《The Journey To An Unknown Destination》


 1 A Rather Beautiful Morning

    It is a delightful Monday morning. Everything is so noiseless. The streaks of the morning sun are entering through the cracks in the blinds. The birds are chirping sweetly, as they are searching for food and feeding their young ones. Cool summer breeze is blowing. The trees dancing along with the rhythm, present a lively environment. Early risers are having their routinely morning jog, with earphones settled in their ears. In parks, some had laid down their yoga mats, stretching their bodies and breathing fresh air. It is the only time of the day when you can breathe in the sweet and cool air, free from dust. Indeed, it was a beautiful morning!


    Emily was in her bed, snoring peacefully. Little did she know what nature had to present outside.


    It was only a matter of time, when her alarm started to ring and vibrate. Shouting for her to wake up and go to college. Emily doesn''t speak clock anyway, all she could do was try to close its mouth. Moving her hand around the table, the clock was like dodging her hands and jumping up and down, disturbing the whole peaceful environment. Irritated, she was forced to sit up and shut the alarm.


    There she was, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her hair messed up from probably one of the most comfortable sleep ever. Finally when she managed to open her eyes, she looked at the time. Her eyes opened wide and pupils contracted, it was half past seven! How was she supposed to get ready and go to college in just half an hour?


    She jumped out of bed and into the bathroom, almost flying. She didn''t have much time to finalize her looks and directly changed up. She wanted to just take an apple or something while going to college, so she could eat on the way. But her mom, Alicia, didn''t allow such behavior. Now she had to sit on the table and finish her meal properly.


    She grabbed her bag and went running. Her college isn''t that that far away, so she goes by walk. Golden Crown Academy, aka GCA, was one of the finest colleges in the city. She looked at her watch, the time was 10 minutes to 8. She did have some time though.


    Just as the gates were being closed, Emily entered the college, thankfully. She could not go further, and decided to take a rest on a bench nearby. She leaned on the bench, panting for breath. Maybe today is not my lucky day, she thought. The bell for the assembly rang, and students started to gather and assemble in the main ground. Her best friend, Linda, approached her and gave her a wired look.


    "Yes, I overslept." Emily said, as she understood what Linda was about say. Linda smiled, and they both went to gather in the ground for the assembly.


    They were walking towards the crowd when a foot appeared in front of Emily and she fell. The owner of the foot and her best friend gave a vengeful look. It was Ivy, and her best friend Hazel. Emily got up sighing and rolled her eyes as she saw the two. They were Emily''s sworn enemies. As soon as Linda was about to say something, Emily grabbed her arm and walked away as if nothing happened. Ignorance is the best reply to an enemy, Emily thought.

 2 Filling Out The Forums

    The head master showed up and announced, "From next week on wards, start preparing yourself for the Annual Sports Competition. Please fill out the forums that will be given to you in some time. The top three winners will represent our college in competitions with other colleges." This was enough to bring joy to Emily, who had been dreaming to take sports as a career for her in future, but her parents wanted her to take a popular professional job. That is why she has been reluctant to tell her feelings to her parents as she really wants them to be happy.


    Except for a few, the other posh girls showed no interest, however, the boys were all clapping and cheering. And so was Emily. After the assembly ended everyone started to disperse into their classes. "Linda, this has to be the best news since college started! Now I will be able to shine!" Emily couldn''t control her emotions.


    Ivy heard her and found another chance to tear her dreams apart. She calmly put her arms around Linda and said proudly, "Are you sure you want to let your friend do this? I mean, just look at her, I don''t think she even works out. Besides, she is a girl, she isn''t strong enough to do sports, and moreover, she''ll just decrease her grades! How pathetic."


    Saying this she went away quietly. Linda at first thought that she is just saying it because of jealousy, however, when she thought of it, she couldn''t help but say, "Emily, please re-consider you decision. I think that Ivy must be right. It is not just a little event, it will take a lot of your time and energy. Plus, what if you get hurt, or something? What if¡­" Emily couldn''t take any more of it and interrupted her by arguing, "Linda, relax! It is my dream, I can''t let go of such a big opportunity. My grades won''t be affected, anyway. And I can''t believe you just listened to Ivy at once!"


    Linda was surprised and confused. She didn''t know what to say. She felt a little guilty, but she was still concerned for her.


    They went back to class. It was their math class. How awful to study math early in the morning, everyone thought. Hazel threw a ball of paper at the back of Linda''s head, as she turned to see the cause, they two girls were whispering to her, "Emily is gone." These words were few but it meant an awful lot, she understood that the two wanted to stop Emily from participating in the sports competition. But she tried and Emily didn''t listen, now there is nothing any one can do about it.


    However, in the back, Ivy had plans of her own. "I can''t believe that Linda is so dumb! She didn''t even think twice before stopping her. I don''t even care if she''s into sports. Her grades will decrease any way, which is good enough for me right now." They both giggled.


    The day went by rather quick and now it was their recess. The two headed towards the cafeteria and took a tray, filling it with food. "Emily, you better not eat junk if you want to stay healthy." Linda advised. Emily sighed and took some leafy vegetables. Linda asked again, "Emily do you go to the gym? If not, you better go and train yourself for the tough days ahead and¡­" She was interrupted by Emily, "Linda! Please stop it, you aren''t helping me at all, in fact putting me in pressure! I am not a baby, I know what''s good and bad for me."


    Now Linda was feeling very guilty, she has not realized that as a friend she was supposed to help her, instead she listened to her enemies and tried to stop her, "Emily, I am so sorry, but I am really concerned for you, I can''t get Ivy''s words out of my head." Emily patted her on the back and said sympathetically, "Linda, look, I know you care for me, but right now all I want you to do is support me, ok?" Linda nodded and smiled wryly.


    The two were now laughing and gossiping, planning what to do ahead. "Today is really a boring day! Isn''t it?" Linda nodded. The bell rang and they sighed before going back to class. When they reached the class, a teacher was handing out the forums that were to be filled out. Emily high-fived Linda.


    The forum asked for some basic information like, name, age, gender, parents names and their signature, the games in which you''d like to participate etc. Emily was reluctant and didn''t want to show her parents this forum, but she needed parental approval. So she had to. The rest of the day was quick, and Emily was walking back home, thinking what her parents would say about this.

 2 The Forum

    The head master showed up and announced, "From next week on wards, start preparing yourself for the Annual Sports Competition. Please fill out the forums that will be given to you in some time. The top three winners will represent our college in competitions with other colleges." This was enough to bring joy to Emily, who had been dreaming to take sports as a career for her in future, but her parents wanted her to take a popular professional job. That is why she has been reluctant to tell her feelings to her parents as she really wants them to be happy.


    Except for a few, the other posh girls showed no interest, however, the boys were all clapping and cheering. And so was Emily. After the assembly ended everyone started to disperse into their classes. "Linda, this has to be the best news since college started! Now I will be able to shine!" Emily couldn''t control her emotions.


    Ivy heard her and found another chance to tear her dreams apart. She calmly put her arms around Linda and said proudly, "Are you sure you want to let your friend do this? I mean, just look at her, I don''t think she even works out. Besides, she is a girl, she isn''t strong enough to do sports, and moreover, she''ll just decrease her grades! How pathetic."


    Saying this she went away quietly. Linda at first thought that she is just saying it because of jealousy, however, when she thought of it, she couldn''t help but say, "Emily, please re-consider you decision. I think that Ivy must be right. It is not just a little event, it will take a lot of your time and energy. Plus, what if you get hurt, or something? What if¡­" Emily couldn''t take any more of it and interrupted her by arguing, "Linda, relax! It is my dream, I can''t let go of such a big opportunity. My grades won''t be affected, anyway. And I can''t believe you just listened to Ivy at once!"


    Linda was surprised and confused. She didn''t know what to say. She felt a little guilty, but she was still concerned for her.


    They went back to class. It was their math class. How awful to study math early in the morning, everyone thought. Hazel threw a ball of paper at the back of Linda''s head, as she turned to see the cause, they two girls were whispering to her, "Emily is gone." These words were few but it meant an awful lot, she understood that the two wanted to stop Emily from participating in the sports competition. But she tried and Emily didn''t listen, now there is nothing any one can do about it.


    However, in the back, Ivy had plans of her own. "I can''t believe that Linda is so dumb! She didn''t even think twice before stopping her. I don''t even care if she''s into sports. Her grades will decrease any way, which is good enough for me right now." They both giggled.


    The day went by rather quick and now it was their recess. The two headed towards the cafeteria and took a tray, filling it with food. "Emily, you better not eat junk if you want to stay healthy." Linda advised. Emily sighed and took some leafy vegetables. Linda asked again, "Emily do you go to the gym? If not, you better go and train yourself for the tough days ahead and¡­" She was interrupted by Emily, "Linda! Please stop it, you aren''t helping me at all, in fact putting me in pressure! I am not a baby, I know what''s good and bad for me."


    Now Linda was feeling very guilty, she has not realized that as a friend she was supposed to help her, instead she listened to her enemies and tried to stop her, "Emily, I am so sorry, but I am really concerned for you, I can''t get Ivy''s words out of my head." Emily patted her on the back and said sympathetically, "Linda, look, I know you care for me, but right now all I want you to do is support me, ok?" Linda nodded and smiled wryly.


    The two were now laughing and gossiping, planning what to do ahead. "Today is really a boring day! Isn''t it?" Linda nodded. The bell rang and they sighed before going back to class. When they reached the class, a teacher was handing out the forums that were to be filled out. Emily high-fived Linda.


    The forum asked for some basic information like, name, age, gender, parents names and their signature, the games in which you''d like to participate etc. Emily was reluctant and didn''t want to show her parents this forum, but she needed parental approval. So she had to. The rest of the day was quick, and Emily was walking back home, thinking what her parents would say about this.

 3 Heartbroken

    Thousands of questions to fill up Emily''s head. Would they allow me? What if they deny? What if they ban me from games? If they give me permission, what if I fail to achieve my dreams? What if my grades are really affected? What if I get injured? All these questions were making her nervous, lowering her self-esteem and confidence.


    When she looked up from the ground, her house door was in her front. To her this door seemed so high, as big and long as the house. She was hallucinating, her nervousness took control of her. She just had to ask a yes or no question from her parents. Obviously not a big deal, right? But for her, any of these options would lead to a complete new journey, with a completely different destination.


    The door now started to sway left and right. She was about to faint. Suddenly, the door opened itself. All her hallucinations and imaginations flew away. The door was now completely normal. The world wasn''t shaking. "Oh, Emily! What took you so long? I was about to get worried!" exclaimed her mom. "Uhhh¡­ Hey, mom! I was walking slowly, you know, enjoying the scenery. Heh." Emily replied, thinking what to say, how to say, when to say.


    "Emily, I think you are acting weird, did something bad happen at college? Did you get in trouble?" Alicia asked with a suspicious look on her face. Emily quickly replied, "Me, and trouble!? Hah! No way, I am a good girl¡­ Why are we standing in the doorway? Let''s go inside, I am kinda tired." Without thinking twice she went inside and sighed.


    After eating a snack, she went to her room and fell on her bed, sighing. She took out her mobile and texted Linda.


    Emily: Hey Linda. I need your help. How shall I ask my mom about the games?


    Linda: Oh, hey! Help about asking something? Hah. You are weird sometimes. Just go and ask!


    Emily: Easier said than done! What should I say? And how and when?


    Linda: Chill girl! If you don''t want to speak, just show ''em the forum, they''ll understand.


    Emily: Uhhh¡­ Okay. I''ll wait till my dad comes home, so they both can give me a "yes".


    Linda: Great. Remember; be normal, don''t be nervous, ensure them your studies and safety.


    Emily: OK. I got this. Thanks!


    Linda: No prob. Any time! <3


    Now, Emily felt much relieved. Her best friend is always there to support her. She took out some books to study. Relaxing on her bed, she was reading history, which is the perfect bed-time story. Soon enough, she was fast asleep. Her eyes opened when she heard the noise of the door opening and closing, of her dad, Harvey, returning home as everyone welcomed him. She jumped out of bed, splashed water on her face, took the forum, hid it behind her back and went down. In the living room, her family was taking tea and gossiping. "Hey dad! How was the day?" Emily asked. "Oh, it was a busy day, but good!" he replied. She sat down and took out the forum, handing it to her mom, smiling and saying, "Mom and dad, you might wanna have a look on this!"


    At first the two thought that it might be something serious, but after they were finished reading, they gave out a little sigh. Then her mom said with a sad expression on her face, "Emily, we have talked about this a lot of times. We can''t let you waste your time on these games and sports, we can''t sign it. That''s it, discussion finished. Don''t bring it up again."


    By the time her mom was finished she seemed quite irritated. Emily''s eyes were filled with tears, her heart broke into pieces. She only said one sentence before going to her room. "You guys are not letting me live my life as I want, you don''t know how much this means to me."

 4 Unknown Number

    After saying this, she went to her room, crying. Falling on her bed, tears started to run down like a waterfall. Her face was as hot as fire, as red as a tomato. She cupped her head in her hands. Who knows for how long she was crying. Finally, when she got into her senses, she sat up. Having a complex feeling, sad, angry and depressed. Her phone lit up. It was a message from Linda. Perfect timing, thought Emily angrily.


    Linda: Hey Emily. How did it go? I''m pretty sure it''s a yes! Right! Congrats in advance. LOL.


    Emily: Congrats my foot.


    Linda: Uhhh¡­ Excuse me? You okay?


    Emily: You think?


    Linda: Uhm. I take my words back. It seems a no, like I mean, a big no.


    Emily: As big as your foot.


    Linda: Come on! What the hell just happened? You seem to be really agitated.


    Emily: You think?


    Linda: Cut the crap. Tell me.


    So Emily told her what exactly happened, each and every second was explained in a dramatic way. All Linda could do was comfort her, it didn''t seem to work though. She promised her to take her out after school. That made Emily feel a little better. Just after she was done talking to Linda. Another message popped up, from an unknown number.


    Unknown person: Is this Mr. Johnathan?


    Emily: Excuse me?


    Unknown person: Sir, I am Aiden.


    Emily was dumbstruck. Aiden was the most popular boy in the entire college! How did he get her number? And who on earth was Mr. Johnathon?


    Emily: I am sorry Aiden, but I am not Mr. Johnathon. I am Emily.


    Aiden: You mean my class fellow???


    Emily: Haha, yes!


    Aiden: Oh my! I am so sorry. I did not mean it.


    Emily: It''s okay.


    Aiden: Well, forget about Mr. Johnathon. I don''t have his number.


    Emily: So, where did you get my number?


    Aiden: Cooper gave me Mr. Johnathon''s card, and I lost it, so I had to dial in the number from my memory. Didn''t expect I would message you. Haha.


    Emily: Haha.


    Aiden: Well then, I''ll save your number. Sorry for disturbing once again. Bye!


    Emily: No worries. Bye!


    It was an awkward moment for Emily. She totally forgot what had happened before and sent the screenshots to Linda. "Haha! He has your number, all the other girls will be so jealous! LOL!!!" texted Linda. Emily sent her laughing emoji and replied, "I don''t want to tell anyone about this. They will think I am a weirdo. Especially, Ivy." Linda agreed.


    After putting her phone down, Emily was again upset. I don''t care, I will compete in the games no matter what. I''ll just go to the gym tomorrow and build some strength so I can compete in the games easily. Thought Emily. Saying this she studied and went to sleep without eating dinner.

 5 First Day At The Gym

    Her alarm started to buzz and vibrate. She got up, low-spirited. She yawned heavily. She obviously didn''t sleep comfortably. After all the pain she suffered last night, her dreams were crushed. But she had planned to get into games, confidentially. She tossing and turning all night. Even in her drams she was upset, thinking of strategies of how to enter games.


    She splashed the water on her face, her eyes open wide by the cold water. Torture, she thought. Just when she was about to leave, she held the forum in her hand, all empty. Various games were enlisted on it. Badminton, tennis, cycling, sports climbing, soccer, fencing, shot put, hurdle race, relays, karate, archery. The list was almost endless.


    It seemed more like she was entering the Olympics, rather than a usual competition between the students and ultimately, different colleges. So many new games were added this year, making it feel more top-notch.


    Looking at the time, she headed for college. It was half past seven, quite early. Her mom was busy in the kitchen, she didn''t realized that Emily was standing behind her for two whole minutes. Emily sighed and went out on her way to school. When the door close shut behind her, Alicia then realized that Emily had gone.


    Linda met Emily in class. Emily quietly sat down beside her and took out a book and started to study. All this time Linda stared at Emily, shocked, her eyes open wide without blinking even once. She never saw Emily so upset, at such a little thing, at least that''s what she thought. "Emily?" Linda called out to her. "What?" Emily snapped. It lead to another shock for Linda, however, being her bestie, she needed to support her. "Uhm. Remember the promise last night?" Linda asked. Emily closed her book and replied in a low voice, "Yes¡­ So?"


    "I thought we''d go to a restaurant or caf¨¦, but how about we go to a place of your choice? How''s that?" smiled Linda. Emily nodded. "So where to?" asked Linda politely. Hearing this, she told Linda about her plans and going to the gym. Linda was quite happy and agreed to go right after school. "I''m pretty sure you''ll need a break from studies, let''s spend a day out, no doubt you''ll feel way better than now!"


    Emily smiled. "Thank you for always being on my side." She said. Linda replied while punching on Emily''s shoulder, "Hah! Thanks to a best friend, nope. That''s what friends are for dummy!"


    Five minutes before class started Ivy and Hazel entered and took their seats. Shooting rebellious looks at the two, and then completely ignoring them and settling down. It was exactly eight o'' clock that the teacher arrived, perfect timing, thought Emily. And started off the day with mathematics. Ugh! What torture, thought everyone.


    The classes went by rather quickly, in fact the whole day. In the last class, the teacher asked for the forums. The students participating in the sports handed out the forums, except Emily. However the teacher said that you can hand out the forums within this week, before the next Monday, as the forums will be submitted to the main office department of the college. This was somewhat of a good news to Emily, who needed to figure out a plan for her secretive activity.


    After the day at college ended, Emily and Linda headed out toward the gym. It was situated near to Emily''s house as compared to other gyms in the city. But before they took a step inside the gym, they had a little snack at the caf¨¦ nearby. They were quite refreshed now and entered the gym.


    It was a very cool and pleasant area. Different machines arranged perfectly, indeed a heaven for OCD. There was an extremely yummy smell of warm coffee, but they couldn''t really see someone drinking coffee. Perhaps some sort of amazing air freshener, Emily thought. Only a few people were exercising on the machines. It was a very quiet place, with not many people.


    On the counter nearby, a man was reading a newspaper. As soon as he saw the two enter, he waved at them and greeted, "Hello, ladies! Nice to have some new faces around here. Would you two like to register?" He said with a smile. "Only me, sir" Emily replied and the both of them approached the counter. The man said again, "I am Mr. Johnathon. Nice to meet you. You are?" Emily was shocked at this name, as she has heard of this name somewhere before, but couldn''t remember where? Emily suddenly burst her bubble of thoughts and replied with a smile, "I am Emily. Nice to meet you too!"


    Then Mr. Johnathon handed out another forum, requiring her to fill some basic information. As Emily was filling it out the forum and Linda was looking around. That''s when she saw a figure come out from the changing area. At first Linda couldn''t recognize the figure, but soon found out that it was Aiden! Her jaw dropped open, she was poking Emily, but she tried to ignore her, after filling out the forum quickly, she turned towards Linda and was about to complain about her act, she stopped and could not believe what she saw as well.


    No one knew that Aiden goes to a gym, no wonder how he was so fit? He didn''t pay attention to them and went towards Mr. Johnathon, "Sir please hand me a water bottle." As he took the water bottle and turned, seeing the two girls made him feel like them as well ¨C shocked. Emily broke the awkward silence by greeting him, "Hey, Aiden! We meet again, haha. Didn''t knew you went here as well." Aiden replied with a faint, "Oh¡­ Hi. Uhm¡­ Yeah, I have been coming here since a long time. The silence around here is pleasing to me."


    "I understand." Emily replied quickly.

 6 Approval

    It was kind of an awkward moment for the three, as they didn''t have much to say to each other. Thankfully, Mr. Johnathon came for the rescue starting the conversation among them. "Looks like you guys know each other, right?" he asked.


    Aiden replied with a smile, "Yeah, we are class fellows." He had no idea that he had been staring at Emily, which made her feel uncomfortable. Linda waved her hand in front of his eyes and he shook his head and gave a little laugh, "I am so sorry!" Emily grinned, "Haha, it''s okay!"


    Mr. Johnathon again interrupted this cringe worthy scene, "Well then, you gotta show ''em around, Aiden!" Linda sat on the chair near the counter, taking out her phone and signaling Emily to go ahead. Thus, he lead Emily towards the tread mill, saying, "Obviously you know what this is, right?" Emily couldn''t help but laugh, "Do you think I came from another planet?" They both laughed and moved on to the next machine.


    "This is called a stair mill. It is almost like a treadmill, except that it has stairs." Explained Aiden. Emily wanted to add a funny comment, but held it back, thinking that it might be a little weird. Instead she gave him a thumbs-up, and they moved forward. "This is a spin bike. A cycle that doesn''t actually moves forward", smiled Aiden.


    "Moving on to the next machine, we have an elliptical. A cycle without a seat, plus your hands also move." Emily replied while chuckling, "Understood¡­ You make a good teacher by the way!"


    After Aiden introduced all the machines, he started to work on the treadmill for a warm up and Emily headed towards Linda, "Wow, I learnt a lot today!" she said. Linda smirked and said, "And had a lot of fun today, you even forgot all your worries and¡­" Before Linda could finish Emily punched her on the shoulder and laughed, "Well, yeah, I did forgot my tensions. Thanks for reminding." They both laughed.


    After a little chat with Linda, she went towards the stair mill. Hmmm, I have never worked on this before, she thought and stepped on it as Aiden told, pressed the start button and started to climb up, the stairs. Huh, it''s quite easy!


    After quite a while, another person came towards her and started a conversation. "Hey there! I am Henry." He greeted enthusiastically. Emily replied almost running out of breath, "H..Hey! I am¡­ Emily¡­ N.. Nice to m..meet you."


    Henry giggled, "You are almost out of breath, you can take a rest now!" Emily nodded and quickly turned off the machine, stepping down and falling on the chair nearby, gasping for breath. He sat on the chair beside her, passing her a bottle of water. "You shouldn''t push yourself too hard on your first day. Don''t want to have sore muscles on the very first day." Emily nodded again, "Lesson learnt!" They both chuckled.


    Seeing the two, Aiden came over drinking his water, "Hey Emily, tired already?" Emily replied slightly embarrassed, "Yeah." Henry looked at Aiden, then Emily, "You know each other?" Aiden rolled his eyes, "Yeah, we are class fellows." Emily smiled, "Looks like you know each other too." Henry got up and put his arms around Aiden, "Yup! Buddies since childhood!" Aiden wriggled free from his arms, making the other two laugh. "So, you never mentioned about her, Aiden." Henry asked with curiosity. "Uhmmm¡­ We never got to that topic!" Aiden replied.


    As they all laughed, Emily heard her phone vibrate in her pocket, taking it out. It was a message from Linda, saying: Looks like you are having fun, maybe I can go? Mom is calling me. Emily put the phone back and said, "Well then guys, it was really nice and fun meeting you both. But I gotta be going now, thanks for showing me around, Aiden!" "Anytime, Emily." He said smiling. She waved them good bye and went to catch up with Linda who was leaving.


    "I am happy you had fun! Let''s call it a day for now." Linda said, as the two parted ways, waving each other goodbye.


    When Emily reached home, she looked up on her phone for the time, 4 o'' clock. Kinda late, she thought. As she entered through the door, she threw her bag on the sofa and fell on it, exhausted. Her mom came and sat in front of her, drying her hands from the towel. "Hey, mom." Emily greeted her with her eyes closed, taking deep breaths. "Emily." Her mom started to talk without even greeting. Emily realized that she was late, sitting up she started her explanation, "Oh, mom. I was out with Linda." Her mom shook her head, "I have to talk to you." Oh no, she thought.


    "I have been thinking about yesterday, I was upset by what you said, but, I thought about it, and I discussed this with your dad as well." Emily couldn''t help but frown slightly, but her mom continued, "That is why, I have decided, that¡­ We want to give you permission to participate in the games, with an open heart. We want what makes you happy. There was nothing wrong in this, our job is to guide you, not to control your life."


    This brought Emily to tears, and she jumped to hug her mom. "Thank you so much!" she said it repeatedly. "Well then¡­ Where''s the forum!?" She asked enthusiastically. Emily''s eyes brightened up. And she quickly opened her bag, and pulled out the forum, handing it to her mom, with pride.

 7 Chris Is Home

    Her mom read out the forum, carefully, so as not to miss out any details. "There are so many new games introduced this year!" She exclaimed. "Yup." Emily replied, smiling. Her mom put the forum carefully on the side table saying, "Well, me and your dad will sign it together, when he comes home." She said and got up. "By the way Emily, why are you so exhausted today?" Emily froze, should she tell her mom or not? Emily sighed and replied in a low tone, "Uh, mom, I went to the gym." As she was expecting some scolding, her mom replied sweetly, "Oh yes! You gotta start going, have to keep yourself fit!" Saying this she went to the kitchen.


    Emily went to her room, and took a nice relaxing warm shower. She came out and saw a message on her phone, it was from Linda, saying, "Hey Emily, I would not be able to accompany you to the gym from now on, my mom is a sick and dad is gone abroad. I hope you understand." Emily thought about it, well, maybe she didn''t need anyone''s company any way, after all she is a grown up now and she can take care of herself. She replied, "It''s okay, I totally understand." After a minute or two she got a reply from Linda, thanking her.


    She laid on her bed, holding the biology book, reading it for her presentation tomorrow. Her phone blinked, a message from someone again. She didn''t wanted to pick it up and reply, but what if it was something important? Reluctantly, she picked up the phone and saw a message from her younger brother, Chris.


    Chris had been in summer camp, so that is why he had no contact with any of his family members. She unlocked her phone and opened Instagram. He sent a few pictures of him sitting in a bus. "Probably returning home" she asked in a message. He sent a wink emoji in return. Emily rolled her eyes and texted, "Don''t disturb me, I am studying!" And switched off her phone. She continued to study, for a long time, perhaps three hours.


    Her eyes opened when someone was calling her on her phone. She didn''t even bother to look who it was and picked it up and answered it in a sleepy voice. It was her younger brother, Chris.


    Chris: Heya, sis! ''Sup?


    Emily: Who''s this?


    Chris: CHRIS!


    Emily: Oh. Ok. Good.


    Chris: Are you ok?


    Emily: ...


    Chris: Wake up!


    Emily: Five minutes more, I wanna sleep!


    Saying this she hung up. While on the other hand Chris rolled his eyes. Sleepy head, he thought. He was now in front of his house. Home sweet home, he thought, smiling. He knocked the door and his mum opened. "Chris! Welcome home, my darling!" Alicia greeted him, while hugging and kissing. "Hey mom!" he replied in a low voice, as her mom was squeezing his face.


    When he entered the house, his dad was on the couch, working on the laptop. He lifted up his head to see who it was, as soon as he saw Chris, he quickly shut his laptop and greeted him, rubbing his head, "Ah! You are back!" He laughed. "I sure am." Chris replied, fixing his hair. All of them laughed and sat on the couch. Alicia bought four cups of warm coffee on a tray and put it on the table in between. All of them took a cup and sipped delightfully.


    Emily just woke up due to the racket downstairs, wondering who had come. She splashed cold water on face, which took away all the laziness. She quietly went downstairs. Seeing his brother sitting on the couch and enjoying coffee, she sneaked from behind, putting finger on her lips, signaling her parents to keep quiet. They both smiled secretly.


    When she approached just behind him, she shouted, "Welcome back!" This made Chris jump and yelp, almost spilling the coffee. All of them laughed. Chris pouted, "Haha, very funny." Emily shrugged, beaming.


    All of them had dinner after some time. The table was filled with the clatter of spoons and forks, all of them talking to each other, happily. After dessert they all went to bed.

 8 Helping Aiden

    It was a cool Wednesday morning. Emily opened her eyes and stretched, yawning. What a lovely sleep, she thought. Looking at the time, she was quite pleased. Five minutes before her alarm rang. She stood up, stretched some more and went to washroom. Opening the tap, squeezing the tooth paste on her sky blue toothbrush and rubbing it sideways along her teeth.


    She changed and looked herself in the mirror, smiling. But after some weird thoughts coming to her mind, her smile faded away. She looked at her hands, then her face, then her washroom cabinet. She did not have a single makeup material in it, not even one. She did put on nail paint when she went out to a party with Linda, but if she re-called it, it was not hers, but Linda''s. Thinking about it, in fact, all her class fellows put on makeup, which provided a lovely natural look. These thoughts lowered Emily''s self-confidence, not much, but to some extent.


    Emily shook her head, throwing her thoughts away. I don''t need makeup, she thought, I am perfect the way I am¡­.. I think. She went downstairs and sat down at the breakfast table with a bowl of cereal in front and her mom drinking coffee beside her. "Mom" she spoke after a while. "Yes?" her mom replied, smiling. "Am I pretty?" She asked, sheepishly. Her mom replied proudly without wasting a second, "Obviously, my daughter is the prettiest!"


    Emily was unsatisfied, "No doubt you will think that." Her mom smiled, "What is it? I know you are thinking about something." Emily looked at her watch, 07:20 a.m. "Well, mom. Uh¡­ The thing is, that I feel I need some makeup." She said directly, as it was a long topic, and she had to go to college. Alicia was a bit shocked, "Honestly, you actually don''t, but if you feel like it, why don''t you buy some and try it out yourself. That is the best way you will find an answer to your thoughts." Emily was astonished. She thought she had to argue and reason with her mom about it, but in reality, it was the opposite.


    She was happy, as it was something different for her, she smiled ear to ear to her mother, quickly finished her breakfast and started to walk to college. Shortly afterwards she heard someone say her name from behind. She turned around to see who it was. To her shock it was Aiden, waving and quickly walking so as to catch up with her. "Oh, hey. What a surprise." Emily smiled. Aiden answered, "I didn''t know you lived quite near to my house, which is a few streets away. Today I saw you and thought I''d greet you." "Well that''s very nice!" Emily said. Then the two started to walk together, silently.


    Shortly afterwards, Aiden asked, "Emily, I was thinking¡­ How about we walk together to college?" he gave a weak smile. Emily got another shock. Before she could reply, Aiden spoke again, "Well, I was thinking that it would be quite useful for us, I could help you with your routine at the gym and with sports as well. While, you could help me with¡­" he paused after this. Emily was very happy to get help from a popular person like Aiden, but also thought that he is good at everything, how would he need my help? However she asked sweetly, "With what?" Aiden blushed and continued, "With¡­ arts." He let out a sigh as if he said something wrong.


    Emily let out a little laugh, "I thought it was something big." Aiden smiled and said, "Well, for me it is kind of a big thing, I am so bad at it, in fact I suck at it. While you are so good and talented at it! Your paintings are almost magical, just like a professional." Emily turned crimson at all these compliments. "But arts isn''t compulsory right?" She asked, still reddened. Aiden replied in a low voice, "I really like arts, I am really fascinated by it, even though I am awful." This lead to the third shock of the day for Emily. Wow, Aiden is interested in arts, Emily thought. Emily also loved arts, but just as a hobby. She said enthusiastically, "Of course I''ll help!" Aiden beamed. Then the rest of the way, they talked about their routines.


    They reached college quite early and entered the class. The few students who reach class early, including Linda, were quite shocked at the two. Since when did they become friends? Everyone thought.


    Emily came and sat beside Linda. While Aiden greeted his friends and sat with them. Linda first stared at Emily, then she smirked. "Huh, I knew it!" She exclaimed. In the first instance, she didn''t get it, and when she did, she started blabbering in a confused way to as to explain her and remove her impractical thoughts. "What!? No! It''s not what you think it is! Please stop. Let me explain. We live¡­" Linda plugged her fingers into her ears and started humming. Emily stared at her in disbelief. "Come on!" She muttered.


    She let out her fingers and let out a laugh, "Haha! Just teasing." Emily sighed. "But I don''t need an explanation." She demanded, smiling warmly.

 9 Maximum Of 5 Games

    Emily took out her forum and placed it on the table. Linda grabbed it and read it. She then asked Emily, "Which games will you participate in? You have not selected any and there are a lot! Moreover, it says here that you can not participate in more than five games." Emily turned around and stared at the piece of paper in disbelief. Her plans were to play or at least participate in all the games, but now, she has to select five, which she can perform the best.


    How am I supposed to know which games I can play the best, Emily thought. She carefully studied the list of games. Before she could do anything, the first period started as the teacher came in. "Alright everyone, time for your history test." He announced. The class was now filled with sorrow as they prepared themselves for the test.


    In recess, Emily tried to find Aiden, and Linda followed. After wandering around the whole school, Aiden was found playing basketball with his friends. Emily sat down on the bleachers and waited for the game to pause. In five minutes, the game was over. Aiden saw Emily and went towards her, waving. "Hey, Emily. Need any help?" he asked. "Well, yeah. Hope you can spare a few minutes." Emily asked with a confused and worried expression on her face. "Yeah sure, go on." he replied.


    "Which games should I participate in? There is a requirement of a maximum of five games." Emily informed. "That''s what is making you worried?!" He laughed. "Come on. Five games are literally more than enough. Believe me." Emily couldn''t help but blush. For Aiden, it wasn''t a big deal. However, Emily was taking it way more seriously than one should. "Honestly, you better pick out them yourself as only you know your capabilities better than anyone." Aiden explained. Emily gave a thumbs up and went away, not truly satisfied.


    "Well... Any useful advise?" Linda asked. Emily shook her head, "Uhmmm... I am not saying that there wasn''t any useful advise, but I think that he was trying to say that I should be confident in myself and my abilities." Linda slapped her shoulder and exclaimed, "Good girl!" Emily smiled put the forum away. "Hey, you not gonna fill the last part?" Linda asked in a surprise as why Emily wouldn''t fill it right away. "I want to do some research about the games I''ll be participating in. So I will be mentally prepared." Emily winked. "You''re such a nerd!!!" Linda replied rolling her eyes.


    They two quickly grabbed a snack and went towards their next classroom before the bell rang. Chemistry was their next period. All of them went to the science lab and carried out a few experiments. At the end of the day Linda and Emily waved each other goodbye and parted ways. Linda entered her car and sat on the passenger seat, next to her dad, who drove away. Emily was about to start her walk towards the gym and stopped when see heard Aiden calling his name. "Emily, you are forgetting me!" He laughed. So did Emily, "Sorry!"


    Aiden took out his phone and texted something. He then turned to Emily, "Emily, wait. Henry said that he''s near the college. So the three of us can go to the gym together." "Okay, sure." Emily responded. So the two now waited for the car to arrive. Within two minutes, a yellow sports car appeared and stopped in front of them. The black window opened down and revealed a face, wearing sunglasses. It was Henry, "Hey fellas! Jump in." The two got in and now they were on their way towards the gym. "So... Henry, I haven''t seen you in college. Which college are you from then?" Emily asked. "I am home schooled. I have studied in my home all my life. Neither do I go to college... Home sweet home. " He replied in a proud and confident manner. After a long silence Emily exclaimed, "Nice car." "Thanks!" Henry responded.


