Seven

Chapter Seven

After years of never feeling left out. Years of always being the queen who dictates how things go, Shelly was not used to this new feeling. 

The feeling of rejection. It felt so odd and painful. Running towards nowhere in particular, she found herself standing in front of a cliff overlooking the sunset. 

For once in her entire life, she noticed something that had seemed irrelevant before. She noticed how beautiful nature was. She watched as the sun sank into the horizon displaying an orange golden color up in the sky. It was so beautiful. 

"It's mesmerizing, isn't it?" The soft velvet voice pulled her out of her reverie. 

Looking beside her she saw him. The one she had been waiting for stood in all his glory beside her staring—not at her but the sunset and she was supposed to answer him but she was tongue-tied! 

She just stood there staring at him. He looked more handsome than she remembered. He was still 6'5ft and breathtaking with his spiky black hair that was slicked back and his emerald eyes, his biceps was in full display with the black striped jeans trousers and his white shirt that was unbuttoned. 

Suddenly she heard someone cough deliberately. She finally raised her face from where her eyes have wandered down to his unmentionables and saw his eyes on her. She blushed crimson red. 

"Uhm, yeah absolutely mesmerizing." She lowered her eyes, suddenly finding her fingers very interesting. 

He chuckled deeply. "I was talking about the sunset but you seem to find me more fascinating to watch."

She wished the ground would open and swallow her. "No, of course not!" Her voice sounded higher than intended and she wished she could just disappear. 

He laughed quietly. It sounded like music to her ears and she sounded like a freaking fangirl! Since when was she a fangirl? 

"I'm Chase by the way." He glanced at her then continued looking at the sky. He barely acknowledged her presence! 

"I know you." She gritted her teeth in annoyance.

"Oh, you must be one of my adoring fans." He smiled. "I'd willingly give you an autograph since you found my hidden spot."

Her mouth formed an 'O' shape. "Autograph? Why would I want your autograph?"

"Uhm, because I'm an author and you're my adoring fan." He gave her a charming smile. 

"You're a writer?" She questioned, surprise evident on her face. 

"Why are you surprised?" He looked at her now. She could see something like—was it hurt? She couldn't tell because it was immediately replaced with a smile. "Because you think it's impossible to be an author and make a career out of it?"

"No, I don't think so." Guilty! Her mind screamed at her. 

He gave a wry smile. "Everyone thought so too, you're no different."

"Listen, Chase, I'm sorry I didn't support your dream and all but I'm stuck in this weird world or whatever this is and I need to go home to my world, the only way to do that is to..." 

All too sudden, her ranting stopped and she stood frozen in place with fear. Staring at him now she looked at herself and a mixture of doubt and uncertainty flicked in her mind's eye. What's the possibility that he would even believe her? 

"Miss, you were saying something." Chase's voice snapped her out of her paralysis but it still didn't do much to help her talk. 

"Uh-huh." She nodded stupidly. 

"Something about needing to get back to your world." He chuckled. "Is that like a fantasy story you want me to write about?"

"Huh?" Still sounding abnormal she nodded. 

"Alright, I'll do my best. Nice meeting you, Miss..." He trailed off waiting for her to tell him her name but she remained mute! 

"Ok, I guess I'll get to know your name some other time." And he was gone. 

He was gone! He. Was. Freaking. Gone! 

"Holy crap!" She ran her fingers through her hair, yanking at them in frustration. "I had him and I couldn't say anything. Why couldn't I say anything?!"

"Same question I ask myself every day." She turned around to see Kiara coming towards her. "It's like this scenario, 'nerd meets crush' and boom she's tongue-tied or shell shocked."

"I'm not a nerd neither was I tongue-tied nor shocked I was just..." She trailed off as she realized that Kiara's words were true. "Oh my gosh! I'm a freaking nerd who can't even talk to her crush."

"Finally!" Kiara heaved a sigh of relief. "The beginning of the solution of a problem is when you accept that you've got a problem."

"I don't have any problem." She snapped. "I just wasn't expecting to see him so sudden."

