggable like my teddy bear. Oh if only he could replace the teddy bear on my bed. I just feel so loved right now. I think he loves me. He really does.. I love him so much.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeTrntswDS
Nick’s POV:
Adelle is so cute and pretty especially when I hug her. I love her. To be honest, when I first saw her sleeping in class, I thought she was really cute. I know she’s been watching me every recess. It’s so cute. Now I realised... I already fell in love with her the first time I met her but she kept running away and I thought she disliked me. So I gave up on chasing her. But now, I get my true love’s hug from her!
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEOTXQEAib
After their long embrace, Nick and Adelle stared at each other in awkward silence. Adelle broke the silence with a shaky voice, still in shock from what had just happened.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuwDXBRT8AY
Adelle: Why did you hug me?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW0MSsLRBTw
Nick: It felt right. I thought you’d want one.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8QIMI0czUo
Adelle: You’re right. That felt great actually. I needed that.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNGpZeJj1Vw
Nick: I’m glad you liked it.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZtTGERSQi
<awkward silence>
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwT8KaB4ShL
Nick: Shall I send you home?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXCNuSvgPWk
Adelle: Oh you don’t have to.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Wl1LbQJ4v
Nick: It’s already 11 pm... It’s late. I want to make sure you’re safe.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhvEgIuLc5V
Adelle: Only if you insist.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9OxccJlDx4
They started walking towards the subway together. Adelle stared down at her feet, amazed at what had just happened. It took a while for Adelle to make sense of what had just happened. Then when she did. She started blushing heavily. She grabbed Nick by the shoulder and dug her face into his chest.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0sNtsZXQe
Nick’s POV:
OH MY OH MY OH MY I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S ACTUALLY DOING THIS. SHE’S SO ADORABLE WHEN SHE’S EMBARRASSED. I DON’T THINK SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE JUST DID...
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcmZhZ840IZ
Adelle: I can’t stop thinking about what you did just now.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpCtSscm8x
Nick: Oh I’m sorry, did I scare you? I know this may come off as creepy but I think I caught a little something from me earlier.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZtEibBmMUt
Adelle: Caught what?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMz8gsok4uE
Adelle’s POV:
Did I really just bury my face into his chest? I can’t believe I did that. It’s so embarrassing.. And now he said I caught something from him. I think I know what it is. I caught his heart, didn’t I? Okay Adelle, don’t go feral now, and don’t do what you just did. Maybe he meant something else. He means something else doesn’t he?
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3kbVJzl7F
Nick: You caught my heart.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFsn9VtTREw
Adelle gasped. Her jaw dropped in shock. She felt a surge of euphoria run through her veins as she rejoiced internally. She smiled once again.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9H7KdOTaEG
Adelle: OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlXraQWxADN
Adelle: Well.. you caught my heart too.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0WriTsujG
Nick said nothing and looked over at Adelle. It felt as if time stopped just for him to look at his beloved Adelle. He was thinking of his future with Adelle when the train arrived. Adelle’s train was going in a different direction from where he was supposed to go but he didn’t mind and just went in with Adelle.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY2vooF4p5P
When Adelle alighted at her stop, they waved each other goodbye and walked away. After walking a reasonable distance away from Nick, Adelle started covering her face and silently screeching.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7LjK3DFAWp
Adelle’s POV:
How sweet of him to follow me to my stop. He really is the one.. And that hug? I could dream about it all day. I just... miss him already. I wish he and I could just remain in that position forever. If only I could just take him home. Maybe I could give him a gift. I know I don’t typically do gifts but... he’s worthy so I don’t mind.
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1eMC4z8OWr
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfzFq4VugN4
112Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxxi3r0s8xD