    They reached the gym and all the three of them entered the cool and peaceful gym. Emily started to work out on the elliptical, Henry on the treadmill and Aiden on the stair mill. As soon as they started their respective exercises, the bell on the door sounded, as someone stepped in and went directly towards the counter. Emily closely looked at the new figure. Definitely a girl, she thought, but who. She never encountered a girl here before, although she had been here only once. But she was filling out a forum, so it meant she had to be a new person.

 10 Enemies Until Hell Freezes

    She kept an eye on the new comer. Wait, wait, wait, she thought. That hair, I think I know it. Suddenly Emily could not help but gasp, and muttered, Ivy! She felt her blood boil with anger. What a copy cat! She thought. But there was one thing she couldn''t solve, how did she know that she goes to this very gym? All these bubbles of thought were burst when that person turned around, revealing her identity. Emily was right. It was Ivy. She has the same rebellious grin on her face that may seem like an innocent smile to those who don''t know her true self.


    Ivy scanned the whole place, but as soon as she set her eyes on Emily, her face turned into a bitter expression. But, Emily on the other hand quickly looked away, when Ivy caught sight of her. Ivy then further looked around and saw Aiden, she was not shocked at all, like Emily was at first. Her face was like she knew he was here, in fact it was like she followed him here. She straightened up her posture and ''cat walked'' towards him. Emily frowned, what a show-off.


    "Hey Aiden! What a nice surprise to see you here. Pure coincidence, isn''t it?" Ivy talked a bit loudly and confidently. From the face of Aiden, you could clearly see that he also couldn''t help but scowl. But a person like Ivy would not ever care, except for herself. Coincidence, yeah right, Emily thought. "Hello, Ivy. Good to see you. What brings you here?" Aiden asked, stepping down from his stair mill. "Hel-lo." Ivy responded, faking a laugh, "Obviously to work out." Aiden let out one of the most fakest laugh. "Well, you better start then."


    He said and stepped on his machine starting to exercise again. Whoa, Emily thought, Aiden was kinda rude, but she totally deserved it. She could not help but let out a slight smile at the scene. Aiden had shown Emily around (even though Mr. Johnathon asked to do so), but did not even give a thought to show Ivy around.


    Even Ivy was slightly dejected at this behavior, but she sweetly said again, "Won''t show me around? I don''t know any of these things?" As if Aiden was in charge of showing around new comers. "Why did you even come when you don''t know any of this stuff?" Aiden replied straight forward. It was a smack on Ivy''s face, so hard, even Emily thought she saw it. What has happened to him? Emily and Ivy thought in unison.


    Henry came out of nowhere, "Hello, Miss. May I know your name?" He asked like a gentleman. Although Ivy was not at all interested in him, she still replied nicely, "I am Ivy. Nice to meet you." "May I have the honor of showing you around?" He asked charmingly. Ivy let out a little sigh, hiding her true emotions, she agreed like any lady would, or probably should. Thus, the two started to walk away, as Henry talked.


    Getting a chance, Emily quickly stepped down and went almost running towards Aiden. "Aiden" She asked, "Are you okay? I am sorry but I kinda overheard you guys." Aiden stepped down, grabbed her hand and took her to the corner of the gym. "Emily, did you tell her that I come here?" He asked suspiciously. "What?! No. Never. Why would I do that? She isn''t my friend, or anything close to that either. In fact an enemy." Emily replied reassuringly. He sighed. So now, there were a million questions circling her head, one of them bewildering her the most. "Uhm¡­ Don''t you like her?" She asked. "Ugh, not at all. She is so annoying. She wants to follow me where ever I go and wants to be friends with me so bad for more popularity. Simply, annoying. Moreover, I don''t like her personality either." He replied out of sorts.


    Another shock for Emily. All this time she thought that Aiden felt the exact opposite. She tried to console him, "I totally knows how it feels." She smiled wryly. Then they saw the other two coming towards them. Emily rolled her eyes, here we go, she thought, let''s see what she has to say.

 11 A Competition

    Emily narrowed her eyes at the sight of Ivy, as she smirked and put on an innocent face, saying sweetly, "Emily, why are you mad at me? Did I do something wrong?" At this moment, Emily had the urge to punch her right in the face but controlled her hand, which had been clenched into a fist. "No" she replied sternly, having a serious expression on her face. Realizing the tension that was building up between the two of them, Henry stated, "Ok, so why don''t we just work out?" All of them nodded and split up. Emily moved towards the treadmill. As she started to exercise at a quick pace, she saw Ivy also stepping up the treadmill and starting to walk a quicker pace. Can''t she leave me alone, Emily thought helplessly.


    Emily increased her speed. To her surprise, so did Ivy! That''s it, Emily could not take it anymore. If a competition is what she wants, then a competition is what she''ll get. Emily increased the speed of the treadmill further more. Just as she expected, Ivy did the same. They both kept doing this until they were practically running like mad. At this point none of them could increase their speeds, if either of them did, she is just looking for some serious trouble. All it came to now was for how long they could last. Aiden was lifting the free weights, he heard the loud noises of the treadmill and stomping of feet, and thus turned around to see the cause. He was shook at the incredulous sight. Two girls thundering on the treadmills, side by side. A rare view. He felt as if the machines might break due to the pressure of feet by the running. He glanced across the room, finding Henry also staring at the two in disbelief.


    Due to lack in experience in sports and exercise, Ivy couldn''t keep up more than a minute and turned down the speed as quickly as she could, before her legs and lungs would collapse. Emily on the other hand was doing comparatively way better, as she slowed down the treadmill and kept walking quickly, not even giving her a glance. Ivy turned the treadmill off and plopped at the nearest chair, wheezing and panting for breath. Henry quickly left whatever he was doing and ran to grab a cold water bottle, passing it to Ivy. Wow, he has become a slave, Emily and Aiden thought in unison. As a result of the extreme running, Emily couldn''t keep walking longer and switched off the machine, and sat down a few seats away from Ivy. "Do you also want some water?" Henry asked. "I''m good", Emily replied giving a thumbs up. Hopefully she learnt a lesson to never mess with me, Emily thought in frustration. After a complete five minutes of rest, she stood up, stretched a bit and prepared to leave early today. She changed and grabbed the gym bag, ready to leave, finding Ivy still puffing for breath. Hah, what an over reactor.


    "Hey, Emily, leaving already?" Aiden asked, catching her off guard. Emily smiled, "Yeah, homework is too much, plus, Chris is back from his long camping trip, so you know, have to spend some family time together." " Well, don''t forget to eat healthy, stay hydrated, and keep practicing for the tough weeks of sports ahead." Aiden instructed, "And yes, remember that maybe tomorrow, we will start some practice for different games." Emily beamed, nodding and waving him goodbye.


    As soon as she left, Henry put his arm on Aiden''s shoulder, smirking and giving him a side eye. Aiden looked at him with a perplexed expression. "What!? No, no, no! Stop whatever you''re thinking!" He exclaimed, but Henry just left him, chuckling. Aiden sighed in discomfort.


    Emily had reached home by walk, it was late afternoon. She was about to knock at the door, but it opened itself, revealing Chris. "Heya, sis. Mom told me what you''ve been up to while I was away. Interesting." He laughed. Emily smiled, rolling her eyes, pushing him aside and going inside. "Hi, mom, I''m home!" She greeted her mom, as she smiled, "Hello, dear, you''re early today." She stated curiously. "Well, homework was a bit too much, so I thought I''d come over early." Emily replied and went to her room upstairs.


    She sat down in front of her desk, taking out the mathematics book and starting to practice the sums. The door knocks after a while, before she could say anything, it opens itself as Chris comes inside with two cups of warm coffee, putting one of them on her desk, while sitting down on her bed. Emily looked at him in surprise. "Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked in suspicion, grinning, "If you have a favor to ask, go on, don''t be so innocent." Chris let out a laugh, "Hah, can''t I be nice with my lovely elder sister?" Emily stared at him, unimpressed. "Ok, ok. I have a favor to ask." He admitted as Emily raised her eyebrows. "Ok, ok. I have ''favors'' to ask." Chris sighed as Emily laughed, "Go on."

 12 History Between Cyril And Aiden

    Chris took a deep breath and let it out. "Well, it''s nothing much, to be honest." He explained, "I just want you to help me with a few little things." Emily looked at him seriously, tapping her pen on the table, waiting for him to begin with the actual part. "So, the first thing I want you to do for me is... Teach me how to drive." Hearing this, Emily nearly choked, "Excuse me, mister, you clearly know that you are not of age." Chris rubbed his head, "Well, yeah, but it won''t hurt to at least teach me, right?" Emily pondered over it for a while. "Well, I can teach you. I have some busy days ahead, I''ll think. Move on to the next demand."


    Chris further stated, "Next, I would like to ask you... to register me for the gym you go to as well." He looked at her with an innocent smile. "Why do you want to go to the gym?" She asked, tilting her head. Chris thought for a while, "Why do you go to a gym for?" Emily glared at him. "I''m just kidding, don''t be mad." He rubbed his head in discomfort, "I also want to be fit like the other boys, especially like Cyril."


    Emily twitched her eyes. "Cyril?" She asked. "Hah, you don''t know? He has to be the toughest, most fittest guy on Earth!" Chris blurted out, "Ok, I am exaggerating. But he is the toughest guy in the entire GCA. Can''t believe you haven''t heard of him." He laughed. Emily nodded her head lightly. "Isn''t Aiden the popular guy at present?" Emily questioned with some interest. "Wow. You really live under a rock." He chuckled, "Allow me to tell you the interesting story of the history between Aiden and Cyril, from the beginning." He said, sitting up straight. Emily left everything and turned towards Chris, "Go on."


    Then, Chris started his story. "In the first term of college, the two were in separate classes, as they are today as well. They didn''t know each other, neither were any of them popular. They were just normal students. But, very soon, they started to gain popularity, primarily because of their looks. As the first term ended, and the results came out, they both got an A+ grade. So, now they became more famous, as they had both brains and looks. After that, when the month of sports arrived, the two participated actively and were some amazing athletes. Another point for fame. Then, they came head to head in the 100m sprint. Forget the others, they were way behind them. Aiden and Cyril ran with all their might, surprisingly, they crossed the finish line at the same time! To decide the winner, the coach made the two run again. And still a tie! Another round, tie! The entire Golden Crown Academy was in shock. At this point, they were frustrated, moreover, both of them were placed first, which lead to the first spark of hatred between them. Days after days, they would practice hard, not only in studies but also in games. They made teams in basketball and football, and would compete with each other often. As they were totally equal in studies and looks, it all came down to sports. Then, you might be thinking, what''s the big deal in that, they are probably taking it too far. Well, here''s what further increased their rivalry. One day, not long ago, Cyril challenged Aiden to the 100m sprint! When the day came, the entire college gathered to see the final result, who is the actual winner? The race started, the both ran with all the strength they had, and guess what, who won? Cyril! By a complete one meter! He was extremely happy, as the crowd cheered. On the other hand, Aiden was quite embarrassed as he was quite confident in himself. But he lost in front the entire college. What further made him angry was that Cyril spread the news of the competition beforehand, causing the entire college to gather for the event. If Aiden had lost without this whole crowd, he wouldn''t have cared. Plus, Cyril got a little carried away with his happiness. Anyways, they have quite a history now and now they don''t even look at each other. Story end."


    After this extremely long history, Chris''s mouth was dry. "That was too dramatic, but interesting." Emily commented as she rubbed her chin, nodding. "Ok, that''s more than enough. I''ll be going now. Don''t forget what I requested." He gave a little laugh and went away. All this made Emily question her existence. Where was she all this time? How come she never knew? It was really weird and strange. Well, I know now. Emily was quite shocked at this whole story. There isn''t much she can do now, as 10 precious minutes were wasted in this entire story. She suddenly remembered her maths homework and quickly started doing it. Then, she ate dinner and went to bed for the busy day ahead. The first practice day of sports.

 13 First Day Of Practice

    Emily woke up, quite energized. After eating a healthy breakfast she was ready to go. As she opened the door, she saw Aiden heading towards the door, "Oh, hey! I was just about to check out whether you are ready or not." "Yup, I am all ready." She confirmed and then they started to walk. Seeing Aiden reminded her of Chris''s story. Hmm... If she recalled, she wasn''t as interested in sports in the beginning, that''s why she would spend all her breaks in the library studying, causing her to miss out the rest of the stuff! "You are in deep thoughts today." Aiden remarked. Should I talk about it or no? I guess not, Emily pondered. "Well, just thinking about the busy days ahead!" She made up a reasonable excuse. They talked about the practice session of today rest of the way, until they reached class and split up, sitting on their seats.


    They day was pretty slow for Emily, as she was really excited and nervously waiting for the day to end, so they can start their official practice for games. It was a sunny Thursday, only 3 days to submit the forms. Finally, the day was over. The students who wanted to participate in the games gathered in the main ground while who didn''t want to play went home, including Linda. The coach announced the plan during the month of sports, that is, they will stay after college for two hours every day for practice, while the finals will be held within working hours, whenever the day would be decided, the day would be off from studies. Many students were present, few from college while more from high school section of GCA. Trying to find someone she knew, she finally spotted Aiden among the boys, and surprisingly, to Emily''s huge shock, Ivy and Hazel! Woah, I can''t believe she is trying to get on me for a revenge, Emily thought in anger. After the coach stated the basic rules of not to misbehave and never even think of cheating, he sent us away to change and warm up.


    Emily went to the changing room, near the girls washroom. About fifty percent of the girls in the entire institute decided to participate, which is pretty much more than what she expected. So there was quite a rush at the stalls. Among some girls Emily saw Ivy and Hazel talking. After a few seconds, she bangs on the door of the stall in front of her, shouting in anger, "Are you dead? Hurry up!" Surely after a few seconds a girl comes out, rather than being changed, it was like she was half way through changing and after hearing Ivy she decided not to continue and rather put the clothes back on and use another stall. What a bully... I''ll teach her a lesson. After 5 minutes, Ivy still hadn''t changed. Emily rolled her eyes at this unacceptable behavior. Soon enough she was out, letting Hazel go. The stall in front of Emily opened and she went inside. Within three minutes, she was out, setting her hair. "Idiot hurry up!" She heard Ivy scream at Hazel. "10 seconds!" Hazel squeaked from inside. Emily didn''t have enough time to watch their drama and quickly decided to leave. She gave a side glance at Ivy, only to find her glaring and grinning in a devilish way at Emily. She ignored and quickly joined the others outside.


    She started to warm up with the rest. She saw Aiden approach his way towards her. He was wearing a sleeveless blue tank top with white shorts, a dress code for boys doing sports, showing his fit and pretty much muscular body. "Whenever you need help, just come to me." He offered, beaming. "Sure!" Emily replied, tickled pink to have such a good friend. As everyone was warming up, she saw specific areas assigned for a particular sport. Among them, she saw a person taking aim from a bow to a target about fifty feet ahead of him. The target was a circular board, with different colored rings inside. Archery, Emily recognized it in an instant. The person shot the arrow, another person declaring the points to him, "Nine points, Cyril! Amazing!" Oh! So he is Cyril, Emily took a closer look. He was indeed good looking, as Chris described. Wearing a green striped tank top and black shorts.


    She thought for a while, and decided to choose archery as her first game. It seemed quite simple, nothing complicated. She was happy with her choice and move towards the archery section for practice. She picked up a bow and some arrows, which were available at a table nearby. Cyril saw her and moved towards her. "Hey there. Nice to meet you. I''m Cyril." He greeted politely, presenting his hand for a handshake. Emily shook her hand replying, "Hi, I am Emily." Cyril smiled, "I see you are interested in archery, I can help you with that if you need." "I could really use your help to know the basics." Emily asked pleasantly. What a sweet and pretty girl, Cyril thought.

 14 Basics Of Archery

    The person who declared the points to Cyril came up to them, greeting Emily enthusiastically, "Hello! I am Cyril''s best friend, James." "Hi. I am Emily. Good to meet you." She replied. "Are you doing archery for the first time? Because I have never seen you." He asked, trying to remember her face, but to no avail. "Yes, it''s my first time." Emily replied. "Best of luck then!" He then went away to practice while Cyril brought her near to an empty target, that no one was using and started to give her instructions.


    "Your main objective is to shoot the arrow as close to the centre and gain maximum points. This is the target that you have to shoot. It has 10 concentric circles of different colors, each having specific points. The outermost two rings called one ring and two ring are white, three and four are black, five and six are blue, seven and eight are red and nine and ten which are the innermost rings, are gold. The ten ring also has an inner ring, known as "inner 10" or "X ring", which is sometimes used to decide the winner in case of ties. Scoring in archery is very simple: you just add up the number of points based on where your arrows hit the target. And don''t forget these important points. First, the maximum time permitted to shoot an end of three arrows is two minutes, and four minutes for an end of six arrows. Secondly, athletes may not raise the bow arm until the signal to start is given and penalties can be given, in the form of points forfeits, if the bow is drawn after the official practice has been closed. At the end, your points will be added to announce the winner."


    Cyril explained, pronouncing every word carefully and slowly. Emily took a few seconds before replying, "Ok. Got it!" He smiled as they headed back to their positions for practice. Seeing the two, James went towards the target, keeping a safe distance, so as to announce the points. "Who should go first? I think you should." Cyril asked. "Well, I''d like to see you shoot first." Emily replied. Cyril sighed and took out a bow from the quiver behind his back. Carefully placing it between the bow and pulling the string backwards, to its maximum capacity. He held it for a few seconds before letting it go. It was so sudden that before Emily could blink, it was already stuck on the target, hearing James call out, "Nine points again! Amazing!" Emily felt that praising him after every shot was unnecessary. Cyril smiled and turned towards Emily, "Your turn."


    Aiden on the other hand, just finished his relay practice and was sitting under the shade of the tree, to cool himself. He looked around for Emily, as he found her near Cyril, he narrowed his eyes, having a serious expression. Emily held the arrow against the string, only to find herself helplessly trying to adjust the arrow properly. It kept on swaying from left to right. Cyril gave a little laugh, "May I help?" Emily sighed, hiding her embarrassment, "Yes, please." Cyril now stepped behind Emily, putting his hands over hers and adjusting the arrow. Emily just prayed that no one was looking at this awkward situation, or at least she thought it was awkward. Little did she know Aiden was watching each and every second with envy.


    "You have to apply just a little pressure here, to keep it still." He instructed. Emily nodded her head as Cyril let go, standing beside, keeping a good distance. "Hold your breath and focus on the tip of the arrow while closing one eye." Cyril gave some tips. As Emily focused on the tip, she found that even if she held her breath it was still slightly swaying side to side. The target was quite small in her eyes. When she found a perfect moment she let go of the arrow. It was quick and before one could blink, it was already stuck with the target. They waited for James to call out the points, but he didn''t. "Uhm. James! Points?" Cyril asked. "Ten." He stated in disbelief.


    Woah, even Emily couldn''t believe herself, "Hah, that''s just pure luck. I won''t be able to make it again the next time." She stated, trying to be realistic. Cyril nodded and couldn''t help but compliment her, "Maybe. But you are really good." Emily blushed as Cyril and James went back to practicing, "Well, now you know what you have to do, I''ll be here if you need me." As soon as they were gone at a distance, Aiden popped up from behind, "Hey!" Emily didn''t expect this, so she jumped, turning around to find Aiden. She laughed, "You scared me!" Emily put the bow and arrows away and went with Aiden to figure out other games she''ll be playing.


    When they left, James quietly asked Cyril, "So, she''s already friends with Aiden?" Cyril thought for a while, "Hmm..." Giving no proper response and starting to practice. James shrugged and started practicing too. He probably has something in his mind, James thought.

 15 The Races

    Aiden and Emily slowly walked towards the tracks. It was the mid of September, warm breeze was blowing. The leaves of the trees rustled, making soothing sounds. Although, they were still green, pretty soon they will start to turn colors and fall. Autumn was quite near. Aiden glanced at Emily, her sky blue eyes gleamed with determination, she was immersed in deep thoughts. Her light brown hair were tucked in a high ponytail, dancing along the breeze. She was wearing a simple plain dark-blue colored tracksuit with the GCA logo imprinted on its back. Indeed, she looked decent and pretty. Compared to other girls, who were wearing jumpsuit and rompers. More like having a fashion show rather than participating in sports.


    They reached the tracks and both of them put their thoughts aside. "Okay, so there are different types of races. Short distanced races are technically sprints, which include 100m, 200m and 400m. Girls only have sprints, unlike us boys, we also do marathons." He paused, took a deep breath and started explaining further. "But, you can also be take part in hurdle race and relays." Aiden inhaled and exhaled deeply as he was trying to fit his explanation in two breaths. Emily shook her head chuckling.


    "Will you participate in the marathon?" Emily asked after a pause, out of the blue. Aiden was stunned, "Of course, I will! Why do you ask?" Emily shrugged, smiling, "How many games are you planning to participate in?" Aiden lost the smile he had, slapping his face, "Damn! I totally forgot about that stupid new rule. Now what?!" Emily couldn''t help but laugh at his freaked out expression. "If I recall, someone told me yesterday that what''s so hard in picking out five games." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.


    Aiden was totally blushing right now. Emily laughed again. She tried to change the topic, "So... what will be our gym routine now?" Aiden rubbed his chin, narrowing his eyes. "Probably we will have to shift it to evening. How about this... After practice from college, we will go to our houses, eat, drink, rest etc. and then come to gym around 6 p.m.?" Emily thought about it for a while, nodding her head. "But are you sure you want to go to the gym now, sports are up ahead, obviously we won''t be granted leave from studies, are you sure you can manage all this?" He asked again, concerned.


    "I just joined the gym! My body could really use some work out as you know I''m not in a good shape. I''m pretty sure I''ll manage it. No worries!" Emily ensured.


    "Okay, then. Whatever you want!"


    They stayed for quite a while after college, Emily checked the time on her wrist watch. Woah, it was half past three. Seeing her startled face, Aiden informed her, "The coach said that it''s not necessary for you to stay after college for exactly two hours, it''s just to facilitate the students, so they can practice." Emily sighed, how did he know I was thinking about it.


    "Well then, I''ll be changing and going now, I have checked out the games and I think I am ready to fill out the form." Emily waved him goodbye and went to the changing room. Thankfully no one was there so Emily was able to change pretty quickly. Just as she was about to open the door of the cubicle to go out, she heard the door of the changing room burst open followed by stomping and loud voices of girls fighting. Shewas in a shock, standing there in the cubicle, she overheard the conversation outside. She recognized the voices, surely enough it was Ivy and Hazel.


    "Ugh! I can''t believe that Emily is so shameless!" Ivy blurted out in anger.


    What...?!


    Hazel tried to console her ,saying, "Oh, Ivy! For goodness sake, calm down! No one would be interested in that idiot. Are you insane?"


    What... Is... Happening?


    "Huh! I know that too! But how can she be so confident in herself? She is totally mad! First she tries to hook up with Aiden, and now Cyril. Like... seriously?!" Ivy shouted at Hazel. "Ivy, please, you are just over thinking about stuff. You are clearly prettier and no one can steal the spotlight from you. They''ll probably come begging to you themselves!" Hazel replied, agitated.


    Oh, so that''s what''s going on... First of all, I am clearly not having any such intentions! Secondly, it seems that you guys saw my awkward situation earlier. Emily thought to herself, trying to suppress her angry. Since they had no intention to leave any sooner, Emily decided to wait, obviously she couldn''t come out in this situation. So, she leaned against the cubicle, which produced a creaking sound.


    Damn it...


    There was complete silence. Emily''s heart started to race as soon as she heard footsteps coming towards her cubicle. "Who''s there?!" Hazel yelled.

 16 An Interview

    Hazel pushed the door open, it was empty. Emily sighed in relief. Hazel opened the wrong cubicle... If she tried to push hers, finding it to be locked, it was a matter of time until something bad would happen. "Ivy, let''s not waste time over here. How about we convince Aiden to join us at a cafe?" Hazel asked, seemingly proud of herself for suggesting such a great idea. "Ah, yes! Let''s go." Ivy replied and the two quickly left without thinking twice. Their moods completely flipped one eighty degrees. Emily rolled her eyes and got out.


    She picked up everything and was about to leave through the main gate of the college until she heard someone calling her. She turned around to find a high schooler running towards her with two other girls.


    GCA was an institute that had two main buildings. One was a high school while the other was college. So it was pretty normal for some high schooler wanting to meet the seniors. But, this girl was no ordinary girl. She was the deputy head girl of high school, Kate. While beside her was another girl, who seemed to be the head girl of GCA press, which published weekly magazines within the institute. Although, GCA press was headed by the staff of the high school, they pretty much depended on their students to gather some juicy gossip.


    She was aware of Kate, but she only realized the head girl of GCA press by her badge. "Hello, I am Kate, the deputy head girl of GCA''s high school section. My class fellows would like to take an interview from you for the purpose of the upcoming sports event." She then introduced the two girls beside her. "This is Samantha, the heard girl of GCA press. While this is Anna, she helps Samantha around with interviews."


    Kate was quite formal with Emily. She had a solemn yet gentle expression. Her black hair tied up in a neat french braid. Her casual dressing made her look like a superior in high school. Samantha on the other hand wore a noticable amount of makeup, while her blonde hair were dropping over her shoulders. She really resembled Ivy somehow. Anna on the other hand seemed to be a shy and simple girl. She wore big glasses that almost covered her face, her hair tied in a messy bun with strands of hair tucked behind her ears. She held a notepad and a pen, eagerly waiting to write the interview.


    "I just wanted to drop Samantha and Anna over here. I''ll be going now. Bye." Kate quickly went away, minding her own business. Samantha rolled her eyes, "You must be Emily." Taken aback by her rude behavior, Emily maintained her calm posture, "Yes, I am." "I am Ivy''s younger sister." Samantha stated proudly.


    Hah, that explains her rude behavior!


    "Whatever, let''s just get over this. Have you participated in this sports competition before?" Samantha started her questions.


    "No."


    "What made you change your mind and try sports?"


    "Well, basically, I wanted to concentrate on studies, but then I realized..."


    "What games are you planning to play?"


    What...?! Did she just cut me off? Rude!


    "Actually I have not properly decided but I''m..."


    "Do you think you''ll obtain any positions?"


    What the heck is wrong with her?! Emily quickly glanced at Anna, she just scribbled away. Even her face was showing clear signs of confusion and discomfort at Samantha''s attitude. Emily also started to lose her cool. She started to give answers sternly.


    "Yes. I am really confident that I will achieve great positions."


    Samantha smirked. Just what she she wanted the situation to be like.


    "What are your thoughts and views about Ivy?"


    "What are you trying to imply? She is just a normal student like everyone else."


    Samantha smirked, now she could stir up some trouble for Emily, as per her sister''s order. You tried to mess with my sister, now face the consequences! "You are just too impudent! I don''t have time for such people like you. You should know, I am the head of GCA press, I came specially to take your interview, yet you mock me and ridicule my sister. Unacceptable!" Samantha exclaimed, vexed. "So what? I didn''t invite you." Emily replied rigidly. Samantha was rendered speechless. So she just stormed off. Anna quickly followed behind, like a servant forced to obey a cruel master. Emily rolled her eyes and left college, scowling.


    She reached her house, her mom opened the door for her. Without greeting she just entered inside. "Emily! Where are your manners?" Alicia said as she was upset. "Oh, sorry, mom! I was just in a bad mood. How are you?" Emily quickly regained her senses and asked politely, feeling guilty. Alicia smiled, "It''s okay, I am fine. Why don''t you go and change, while I make something for you. Then, maybe you would like to tell me what happened?" Emily nodded and quickly changed up and was sitting in the lounge. Alicia bought some freshly baked cookies and a cup of coffee for her. After gaining some energy, she told her mom each and everything that happened after college.


    Alicia nodded and calmly explained, "There will always be obstacles in your life. You will always encounter someone who is jealous of you or does not like you, in every step of life. Don''t waste your time and energy arguing with them. Only listen to them patiently, maybe you would be able to realize something from them. The more sad, angry or agitated you are, the happier your opponent becomes. As long as you know what you are doing is right, there is nothing to fear."

 17 Writing An Essay

    Emily was sitting in front of her desk. Pages, including plain and crumbled, written and blank, all types were spread over her table. She was pouting while tapping her pencil on the table. Can an essay be this hard to write?! She thought helplessly. Worst of all, the topic that her English teacher gave her was about my thoughts and views about the latest fashion. Even searching on the internet was completely useless.


    Suddenly, she got an idea! She scribbled a few words. Read them over and over again for five minutes, before crushing the paper and taking out a new one. Finally, she groaned and took out her phone and texted Linda about her ''serious'' issue.


    On the other end, Linda was writing pages and pages of the essay. Her hand worked non-stop. It had been twenty minutes since she had been writing the essay. Thousands and thousands of ideas and points were popping in her head. Finally, she stopped when she received a notification from her phone. Although she wanted to ignore it, seeing that it was Emily''s message, she did not waste even a second and read it.


    Reading the text about her ''serious'' problem, Linda laughed out loud. She then informed her that she''ll be coming over at her house so that they can write the essay together. Emily sighed in relief as she was getting help from a fashion expert, or at least for Emily, Linda was a fashion expert. While Emily was still using her remaining brain cells to at least come up with one sentence, the door behind her opened. Beside her mom, Linda was standing, holding her books and stationery.


    Emily looked at her as if she had met her savior. She ran and hugged her tightly. Her mom was taken aback. Was writing an essay that hard? Alicia thought, smiling and shaking her head, she went away. "Woah! You can calm down. It''s just an essay." Linda squeaked due to her immensely stiff hug. Emily laughed, "Sorry!"


    Emily sat in front of her desk while Linda plopped on her bed right next to her desk. Linda was baffled by the over-loading trash can of crumpled papers. "You''ve been really working hard on it. I guess?" Linda asked meekly. Emily shrugged. "So¡­ How much have you written?" She asked again, expecting her to have at least written a paragraph. Emily handed Linda her page. As soon as she looked at it, Linda startled. Except for the name of essay, nothing was written.


    Emily sulked, but then she saw a stack of papers on Linda''s lap. She snatched it, flipping the pages in disbelief. "Are you sure you''re writing an essay and not a novel?" Emily asked, her eyes open wide. Linda chuckled, "Haha. It''s nothing. I can write twice as much!" Emily rolled her eyes and took out three sheets from the stack. "Hey! What are you doing?" Linda exclaimed. "Borrowing a few pages." She replied calmly, grinning. Linda was speechless, her mouth open wide in shock. Is Emily really that deceitful?!


    Emily took out three consecutive sheets, the handed the rest back to Linda, smiling innocently as if she did nothing wrong. Linda sighed heavily, "Emily, this is the first and last time you are going to be doing this!" "Haha. Don''t worry. It won''t happen again, promise!" Emily responded joyfully. Linda shook her head, finally changing the topic by asking her about her first day of practice. "So how was your first day? Did you do anything? Are you tired? Who else was there? Did you meet Aiden? What did he say? Did he help you?" Linda fired the questions like bullets coming out of a gun simultaneously.


    Emily just stared at her, flabbergasted. "Uhm¡­ Yeah, it was great. Plus, today I met Cyril. He really is a nice person." As soon as Linda heard Cyril''s name she started jumping up and down on the bed, "Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! You actually met Cyril?!" Emily opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Thinking of what to say to this exhilarated girl. So¡­ She was a fan of Cyril? Or is Cyril her crush? Both of them are pretty much the same thing for Emily.


    Emily shook her head, almost laughing. "Can you please relax?" She asked politely. "Ah, yes, yes, yes! Sorry" Linda quickly replied, as she sat down crossing her legs, her green eyes filled with gusto. Emily exhaled deeply, "Yeah, I met him when he was doing archery. He also taught me how to do it. He''s pretty good at it!" Linda squeaked. Emily raised her eyebrows, "Why?" Linda blushed, "He is my idol! He is so handsome, strong, talented, intelligent, simply amazing. Don''t you like him?" Emily''s eyes twitched, "Uhm¡­ No?"


    "What!!! Are you insane?!"


    "Hold your horses! Let me speak¡­ He actually is very nice and talented. But just as a friend!" Emily explained, feeling the atmosphere turn awkward. "Eeee! He is your friend?! Can I meet him? Please, please, please?" Linda asked nervously.


    "Of course!"


    "Ahh! You can take all of my essay sheets, I will write again! Take it as a thanks!" Linda said giving her the bundle of papers. "No, no, no, no! Just three pages are fine!" Emily replied and shoved the papers in back her hand. "Well, my work is done. We will meet tomorrow." Then she bid Linda farewell and closed the door behind her, sighing in relief.

 18 Linda Meets Her Idol

    Emily went through the essay pages while smiling from ear to ear. Her hard work paid off¡­ Kind of. She then carefully put in in a clear file and tucked it in her bag. It was so well written. Oh! I have forgotten something. Emily thought and quickly took out the form from her bag. She filled out the basic information required and marked the games which she would be playing. It included:


    1. Archery


    2. Hurdle race


    3. Relay


    4. Cycling


    5. Shooting


    She was quite happy with her decision. She chose shooting as it was quite similar to archery, the only difference was that it had guns, artificial or real, it didn''t matter to Emily. While she chose the races because she just had to run, but it isn''t that easy when competing with professional players. Moreover, her time spent in the gym would really pay off. Then, she chose cycling because she used to cycle with her parents in the country side when she was little, that''s why she wanted to take it a step further.


    Emily leaned back on her chair and stretched her body, sighing in relief as if a heavy burden was lifted off her shoulders. Chris silently entered her room and peeked at the form neatly filled in front of Emily. "Hmm¡­ Interesting!" He suddenly spoke out. "Ahh!" Emily yelped as she nearly fell from her chair. "When did you come in? And why didn''t you knock?" Emily asked in a frenzy. Chris shrugged and replied charmingly, "You are my sweet little¡­ Ahem¡­ Elder sister. Why would I need permission to enter in her room?" Emily puffed but ignored him. "Which games did you chose?" She asked tilting her head.


    "I thought you''d never ask!" He answered, taking out the form from his hands, which were kept behind his back all along. Emily blinked and snatched the paper out of his head. "Hmm¡­ let me see. Hurdle race, shooting, 100m sprint, baseball and marathon. Interesting indeed." Emily read out loud, nodding her head. Chris raised his head high in pride by the rare compliment his sister gives him. "Whatever. Now you can leave my room. Bye-bye!" Emily got up and dragged him out and slamming the door. Chris pouted and went to his own bedroom.


    After a lively dinner with her family, everyone went to bed.


    Next morning, Emily woke up by the buzzing alarm sound. It was a cloudy Friday morning. Emily yawned and stretched for a while before getting ready, eating breakfast and going to college with Aiden¡­ And also Chris. All along the way, both the boys became good friends and chatted about their topics of interest. Emily was quite pleased to see them getting along.When they reached college Emily and Aiden treaded towards the college building while Chris went towards the high school building.


    It was English class first, so Linda and Aiden were together with Emily, along with Ivy and Hazel, unfortunately. They all submitted their essay. Linda glanced at Emily, who was sitting diagonally behind her, she was beaming and winked at Linda clearly indicating, thanks for the essay. Linda narrowed her eyes and pointed her eyes at Aiden, who was sitting beside Emily busy with his own stuff, not noticing their ''eye'' conversations. Emily raised her eyebrows, Linda giggled, then looked at Ivy, who was sitting in the other corner of the room, looking at Emily and Aiden with immense jealousy. Emily peeked at Ivy, but Ivy quickly turned around, pretending nothing happened. They both chuckled and then went back to work.


