THE BOND: CONNECTION BEGINS: VOLUME 1

By DENIS DANIEL

"In 'Echoes of a Silent Past: Unveiling Truths in Small Town Shadows,' Donald Sadler, a young man grappling with the mysterious circumstances surrounding his mother's death, embarks on a journey to uncover hidden truths about his family's history. As he navigates the complexities of small-town life, dark secrets unravel, leading him to unexpected encounters with an elusive girl and triggering a series of events that challenge his perceptions of reality. Filled with suspense, emotional depth, and unexpected twists, this tale explores the intersections of loss, identity, and the relentless pursuit of the truth in the face of a haunting past."

 

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookRix
• Release date: Jan 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9783755465539

Book preview

PROLOGUE

The car raced through town, but I couldn’t understand where we were going or why we were going so fast. I was scared and worried that something might happen to us. It was dark outside, and my vision was blurred with the speed of the car. I didn’t understand; we never go out this late at night. I wanted to ask Dad what was going on, but his face was fixed on the road, and if I could guess, he looked scared. My dad is never scared, until that day. He didn’t seem like he wanted to talk either.

I sat in the passenger seat quietly and confused, but I had no fear because I was with Dad. I was thinking, as long as I am with Dad, everything will be okay. But we came to an abrupt halt that pulled me back to the seatbelt.

He quickly opened the door, got out, and rushed to my side; then everything happened so quickly after. The only thing I noticed was he was carrying me and running towards the hospital entrance. I knew I wasn’t sick, so I didn’t understand why he was rushing me to the hospital. He barged in, and before I could ask him, he set me down and went to talk to the lady at the reception desk. Then he waited a while, and soon the doctor came, and they talked about something that I didn’t really understand because their voices were very low. Afterwards, I saw my father looking down on the floor with a dreadful expression and despair on his face. He was so sad; it terrified me.

He was quiet the rest of the time we drove home, and I was afraid to ask him questions. I'd never seen my father with such a grave expression before, and that terrified me. So, I kept quiet and just let him be, hoping he would say something later. Also, something was off, but I didn't know what exactly at first. Then, we got home, and he wasn't in a rush to get out of the car as he was at the hospital. We stayed in the car, and my father stayed there in the parking lot without getting out or letting me out. After a while, he let out a heavy sigh and led us into the house. I remember sleeping very uncomfortably that day. I remember asking about mom, but Dad said she wasn't coming home.

That was all he said about it, and we never talked about her again. I also remember there were a lot of people at our home wearing black clothes, and we went somewhere there were a lot of headstones and crying and sad people and a coffin. I didn't understand what was happening then because everything happened so fast, and Dad didn't explain much to me. I'd never been to a funeral either, so I was kind of confused. I never saw my mother again after that.

Years later, I’d see her face in my head as I walked on the street, at home, in school, and at the dining table. I didn’t know who this girl was, but I knew she must be someone important. Why I was seeing someone I’d never seen before, I didn’t understand, but I knew she was pretty, and I wished many times to see her in person.

 Sometimes I even wondered if she was real or just a figment of my imagination. It was hard to tell, but I was so used to having her face in my head that she was a part of my life. At times, I thought I created her to fill the void of losing my mother. But either way, it was not normal, but I made it normal to me. I didn’t mind having to live with an imaginary girl in my head. It was part of me, and I didn’t plan on changing it. I’d never thought I would ever see her in real life; I never even thought she was a real person. I never told anyone about her either because who would ever believe me.

It would only make things worse for me. But I knew if there was anyone I was meant to be with, I knew it would be this girl. The only job I was left with was to find out if this girl was a real person. But it made me wonder if she was a real person, was it possible that she saw me in her head as well? The day we met, I wondered what I would say to her. I wondered what her voice would sound like and if she would speak English or a different language. But I thought about this enough times to just let the vision of her face pass without giving it much consideration.

Perhaps she is meant to just stay in my head.

**ONE:

Year 2010

I was seven when my mother died, and ever since, I have been living with my father in a small house. It's not that small though; it's moderate. We reside in a small town near the beach, a very calm town. I guess that's why my parents chose to live here, neither of them were born in this town. I was in high school, and I didn't know most of the students. The only friend I ever had left town with his family. I was alone and bored, but I got used to it after some time.

