Alluring Masquerade

          Hira couldn't just leave him like that and sit there. The bench felt cold to her, not the least bit friendly. It seemed to tell her to get up and run after him. It she was in a cartoon the bench would have pushed her off itself, telling her to stop being a cold hearted person. She certainly felt that way. Maybe she should have been a little more ... consoling before he got up and left.

          She began thinking of how he must have been feeling after hearing her words. She must have sounded so cold and uncaring. Guiltiness seeped into her veins.

          He said that he was in love with me and that "that girl" was ... me, she thought, as she also got up to follow him. He was nowhere to be seen but she didn't give up. I can't believe I just let him go like that. I mean he is my friend!

          Turning around the same corner that he had done yesterday, she reached rows of terraced houses on both left and right. Cars were parked in front half of the houses, gleaming in the sudden change of the sky that displayed the hot sun. Youngsters were playing catch with each other and the elderly were chatting, watching the sunny scenery around them.

          She passed a couple of little girls who were taking turns using the skipping rope and almost tripped over a small bouncy ball. She swore under her breath and moved along hurriedly, trying to catch a glimpse of Alec's mop of messy dark hair. "ALEC!" she shouted, cupping her mouth with her hands, however, not getting a good result. That was because her voice cracked in her throat and caused a fit of coughing – she wasn't the best at shouting – and stopped walking. Maybe she should give him some time. So she headed back around and made a shortcut through the local park and went home. She would call him first thing in the morning!

                                                                                                                       ~*~

          To Hira it hardly felt like two minutes when something vibrated under her pillow. She blindly felt around under the pillow and brought out her phone. She looked at it as if it held the answer since it was Alec calling her. "Alec, where are you at the moment?" she cried into the phone, looking around her. "I'm sorry for being ... however I was before, but I didn't want to make you think I don't care."

          He sighed on the side of the phone line. "I'm home. And it's alright," he said, "I knew it was too good to be true ... maybe ... I should have had gotten my hopes up. You clearly like Kael more than me. I understand."

          "Aw," she said, "Alec, don't say that! And I don't–" She couldn't finish her sentence, like as if her tongue was frozen in ice. I don't what? she thought, Why can't I say that I don't like Kael out loud?

          Alec laughed kindly. "So I was right," he said. "I wish you all the best Hira. You and him, both."

          "Alec..."

          "See you, alright?" he said. "Take of yourself."

          "You're acting like as if you're going away somewhere far, or something," she replied nervously.

          "I'm moving away, Hira," he paused before confirming her suspicions.

          "No, you can't leave like that," she cried. "I want to see you! We shouldn't part ways like this. I need to know you'll be OK!"

          "I don't think we should see each other," he sighed. "What good will it do if we met up?" His voice was barely a whisper.

          " 'What good will it do?' Since when do I need a reason to see you, eh?" She laughed jokingly, but when she had got no laugh in return she frowned in worry.