    Time passed slowly, but at least it just passed. The class was over and everyone dispersed in the hallway, grabbing their books for the next class. Linda quickly went towards Emily. "Hey! You remember your promise, right?" She asked nervously. Emily chortled, "Yes, yes, I do! We''ll meet him in break." Linda squealed, hugged her and ran away jumping like a happy bunny. Emily smiled at her behavior.


    Finally, it was break. Linda was already waiting outside Emily''s class. Without saying anything, Emily started to tread somewhere. Linda followed, shaking in excitement. Come on, he is just a famous boy of the college, what is so special about that, Emily thought to herself, sneaking a glance at the girl behind her and laughing inside. After a short while, they reached the place where they were doing archery the day before. "Uhm, Emily? Are you sure Cyril is going to come here? Doesn''t he practice after college?" Linda inquired. "Wait here." She responded and went further away.


    Cyril was with his friends and heading towards the archery section. He saw Emily coming towards him, he smiled and greeted her pleasantly, "Hi, Emily! What brings you here?" "Hey, Cyril! I actually have a favor to ask." She replied, getting straight to the point. "Ah, sure. Anything."


    "My best friend, Linda, eagerly wants to meet you. You are his idol." Emily winked. Cyril laughed and nodded, looking behind her. Seeing a girl at a distance. Her wavy ginger hair spread over her shoulders and her bright green eyes shining with excitement. So, he excused himself from his friends and went with Emily.


    Seeing the two of them approaching her, Linda''s heart started to beat incredibly faster.

 19 New Manager Of GCA Press

    Linda started to jump in anticipation. Cyril went ahead and greeted her politely, stretching out his arm for a handshake, "Hello, Linda! I am Cyril. Haha, you might know me." Linda was practically shaking, her eyes open wide and staring him in disbelief. "Haha, don''t worry, I am real!" He said, waiting for a handshake, which never came. Emily was standing behind Cyril, she indicated to shake hands with Cyril by acting it out using both her hands. "Ah, yes. I am sorry." She apologized and shook hands, finally.


    "Hopefully, you''ll get along well!" Emily winked from behind. "Oh, yes, we will!" Cyril replied. Linda was staring at her hands in bewilderment. "No need to be shocked Linda! I am just a student as you are. What''s so special in that?" Cyril inquired. "N¡­ No! You are very talented and intelligent, and¡­" Emily jumped from behind Linda and put her arm around her neck, "Yes, yes, whatever. Don''t let her start about that topic, she''ll just blabber all day!" Emily and Cyril laughed freely, while Linda only slightly giggled, shyly.


    "I am sorry ladies, but my friends are waiting for me." Cyril excused himself. Then he turned to leave, but Linda suddenly asked, "Uhm¡­ I was wondering that¡­ Can I stay after college to see you play? Is it allowed?"


    "Yes, yes! You can, I''d be glad to have you around. Maybe you could cheer for me. Haha! Bye now!" He then fled from the scene.


    "Are you happy now?" Emily asked, laughing. "Yes! More than happy! Ah, Emily! You are my best friend!" The then hugged Emily tightly. "Ouch! That''s actually nothing. You could have talked yourself as well." She stated and freed herself from her hug.


    After Linda calmed down, they both turned to leave, when they saw a crowd of girls nearby. "Hmm¡­ I wonder what the commotion is about." Emily whispered to herself. "You stay here. I''ll find out!" Linda said and then disappeared into the crowd. Emily shrugged. Just as she left, Aiden popped up from behind, "Hey!" Emily jumped and turned around, scared. "Ah! Aiden!" She laughed and punched his shoulder. "Ow! So, what''s going on over there?" He then asked. "I actually don''t know either. Linda is gone to investigate."


    The two of them then stood there in silence until they saw Linda running towards them, panting for breath. "Looks like some big news!" Aiden exclaimed. "Yes! Yes! It is!" Linda replied back. "First calm down, then talk." Emily advised. But Linda just started to speak, "Okay, so what is actually going on is that Ivy''s dad has become the new manager of GCA press! And I don''t know why everyone is trying to get on her good side so that they can become popular too. First her sister was the head girl, and now her dad is the manager of GCA press, so now, it''s a win-win for Ivy."


    By the time Linda was finished, Emily and Aiden were frowning. Can people could actually be so naive? No matter how good they would be to her, Ivy would never favor them. In fact, she would actually threaten them so that they would treat her like a queen. Oh no. The thought made Emily gulp. Right now no one realizes what Ivy can use this platform for, only Emily can guess what her next step could be. She didn''t bother to think further and tried to calm herself down. Why does she care? It''s just a college magazine¡­ Which every student will read.


    The three of them ignored the ruckus and chatted among themselves until break was over and they separated to their next classes. Emily could not get the fact out of her mind that it was Friday, and weekend was ahead, probably the magazines would start printing the next thing after college and be sold on Monday. She wondered what would be inside. Could she be avenging her? Or could she trying to further improve her image? At last, Emily pushed these thoughts aside.


    It was now time for sports. Forms were being collected from the students who were participating in the competition. After that being done, everyone dispersed to change into their sports outfits. Since they had chosen which games they would be doing, everything was going smoothly. Every student was engaged in some activity.


    Linda finally appeared in front of Emily. Oh¡­ I forgot about that! Emily just remembered that Linda would be staying to see Cyril. They waved each other and Linda sat down on the bleachers, which was empty. Cyril soon appeared and also waved at Linda, then turned around to pick his materials for archery. Emily peeped at Linda, who was sitting with mixed emotions.


    Emily laughed and picked her bow and quiver and stood beside Cyril. Today James was also practicing and not declaring points like a servant. In fact, today, an archery instructor was present, along with him two assistants who would announce the points to the students.


    Emily casually took out an arrow from the quiver and placed in in the bow. Also recalling the instructions Cyril gave her. After a few seconds she let it go. The arrow whizzed across the field, piercing the air as it went, until it finally clung on to the target.

 20 A sFriendlys Competetion

    One of the assistants called out the points. "10 points!" He then further asked, "Who shot this arrow, and may I know your number?" What?! Why is he asking my number so casually? Emily was in shock. Oh! Wait¡­ my sports enrollment number! Ugh, looks like I have lost my mind. "87!" Emily called out. "Very good!" The assistant complimented her.


    Emily then took out another arrow, aimed and shot.


    "10 points!"


    Another arrow.


    "10 points!"


    Another arrow, one more and again.


    "10 points, 10 points, 10 points!"


    Emily was really surprised at her performance, she felt like she had been practicing archery since childhood. She could hear Linda hooting and cheering for her.


    "Yay, Emily! Amazing! Perfection!"


    Cyril was also very impressed by her as well! "Wow, Emily! You''re a monster!" He laughed, along with Emily. "Should we do a competition? Me and you?" He asked, sniggering. "Yeah, sure!" Emily accepted the challenge happily. However, inside, Emily was freaking out. She had just started archery, how could she win against an expert like Cyril?! Secondly, why did he challenge her? Emily tried to relax herself, even if she lost, it is totally understandable, and she is just a newbie! How is she comparable to a professional?


    It is just a friendly match, right? Emily thought helplessly.


    Linda was kind of worried for the same reason, why suddenly request for a match? Is he threatened by Emily? These thoughts instead made Linda happy. My bestie is so talented! She thought.


    Samantha was nearby, she was way too happy to hear this news. Hah, what a great story for my magazine. ''A newbie dares to challenge the master.'' She has a sinister expression on her face. She quickly sent her so-called best friend, or more suitably assistant to spread this new as soon as possible. And soon enough a huge crowd was gathered near the archery section. The bleachers, which was practically empty had been filled. Each and every student who was participating in t the event was present.


    Emily was a bit nervous, but now she was a nervous wreck! Why did it had to end up like this? She could only try to meditate and try to regain her calm self by breathing in and out. She could have played it nicely, but now due to the emotional stress, she was bound to loose miserably. If she were to blame someone, she would definitely blame Ivy and Samantha! No doubt, they were doing it on purpose¡­ Now, she could only go with the flow.


    On the other hand, Aiden also got the news of this ''competition'' and quickly rushed to help her, but it was too late. They had taken their positions. The assistant had given out the rules, which were simple. The person who scores the most points by shooting a specified number of arrows wins, in this case, ten arrows. What does Cyril want from her? Aiden thought furiously. All he could do now was to just sit and watch.


    "Ready¡­ Set¡­ Go!" The archery instructor called out.


    Emily and Cyril took out arrows, aimed and shot. Cyril was a bit too confident in himself, so he finished shooting his ten arrows in no time. While Emily was half way through. Although he just wanted a friendly match, he did not expect a crowd to gather. That is the reason why his demeanor changed from calm and casual to arrogant.


    That is the main reason why Aiden disliked Cyril. He would boast around in public to gain attention. That was the situation at present. He teasingly said to Emily, "Are you sure you can beat me? You can give up if you want. You are just a newbie." Clearly he did not mean to hurt Emily by any way, but little did he know, Emily was exceedingly offended.


    You were the one who started it. Now I will beat you however I can. Let''s see what you do then? Emily was in a rage. She cooled down and only focused on the game. Paying no attention to what others are saying. However, in the surroundings, many people were chatting about this match, most of them being mean comments.


    "I did not expect Emily to be so arrogant!"


    "Yeah! Me neither. What is she trying to prove herself?"


    "Huh! She is just trying to gain some attention."


    "But, what if she actually defeats him?"


    "Not even in my dreams! Are you actually supporting her?"


    Linda sated quiet and did not dare to utter a single word. They will no themselves how capable my bestie is! She thought, trying to be optimistic. Even Aiden was infuriated at such comments. He gritted is teeth, trying to suppress his anger. Just then, Ivy came up and sat beside him, clinging on his arm, "Oh, Aiden! Look at Emily. I hate to say but she is such a trouble maker? Why did she dare provoke Cyril? I¡­" Before she could say anything further, Aiden cut in, "Either shut up or leave."

 21 Haste Makes Waste

    Ivy was surprised and cursed Emily inwards. She then kept her distance from him.


    Soon enough, Emily was done and now the both stood there, until the assistants would count up the points and declare e winner. Emily was really upset with Cyril. "Good luck, you''ll need it." Emily sneered in a melancholy tone. This caused another burst of hateful comments in the crowd.


    "Agh! This Emily is too much!"


    "Pride hath a fall."


    "She is totally insane, how ill-mannered."


    "She has more pride than all of us combined!"


    "Exactly!"


    "Huh, putting up such a fuss."


    Shortly afterwards, many people started booing in response to Emily''s comment towards Cyril. Hearing this, Cyril was also upset and became anxious as he realized his mistake. But now, he couldn''t do anything.


    "Everyone, please calm down! Let us announce the points." The instructor ordered. At once the crowd stopped chattering. It was pin drop silence. The sounds of wind blowing and rustling of leaves could only be heard.


    "Since Cyril finished first we will be announcing his score first. He has successfully scored 97.5 points!" The instructor announced. The crowd suddenly burst into applause. Cyril courteously bowed and waved towards the crowd. He then side glanced at Emily who stood silently, her arms crossed over her chest with a poker face. He tried to hide his guilt and smirked obnoxiously at her.


    Emily rolled her eyes. "Emily on the other hand¡­" The instructor started speaking and the crowd again fell into complete tranquility as Linda and Aiden nervously waited for the instructor to continue. "Emily has successfully scored 99 points!" He announced with immense pleasure and happiness.


    This time, the spectators remained hushed. No one could believe it. Cyril, the master of archery, lost against Emily, a rookie who started archery a day ago?! Linda and Aiden were so happy, they were jumping in their seats. My bestie! She did it!


    Emily uttered only a single sentence, "Haste makes waste." Before turning around to leave without looking back, not having any desire for acclamation. Her voice was filled with coldness and gloom. The crowd was still in a daze, until as they all started whispering among themselves.


    "Woah! She was so amazing!"


    "How could she beat him so easily?"


    "Duh, what did she just say? ''Haste makes waste''!"


    "Oh, yes! Couldn''t you see, Cyril was shooting one arrow after the other while Emily took her time?"


    "She is indeed clever!"


    "And also talented!"


    This time the comments praised Emily. Many students realized Cyril''s mistake and nodded in agreement. Aiden and Linda both rushed to find Emily. Finally, they found her near the gate leaving. Linda looked at the time on her phone, it was three o'' clock. There was still an hour left, so clearly Emily was going because she was in a bad mood.


    "Emily!" Aiden and Linda called out to her at the same time. Emily''s cold gaze softened a little, seeing people close to her. She smiled wryly and asked, "What happened?" Linda jumped and hugged Emily tightly, "Emily! Please don''t be sad. Don''t take any of the peoples'' mean comments to heart, especially Cyril''s!" "Okay, okay! Let me go, I am suffocating!" Emily laughed.


    Aiden rubbed the back of his head, not knowing how to console her. "Uhm¡­ You did amazing!" Emily smiled, "Thanks!"


    The trio were engaged in chatting, when they turned around to see someone calling for Emily. As soon as Emily realized that the person was Cyril, she frowned, "Didn''t learn your lesson? Want a rematch? Come on, let''s go." She started to leave but then Cyril grabbed her arm and stopped her, "No! Wait!" He then paused, panting for breath. Emily freed herself from his grip and said, "How much did you run that now you are gasping for breath?"


    Cyril was embarrassed at her remark. Hah, you chose the wrong person as your enemy, Aiden jeered in his heart. "Please, Emily. I am so sorry for what I said earlier. I didn''t mean to¡­" He started apologizing but Emily cut in, "Then what did you mean?" Cyril was speechless, he was defeated, both in the competition and argument. He hung his head in loss. "Please forgive me. I was just too hyped up by the crowd¡­" He tried to explain when Emily interrupted once again, "Were you hyped up by the crowd or was the crowd hyped up by you?"


    Cyril was at loss, once again. Aiden couldn''t help but laugh inside. He covered in mouth and cracked a smile. While Linda just stood there and stared at him, completely disappointed by his ''idol''. "What can I do to make it up to you?" He pleaded innocently. "I forgive you." Emily simply said, not bothering to answer his last question. Cyril instantly smiled, "Ah, Emily! You are so kind!" Instead responding to his remark, she tilted her head, "I''m not the only one who you owe an apology."


    "Oh, yes! Linda, I am really sorry for offending your best friend. And especially, for ruining my image as your idol." Cyril expressed his regret. Seeing him turn towards her, Linda did not further argue and accepted his apology. Finally, when it was all settled and Cyril excused himself and went back to practicing. "Let''s go, Emily. I''ll drop you off, my dad is here." Linda stated. Emily nodded.


    "Don''t forget to come to the gym today. You didn''t even come yesterday!" Aiden laughed. "Oh, I had to write an essay." She replied, winking at Linda. The two girls waved goodbye to Aiden and Linda dropped Emily to her house.

 22 Meeting Cornelius

    Emily rang the doorbell. Her mother opened up, "Oh, Emily! You''re back early, no?" Emily nodded and smiled weakly, "Actually, there was a slight problem, but don''t worry it''s all settled now!"


    Emily then went upstairs and changed up. She then lay on the couch in the living room, lost in her day dreams. Her mom placed a tray of light snacks on the table in front of the couch. "Who are you thinking of?" Alicia laughed. "Huh? Me? Ah, no¡­ I was actually thinking about the incident today¡­ It''s not as easy to explain." Emily sighed, grabbing a slice of bread from the tray as told the entire story, while munching on her bread in between. When Emily was finished speaking, her mom was actually beaming with happiness and pride. When she saw Emily''s absent minded expression, she asked, "Why the long face? You beat him up really well!"


    Emily cracked a smile, "I definitely did! But¡­ My image is deteriorated. Even if it isn''t, it will soon." Alicia did not try to probe further into the details. "If you need to share anything with me, I am always here." She twinkled and went to wash the dishes.


    It was almost the weekend, Emily was quite relieved as she could finally rest for two days. But, she also had to go to the gym, do homework and go to college from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for the official practice. Ugh! Thinking about all these work load on her shoulders, she felt dizzy. So she won''t be having a relaxing weekend after all.


    Oh wait, she also have to register Chris for the gym, teach him to drive and help Aiden with his drawing. Her mind was about to explode. Could it get any worse?! Looks like she would have adopt a cautious approach with her schedule, and not waste a single minute on extra stuff, which included locking horns with Ivy, which was very likely to happen in the future.


    She just lay on the couch for an entire hour, trying to sort out her schedule, at least for the weekend. The doorbell rang, probably it was Chris. Emily lazily dragged herself towards the door, as soon as she unlocked it Chris pushed her and rushed in with another boy.


    "Hey! What the hell!" Emily wailed. The other boy that came along with Chris stopped in front of Emily and bowed slightly, "I apologize for such a behavior on Chris''s behalf. Please accept my apology." Chris who was almost gone nuts froze in his spot, while Emily awkwardly stared at the youngster in front of her.


    She snapped back into her senses and casually replied, "Oh, no problem at all. You don''t have to apologize! It''s just a routine." She then glared at Chris as he pretended to ignore her and whistled. "Please sit." Emily then invited the boy inside and he sat on the couch. "Please wait while I bring something for you to eat. Mom just went to do the launder, she''ll be back soon." He then sat down trying to politely reject her offer, "Oh, no, sis! Please don''t burden yourself, I am just here to play with Chris."


    Emily nodded and sat in front of him, "Oh, I am sorry. Let me introduce myself. I am Emily, Chris''s elder sister."


    "Oh! So you are Emily. I am Cornelius, Chris''s best friend and Cyril''s younger brother. My brother really praises you!" Cornelius replied. Emily was quite flattered.


    Hmm¡­ So he is Cyril''s little brother. How charming and disciplined. Unlike my brother. Emily frowned at the sight of Chris, frozen at his spot with his mouth agape.


    Is he even a boy?! He is acting so mature, even gossiping with my sister, just like two women chattering, who met each other in the middle of a grocery store. Chris thought, sighing deeply.


    "Didn''t you have another best friend? Did you dump him?" Emily sneered at Chris, as he replied coldly, "No, not at all! He left high school and moved to another city quite a while ago." Cornelius excused himself saying, "Sis, I shall be going with Chris to his room. Sorry for the trouble." As soon as he got up, Chris pretended to gag, "Ugh! Cornelius, you are too mature for your age!" Emily chortled.


    Alicia had done the laundry so she sent Emily upstairs saying that she would make some snacks for the boys. When the thoughts of her busy weekend flooded her mind, she quickly started to complete her homework to get rid of it as soon as possible. At the same time setting an alarm for 6 p.m. to go to the gym.


    She had hardly done half of it until her alarm began to ring. She got ready and sent a message to Aiden saying that she will be at the gym in some time. He then replied by sending a single red heart emoji.


    Say what?!


    "Aaah! Emily I am so sorry! I wanted to send the thumbs up emoji, but mistakenly sent this by mistake, actually I was just walking towards the gym, so that''s why." Aiden then quickly replied within ten seconds. Emily laughed, sighing in reassurance.


    As soon as she was about to leave, Chris called from above, "Hey, Emily! You traitor! Don''t say that you forgot your promise, you have to sign me up. Cornelius is going home on his bicycle now anyways." Emily the space between her eyebrows. "Hurry up! You have only one minute."


    Exactly at the sixtieth second, Chris was ready and waved Cornelius farewell. Emily also informed her mom about it. Thus, the two of them reached the gym without saying a word to each other. When Emily was opening the door of the gym she only said one word to Chris with an icy tone, "Behave."

 23 Exhausted

    As soon as they both entered the gym, a cool gust of air welcomed them. The gym was neat and clean with a sweet smell filling the air. "Woah!" Chris exclaimed in zeal. As soon as Aiden saw the two enter, he rushed over and greeted them, and then he turned to Chris and laughed, "Ah! A new recruit!" Chris nodded while beaming.


    Aiden was also the most popular boy in college, so now Chris could boast about being friends with him! Aiden then went with Chris to Mr. Johnathon to enroll him. While Emily started to warm up. Henry came up and also welcomed her. He then quickly shifted the topic about her beating Cyril in a match. "So I heard that you defeated Cyril by exactly 1.5 points! Wow, Emily! Never knew you were so talented. Wish I could see it with my own eyes." "Oh, ha-ha! It was nothing, it was like using his own tricks against him. He was the one who taught me. I should thank him for that!" Emily giggled and replied humbly.


    "Hah, you probably don''t know, but Aiden praises you all the time! I think my ears might go sore. Haha! But, I have to say, from the way he describes you, you really seem to be a truly gifted person. From books to looks, you are really¡­" Even Henry started to compliment her, to stop herself from blushing, she interrupted by slightly coughing, "Oh, haha! Thanks for all the compliments. But I better go and start working out. Have a busy weekend ahead!"


    Woah, a busy weekend. Hearing it for the first time.


    The rest of the hour in the gym went pretty quietly. From time to time Chris would chat with Aiden and Henry, getting tips on being fit etc. Finally, Emily decided to leave as she had enough for the day. She was drinking water when Aiden came and sat beside her. He thought for a while, then stated while awkwardly laughing, "Uhm¡­ Emily, you remember your promise, right?"


    Emily nearly spat out the water in her mouth. Next time she would be careful when offering help to others! "Yes, I do! How about I come over to your house tomorrow?" She answered, but instantly regretted it for no reason. Aiden realized that since it''s her first time participating, that''s why it might take her time to adjust her timings. So he did not pressurized her. In fact, he offered himself, "Don''t worry, I won''t be taking you as a tutor or anything! I just want you to give me a detailed lecture, once and for all."


    Emily indicated a thumbs up. She was greatly relieved. Just once, not a problem at all!


    "I think we all should be going now, it''s getting late." Aiden said and got up. Similarly, Chris and Henry also prepared to leave. They all bid Mr. Jonathon farewell and exited the gym. "How about I give you guys a ride home!" Henry offered as he unlocked his luxury car.


    As soon as Chris saw the car, he whistled. "Wow! This. Car. Is. Amazing!"


    Afterwards, the group of four left in the car. Chris and Henry babbled about cars and its brands. Emily was totally exhausted after a strenuous day. He paid no heed to any of their gossip. Within two minutes, Aiden was dropped off. Moving a few blocks further, Emily and Chris also got off.


    "Wait, Emily!" Henry stopped her. "Can I have your number?" Emily looked puzzled. "I will contact you later as I have to ask something." Since Emily was just too tired, she instantly exchanged numbers.


    As soon as she entered her house, she desperately ran towards her room, before hitting the sack and dozing off into a deep sleep.

 24 Mom Is Sick

    She woke up light headed in the morning. Rubbing her head she checked the time.


    What?!


    It was half past twelve in the afternoon! She lost a huge part of her day! She had one and a half hour, in which she could only manage to eat and get ready before heading to college for practice. Emily sighed, trying to calm down herself.


    She directly went downstairs. Her dad had already left for job, mom and Chris were nowhere to be seen. She went to her parent''s room, finding her mom to be covered in blankets and surrounded by a bundle of used tissue papers. "Emily, thank god you came. Please make breakfast yourself, I am not feeling well." She asked, her voice was extremely hoarse.


    Emily stood there staring at her mom. She quickly returned to her senses at rushed over, opening all the drawers one by one to find a thermometer. "It''s in the white box¡­ In the last drawer¡­" Alicia said, coughing in between. Emily''s heart ached so her mom in such a condition, which was totally out of the blue. She was shocked and not at all prepared to face such a situation. Her mom was a very immune person, how did she suddenly become so sick over a night?


    She took out the thermometer, washed it and put it in her mom''s mouth. She anxiously waited for three minutes. Ugh! For Emily, these three minutes seemed to be an eternity. She carefully took out the thermometer and checked the temperature. 102 F!


    What. The. Hell!


    Emily now started to panic. She ran outside and dashed towards Chris''s room. As soon as she opened the door, her head started to ache. It was like a tornado passed through the room. The bed sheets were unfurled around the room. Clothes are scattered everywhere, including a sock, which was hanging on the ceiling fan. The books on the shelves were all messed up. Papers were found on the table as well as around the desk.


    Where is he?!


    She quickly took out her phone and called Chris. It took her three tries before he finally picked up. Before he could even say hello, Emily started to yell at him in anger. "Chris! Where on earth are you? Have you even seen your room? Didn''t you inform mom about your whereabouts? Why weren''t you picking up your cell? Can''t you understand that there might be an emergency?"


    While, on the other end, Chris''s ear was about to explode with Emily''s shouts. He stretched his hand which was holding the phone outwards, in order to avoid damage to his eardrum. His friends nearby were trying their best to control their laughter. Chris glared at them and went away from their earshot.


    He was out since morning to practice cycling with his friends. So, he was obviously somewhere far away. "Hey?! Are you even listening? Don''t you dare ignore me! Do you even know mom is so sick? Are you even her son?" She roared after getting no response, after a pause. Chris sighed, "Look, Emily. I am out with my friends cycling, and I am somewhere far away. I won''t be home very soon. I''ll be back after an hour." He then hung up.


    Ah! You good-for-nothing monster! Wait till you get back.


    She ran towards the kitchen, flipped it upside down and made some soup for her mom. She was taking the tray to her room and glanced at the kitchen. It was a complete mess. She groaned and served her mom the warm soup. Alicia was quite pleased. She tried to get up but her body was just too weak.


    Emily placed a pillow behind her and helped her up carefully, then started to feed her with the soup. After a spoonful, Alicia complimented her culinary skills, she did not know that her daughter could cook this good. "Emily, this is so tasty!"


    Emily beamed, "Well, I have your genes mom!" They both chatted for a while and laughed. But soon afterwards, Alicia got tired from speaking and the bowl was licked clean. Emily gave her medicines and tucked her in, kissing her forehead. "Ah, you''ll catch a cold too!" Alicia exclaimed in a rasping voice. But, her heart felt so warm, as it was almost melting by the empathy. Emily giggled, "Don''t worry!"


    Emily grabbed a novel by Shakespeare from her mom''s shelf and starting to read it for her. Her gentle voice filled the room. Soon enough, her mom started to snore lightly. Emily quietly left the room. As soon as she saw the kitchen, she frowned. When she looked at the time, her expression further darkened. The time was quarter past two.


    Even if she could go for practice, she would never. Her mom would be alone and she really needed to accompany her for today. Today was not her lucky day after all. She took out her cell and texted Aiden that she would not be able to come today, while roughly explaining him the situation.


    He quickly texted back, saying that he would be coming over to assist her. Emily wanted to reject but, right now, looking at the situation around her, she could really use some help.


    The doorbell rang after five minutes and Emily opened the door, welcoming Aiden.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 25 Giving Aiden An Art Lesson

    "Hi!" Aiden greeted her. As he walked inside, he froze in his spot when he saw the kitchen and coughed profusely. "Uhm... Are you sure you were ''just'' cooking?" He asked awkwardly. Emily rubbed the back of her head," Uh¡­ Almost!"


    Soon enough, after half an hour of vigorous rubbing, scrubbing and cleaning, the kitchen was spick and span, just like brand new- kind of. They both stood at the entrance, admiring their hard work. They then dragged their feet towards the lounge and slumped on the sofa, exhaling deeply. "Thanks Aiden!" said Emily, trying to put up a sincere smile and suppressing her fatigue. Aiden shook his head lightly, "Oh no, it''s nothing! Just helping a friend in need."


    They chatted for quite a while, when Emily suddenly remembered that Chris was still not home. She felt her blood boiling.


    That traitor did not even call back to ask about his sick mother! Un-filial nincompoop!


    There was nothing she could do right now. Oh yes, there was in fact another unfinished business to be completed. Giving Aiden an art lecture¡­ "Aiden, since you are here, why don''t we be productive! How about I give you the ''art'' lesson that I promised!" Emily asked enthusiastically. Similarly, Aiden was also quite happy with the idea.


    They went to Emily''s room and she started to take out variously sized and types of boxes of paints, brushes, palettes and sheets. Seeing all this stuff started to make Aiden dizzy. What type of hobby did I choose?! He thought to himself, complaining.


    Emily started off by introducing him the art supplies. She talked about the enormous types of paints, including oil paints, acrylic paints, water paints and how one differs from the other.


    Then, about how to pick up a good quality paint, how to properly use and store them. Then she gave a detailed lecture of the variety of brushed, when to use which kind, how to use them and how to properly clean and store after usage. Next up, she guided him about the brush strokes, how and when to apply them.


    She then taught him about mixing colors, how much water to use in water paints and different surfaces on which one can paint, which includes paper, canvas, rocks, wood etc. Coming to the topic of paper, she explained how to choose quality paper for painting.


    Next were the different forms of art, from western to eastern styles. Each and every aspect of art was explained with great detail and with examples by Emily. Aiden''s mind was about to explode from all this information he was desperately trying to squeeze into his mind.


    Just in case, if he ever forgot, he was quickly taking notes on the plain white sheets, which were scattered around the room. Finally, when Emily''s throat was dried up after one and a half hour, he stopped scribbling and glanced at the pile of notes he wrote. His hands were on the verge of breaking.


    Wow, she''s a genius.


    While Aiden was silently praising her, Emily was asking him whether he understood or not, whether he had any questions regarding her lesson. But he seemed to be in deep thoughts. She got worried that he was day dreaming the entire time, so she knocked his head like a door. "Hel-lo? Anyone home?" She laughed.


    Aiden snapped back into reality and waved his notes in front of her eyes. "Yup! Everything captured. Mission accomplished." He said beaming but his happiness was instantly converted into anxiousness by Emily''s next question.


    "You won''t be an expert just like that, listening and writing the information. Aren''t you going to practically apply them as well?"


    Aiden massaged his temples. "Ugh¡­ I just think this information is enough for now. I won''t be having enough time to practice all this anyways. How about in winter holidays we continue?"


    Emily shrugged, "As you wish!"


    Finally, both of them tidied up the room and went downstairs to prepare tea for themselves and Emily''s mom, only to find Chris reclining lazily on the sofa, munching on a bag of chips from one hand, while the other hand grabbing the television controller and aimlessly changing the channel from one to another.


    Emily gritted her teeth. Stormed off behind his sofa and slapped his head.


    PAH!


    "Ouch! What the hell, Emily?" Chris moaned in pain. Emily ignored him and prepared English tea for everyone. She left Chris''s cup on the counter and went to Alicia''s room, holding the tray. Aiden also followed her. He greeted her mom and asked about her heath. It was a lively atmosphere in the room, the three of them gossiping and sipping their tea.


    Alicia was feeling way better after taking the soup and having some rest.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    After a while, Aiden''s cell started to ring. He excused them, saying good bye and leaving the house.


    Soon afterwards, the doorbell rand and Emily welcomed his father. She informed him about her mom''s health and he quickly entered the room and greeted her. Since Harvey was home, Alicia called in Chris, who was snoring on the sofa.


    Oh great. He is in trouble. Emily sneered.

 26 In The Center Of Cyber Bullying

    Emily rolled her eyes, she went up to wake him up and dragging him inside. Chris rubbed his eyes and looked around in a confused state. "Go on, Emily? What complains do you have?" Alicia asked, while sternly looking at Chris. As soon as he heard these few words, Chris suddenly looked at Emily.


    Emily peeked at Chris from the corner of her eye. His expression was full of guilt and fake innocence. It was like he was pleading her to give him one last chance. It seemed as if he is about to be sentenced to death and Emily was his only light of hope. Emily really wanted to slap him for playing his dumb, fake innocent game.


    What''s there to be afraid of a little scolding and some punishment? This is the last time I''m letting you go! Emily thought.


    "Huh, complains? Mom, haha, you must be joking!" She laughed awkwardly. Seeing that her parents were not moved at all, she cursed Chris and herself inside while still pretending like nothing happened. "Come on, mom! Nothing is wrong, get some rest."


    Saying this she quickly grabbed Chris with herself outside. As soon as they went upstairs, Chris grabbed one of her hands and started kissing it. Emily pulled her hand away, "Ew! What the hell?!" Chris ignored her complaints and started blabbering, "Emily! You are the best, the most kind and sweetest elder sister in the world. I owe you my life! Please forgive me, punish me, your choice."


    Hearing all this nonsense made Emily feel like she was a cruel queen who showed some mercy and freed a slave. She slapped the back of his head, "Oh, shut up! Stop sputtering nonsense." Chris straightened up and rubbed the place where Emily hit her and replied embarrassingly, "Oh, I got a little carried away."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Emily rolled her eyes, "Whatever, be careful next time." Then she turned around and went to her room, and started studying, trying to complete her homework.


    Finally, she was finished. She stretched her back and looked up at the time. Six o'' clock p.m. Her cell buzzed. She picked it up and received a message from an unknown number.


    Unknown number: Hey, Emily! I am Cyril.


    Emily was partly shocked and partly confused, how on earth did he get her number? She straightforwardly asked him:


    Emily: How did you get my number?


    Cyril: Oh, Chris gave me today!


    Emily: Uh, why did you need my number for?


    Cyril: You didn''t come today, so I asked Chris for your number.


    Emily: How did you know Chris is my brother?


    Cyril: Uh¡­ My little bro and your bro are best friends.


    Emily: Okay.


    Cyril: Is everything alright? You seem to be angry at me?


    First of all, Woah. He really can sense me being annoyed, or¡­ Uhm, is it just too obvious? Even if she is angry, she is angry at Chris. Who gave him the right to distribute her number to whomever he likes! Well, actually, in this case, he had no other choice. Emily sighed, rubbing her head.


    Emily: Oh, no, it''s really nothing! I am alright. My mom was not feeling well, so I had to stay home.


    Cyril: Oh¡­ Hope she gets well soon! Take care, good bye!


    Emily: Sure, bye.


    She turned off her phone, thought for a while and turned it back on. First of all, she texted Aiden about planning to cancel her registration in the gym.


    Emily: Hey, Aiden! I just wanted to day that I won''t be coming to the gym from tomorrow onward. I''ll be coming only for tomorrow, just to pay the fee. I actually can''t manage all this stuff. Since, we will be practicing at college, I am fine with that.


    Aiden: Oh, hey! Well, it''s not a big deal. I totally understand. Nothing to worry about!


    Emily: Thanks!


    Aiden: Oh and one more thing¡­ Uhm¡­ It''s best to see for yourself actually. Open and go through your social media accounts.


    Emily: Uh oh. I can sense trouble. Everything alright?


    Aiden: Honestly, no.


    Reading the last word made Emily gulp in fear. She could totally guess it has something to do with Ivy. Huh, fear, and Ivy? Emily gritted her teeth. She really knows how to use power, doesn''t she?


    As soon as she turned on the Wi-Fi, the notifications started ringing one after the other. The phone was buzzing nonstop. It was about after two minutes that everything became calm. She had no idea for how long she had not turned on the Wi-Fi! She first opened her Instagram. She had followed the GCA Press''s official site, and it was a ruckus!


    Its latest posts were about the competition between Emily and Cyril. There were pictures of them aiming and shooting. The caption was: "A Match between Emily and Cyril." They even managed to tag her and Cyril.


    Clearly someone was aiming to degrade her, even though the caption seemed to be nice with no hatred. The top comments were filled with hatred towards Emily. Filled with all sorts of remarks, claiming Emily to be shameless, arrogant, rude and proud.


    She scrolled through the comments, and in the end, there were only a few students, who supported Emily. But, unfortunately, it was like a needle in a haystack.

 27 Like A Boss

    She even saw Ivy''s comments, somewhere in the top, saying, "You guys don''t have to be so mean about it! It''s just a friendly competition."