My dad owns a garage and a small shop not very far from home. That's where he has been spending most of his time ever since mom passed away. He never goes anywhere apart from working at the garage and coming back home later in the evening. Mom's death really affected him.

And that is the question I had to ask him. What really happened to mom back then that affected him so much that he couldn't get over it? But the truth is, I was concerned about that myself. I wanted to know what really killed mom because I don't have any memories of going to the hospital to visit her.

I don't know why I came up with the idea after all these years, but it didn't matter anyway. I wanted to ask Dad, even though I knew he wouldn't like to talk about it. But I wanted to try to get something out of him.

I got home late that day. As always, Dad was already home, and he had already prepared dinner. He was in the living room reading a magazine.

Hello, son, he said.

Hi, Dad.

How was school?

Fine.

Dinner is ready.

OK.

Aren't you going to eat?

Yes, I will.

When?

Now, I'm just changing these clothes.

Oh! Right, I'll be waiting. Just don't take too long like you always do.

OK, I won't.

My name is Donald. My dad's name is Robert Sadler, and my mom's was Tess. We live in Greenport town, a beautiful small town. I've always liked it. Most kids my age like to travel, but I never had a desire to. That's why some even wonder what's wrong with me. They think I'm not normal. After I changed, I went downstairs to the dining room.

There I found my dad had already prepared everything. My dad is a very good cook and also likes to cook. So he cooks almost every day, except on weekends. Those days, it's my duty to cook, which we often skip, and he always takes me out. We started eating, and I wanted to ask him. But I couldn't, because I was thinking about how he would react. But then I was so quiet that it made Dad ask me,

What is it? Why are you so quiet? Did something happen at school?

No.

What's wrong then?

Dad, how did Mom die?

Son, what are you talking about? Who wants to know?

Nobody, it's just me. I was wondering if you could tell me about it.

OK, I can't tell you anything.

Don't I have the right to know, Dad? I know you know. Just tell me what killed Mom.

I just told you, I don't know anything. I found her taken to the hospital, and the doctors said she had an accident. That's all I know.

I could see him lying to me. He obviously wasn't telling the truth and thought I couldn't see it. But I didn't keep talking because I knew he would not tell me the truth. I wondered why he was making it so important to keep the truth from me. However, I planned on finding the truth at all costs. I didn't care if he would accept it or not. It seemed like he lost his appetite after talking about Mom's death, and he said,

Finish your dinner and go wash these dishes. It's getting late, and you need to get up early for school.

From that day on, we never talked about Mom again because it upset Dad greatly. Among the things I hate is making him angry. I went to sleep for school tomorrow. But before I slept, I had to do my homework from school. I have always been doing that, finishing my homework before I sleep.

At school, there was nothing exciting; it was the same. The only thing that was different was that the following day was the weekend. Most people have parties, trips, and a lot of fun on weekends, but for me, it was just working in the garage or my dad's shop. I left school in the evening after spending some time in the library. When I was on my way home, I saw some kids beating another one. He looked younger than the one hitting him. I went to help him, but when they saw me, they ran and left the other one on the ground. He was hurt but got up and gawked at me and took off. I left him and took my bicycle and started heading home, wondering what was wrong with him. Was helping him really that bad to get angry at me too?

I knew his name was Carlos. He lived a few streets from ours. He was always alone and didn't like to talk to people; he was weird. I got home, and Dad wasn't back yet, so I went to my room. I opened my laptop, which is a little old-fashioned but still working. I checked if I had any emails and found I had two emails from my friend Jason, who left town a few weeks ago to Australia with his family.

He said,

Hey, dude, why didn't you text me the way we agreed? I waited till I got tired. Just text me as soon as you get this, OK? Or did you get sick? Just tell me what is wrong.

He repeated that email over and over again until I got bored. It's true that we agreed to text each other frequently, but I got swamped with things. And I didn't send any, but I replied this time.

Hey, calm down, OK? I'm all right. It's just that I had a lot of things going on, and I didn't get time to text you back. I'm sorry.

It was already evening. The sun was moving slowly to the west, and darkness was taking over. I went downstairs, and Dad wasn't back yet, so I decided to prepare dinner so that when he came back, he wouldn't have to think about what to cook.

I prepared lasagna and juice, and I also prepared some fruits. My dad always says fruits are the most important part of the meal. He doesn't like any meal without fruits; he says the meal is not complete. As soon as I finished, he came, and the first thing he said was,

Oh, that smells good, son. You are a good cook, just like your mother. His voice sounded eager, maybe to test the food that covered its smell all over the house.

