CHAPTER 2

-Alex’ home was in the suburb at the eastern edge of the city, while the college was at the central, the rent was low and the house was in a good condition, enough for him.

Alex went home by his bicycle which was not so high-tech, but the trend has ended recently so he got it at a considerable price, he put his back at the sofa and went to freshen up.

“Ring..ring..”the mobile phone rang.

Alex came out of the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel and picked up the phone.

“Oh hello Alex”

“Hello, Mr Hudson” Alex replied recognizing the voice on the other side.

“How are you, everything fine?”

“Yeah, I am in a good shape always thanks to you, so how come you called?”

“Well I want to have check on the progress of the program, how is it?”

“Sir I am really trying hard, also I am expecting to complete it within next 6 months.”

“You have to make the target within 5 months, then it will complete in 6 months, okay?”

“Yes sir, I will give my best, anything other sir?”

“Nah just that, remember to take care of yourself, before the program your health came first”

“Thank you for checking me on sir, and I will keep that in mind”

“Good, then I have to go take care”

The call ended..

-Mr Hudson helped Alex to get a stable job under his mobile company, “Hudson-techs”, but the pay is only enough to pay his college fees and take care of himself not any more fancy things can be possible.

“Sigh..lets try a little harder and complete today’s target before evening” Alex sighed and head to his table after wearing the clothes.

He continued till six in the evening until he finally finished today’s target.

Growl..

“Hmm, finally finished, let me see if there is something to eat in the fridge”

“No, seems like I had to go get some”

He locked the door and head to the mall nearby, although its not that much big, but its has much amount for the people living in suburb.

“Hmm the fruits are done, now lets get some veggies and instant noodles”

As Alex had been living by himself he learnt to cook by himself and how to pick good vegetable.

“This should be enough” he said to himself after picking some capsicums, cabbage and green onions.

As he turned around to move to the counter for the bill, he noticed a girl in the same age as him confused about which one of the capsicum to pick from.

“These are good” he pointed to her.

Recognising the familiar sound she turned around.

“Oh Alex, good to see you here” she was Hailey

“O..umm,,nice to meet you to” he hesitated

“What are you doing here?”

“No..nothing just came to get some groceries for dinner”

“What about you” he asked.

“Well struggling to choose capsicums, can you tell me how to choose?”

“Ye..yeah, these ones are good”

“And how did you know that?”

“We..well the fresh ones fells firm, not mushy and soft, also the fresh ones have green stems mostly ...so you can choose like this”

“Wow you know so much, yet I, now I feels dumb” she said feeling a bit down.

“I..its okay, when I tried first time, I was also the same” he cheered her.

The chuckled as they talked and head to the bill counter after picking some more vegetable together.

“So are you gonna cook yourself” she asked.

“Ho..how do you know”

“You know so much about picking vegetable, so its obvious”

“Well yes”

After some second Hailey said “well if you are not gonna invite me this time, I am not goona let you pass next time”

“No..its just that I thought it would be awkward to invite you”

“Okay, but don’t forget to invite me next time”

They chuckled as Hailey head out, soon after Alex head home

“Whom were you talking to” Emily asked Hailey

“It was Alex”

“What that dumber”

“Don’t be like that, he is a nice guy, he also teach me how to pick vegetables”

“Whatever, lets go” Emily waved.

Alex reached home, put the extra groceries in fridge and washed the others amidst these, his mind was not there, he was all lost thinking about Hailey.

“Does she really not remembers me?”

“Were I that insignificant to he?”

‘Shht...Ow shit man’ Alex grunt as the blood gushed out of his palm

He held the part above the wrist tightly to make the flow of blood a bit low and took the first aid box out in his room.

“Ahh....hmm I think the wound is quite deep” he said as he saw the wound after cleaning the blood around it

“Lets first band-aid it”

Alex carefully band-aid the wound firmly after cleaning it with hydrogen solution to prevent the blood flowing.

“uhh..I think, I had to rely on Instant noodle for the dinner tonight, but lets first clean up the blood on the slab”

Alex head to the little store room beside the bathroom, he opened the door, switch the light and took the mop out of a bucket.

‘Struck..what is this” something metallic struck his foot.

But his reaction change as he noticed a small Iron box, with a drawing of a boy and girl holding hands in a playground, its seems like a drawing of a small kid.

“Ah shit today is really the worst day” he said, sternly looking at the box and shutting the door ‘thud’

Alex wiped the blood on the slab and washed the mop up before hanging it in the balcony.

He took the instant noodle out of the fridge, boiled them after cooking them with some chopped vegetables he chopped just recently ;)

“Lets head out for a night walk, today was really frustrating” Alex put on his headphones, tied his shoes and head out for a night walk.

The air streamlined him like a cold breeze with a misty breath, yet the yellow side lights provide a warm junction, the road was silent clearly allowing the lyrics of song through his ears, as he walk towards the bridge the silence interrupted by the flow of river below.

He put the headphones of as he stopped near the bridge, placing both of his elbows over the reeling.

---

“Hey the car fell in the river-----wait there is someone------somo..gulp...som..gulp..huff huff..help---- hey he jumped into the river.”

---

A hazy memory flashes, as his grips tightens of the reeling, Alex put his headphones again and head towards home.

-Next day Alex woke up early as he doesn’t work late last night due to his hand, he got ready for the college.

“Sigh it seems like I had to buy something to eat from cafeteria” Alex sighed as he saw his palm, he piked up his bag and purse and head to college.

“Seems like I came early, there is hardly anyone”

Alex head to the class room and sit at the upper corner seat of the left most seat, soon after the other student came and took their seats.

“Oh seems like Mr late became Mr early today” one of the boy from the next row said as other joined him laughing.

Alex ignored them and starts staring outside, soon after the professor came in and starts teaching.

Alex attention got diverted from outside toward the professor hearing him, soon after his attention was caught by a familiar girl sitting at the 3rd seat of the 2nd row, it was Hailey.

He stared at her, unknowingly and thoughtlessly, as all the moments of were a short clip of a slow-motion movie, her swinging of the pen with her beautiful fingers, the little push on her lips as she touched the pen on them, her hair falling repeatedly on her face and her aligning them back at her ear.

Soon the class ended, waking up Alex from his slow-mo movie.

“What was I really thinking, she doesn’t even remember someone like me, and so what if she were to remember me, will it change anything? Me and her? I am an outcast, an introvert, with a little enough money to pay the college fees, nah It will be more than enough even if she remember some one like me.”

Alex said as he saw her talking and laughing with others, soon some boys came up to chat with her, Alex got up, piked his bag and head to the library.

He stump his bag on the table, took his laptop out and starts working on his program.

---

“Hey I am not gonna beat you” a voice said

“Its okay I am not like them, and I will beat them if they beat you”

“No..no you can’t there are stronger than you” a small boy said hiding beneath a a slide

“No dumb, I am stronger, now come out I will protect you”

“Promise” the boy said

“Of course, pinky promise”

The boy came out as he hold the hand forwarding toward him, followed by a small figure of a girl blocking the sun rays.

----

“Tap...tap...Alex...tap....tap...Alex...Alex” someone shook Alex out, he jolted.

He turned just to find a frighten face of Hailey.

Chapter finish.

*Information

MR. Hudson :- A man in his 40s, with a bald head and little brown complexion.