    Emily spat blood reading it! How on earth is she so good at acting so nice and innocent, when clearly she is not! She needed to do something about it! She would never sit quietly, especially when people would be accusing her wrongly.


    After careful consideration, she typed and posted a comment, saying, "True ability is undisturbed by pretentious criticism."


    Quite soon many people like how Emily responded and it became the top comment. Those who did not think of the situation as something to be criticized of, suddenly agreed to Emily''s point of view and even some of the negative comments were deleted by the ones who posted, in fear of being disgraced by the rest of the students.


    Emily cheered happily in her heart, while on the other hand Ivy was in a rage. She was defeated. Hah, who cares, I would have more chances in the future. As for now, I just have a good image on the public! Ivy had a cruel smile as she glared at Emily''s comment.


    However, this was not the end. Emily then opened her twitter account, it did not have many new notifications, just a few. First, the official account of GCA tweeted, "It''s best to stay humble in front of those who are superior to you and not have ill intentions about them. @emily_harvey @cyrilthebest."


    Emily stared blankly at the text in front of her. Superior? Ill intention? Seriously? What were they trying to imply by stating Cyril as her superior? Moreover, even tagging the two of them, directing straight towards the recent incident. Whoever is in charge of managing this account was completely na?ve.


    There were again some nasty comments about Emily''s character. She calmly thought for a while, then tweeted, "Don''t conclude so fast, you may never know what is behind the fact you know!"


    Once again, her tweet was liked and shared among the students throughout GCA. Many tweeted about having trust issues with the GCA''s official accounts, suspecting them to be hacked.


    Aiden was smiling at the screen in front of him. Handling stuff like a boss, he thought. He then texted Emily saying, "I thought you needed my help, but looks like everything is under control." Emily replied by sending a wink emoji.


    Hmm¡­ Something else is missing¡­ Yes! Cyril''s responses. He did not even tried to clear up the matter. Emily quickly sent him a message saying, "Cyril! I can''t believe you are just sitting and watching the drama unfold like it is none of your business! You have to clear this once and for all!"


    She waited for five minutes, lying silently on her bed. Her phone vibrated. It wasn''t a reply from Cyril, in fact two notifications from Instagram and twitter.


    On Instagram, Cyril posted a comment under the latest picture uploaded by GCA. "So many people accuse and mistreat others just because of their present state of life, as if life is just a one day journey, and they forget that the story line can change tomorrow! @emily_harvey"


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    While on twitter Cyril tweeted, "The accusations and blames do not support to reach any solution but worsen the level of affairs. The wise way is that prove it if you are right rather ugly sayings. @emily_harvey"


    As soon as she read them, she received a message from Cyril, "Now happy?" Emily was stunned, perfect timing. She replied, "Impressed!"


    Cyril was quite happy from her reply and went back to completing his homework.


    The last thing that Ivy would have expected was Cyril taking action against this situation. Based on his personality, these type of measly matters do not affect him at all. Ivy buried her head in her hands. Her luck has not been going very well recently.


    A thought flashed in her mind. Thinking about it, her mood relaxed as a sinister smile appeared on her face. After one more day, Emily would not even dare to show her face in college!


    On the other hand, Emily had completely forgotten about the upcoming trouble, while Ivy desperately waited for it.


    Monday ¨C the release of GCA magazine¡­

 28 Start Of A Difficult Day

    Saturday was a normal peaceful day. She spent the entire day studying and taking care of her mom along with the house. Finally, it was night time and they all went to bed early, so as to start the new week with energy and positivity.


    However, Emily did not have a comfortable night at all. She kept tossing and turning all night, and when she finally fell asleep, she had nightmares. It was so hot and suffocating.


    She jerked out of her dreams and sat up, drenched in sweat and panting for breath. Why was it happening? Is the next week going to be a bumpy ride? Thinking about this, she leaned back and sighed. Her brain was in a mess. She would be able to concentrate at all the next day.


    Checking the time, she frowned. She only had half an hour before she has to officially wake up for college. Her head was aching from not getting enough sleep last night. She dragged herself into the washroom and splashed cold water on her face. Huh, no use. She felt just as drowsy as before.


    She slowly changed into her uniform and went downstairs, seeing her mom working in the kitchen, quite fresh. Alicia turned around, "Good mo-" She stopped midway by the looks of Emily. She has dark patches underneath her eyes, which where red and half closed, while her face was pale.


    She was neatly dressed, but one look of her face and one might even be scared. Emily yawned, "What?" Alicia sighed, "Just look at yourself, you probably didn''t sleep well last night. Go back and take some rest. You are not going today."


    Emily just wanted to run to her room and hug her pillow and sleep comfortably, but she prepared so well for the history test today! It would go to waste, she had to give the test to ensure that she has learnt it properly. "No! I will go today!" She replied, sleepily and stubbornly. Alicia pinched her eyebrows, "You have a lot of time, and it''s too early. Rest on the couch, wait for Chris to get ready as well."


    Without being asked twice she fell on the couch and dozed off.


    She was woken after half an hour by Chris''s voices. She was still dizzy but started her way to college anyways.


    They met Aiden near the gates. "Please take her to her classroom! She''s so sleepy, she might as well enter the wrong class!" Chris complained as he ran away. Aiden looked over at Emily, she was treading through the grounds as if she were drunk.


    Finally Aiden arrived in the class, holding Emily by her arm. He placed her near Linda. Looking at her, Linda got worried. "What the hell! What was she doing last night? Oh my gosh, did she go to a night club?" Aiden exhaled deeply, "Don''t worry! She didn''t sleep well last night." Saying this he turned around and went to his desk.


    She stared at Emily for a while, she then knocked on her head exclaiming, "Hey! Are you nuts? Why didn''t you take a day off?" Emily jerked up, and sat straight, trying her best to keep her eyes open.


    Ivy passed by, she sneered, "Hah, look at you, you look hideous! Looks like you snuck out last night somewhere? Am I correct?" Emily did not hear her but she glared at her. Ivy further snickered, "Humph, looks like I was right! You really are a filthy brat. Your parents might not even know, how shameful." She put on a fake pitiful expression and left.


    Linda shook her head angrily and dragged her to the girls'' washroom. There she applied some light make-up to conceal her eye bags. Her face was dry, therefore it took her some time to put on a natural looking make-up on her face. After she was done, she admired her work.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Maybe, one day, I can start my own beauty salon!


    She quickly threw her thoughts away and slapped Emily''s face lightly, "Hel-lo! Look who''s behind you! Come on now, don''t be shy, and say hi to Aiden!"


    Emily quickly turned around.


    Hey, I''m in the washroom, why would Aiden be here? Wait, what! I was tricked!


    Linda chortled silently. Emily glared at Linda, but she grabbed her and went running to the class room. Damn it! We must be late! She thought helplessly.


    The two of them burst inside, finding the teacher to be giving a lesson. Emily and Linda''s heart froze. Oh no, we''re doomed.


    The teacher gave them a black look and inquired, "Where were you two? Don''t you know class has started? Are you looking for trouble?" Being a shy and gentle girl, Linda was about to have an emotional breakdown from all those questions. She summoned up the courage and replied meekly, "Emily was not feeling well, so I went with her to the washroom!"


    The teacher fell silent, she was just too moody and arrogant. She would never tolerate when a student would reply back. Linda was well aware, but she had no choice!


    The teacher barked, "You dare reply back! You think too much of yourself, you spoilt child. Huh, what do you mean sick, she looks perfectly fine! Are you trying to fool me? Do I look like an idiot to you?" She pointed towards Emily.


    Okay, I have to say, my make-up skills are extraordinary.


    "But¡­" Emily this time tried to speak in the most polite way possible, but was cut by the teacher as she howled, "No buts! I don''t want to see you two in my class, go away, straight in front of the counselor''s office!"


    Linda''s eyes started to pour down like a waterfall. She was never accused wrongly in her life and this was too much. The teacher ordered Ivy to send them off to the office.


    Yeah, right.

 29 A Narrow Escape

    Ivy stood up with an agitated expression. She held her head up high and went out of the class as the two followed her. "What a cry baby." Ivy muttered as she walked past Linda. Linda clearly heard her and tried to hold her tears, but they squeezed out from the corners of her eyes. Emily was now wide awake and boiling in anger.


    She wanted to fight back so desperately, however, in the current situation they were stuck in, she held herself back to avoid a scene and further trouble. She glared at ivy, throwing darts at her. Ivy shuddered a little but did not let it show. She kept her composure and led the way. The knocked on the counselor''s door.


    "Come in." Came a firm voice from inside.


    Emily and Linda entered like culprits with their heads low, while Ivy smiled lightly like a police who successfully captured two thieves. While the counselor sat behind the desk with a domineering and cold aura around him, seeming like a judge who is ready to punish the guilty.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    The counselor frowned and asked, "What happened now?" Ivy grabbed her chance ad started to complain like a five year old. "Sir! The two were late to class and when they were questioned, they tried to shrug it off and make lame excuses. They even answered back to the teacher an-"


    The counselor raised his hand, signaling her to stop shooting her mouth off. "Please leave." He ordered with a stern voice and solemn expression. Ivy turned around, muttering something behind his back and left. As soon as she left, there was an awkward silence before he further stated, "I don''t have enough time and energy to deal with such trivial matters. Run along now!"


    Emily and Linda stood there in shock. Seeing that they did not budge he added, "Are you waiting for detention or what?" Emily shook her head wildly, grabbing Linda by the arm and running out. As soon as they left, he sighed lightly and smiled.


    He pulled open the lowest drawer on his table, taking out an old, dusty picture, which was still kept safe. It was of a young teenage girl, smiling brightly as she showed off her medal, her dark blue eyes sparkling. Looking at her, his face become softer and warmth filled up his heart, his eyes became misty as he dwelled himself in his old memories.


    Emily and Linda ran towards their classroom. They asked for permission before entering the class. The teacher was clearly unhappy as she saw them come back too early, and especially happy.


    As they sat down beside each other, Emily darted a glance towards Ivy before completely ignoring her and minding her own business. Ivy ground her teeth as she thought, can''t wait to see the look on your face when the magazine comes out and every student reads it.


    After an eternity, break finally came as every student chitter-chattered among themselves whilst heading towards the cafeteria. Just as usual, there was a stand set up in the center of the main ground for giving away the magazines. It caught attention of majority of the students as they crowded over the stall, everyone grabbing a copy.


    "I''ve heard that some parents protested about ''selling'' magazines, so now they have announced that they will be giving away for free, with the fee covering it up." Linda chatted as her usual self.


    Hearing about the magazine, she immediately remembered something. She had to check whether there are some scandals about her or no, because if Ivy''s dad is the manager of the press, she would spare no effort to get rid of her. Which seems quite an absurd thing to do over a small personal grudge.


    She kept her eyes on the stall, absent mindedly. Linda kept on chattering but when she noticed Emily was not paying attention, she pouted and traced her line of sight. She understood her thoughts and hopped off to the stall to grab one.


    Before Emily could process any of it she already held the magazine in her hand. Knitting her eyebrows, just by looking at the cover of it. It was of Ivy.


    Leaning calmly on a blue and white striped deck chair in the center of a lush green garden, reading a book, she was wearing a yellow floral off-shoulder top and white jeans. Huge black cat-eyed sunglasses covered her round face. Her blonde hair spreading over her shoulders. A beige panama hat was carefully placed over her head in an angle.


    Her face was shining and looked almost unreal from all that excessive use of make-up. Ignoring her face, rest of the picture was quite beautiful and seemed like the college hired some professionals to shoot it.


    Wait a second, why did it seem like this was more like a fashion magazine? Ugh. The start wasn''t good actually. Let''s see what''s inside.


    Emily carefully opened the magazine to its first page.

 30 The Rubbish Magazine

    On the first page were the contents. It wasn''t a surprise to Emily that the match between Emily and Cyril was also mentioned ¨C at the top. As Emily read through the contents, they mostly consisted of sports, games, academics etc. But, then, she read three contents regarding Ivy! THREE!


    The first one titled, "Ivy makes it to the cover of GCA magazine", the second one, "Ivy''s secret to her amazing fashion sense" and the third one named, "Most popular girl: Ivy and her biography."


    Biography!? Who would want to read her dumb biography? She''s just a student, not a celebrity! What''s wrong with the college? Has it lost it screws or what?


    Linda saw that Emily''s hand were trembling as the clenched the magazine harder and harder. "Hey! At least let me read it before you tear it apart!" She muttered and snatched the magazine. Emily sighed and calmed herself down.


    Ugh, why am I losing my mind over a student? Emily thought.


    The good thing was within the contents, there was nothing against Emily. Well, who knows within it what would be there, but for now Emily could relax.


    Linda was busy reading it and Emily just sat in front of her in the canteen and staring at her. "Can you read it later?" Emily pleaded. "Ok¡­ two minutes." Linda replied nonchalantly.


    Aiden just grabbed his tray of food and decided to join the two of them in the corner. He plonked beside Emily, "Hey! What''s up?" Emily smiled and pointed towards Linda. "Oooh! The magazine, I almost forgot about it? What''s in there this time?" He asked.


    Emily lazily shrugged, "I don''t care actually. Anyways, where are your friends?" Aiden laughed, "I don''t have sidekicks beside me like Ivy, and I just hang out with everyone. Today, everyone is busy with the magazine, so I decided I''d come and pay you a visit."


    Aiden and Emily talked until the break was over and they all went to their classes. As Emily turned towards Linda, she noticed her serious expression. "Everything alright?" She asked. Linda pouted, "Uhmmm¡­ I dunno. This magazine is almost about Ivy!" Emily shrugged lazily, "Who cares?"


    When everyone was taking their books for the next period, the speaker blared forth, "Attention everyone!" Each and every one stopped what they were doing and concentrated on the speakers, which continued, "As per decision of the principal of GCA, every student is required to participate in the upcoming autumn sports meet. Furthermore, no one will be allowed to stay after the working hours for practice. Thank you."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Almost every one frowned upon hearing those words. The girls were upset about participating while the boys were unhappy by the order of not being able to practice. Now will they practice in their breaks or play games?


    All of them returned to continue the classes. The day ended and they all headed home.


    Emily really needed to practice hard if she wants to become a successful player, but given the current situation, it seemed impossible. An idea flew through her mind as her eyes lit up. She can run and jump anywhere, around the park, home, college. She had a cycle in the garage, so another game solved. As for archery and shooting, she will use her father''s gun and will but a bow, arrows and a target.


    She slapped her thigh in excitement. But, the money for buying the archery equipment? It''s going to be expensive, right? Well, she will end up using her entire savings then.


    Finally, making up her mind, she broke open her clay money box with a hammer. It was filled with coins and money to the brim. No idea for how long she had been saving. As far as her memory goes, she was saving it for studying abroad, three years ago.


    Time really changes a person and her interests were totally flipped 180 degrees.


    She counted her crumbled money. Five hundred dollars. Not bad, she thought. But if she wanted a top notch bow and arrows, then, she might need twice as much. She had no idea of the prices and just imagined the prices to be around five hundred dollars.


    She turned on her laptop and searched for all sorts of bows and arrows. To her surprise, there was such a huge variety that was beyond her imagination. Even the price range was so enormous that she had no idea what to do! Which was between 50$ to 1,000$... how was she supposed to know what is the optimum range, quality and company.


    Her brain was a mess. Wait a minute¡­ there was one person she knew who could help her!

 31 Buying An Archery Se

    ¡­ Cyril!


    Yes, he must be an expert. Emily immediately texted him, a huge paragraph mentioning her problem and thoughts. Cyril opened the message and received more of a headache. Why couldn''t she just be straight forward? He lamented silently. He just sent her an "Okay" and went back to resting on his comfy bed. No more than a few seconds later, his phone started buzzing continuously. He thought someone was calling him but soon realized that Emily was texting him continuously.


    "What do you mean by OKAY??"


    "Is that how you treat your friend??!!"


    "How could you be so mean?!"


    Cyril''s head started throbbing.


    "OKAY THEN MEET UP AT JESSIE''S CAFE"


    "Ok!! (?^?^) "


    " (¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã£©¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß "


    On the other end, Emily started laughing at his response, as she got up to change happily. She arrived at the cafe and realized that Cyril was already there. Lazily plopped up on the chair, using his cellphone. Emily reached the table and sat down, in front of him. Without looking away from the phone he said in a serious manner, "You''re late."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Emily pouted as she complained slowly, "Well, you were the one who didn''t tell me the precise time."


    There came no response.


    "Ahem!" Emily cleared her throat loudly. Only then he got up and sat straight, placing his mobile in front of her. As she inched closer to see the screen clearly, she realized that he had been selecting some bows and arrows online. Infact, he ordered them as a notification popped up saying, ''Delivery on the way! Thank you for purchasing our product.''


    The picture displayed a beautiful golden bow with fine silver carvings on the edges. The arrows too, were just as marvellously created as the bow itself. It just looked like a masterpiece from heaven.


    She was genuinely touched. Without having to rack her brains as much as she thought she would, the set was on the way already! Seeing her shocked expression, the corner of lips curved into a smile. "These are the best ones out there!" He stated proudly. "Light weight, aerodynamic, insane flexibility and durability." He started counting it''s qualities in his fingers. Just as she was praising him for helping her so much, a single word ran through her mind, that gave her the chills...


    The price.


    Seeing her expression turn grave, he inquired about it. Her response made him laugh. "What?! You are worried about the price? Seriously? What''s that to worry about?" "Huh! You think I have enough in my pocket to afford such an exquisite item?" She replied, her voice getting lower. "Well... Such an amazing product doesn''t come easily." Cyril said, rubbing his chin and smirking.


    Her heart sank even deeper. "But you don''t have to worry about that! Consider it as a gift from a friend." He winked. "B-bu-but... I-i can''t accept it." She argues softly. "Why not?" Cyril faked being sad. "Uhmm..." Emily couldn''t think of a reason to why not? Now that she was speechless, Cyril smiled again. "Well, then. It''s settled. You''ll be receiving your gift tomorrow! Bub-bye!"


    He said as he got up to leave, leaving Emily in complete daze. A waitress came and placed a cup of warm cappuccino in front of her, "Here ma''am. Mister told me to give her girlfriend a cappuccino." Saying this she walked away.


    Emily came back to her senses after a while. "What did he say?!" She slammed her hand on the table. The people around stared at her with weird expressions. She quickly lowered her head and starting sipping on her cappuccino. She took out her cell and texted Cyril.


    "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO THE WAITRESS??!!"


    "Hahahaha!!! Don''t worry bro I pranked you."


    " ?_? "


    She sighed. Whatever, she thought. After finishing her ''free'' cappuccino, she started her way to home happily. Waiting anxiously for her gift to arrive tomorrow. While she was walking, she met Linda.


    "You seem very happy." She starting poking her elbow on her arm. "That''s because I am!" She replied, smiling radiantly. "Why?! Why?! Why?!" Linda started jumping around her. "Because I''ll be receiving a gift!" Emily clapped her hands lightly. "OoOoOohHhHh" Linda whistled. "That person is so stupid to tell you about the gift. Shouldn''t it be a surprise?" Linda laughed. "By the way, who is it?" She started poking her again.


    So that''s how Emily had to tell her the entire story.

 32 Last Moments Together

    Linda was in a daze. Cyril? Giving a gift to Emily? She wondered. Emily waved her hand in front of her face, "Hel-lo?" Linda shook her head lightly, "Oh, haha. I was just wondering why Cyril would give you a gift out if nowhere..." Emily shrugged as she whistled a silly tune.


    They soon arrived at Emily''s house. Emily turned to say her goodbye, but instead, she saw Linda looking down at the floor, seeming quite upset. Emily lightly placed her hand on her shoulder, "Everything okay?" Linda''s teary gaze met Emily''s as looked at her for a while, after suddenly jumping to give her a tight hug. Emily could hear her sniffing as she cried lightly. She instantly became really worried for her. Wasn''t she fine just before?! "Linda?! What''s wrong? Is everything okay? Please tell me? How can I help you?"


    Hearing her caring words, Linda started to cry louder. Emily''s mind stared to spin, she couldn''t think of anything that could make her cry, as she would rarely cry. She took her inside and they both sat on the sofa in the living room.


    Emily waited patiently for her to explain her cause of distress. Soon enough Linda straightened up, tried to look her into the eyes, but their gazes wouldn''t meet. Trying to control herself from bursting into tears again, "I.. I''m... Leaving... Going to study... Abroad... For two years..." She quickly spat out the last few words, starting to sniff as she hiccupped.


    Emily was really confused. "Hey! C''mon, what''s there to cry about? You should be extremely happy! Infact, congrats on the occasion. I''m so happy for you." Emily smiled brightly, as she tried to comfort her. Linda was touched and stopped crying, "But... I''ll be alone. I''ll have to make new friends. And I''ll miss you so much... I don''t want to go." "What''s life without struggles?" Emily shrugged. After thinking about it, Linda realized that it wasn''t bad after all. Well, it was going to be hard, but you got to try new things in life.


    After watching Linda''s mood lift up, Emily relaxed. Got me worried for no reason at all! She laughed and cried at the same time internally. "But you have to promise me something." Linda smiled.


    "Anything!"


    "No one else is going to be your best friend other than me! And... You have to spend the last few hours with me. Ah, yes! Also drop me off at the airport!" Linda started counting. "Of course, of course!" Emily nodded, laughing. As long as she was happy, everything was fine.


    Now there they were, in Linda''s house, baking cookies together... For the first time... They surfed the web for half an hour in search of finding the easiest recipe. They started making it as soon as they started they got the recipe, only realizing halfway that there were no chocolate chips. Leaving everything, out they went to the grocery. Telling each other jokes, recalling old memories in the way. Finally when everything was back on track. They continued with the baking. Having no experience, the first batch came out - burnt. As hard as rock, as black as coal, as gross as... Burnt cookies?


    However all this time, they never felt distressed and enjoyed every minute they spent together.


    The next batch of cookies came out just right, while the last one, was not cooked enough. Oh well, at least they had fourteen cookies that they could enjoy with some warm milk. After all that hard work, the only batch of cookies were amazing. Their hard work paid off! They were enjoying their time together when a Linda''s cell started ringing. It was an alarm. Her face froze.


    Emily gulped, another storm coming up. "Now what?" Emily asked cautiously. Linda started jumping around and throwing clothes in the center of the room, "Aahh!! I completely forgot that my flight is in two hours and I didn''t pack a single thing!" Saying it she randomly threw stuff into the huge suitcase she dragged from underneath the bed. "Woah, relax! I''ll help!" Emily laughed as she sat in front of the suitcase and filtered out the stuff Linda threw in.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    In just half an hour, everything was settled. Linda wiped the sweat off her forehead as she thanked her, "Oh, Emily! Thanks a lot for helping. If you weren''t here, I have no idea how long it would''ve took me to pack my stuff."


    Linda''s dad drove the both of them to the airport. When finally it was time for Linda to leave, she turned around and hugged Emily tightly. "Pinky promise me that I''ll be your best friend forever!" She whispered. Emily laughed as she hooked her pink into hers, "Promise." Seeing that it was time for them to separate, tears filled in their eyes. Linda hugged her dad and mom goodbye and finally Emily, forcing a smile she said, "Remember to keep a check on my status. I''ll also bring some souvenirs from Paris for you!"


    Emily giggled through her red, watery eyes.


    As soon as the announcement for Linda''s flight was announced, she turned and waved them for the late time before leaving their sight.

 33 The Gif

    Emily stood there for a while, not wanting to go, until a warm hand touched her shoulders. She turned around to see Linda''s mom. Her eyes brimming with tears, but her face showing a sweet smile and utmost satisfaction. Indeed she was proud of her daughter. Emily tried to cheer herself up and comforted Linda''s mom, as they both walked out of the airport.


    Emily lay in her bed, lost in thoughts. She soon realized that from tomorrow on wards, tests were starting, she didn''t prepare anything, and to make matters worse, it was midnight. Sighing deeply, she didn''t touch her books, instead, went to sleep.


    Even in her dreams, she saw Linda and their last moments together. She missed her deeply. Tossing and turning all night, she had no idea how she finally managed to fall asleep.


    Early in the morning, she woke up with her mind spinning. She was not in the mood to go today. Before she could even ask her mom about taking a day off, her mom barged into her room and removed the blankets, laying wrinkled on top off her. "Emily! Do you have any idea what time it is?!" She shrieked, holding her cellphone right in front of her face.


    Oh no... It was almost eight o'' clock!


    Before anything could be processed in her brain, her legs already started moving. Rampaging throughout the house, she somehow managed to leave her house and reach her college. But unfortunately, the first period was half way through. She couldn''t go in now, obviously. What a huge embarrassment it would be!


    So, she quietly waited in the cafeteria, trying to resolve whether or not to bunk the first class. Trying to catch her breath. A voice came from behind her, "Bunking, aren''t you? Didn''t know you were such a girl." For an instant, she thought that she had been caught. But as she turned around, she saw Cyril. Alone, he leaned on his chair lazily, sipping on a soda, smirking. Emily narrowed her eyes and instead of answering, she interrogated, "Then what are ???????????? doing here?" Cyril shrugged and coolly replied, "Bunking."


    "..."


    Ohhhkay...? Looking at her confused expression, he snickered and got up, "Ah, yes! I almost forgot, your gift arrived early morning." Hearing those lovely words, her eyes shined as she held her breath, waiting for him so say something more. Cyril noticed these small reactions of her, which he felt were quite... Cute...


    Out of nowhere, a person came and placed a big box in front of him, and held out out a piece of paper to be signed. He casually signed it and the person then disappeared into the buildings. "I was just waiting for him. Since you''re here, I would not need to walk an extra mile to deliver it to you. Here!" He said as he pushed it front of Emily.


    Her mind went through a roller coaster of emotions, as she started to unpack the massive box. The box itself was neatly packed with golden and silver shimmering wrapping sheet. The mesmerizing swirling patterns were pleasing to the eye. She did not want to unwrap it and just keep it safely as a decorating piece in her room. However, when she returned to reality, she had already removed the wrapping paper, and now she was staring at an elegant wooden case. The company''s logo was gracefully imprinted on the center of the box.


    The logo was a series of complex patterns. Looking closely she realized, a magnificent bow was covered with blooming flowers and butterflies. Everything about the package was enchanting, taking the onlooker''s breath away.


    "At this rate, I believe you will definitely open it by next year." Cyril scorned painfully. Emily snapped back to her senses and gently lifted the lid. The view inside was breathtaking. An enchanting bow was carefully placed on a green silk cloth. It was even prettier than what was shown online. Beside it lay a quiver and some arrows. Each and everything about the whole set was extraordinary. As if someone had grabbed it out of a fairy tale.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Emily covered her mouth with her hands. "This... I''m speechless!" She stammered. She leaned in and sniffed in the smell of the brand new item. Its soft fragrance tickled her nose. "It even smells amazing!" She exclaimed. "And expensive." Added Cyril, cracking up as her expression stiffened. "Don''t remind me." She laughed guiltily. She gazed at the masterpiece for a long time, until Cyril mocked her for ''falling in love with a lifeless thing''.


    "Of course anyone would fall in love, it''s like pure gold!... And money. Eheh... But, what if... It breaks?" She asked worriedly. "It''d never!" Cyril claimed. "You could say it''s the best in the world!" He flashed a toothy smile. "Come on let''s give it a try!" He said joyfully as he grabbed her arm and dragged her to the field for a tryout.

 34 The Try Ou

    Cyril passed her the quiver as she secured it on her left shoulder. It wasn''t heavy at all, nor was it uncomfortable. Cyril loaded her quiver with half a dozen of sleek arrows. That''s when she noticed her initials engraved on them, ''EH'' in a lovely cursive pattern. "Woah... You even customized it?" She asked, her tone filled with admiration. "Yep." Cyril answered snobbishly.


    After her quiver and bows were in place, he handed her the bow. It too, was light weight and the grip was also amazing. Emily positioned herself as she aimed for the target 20 meters away. When she was finally satisfied with her aim, she let go of the arrow. It sliced through the air and pierced into the target in a matter of milliseconds.


    "8 points. Not bad!" Cyril nodded his head in satisfaction. "It isn''t that easy to adjust to new equipment, but you seem to do just fine. Some more practice and you''ll be shooting like a pro."


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Emily pulled out another arrow and placed it in the bow, aimed, and shot. "10 points! Wicked." Cyril commented, and made a remark at every shot. When she had shot all the arrows, Cyril summed up the total points, "50 out of 60 points, you are ruthless." Emily smiled, as they headed off to collect the arrows.


    He removed one of the arrows from the target and showed it to Emily, "See, not a scratch, perfectly sharp."


    The bell rang, first class was over. "Oh, I should be going now or I''ll be late for math class. And... Thank you so much for this present!" She said gleefully and give him a quick hug before dashing off to class.


    She made sure that no one was there and went to the girls toilet to hide her priceless gift, as it''ll attract too much attention. If you''re wondering how will she manage to hide the dazzling item in a ''washroom'', then, you should know, that the last cubicle was out of order and was locked so that no one could use it or even open it. So, that''s why Emily speculated it was the safest place to keep it (because the lockers were too small to place such a big bow).


    She climbed onto the toilet of the cubicle adjacent to the ''out-of-order'' cubicle. Carefully and quietly climbed over the top and safely landed into the empty space were old, used mops, buckets and whatnot were lying. Ugh, she thought. I''ll go home and clean this package thoroughly. Heavy-hearted, she placed the massive box and was ready to climb back when she heard noises. A group of girls talking loudly, entered the washroom. One of them was talking the loudest, it was Ivy.


    Enemies are bound to meet on a narrow road.


    "Seriously, did you see that? What on earth was she carrying?" Ivy exclaimed, annoyed. Uh-oh, looks like someone saw her. "I don''t know, maybe it was an instrument, why do you care, don''t stress yourself out over small matters. You know she''s dumb, and does everything to be the center of attention!" The rest of them chided in. "She can''t be as talented and as beautiful as you are, that''s for sure."


    Emily rolled her eyes.


    They were actually kissing her feet just to curry favor for their personal gains. Everyone in GCA knew her father held an important position, so making connections with her could help them whenever needed. And Ivy wasn''t naive either, she clearly knew their intentions, but she just pretended to play along and act all mighty. Loving all the attention, she would even order them around. Afraid of offending her, they would quietly listen to her commands and scoldings, while cursing her in their hearts.


    It was taking longer than expected. Emily started to get uneasy and her elbow lightly knocked a mop which fell over a bucket, making a loud sound. The chattering of the girls stopped. "Who''s there?!" Ivy screeched. There came no response. On of them pushed open the cubicle through which Emily had gone to the locked up cubicle. "All of the cubicles are empty. What if... There''s a mouse?!!" Another one yelped and the rest of them also started screaming and rushed out at once, dragging Ivy with them.


    Emily waited a short while before jumping back and finally dashing towards her math class.


    The rest of her day was pretty boring as Linda was not around anymore, she would drift off during classes and would be reprimanded by her teacher many times. It was their last year at GCA anyways, after that Emily would finally be free and focus on her career, which was to be an athlete. These days she had been focusing on archery than any other games, and had developed greater interest in it.


    Hmmm... I want to be a professional archer. She would sometimes think. Being an athlete was a general term, and she wanted to choose a game that suits her capabilities. Archery pretty much fitted that criteria.


    Finally, the day was over and she went home quite late as she had to wait while majority of the students were gone, so that she could take that enormous present home without being noticed. She had a lot of stuff in her mind. Since the day Linda had left, her routine everyday was pretty much the same.

 35 Times Flies By

    She would occasionally meet Cyril and Aiden during college, have a little chat and then mind her own business, which was nothing but running around in the race track many times, before classes would start. At home, she would practice archery, almost the entire day. When she would tire herself out, finally, she would enter her room and study until midnight. Most of the days, her mom would find her snoring on her desk, books lying here and there.


    She had lost her appetite. She had never been this lonely, Linda used to be there for her all the time. Occasionally used to text her, and even call her from time to time. Always sending memes, jokes, celebrity gossips, new songs and whatnot. But they hadn''t been in touch since she had left.


    She had become very lonely. Even though she had other friends, like Aiden, Cyril and Henry, but the problem was, all of them were boys, and it was a different feeling for her as she had no other girl - friends except Linda, because she did not need one. Linda had been always more than enough, her one and only true best friend.


    Now, she didn''t have someone to whom she could express herself. She treated Linda like her sister, always sharing her joys and griefs. The more she thought about it, the more nervous and anxious she became. Moreover, Linda hadn''t even updated her even once after she left. Not even personally, nor publicly on social media.


    Ivy would mock her for being a sore loser at making friends and would laugh at her for being a complete mess these days. Even daring to pull up a prank on her every now and then. She then started to distance herself at college, hiding in some unknown corner, spending time alone. She started to crumble under mental pressure. Her mom noticed this unusual behavior and even inquired about it, but Emily brushed it off that moment, faking a smile.


    Entering her room, she realized, that right now her mom was her only support and decided to open up about her feelings. She went back downstairs, sat down with her in the kitchen and talked things out.


    Emily had no idea how long she talked but she kept talking for hours until her voice became croaky as she poured out her emotions. But... She purposely did not bring up the topic about being bullied because she didn''t want her mom to be worried about her very much.


    After she was done, Emily had to admit, she felt way better. However, she still could not get over the fact that Linda had not contacted her for so long and it was really unsettling. She was uneasy, but had a firm belief that there must be a reason behind it, knowing Linda for so many years, she knew how she would keep her updated about her whereabouts.


    The next day she appeared at college, fairly refreshed. Although, she had no intention of meeting up with Cyril or Aiden, as it would be really embarrassing for her to explain her situation. What if they make fun of me? What if they just turn a cold shoulder? What if they say I''m too weak? She could not bother herself to face them and give an explanation of why she had not kept it touch with them over the past few days.


    She deliberately avoided those places where they usually met. Hiding her face, pretending to ignore and mind her own business, she quickly tried to make her way towards her class. But, unfortunately for her, Aiden recognized her and was waving his hand while running towards her. Emily started striding more quickly but Aiden grabbed her arm and forced her to face him. She dare not make eye contact her kept her face lowered, avoiding his gaze.


    "Emily..." He said. She could clearly sense the sorrow in his voice. Her heart ached, like it never did. It was a different and contradicting feeling. "Emily..." He said again, "Why are you avoiding me?"


    Emily bit her lip. She did not have the strength to answer him. Realizing the fact that during all this time, while she wasn''t in the right state of mind, not contacting him made him suffer too... The way she had been feeling all this time, Linda not responding to her texts and calls. Her heart throbbed with pain. So much, as if daggers were stabbing her from the back.


    "Why did you not respond to my texts? You even ignored all my calls." He said, once again, making her feel guilty, more than ever.


    "I-..." Emily tried to respond, but lost her energy.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    Just then, Aiden''s warm hand touched her chin, as he lifted her head to meet his gaze. "Emily, look." He muttered in his low husky voice. Emily''s finally looked at him. His hazel-green eyes staring directly into hers. She was mesmerized. She had never been this close to him...

 36 Always There For You

    "I know life has been hard on you lately. But trust me, you can''t go through it alone. You need support. That''s why, I''ll be always there for you whenever you need me." Aiden stated in his magnetic voice. His words made Emily calm down a bit. Her heart felt so warm inside, he really cared for her. Tears started rolling down her cheeks like tiny sparkling beads.


    She rushed and pulled him into her embrace.