Hello to you too, Dad.

Oh, sorry. Hello, son. This smell caught my thoughts; it made me forget that I didn't greet you.

If that's so, why don't you sit down and have something to eat.

And you prepared a complete meal with my favorite part of the meal, well done. But you forgot water.

You can replace it with juice, Dad, I answered in disagreement, knowing very well what he would say next. Despite that, I got up to get some water, and he said his usual doctorial concept.

You know how important water is, right? It can't be replaced with anything.

I got the water, and then we had dinner. We ate dinner a little bit longer than usual due to our conversation about school and Dad's customers.

After dinner, I took the dishes and washed them. It was a family rule to wash dishes after every meal, especially after dinner, because in the morning, everyone is busy. I finished washing and put the dishes in the cupboard. Finally, it was time to go to sleep; I was exhausted.

Goodnight, Dad, I said as I left him watching some basketball match on TV.

Goodnight, son, he replied, as he always did.

That day was over, and it was time to rest, preparing for another day full of activities because tomorrow was the weekend. I always helped Dad at the garage or the shop, and afterward, I'd prepare dinner in the evening.

It was Saturday; I woke up late, and Dad was already at the garage. I had some juice and bread, and then I went to the garage. That's where I spent most of my time on weekends. I found Dad there; he was already cleaning spare parts of some cars, and eventually, he saw me.

Morning, son. Long night, huh? he asked.

Yeah. What shall I help you with, Dad?

I think you should go and help me open that shop.

Sure, I said as I headed toward the shop. It wasn't too far from the garage, just the other side of the garage. My dad had been with that shop even before he got the garage, perhaps even before I was born.

It had been his life. He cared for the shop more than anything, and he never let anyone talk ill of the shop, not while he was around. That made me respect the shop, even though it wasn't that big.

The shop was really dirty when I got there. I wondered how somebody could survive in an environment like that without getting sick. But I understood why Dad never got time to clean it up. He had been very busy repairing broken cars, and he hardly opened the shop.

I helped him clean up somehow so that the shop wouldn't be so dirty. It was a significant task, but I managed to finish cleaning it up. Around eleven in the morning, a girl came. I was at the back of the shop when I heard someone calling from outside.

**TWO** Unexpected Encounters

Her voice was that of a young person, the same age as me. I wondered what someone like her would be doing in a spare shop. I got to the front to see my customer. I was shocked to see her face. Actually, I felt like I was looking at a model; she was incredibly beautiful, and I stood there, staring without knowing what to say. Her face looked very familiar, but I couldn’t understand why.

She was looking at me, covered in dust everywhere. She didn’t show any annoyance; instead, she smiled and said, Hi, you're really getting into your work.

Hi, I said with a nervous smile while checking my dirty clothes, feeling a little embarrassed.

She continued, I was looking for oil for my car.

I kept looking at her like I was frozen. I wasn’t even sure if I had heard her correctly, so I had to ask her again, as if waking up from a daydream. Excuse me, you said?

I was looking for oil to put in my car, her voice remained calm. I thought she would be mad at me for ignoring her, but she wasn’t.

I took a look at her car; it was a new BMW model. It was a cool car. I turned back to her and instructed, Wait right here; I’ll be back. Don’t go anywhere. I insisted and left.

I won’t, she said while watching me head to the garage.

She smiled, and I had never seen such a beautiful smile before; her teeth were as bright as snow on the mountains.

I returned with my dad because I didn’t know most of the things yet. I wasn’t an expert; I needed more time to learn about cars. And I didn’t want to give her the wrong oil.

My dad greeted her, Hello.

Hi.

So, what did you say you want again?

I, um, oil! she sounded surprised, and she looked at me. I looked away; I couldn’t believe my dad had actually forgotten what I had told him.

Oh, yeah, Donald told me already; I forgot, he said with a teasing voice, as if he were joking or something. Then he asked, Oil for which part of the car do you need, miss?

Um, actually, I think engine oil.

That one will be fifty-eight dollars, the best one.

Sure.

Son, come here, help Miss... he didn’t know her name yet, to put this oil in her car.

Call me Debianca or Debby, sir.

Yes, Miss Debby.

