THREAD THREE: THE PROMISE

MEREDITH’S professor sent them out immediately to go to the club they wanted to join after their introduction. She’s now heading to the Cooking Club when she heard someone calling her nickname.

“MER!”  

When Meredith turned around, she saw her second cousin, John Person, the son of her mother's first cousin. 

“Hey, cous!”

Her cousin is a senior Architecture student and the MVP for four consecutive years of the Swimming Club.

“Have you decided already which club you want to join?” he asked when they started walking on the pathway.

“At the Cooking Club,” she answered.

John Person nodded. “Then I will accompany you there so you don’t get lost.”

Her mood lightens up. “Really?”

“Yup!”

She smiled. “Thanks, cous!”

When they got there, her cousin bid his goodbye because of a sudden meeting at the Club for the try-out of freshmen.

“Alright! I'll see you later,” she said while he ran away from her.

Meredith greeted the people when she arrived inside the Cooking Club. “G-good morning. . .”

She looked down when silence welcomed her. She knew that all the eyes of the members there were just focused on her. She felt that she was not welcome in that club. But the two girls approached her.

“Hi, I’m Carlota! But you can call me Lota for short. I’m the President of this club,” she said then give her a hand for a handshake which she immediately accepted.

“H-hello. . . I'm Meredith from BSBA Faculty.”

“And I’m Joebeth! The Vice President.”

“Thank you for choosing our Club out of the clubs here at BSU,” the president stated.

“Actually, I chose this club because we had a small cake and dessert shop. My Mom is good at baking, while I’m good at different kinds of desserts,” she answered.

“So, how many years has your business been operating?” The president asked.

“Almost five years,” she answered.

Chenny, the assistant, interfered with what she said. “Great! We finally have a dessert maker!”

She looked back and forth at them. “Y-you mean none of you know how to bake desserts?”

Chenny nodded. “We have been looking for a member who is good at desserts for a long time. Because when there are events here at the university, we always spend a lot of money just to order outside.”

“So. . . A-am I in or out?” she nervously asked.

Carlota handed her a paper. “Register here first. Then, write your contact details and social media accounts too, so that we can inform you about our upcoming activities this year.” 

She quickly nodded and fill-out the form.

“Welcome to our club!” they congratulated her in unison when she finished her registration.

“Pres, aren‘t we going to try her dessert-making skills first before accepting her?” someone in the back suddenly shouted, making everyone stop.

The president approached the woman. “You heard what she said, right? She bakes and their shop has been open for almost five years, so I‘m sure she’s good, because if not, maybe their business won’t last that long.”

The majority agreed, so the woman who questioned her did not say any word.

“Once again, welcome to our club!”

She smiled. “Thank you all for giving me this opportunity. I promise that I will make the best desserts in the world.”

They all agreed and smiled.

After their meeting, she left the club, happy. She couldn’t believe that she’s now an official member of the cooking club. But that smile fades away when she heard a loud explosion that made her stop walking back to their classroom.

“Ah!” she screamed at the top of her lungs, causing her to cover both of her ears. She also knelt on the grass when her phobia was triggered.

“Hey, Miss! Are you okay?” a baritone voice asked who’s now kneeling in front of her to help her stand up.

When she looked at the man, her world stopped. It’s the guy who wears a black hoodie, her classmate. 

They were very close to each other. He’s very charming and captivating. In short, he’s so attractive. She could also smell his manly scent.

“Are you alright?” the guy asked again, causing her to return to her senses.

“I-i’m fine! I just tripped,” she lied while removing the dirt from her uniform.

She felt embarrassed, so she hastily turned away from him to hide her reddened cheeks when he grabbed her left arm.

“Wait! Have we met before?” he asked out of the blue.

There were those deep stares from him again, causing her heart to beat faster. His gaze can turn her knees into jelly.

What was that feeling?

The guy wanted to ask her something again when suddenly someone called him.

“Hey, Randall! What on earth are you waiting for?! Our try-out will start in a minute!” the guy shouted far from them.

The man named Randall looked at her. “Ahm, I’ll go ahead. Next time be careful, okay? Look where you’re going.”

She nodded then he ran towards his colleagues.

She held her chest. She felt like she had known that man for a long time. But what surprised her the most was that she easily controlled her phobia when she got close to him.

She asked herself. “Who really are you?”

THE NEXT DAY, Meredith woken up from the knock on her door. It was her mom, saying that she was going to be late for class. She quickly got up and went to the bathroom. She wakes up late again even though she goes to bed early at night.  

And just like before, she was surprised again when she saw the dry tears on her face.