    "Ah... I''m so sorry for giving you a hard time. I shouldn''t have treated you this way. Please forgive me. I shouldn''t have over reacted like this!" She mumbled weakly. "Oh, don''t blame yourself, Emily. Linda is just like your sister. You two are basically inseparable. So, of course you''d be greatly upset over it. Isn''t it?" Aiden comforted her. Emily looked up at him with her puppy-dog eyes, and nodded lightly.


    His heart skipped a beat, as he could feel his face burn up. "Uhm.. You can.. Uh.. Let me go now." He pleaded meekly, rubbing the back of his head. "Oh, yes. sorry." Emily smiled as she let him go.


    They then started walking towards their classes. As Emily felt better and cheered up, Aiden asked her about Ivy. "Why didn''t you tell me that Ivy was pulling pranks on you. A girl like you would never just sit there and not do anything about it." Aiden asked carefully. Emily thought for a while, before speaking. "Well, to be honest I''m not sure either. But, I felt like I did not have the energy to deal with her. I was already mulling over my own problems."


    "Ah, whatever, the more important thing is that you are now back to normal." Aiden joked around. Emily chuckled.


    That day went really amazing for Emily. Aiden tried his best to cheer her up, making lame jokes and just being his usual weird, cheery self.


    "Uhm... Aiden?" Emily asked while they were walking back home after college. "Yeah?" He replied, smiling. "Do you have any idea why Linda hasn''t contacted any of us since she left? I''m really worried about her. Is she alright?" Emily questioned, as if he''d know the answer, but still, she just wanted to hear what he had to say in this regard.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.


    "Oh..." Aiden nodded, as he tried to think of a reason, why this could be happening. "Actually, I''m pretty clueless. But all I do know, is that, she must be really busy. Isn''t that an obvious factor?" He answered with a question of his own, raising his eyebrows. Emily sighed, "I guessed that. But... She hasn''t called since days, almost 2 weeks! Isn''t that something to be worried about?" Aiden nodded in agreement.


    "How about we try to call her again today, at a suitable time, before going to bed? Maybe she''ll pick up then?" Aiden suggested.


    "All we can do is try." Emily shrugged.


    Later that day, Aiden arrived at Emily''s house in the evening. "Hey, Emily. How are you doing?" Aiden asked. "Hmm... Good." She replied nonchalantly, staring at her computer screen in front of her. "Have you texted her? Or maybe called her yet? Or anything else from her side?" He tried to ask, hoping for a positive feedback. "Nope... Nothing..." She answered pitifully.


    He took off his jacket, placed it on her bed and stood behind her chair. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he consoled her, "It''s okay, Emily. Relax." "Hmm..." She replied vaguely.


    Just then, a miracle happened.


    An incoming video call from Linda! Emily felt as if she was dreaming. Her brain stopped working, too shocked to even click the answer button. Fortunately, Aiden sprang into action, clicking it for her before it ended and lost her only chance of talking to her. After loading for a few moments, Linda''s pretty and delicate face popped up at her screen.


    All this while Emily''s mouth was agape and she had been covering it with her hands. This is unreal, she kept thinking.


    "EMILLYYYYY!!!!" Roared Linda from her end. "LIINDAAAAA" Emily screeched back.


    This. Is. Gonna. Be. Crazy. Aiden thought helplessly.


    "How dare you not pick up my calls and not answer my texts? Do you have any idea what I went through?! I thought you were dead!" Emily complained, her eyes welling up with tears. "Emily, don''t say like that. I can really explain! You have to listen, it''s a really really long story. I had been so stressed out lately, and also quite exhausted. I seriously did not expect my routine to be so damn hectic!" Linda grumbled. "Anyways, leave my story, it''s not that special. For just a few more days, I''ll be very busy, but after that I would have plenty of free time. I don''t even have much time to talk right now. But I promise I''ll keep texting you. Alright?"


    Emily nodded her head sadly. Aiden just stood beside her awkwardly. After a few seconds Linda finally noticed him in the back. "Oh, hey Aiden! Sorry I didn''t notice you earlier." "Eh, don''t worry. It isn''t a big deal." He answered coolly. "Just hope you''re doing well."


    "Kinda..." She said pursing her dainty lips. "What''s wrong? Is everything alright?" Emily questioned in concern. "The thing is that-" Linda started to speak, but was cut halfway through as her door started to bang loudly. "Sorry guys, I''ve got to go. I''ll keep in touch through text. Bye!" She spoke hurriedly and hung up the call.


    "That was so not okay..." Aiden exclaimed in shock.

 37 Lindas Journey

    ~Taking you all back in time, when Linda finally waved goodbye to Emily at the airport and boarded the plane - two weeks ago~


    She could not bear to part ways with Emily, neither her family. It was the most difficult decision she made. She did not want to go at all, but her strong determination to become a fashion designer and a model managed to convince her to take the risk and apply for the top fashion college in Paris. She did not expect to be selected for admission, let alone obtain a scholarship too.


    Yet, out of the ordinary, she got a two year scholarship. She was so elated, that she felt she was flying. But the thought of leaving her home, friends and family, made her reluctant to go abroad and live alone. After explaining her situation to Emily and gaining her support, she felt confident in herself.


    Now, here she was, sitting in the airplane, near the window, gazing outside lost in thoughts. She could not accept the reality. She was actually leaving! The plane started its engine and took off into the sky. It was all going fine, until, halfway through her journey, the sky became darker. The clouds became blacker. The wind was blowing stronger, as the plane started swaying. Soon enough, rain started pouring heavily.


    Linda could feel her heart reach her throat. She gulped in fear. The flight attendant announced on the microphone, "Everyone, please relax. There is no need to fret. The pilot in charge is a professional. He can handle it." But the passengers were not comforted. Panic started to spread.


    However, they still managed to travel half an hour further until a huge gust of wind crashed with the airplane, making it jump harshly. Linda felt as if she would faint, her head started spinning. If they continued any further, they would surely die. The plane was now practically bouncing in air. The women started screaming due to which children started crying. Color had been drained from everyone''s faces. It was a total chaos.


    Finally, another announcement was made, "Everyone, please be quiet for a minute! I have a delightful news for everyone. We shall not continue our journey any further, as we shall be landing at Ottawa International Airport in 10 minutes. Please buckle up and do not fear anymore."


    Linda heaved a sigh of relief. At the same time, another thought greatly troubled her. For how long will they be staying there, and where?


    At last, they landed safely. Everyone was told to move out and wait in the lounge, until the plane was being refueled and information was being gathered about the weather forecast along with other details. Linda was clueless. She was in the middle of nowhere. She dragged her one and only huge suitcase and found a place to sit. Making sure, she had everything and nothing was lost. She took out her cellphone to inform her parents, and discovered that the battery was about to die. Not only that, but there weren''t any signals in this heavy rain.


    Now, she started to freak out. Never having faced such a situation, she was about to go crazy. She looked for a place to charge her phone only to find that everyone had the same plan. The charging booth was crowded. She was hopeless. Perhaps it would''ve been better if she never came, she could have been enjoying with Emily...


    Having no idea how long she had been awake, sitting awkwardly in a desolate corner, she started to feel drowsy. I want to sleep, her mind could only process this sentence. But she could not at all dare to take a nap right now. Caffeine! She thought. As she looked around to find a coffee shop. As soon as she spotted one in the far end, she picked up her bag and walked straight towards it. The closer she got the stronger the smell of bakery goods filled her nose, making her stomach churn with hunger.


    Lucky to have a lot of money in her purse, she ordered for a cup of coffee and a doughnut.


    She dropped into the chair near the counter, keeping her suitcase in her line of sight. Thankfully, she did not bring too much luggage, just a humongous suitcase and a backpack, keeping all the valuable stuff in it.


    "You must be really tired, isn''t it?" A middle-aged waitress came forward with the coffee and doughnut she ordered, placing it on the table in front of her. "A hundred percent." Linda replied downheartedly, and started to sip her coffee. "Even my phone battery is almost dead, do you have any solutions?" Linda asked, hoping it would be a yes. "Oh dear, I''m sorry to hear that. But, I''m afraid, I will not be able to help you." The woman replied pitifully. "Ah... It''s okay." Linda responded, undeniably troubled.


    After she had eaten, she felt refreshed and better than before. She went to the help center for updates on her cancelled flight. "Excuse me, sir. I would like to ask you about the flight headed for Paris that was cancelled and landed here a while ago. Do you know when we will take-off again?" She pleaded to the man at the counter. "Yes, ma''am. We have been informed to take those passengers to a near-by hotel to stay for the night. The announcement will be made in a while when the bus will arrive. While the flight for Paris will departure tomorrow early morning at 8:00 a.m." The man replied.


    Hearing him, she felt better. Soon enough an announcement was made requiring those passengers, whose flight had been cancelled to gather at the bus stop in ten minutes. She thanked the man profusely and rushed towards the bus stop with the help of the sign boards.


    Find authorized novels in Webnovel£¬faster updates, better experience£¬Please click www.novelhall.com for visiting.

 38 Back On Track

    She arrived at the bus stop, found the bus and got seated. After 10 minutes, the bus was filled and left the airport making its way to the hotel. They traveled for nearly fifteen minutes, before finally reaching the hotel. One glance at the building was enough for Linda to realize that her night wasn''t going to be all comfortable.


    A five story tall construction, whose paint was wearing off. There were hardly a few windows. The main entrance door was huge, but it was broken and cracked. On top of the building you could see a \"Grand Hotel\" board, which was rusty and seemed as if it could fall any second. This doesn''t look that ''grand'', Linda thought, her head spinning. She felt like crying, what have i gotten myself into?


    The bus parked near the main door and everyone started to get off, taking their luggage and rushing into the hotel. Linda considered it was way better to spend the night in the bus rather than going inside, well, you shouldn''t judge a book by its cover, hopefully it''ll be better inside, Linda tried to console her self. Reluctantly, she stepped out of the bus, when everyone had gotten off.


    The bell service came and carried her luggage inside. She quickly followed that person and entered the hotel. As soon as she stepped inside, her mood lifted. It wasn''t as bad as she thought it would be. Looking around, everything was quite old fashioned, but still, it was really decent.


    Reaching the counter, the receptionist asked for her passport. Showing it to her, Linda was given the key to her room. The lady instructed the bell service to lead Linda to her room.


    Opening the door, her heart sank.


    There she saw, a single bed, a side table and a chair and a tiny window. Nothing else! Worse then that, the entire room was so small and was not even painted! Linda breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. She was standing in the middle of the room, with her suitcase resting in the corner of the room.


    She decided to check the washroom.


    Opening its door, her heart sank even further. Can this get any worse? She screamed inside, almost on the verge of a mental breakdown. Just a toilet and a sink. No mirror, no towel and no means of taking a shower. She could not bother about it anymore, her top most priority was re-charging her cellphone and informing her parents about her situation. Thankfully, there was a power socket in another corner. She connected her phone to its charger. Ah, thank goodness it''s charging. She sighed in relief. But, the signals still weren''t there.


    Checking the time she found out it was 12:00 a.m. She fell onto her bed, too tired to change or eat. \"Ew, what the hell is this?!\" She exclaimed in disgust, sitting on her bed. It was smelling... So BAD. Seemed like no one ever dared to wash the sheets, for so long. She gagged. Finding a scarf in her bag, she wrapped it around her head and dozed off into an uncomfortable sleep.


    She had no idea how she managed to finally fall asleep after tossing and turning all night, but when she opened her eyes, the sun was rising. It was 5 a.m. Linda frowned, she was so sleepy and her night was so excruciating. Unexpectedly, her stomach started to growl. She had not eaten anything for hours and now she was really hungry and felt a little weak. She finally decided to get up and find something good to eat in this hotel.


    But before, she had to look at herself in the mirror, because that night, she went to bed without even changing, removing her make-up or washing her face. Luckily, she had brought along her hand mirror and she fetched it from her suitcase. Looking at herself, she had an unpleasant surprise.


    Her hair was so messy, dark circles were forming around her eyes and her make-up was all smeared on her pretty face. She came to a conclusion that there was no way she would step inside Paris in this state. Opening her bag, she took out all the facial products Emily had helped her pack. Since she had a lot of time before 8:00, she would tidy herself up.


    First she removed her old and smudged make-up with the help of a make-up remover and washed her face. Then she applied some moisturizer and her skin felt instantly better and fresh. After that, putting on some primer, she covered her dark circles with a concealer. Putting on her foundation, she applied a nude and light colored lipstick, eye shadow and blush etc. At the very last she put on mascara and eye-liner on her elegant, up-turned eyes.


    Finally, spraying the ''setting spray'' on her face, she looked for some decent clothes to wear. After she was done with everything, she packed her stuff back and went outside to have breakfast before they will be leaving for the airport.

 39 Reaching Paris

    She went down into the lobby and found almost everyone eating their breakfast while the staff was running around with their luggage to load it on the bus for departure. Linda ordered a light breakfast. It wasn''t that bad, or maybe she was too hungry that she actually liked it. \"Hurry up everyone! The bus will be leaving in ten minutes!\" The manager of the hotel announced. Linda gobbled down the remaining food and rushed back to her room to grab her stuff.


    She was glad to leave this dreadful place. Her travel afterwards was quite smooth, she reached the airport just in time, boarded the airplane and took off for Paris. The seat was so much more comfortable than the bed in that hotel. She fell into a deep sleep.


    Linda woke up by some noises in the aircraft, looking around, she realized that the plane had landed, in Paris! Everyone was busy collecting their stuff and leaving the plane She was so elated that she could not believe it, she felt as if she were in a dream. Quickly she got up and squeezed through the crowd to leave the plane. After collecting her suitcase from the conveyor belt, she rushed outside. As soon as she exited the gate, a gust of cool wind greeted her. She closed her eyes and sniffed in the sweet air. She looked around and saw people rushing in and out of the airport. She felt better after all those struggles the previous day. It was all worth it. Or was it?


    She was snapped out of her daze by a police officer, \"Excusez-moi madame, pourriez-vous vous tenir ailleurs, vous bloquez la porte principale.\" Linda looked at the police man in utter shock and confusion. \"Uhm.. Sorry?\" She replied meekly. The police officer understood that she could not speak French and translated what he said in English, \"Excuse me, ma''am, would you please stand somewhere else, you are blocking the main gate.\" Oh... She looked at her right and then left, realizing she was in the middle of the exit gate with her enormous bag at the side. \"Oh, I''m really sorry!\" She blurted out apologetically and swiftly strode away.


    Linda now needed to get to her college, but how? If the flight had not been delayed, she would have been escorted in a bus sent from the academy, whose conductor should have been waiting for her at the entrance. But due to the flight delay, she had no idea about the new plan. How on Earth was she going to get to her college? She quickly took out the pamphlet of the college and started opening it, until it was as big as a world map. What is in this thing? She thought in distress. While she was looking in that ''map'' about some contact information, someone tapped her shoulder.


    \"Uh?\" Linda turned around and saw a pretty girl in a pink peplum top, wearing a light blue denim jacket and black jeans. Her black hair tied up in a messy bun. \"Hello, there. My name is Madison. Are you also going to ''International Fashion Academy'' (IFA)?\" She introduced herself and asked Linda. \"Uh... Yes, I am! How did you know?\" Linda asked happily. Madison took out her pamphlet and showed it to Linda, smiling brightly she responded, \"I''m going there too!\"


    Linda was so relieved she met someone who was going to the same place as she was and now she could get some help. \"That''s so amazing to have some company now! By the way, my name is Linda. Nice to meet you.\" She said, presenting her hand. Madison shook hands with her. \"Well, Linda, I was just about to go inside the bus, but then I saw this huge pamphlet in your hands so I concluded you must be going to IFA too, but might be lost. Hahaha! I was right. Hurry, come on let''s get to the bus.\" Madison talked sweetly and headed in the direction of a violet bus standing in the corner of the parking lot.


    \"So, Madison, where are you from?\" Linda asked after an awkward silence. \"I''m from the United Kingdom. And you?\" She replied. \"Cool! I am from U.S.A.\" Linda responded in awe as Madison smiled. They both sat together in the bus, which was filled with people who probably reached Paris today as well. Soon enough the bus left the airport and now they were travelling through the beautiful streets and highways. There was so much greenery, which Linda really loved.


    They traveled for half an hour until they reached the center of Paris to the majestic building of IFA. Linda could not believe her eyes. It was just too glorious and magnificent. \"Wow!\" Everyone on the bus cried out in astonishment. The bus stopped at the main entrance and a group of teachers came outside and greeted the new students. \"This is going to be so exciting!\" Madison uttered in joy while grabbing Linda by her arm and rushing outside with her.


    Everyone''s luggage was being brought into the lobby. Entering those majestic doors, everyone felt as if they were in a different world. A huge chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, lighting up the lobby. Red carpets were spread out on the floor and staircases. Luxurious sofas were placed opposite to the reception. Everything was shining as if it were carved out of gold. The texture of the carpets and the sofas were like pure smooth silk. Even the reception counter was made out of gleaming marble. The walls had a fascinating pattern, swirling around like representing delicate blooming branches.


    It was just like they entered a castle.

 40 Strict Rules And Regulations

    Everyone was admiring the beauty of the lobby, when someone from the reception tapped on the microphone and called out, \"Attention everyone!\" Silence spread among the crowd as they stopped chatting among themselves and diverted their attention to the person speaking at the reception counter. It turned out to be an elegant, young woman in her mid twenties, dressed in a formal grey suit with black heels. Her hair was carefully tied into a bun. She executed a mysterious and professional aura.


    She continued in a dignified manner, \"Welcome to the magnificent hostel of International Fashion Academy.\" Oh my goodness, this is a hostel...? Unbelievable! Linda thought in exhilaration. \"My name is Daphne Brown and I am the custodian for watching over you all newbies here. As it is your first day here, I shall be going through the basic rules and regulations, so that you keep yourself out of trouble and have a good time. So everyone, please take a seat. It''s going to be bit of a long lecture, and I''m well aware you must be exhausted from such a long trip, especially those, whose flights were delayed. But, I must stress on the fact that these regulations are highly important. Breaking any of these rules could result in punishment or even expulsion, depending on the severity of the situation.\"


    She paused for a while, until everyone had settled down. \"Okay, rule number one. At night, everyone must be in bed by 10 p.m. and should be in the restaurant near this lobby, to the left, by 7 a.m. in the morning.\" She stated as she pointed in the direction where the restaurant was situated. It too, was just as elegant and lavish as the rest of the lobby. \"Secondly, you are not allowed to make any noise in the hallways or in the dormitories at any time of the day, strictly during the late hours, when you all will be resting. Thirdly, you are not allowed to roam around after 9 p.m., especially not outside the hostel. \"


    She paused for a moment, turning around to the receptionist as he told her something. She nodded and continued to tell the rules. \"Then, fourthly, you are not allowed to leave the campus without permission from from me and the principal of IFA. But, don''t worry, you all will be taken on regular trips around the city for work and recreational purposes. The fifth point I want you all to keep in your minds is that, you will not be given any access to Wi-Fi for the first week, until classes start and you have adjusted to your respective schedules.


    Speaking of classes, I must inform you that the official lessons will start after a week. So you have plenty of time to adjust yourself and make new friends. I also advice you all to not even touch your phones as it is a source of distraction. We shall provide you with activities which will not only keep you busy but also prepare you for classes.


    Thank you for listening to me patiently, every body. Now would you please assemble in straight lines near the counter so that we may assign you your rooms. Each room will have five students, so you can make groups of five of your choice and take your keys, and quietly head to your rooms. I must also alert you look after your dormitory keys. Losing them would be very problematic for you.\"


    She finally stopped talking. It was weird for everyone that they were not, even for a second, bored by her lengthy speech and though it may seem strange, they to some extent enjoyed it. Such a character was rare among people, and every person present was impressed by her somber and straightforward demeanor. On the other hand, Linda felt as if it were forever. Moreover, she had a slightly uneasy feeling about the unyielding rules. No Wi-Fi?! She pondered over the statement in agony.


    When they all had assembled and got hold of their respective keys, they started to disperse, some going upstairs while some went behind the marvelous staircase. Madison had insisted on sharing a room with Linda and she happily agreed. Madison introduced Linda to her two other friends and a distant cousin, who agreed to be in the same dormitory as them. So in total they were now five.


    \"Wow, Madison, you came along with your friends and a cousin, you must not be feeling lonely, right?\" Linda asked in praise. \"Uh-huh! You are totally right, I feel just at home already! I might even know how things work in here because my eldest sister graduated from here, and she would tell me everything about it!\" Madison smiled and declared proudly.


    Linda lowered her head, and missed Emily so much. She would not be able to contact her for a long time. She sighed. \"You okay Linda?\" Madison asked curiously. \"Uh... Kinda, I just miss my best friend.\" Linda answered sadly. \"Ahaha! What''s the big deal? Just relax and enjoy the ride!\" She threw her arm around Linda and tried to cheer her up.


    She forced a smile, and even faked a laugh, but inside, she felt so lonely, and empty.

 41 Getting To Know Each Other

    The group of five reached their room on the third floor. Madison unlocked the door and gasped in shock. \"This is... Extraordinary!\" The room was remarkably spacious with two exquisite bunk beds and a single bed. A lovely round table in one corner of the room, with five finely crafted wooden chairs placed around it. There was a large crystal clear glass window which led to a small balcony outside the dormitory and had a splendid view. You could even see the Eiffel Tower in a distance. The greenery coupled with the soft, cool breeze and dry leaves flying around was breath taking. The balcony was open enough to fit in two deck chairs.


    There was even a sofa set and a television! Near the beds was a huge closet. Big enough for everyone''s luggage to be easily placed with still a lot of room left. Beside it was a full length mirror. It was truly magnificent, a dream-like fantasy which had come true. It was truly a masterpiece, and aesthetically pleasing. One glance at the room and you would fall in love with it.


    They started exploring the room. Linda pushed open the washroom door. She had no idea why her first instinct going to a new place to stay is always to check the washroom.


    She was impressed beyond words. It too, was tremendously commodious, like the room. The showering stall in the corner had sliding, opaque glass doors. There were two cubicles for the toilets, and three sinks had been attached in front of a long and wide mirror, extending over the entire wall, with two make-up mirrors as well. Fancy! Linda was overjoyed with all the facilities provided.


    When they were done with exploring the dormitory, they unpacked their stuff, sat down on the sofas and started to chit chat among themselves. \"Okay, Linda, this is my cousin Bridgette.\" Madison introduced her cousin to Linda. Although her looks weren''t that pretty, she was quite decent. Bridgette smiled at Linda. Madison then pointed at one of her friends and continued saying, \"This is my old friend, Dorian, and this is Liliana, whom I made friends during our trip to Paris!\" \"Nice to meet you, Linda.\" They said at the same time. \"Pleasure to meet you too.\" Linda replied.


    Bridgette was the oldest among them. Her jet black hair complimented her light brown eyes. She was so slim, it seemed as if she were only bones. No wonder her looks were unattractive. She was the least talkative present person in the room. On the other hand, Dorian and Liliana were nice looking. Liliana had a cute appearance rather than a pretty one. Her big round eyes made her look young and innocent. She also had a lively persona. Dorian was a composed, young lady. She talked less, but whenever she did, her voice was calm and dominating.


    It was uncanny how the four of them were friends with each other with such different temperaments. \"Come on now, Linda. Tell us a little about yourself.\" Madison urged. \"Uhm... I''ve come from San Francisco. I had been really interested in becoming a fashion designer since my childhood.\" Linda awkwardly tried to tell ''a little more'' about herself. It just did not feel like home.


    \"You sure do have an amazing fashion sense! Have you ever considered about being a model?\" Liliana asked curiously, her eyes wide open. \"Uh... Not actually.\" Linda said softly. \"Well, I think you should! Like seriously, look at yourself, you are SO pretty. And your figure is just PERFECT. I would die for a frame like that!\" Liliana boomed in admiration. Linda giggled uneasily, rubbing the back of her head, \"Eh, haha...\"


    Madison also chimed in, \"You should think about it! It''d totally suit you. Hahaha. Isn''t it Dorian? Right Bridgette?\" They nodded in agreement, smiling. \"Uh, haha. Enough about me. Tell me more about yourselves too!\" Linda tried to divert the topic.


    The five of them talked the entire afternoon till evening. Up till the speakers outside the rooms blared forth, \"Attention everyone. Please make your way to the ''Regal Restaurant'' near the lobby for tea. Thank you.\" Madison and Liliana clapped their hands in joy. Dorian finally spoke up, \"Ah, finally. I was so hungry!\" They giggled and got ready to head downstairs.


    Everyone was heading downstairs and gathering in the restaurant. The hallways were filled with laughs and muttering. When tea was served, they all were impressed by the presentation and taste of the food.


    Madam Daphne announced at the end, for students to collect their timetables at the reception for next week''s unofficial classes. Heading back to their room, the group of five were comparing their timetables with each others. \"Yay! Mine and Linda''s timetables are almost similar!\" Liliana jumped in happiness. Linda looked at hers and was lost deep in thought.


    These schedules were so packed, keeping them busy almost the entire day. She had no idea when and how she would be able to contact Emily.


    Ah, Emily... I miss you so much...

 42 First Day At IFA

    Linda went to sleep early while the rest of her roommates kept on mumbling with each other until midnight. Linda chose to sleep in the single bed near the window and the rest agreed joyfully. She had trouble falling asleep but somehow she finally did. The next day, she woke up early in the morning and went to eat breakfast with the rest.


    Her next days were quite smooth and busy. She would be exhausted from the classes, had to do a ton of homework before finally dozing off to bed. One week had passed, and tomorrow was the day, when their official classes would be starting. She could not wait to visit the main campus and start studying the real thing. She was bored with these ''unofficial classes'', which were a rubbish to her. It wasn''t even related to fashion!


    Etiquette classes, ballroom dance lessons, classes related to how to eat like a ''refined person'', gardening period, and even a class dedicated on dressing yourself up in a dignified manner, which also included make-up lesson as well.


    What sort of lessons are these... Are they in some sort of ''Princess Charm School''?! Linda was vexed with these useless classes. Now, it was finally over! Official classes would start! YES. Linda was over joyed.


    At last, it was the day, she would step into the main campus and enter the real world of fashion. She got up earlier than usual and also woke the others up. She took a shower, applied make-up and dressed herself up. When they were ready to leave, they all stared at Linda in shock. She looked stunning. \"Linda...! You look like an angel from heaven!\" Madison exclaimed in praise.


    Linda was wearing a yellow belle smock with small colorful flowers imprinted on it with light blue denim jeans, and white sneakers. Her ginger hair was tucked in a high ponytail and her green eyes were prominent. Her perfect figure was outlined, and she looked alluring.


    Liliana seemed more happy than Linda herself as she hugged her and jumped around with joy. Linda laughed, \"What''s up with you?\" \"Ah, I think I''ve become your fan! You are truly glamorous.\" Liliana exclaimed. They all laughed and headed for the main campus after a decent breakfast. A nicely decorated bus was waiting outside for the students. Everyone hopped in the bus, excited.


    It took around five minutes until they entered the magnificent entrance gates of IFA. They all gasped in shock. It seemed as if they had really entered a royal palace. Evergreen trees stood tall in straight rows throughout their sight. Although it was almost the end of October, colorful flowers were blooming, with butterflies fluttering around them. Winter was supposed to start in a few weeks but here, it felt like spring lasted forever.


    Gazing further ahead, they saw the enormously spectacular building, painted in shades of skin, brown, white and similar decent, light colors, representing a glorious castle. \"WOW..!\" Everyone cried out together. The bus stopped a few meters away from the main gate. They all pushed to get out of the bus and enter the building. The majestic doors opened and three well dressed people walked outside. Their character radiated a very noble and over bearing feeling.


    Linda recognized one of them as Madam Daphne. \"Everybody, please pay attention.\" She started speaking. The students stopped talking and averted their conversation to focus on her. \"Thank you. I would like to introduce you all to Madam Gabriel, your principal, and the vice principal, Sir Daniel.\" She said indicating towards an elegant woman in her mid thirties, standing to her left. She looked around at the students, her gaze as sharp as a dagger. On the contrary, Sir Daniel, standing at Madam Gabriel''s left, looked more cool and welcoming. He had a charming smile on his face. He seemed pretty young, around his mid-twenties, almost the same age as Madam Daphne.


    \"We welcome you to this prestigious academy. Hopefully, you will have a wonderful time here.\" Sir Daniel welcomed the students in a warm tone. \"Alright then, shall we proceed?\" He asked.


    \"YES!\" The crowd roared with a thunderous applause and cheers.


    They smiled and then led them inside into a huge auditorium which was already half-filled with students. They all found a seat to sit and then listened to a lecture of one whole hour! \"You have to follow the rules... Blah blah blah... Do your homework... Blah blah blah... Don''t cause trouble and respect your teachers... Blah blah blah...\" The principal rambled on for the hour.


    Finally, when the lecture was finished, they were led to their classes according to the schedules they were being given when leaving the auditorium. Linda looked at her new timetable with glee. It was not only more interesting than her old routine, but also less tiring. She would have a lot of free time! Yay! She was lost in her timetable, trying to memorize it, while walking forward without looking up. She bumped into someone really hard.


    \"Ow!!!\" The person yelped. Linda fell down, \"Ah!\" she squealed. She looked up at the person she bumped into. Gosh... He is so handsome.. Uh, it''s not the right time for such thoughts! Linda panicked inside. Before she could get up, the person bent down on his knees, offering his hand, \"I''m so sorry, young lady, I didn''t mean it.\" He apologized softly.


    \"Uh.. N-no! It was my fault for not looking straight ahead.\" Linda stuttered, feeling guilty. The person smiled, \"Oh well, you''re not hurt right?\" Linda shook her head. \"I''m Jackson, nice to meet you.\" He introduced himself. \"I-I''m L-Linda. Pleasure to m-meet you, t-too.\" Linda replied, blushing. Jackson laughed, \"Ahahaha! You''re really cute. We''ll meet again later, I''ll be heading to class now, don''t wanna be late on the first day.\" He said, waving her goodbye and disappeared from sight.


    Linda stood there frozen... H-he actually called me c-cute..?!

 43 A Wonderful Day

    Linda snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to her class before it was too late. Luckily, she was just on time, the teacher had not come yet. As she entered the class, she saw Jackson talking to someone and laughing. Eek... Not him again! Linda looked away and found a place to sit and took out a copy and pen from her bag.


    \"Hey, Jackson, isn''t she that cutie you bumped into earlier.\" Kevin, Jackson''s friend, nudged his arm. Jackson turned around and recognized her bright ginger hair tied into a ponytail. \"Hmm.. You''re right. That''s really her.\" \"Ooh la la... She sure is stunning. Just check he-\" Kevin couldn''t continue as Jackson punched his arm, \"Oh, shut up! You pervert.\" Jackson seemed upset by what he said. \"Bro, you just knocked into her once and you''re already protecting her like she''s your gir-\" Kevin howled in pain as he received another punch from Jackson.


    \"Why do I have such degenerate friends? For once, can''t I have some decent buddies? Is that too much to ask for?\" Jackson sighed in grief. \"Okay, okay! I''ll shut up.\" Kevin scowled.


    The teacher entered the class and greeted everyone. She started delivering her lecture in a bright and lively way, which Linda really enjoyed. Today''s lesson was about cloth materials. She would talk about her own experiences and views about different topics regarding picking the best cloth etc. Linda scribbled away, to write down as much information as she could. She was determined to be the brightest student.


    When she finished attending three classes, she went to the canteen during her break. Strange how none of my room mates can be seen around, I feel so lonely. Linda thought as she turned around the corner and... Bumped into someone... AGAIN. This time, before she could fall, the person had grabbed her by the waist. \"So, we meet again.\" Jackson chuckled as he helped Linda stand up straight. \"This time it was truly my mistake, please forgive me.\" \"Ah, don''t worry it isn''t a big deal.\" Linda waved her hands, shaking her head.


    \"Are you heading to the canteen?\" Jackson asked. \"Yeah! I am.\" Linda smiled. \"Mind if I join?\" He asked again. \"Of course, you can! Besides, I''m pretty lonely, I''ll have some company.\" Linda agreed readily and they headed towards the canteen together.


    \"This man is smooth..!\" Kevin popped up from behind the corner, watching Jackson walk away with Linda.


    Inside the canteen, the two of them got a tray of scrumptious food and sat on the table. \"So... Tell me, what brought you here?\" Linda asked, breaking the ice. \"Haha, my mother always wanted me to become a fashion designer. So I''ve come here to pursue her dream, which, with the passage of time, now has become my dream as well. What about you?\" Jackson asked. \"I''ve always wanted to become a designer since my childhood. Watching Barbie movies, looking at all those pretty dresses, haha, I really wanted to make my own fashion line as well!\" Linda stated her dreams. Jackson laughed, \"How cute!\"


    They talked about a lot of things. Linda even told him a lot about Emily, how she was her only best friend and their memories together. Jackson also shared his childhood stories, embarrassing and funny. It turned out that they had all the classes together. In addition to that, Linda found out he was hosteled as well and had come from Russia. No wonder he was so stunning. They spent the day together, in class and in their breaks as well. Jackson had been completely ignoring Kevin.


    At the end of the day, they headed to the hostel together and parted ways when returning to their rooms. Linda was so happy. It was such a wonderful day. She had finally found some company and did not feel as lonely as she felt before. But... She would not be at ease unless she talked to Emily. She needed to find a way to talk to her. It''s been a week. She couldn''t text her either as she had run out of balance. Ugh... Luck was totally not on her side in this case.


    She wanted to go outside to get balance for her mobile and a data package as well, so she can video call Emily. But, how? She could not wander outside the campus. Her only chance was a trip in the city, which she had no idea, when would happen. Reaching her room she found it to be empty. Perhaps the rest had not come back yet. She went for a long nap, till she woke up at midnight, finding everyone fast asleep, she fell asleep again and woke up the next day.


    Another week went by, her routine would be: studying in college, talk a lot with Jackson, come back to hostel, do her homework, talk with her roommates, go for tea and then dinner until finally hitting the sack.


    Weekend had arrived. She was in the balcony, admiring the view, her heart feeling unsettling, when she heard the speakers in the hallways say, \"Everyone, it is to inform you that, tomorrow, Sunday morning, we shall be taking you all on a trip around the city. So make sure to be in the lobby at 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Thank you.\" Hearing this wonderful news she, along with everyone else in the room started to cheer and dance around the room.

 44 A Trip Around The City

    The next morning, everyone had gathered in the lobby, waiting for the tour bus to arrive. While they were waiting, Bridgette excitedly ran over to Linda, who was standing with the rest of her friends. \"Hey, guys!!! Did you know that they''ve finally turned the WiFi on for the students to use for free!\" She quickly said in one breath. \"What?! Really? Finally!\" They all sighed in relief. Just as they were talking about it, a loud horn sounded outside the hostel. \"Yayyy! The bus is finally here!\" Everyone exclaimed in delight, as they rushed over to get in.


    Liliana and Madison grabbed Linda and ran towards the bus. Linda had only one thought in mind, she''d finally be able to talk to Emily! But... She did not want to see the look on her face. She must be so angry on me... W-what if... She breaks our friendship because I am not a true and loyal friend. Such countless thoughts started running through her head. She did not want to be bothered by these thoughts, what if she understands her, of course she will, she was her best friend. Linda tried to cheer herself up and clear these thoughts.


    She looked out of the window, orange-yellow trees flashing by, everyone walking down the streets with groceries in their hands. Some people had brought along their dogs for a walk. Such a calm and pleasant environment was truly relaxing. She leaned her head against the windows and only focused outside.