She wanted to take it herself, but I hurried to help her. I said, Let me help you. She stepped aside without saying a word and opened the trunk door of the car. I placed the gallon in a free space I found, and then she closed the door. Thank you, she said, her face shining with a smile that left me at a loss for words.

I had a moment there, and from nowhere, my dad shouted, Yeah, that's my son, Donald!

Dad, she already knows my name, I said.

He kept talking as if he hadn’t heard me, or maybe he just ignored me, He works with me here on the weekends, but he’s still studying.

She smiled again and said, Nice to meet you, Donald. She extended her hand to me, and I hesitated at first because my hands were very dirty.

It’s fine, she said.

I rubbed them on my dirty pants, hoping they wouldn’t be too dirty. Her hand felt as soft as a baby’s when I touched it. Afterward, she got into her car, and she was gone. I kept watching her car as she left, but to my surprise, she didn’t drive toward the road that led out of town. She just turned a corner a few blocks away, which meant she lived somewhere nearby.

When I was lost in my thoughts, my dad startled me. Do you like her, or have you fallen in love already? he asked teasingly.

No way! How can you possibly think something like that? She’s not even my type.

I don’t believe that’s true.

By the way, Dad, what was that all about? What were you trying to prove?

Well, I saw you taking too long to introduce yourself, so I helped you out. You're supposed to thank me. Ever since your friend left, I haven’t seen you with anyone. You might think I don’t know, but I do, son. I thought you might need some friends around, and when I saw the way she treated you, I was certain you two could be good friends.

Yeah, you’re right, but not like that, Dad. That way is embarrassing, especially in front of a girl. But thanks for caring.

You're my son; who else should I care for besides you? He said it seriously.

Alright, Dad, but I think I need to clean this dust off me before somebody else comes and finds me like this. I was lucky she wasn’t a snobbish person.

Yeah, you're right; you should take a shower.

After that, we went separate ways. Dad went to the shop, and I went to take a shower in the garage bathroom. All I could think about was her; no matter how hard I tried to get her out of my head, she was there, especially that shiny smile on her face. I finished and headed back to the shop, but there I found Dad closing the shop.

I asked him in confusion, Dad, what are you doing?

I’m closing the shop.

Why? It’s not even three yet.

I know. We’re taking a break, and it’s enough for the day. Besides, we’re going somewhere.

I was surprised because I didn’t remember

seeing him do something like this. He always closed the shop in the evening. A very long time had passed since he did something like this.

He added, It’s going to be fun; don’t worry.

Okay, I said in a surprised tone because I wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not.

He took us to the beach, and I went swimming. It’s one of the few things I like doing; Dad didn’t bother; he thought it was childish – swimming, I mean. But the weirdest thing happened, and I was excited and nervous at the same time. Debby, the girl, was at the beach with her family as well. There was a young boy whom I assumed was her younger brother, her parents, and a boy who was much older than her, and I figured he must be her older brother.

I felt a strong urge to go over to her and say hi, but my nerves got the better of me, and I couldn’t do it. And since I assumed she didn’t see me, I pretended like I didn’t see her. Dad was back at the bar, which was a couple of hundred feet from the beach. I didn’t have any excuse for avoiding her, but I was too nervous to go and talk to her. I distracted myself with swimming and stayed in the water as long as I could, hoping she would leave with her family without seeing me.

She was staying with her family at a distance and I kept spying on her. But then, somehow, she disappeared. I looked around the beach, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. I scanned the area, observing everyone, and she was nowhere to be found.

Hi, a voice called from behind me, a voice I had heard before, and I was so shocked I almost drowned.

Hi, I replied, regaining my composure while she laughed at my reaction. I didn’t see you there. I didn’t know you came to the beach.

My family couldn’t resist spending a weekend at the beach, so here we are.

Yeah, I don’t come here very often; it was just a coincidence my dad felt like taking a day off from work.

Yeah, I understand that. My dad is the same; he is never around. He is always working.

Sorry to hear that, I couldn’t help but feel sorry upon hearing that.

It’s okay; I’m used to it.

I didn’t know what to say after that and just stared at her beautiful face, which strangely seemed very familiar. Somehow, I got lost in her eyes, and she was lost in mine, and it was as if we were staring into each other's souls or something. It took a while for us to stop gazing at each other so intensely.