“Am I having a nightmare again?” she asked herself from the mirror.

Later on, memories from her dreams appeared in her mind again.

________________________

ONE NIGHT, a couple were hanging out in a park watching the stars in the sky when the guy suddenly asked the girl when he notice that she had been quiet for a while.

He lifts her chin. “Hey, what happened? Why you’re so quiet?”

“I already admitted to Dad that we’re in a relationship. He investigated you and he thinks that you were only just after my money. He’s so cruel as if it was your fault you were born poor.”

“You can’t blame your father for reacting like that. He doesn’t want you to end up just like what happened to your Mom.”

The girl did not commented. He just put his arm around her and leaned her head on his shoulder.

The girl sighed then clasped their hand. “If the day comes that we die and live again in this world, do you think we can find each other again?”

The boy laughed. “What are you saying? You’re so dramatic. You should stop watching dramas.”

The girl slightly hits the right arm of the boy. “Hey, I’m serious!”

Another long moment of silence draped over them before the boy finally answered. “Of course! If we are really destined for each other, we will meet again in our next life.”

“Really?! Do you really think that it will happen again?”

The boy nodded. “I promise you that no matter what happens, I will find you. I will not stop until I see you.”

“What if we were born in different places or countries?”

“I will fly all over the world. I will even cross the seas, rivers, and mountains just to find you.”

The girl smiled. Her heart was overflowing with happiness.  

“I also promise you that I will find you no matter what,” she said then raised her little finger in front of him.

The boy smiled and accepted her little finger as a sign of their commitment to each other.

“I love you so much,” the girl said passionately.

“I love you too,” the boy said without taking his eyes off of his girlfriend as they pressed their foreheads together.

_______________________

Meredith wiped her tears. She was disturbed again by those lovers whom she had not met until now. Sometimes, it suddenly appears in her mind for reasons she doesn’t know. The lovers look happy in her dreams, but why does she wake up in tears

“GUYS! Today is the try-out of the Swimming Club freshmen, wanna come?” Shanaia asked, who’s now one of the Drama Club members. 

Marylex, a Music Club member, immediately shook her head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t go with you guys. Mom is expecting me to be home at exactly six o’clock.”

Shanaia rolled her eyes. “Oh, common, Lex! It’s too early, duh!”

Marylex took a deep sigh. “Fine!”

“Good!” Shanaia turned to Meredith and held on to her left arm. “How about you, Mer? Are you coming with us?”

At that moment, Meredith’s mind and heart were arguing. Her mind kept telling her that she should go with them to see how her cousin would lead a swimming try-out. While her heart keeps insisting the opposite. That her true intention why she wanted to watch is because of her classmate, Randall.

“Hey! What now?” Shanaia asked impatiently.

When she can’t decide yet, Shanaia rolled her eyes.

“W-wait!” she whined when Shanaia pulled her to the Swimming Club.

“Why are there so many people here? I thought it was just a try-out. Why is it like a championship?” Marylex commented when they arrived at the swimming pool area.

It seems like all the women at BSU were present at the Gym.

“Duh! As if you’re not used to it, Marylex.” Shanaia turned her gaze at Meredith. “Swimming Club is the most popular club in our university because of their three consecutive wins. Aside from that, it’s really where girls and women go when they want to see a handsome and sexy guy with a. . .” Shanaia smiled mischievously and come closer to Meredith and Marylex to whisper her last four words. “Big and long sword.”

Marylex pushed Shanaia slightly because of the last sentence she had said. “Hey, Shan! You’re so naughty! Be careful with what you were saying! You’re ruining Meredith’s innocence and her virgin ears.” Shanaia didn’t say anything. She just gave them a peace sign.

At least she knows that her college life won’t be boring because of her new friends.

“Oh! There they are!” Shanaia shouted.

The freshmen entered one by one with her cousin, John Person, and Randall who were juniors and seniors of the swimming club. 

And she can’t deny that they have beautiful bodies, especially the man he can’t get out of her mind. At his age, his muscles are fully defined, an inverted pyramid with broad shoulders and a small waist. 

Meredith blinked a little when she noticed that his eyes seemed to be focused on her, making her heart pound so fast again. Their eye-to-eye contact was only interrupted when her friends pushed her to find a seat.

“This year seems to have a lot of potentials because there are many students who applied to the Swimming Club this year, so we have to select people to join. Good luck everyone!” John Person's opening speech.

“Hey, you! You have been distracted! Who are you looking at over there? You have been spacing out!” John Person asked to get Randall’s attention.

“Ahm. . . I’m sorry, Captain! I won’t do it again.” He doesn’t know why he couldn’t take his eyes off the girl he met yesterday. He felt like he had known that girl for a long time. He needs to get to know her.

