I hope that I don’t forget all the important points while presenting the assignment. No. No. Nothing like that is going to happen. Think positive. Think positive.
I’m well prepared and I can do this.
I’m well prepared and I can do this. I kept telling myself more like motivating myself until Mis McGrath called out our name to present the assignment.
“Zane I think you should start and I’ll conclude the topic” I said.
“You’re nervous”
“No. I’m not” I argued but the truth was spoken by Zane. I really am nervous.
“I can sense that you’re nervous” he said. I turned and unintentionally looked into his eyes. Those ocean blue eyes hid his monsterous red eyes so well.
“Listen to me very carefully” he said and my eyes were locked into his. I couldn’t look somewhere else even if I wanted to.
“You’re not nervous. You are confident. You don’t have any problem of stage fear. Come on, now go and start your presentation. With confidence because that’s what you are – A confident speaker!” as soon as he said that, I was no longer nervous. I could feel confident rush through the veins of my body. I went up the stage. There was around hundred people sitting in front of me, waiting for me to speak but now I wasn’t nervous or afraid as before. I was ready to present the assignment and here I began – “Good morning Miss McGrath and to all my classmates. Today I’m going to speak on Need For Research Design” I went on talking about the topic until Miss McGrath asked me to stop. I haven’t been so confident like I was today. Now it was Zane’s turn to do his part and he took about seven minutes to conclude the topic. After having done with our presentation, we left the stage for another pair to occupy and returned to our places, where we were sitting before going on the stage.
“She gave us twenty seven out of thirty” Zane whispered in my ears.
“How do you know? Read her mind?”
“No. I secretly peeped into her marksheet” Zane answered with a chuckle.
“Silence. No talking in between while the presentation is going on” warned Miss McGrath.
The presentation was over and it was lunch time. I was standing in a queue, waiting for my order to arrive. Now that the burden of assignment was gone, I couldn’t help but think about yesterday.
‘I mean no harm to you’
‘I can’t show you how much I love you’ Zane’s words echoed in my mind and I realised that my order was ready only when the girl behind me tapped my back. I took the tray and chose a place from where I couldn’t be seen. Yes I was hiding from Zane.
“You can’t hide from me. I’ll always find you” though the statement was spoken with a smile, there was something in Zane’s statement that scared me. I swallowed the lump that has formed in my throat.
“You don’t have to be scared of me” I looked into his eyes but then quickly looked away and this made him smile.
“You compelled me, didn’t you?” I asked him straight.
“Be soft. There are people around” he said and I rolled my eyes.
“I did” he began “But that was because you were too nervous to present and I didn’t want all our efforts to get ruined because of you” that was sharp. I had no words to say. Nothing to argue. I don’t know how to deal with the situation I was in. I’m in dilemma. I love him but I’m afraid of the monster that resides within him. I can’t be with a monster like him.
“Zane you can’t keep using your powers on me like that, you can’t read my mind like you always do and also you can’t compel me!” I was finding it hard to utter another word so I took a pause before saying “Thanks for saving my life yesterday but you have to stay away from me” I said and ran outside the canteen. I rushed into the washroom and thanked God that I didn’t let even a drop of tear come out in front of Zane. I have to stay away from him.
‘But didn’t you try doing that?’ a voice from within whispered.
‘Didn’t you remain absent for so many days just to avoid him?’
‘You tried all that you could to keep yourself away from him Blaire but you always ended up being with him. Even after seeing his devilish side yesterday, you were talking to him today and no that’s not because of the assignment. Because if that was the case, you would have ran away the moment he approached you in the canteen after the completion of assignment but you didn’t. You stayed there and talked a little before running away like a lunatic. It’s because you love him! You love him Blaire, you love him. Admit that you still love him!’ the voice was getting louder and louder and I wasn’t able to handle it.
“No, I don’t!” I shouted to shut the voice. “I don’t love him! He’s a monster and I hate him”
“I’m sorry” I apologized on realising that I was still in the washroom with few pair of eyes staring right at me.
My brain was fighting with my heart. My heart loves him but the brain remembers how he killed those people. My heart argues that now the killings have stopped which only indicates that he’s changing. He’s changing for me. I didn’t want to but I burst into tears. I ran towards the canteen in search of Zane but he wasn’t there anymore. I checked for him in the library but he wasn’t there either. So I ran towards the campus and bumped into Marcus.
“Easy girl” he said
“Have you seen Zane” I shot a question at him.
“There he is” he said pointing at the guy who was standing under the tree. His back was facing towards me so he couldn’t see me.
“Thanks” I said and ran in his direction. I hugged him from behind which made him turn back.
“Blaire, are you okay?” he asked seeing me panting. Concern reflected through his eyes. I hugged him again.
“I love you Zane. I love you”
In the battle between heart and brain, heart triumphed. My love triumphed over my fear.
He hugged me back and said “I love you too” and suddenly the world around me stopped. I could feel few people stare at us but I don’t care. I don’t care about anything. All that I care about is that I love Zane and he loves me and I belong to him and he belongs to me. If forever exists, then he’s mine and I’m his, forever.