But then my dad called from the beach, embarrassing me yet again in front of her. Sorry, my dad is calling me. I’ve got to go, I told her as if I had just awakened from a daydream or something.

Yeah, she was just as disoriented as I was, so she couldn’t find her words. I didn’t stay in the water; I rushed out of the water to meet Dad.

Later, my dad and I went to a restaurant for dinner. Afterward, we passed by a bar, and Dad had a few drinks. Those drinks were enough to make him completely drunk.

I drove the car on our way home because Dad was very intoxicated at that time. I didn’t have a license yet, but it was okay because it was already late at night. Our little town was very uneventful, so the police couldn’t possibly think to check if there was a teenager without a license driving a car at that time.

We got home, and I needed to help Dad inside because his steps were not steady.

He couldn’t even manage to walk straight to get into the house. We finally entered, and I assisted him in sitting on the couch.

Good night, Dad, I told him.

Good night, son, he replied as he headed to his room.

**Three** Fateful Connections

That’s my daddy when he's drunk. I lay on my bed, thinking about what dad said; he might be right. I didn’t know what she wanted, and I was exaggerating things; she might be different. I slept, wondering if I would be able to see her again. The truth was, I really liked her, a lot, in spite of our differences. They were very rich, and I was just a guy with nothing.

In the middle of the night, I heard her calling my name. She was shining like a star, and I could barely see her face. She extended her hand to me and said, It’s fine.

Something was pulling her from behind towards a bright light; I struggled hard to reach her.

 Hold on, Debby, I will help you, I yelled. We were in a forest; I couldn’t tell which forest it was. My hands were dirty, just like they were that morning; that's why Debby said it's fine—she meant my hands. That thing was still pulling her, and this time it pulled harder.

 Debby shouted, Donald, hurry. I’m coming; give me your hands. I stretched myself up, caught her hands, and pulled back hard. That thing released her, and we fell on the ground. Debby was on top of me, smiling, and she said, Thank you.

You are welcome, I smiled back at her like an idiot.

She laid her head on my chest, breathing softly, and I caressed her beautiful hair; a moment passed. Then that thing came back, and this time it didn’t just pull her; it took her to the same bright light as before, and Debby shouted, Donald, help me.

Debby, that was all I could do, calling her and watching her disappear into the light, and the light vanished.

I woke up calling her, and I found out I was just sleeping in my bed. It was two in the morning. I sat down to catch my breath because my heart was pounding fast. That was the first time I dreamt after a very long time, and it felt so real. I went to sleep again after. I fell asleep very fast and without noticing, I was back in deep sleep again.

When I woke up, it was already morning. And, as always, dad was already up and making some strawberry milkshake; it's his favorite smoothie.

Morning, dad, I greeted him.

Morning, son, did you sleep well last night?

Yeah! I answered hesitating, worried he might have heard me shouting last night. I looked down so he couldn’t read the expression on my face.

Good, now breakfast is ready. Have some breakfast and get ready for church; you don’t want to be late.

Don’t worry, dad, I won’t be late.

I prepared myself for church after having breakfast. Dad kept telling me to eat fast so I wouldn’t be late. He knew how crowded it normally got. I went to church that day, and it felt like it was taking longer than usual. I got tired of sitting, and every minute I wished it would end.

With services and choir, it was pretty long. Finally, it was over, and it was time to go home. Actually, I didn’t have many places to go to anyway, so once it finished, I always went straight home.

As always, I was among the first people to leave. Then I heard a voice calling me from behind. At first, I thought it wasn’t me, but the voice was getting closer, and I heard my name this time. I turned to see who was calling because, as far as I could remember, nobody cared about me in this place.

Shockingly, it was Debby coming towards me from the door. I panicked for a second. I didn’t know what to do, and I started to argue with my mind. ‘Maybe I should pretend I didn’t hear and keep moving, or I should wait for her to come.’ In the end, I waited for her, but my heart was racing a hundred miles an hour.

There she was right in front of me, and she greeted, Hi there.

Hello. I tried to sound as confident as I could and looked at her right in the eyes until she looked down at her feet, and her cheeks turned reddish. Then I added, How are you?

I’m fine. I was just surprised to see you here; I didn’t know if you come here.

Why not? I have been coming here since I was a kid; it’s like I have known this place forever.

Oh! I’m sorry; I didn’t know that. The place I used to live, people like you, I mean teenagers like us, don’t come to a place like this; they say it’s boring. That’s why I was surprised to see you.