"Uh-huh." Kiara hid a smile. 

"I'm not joking I wanted to see him on my terms not dressed like this." She gestured at her clothes with a frustrated groan. 

"You're preaching to the choir, sister." Kiara massaged her temples. 

"Kiara!"

"And now we're back to square one. Right where we started." Kiara sat down on the soft green grass. 

"You're exaggerating." Shelly rolled her eyes. 

"I wish you could talk to Chase like this."

"I can talk to Chase of course."

"Uh-huh, like how you froze up last time too." Kiara gave an exasperated sigh. 

"No way! I have no idea what you're saying." Shelly joined her to sit on the grass. 

"Shelly, what's going on with you?"

Shelly stared at her friend for a long time and her heart melted. She felt so bad and good at the same time. Good because Kiara genuinely cared for her and bad because she has never taken her time to care for her or anyone else besides herself and her father. 

Wiping away the stray tear she looked back at the sky where the sun has set already on the horizon. 

"Shelly?" Kiara nudged her. 

"I don't know, Kiara." She answered finally. "I have no idea."

"Whatever this is, we'll find out together ok." Shelly nodded and placed her head on her shoulder. It's been just one day since she opened her eyes to this nightmare and it feels like an eternity. 

"Thank you." She rubbed her palm together and linked her pinky finger with hers'. 

*~*~*~*~*

"How was work today?" Shelly was about to ignore the person asking her the question when Kiara nudged her arm gently. 

She glanced up at the woman standing in her doorway and with a soft sigh answered, "fine." Then she continued typing on her phone trying to find anything helpful online. 

Kiara had managed to convince her that there was no point in arguing with the people who called her their daughter when she didn't know what was going on so to play it safe, she was to be nice to them or at least try. 

"Laura, we didn't stay at work today," Kiara explained further. "We got a break from our boss so we went out to talk for a bit."

"Oh, that's very nice." The woman smiled. 

"Yeah." Shelly managed a small smile. 

Her joy escalated and she continued enthusiastically, "so what did you girls talk about?"

Shelly saw the joy shimmering in the depths of her eyes and felt her eyes fill up with tears. She hadn't experienced the love of a mother and to have one now suddenly felt foreign. 

All of a sudden that euphoric feeling faded and all she could see in the woman was the same woman who had abandoned her. What was she doing trying to play it nice, this place isn't meant for her at all. 

"None of your business." She snapped. 

And just like that, the happiness and all I'm her eyes disappeared into thin air. She felt oddly satisfied as the woman nodded muttering something under her breath and leaving her alone. 

Kiara glared daggers at her. "Why did you do that for?"

"That is my business alone." She replied. 

"Of course." Kiara huffed. 

"Kiara, I can't keep pretending to be someone I'm not."

"You're not pretending, Shelly." Kiara stood up from the reading chair and sat down beside her on the bed placing her hand on Shelly's palm. "This is who you are."

"No!" She shrieked. "I'm not this person at all." She yanked her hand away from her, stood up, and went to the window backing her friend. 

"You're not, Shelly. You're a nice person who loves to read and write, Kiara's bestie. An introvert who has a giant size crush on Chase and hates Cindy because she's a stuck up bitch who always picks on nerds. You love your parents especially your mom and that's why it breaks your mom's heart to hear all the hurtful words you say to her. So please, whoever you are then bring back nerdy Shelly for us all and leave us in peace."

By this time, Kiara was crying ceaselessly while Shelly stood speechlessly by the window side staring at the petite woman standing in the doorway in front of her with her tear-streaked face. The woman turned on her heels and marched away with long determined strides. 

"Laura!" Kiara called after her. 

"Kiara, wait I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt anyone." Shelly stopped her before she could leave. 

"No Shelly, you never mean to hurt anyone so sit your ass down and ask yourself this question, who are you?" With those words, she walked out. 

Shelly stared at herself in the full-length mirror, Kiara's last words ringing in her ears. Who are you? 

"Who am I?"