    Bridgette had been sitting beside her and was busy talking to Madison in the front seat, she glanced at Linda, she looked so beautiful, looking out the window, lost in her own world. The scene was as if it has been taken out of a fairy tale. Comparing herself to Linda, she felt so envious, so jealous... As if she wanted to rip her face apart.


    It''s just the beginning, everyone is new and getting used to the surrounding, making friends. But she was sure that as soon as things would get settled, people would get to know Linda and she would undoubtedly gain a lot of attention. Bridgette did not know why, but the thought of her gaining attention and praises, was... utterly displeasing. She had two options, either to get rid of her, or either be real close friends with her, so she could steal some of the spotlight.


    Getting rid of her was an impossible task, and they were practically room mates, for the next two years, so the only option left for her was to accept her and be close with her, no matter how much she would hate it. If she wanted fame and attention then she would do anything to get it. What if... She doesn''t get any limelight? Then she would make sure Linda would not get any either.


    The bus occasionally stopped at a few places, everyone would either buy souvenirs or get something to eat. They kept travelling and pulling up from time to time, sometimes to just simply admire the scenery, buying any thing or even look at a few designer stores to check out different styles of fashion. All in all, they spent the day really well, and finally started to head back towards their hostel. Linda made sure to load balance in her mobile, which she should have done long before she left for Paris.


    They started to get off the bus. Bridgette quietly slipped her foot in Linda''s way and she lost her balance and fell down, straight on her knees. \"Ouch!\" She shrieked. Since she was wearing a skirt, her knees were bleeding profusely. She almost wanted to cry. Bridgette knelt in front of her, \"Oh my gosh, Linda! You''re really hurt. Wait...\" She said in a ''worrying manner'', while taking out a handkerchief and tying it around her knees.


    Everyone had gathered around her as well. Madam Daphne was upset, \"You should be more careful Linda.\" Linda nodded, her eyes misty. She looked so pitiful. Madam Daphne urged everyone to leave the site and return to their dorms. \"Thank you so much, Bridgette.\" Linda thanked her from the bottom of her heart as they got up from the ground. \"Ah, don''t worry. You''re my friend.\" She said while smiling sweetly.


    Finally it was night, and everyone was preparing for bed when suddenly Linda remembered that she had to call Emily. She hoped that Emily would not be asleep. \"I hope you guys wouldn''t mind some noise if I call my friend. It won''t take very long, I promise!\" Linda asked before she could call her. They all gave her the green signal while they were busy on their phones.


    Linda started the video call. It was ringing! Emily must be online...! It rang a few times, before Emily picked it up.


    \"EMILLYYYYY!!!!\" Roared Linda from her end. \"LIINDAAAAA\" Emily screeched back. \"How dare you not pick up my calls and not answer my texts? Do you have any idea what I went through?! I thought you were dead!\" Emily complained. Linda tried to reply to her as quick as possible.


    It was REALLY noisy. \"Keep it down or someone will complain against us!\" Madison hissed, but Linda was too busy with Emily and did not hear her. Just then someone started banging loudly on their door. \"Uh-oh, trouble.\" Liliana muttered.


    Hearing those fierce knocks, Linda shut everything as quickly as possible and went to open the door.

 45 Back To Normal

    Linda nervously opened the door and sighed secretly when she found out it was not a teacher. A girl was dressed in her pajamas, her face looked like she just woke up and the veins on her forehead were throbbing as if they would pop out any second. Before Linda cold open her mouth to explain, she ad already exploded, while at the same time, trying to be really quiet, so as to not disturb the others.


    \"Are you out of your damn mind? Why on earth are you screaming in the middle of the night?\" She hissed, staring dagger at her. \"Look, look, I''m really sorry, I did not mean any of this, I was too excited and-\" Linda whispered, trying to explain, but gave up halfway and decided to merely apologize. \"I''m really sorry. It won''t happen again.\" The girl huffed annoyance and stormed off. Linda heaved a sigh of relief.


    She went back in buried herself in midst of the sheets in her bed. Slid out her mobile and started texting Emily on Instagram.


    ~Back to the scene where Linda abruptly ended the video chat~


    \"That was so not okay...\" Aiden exclaimed in shock. \"I know.\" Emily scowled as she clasped her head in her hands, groaning in frustration. \"Hey, come on. At least you looked at her and know she is fine.\" Aiden tried comfort her. Just as he finished speaking, Emily''s cellphone buzzed.


    It was a new notification.


    Emily hurriedly grasped her cell and opened the message with trembling hands. She heaved a sigh of relief when she found out it was Linda. \"She''s back online. Except this time she''s texting me, on Instagram.\" Emily spoke while reading her texts. Linda was sending one paragraph after the other trying to explain her current situation. Finally, she gave up and started to send voice messages.


    \"Look, Emily, long story short. I had been not only very busy but also had no access to WiFi or any sort of data connection. I couldn''t even message you because my balance was finished.\" One of Linda''s voice message said. Clearly she was whispering and trying to keep it as low as possible.


    ~Text messages~


    Emily: Why are you whispering?


    Linda: My room mates are trying to sleep.


    Emily: Oh... I see.


    Linda: Sooo... You forgive me. Right?


    Emily: Hmmm...


    Linda: OH PLEASE EMILY DON''T DO LIKE THIS. I know it was my mistake and I admit it. I''m not a true friend.


    Emily: Woah, woah, woah... At least hear me out.


    Linda: ...


    Emily: Ahahah! I was just kidding, of course I forgive you. There isn''t anything to forgive for in the first place. :)


    Linda: Phew... Okay, whatever, don''t be too modest now. :P


    Emily: Hahaha! Okay, I won''t. It''s getting late now. You should probably go to sleep. Goodnight! Love you. <>


    Linda: Hm. You''re right. Goodnight. Love you too. :-*


    ~End of conversation~


    Emily smiled as she put down her phone. Aiden start tapping her shoulders, saying, \"Why are you smiling? Tell me as well, I also want to smile.\" Emily giggled, as she stood up to stretch her legs and arms. \"It''s getting late, you should also go home now.\" Emily turned around and spoke, still smiling. She was really happy. Now that she had finally talked to Linda and knew she was alright, she relaxed.


    Aiden pouted, \"You still didn''t tell me why you were smiling.\" He muttered. Emily laughed again, pinching his cheeks, \"You''re so cute.\" His face reddened as he felt his face burn up. Emily did not notice as she was busy humming a tune, while opening the door and led him out of the room to send him off.


    At the door step, \"Thanks, Aiden, for stopping by. If you had not encouraged me to try to call her, who knows for how long I must have gone like this. Haha.\" Emily beamed, like the twinkling stars in the sky, as walked up to Aiden, tightly wrapping her arms around his waist as she squeezed him into her embrace. \"You''re the best. Take care of yourself and goodnight!\" She said while letting him go.


    Aiden was astonished. His mind had stopped working, he felt himself burn up so much, as if he was in the middle of a flame. He quickly turned around his heals and fled from the scene. \"Goodnight!\" He replied from a distance, still walking as quickly as possible.


    That night, Emily had loosen up as a burden was lifted from her heart. She fell asleep quite quickly and had a wonderful dream.


    ...


    Aiden reached home and directly made his way to his room. \"Honey, you''re back?\" His mom called out, drying the dishes. \"Yes! And I''m off to bed. Goodnight.\" He replied, closing the door behind him. When he had changed and was lying in his bed, Emily was all over his mind. Her laugh, her smile, her beautiful eyes. He could not sleep, his heart was pounding as if it would explode out of his chest.


    He tossed and turned. \"You''re so cute! You''re the best.\" Emily''s words were spinning around his head. He unconsciously touched his cheek where Emily had pinched him. Thinking about how Emily had hugged him a while ago, butterflies started fluttering in his stomach.


    Emily...


    Aiden finally loosened up and fell asleep. In his dreams, he saw Emily, how they had met and their interactions up till now. Everything was still as crystal clear in his memories and he slept comfortably.

 46 Settling Our Differences

    The next day, Emily met Aiden in GCA. \"Hey, Aiden! How are you? How was your night?\" Emily waved at Aiden from afar and came jogging in his direction. She was as happy as a lark. Aiden waved back as well, \"Hey, Emily! I''m great.\" They started walking towards the class together. \"Aiden, I was just wondering...\" She paused for a moment, before continuing, \"I haven''t seen Cyril lately. Do you know about his whereabouts?\" Hearing Cyril''s name, Aiden scoffed. \"Hmph. No.\"


    Emily looked towards Aiden, who was looking straight ahead. His expression stern. \"Aiden?\" Emily called out softly. \"Huh?\" Aiden turned towards Emily. She was looking at him with her doe eyes. \"Do you really hate Cyril that much? Like you guys don''t even bother to look at each other, let alone speak.\" Emily asked cautiously so as not to upset him. Since she had a good relation with Cyril and Aiden, it was weird for her that the two of them did not get along.


    Aiden kept silent for a moment, pondering over what to reply before Emily asks again, \"Uhm... I mean, don''t you even want to try to get along with him?\" Aiden sighed. Although, hate was a strong words, like wasn''t acceptable either. There were many things which happened in the past between them, which caused their friendship to end like this. Aiden did not feel that he would be able to explain anything to Emily related to their past right now.


    Maybe... He could try to push aside those differences and have a new start? He did not want to, but... Since, Emily has asked him to at least try, why would he not? Aiden exhaled again deeply, \"Huh... Maybe, I could, just try...\" \"That''s really nice!\" Emily grinned. \"Let''s try to find him during the break in the canteen.\" Aiden indicated a thumbs up and they entered their class.


    ~During lunch break~


    Some of Aiden''s friends gathered around him when he and Emily were going to the canteen. \"Yo, Aiden, have you forgotten about us?\" \"Hey, why have you been ignoring us?\" They started chatting with him. \"Uh, guys, I''m really sorry, but I''m kinda busy right now. I''ll catch up with you all later.\" Aiden tried to escape but they grabbed him and started dragging him along with them, \"Nope, no excuses. Today you will have a match with us.\"


    Emily was upset. They had to come right now? Aiden signaled her to move on. Emily shrugged as she went to look for Cyril. Just as she entered the canteen, a whiff of cooked food entered her nose and her stomach started rumbling. Grabbing a tray of food, she spotted Cyril sitting in a desolate corner in the canteen. She casually walked up and sat right next to him, \"Heya! Long time no see. Did you miss me?\" Emily chuckled as she filled her spoon with fruit salad and then shoving into her mouth.


    \"Eh? Who on earth would miss you?\" Cyril mocked as he ate his cracker. Emily pouted and playfully hit his arm, \"Don''t think that I missed you either. Hmph!\" Emily sulked. \"Then why did you come here searching for me?\" Cyril smirked as kept his gaze on his food and ate it slowly. \"I- I just saw you and thought I''d pass by to say hello.\" Emily rebuked. \"Haha, obviously because you had been missing me!\" Cyril broke up in laughter. \"I hate you!\" Emily whined.


    They chatted for a while, until Emily decided to bring up the topic regarding Aiden, \"Why hasn''t Aiden came back yet?\" She glanced at Cyril, who frowned slightly hearing his name. \"Uhm, Cyril?\" Emily muttered.


    \"Hmm?\"


    \"Don''t you like Aiden?\" She asked. \"Heh... Yes, and no.\" Cyril shrugged. \"Uhm, why is that so?\" Emily tried to probe a bit further. \"Well... Long story short, we used to be friends but had our differences and finally ended our friendship. On, uh, not-so-good terms.\" Cyril rolled his eyes, thinking about the past and got up. Emily also followed him, \"So... I was just wondering. If... By any chance, you''d like to patch up?\" Emily mumbled, loud enough for Cyril to hear.


    They continued walking in silence, left the trays at the counter and left the canteen, towards the main ground. It was complete silence. Walking a bit through the ground, Cyril stopped, so did Emily. Following his line of sight, he was looking at Aiden playing basketball with his friends. Emily started to get nervous. Finally, Cyril spoke up. \"Hmm... Maybe, I can give it a try.\" \"Yeee!!!\" Emily jumped in joy. Cyril shook his head and smiled.


    They waited for a while until Aiden had finished playing. When he spotted the two of them standing under a shady tree, he directly walked towards them. Aiden finally topped in front of them. The two men glared at each other for a while. \"Eheheh... Now, now. Let''s forget the past. Shall we? And have a brand new start?\" Emily popped in between them.


    Cyril huffed and extended his hand towards Aiden. Aiden sighed as he tightly grabbed his hand for a handshake. Emily quickly hugged the two of them. \"Yayyy! Group hug!\" She squealed happily. Hearing her cheery voice, their hatred faded for a while as they enjoyed the group hug, awkwardly.

 47 Good Old Friends

    The three of them had seated together in their next class together, with Emily in between them. Aiden and Cyril hardly talked after that but Emily did not nudge them further. They had agreed to clear their differences and it was good enough for the first step. \"How''s you archery going?\" Cyril turned towards her and asked. Emily laughed embarrassingly, \"Ehhh... I haven''t practiced in a while.\" Cyril chortled, \"Hahaha. What''s there to be embarrassed about. Let''s have a match in our games class.\" He then turned towards Aiden, smirking. Aiden rolled his eyes, revealing a hint of smile. \"Alright, whatever.\"


    Still as competitive as he used to be when I met him the first time in school, Aiden thought, missing those old days, when the two had first met, in third grade.


    ~Start of Aiden''s flashback~


    \"Everyone, please welcome your new class fellow, Cyril. He has come from the United Kingdom. Take good care of him.\" The teacher announced as a shy boy entered the class, gazing towards his feet, not daring to make eye contact with anyone. \"Hello. I''m Cyril. I hope we can be good friends.\" He mumbled, still looking at his feet.


    \"Hello! Nice to meet you!\" \"You''re so cute!\" \"Let''s be friends!\" \"Hey, how are you?\" \"We''ll take good care of you!\" Everyone started cheering and complimenting him. Cyril turned crimson red as he smiled faintly, not moving his gaze from his shoes. Among all these shouts, one person in particular was shouting the loudest.


    \"Me, me, me!!! Sit with MEEE!!!\"


    \"Alright, alright, Aiden. Calm down! Cyril, dear, go and sit with Aiden over there. At last, Cyril looked up at the class and saw a kid waving his hands like a mad man. \"Yup, that''s Aiden.\" The teacher laughed as Cyril dragged his feet towards the empty seat with Aiden. He did not make eye contact with him and quickly took out his book and started turning the pages to find something he could read before the lecture started.


    A small hand appeared in front of Cyril''s eyes. \"Huh?\" He turned around to look at Aiden, who had been lifting his hand in mid-air for a handshake. \"Nice to meet you, buddy!\" Aiden was beaming like a sun, his cute white teeth could be seen behind his wide smile. Cyril''s heart felt warm, he felt so comfortable around him.


    He shook his hand with Aiden''s. They started to talk with each other. Aiden was a cheery and confident kid and would bring out interesting topics to talk about. Cyril on the other hand, was really shy. He preferred listening to others rather than speaking himself. Occasionally, he would quietly give a short reply and giggle cutely.


    The two of them developed a deep and close bond over the years and were best friends. Aiden even introduced him to his other best friends, Henry and Cooper. These four kids were practically inseparable and also quite mischievous. Cyril had gotten a lot more confident over the years as compared to when Aiden had first met him.


    Knowing each other more and more day by day, they learned that both of them had keen interest in sports and were also very good in studies. They were the most famous duo of the school - exceptional in sports, studies and looks. Aiden, Cyril and the rest would have friendly matches among themselves in games.


    Cyril was the one who liked to have a competition the most and his friends did not mind either, instead they would enjoy his ambitious nature.


    However... This started to change as they entered tenth grade.


    Henry dropped out of school to be home schooled. Cooper''s grade were deteriorating and his parents had instructed the teachers to give him extra lessons. So then, he would spend his breaks in the library with his teacher, studying. This meant only Aiden and Cyril were left by themselves during their breaks.


    Cyril, however, had been getting absent more frequently and Aiden would rarely see him. Whenever Aiden would get the chance he would try to ask about what is bothering him, but Cyril would divert the topic or just keep quiet and avoid him.


    One day, before their final examinations were going to start, Aiden sat next to Cyril, who was in the corner of the small ground in their school, busy pulling out grass and asked as politely as possible, \"Cyril..? Is everything alright? You seem to be quite stressed out lately. Do you want to share anything with me?\" \"Please just leave me alone for a while. Why on earth are you so clingy! Do you know anything about personal space?!\" Cyril shouted at Aiden and stormed off.


    Aiden sat there, at the same place, for the entire day. Thinking about where he had gone wrong. Was he really clingy? He was just trying to care for him, who knew Cyril would just yell at him for caring about him. He had totally changed. He was not his shy and quiet self as he used to be back in third grade.


    Aiden started regretting asking him about his feelings. Why should he care about him? Anger started to build up in his heart and he made up his mind to never talk to him again.

 48 Playing Around

    The next week when their final has started, Aiden was in the washroom and washing his hands when Cyril emerged from a cubicle. His eyes red and swollen as if he had been crying a lot. Aiden was about to ask him what was the matter, at the same time he remembered last week''s incident as rage started to storm inside his mind. He ignored him and continued washing his hands.


    \"Hey, Aiden.\" Cyril said softly as he quickly dried his eyes and pretended like nothing ever happened. Aiden huffed in irritation. \"What''s wrong with you?\" Cyril asked in a slightly irritable tone. Hearing those words Aiden lost his cool as he turned around and pushed Cyril to the door of a cubicle with a loud bang, \"What''s wrong with me you ask? What''s wrong with you?!\" Aiden bellowed.


    Cyril was shocked at his behavior and pushed him back as well, yelling in reply, \"That''s none of you business!\" His eyes welling up with tears.


    Cyril must have become really weak because when he pushed him back, Aiden was had hardly moved from his position. Hearing his response and looking at his face, Aiden nodded lightly and sniggered, \"Huh, then what''s wrong with me is none of you business either! You wimp! Go cry in front of your parents.\" Aiden bolted out of the washroom in rage.


    Cyril, when heard those words, clenched his fists as tears started rolling down his cheeks like a stream and he banged the door behind him in frustration.


    Exams passed by and Aiden completely ignored Cyril, not even bothering to look at him. Their summer vacations started and ended, during which their results came out and everyone started to take admission in college. On Aiden''s first day in GCA, he spotted Cyril as well. He was so angry that he wanted to change his college. The last person who he wanted to meet in GCA was Cyril.


    However, now he could not, admissions had been closed everywhere. All he could do was ignore and endure it.


    Even in the first two college years, Cyril had challenged Aiden multiple times, which most of them Aiden had won. As they started to get famous and attract everyone''e attention, their rivalry and battles became more intense because then, it was not only between the two, but everyone else would also be judging them and of course they had to prove to them who was better. But he could still not forget the day he lost to Cyril so badly and in return was ridiculed by him.


    Time flew by and looking back, Aiden felt it was absurd of him to behave like that but he could not remove the thorn from his heart which had been pricked on the day, he had fought with Cyril and then ended their friendship.


    Now... here he was, with Emily and Cyril. ''Trying'' to forget the past and move on.


    ~End of Aiden''s flashback~


    After class had finished, the three of them walked towards the archery court. Seeing Aiden and Cyril together caused a commotion between the onlookers.


    \"What the-\" \"Oh my gosh!\" \"I''m not blind, am I?\" \"They are actually together?\" \"What are they going to do?\" \"What is Emily doing with them?\" \"Look, they are moving towards the archery court!\" Everyone present at the moment started gossiping and made their way towards the courts as well, to see what was going to unfold. \"OMG... Are they going to do archery?\" \"Are they having a competition, again?\" They started mumbling to each other.


    Sure enough, the three of them took a bow and some arrows and started to aim and shoot them together. After one shot, they paused, talked a bit, laughed and took another shot.


    \"My skills are totally going down! I should practice more.\" Emily declared after her first shot. It was a 6. \"Hmm.. You are right, you should definitely gear yourself for the annual sports competition ahead.\" Cyril nodded as she scored a 9. \"I haven''t done archery in ages, I''ll totally suck.\" Aiden stated as he released his grip on the arrow and it shot across the field, right into the center of the target. He scored 10 points! \"Haha! That must be pure luck.\" Aiden laughed.


    Emily punched him on the arm, \"Hmph! Don''t try to be modest, we all know you''re good at everything Mr. Perfect!\" Aiden laughed at her remark. \"Hey! I''m also the best.\" Cyril pouted. Emily chuckled at Cyril''s cute behavior.


    \"Erm... Why are people gathered around us?\" Emily muttered as she looked around. So did Aiden and Cyril. When the students realized that they were looking at them they quickly dispersed and went back to minding their own business saying, \"Oh, I thought it would be something big.\" Yeah, they''re just chatting and having fun.\" \"Did Emily pursued them to become friends?\" \"Hm, I''m not sure.\" \"Why is she trying to be a saint?\" \"Eh, why do you care, it is a good thing to be honest.\" \"Ivy won''t be happy about this!\" \"Hahaha!\"


    Emily shrugged, \"Whatever. Let''s head back to class or we''ll be late. Which classes do you have? I have math.\" \"Same.\" Cyril replied. \"Ugh, history.\" Aiden complained. \"Haha, okay then, we''ll see you later after college.\" Emily said and headed off to class with Cyril.

 49 A Great News

    When Emily and Cyril''s final class ended they headed outside to search for Aiden. Just as they were passing near the principal''s office, the speakers turned on and they herd the principal start speaking, \"Every body please pay attention. I have an interesting announcement to make. Tomorrow the college will be taking its students to a camping trip for almost a week.


    Thereby, I request you all to take all the necessary items along with you when you come to college tomorrow and we shall depart at 10 a.m. for Yosemite National Park. Thank you.\"


    Oh my goodness! Yosemite National Park??!! That place is like heaven! The hallways were filled with cheers and thunderous applause as they could not wait to go to camping the next day.


    Emily started jumping around Cyril, \"OMG! OMG! OMG!\" They saw Aiden walking towards them. \"Aiden! Did you hear the announcement they just made?!\" Emily squealed merrily. Aiden laughed and patted her head, \"Ahahaha! Of course I did.\" \"Hey! Don''t treat me like a child.\" Emily sulked as the three of them laughed together and headed their homes.


    As soon as she reached home she reported the news to her parents. They agreed happily and gave her a long lecture of safety measures which she listened carefully so as not to miss any details. Her dad shared his experiences and mistakes with Emily, which he made during his youth, when he had gone camping with his friends. Her mom also helped her pack some essential materials which could be possibly needed during camping.


    After everything had been packed, she looked at the time. It was half past 5 in the evening, so that means that in Paris, the time right now would be half past 2 in the morning. Hmm... Maybe she would be asleep, Emily thought and decided to send her a message, so that when she wakes up she would read it. She would also call her before leaving in the morning because then, over there would be afternoon so Linda might pick her call.


    So, she texted Linda and told her everything. From the newly formed bond between Aiden and Cyril, their archery practice and then the declaration of a trip to Yosemite National Park tomorrow. She had sent her five long paragraphs.


    She spent the rest of the day helping her mom with chores, talking to her dad and then in the end finally completing her remaining homework. It was 9 p.m. She was lying peacefully in her bed and was about to go to sleep before there was a knock on the door. \"Come in!\" Emily said. It was Chris, he peeked his head inside grinning, \"May I come in?\" He said sweetly.


    \"No, didn''t you hear, I said leave me alone.\" Emily snapped. \"Alright, alright, I get it, you allowed me to come in and I shouldn''t have asked again.\" Chris replied apologetically, walking inside and waving his hands. Emily raised her eyebrow at him. Why is he being so nice? Is he sick? Noticing her expression, Chris rolled his eyes, \"I''m not sick, okay? Well... Actually, the thing is...\" Chris started speaking and glanced at Emily pitifully, trying to act cute.


    \"I don''t have the entire night. I have to get up early tomorrow! Spit it or leave.\" Emily flared up. \"Okay big sis, cool down, I won''t overact!\" He said while sitting in front of her and taking out a book and a pen. \"What the-?\" Emily gasped. \"Now?!\" She almost shrieked. \"I knowww! I should have asked you earlier but you were busy! Okay?!\" Chris howled back.


    \"Just explain me these two topics, I don''t understand a word. Our cruel teacher will take a test before we leave for camping!\" Chris pleaded. \"Okay!\" Emily stared at him as she started explaining him chemistry. Finally, when they were done, a bit more than half an hour had passed. \"Thank you SO MUCH, Emily\" Chris thanked her with the bottom of his heart and hugged her extremely tightly.


    \"Get off me, you pig!\" Emily yelped as she nearly choked by the force of his hug. Chris laughed as he let her go and left the room whistling happily. Emily shook her head as she found a comfortable position on her bed and went to sleep.


    The next morning, Emily woke at the exact time she had set her alarm for, that is, quarter to eight in the morning. She excitedly got ready, gobbled down her breakfast and dragged her suitcase behind her along with Chris, till the door before turning to say goodbye to her parents.


    \"Take extreme care of yourself, okay? Don''t forget to wash your hands before eating, don''t stay up too late, be careful of wild animals, keep your stuff safe, apply mosquito repellent before going to sleep, and, and, uh... I hope I''m not forgetting anything.\" Her mom lectured her while giving her a long hug. \"Haha, no mom. I remember everything. Don''t worry!\" Emily smiled at her before moving towards her dad and giving him a tight hug.


    \"You remember the basic survival techniques I told you yesterday, right?\" Her dad asked in concern. \"Yes, dad. No worries!\" Emily said. Chris also bade farewell to both of them and the two siblings walked towards the college together.

 50 The Camping Trip

    Emily saw Aiden and Cyril from afar, standing near the buses, talking with each other. She smiled and ran towards them, "Hey, guys!" She greeted and pulled the two in a hug. The three of them started a conversation, while they waited for everyone to gather and departure for the trip. Just then Emily''s phone started ringing, looking at the number, it was Linda! Oh shoot! She had forgotten to call her this morning. Oh well, she''s calling her right now, so nothing to be worried about. Emily picked up the call.


    "Emily!!! Oh my gosh! So much has happened in my absence... I''m coming back. Hahaha." Linda said, faking a sad voice. Emily laughed, "Haha. What''s up?" "Eh, nothing. Just had break from classes, so I thought I''d call you before you leave for the trip." Linda replied. They started talking casually, while Aiden and Cyril just looked at her.


    "It''s your friend Linda, right?" Cyril asked Emily. "Yup, why?" Emily nodded in response. "Say hi to her from me." Cyril smiled. Emily conveyed her message and Linda started screaming, "OH MY GOD! C-CYRIL SAID HI T-TO ME?!" Emily placed the cellphone from away from her ear when Linda screamed. Gosh, she''ll make me deaf, Emily laughed.


    Cyril heard Linda''s voice and chuckled. "How are you Linda? Do you miss me?" He teased her further. Linda heard him, while half stuttering and half screaming she said, "O-oh my g-goodness... I-I''m great! U-uh... Y-yes! I m-miss you so MUCH. AAHH." They all laughed and had a long friendly chat with Linda before she told them that she had to go for class and ended the call.


    Their timing was perfect because the teachers had started to gather the students and get them seated in their buses. Emily, Aiden and Cyril got seated close to each other. Emily sat with Cyril, while Aiden was behind Cyril, near the window with an empty seat to his left. They were the first to be seated in their bus and quietly watched as the rest of the students started to come inside and settle down.


    Among those people, Emily saw Ivy. But as soon as she glanced towards the three of them, Emily quickly looked away and avoided eye contact. She eyed the three of them, finding an empty seat beside Aiden, her eyes lit up and she abandoned Hazel while rushing towards the empty seat and settled down gracefully. Her face filled with glee and triumph. Emily secretly scoffed as she ignored her.


    When they all had settled, the teacher in-charge of their bus came in and gave a long lecture of safety precautions. Everyone was about to fall asleep when the engine suddenly started and so did the cheers and shouts of the students. "Don''t lose your energy till we reach our destination, it''s a four hour long journey!" The teacher smiled brightly and sat down on her seat.


    Ivy grabbed Aiden''s arm in a coquettish manner and said while pouting, "Hey, Aiden! You did not even say hi to me." "Hi." Aiden replied blankly as he kept his eyes outside the bus. Ivy clenched her teeth and tried again, forcing a smile. "You can''t just sit like this for four hours, right? You''ll die of boredom. Let''s talk all the way." "No, thanks. I''m perfectly fine." Aiden responded sternly. Ivy sighed as she gave up. Emily popped her head in between the seats as she asked Aiden and completely ignored Ivy, "Hey, Aiden, let''s try to entertain ourselves on this trip! Hurry and think of something."


    Aiden flashed a toothy smile and replied, "How about we tell jokes and ask some riddles?" "That''s a great idea! How about you start?" Emily replied joyfully.


    Hearing the two of them talk and a total flip in Aiden''s behavior, put Ivy in a shock as she listened to Emily chuckle which felt like thorns piercing her ears. She silently started to think of ways to get rid of Emily and spend time with Aiden, which was totally impossible at the moment but something was better than nothing.


    Their journey was going really smooth and the bus was filled with laughter. Even Hazel had found someone nice to talk to. The only person in a bad mood was Ivy who was sulking beside Aiden, who was busy with Emily and Cyril and completely ignored her.


    Two hours had passed and the noise started to quieten down a bit because they started to get a little tired by talking continuously and sitting in the same position without stretching. Emily yawned and stretched her arms and legs a bit and tilted her head to doze off for a while. It was twelve in the afternoon and it seemed like everybody needed a nap.


    Emily was adjusting her position when Cyril''s low voice rang through her ears, "You can keep your head on my shoulder if you want." He said, grinning. Emily blushed a little, she wanted to refuse but his shoulder looked so comfy. She nodded with her eyes half shut and leaned on his shoulder and went to a slumber. Cyril smiled, placing his head with hers and also dozing off.


    Aiden had been looking at her for a while now and when the two placed their head with each other, an indescribable jealousy rose in his heart. He diverted his attention to the view outside. Moments later, something heavy was placed on his shoulder as he turned to look, he realized Ivy had settled her head on his shoulder. He was enraged. What was she trying to do?!


    "What are you trying to do?" Aiden asked while frowning. "I.. Uh.. I''m taking a little rest." Ivy muttered. "Please keep your head somewhere else, I''ll have a shoulder ache." Aiden said boot-faced and turned away.

 51 A Short Break

    The bus traveled in silence for a long time. The teacher stood up and woke everyone up saying that they''ll be stopping for a quick snack before continuing their journey on a twisty and bumpy road, where the greenery would start and the hills would turn into majestic mountains.


    All of them started to yawn and stretch how ever they could. The bus stopped and everyone started to make their way out of the bus while admiring the slightly chilly weather. Cyril lightly shook Emily, "Hey, sleepy head, wake up!" "Mmmmm..." Emily whined as she shifted herself into a more comfortable position. Cyril smiled shaking his head.


    "Don''t you want to grab something to eat before we start the interesting part of the trip?" Cyril asked. "What?! Food? Let''s go!" Emily quickly stood up and started to run out, "Race to the coffee shop!" Saying that she disappeared into the crowd gathered outside. Cyril smiled at her action and he turned to look at Aiden, who was staring outside grumpily. Ivy, who had been sitting beside him had long left, that is, as soon as the bus had stopped.


    "What''s wrong with you?" He smirked. "Better not ruin this lively mood." Cyril said as he turned around to exit the bus. Now only Aiden was left sitting alone. He cleared his thoughts and joined the rest outside. "You are the last to reach, so now you''ll be giving us a treat! Hahaha!" Emily laughed as Aiden lightly chuckled along with her, taking out his wallet, saying, "Grab whatever you want!"


    Emily''s eyes brightened as she rushed to grab whatever she could reach. "Hey! You don''t necessarily have to grab the entire tuck shop now." Aiden dashed behind her, trying to put some stuff back in the shelves. Cyril laughed as he grabbed his favorite chocolate bar and joined the two of them on the counter.


    "Come on let me keep this one at least! I haven''t had it in a long time." Emily pleaded. Aiden sighed, finally nodding his in approval, "You''re such a kid." Emily crossed her arms on her chest, "Well, I am." Cyril laughed at them bickering and placed his chocolate bar on the counter, "I hope one more item wouldn''t hurt, right?" Aiden waved his hands, "No, no, not at all."


    "Guys I''m going to the restroom. I''ll join you both in the bus after a while." Emily said and fled in the direction of the restrooms.


    Ivy who was behind them heard their conversation. She flashed an evil smile and quietly sneaked in that direction as well. Just as she entered the restroom, she heard a door close. It must be Emily. She located her cubicle and silently slid over the lock.


    Hah, these people have locks outside these cubicles as well. Foolish! Now take that you virago. Ivy thought as she quickly escaped, rushing towards the bus and sitting next to Aiden.


    Back in the restroom cubicle, Emily unlocked the door and pushed it. It did not open. She pushed even harder, but to no avail. She started to panic a little, but quickly calmed down after remembering her father''s words.


    "Never, ever panic in a knotty situation. Take a few deep breaths, calmly analyze the situation, look around and find a solution."


    Back in the bus, the teacher was asking again and again, "Everyone here? Shall we leave now? Not a single person to be left out." "YES!" Everyone screamed excitedly, among them, Ivy screaming the loudest, smiling blissfully. The bus started its engine, until someone shouted. "Wait! Madam, Emily has still not reached yet." It was Aiden as he stood up in a panic. "What? Where is she?" The teacher asked, her expression was gloomy. "She went to the restrooms and said she''ll be here in while, but she hasn''t come yet." Aiden replied.


    "Don''t worry, sit down, no need to get worked up. Let''s wait for a minute or two." The teacher said plainly. Aiden shrank back to his seat, hoping everything was alright. Ivy glanced at him, whose color had been drained from his face. "Ah, why are you so worried about her, she''s lazy and is taking her time. Calm down." Ivy said sweetly. Aiden nodded, calming down, turned his head towards her with a cold look on his face, he said word by word, "She. Is. Not. Lazy."


    Ivy''s face turned grim and she looked away.


    In the restroom, Emily looked around. She thought for a while before an idea struck her. I should have thought of it sooner. She turned over the lid of the toilet and climbed over it until finally jumping into an open, empty cubicle and rushing towards the bus.


    Thankfully the bus had not left yet. She ran as fast as she could and entered the bus, only to be reprimanded by the teacher, "Where had you been? Do you have any manners? If you can''t be an active person then you should not have come in the first place. Camping isn''t for lazy people like you."


    Emily was in utter shock, couldn''t she see her panting for breath? Instead of asking what happened, she started to lecture her. How unfair! Now, Emily did not want to explain either and simply went back to her seat. The teacher scoffed at her rude behavior and ignored her.


    The engine started once again and they were back on the road.

 52 Yosemite National Park

    When Ivy saw her return to the bus, she couldn''t believe it. She escaped so quickly? Looks like she had underestimated her. Oh well, at least she got scolded by the teacher. Now, her heart was in peace. They couldn''t have left Emily here in the first place so this was good enough.


    Aiden moved closer towards Emily and asked with his head in between the seats, "What happened?" Emily scorned at what happened just now and told him the entire story. Cyril listened in shock, while Aiden was really angry. "What the hell? How could someone be so nasty."He said and leaned back into his side, glancing at Ivy. Ivy quickly looked away and pretended that she heard nothing.


    Shit... Did he find out? Ivy thought, depressed.