No need to be sorry; it’s okay. By the way, nice to meet you again, Debby.

Nice to meet you too, Donald.

Something strange happened when we

shook hands. It was like a pulse or some sort of electromagnetic charge passed through our bodies. I could feel what she felt and what she was thinking, and she could feel the same, just like me. It was like we already knew each other. We stood there speechless, looking at each other straight in the eyes for a moment.

Then a harsh voice called from behind Debby. At first, we weren’t aware it was calling to us. Then somebody pulled her from behind, and this time the voice scolded her. Suddenly, it was like somebody had woken us from a deep sleep, shocked and breathing heavily. It was as if we had been running for miles. We both looked at her mother, and her mother said, Let’s go home, honey; everyone is already in except you. And who is this? Mom, this is Donald. Donald, meet my mom.

Hello, pleased to meet you, ma’am, I greeted her.

When I looked at her, she looked like a high-class woman, like the queens and princesses from the royal families. No wonder Debby was very beautiful; she probably got it from her mother.

This is my friend, mom, she said, looking at me and smiling that marvelous smile. But her mother didn’t take the concept very well.

She looked at me with a look I didn’t understand, whether it was anger or what, and she said, I see, now let’s go.

When they left, I heard a voice whispering inside my head, I’ll see you.

See you, I answered confidently because I was sure it was Debby, even though I heard those words inside my head. She turned back after I repeated what she said, as if she was aware of what was going on. I waved my hands until she entered the car. They took off with their car, and I kept watching until I couldn’t see the car anymore.

 I took my bicycle and rode it very fast because I was already late getting home. Usually, on Saturday and Sunday, I help dad with some work at home, so I didn’t want him to do all the work alone. I got home and found father in the living room, reading some newspapers. Hi, Dad, I greeted him.

You're late. Was everything okay, or did they have a meeting with you to ask for more money? he inquired.

No, everything is fine, I replied.

I went to my room to change my clothes. In there, I could still see Debby’s mother's furious eyes, like she was annoyed by something. I tried to forget about her; after all, I hadn’t done anything wrong. I finished changing and went downstairs to the living room where Dad was.

What’s for dinner, Dad? I asked.

I don’t know, anything, he replied.

You mean even water? I teased.

Don’t be ridiculous, son; water is not food.

Alright, what about some sandwiches and your favorite juice.

**FOUR** The Unseen Connections: A Tale of Mystery

When I got to the classroom door, I was surprised to see Debby was also inside. I entered, eager to sit with her, but the desk next to her was already taken, so I sat at a desk behind her.

The minute I sat down, she greeted me, Hi.

Hi, I didn’t know you joined our school? I said.

As the bell rang, the class started, but Debby didn’t settle. She looked like she was looking for something. Unintentionally, I read her mind as she talked to herself, How could I forget a pen and take everything else?

I gave her mine, putting it on her shoulder. She was surprised but accepted it.

Classes continued, and finally, the lunchtime bell rang. I couldn’t wait to see Debby again because after math, we usually went our separate ways. I hoped to find her in the cafeteria, and I did. She was having lunch alone, so I figured it was my chance to be with her.

I went over and acted as if I was offering her an invitation, asking, Can we have lunch together?

I’m not sure about that, I think I prefer to be alone, she hesitated.

C’mon, don’t be so hard to convince, because I’m not good at convincing people, I urged.

Okay, I will have lunch with you.

Great, wait here, I’m going to grab my lunch. I’ll be back shortly.

I hurried to the counter, grabbed some juice and bites, and rushed back to Debby, not wanting her to wait long. When I got there, Debby was talking to two girls. I didn’t know their names, but I assumed they were telling her that she could sit with

them.

I interfered and spoke to Debby, I’m ready, can we go?

Sure, see you guys, it was nice meeting you, she waved at them, then turned back to me and smiled, as she always did. I didn’t know if she was aware of how much I liked her smile.

Those two girls seemed puzzled to see her walking with me, and they sat there wondering what I did to make her like me. However, I was the only one noticing it; Debby was just talking and laughing like she didn’t care about anything else.

Lunchtime ended too quickly, and it was time to go back to class. We headed to the same class in the afternoon, and I sat at the desk behind her, just like in the morning. The only thing that mattered at that time was when the class would end, so I could spend more time with her.

