Ace's Point of View
I'm currently packing my belongings into my bag—notebooks and thick textbooks. A smile refuses to leave my lips as I remember Zein's kiss on my cheek from earlier. An unexpected kiss from her is so much better than one I have to ask for. I want to be surprised like that again.
"Ace, I'm heading out first," Matt announced, looking clearly excited.
I just nodded. I wasn't finished organizing my things yet, and almost all of my classmates had already left. I was the only one left in the room. I stretched my arms and let out a heavy sigh of relief. Finally, the day is over. I want to see her again. I need my stress reliever.
I checked the time. It was late, and the darkness outside made the room feel hollow. I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed out. I pictured her waiting for me at the shed, probably smiling while her arms were folded, ready to scold me for being late.
I laughed to myself thinking about her face, but that smile vanished the moment I reached the waiting shed. It was empty. Where was she?
"You're still here."
My face went blank as I stared at Cedric. He was standing there with both hands shoved into his pockets. I didn't bother responding; I just looked around, hoping to see a trace of her. Nothing.
"Are you waiting for Zein?"
I faced him with a smirk. "Right. Did you see her?"
There was no harm in asking. He's the Student Council President, so he's usually one of the last to leave. He furrowed his brow. "A while ago, yeah. She was in a hurry. Why don't you just call her?"
I shook my head. She didn't have a phone—I was planning to buy her a new one tomorrow. It was possible she had gone home to the condo, but a gut feeling told me something was wrong.
"Why don't you just call her?" he repeated, sounding irritated.
I glared at him. What was his deal? He seemed genuinely worried about her. "She doesn't have a phone. I threw it away last night."
Cedric looked at me as if I had said something impossible. The cold night wind picked up, and the darkness felt heavier. "She does have one... she showed it to me earlier. A Dora casing, right?"
Now I was the one frowning. "What are you talking about? I threw that phone in the trash." I don't know why I was explaining myself to this guy, but his words made me freeze.
"I'm not blind, Ace Craige. She was waving that Dora phone around earlier."
I stared at him, confused. What the hell? I know for a fact I threw it away. I quickly pulled out my own phone and dialed her number. My hands started to tremble as the line actually started ringing.
*Shit! This can't be happening!* I was sure I had turned it off before tossing it. Even if someone found it, they would have swapped the SIM card. *Please, not again.*
The line clicked—she hung up on me. I tried calling again immediately, but it went straight to "unattended."
"Hey—is something wrong?" Cedric asked, noticing my expression.
My eyes narrowed. I was panicked and didn't know where to start. My heart hammered against my ribs as I thought of Zein. I tried to push back the fear, but it was building into a tight knot in my chest.
Suddenly, I saw a car on the other side of the road. A man was inside, smiling at me. I couldn't see his face clearly, but I found myself running toward him. I heard Cedric calling after me, but I ignored him.
The car started moving. He seemed to be driving just slow enough for me to keep up, as if he were mocking me. I cursed under my breath, my legs pumping. I didn't care how far I had to run; I'd chase her all the way to hell if I had to.
The car eventually sped up, and I watched the red taillights vanish into the darkness. Sweat dripped down my face, and my knees were screaming in pain. I felt my strength give out, and I collapsed onto the side of the road.
As I sat there, gasping for air, my eyes fell on a piece of paper on the ground. My hand shook as I picked it up.
> *You are too slow, but thank you for following me. As a reward, look to your left. I have a surprise for you.*
> *PS. It was just a glimpse of something worse than a nightmare.*
> *- Hell.*
>
I crumpled the paper and snapped my head to the left. All my exhaustion vanished. There was a cafe with glass walls, and inside, I saw a woman hunched over a round table, hugging a box.
It was Zein. She was asleep.
I let out a ragged sigh of relief and walked inside. The cafe's stereo was playing a soft, melancholic Christmas song. The decor was festive, but the atmosphere felt eerie.
I approached her. She stirred, waking up to the music. Her eyes widened as she looked around, not seeing me yet.
"Zein..."
She looked away, her voice trembling. "Is someone there? I think I hear whispering."
A tear escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek. My chest tightened. I reached for her hand, but she stood up abruptly and backed away.
"I'm leaving. This place is haunted—" She bit her lip, trying to hold back the flood of tears, but she failed. They streamed down her face.
"I have to go."
She turned to leave, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her into a hug. She didn't fight me; she just sobbed into my chest, her cries joining the music. I didn't know what had happened or why she was here, but I kept whispering, "Forgive me."
"You're so cruel..." she sobbed, her voice cracking. "I thought you sent me here for a surprise... I've been waiting for four hours..."
I pulled her back slightly and wiped the tears from her red, tired face.
"I am sorry... Darling, I am so sorry."
"SORRY?! Sorry again? Ace! Do you even love me?!"
I looked into her eyes and started to sing softly along with the radio:
*"I do, I do... All I am, all I'll be... Everything in this world, all that I'll ever need is in your eyes, shining at me. When you smile, I can feel all my passion unfolding..."*
I smiled as she froze, looking down. I lifted her chin so she had to look at me. I could never get tired of looking at her. She is a dangerous girl—the exact type of danger I want.
*"I do cherish you, for the rest of my life. You don't have to think twice, I will love you still. From the depths of my soul, it's beyond my control... I've waited so long to say this to you. If you're asking do I love you this much... Darling, I do."*
I closed my eyes as she suddenly pulled me by the back of my neck and pressed her lips to mine. I responded to the kiss, our shadows stretching across the floor.
Under the darkness and in the midst of this sorrow, our lips touched. I made a silent promise: *You will pay for this. You made the biggest mistake of your life... you made my girl cry.*
I'll chase you, Hell. I accept your game. Let's play.