Her FaceBook Friend

Chapter 39

Make sure you know your process of healing. And you love it.” [Jacqueline]

……..

‘Gosh! What’s wrong with me? Did I just hug him?’ The chattering of people made me realize we were having an audience who were now gawking at us or just me. My cheeks turned redder and I glanced up awkwardly to gauge his reaction. He didn’t seem angry at all, instead, he just gave me his signature smile. A smile that creeped me out. Because hugging a boy was wrong to do so. I backed up. At that instant, I looked him up and down. Noticing his white shirt was now colored in red. Even his grey pants had few red stains on them. The most glaring stain was that my palms had his black snake-like eyes narrowed at me. It seemed that he wasn’t happy because I left him.

‘f*** what I am thinking? Why would he be sad? I have just ruined his clothes. I must be imagining it.’

His glare made me shudder in fear. I knew I couldn’t control the situation. Pushing a few people away, I ran out of the door. Paint dripping from my outfit.

I didn’t know why, but I felt funny and at the same time, I was full of weird excitement. The kind I never knew I was capable of feeling. The people looked at me weirdly leaving enough space for me as they do in Korean movies when a bad boy and their gang walk into the school like they are walking on the red carpet but I paid them no attention and just focussed running past them. I felt exhilarated as the wind played with my hair. Laughter bloomed inside me and I laughed hard. It felt so good to feel whatever I was feeling. For me, it felt as if I was a naughty kid who was running after she made a mess. The moment I reached the door of the washroom and kicked it open. Even though I was drenched in paint and was smelling so bad, I didn’t feel a shred of sadness.

‘Why am I so happy?’ I looked in the broken mirror. My lips were stretched upwards and however, I tried to turn it into a scowl. They have stretched into a smile again.

“Gosh! What did he do to me?” I looked at the red paint streaks on my face. I looked like a ghost but my heart was feeling the warmth. I blinked trying to stop the smile that was threatening to widen. My forehead was met with red. My skin which was a little shade lighter than most Asians had traces or streaks of red paint. As if I might have cried red tears. It was ironic that I was feeling the exact opposite of what I looked like. My white kurta was now dyed inside the grey jacket. My Salwar was the cloth that had been the least stained. I washed my mouth with soap still feeling ecstatic. If he wanted to bully me like this, it wouldn’t be bullying. The soap glided across the hollow of my neck as I peeled the color off me. the ringing of my phone made me snap my attention towards it and I clicked on the accept b***on to answer the call.

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“Hey, Jacqueline.” A Man’s husky voice entered my eardrums and I found myself dumbfounded at the voice.

“Uhh? Who is this?” I pa**ively closed the tap, but at the moment realized who could be calling me at this time.

“Take a wild guess!” His voice seemed to be thick with mystery.

“Ah. I am sorry, I don’t think I know you. So I can’t guess.” I glanced at my face, it was still unclean but better than before. The streaks seemed to be removed from my face.

“Ah. I am someone who likes you, Jacqueline. Like a lot.” The man’s voice turned softer at the end as if to express his emotions.

His words made me nervous, but I didn’t know how to respond to his strange words. I knew the consequences if I pretty much told him off, and he turned out to be my cla**mate who wanted to embarra** me and later that they could say ‘Ugly woman thinks somebody likes her. She thinks too highly of herself.’

“Hey. What happened? Why are you not responding? My little red riding hood.” His words made me shudder, but also made me realize he must have been from our school to know that I was now dyed in red paint.

“I was feeling ecstatic seeing you in red. You looked like a painting. So beautiful.” As his words ended, he laughed. His laugh seemed to be full of evilness. “But you shouldn’t have hugged Rohan, even if you wanted to take your revenge from him. I hated seeing you in his arms.”

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“You. Who are you?”

“You will know soon, but till then stay away from that guy, if you want yourself to be fine. I don’t do anything well when I am jealous.”

“You are just bluffing. You can’t like me, I am the ugliest girl in the school.”

“I like you like that.”

“You are trying to bully me like this now, please have some shame and keep the bullying to the real world. Calling someone to bully them is a low blow.”

I had completely forgotten I shouldn’t have said so many words to him. I should have just cut the call. But I was immersed too much to notice that.

“Hahaha. Think whatever you want to. But remember, my warning. Trust me you won’t like what I will do to you or him for that matter if you chose otherwise.” He said with a dumb, bored but threatening manner that I exhaled.

Not knowing how to respond to that I finally came back to my senses and hung up the phone. The smile was long wiped from my face and my round brows were furrowed with a new worry. Glancing upwards I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and silently asked God.

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‘Why don’t you let me stay happy God? Just a day? Is it too much to ask for? Just let me be happy for a day. Please’

Looking back I noticed the happiness was gone, what remained was a long-ugly face that I still will have to wash. After making sure that I couldn’t clean myself more than I did, I stood up. The paint was still stuck to my kurta but it was not smelling anymore. My hair and face were cleaned because I practically washed them with soap.

However, When I went out of the washroom, I saw Rohan and his best friend walking together. She was laughing at him and his hair as if someone had cracked a joke. Or she just found his appearance funny.

At this time as if feeling my stare they looked back. Rohan frowned while his best friend lifted a hand in mid-air smiling brightly at me as she yelled out.

“Hey, Jacqueline.” Though I was stunned at her incredible behavior, I still nodded back at her.

After all, Mama always said to never treat people how they treat me.

“You have created such a nice painting.” She yelled again and my face contorted into confusion. As if realizing that I had no idea what she was talking about. She pointed at him and placed another palm on her mouth laughing. I finally understood. She meant I did a good job with him. His shirt was drenched in water and one corner that was supposed to be inside his pants was out, the red color still very much

visible. He looked like a guy who was either a beggar or a broke gangster. I found myself smiling again at the thought. It seemed he was better for my health.