    "What do you want from her?" Aiden asked in all seriousness. Ivy ignored and looked ahead. "Tell me." Aiden demanded again. Ivy looked at him with a mild surprise. "Are you talking to me?" She asked innocently.


    "Yes."


    "Uhhh... What happened?" She asked again as if she never did anything. Aiden did not persuade her further to answer his question. He simply smiled, a dangerous smile, which concealed his anger and disdain. Ivy shuddered.


    Aiden turned back and spoke to the person sitting behind him, it was Cooper. "Hey, Cooper, do me a favor and switch places with Ivy." What? Ivy stared at him in shock. "But-" She tried to speak but receiving the deathly stare from Aiden, she gulped back her words and obediently switched places with Cooper.


    "I thought you forgot about me, bro. Made new friends, eh? And left you childhood buddy alone. Boohoo!" Cooper pretended to wipe his tears by his sleeve and cry. "Okay, okay, forgive me. I was just caught in some busy matters." Aiden chortled. "Busy matters you say? What could be more important than me?" Cooper raised his eyebrow at Aiden, as he shrugged. Getting no proper response he glanced at the girl in front of him.


    "Ooohhh!!! So you are talking about Emi-" Cooper raised his voice, but as soon as he was about to say Emily''s name, Aiden plunged at him, covering his mouth. "Shh.. Don''t talk rubbish!" Aiden whispered. Emily thought she heard her name and turned to look behind her and saw Aiden covering Cooper''s mouth. Seeing that Ivy was not longer there, her mood enlightened.


    "What''s up with the two of you." She laughed, "I thought I heard my name." "Of course, you did." Cooper mumbled from behind Aiden''s hand, who pressed his hands harder over his mouth. Why can''t this idiot keep his mouth shut, he thought helplessly. "Ahahah... Well... We were just talking about how good at sports you are!" Aiden made something up.


    Cooper rolled his eyes, shoving Aiden''s hands away from his mouth. What a milksop.


    The bus traveled on the straight road and after a while, it started to get curvy and in a zigzag pattern, moreover the plantation started to get denser. They could now see tiny hills, which started to grow in size as they got closer to their destination.


    "We''re almost there everybody!" The teacher announced in excitement. The bus slowed down considerably as they progressed further ahead. Everyone was now excitedly looking out of the windows, praising the natural beauty. They moved on for about fifteen minutes, when suddenly a majestic view appeared in front of them.


    Their eyes widened in shock. It truly was heaven on earth. Mountains could be seen as far as their sight could go. Trees were thickly populated between those peaks. Since it was the mid of October and autumn was on its peak, instead of a lush green color, the entire view was painted in vibrant colors of orange, yellow and red. Only a few patches of evergreen tress were in sight. Looking closely they could spot a waterfall pouring from the corner of a mountain far away.


    "WOAH!!!" All of them exclaimed together in shock. The teacher smiled at their reaction. Now they all started to anxiously wait for the bus to stop, so that they could start putting up their tents. The bus was filled with the chattering of students. As soon as it stopped everyone grabbed their stuff and dashed outside. It was a total chaos and all of them were pushing to get out through the narrow door.


    Emily also grabbed Aiden and Cyril as they ran outside. As soon as she got out, she took in a deep breath, the cool and sweet smell entered her nostrils and gave a calm feeling. She stretched for two whole minutes before grabbing her suitcase and walking with the rest of them towards where they would be staying.


    They all walked for quite some time on the uneven and stony trek. A few girls started to get tired, "Ma''am! How long do we have to walk further?" A few whined, complaining. "Almost there!" She replied. "Here we are!" She said after a while and pointed forwards.


    They were... in the middle of nowhere.

 53 Setting Up The Tents

    "Uhm... What is so special over here?" Some of them asked in confusion. "Well, nothing very specific. Would anyone want to guess what''s special in this place?" The teacher asked, as she looked around the crowd, hoping someone would want to answer. For a moment there was silence, until on hand shot up in the air.


    "Yes, Cyril?" The teacher looked at him with admiration.


    "There are a few things that I''ve noticed. First of them all, which seems the most obvious one, is that, the level of the ground here is comparatively even then the nearby place. The amount of grass and trees is quite less than the surrounding. Which probably means that this place has been used for camping before. Secondly, this place seems quite near to other locations that we''d like to explore later on." Cyril explained what he observed as a matter-of-factly.


    The teacher looked at him in surprise. The only reason that this place was suitable for camping was that it had been used before and she had been ordered to take everyone here. While, about the rest of the things Cyril mentioned, she was totally unaware of these minor details. Se just pretended to know everything and carried on, "Excellent, Cyril! You are totally correct. I''m proud of you."


    Cyril lightly smiled, feeling confident in himself. The rest of the students just stared at him as if they have seen an alien.


    How could he tell all this just by examining it for a few minutes?


    I wonder how it feels like to have a brain that works like this.


    Wow, he''s such a genius!


    They all thought silently. "Alright everyone! Let''s get started by first setting up the tents before we go for exploring a little bit. The rest of the activities will be carried out tomorrow, when all of our batteries would be recharged." Saying this everyone started unpacking the tents they were being handed out. They were big enough for one person only, meaning that they would be by themselves.


    "Take your tents from here, every body." She called out as a few people who just came starting giving out tents and then disappearing back from where they came from. "They are the staff members from the tourism department, which is located at the place from where we left our buses." The teacher informed them. "I hope you all know how to set up your tents, right?" She asked.


    A mix of yes and no response came from the crowd. "Ah, well, those of you who know how to please teach those who don''t. I''ll be heading towards the tourism department for some matters and will be back after an hour or so. Be good and don''t wander around just yet! No fighting and use of gadgets." She said and quickly left the spot.


    "Ah, great! She just left us like that." Emily muttered. Aiden laughed, "We don''t need her anyway. Let''s set up our tents next to each others. Come on, do you know how to?" "Uhm... Kind of. I went through the steps from the internet before coming, but I did not understand a thing." Emily answered shyly, rubbing her head and looking at the neatly folded tents in front of them.


    "It''s okay, no need to fret. Me and Aiden know how to, we''ll teach you again!" Cyril said patting his chest. Emily smiled as they got to work.


    "Okay, first, let''s find a place that is flat and without any sharp objects." Aiden started. "This place, where we are standing now is good enough, so let''s move to the next step."


    Cyril stared to unpack the materials saying, "Let''s separate all these materials first then we''ll start putting up the tent slowly and gradually." Emily carefully looked at the two of them and copied each and every detail not missing out anything. She started to remember what she had seen yesterday on her phone, but, practically doing it was completely different!


    "Okay, then, now that everything is unpacked. Let''s unfold our tents. Let''s face the opening towards east, so that when the sun rises, the light will shine through." Aiden suggested, rubbing his chin and examining their progress. Cyril gave a thumbs up and they adjusted their tents, so that they were facing east.


    "Okay, so our tents also has a ground cloth. We''ll stake that down first right?" Emily asked. "Hahaha! Exactly. But it''s going to be trickier than you think. You have to make sure that the stakes are firmly hammered into the ground. Not too deep and not too lose either." Cyril explained her how to staked down the corners of the tent. Emily closely observed and did the same with a bit of Aiden''s help.


    "So that being done. Now we have to connect the tent poles. These come in sections, and see, if you look closely, they are color coded, so that you don''t connect the wrong part with another." Aiden showed her the poles and they connected it with each other.


    "Now, we have to assemble the frame of the tent. It''ll just be like a puzzle." Aiden said and went ahead to assemble the frame of the tent. Cyril also helped him because it would not only be difficult without any help but also time consuming as well.


    So after a long and tedious work with the tents, they constructed the frame and then attached the waterproof rain fly of the tent with the frame. And finally the three of them had finished setting up their tents.

 54 Exploring The Area

    They high-fived each other and fell flat on the round, sweating. "Wow, that''s a lot of work!" Emily exclaimed, wiping the sweat off her forehead. Aiden nodded in agreement. "Hard works pays off!" He said, smiling, as they looked at the rest of them, many of them were struggling to get their tents set up. "Let''s go and help the rest so that we''ll be finished soon." Cyril said and got up. Aiden agreed as Cyril gave him a and and he stood up.


    "But... Aren''t you guys tired?" Emily hesitated a bit. "We are, but the main purpose of camping is to learn new stuff and get along with each other. So, I think, now is the right moment. It''s okay if we are tired, we will have plenty of time to rest!" Cyril replied. "Hmm... You''re right. Let''s go!" Emily jumped excitedly and went ahead to help her classmates.


    Some of them have also completed to set their tents and also started to help one another. Ivy could not get her tent to stand up at all. Looking at her struggling, Emily bit her lip and went forward, asking, "Do you need some help?" Ivy turned to look at her. Her face stiffened. She did not want to cause a ruckus when everyone was having a good time. "I''m good." She replied while clenching her teeth. Emily rolled her eyes, shrugged and walked away without sparing a glance, "Suit yourself."


    Ivy messed with the poles and could not get anywhere near the final product. Aiden and Cyril were busy helping others and Emily was the only person free and sitting casually on a log watching the rest of them. Gritting her teeth, she had no choice but to call for her help. "Emily!" She slowly called out. Emily heard her and looked at her raising an eyebrow. "I think I''ll need your help." She quickly spat out waiting for her to mock her and refuse to help, but instead, she coolly walked over, grabbed the poles and started explaining her how to set it up.


    Soon enough, the area was filled with brightly colored tents. Emily walked up to Aiden and Cyril who were sitting and leaning against a shady tree, who were greedily chugging down the bottle of water in their hands. Emily shook her head while chuckling, "Who told you to do everything for them?" Aiden stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder, "I have a lot of stamina. Don''t worry about me, we''ll see who runs out of energy first when we would be exploring these days."


    Emily placed her hands on her hips, tilted her head and raised her eyebrows, "So, now you are challenging me?" Aiden shrugged smirking and looked away, "I don''t know."


    "Oh, you are so challenging me. And you should know, if I accept a challenge, I would dare not go against it. In fact, I''d win. For sure!" Emily started walking behind Aiden who was chortling at her reactions. "You better stop boasting! It won''t be good." Aiden turned around, crossing his arms over his chest. "Huh! We''ll see about that." Emily huffed.


    Just then, the teacher came back with someone else walking beside her. "Everyone, look over here! This is Mr. Wilson. He is a professional camper, a hiker and a mountain climber. He will be accompanying you all during our stay. Make sure to welcome him and listen to whatever he says." The teacher said, her eyes sparkling as she occasionally glanced at Wilson, passing a smile and blushing.


    "Ehhh..." Cyril rolled his eyes at the teacher and snorted.


    Wilson indeed was a tall, built man with dark skin. His rough look and well toned muscles definitely made him look like someone professional in this area. "Hello, everyone. I am Wilson and it''s a pleasure to meet you." He greeted in a British accent.


    Cyril''s jaw dropped open, "He''s British?!" He squealed under his breath. Emily and Aiden, too, were taken aback by this revelation. "Wow..." Everyone gasped. Wilson awkwardly rubbed his head and said, "Hahaha... I know, I don''t look like someone from Britain."


    "And I''m Ellen, nice to meet you too." The teacher, whose name turned out to be Ellen, giggled and introduced herself to Wilson. Wilson nodded uncomfortably.


    "Alright, then! We have gotten permission to explore the area!" Wilson turned to the crowd and excitedly announced. They all started cheering and jumping in joy.


    "We will be exploring for about an hour or two, just so that you all know the routes and get used to the surrounding. That''s why, this one time, we will transverse together in a group. After we are done with that, you will be allowed to roam around by yourselves, but on two conditions. One, you will only wander in the area specified to you. Two, that you will have at least one person with you, in case something happens. Clear everyone?" Wilson narrated loud and clear.


    "YES!"


    "Good." Wilson smiled as he started moving towards a dirty track. "Follow me everyone!"


    All of them started shuffling among themselves and followed Wilson. "Make sure to memorize the surroundings and the routes!" Aiden advised Emily and Cyril, while the three of them were treading along the rocky path.

 55 Indescribable Beauty

    The group of college students were quietly walking. No one was speaking. They all were lost in the magnificent beauty of their surrounding. The only sounds that could be heard were of their footsteps. Occasionally, they would hear the sound of someone who stepped on a dry crispy leaf. The birds were chirping and flying around from one tree to another.


    Cool breeze was blowing and the parched leaves rustled among themselves. Tiny streaks of light fluttered through the gaps in the leaves and created a peaceful environment. Blocks of clouds were lazily flying in the sky and moving along with the wind. The sun was warm and shining brightly.


    Emily inhaled the fresh air and let out a long sigh.


    I love it here, it''s so peaceful. We should definitely come here more often. I just wish... Linda was here as well. Walking beside me... Both of us would have been enjoying the view in silence. I... miss her... A lot!


    Emily started thinking about Linda. She was dreamily looking ahead of her. Her expression slightly sorrowful.


    Cyril, who was walking on her right, stole a glance at Emily. Her side profile was really delicate. Her jaw was neatly outlined and her small concave nose was lightly scrunched up, as if she would cry any minute. Her shoulders were drooped, as she stared at her feet and kept on walking.


    "Not enjoying, are you?" Cyril gave a little smile and asked her quietly, brushing his shoulder against hers. Emily sighed and softly chuckled. "That''s not the case, really. It''s just that..." Emily stopped midway, embarrassed to tell him how she felt, thinking that he would laugh at her. "It''s okay, you can tell me. I won''t laugh." Cyril said making a straight face. Emily was somewhat shocked about how he guessed what she was thinking but, couldn''t help but laugh at how he was trying to cheer her up.


    "It''s just that, I really miss Linda. You know she is my best friend and I feel lonely without her. She is busy with her stuff, and I am busy with my own stuff. We would do almost everything together, so I''m feeling forlorn without her by my side." Emily mumbled.


    "Ah... I get it... I understand, and it''s okay to feel this way. I also miss a few people in my life..." Cyril exhaled faintly. "Oh... Everything okay?" Emily turned her face towards him and asked in slight worrying tone.


    "Hmm..." Cyril hummed in a tone which hid his sorrow. He did not want to tell her about his past. He doesn''t want anyone to know about his past. Shrugging those old memories out of his mind, he smiled and subtly slid his hand in hers, interlocking their fingers.


    Emily''s face started to burn and she hastily looked away, acting as if nothing unusual happened. Cyril cracked a smile, his heart beating irregularly.


    Aiden, who was walking a few steps ahead of them, was unaware of the situation behind him as he enjoyed the view, humming a melodic tune under his breath.


    The view was wonderful and they all walked for an hour, until Wilson turned around and announced a little break so that they could rest and then head back to their camping area. All of them found a place to sit and settled down.


    "Alright everyone, since we are here and resting for a bit. Let''s do an activity, which is really essential for you all to know during your stay outdoors. That is, how to start a fire!" Wilson said standing up and approaching them all. He searched the surroundings for a while, gathered a few twigs, dried leaves and a few other items lying here and there to start a fire.


    "Gather round everyone! Just watch and learn. When we head back to the camp, you all will start your own fire after evening. So carefully watch each and every step." Wilson said and started to explain while at the same time describing through his actions.


    Rubbing two dry sticks together over dried grass and leaves, at a 30 degree angle, he was soon enough able to start a tiny flame of fire, which he lightly blew on and inserted more dried material which he had collected. Finally he was able to turn that tiny flame into a big fire around which he placed stones and decorated it a bit.


    All of the students started to laugh and cheer for Wilson who proudly stood up, sweating profusely after all that hard work. "And that''s how you start a fire!"


    They all chatted among themselves for some time, before Ellen and Wilson started to gather them to head back to their camping area. "Everyone here? No one is missing, right?" Ellen and Wilson asked again and again, until they were satisfied and began to make their way back on the same twisty, rocky track.


    Traversing for about another hour, they were back to their camping area. Emily looked at the time on her wristwatch, it was almost five o'' clock and the sun was about to set. Since winters were approaching, the sun would set early.


    It usually snows in November in Yosemite National Park, meaning that snowfall would be starting from next month and the weather these days would be quite cold, especially at night. While the daytime would be nice and cool.

 57 Talking By The Campfire

    The sun was setting and the sky had turned its hue from bright blue to a blend of golden, tangerine orange and a beautiful shade of magenta, paired with the already orange surrounding due to autumn, it felt as if they had arrived to a completely different place. The view had totally changed and they all were mesmerized by the beauty of this park.


    "Wow...!" They all said together in surprise as they entered the opening of the camping area. "This... Is so artistic!" Wilson smiled and nodded in agreement, as if he was the one who created this scene. "Indeed. The beauty of nature!" He stated proudly. "You''ll see a lot more, this is just the beginning!"


    Everyone moved towards their respective tents and went inside to take some rest from all that walking. Their legs had gone numb. Emily unzipped her tent, crawled inside and fell straight onto ground inside. She was too tired to put down a comfortable sleeping bad beneath her or even take a blanket over her. Exhausted from all that travelling and walking she fell asleep the very instant she closed her eyes.


    She did not know for how long she slept but when she opened her eyes, she quickly peeked outside her tent and found that it was totally dark outside and really quiet as well. What time was it? Was it the middle of the night? How long did she sleep? She was hungry and her stomach was growling, she needed to eat dinner, but from where will she find food in the middle of a forest?! Her head started spinning but she heard a voice behind her.


    "Emily!"


    Wait... Was it Aiden? Is he not asleep yet? She turned around and saw Aiden walking towards her.


    "Hey, Emily! Finally you woke up yourself. I was coming to wake you up. Looks like you had a pretty good sleep. Haha!" Aiden started chatted. But Emily was still half asleep and could not process what was going around in her surrounding. Maybe they never went camping in the forst place and it all was a wonderful dream? Still trying to observe the area, she asked Aiden sleepily, "What time is it? Where am I? What is happening?"


    Hearing her ask those questions, Aiden burst out laughing. "Hey! What did I say?" Emily rebuked with her half closed eyes. "Ahahah!" Aiden laughed, drying a tear that escaped his eye. "Ahhh... You only slept for two hours only and right now, we are getting ready to have dinner. Some of the students are still sleeping, but I just came to wake you up so we fan have some fun before we start making something for dinner."


    Hearing his explanation, Emily felt a lot more relieved. So she did not actually wake up in the middle of the night... She crawled out of her tent, stood up and stretched her arms and legs. "Ahhh! It seemed as if I slept for hours. It was quite cosy inside these tents." She said turning towards Aiden and asked, "So... What are we going to eat for dinner? And... Where''s Cyril?"


    Aiden started walking beside Emily towards the place where they will be having their dinner in a while. "Well, I''m not exactly sure what''s for dinner, but I''ve heard from some students that it''s something we''ll cook ourselves. Haha... Cyril is waiting for us, near the campfire around that corner, behind that shed." Aiden said pointing in that direction. "Oh... Something we would cook ourselves... Ugh... Can''t they just give us some decent food without having to do all that hard work?" Emily whined.


    Aiden chortled. "Well, they said they want us to have an experience which is as close to living in the wild by oursleves and stuff like that." He shrugged. "Ah... We are just here for camping, not learning some survival techniques." Emily huffed.


    Turning around the corner, Emily saw lots of students gathered in many groups, talking to each other around tiny campfires. The dark starry night was illuminated by the bright moonlight which engulfed the the top of the mountains and trees in a silver shade. Beneath which groups of orange flames lit up the area. It was a peaceful and pretty sight.


    "Over here. I and Cyril are sitting here." Aiden led her towards Cyril, who was lazily leaning on the log behind him on the ground, beside a bright glowing campfire. "Ay! Look who''s here?" Cyril poked fun at Emily. She rolled her eyes, grinning and sittinf beside him, crossing her legs. "Sleepyhead!" Cyril laughed. Emily lightly punched his elbow, "Am not!"


    The three of them talked for a while. It was a comfortable atmosphere tonight, everyone was laughing and talking with each other. After everyone had gathered in the area, Ellen came out of nowhere with Wilson by his side as she clapped her hands and announced, "Alright, everyone listen up!"


    She said loudly and every body stopped talking and turned their faces towards her. "We all are not here to dilly-dally all along the trip, I have come up with various activities that will keep you busy and happy! So, that is why you all will be cooking your meals yourself. Please take whatever you need from this shed right here and start working."


    Ellen smiled, which seemed a wicked, evil smile to Cyril, Emily and Aiden and she walked away.

 58 Making Ourselves Dinner

    All of the students present started to groan and make their way towards te shed to grab some things they will be needing for making their dinner. Most of them had no idea how and what they would be making. Aiden asked Emily and Cyril, blushing from slight embarrassment, "Uhm... Does any one of you two know how to cook? Because... I''ve... Uh... Never entered the kitchen." Hearing his question Cyril also started rybbing his head awkwardly. "Ohhh... Uhh.. I..." Cyril stuttered, "I think I-uh know a thing or two..."


    "Looks like I''ll have to do most of the cooking." Emily smiled hopelessly. The two of them turned their heads towards her in optimism, "You know how to cook?!" They asked together. "Well... I''m not a that good but I think I''ll be able to pull off something for tonight." Emily replied shrugging.


    Aiden and Cyril hugged each other and started jumping. "YAY! We won''t be starving tonight!" They cheered and laughed. Emily laughed, shaking her head as she walked towards the shed to get some ingredients for making the dinner.


    Looking around the available ingredients, she realized there wasn''t much of a variety. She was thinking of what to make when Ivy pushed her aside, randomly grabbed a few things and stormed off with a huff. Emily wanted to punch her right in her face but she controlled herself, there was a lot she had to do other than punching her.


    Sighing, she started exploring the materials once again, thinking hard.


    "What do you plan on making, Emily?" A girl beside her, who too, was looking around the ingredients, asked in her low, soft voice. She turned to look at the girl and realized it was her class fellow, Willow. "Oh, hey there, Willow." Emily smiled at her. "To be honest, I''m totally blank. I''m not an expert, so I really can''t come up with anything that can be made whatever there is available here."


    Willow smiled, her beautiful amber eyes forming an adorable crescent moon shape. "Don''t worry, I and my friends would gladly help you." Emily''s spirits lifted as she glanced towards Willow with a beaming face, "Really?!"


    "Mhm!"


    Emily jumped in joy as she helped Willow pick out some ingredients and make their way back to their campsite. "My friends are seated just diagnol to yours, it''ll be easy to communicate." Willow said, heading over to Aiden and Cyril.


    "Hey guys, this is Willow, our class fellow. She''s kind enough to help us make out dinner tonight." Emily introduced them to Willow, who put down the things and waved at the two, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Aiden and Cyril!"


    They both greeted back and started unpacking the materials they brought. Willow called her friends over and all of them started talking and preparing dinner. They went along quite well. It turned out that Willow and her friends were truly amazing at cooking and with their help, they all ate a scrumptious meal, made out of the limited ingredients.


    "Ahhh... That was extremely tasty!" Aiden complimented, leaning back onto the log, patting his stomach. "I''m happy you like it!" Willow replied. "Like? We loved it!" Cyril exclaimed. Willow blushed as she and her friends thanked them for the compliments.


    "Let''s play some games before we go to sleep." Penny, one of Willow''s friends, clapped her hands in excitement. "OKAY!" They all agreed.


    "Let''s first play, ''Twenty Questions''!" Willow stated. "I''ll start by picking an object from the surrounding and you have to guess what it is by asking only twenty yes or no questions." Willow explained as she looked around. "Okay, I have chosen my object! Start asking questions!"


    "Is is living?"


    "Yup."


    "Is it cute?"


    "No!"


    "Is it scary?"


    "Nah."


    "Does it know us?"


    "Definitely."


    "Do we know it?"


    "Obviously."


    "Do we like it?"


    "Not at all!"


    "Is it smart?"


    "I don''t think so."


    "Oh! Oh! Oh! I think I know the answer!" Aiden shot his hand up as if they were in their class. Willow chortled, thinking what could he have thought of? "What is the answer then, Aiden?" She asked curiously.


    "Our teacher, Miss Ellen!" Aiden said and started laughing wildly. Willow looked at him in shock. "Oh my goodness! How did you guess?!" She started asking. Hearing that he was right a roar of laughter erupted from their group. Lucious, another friend of Willow, started patting Aiden''s back as he laughed, saying, "I could''ve never guessed that!"


    After everyone had a turn with the game Penny proposed a new game called, ''name that tune''. In which a person had to hum a song and the others had to guess it. "I''ll go over a few songs and see if you can guess them. I''ll start easy." Penny said and started humming a soft melancholic tune. She hummed for a few seconds, then stopped to see if someone had guessed the answer.


    "It seems like I''ve heard this song somewhere, but I''m totally unaware of the name. "Cyril said in a defeated manner. Damien, who was Willow''s third friend, started waving his hands.


    "Ahhh! I know this song! I just listened to it yesterday! It''s ''Spring Day'' by BTS!" He said in a victorious tune.


    "Ahaha! Yesss! You are absolutely right. "Penny gave Damien, who was sitting on her right, a high five. "Ohh..." Cyril nodded his head. "Okay, next one!" Penny said and started to sing another gentle tune. Her lovely voice spread into the surrounding like an angel singing a song.


    When she stopped, Emily had guessed the song and said, "This is ''Back To You'' by Selena Gomez." "Yay! Exactly!" Penny exclaimed.


    Playing a few more rounds, Damien came up with another game to play. "Let''s play ''two truths and a lie''." He said with a smirk plastered on his face.

 56 Talking By The Campfire

    The sun was setting and the sky had turned its hue from bright blue to a blend of golden, tangerine orange and a beautiful shade of magenta, paired with the already orange surrounding due to autumn, it felt as if they had arrived to a completely different place. The view had totally changed and they all were mesmerized by the beauty of this park.


    "Wow...!" They all said together in surprise as they entered the opening of the camping area. "This... Is so artistic!" Wilson smiled and nodded in agreement, as if he was the one who created this scene. "Indeed. The beauty of nature!" He stated proudly. "You''ll see a lot more, this is just the beginning!"


    Everyone moved towards their respective tents and went inside to take some rest from all that walking. Their legs had gone numb. Emily unzipped her tent, crawled inside and fell straight onto ground inside. She was too tired to put down a comfortable sleeping bad beneath her or even take a blanket over her. Exhausted from all that travelling and walking she fell asleep the very instant she closed her eyes.


    She did not know for how long she slept but when she opened her eyes, she quickly peeked outside her tent and found that it was totally dark outside and really quiet as well. What time was it? Was it the middle of the night? How long did she sleep? She was hungry and her stomach was growling, she needed to eat dinner, but from where will she find food in the middle of a forest?! Her head started spinning but she heard a voice behind her.


    "Emily!"


    Wait... Was it Aiden? Is he not asleep yet? She turned around and saw Aiden walking towards her.


    "Hey, Emily! Finally you woke up yourself. I was coming to wake you up. Looks like you had a pretty good sleep. Haha!" Aiden started chatted. But Emily was still half asleep and could not process what was going around in her surrounding. Maybe they never went camping in the forst place and it all was a wonderful dream? Still trying to observe the area, she asked Aiden sleepily, "What time is it? Where am I? What is happening?"


    Hearing her ask those questions, Aiden burst out laughing. "Hey! What did I say?" Emily rebuked with her half closed eyes. "Ahahah!" Aiden laughed, drying a tear that escaped his eye. "Ahhh... You only slept for two hours only and right now, we are getting ready to have dinner. Some of the students are still sleeping, but I just came to wake you up so we fan have some fun before we start making something for dinner."


    Hearing his explanation, Emily felt a lot more relieved. So she did not actually wake up in the middle of the night... She crawled out of her tent, stood up and stretched her arms and legs. "Ahhh! It seemed as if I slept for hours. It was quite cosy inside these tents." She said turning towards Aiden and asked, "So... What are we going to eat for dinner? And... Where''s Cyril?"


    Aiden started walking beside Emily towards the place where they will be having their dinner in a while. "Well, I''m not exactly sure what''s for dinner, but I''ve heard from some students that it''s something we''ll cook ourselves. Haha... Cyril is waiting for us, near the campfire around that corner, behind that shed." Aiden said pointing in that direction. "Oh... Something we would cook ourselves... Ugh... Can''t they just give us some decent food without having to do all that hard work?" Emily whined.


    Aiden chortled. "Well, they said they want us to have an experience which is as close to living in the wild by oursleves and stuff like that." He shrugged. "Ah... We are just here for camping, not learning some survival techniques." Emily huffed.


    Turning around the corner, Emily saw lots of students gathered in many groups, talking to each other around tiny campfires. The dark starry night was illuminated by the bright moonlight which engulfed the the top of the mountains and trees in a silver shade. Beneath which groups of orange flames lit up the area. It was a peaceful and pretty sight.


    "Over here. I and Cyril are sitting here." Aiden led her towards Cyril, who was lazily leaning on the log behind him on the ground, beside a bright glowing campfire. "Ay! Look who''s here?" Cyril poked fun at Emily. She rolled her eyes, grinning and sittinf beside him, crossing her legs. "Sleepyhead!" Cyril laughed. Emily lightly punched his elbow, "Am not!"


    The three of them talked for a while. It was a comfortable atmosphere tonight, everyone was laughing and talking with each other. After everyone had gathered in the area, Ellen came out of nowhere with Wilson by his side as she clapped her hands and announced, "Alright, everyone listen up!"


    She said loudly and every body stopped talking and turned their faces towards her. "We all are not here to dilly-dally all along the trip, I have come up with various activities that will keep you busy and happy! So, that is why you all will be cooking your meals yourself. Please take whatever you need from this shed right here and start working."


    Ellen smiled, which seemed a wicked, evil smile to Cyril, Emily and Aiden and she walked away.

 57 Making Ourselves Dinner

    All of the students present started to groan and make their way towards te shed to grab some things they will be needing for making their dinner. Most of them had no idea how and what they would be making. Aiden asked Emily and Cyril, blushing from slight embarrassment, "Uhm... Does any one of you two know how to cook? Because... I''ve... Uh... Never entered the kitchen." Hearing his question Cyril also started rybbing his head awkwardly. "Ohhh... Uhh.. I..." Cyril stuttered, "I think I-uh know a thing or two..."


    "Looks like I''ll have to do most of the cooking." Emily smiled hopelessly. The two of them turned their heads towards her in optimism, "You know how to cook?!" They asked together. "Well... I''m not a that good but I think I''ll be able to pull off something for tonight." Emily replied shrugging.


    Aiden and Cyril hugged each other and started jumping. "YAY! We won''t be starving tonight!" They cheered and laughed. Emily laughed, shaking her head as she walked towards the shed to get some ingredients for making the dinner.


    Looking around the available ingredients, she realized there wasn''t much of a variety. She was thinking of what to make when Ivy pushed her aside, randomly grabbed a few things and stormed off with a huff. Emily wanted to punch her right in her face but she controlled herself, there was a lot she had to do other than punching her.


    Sighing, she started exploring the materials once again, thinking hard.


    "What do you plan on making, Emily?" A girl beside her, who too, was looking around the ingredients, asked in her low, soft voice. She turned to look at the girl and realized it was her class fellow, Willow. "Oh, hey there, Willow." Emily smiled at her. "To be honest, I''m totally blank. I''m not an expert, so I really can''t come up with anything that can be made whatever there is available here."


    Willow smiled, her beautiful amber eyes forming an adorable crescent moon shape. "Don''t worry, I and my friends would gladly help you." Emily''s spirits lifted as she glanced towards Willow with a beaming face, "Really?!"


    "Mhm!"


    Emily jumped in joy as she helped Willow pick out some ingredients and make their way back to their campsite. "My friends are seated just diagnol to yours, it''ll be easy to communicate." Willow said, heading over to Aiden and Cyril.


    "Hey guys, this is Willow, our class fellow. She''s kind enough to help us make out dinner tonight." Emily introduced them to Willow, who put down the things and waved at the two, smiling. "Nice to meet you, Aiden and Cyril!"


    They both greeted back and started unpacking the materials they brought. Willow called her friends over and all of them started talking and preparing dinner. They went along quite well. It turned out that Willow and her friends were truly amazing at cooking and with their help, they all ate a scrumptious meal, made out of the limited ingredients.


    "Ahhh... That was extremely tasty!" Aiden complimented, leaning back onto the log, patting his stomach. "I''m happy you like it!" Willow replied. "Like? We loved it!" Cyril exclaimed. Willow blushed as she and her friends thanked them for the compliments.


    "Let''s play some games before we go to sleep." Penny, one of Willow''s friends, clapped her hands in excitement. "OKAY!" They all agreed.


    "Let''s first play, ''Twenty Questions''!" Willow stated. "I''ll start by picking an object from the surrounding and you have to guess what it is by asking only twenty yes or no questions." Willow explained as she looked around. "Okay, I have chosen my object! Start asking questions!"


    "Is is living?"


    "Yup."


    "Is it cute?"


    "No!"


    "Is it scary?"


    "Nah."


    "Does it know us?"


    "Definitely."


    "Do we know it?"


    "Obviously."


    "Do we like it?"


    "Not at all!"


    "Is it smart?"


    "I don''t think so."


    "Oh! Oh! Oh! I think I know the answer!" Aiden shot his hand up as if they were in their class. Willow chortled, thinking what could he have thought of? "What is the answer then, Aiden?" She asked curiously.


    "Our teacher, Miss Ellen!" Aiden said and started laughing wildly. Willow looked at him in shock. "Oh my goodness! How did you guess?!" She started asking. Hearing that he was right a roar of laughter erupted from their group. Lucious, another friend of Willow, started patting Aiden''s back as he laughed, saying, "I could''ve never guessed that!"


    After everyone had a turn with the game Penny proposed a new game called, ''name that tune''. In which a person had to hum a song and the others had to guess it. "I''ll go over a few songs and see if you can guess them. I''ll start easy." Penny said and started humming a soft melancholic tune. She hummed for a few seconds, then stopped to see if someone had guessed the answer.


    "It seems like I''ve heard this song somewhere, but I''m totally unaware of the name. "Cyril said in a defeated manner. Damien, who was Willow''s third friend, started waving his hands.


    "Ahhh! I know this song! I just listened to it yesterday! It''s ''Spring Day'' by BTS!" He said in a victorious tune.


    "Ahaha! Yesss! You are absolutely right. "Penny gave Damien, who was sitting on her right, a high five. "Ohh..." Cyril nodded his head. "Okay, next one!" Penny said and started to sing another gentle tune. Her lovely voice spread into the surrounding like an angel singing a song.


    When she stopped, Emily had guessed the song and said, "This is ''Back To You'' by Selena Gomez." "Yay! Exactly!" Penny exclaimed.


    Playing a few more rounds, Damien came up with another game to play. "Let''s play ''truth or dare''." He said with a smirk plastered on his face.

 58 Truth Or Dare

    After Willow heard him, she smirked as well. "Heheh... This game will make the environment even livelier!" She chuckled. Saying this she took out a water bottle from the cooler next to her and gestured everyone to sit in a circle. When everyone had settled down and ready to play Willow excitedly spinned the bottle on the uneven ground.


    The neck of the bottle pointed towards Willow while the bottom of the bottle pointed towards Cyril, who was sitting right in from of her. "Ah! It landed on me." Willow squealed through her smiling face. Cyril smirked, his lips curving upwards into an evil smile as he asked, "Truth or dare?"


    Looking at Cyril''s wicked grin, she knew he was up to no good and that she was trapped. "Uhmm..." Willow thought for a while.


    "Tick tock, tick tock, we haven''t got all night!" Cyril said, still grinning.


    "I chose truth!" Willow said without thinking further beacause she thought either way she would be embarassed, so she just decided to face whatever comes her way.


