Chapter VII: The Trip Home
Story’s timeline: 17/05/2023 late at night
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYSKACG4pe
The students were walking and Adelle worriedly looked around for Nick. Nick was way behind with another group of students. Adelle kept thinking about what would happen if Nick forgot to sit next to her. She knew he wouldn’t forget but there was an aching worry that it would happen. The bus had already arrived. Adelle started overthinking about what would happen. She knew she’d better ask Shanice what to do.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5iV4QXlp5B
Adelle: Shanice? Nick is all the way behind. How will I ask Nick to sit next to me again? Go up to him and ask him.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpPJU3yMCBk
Shanice: Just do that.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMfCzT5Zsq2
Adelle: Alright then.. I hope this goes well.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG1vupvQGNN
Adelle walked up close to Nick.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUjdEXhQtc
Nick: So we’re sitting next to each other again?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx71ZcDlnBY
Adelle: Yes. (said as she smiled)
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAW13sMsm4w
Nick smiled back at her and let Adelle walk up the bus first. Adelle felt so lucky to know this gentleman as her crush. Like earlier, she rushed into the seat and got the window seat again. She looked at Nick and smiled at him again. Adelle couldn’t help but smile. Nick just made her too happy. She even took out her phone for a little bit to banter on text with Shanice.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssBSrzYjqx
Adelle sat awkwardly next to Nick.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxeaqkviDvd
Nick: We’ve met again.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxdDwwqDjcq
Adelle: Yes we have. Ooo there’s a paper in this compartment. (a paper stuck in between the hook of the bus seat)
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRtNlAl2zS
Adelle: Mirror mirror on the wall. Your birthday is on 2nd May.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ00YBWnHIz3
Nick: What? That’s my birthday!
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwDLePMDldN
Adelle: Wait really?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkrHdVMnHB
Nick: Yes!
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwnn5ITXhwO
Adelle: Are you joking..?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAwgXLimZdh
Nick: No.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAp6XWHQggS
Adelle: The paper was empty. I just said whatever that was on my mind.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6zv6ipkDg
Nick then stared at Adelle like she was some sort of psychic. Adelle just smiled at him and turned to the window to overreact.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNbtPk5fRF9
Adelle: Do you ever use photoshop for anything? Have you ever used it for anything?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCMaUhJULxO
Nick: No but I’d use it to edit my pimples.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjlTxfyiWr
Adelle’s POV:
To be honest, I never noticed Nick had pimples. He’s just so perfect in my eyes.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0qWzXHNGC
Adelle: Speaking of pimples, when I care about my face, I get pimples, but when I don’t care the pimples disappear.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAcNxw8Ja4L
Nick: You don’t have to care about them then.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrLAYUv1tD
Adelle: Well, if I really don’t care, my face would look like pepperoni pizza. Or like my face now.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ73W8lfBKdN
Nick: Pepperoni pizza is still nice you know?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5HByG2mrHt
Adelle was speechless and just smiled at him again. She looked in front and blushed a little. She had more small talk with Nick and it just made Adelle so happy. However, her happiness started fading away as she took a look at the familiar highway. The same highway the bus travelled across at the start of the trip. They were coming back on campus soon. Adelle knew she had to talk as much as she could.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsBL0PxrbA
Adelle: Do teachers use you as a good example during attire checks?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwYzsqEOHnE
Nick: Yes. I even conduct the attire check sometimes.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihq8DkdnYm
Adelle: WHAT HOW?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNKsDbDnTD
Adelle: Isn’t it annoying to cut your nails? (as Adelle stared at her long nails)
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzhjZepScq0
Nick: I don’t like cutting my nails.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91McAdvWHV
Adelle: Would you report my nails to the teacher? (Adelle showed Nick her nails)
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuPvHz3US7A
Nick: No.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjK6cYbUKFn
Nick: Actually, your nails look quite nice.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIe8C7VfBbS
Nick’s POV:
Her nails look so nice. It looks so solid, Her fingernails are natural, slick and glossy. Such nice nails. Now why didn’t I notice it earlier?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC6MQFVM3EA
Adelle: Oh thank you. (she said as she smiled)
Nick started staring at Adelle with his huge, deep eyes without blinking. Adelle chuckled a little and stared back while staring away to keep her composure. Her gaze kept turning back to meet Nick’s eyes as Nick continued staring. “Is this a staring competition?” asked Adelle. “Yes, and you’ve already lost,” replied Nick. Adelle then gave Nick a little jump scare and he got a little scared. Nick blinked and Adelle laughed. Her laughter seized when she noticed the even more familiar road.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ59ZfJsMaWn
“We’ve arrived,” Adelle said with a sad tone in her voice. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Nick. Nick stared at Adelle longingly.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY5U8u99eEb
Nick’s POV:
We’ve arrived… I don’t want to go. I really don’t want to leave her. If only I could just give her a hug before we leave... I know what to do now.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqn28PxDCbl
Adelle and Nick alighted the bus together and stood by the school. The moon glowed brightly and beamed radiantly on the trees and ground. There, Nick and Adelle were standing. Dead in the night with absolute silence, besides the students rushing for the last train in the subway and the crickets chirping. They stared into each other’s eyes. Nick reached out his arms and wrapped his arms around Adelle’s waist. Adelle squealed a little but quickly loosened up and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their bodies touched each other and they both stood there in an embrace.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxo7IMau1l
Adelle’s POV:
OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T BELIEVE I’M HUGGING NICK RIGHT NOW. He is so huggable like my teddy bear. Oh if only he could replace the teddy bear on my bed. I just feel so loved right now. I think he loves me. He really does.. I love him so much.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZgM5BgA5ZG
Nick’s POV:
Adelle is so cute and pretty especially when I hug her. I love her. To be honest, when I first saw her sleeping in class, I thought she was really cute. I know she’s been watching me every recess. It’s so cute. Now I realised... I already fell in love with her the first time I met her but she kept running away and I thought she disliked me. So I gave up on chasing her. But now, I get my true love’s hug from her!