After school, just as I wished, Debby and I were going home together. We walked because the school wasn’t too far from home. Earlier, she had called her dad and told him that she would be passing by a friend’s house, which was my home.

When we got home, things were all over the place, and arranging them would take a lot of time. I suggested we stay outside because inside was a bit chaotic; you know, a house with men only is hard to control. We found a couch outside and sat down. We talked about many things, especially her family and how her mother was always arguing with her father.

When the conversation turned to my family, I didn’t have much to talk about. It had always been me and my dad, and that's all I told her. Thankfully, she didn’t ask about my mother because I wouldn’t have known what to say.

Being with her felt really good. I never wanted anything to spoil that moment, but without realizing it, I ruined everything. She had a bracelet on her wrist; it was beautiful and shiny, unlike any normal bracelet. It was made of the clearest gold and was very bright. Without thinking, I asked her, That bracelet you're wearing is very beautiful. Where did you get it?

Her expression changed, and she looked shocked. What bracelet? she said, as if she didn’t understand what I was talking about.

I insisted, The one you're wearing on your wrist.

She abruptly changed the subject and said, I’m sorry, but I have to go home now; it’s getting late.

She left in a hurry without even saying goodbye. I didn’t understand what was wrong; was it me mentioning the bracelet, or was there something else? Why would a bracelet make her that worried? Maybe she was afraid it would be stolen or something. I was left with a thousand questions, and I didn’t have a single answer. The more I tried to find answers, the more questions arose.

Weeks passed since the last time I talked to her, and I really wanted to talk to her again. At least to tell her that I was sorry for what happened that day. But that chance never seemed to come; every time I tried, it vanished. Life continued as usual. I went to school every day, but it wasn’t great because there was a test coming up in two weeks. I didn’t have good grades in mathematics, and I was at risk of repeating the grade. The only person I knew could help me was Debby, but I no longer had a connection with her, and I desperately needed her assistance.

Today, when I entered the class, she was already inside. The seat next to her was empty, but when I hurried to take it, one of her friends got there first, so I had to sit somewhere else. She made friends a few days after she joined the school. I guessed it wasn’t that hard for girls to make friends, unlike me; I had been studying here for a long time, and I only had one friend.

I tried to look at her from the back of the class, hoping she would notice and turn so I could signal that I needed to talk to her. But she didn’t. I tried to read her mind, but I couldn’t. It was like there was a big block between her and me. I knew we had a very strong connection together. Sometimes I could feel her presence or sense that she was talking to me, even though I had spent very little time with her. It felt like I had known her forever.

I didn’t know if she felt the same or not because she didn’t seem disturbed. If she felt the same, why was she ignoring it? Perhaps that was why I couldn’t reach her mind. But I planned on trying anyway. I closed my eyes and pictured myself next to her, but this time it required more than visualization. I needed to focus in order to

open her mind. I whispered, I need your help, Debby, please.

I couldn’t feel any response, whether she received my message or not. I realized I had to find another way; this wouldn’t work, I thought. But then suddenly, I was pulled away from my thoughts, and I heard a teacher calling me to solve an equilibrium equation. I was good in physics, so it wasn’t hard for me to solve. After I finished, I returned to my seat and tried to look at Debby, but she didn’t look back at me. When I sat down, the teacher said, And you might want to come back to class, Donald.

Yes, Sir, I said, pointing my head down, not wanting to see the faces that were looking at me. The one face I needed wasn’t among them.

At school, I had many names, but one of the most common ones was Loner. Sometimes, I felt that way, especially since Debby didn’t want to be my friend anymore. I just wished I could get a single chance to hear her voice. I didn’t want many things, just that opportunity and the chance to apologize for whatever had made her angry with me. I wanted her to forget everything that happened and be friends once more. Holding onto anger all the time wasn’t good, especially with a friend.

Classes ended, and it was time for lunch. Everyone hurried out of the class except me; I had no reason to rush. So, I took my time organizing my things until everyone was gone, and I became the last one to leave the class. When I got out, Debby was there, waiting for me.

Hi, i said.

Hi. Did you say you needed my help when we were in class? She asked, I was surprised that she had heard my whispered plea.

Yes, I did. Why didn’t you say anything then? she replied.

"You are right. Yes, I need your help. But not here. Let’s sit somewhere so we can talk. It’s something a