    "Hehehe..." Cyril tittered. "I have a very interesting question for you..." He said, trying to create a suspenseful atmosphere. "Ahhh... Just say it already!" Penny nudged, unable to wait any longer. "Hmmm... What was I saying right now?" Cyril asked on purpose. "Ayyy! Hurry up before we''re told to go back to sleep!" Emily laughed.


    "Oh, yess! I remember now." He said, looking around at all the nervously agitated faces looking at him for him to reveal his question, which he was hyping up so much. "I was about to ask you... How on earth did you cook such an amazing meal." He finally spat, smiling innocently.


    Willow heaved a sigh of relief, hearing that it was nothing personal, while everyone else groaned and laughed at the same time. Aiden said, hitting his arm, "Oh come on!" Cyril shrugged and was smiling sweetly as if he did not do anything wrong.


    "Seriously?!"


    "I thought we were about to get some tea!"


    "You wasted so much time!" Emily laughed, shaking her head.


    Cyril: ¡¥\\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥


    Just as Willow was about to spin the bottle once again, they heard Ellen clap her hands, "Alright everyone! That should be enough fun for tonight. Let''s all head to bed now so that we can wake up early in the morning."


    "Aw... We were having so much fun." Penny pouted in protest. They all shrugged and started to get up, clean the area and head back to their tents, not far away. "Thanks once again for the amazing dinner. We don''t know what we would do without do guys!" Aiden thanked them sincerely. "Ahah! No problem, it was out pleasure. And tonight was really fun too! Thank you too for giving us company. Let''s get together again soon." Willow and her friends bowed in respect and they all headed back.


    Emily sighed as she finally laid down in her small tent, which was adjacent to Aiden''s and Cyril''s tents. She unzipped the roof of the tent to reveal a starry moonlit night. She subconsiously smiled at the pretty view. Gazing at the stars for a while she hears some whispers.


    "Emily..?! Are you awake?"


    "Uhm... Yeah.. Aiden?" She asked.


    "Of course, who else would it be! Can''t you even distinguish between my voice and Cyril''s?" Aiden whispered even louder, clearly upset.


    Emily softly chuckled, "Oh, sorry. My bad! By the way, aren''t you asleep yet?" She asked. "Mhm. Not yet. I can''t sleep for some reason." Aiden replied. "Oh... No worries, just look at the sky and you''ll feel sleepy too! I was doing that just now." Emily suggested. Then she heard the unzipping of Aiden''s tent.


    "Ooh! The night is really pretty." Aiden stated in surprise. "Haha! I know right?" Emily laughed.


    Then there was silence as the two of them gazed at the starry night. Emily wondered if Cyril was awake too, so she whispered near his tent, "Psst! Cyril? You there, awake?" There came no response, he must be asleep. She heard Aiden say, "He''s a heavy sleeper, if you did not know." Emily smiled.


    They know each other so well... What caused them to end their friendship?


    "Goodnight, Aiden." She whispered again, shifting into a more comfortable position.


    "Goodnight, Emily." Aiden replied, zipping the tent back.


    ~The Next Morning~


    The teacher, that is, Ellen, wakes them all up six in the morning. They grunt in protest and make excuses to sleep just a little more but the sound of Ellen banging the cooking utensils and marching around the camping area was piercing through their ears and they had to wake up in the end.


    Crawling out of their tents, they were greeted by the gentle, cool breeze. The sun was still rising and half of the sky was illuminated by the sunlight while the other half of the sky in the west was still dark to some extent. The birds were chirping even nosily in the trees above them. The half moon was still visible in the sky along with some other brightly shining stars.


    Ellen tells everyone to make their own breakfast too. So, with the help of Willow and her friends, Emily, Aiden and Cyril have a wonderful breakfast, just as amazing as they had the night before.


    Wilson gives all the students present, who were sleepily eating their unususal breakfast, long instructions before letting them explore the area and do whatever they want the rest of the whole day.

 59 Dont Want To Talk About The Pas

    After the group of three was done with their breakfast, they headed back to their tents so that they could change and explore around.


    "Hey, are you guys done changing? I''ve been waiting for like fifteen minutes!" Emily protested outside the changing cubicles. "Almost done!" Aiden replied, unlocking the cubicle and coming out. "Okay, now what about you Cyril?" Emily now turned towards his cubicle and started banging on the door. "What are you even doing in there?!" She said in exasperation.


    "I... I''m doing my makeup! Don''t disturb me like that or you''ll ruin it. I still have to style my hair and also paint my nails. And then put on some dazzling accessories." Cyril replied from inside. Emily huffed in annoyanace but then burst out laughing.


    The door unlocks and a clean, fresh Cyril comes out, smiling from ear to ear. Emily punched his back saying, "Joker." Cyril tried to rub his back and pretended to cry, "Ow..! Emily hit me. Boohoo!" Emily rolled her eyes and said, "Just hurry up! We have a lot of exploring to do." She said and started jogging towards the trail leading into the forest.


    "Okay, where shall be go first." Aiden said, taking out a map from his backpack. Emily leans in to get a btter view of the map and saying, "Hmm... We are here right?" She pointed in the corner of the map. Aiden nodded and continues to look around the map. "Where do you want us to go?" Cyril asks. Aiden finally puts the map back inside his backpack and answers his question.


    "Yesterday, we went towards the far west of the park, so today let''s go and explore the north west of the park. The map even shows a majestic waterfall in that area!"


    Emily claps excitedly in agreement, "Then let''s go!"


    So then, the group of three left the campsite around 10 in the morning and walked along the bumpy path for almost an hour. The sun was shining gently over the dense yellow trees and the wind was no longer blowing. Blocks of clouds were floating above them and it was quiter than usual.


    They did not talk much during this journey because the were busy enjoying the view of the forest around them. Emily broke the ice, trying to start a conversation by saying, "So... I was just thinking about Linda, and I came to realize that we''ve been friends for more than a decade! We were first neighbours, and then we met each other in school the next day. That''s when we started to talk to each more often and travel back and forth the school together. Slowly and gradually, our friendship started to deepen and we became best friends."


    Emily told them her story as she gazed in front of her feeling nostalgic. The two of them listened intently. Emily then turned towards them and asked, "And... The two of you had actually known each other for quite some time, right? So, how did you meet each other?"


    Hearing her question, Cyril''s experssion turned mildly pale as flashbacks from his childhood swept past his eyes. He took in a deep breath and glanced at Aiden from the corner of his eye. His expression was also complicated and hard to read. Emily noticed the tension and inquired cautiously, "Is... Everything alright?"


    Aiden realized that the atmosphere was a little tense and chuckled softly. "Ahah... Of course everything is okay! It''s just that..." Aiden paused for a second, thinking whether or not to tell her about his bitter past.


    Oh well... I think there won''t be a problem. She''s my close friend. I don''t see a reason to hide anything from her. Aiden thought, and opened his mouth to tell her about their past.


    "Well... You know, we are famous in college for being rivals and all... But that''s not exactly how things started. We used to be friends in school but..."


    Aiden paused yet again. Emily faced Aiden, trying to read his expression. It was clearly filled with sorrow. She said, "Aiden... Something is not alright. If you don''t feel like telling anything, I am totally okay with it! Seriously." Aiden shook his head, "I-uh... Don''t know..."


    Emily smiled sympathetically, placing her hand on his shoulder, "It''s okay. No need to stress yourself out over this topic. Let''s talk about it some other time." Aiden also smiled in response and nodded.


    They, however, did not notice that Cyril''s eyes had turned misty as he forced his tears not to escape. He took in a really deep breath and sighed loudly. Emily looked at him, "Uhm... You okay as well, Cyril?" She asked.


    Cyril forced a smile and nodded his head energetically. "Of course! Everything has never been better. Let''s go and race down this track." He pointed in front of him. A narrow trail, which was sloping downwards, at not a very large angle. Emily and Aiden pumped their fists in the air and shouted, "Let''s GO!"


    The group of three raced down the path, until they could run no more. Cyril and Aiden being better atheletes, were ahead of Emily by a small extent. Emily huffed from behind, "Hey! That''s unfair!"


    The duo laughed and continued running. Since the path was bumpy and uneven, it was difficult to run and Aiden pushed himself a bit more. As he was on the same pace as Cyril, he wanted to get just a step further.


    They ran for a few seconds before they started to slow down. Aiden suddenly lost his balance and tripped on a rock letting out a scream as he fell forward.

 60 Sprained Ankle

    Thankfully for Aiden, he did not fall flat on his face or else his face could have been badly scratched. Instead, he stretched out his arms in front of him and yelled in pain.


    Emily and Cyril immediately turned around and rushed towards him. "Aiden! Are you okay?" Emily called out, kneeling in front of him. Aiden gave a faintest nod, but, the color from his face was completely drained. He pulled his left leg in front of him, clutching the ankle tightly.


    Cyril looked at him in grief and pain in his eyes. "He''s gotten a sprained ankle." He said. Emily''s eyes widened as she looked at Cyril in fear, "W-what to do n-now?" She asked.


    Cyril rolled up his sleeves as he grabbed Aiden''s ankle. "I just got to fix it." He said calmly. "I''m warning you, it''s going to be painful." He did not even complete his sentence when Emily heard another loud, piercing scream from Aiden. As Cyril had quickly twisted back his ankle in its right position.


    Emily watched the painful scene unfold with her brows furrowed. "Ow..." She mumbled. Cyril started massaging his ankle quickly as he said, "You shouldn''t have tried to run faster, knowing that the trail is uneven and rocky." But Aiden paid no attention to his words as he was clenching his teeth and bearing with the pain.


    After a few more minutes of massaging Aiden''s ankle, Cyril finally let go and carefully placed his leg on the soft backpack. "Let it rest for a few minutes and you''ll be fine." Cyril said and sat beside a tree, leaning on the trunk.


    The color of Aiden''s face was quite better than what it was the last few seconds. Emily sighed and sat next to Aiden. "Well... We could wait for a few minutes, take some rest and then carry on with out exploration." Emily said, opening her backpack and pulling out a small thermos, which was filled with fresh cool water.


    "Uhm... Give me some too, if you don''t mind." Aiden asked Emily in a soft tone. Emily smiled at him saying, "Of course not! Here you go." She said while passing the small cup towards Aiden.


    "Do you want some too, Cyril?" Emily looked towards him, who was sitting a bit further away from the two of them. Cyril shook his head as he continued to inspect the map opened in front of him in his hands. His mood seemed to bit off. Better not to disturb him... Emily thought and took the cup from Aiden, placing it back on the thermos.


    ~Back in the campsite~


    "Hurry up, Hazel! Everyone has almost left!" Ivy hissed at Hazel who was quickly applying a thick layer of make-up on her face. "Almost done, almost done!" She squealed meekly. Ivy rollef her eyes in agitation as she continued scolding her, "Who told you to be born ugly? Can''t even show your face without make-up. Pfft."


    Hearing those words, Hazel felt as if a dagger had been stabbed into her back. In reality, she wasn''t ugly at all. She just had average looks and when she would use make-up she would look prettier than before. That is the reason why she would always use make-up where ever she went, it boosted her confidence. She got so used to make-up that she felt incomfortable going anywhere without make-up. Criticizing about her looks was her biggest insecurity.


    Hazel bit her lip as she pushed back her tears, controlling herself not to be weak and start crying. She closed the hand mirror and stuffed it back into her bag, turning towards Ivy she said with a straight face, "Okay, let''s go."


    "Watch your attitude." Ivy snapped before turning around and exiting the campsite with Hazel a walking behing her.


    Hazel was shaking with all that anger building up inside her, but she could not say anything. She could never say anything to Ivy. Whenever she gained the confidence to stand up for herself, she would instantly lose it the second she would come face to face with Ivy.


    Her arrogantly over bearing personality made it difficult for most the the socially awkward and introverted people to stand against her.


    Hazel did not know how she became friends with Ivy. It was unusual and a weird story how they managed to become so-called friends and even surprisingly, how did Hazel manage to follow Ivy around for almost three years, bearing with her attitude.


    Since they weren''t talking, Hazel drifted into her old memories.


    She met Ivy in their first year at college. Everyone was new and it was different to be in another surrounding. Everyone started to make new friends and hanging out with each other. At that time, Ivy''s confident personality and pretty looks was quite appealing to Hazel. She thought it might be good to be friends with her. So she started reaching out to her.


    Helping her, talking with her often, hanging out whenever Ivy would be alone.


    Ivy also liked Hazel, someone who would follow her, willing to help her and give her company. She used this oppurtunity and began to show her real personality. The personality which our close friends know about us.


    Hazel then came to know the real Ivy as time went by. An arrogant, proud and mean girl, who is always ready to bully others.


    By that time, Hazel did not have the heart to leave her and end their friendship. They had been friends for a few months now and she did not want Ivy to think badly of her, as someone who doesn''t care and value their ''friends''. Unable to put herself first, she put Ivy''s feelings first and did not end friendship with her until this day.

 61 Argument Between Ivy And Hazel

    As time flew by, Hazel also gained some of the aspects of Ivy''s personality. She then did not think that being friends with her was that bad. She was okay with her, until she would start attacking her insecurities and speak lowly about her. Only those were a few things about Ivy that Hazel absolutely hated...


    But again, her hidden, true personality was unable to stand up for herself. She just followed Ivy around, bullying and venting off her anger at others - just like Ivy.


    Hazel was snapped out of her daydreams when she heard Ivy yelling at her. "Are you deaf?! What''s gotten into you today?" Ivy frowned. "I-uh... I''m not feeling very well." Hazel made up a lame excuse. Ivy''s stiff expression loosened up. "Have you taken any medicine?" She asked without any emotions written on her face. Hazel forced a smile as she replied, "Yeah, yeah, I have. I''m good. Anyways, what were you saying to me?"


    Ivy nodded hearing she had taken her medicine and continued talking. "This trip is really not going how I wanted it to go! I mean, I intended to spend some time with Aiden... But only if that Emily gives me a chance! Why is she being so possessive about him. Ugh!!!"


    Ivy stomped on the dry leaves in front of her and then gave a kick. Some leaves flew in air along with the dust, while some of the leaves were carried away by the wind, the rest fluttered back on the ground.


    Hazel quietly followed behind her, not saying a word.


    "I mean... I know Aiden diesn''t like me... But... He at least needs to give me a chance! How could he turn me down like that... Without even thinking twice? Am I really that awful?" Ivy kept on mumbling.


    Hazel snorted lightly, so that Ivy couldn''t hear her. ''Isn''t that obvious?'' She thought helplessly. The duo kept on walking in some random direction, not talking to each other, except that, Ivy was still ranting about Aiden.


    "I wanted to ask Aiden if he''d like to go and walk around with me... But he just left and I never knew!" Ivy suddenly stopped and abruptly turned around, towards Hazel. She pointed her finger right on her face, her finger barely touching her nose. She looked so angry... So angry that her hand was trembling.


    "YOU!" She yelled. Hazel''s pupils shrank. "Me..?" She whispered quietly. "Yes. You! It''s all because of you!" Ivy bellowed.


    Hazel was not understanding anything that was happening. She did not know where she had gone wrong. Her mouth was agape in shock. ''She was fine just a few seconds ago!'' She thought.


    "If you wouldn''t have stopped me from going outside I would have asked him! If you wouldn''t have told me to wait for you just because you were applying that damned make-up on her face for so long, I could''ve made a move! But no! You just want to ruin everything for me." Ivy shouted, her chest heaving up and down in rage. "You made me wait on purpose! Do you not want to see me happy? Is my happiness that unpleasant to you?!"


    Hazel was so shocked... She forgot how to react. She shook her head in disbelief. Her nose scrunching as tears escaped her eyes. She did not know how she mustered up the courage to speak up, as she yelled back at her.


    "If you have a problem with me that much why on earth do you still keep me by your side? Why?! Because no one else would bear with you personality? Or because you have no other friends? I am not your dog, who you expect to stay by your side forever. If I just had the confidence, I would have left you the moment I saw through you!"


    Giving Ivy a piece of her mind, she stormed off back in the direction they came from, towards the campsite.


    Ivy stood there in surprise, Hazel''s words hit her like a thunderbolt. She totally forgot why she was angry in the first place as Hazel''s words spun around in her mind.


    Firstly, she was shocked because she had never imagined Hazel would speak up to her. Knowing her for almost three years, Ivy knew that Hazel did not have the personality to talk against her friends, that is, Ivy. Secondly, her mind froze as she thought about what Hazel just said.


    ''Sh-she... Would have l-left the moment she saw r-right through me?'' Ivy recalled her words. Each and every word Hazel uttered banged her again and again on her head like a million hammers. She lost all her strength and fell on her knees. Cupping her head in her hands, she started sobbing uncontrollably.


    ~Back where Emily, Aiden and Cyril were resting~


    It had been almost an hour since they had been sitting in the shade of the huge tree, which was only branches as all its leaved had fallen off. "Is your ankle okay now? Can you walk?" Emily asked Aiden, who was trying to stand up without applying any pressure on his ankle. "I-uh think so." He said, still doubtful at what he said.


    Emily also stood up, helping Aiden keep his balance on one foot. "We could wait a little longer, no need to be in a rush. We''ve still got all day." Emily tried to persuade him to take a rest.


    "Oh, so now you have all day for him, and not for me when I was changing?" Cyril said, grinning. Emily stuck out her tongue at him and the they laughed.


    "Okay then... Here goes..." Aiden said as he moved his foot to stand on both of his feet.

 62 An Evergreen Fores

    Aiden clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly as he pressed his foot which had a sprained ankle to stand firmly on the ground with both feet.


    When his injured foot touched the ground, it did not hurt at all. Aiden sighed in relief. "Does it hurt?" Emily asked. "Nope! I think it''s fine now." Aiden replied with a smile on his face. "Let''s continue exploring!" He said with determination.


    Cyril stood up from his place and stretched as he instructed Aiden, "And please, do NOT run like that again! Don''t even think about running." Aiden smirked as he replied, "Why are you so concerned about me?"


    Cyril stopped stretching his arms and legs, he turned around and faced Aiden, with a serious expression, he said, "Because... I can not give you fix your ankles and give massages all the time!" Aiden huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, cracking a smile. Emily and Cyril were laughing their heads off.


    "Alright whatever! Let''s keep moving." Aiden said while wearing his backpack and setting off on the rocky trail. When Emily and Cyril were done laughing they caught upto Aiden and started walking alongside him.


    "So, where are we going now, Cyril?" Emily asked him. "Me? You''re asking me?" Cyril asked with a bewildered expression. "Well, technically, you were the one who had his nose glued to the map for the past hour!" Aiden chimed in.


    "Hey! I was just looking at all the possible routes around this place. Didn''t we say we''re going to see the waterfall?" Cyril asked raising an eyebrow. "Ohh! I totally forgot about that! How far is it now?" Emily asked. Cyril thought for a while before speaking, "If my calculations are correct then we should reach there in almost an hour." Cyril said coolly.


    "An hour?!" Emily squeaked. "Ah... That''s too much..."


    "I''m pretty sure it''ll be worth it!" Aiden said, trying to cheer her up. Emily nodded enthusiastically.


    The trio walked for about half an hour before they decided to take a rest and have a snack, then continue their journey once they are refreshed. It was half past twelve and the sun was blazing on top of them. Even though they were in the middle of the autumn season, you could not deny the fact that the heat from the sun in the afternoon would be as strong as if it was the middle of the summer.


    Most of the leaves had fallen down and a few dried up leaves remained, which were yet to fall. The rays of sunshine were directly shining on them and they felt really hot, and when they started to sweat, the decided to take a break and rest. Finding an evergreen tree among the naked trees, they settled down and gulped down the water they had brought with them.


    "Looks like we have to wait until the sun goes down a bit so we can continue trekking." Aiden said and Cyril nodded his head as he replied, "No doubt about that. According to the map there are a few areas of everygreen trees around the waterfall. So that should be a great shelter for us as long as the sun is still shining."


    Emily took out the map from her bag and studied it. Behind the water fall, no, not behind, way behind, far away, from the waterfall, there started the boundary of an evergreen bushy forest that continued until the end of the map, probably expanding even further than they could imagine.


    "Wow... There is even a green forest here?!" Emily exclaimed as she looked at the map with interest and wide open eyes. Cyril walked over to her and sat beside her. He pointed to a scale in the bottom left corner of the map, saying, "This is the scale of the map. According to it, 1 cm is approximately 1 km. And the forest over here, which you''re talking about, is approximately 5 cm away from the waterfall. That means..." Cyril explained while pointing on different locations on the map.


    "That means, it''s about 5 km away from the waterfall?!" Emily gasped as she completed Cyril''s sentence. "Woah... It really is far away." She said. Cyril nodded, "Mhm. Exactly. Moreover, since it''s isolated from human reach, who knows what type of dangerous beasts and wild animals live there!"


    "Ohhh..." Emily nodded.


    Aiden who was sitting in front of them, said with a solemn expression, "That''s why it''s best to just explore the waterfall and go back to the campsite." "Why? Are you afraid?" Cyril sniggered. Aiden furrowed his eyebrows as he replied, "Of course not. It''s best to be safe than sorry." Cyril chuckled, "Okay, okay, no need to be angry!"


    "Speaking of campsite..." Cyril continued. "I''m getting hungry, we''ve only chugged water since we started trekking. Do we have anything to eat?"


    "I have some stuff we can eat with me in my bag. Hopefully that should be enough for the three of us." Emily said while she rummaged around her backpack, taking out a few small boxes with food in them. "I also brought some as well, but it won''t be enough. We''ll eat that later then." Aiden said, zipping his bag back.


    They then ate the food Emily had with her. It didn''t satisfy their hunger but at least they weren''t hungry anymore.


    "Hurry up, guys. We still have half an hour of walking left." Emily said, putting the empty boxes back inside her backpack. "You''re right, we don''t have much time. I can see a rainfall coming." Aiden said while looking up into the sky.


    Lumps of black clouds, far away from their location, were steadily moving towards them with the light wind that was blowing.


    They quickened up their pace and left in the direction of the waterfall.

 62 The Evergreen Fores

    Aiden clenched his teeth and closed his eyes tightly as he pressed his foot which had a sprained ankle to stand firmly on the ground with both feet.


    When his injured foot touched the ground, it did not hurt at all. Aiden sighed in relief. "Does it hurt?" Emily asked. "Nope! I think it''s fine now." Aiden replied with a smile on his face. "Let''s continue exploring!" He said with determination.


    Cyril stood up from his place and stretched as he instructed Aiden, "And please, do NOT run like that again! Don''t even think about running." Aiden smirked as he replied, "Why are you so concerned about me?"


    Cyril stopped stretching his arms and legs, he turned around and faced Aiden, with a serious expression, he said, "Because... I can not give you fix your ankles and give massages all the time!" Aiden huffed as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked away, cracking a smile. Emily and Cyril were laughing their heads off.


    "Alright whatever! Let''s keep moving." Aiden said while wearing his backpack and setting off on the rocky trail. When Emily and Cyril were done laughing they caught upto Aiden and started walking alongside him.


    "So, where are we going now, Cyril?" Emily asked him. "Me? You''re asking me?" Cyril asked with a bewildered expression. "Well, technically, you were the one who had his nose glued to the map for the past hour!" Aiden chimed in.


    "Hey! I was just looking at all the possible routes around this place. Didn''t we say we''re going to see the waterfall?" Cyril asked raising an eyebrow. "Ohh! I totally forgot about that! How far is it now?" Emily asked. Cyril thought for a while before speaking, "If my calculations are correct then we should reach there in almost an hour." Cyril said coolly.


    "An hour?!" Emily squeaked. "Ah... That''s too much..."


    "I''m pretty sure it''ll be worth it!" Aiden said, trying to cheer her up. Emily nodded enthusiastically.


    The trio walked for about half an hour before they decided to take a rest and have a snack, then continue their journey once they are refreshed. It was half past twelve and the sun was blazing on top of them. Even though they were in the middle of the autumn season, you could not deny the fact that the heat from the sun in the afternoon would be as strong as if it was the middle of the summer.


    Most of the leaves had fallen down and a few dried up leaves remained, which were yet to fall. The rays of sunshine were directly shining on them and they felt really hot, and when they started to sweat, the decided to take a break and rest. Finding an evergreen tree among the naked trees, they settled down and gulped down the water they had brought with them.


    "Looks like we have to wait until the sun goes down a bit so we can continue trekking." Aiden said and Cyril nodded his head as he replied, "No doubt about that. According to the map there are a few areas of everygreen trees around the waterfall. So that should be a great shelter for us as long as the sun is still shining."


    Emily took out the map from her bag and studied it. Behind the water fall, no, not behind, way behind, far away, from the waterfall, there started the boundary of an evergreen bushy forest that continued until the end of the map, probably expanding even further than they could imagine.


    "Wow... There is even a green forest here?!" Emily exclaimed as she looked at the map with interest and wide open eyes. Cyril walked over to her and sat beside her. He pointed to a scale in the bottom left corner of the map, saying, "This is the scale of the map. According to it, 1 cm is approximately 1 km. And the forest over here, which you''re talking about, is approximately 5 cm away from the waterfall. That means..." Cyril explained while pointing on different locations on the map.


    "That means, it''s about 5 km away from the waterfall?!" Emily gasped as she completed Cyril''s sentence. "Woah... It really is far away." She said. Cyril nodded, "Mhm. Exactly. Moreover, since it''s isolated from human reach, who knows what type of dangerous beasts and wild animals live there!"


    "Ohhh..." Emily nodded.


    Aiden who was sitting in front of them, said with a solemn expression, "That''s why it''s best to just explore the waterfall and go back to the campsite." "Why? Are you afraid?" Cyril sniggered. Aiden furrowed his eyebrows as he replied, "Of course not. It''s best to be safe than sorry." Cyril chuckled, "Okay, okay, no need to be angry!"


    "Speaking of campsite..." Cyril continued. "I''m getting hungry, we''ve only chugged water since we started trekking. Do we have anything to eat?"


    "I have some stuff we can eat with me in my bag. Hopefully that should be enough for the three of us." Emily said while she rummaged around her backpack, taking out a few small boxes with food in them. "I also brought some as well, but it won''t be enough. We''ll eat that later then." Aiden said, zipping his bag back.


    They then ate the food Emily had with her. It didn''t satisfy their hunger but at least they weren''t hungry anymore.


    "Hurry up, guys. We still have half an hour of walking left." Emily said, putting the empty boxes back inside her backpack. "You''re right, we don''t have much time. I can see a rainfall coming." Aiden said while looking up into the sky.


    Lumps of black clouds, far away from their location, were steadily moving towards them with the light wind that was blowing.


    They quickened up their pace and left in the direction of the waterfall.

 63 The Majestic Waterfall

    Finally, they reached near the loaction of the waterfall. "Almost there. We would spot it any second now!" Cyril excitedly stated.


    They were now walking in an open area, surrounded by tall mountains. Above their peaks, vultures were soaring in the sky. In between the yellow green grass that spread across the land, colorful flowers were blooming.


    Purple balloon flowers, white snakeroot, celosias of orange, yellow and red colors, michaelmas daisies in shades in purple and blue, yellow golden rod and bright pink chrysanthemums were planted everywhere their eyes would land.


    The scene was like it was taken out of a fairytale.


    "There!" Emily yelled in surprise as she pointed towards their right, where a majestic waterfall was pouring down in a small stream. It was not very big, just a small waterfall, with water falling from a source on the top of the mountain all the way down and into the stream. It was still further away from them, unable to contain their excitement, they rushed towards the waterfall at full speed.


    Almost near the waterfall, Emily looked at Cyril, who was beside her running at full spead. She then turned towards Aiden... He wasn''t there!


    Emily stopped in her tracks and looked behind her, Aiden''s small figure was calmly walking towards them. ''Oh... I forgot... Aiden just recovered from a sprained ankle. He would''ve hurt himself if he ran with us!'' Emily thought and ran back towards Aiden.


    "Ay..?! Why did you come back? I was slowly coming. Haha." Aiden laughed at Emily who was out of breath after all that running. "Huff... I can''t leave you behind... Huff... Now can I? Huff..." Emily then stood up straight when she was done panting and smiled at him. She then started walking alongside him with a steady pace.


    Cyril, however, who was still running, did not notice that Emily and Aiden were way behind. When he was a few feet away from the roaring water falling down the waterfall, he turned around and saw none of the two behind him. Except their figures as small as dots, walking towards him. Cyril smacked his forehead in the sudden realization that Aiden''s ankle was still sore from the sprain.


    He chose a shady spot beside the waterfall and took a rest as he waited from them to slowly arrive. When the two reached a bit closer, their faces now visible, he saw Emily waving her hands in the air and mouthing something. He couldn''t understand what she was trying to say because of the waterfall gushing down the stream behind him.


    He shouted back, "What?!" Emily was still saying something but he could not hear it. He, too, gave up to try to communicate in this noise and simply waited for them.


    In almost a minute or two, they had finally reached in front of him. "Couldn''t you hear me?" Emily aksed tilting her head in confusion. "Can''t you hear the water falling behinf us?" Cyril asked back. "Oh, well, yeah... I did not think about it back then." Emily shrugged as the she and Aiden sat in front of him, in the shade of a green, bushy tree.


    "So, I was trying to tell you that if you have some food with you, you should take it out and lay it down on a picnic mat you stuffed in your bag this morning!" Emily said, taking out the remaining few boxes of food they had from her and Aiden''s bag.


    "Oh..!" Cyril said while he helped her lay down the picnic mat and place the boxes of food on top of it.


    "Uhm... I think we should save some of it for our journey back. We have a long way to cover and we would need some food then too." Aiden stated as he put two big boxes of food back inside his back.


    "Bro... Even this food we have, right in front of us won''e even last an hour in out stomach... How are we supposed to eat so less when we''re so hungry?" Cyril whined as he complained about the lack of food.


    "We sould have packed some more, but, come one guys! We''re here for camping and ''surviving in the wild'' as Sir Wilson and Miss Ellen told us the other day." Emily replied in a mocking tone as the other two chortled at her making fun of the teachers'' words.


    Enjoying the only mouthfuls of food they decided to eat, they closed the plastic container back into their bags. Carefully folding the picnic mat, they put their belongings beside a tree and trod towards the waterfall.


    Standing right in front of the magnificent waterfall, Emily was spellbound by its beauty. The water was gushing down into the stream and forming a misty cloud above the surface of the stream. Light spray of the cold water was pouring on them by the waterfall. They could only hear the water falling, and nothing else.


    The leaves that were rustling, the birds that were chirping, and the wind that was blowing, everything was inaudible, just the sound of the slpahing of water was reaching their ears. Although loud, but still like a piece of music, satisfying to the ears.


    For a moment they stood still and watched the water fall and travel downwards into the stream. "Now what?" Aiden asked. "Are we supposed to swim?" He asked laughing. "Well, we can''t swim, we might catch a cold, but, at least we can do this!" Emily said as she cupped a handful of water and slpashed it on to both, Aiden and Cyril.


    "Oh, ho ho... You''re so looking for trouble!" Aiden and Cyril said together and started splashing water on Emily as well.

 64 Water Figh

    Emily squeaked as the cold water touched her skin and soaked a small part of her clothes. "Ahhh! It''s so cold!" She said and started running away from them. Aiden and Cyril started running after her, trying to cup water in their hands and throwing it on her. Since they were running, hardly any water reached Emily.


    Emily, too, whenever she got the chance, would throw water on the two of them and then escape from the scene. Soon enough the three of them were half drenched in water when they finally decided to stop splashing water so that they would not become sick.


    Starting with a small water fight, they then started running after each other and played catch.


    When they had drained their energy, they finally sat down and breathed heavily in order to catch their breaths. They were really exhausted. Plus, they did not even know what time it was as they were so busy playing, they forgot to keep track of time.


    "What time is it?" Cyril asked in between his deep breathing, covered in sweat. "Dunno." Aiden shrugged, leaning back against they trunk of the tree and closing his eyes. "Wait... I think I have a wrist watch here some where..." Emily said and started searching her backpack for the watch.


    When she managed to find it and took it out, she was surprised to see the time it was showing. "It''s half past four!" She declared the time as Aiden and Cyril exchanged surprised glances. "It''s getting late, we should start heading back now. It''ll be dark by the time we reach the campsite." Aiden said, standing up and gathering their stuff.


    "Alright, wait a second." Emily said and flashed a cheeky smile while she searched her bag for something. Cyril raised an eyebrow as he curiously lookd at her.


    When Emily grabbed the thing she was searching for, her smile widened. She took out a ploaroid camera from her bag. One fancy polaroid camera indeed.


    "Let''s take a selfie, shall we?" She stood up and gathered the two behind her, making sure that when she took the picture, the waterfall would also be included.


    "3.. 2.. 1.. Say cheese!" Emily counted down and as soon as she said cheese, everyone striked a pose and the polaroid flashed brightly. Moments later, a freshly printed picture sliding out through the polaroid.


    Quickly grabbing the picture, Emily announced, "Another one!" And they all changed their pose, the polaroid flashing brightly again. Another picture slid through the hole. Emily got hold of the picture and declared once again, "Last one!" She laughed and they all changed their pose for the third time, laughing out loud as the polaroid flashed one last time, blurring their vision.


    "Ow..." Aiden whined, rubbing his eyes. "That''s really bright!"


    "It''s totally worth it!" Emily chuckled as she caught the third picture sliding down smoothly like butter. Waving the three pictures she captured, the image slowly formed and the three of them appeared. She smiled at the pictures in her hand.


    The trio was smiling without any care of the world, posing a peace sign or making rabbit ears behind each others heads, they looked really cheerful. She handed one picture to Aiden and one to Cyril, saying, "Here you go!"


    "Aren''t you going to keep all of them?" Cyril asked, gazing at the clear picture held in his hands. "Duh! That''s why I took three, for each one of us." Emily replied.


    "Oh... Thanks, sis." Cyril laughed. Emily laughed and threw a punch at his arm as she pouted, "Hey, are you ''sis-zoning'' me?" Cyril averted his gaze and looked at her from the corner of his eyes and smirked.


    Emily gulped internally. "Oh... You want to be something else?" He snickered. Emily started to chase him and Cyril immediately took off when he saw Emily charging at him. "Ay! Why are you running after me? What did I even say?"


    Emily laughed and kept on chasing him until Aiden called out to them, "Guys, I think we should get oing or we won''t make it in time."


    Emily immediately stopped and so did Cyril. They both quickly walked back towards Aiden and wore their backpacks, ready to leave. Taking a last quick glance of the beautiful scenery behind her, Emily, Aiden and Cyril started trekking back towards the campsite.


    They had barely started their journey when they felt that the winds blowing around them got a but stronger and the sky became darker. Looking up they saw that thick black clouds had covered the entire sky and the sunshine that once reached and illumiated the view around them started to dim slowly.


    "This is so not good." Aiden muttered as they all quickened their pace. "I don''t think we would be able to make it back to the campsite without soaking wet. We''ll get sick if we don''t dry up soon and I think we would have to take shelter if rain starts pouring heavily." Aiden expressed his thoughts.


    "But... Who knows when the rain would actually stop, and by the time it somehow does manages to stop, it''ll be dark outside, Madam Ellen would be really upset if we don''t return in time... We''ll get in trouble and it''ll affect our school records later on." Cyril replied with a worried experssion on his face.


    Aiden nodded, his expression darkening. "Whatever decision we make, we''ll have to suffer the consequences either way. And right now, our lives matter more than anything. We have to make it back safe and sound."