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsg2cVvV3v
After their long embrace, Nick and Adelle stared at each other in awkward silence. Adelle broke the silence with a shaky voice, still in shock from what had just happened.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAPtdFbmkri
Adelle: Why did you hug me?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBF8iixedz4
Nick: It felt right. I thought you’d want one.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Dy8lF1JnR
Adelle: You’re right. That felt great actually. I needed that.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfE6baTERkK
Nick: I’m glad you liked it.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Qasg6UeWL
<awkward silence>
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9aUYjqcDb
Nick: Shall I send you home?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzQqayGYcKw
Adelle: Oh you don’t have to.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFP9UW0ZpUt
Nick: It’s already 11 pm... It’s late. I want to make sure you’re safe.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfwMbxhQYG
Adelle: Only if you insist.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQyVEXlz81o
They started walking towards the subway together. Adelle stared down at her feet, amazed at what had just happened. It took a while for Adelle to make sense of what had just happened. Then when she did. She started blushing heavily. She grabbed Nick by the shoulder and dug her face into his chest.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGQIZ0Ys9fr
Nick’s POV:
OH MY OH MY OH MY I CAN’T BELIEVE SHE’S ACTUALLY DOING THIS. SHE’S SO ADORABLE WHEN SHE’S EMBARRASSED. I DON’T THINK SHE KNOWS WHAT SHE JUST DID...
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPvdmPjwnO2
Adelle: I can’t stop thinking about what you did just now.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcuirpiVseN
Nick: Oh I’m sorry, did I scare you? I know this may come off as creepy but I think I caught a little something from me earlier.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK2svm4sAnQ
Adelle: Caught what?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA8WOiRV5sa
Adelle’s POV:
Did I really just bury my face into his chest? I can’t believe I did that. It’s so embarrassing.. And now he said I caught something from him. I think I know what it is. I caught his heart, didn’t I? Okay Adelle, don’t go feral now, and don’t do what you just did. Maybe he meant something else. He means something else doesn’t he?
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsUoNs8jxpC
Nick: You caught my heart.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBFinzFMGZ
Adelle gasped. Her jaw dropped in shock. She felt a surge of euphoria run through her veins as she rejoiced internally. She smiled once again.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDemXlfsRv
Adelle: OH MY GOODNESS I CAN’T BELIEVE IT.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpZDbRqvv0
Adelle: Well.. you caught my heart too.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYxhNGvKZpG
Nick said nothing and looked over at Adelle. It felt as if time stopped just for him to look at his beloved Adelle. He was thinking of his future with Adelle when the train arrived. Adelle’s train was going in a different direction from where he was supposed to go but he didn’t mind and just went in with Adelle.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3MSgWzjUQP
When Adelle alighted at her stop, they waved each other goodbye and walked away. After walking a reasonable distance away from Nick, Adelle started covering her face and silently screeching.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFej5PvlZbU
Adelle’s POV:
How sweet of him to follow me to my stop. He really is the one.. And that hug? I could dream about it all day. I just... miss him already. I wish he and I could just remain in that position forever. If only I could just take him home. Maybe I could give him a gift. I know I don’t typically do gifts but... he’s worthy so I don’t mind.
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQEnqFMA1RU
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFJBQjya5yj
146Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCzoXZEii5K
然後按「加至主畫面」