John Person’s gaze followed what he was looking at the crowd and frowned when he noticed that he was exactly looking at his cousin, Meredith, who was also looking at Randall.

He tapped his left shoulder. “Focus!”

“Y-yes, Captain!” he answered.

“So what are you waiting for? Go to your position!” he shouted when Randall didn’t move immediately.

When the try-out started, the crowd was filled with screams and cheers.

AFTER giving the results of the try-out, where all freshmen has passed, Shanaia immediately approached Randall to greet him.

“Nice one, Randall! I’m Shanaia.”

“Great job, Randall! I’m Marylex.”

The girls greeted in unison and offer a handshake. They don’t get a chance to talk to him since day one because he’s always not in their classroom when they have no classes. He seems busy looking for the girl he’s been looking for for a long time.

Randall accepted their handshake one by one, but for some unknown reason, he smiled when he met Meredith’s eyes again.

It’s only interrupted when John Person approached them and talks to Meredith in private.

Randall frowned when he realized that her classmate and their captain knew each other. They were close together but his full attention was focused on her face even though Shanaia and Marylex were busy talking to him. He also realized how beautiful Meredith was, especially when she smiled.

“Dude! Are you crying?” Ernan asked who was his classmate which made him wipe his tears.

He didn’t know why suddenly tears appeared in his eyes all of a sudden while looking at Meredith.

“N-nothing. I just have something in my eyes.” He reason out and left.

AT NIGHT, Meredith was currently working on an assignment when she suddenly received a message from a group chat of their friends. Shanaia showed a photo of her with Marylex and Randall that was taken at the swimming club’s try-out earlier. Until she stared at Randall’s face, even though he was smiling in the photo, she felt sad for an unknown reason. She just lost her attention in the photo when her phone rang.

“Yes, Cous?” It’s her cousin, John Person.

“I saw you yesterday talking with Randall in front of Cooking Club. What happened? Is he bothering you?”

Her face turned red when she remembered what happened yesterday.  

“Ahm. . . I-I just tripped yesterday and he just happened to pass by, so he helped me. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.”

She doesn’t want her cousin to worry about her Phobia. And one more thing, she didn’t want her cousin to torture him during their training.

“Is that so? How is your foot then?” he asked worriedly.

“I’m totally fine. You don't have to worry about me.”

“A’right! Don’t hesitate to report or come to me when someone bullies you, okay?”

She nodded. “I will.”

“Good night then! I’ll see you tomorrow at school.”

She smiled. She found a brother who will protect her from harm in the personality of her cousin.

“See ya! And good night!” then she ended the call.

THREAD FIVE

THE NEXT DAY, Meredith was walking to the bus stop when she noticed the old man struggling to cross the road. And when she heard a loud horn from a fast car that might hit the old man, she quickly went to the road and pulled him to the other side of the road.

“A-are you all right, Sir?” she asked, hurting when she felt a scratch on her elbow but she didn’t show it to the old man.

“I’m fine. Thanks for your help. My vision and hearing are a bit weak that’s why I didn’t notice the car. How about you? Aren’t you hurt?”

She slightly hid her elbow from him. “I’m fine, Sir. Are you alone? Don’t you have someone with you?

“I’m all by myself, Kid.” She felt pity for the old man.

“Where are you going by the way?” she asked.

“Just over there, at the park.”

She looked at her watch and when she saw that it was early she decided to take him to the park.

“Alright, I’ll take you there.”

“Are you sure, kid? Aren’t you going to be late for your class?”

She shook her head. “It’s still early and the park is just nearby.”

The old man nodded. “Let’s go then!”  

Then they started to walk.

“Finally, we’re here!”

She was about to leave the old man when she remembered something.

“Here, Sir, maybe you’re hungry,” then she offered her snack made by her mother.

But he declined. “But it’s yours, kid.”

“It’s okay, Sir! I still have some here. That’s all yours. It’s a chocolate pudding. I’m the one who baked that.”

The old man smiled. “Thank you very much, Kid. May God bless you always.”

She nodded. “Well, same to you, Sir! I gotta go. Take care!” She was about to turn around when the old man stopped her.

“Kid, what’s your name again?” he asked.

She smiled. “Meredith. Meredith Ebelte.”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” 

His next question surprised her. But she still answered it. “I’m still young, and I have no intention of having a relationship yet.”

The old man nodded. “Good. Be careful on your way to school.”

“I will, Sir!” And she turned her back.

On the other hand, the old man smiled. He finally found the right woman for his grandson.