A Dangerous Freak

        RALI

When it was time for my lunch break, I headed to my favorite Whisk And Whimsy spot to get something light.

The café was warm and cozy, filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and the mellow buzz of easy chatter.

As I waited in line, my phone buzzed. I swallowed hard, my throat tightening painfully when I took note of the caller ID.

I'd been anticipating this call for three weeks. Finally getting it made me more anxious than I thought it would.

Stepping out of the line, I found a quieter corner near the wall. My palms felt clammy as I pressed the phone to my ear.

"Hi," I murmured, glancing over my shoulder.

What was wrong with me? It wasn't like I was smuggling state secrets or something.

"Yes, Ms. Hayes. I have the name of the person that made the purchase." My caller reported.

A blend of relief and more anxiety crushed me instantly. I shifted on my feet and kept leaning against the nearest wall as if to keep me grounded.

"O—Okay. Who was it?"

Few months ago, mummy was clearing some old stuff when she found a gold Sartre bracelet in her belongings. She suddenly remembered that it was mine and they'd found it on me when I was rescued at the river bank.

I didn't have any memory of my accident before my parents found me and adopted me. As a matter of fact, I had no idea they weren't my parents until I was fifteen. They'd loved me so dearly I didn't know I was adopted. 

I didn't have any issue dying with them as my only parents. But this bracelet showed up all of a sudden, and now I was curious to know who my biological family were. 

Sartre was a popular brand with each of its product having a serial number at the back for quality verification. What my parents and the others didn't know was that the purchase of the jewelery could be traced using that number.

I'd spent weeks, contemplating if it was a good idea to dig into it. Since I had it on when I was rescued, it must've been gifted to me by my family, right? So, if I could know who made the purchase, I could find my family. Right?

Then, I'd have all the answers to my questions—like why I was found unconscious by the river, why they abandoned me, and what the hell led to my memory loss.

Maybe I could finally fix the puzzle from my nightmare—the one where a younger one was being pushed off a bridge by someone.

Curiosity was getting the better part of me.

"Her name is Elizabeth Chen," the caller said. "She's currently fifty-three years old, but unmarried. Never had children."

A hollow ache formed in my chest, like an overblown balloon suddenly deflating.

She couldn't be my mother, then.

"I see," I murmured, unable to stop the disappointment bleeding through my words. "B—But if she'd made the purchase, she must mean something. Where can I find her?"

Perhaps, this Elizabeth woman might be someone related to me. She could give me answers.

"No idea—yet." He added the last word as quickly as he could before the disappointment drowned me. "I did track down her old address, but it turns out she moved out a year ago. I'm working on finding her current location. I'll update you as soon as I have it."

I sighed wearily. "Okay, thanks. I appreciate this, Steven." I had no idea my fingers had been toying with the necklace around my neck.

"Yeah, it's nothing. Take care of you."

The line disconnected.

I stayed still for a moment, replaying his words and weighing the possibilities of getting to find my family.

Was there even a need for it? What if I was abandoned because they didn't want me?

But what about my mother? A mother could not despise her own child, could she?

I shoved the thoughts aside and pushed off the wall, forcing myself to return to reality. Unfortunately, reality wasn't kind to me today.

I accidentally bumped into an approaching tray of hot coffee and scrambled eggs. The tray clattered to the floor, the coffee splashing onto my shoes. The heat startled me, and I let out a small yelp, jumping back like a frightened cat.

The entire café turned to look at me, the collective gaze making my cheeks flush with embarrassment. I felt like the clumsiest person alive.

"Oh, my God! I'm so—I'm so sorry. I didn't see you coming. I should've been more careful," the words tumbled out of my mouth in a panic as I bent down to retrieve the fallen tray.

It was useless to try to savage the soiled eggs, but I didn't know what else to do other than pick the tray. I just knew I needed to do something.

"Rali?" A voice called, tinged with surprise.

I froze mid-reach, my gaze snapping up from the floor. My heart stuttered as I locked eyes with a face I hadn't seen in years.

"Jasper!?" His name came out in a gasp, like I couldn't believe it was really him standing there.

His lips curved into an amused grin as his eyes swept over me, taking me in from head to toe. "What the hell? Look at you! You're all grown up!" He let out a warm laugh before holding out his arms. "Come here."

All thoughts of embarrassment and my recent problems vanished as he pulled me into a hug. It was the kind of hug that felt like a time machine, transporting me back to our simpler days.

.....

Jasper had changed. He wasn't the lanky, boyish teenager I remembered. Sitting across from him, I couldn't help but notice how he'd filled out—broad shoulders, a strong jawline, and a confidence in his demeanor that wasn't there before. He wore a dark, fitted jacket over a crisp white shirt, paired with black jeans, looking casual but charming.

We were at a corner table in the café, laughing in-between conversations, catching up with each other's lives.

I never thought I'd see him again—my childhood and best friend.

After what happened, we'd only seen each other on few occasions when we coincidentally met in public. And even then, we never spoke to each other.

It wasn't just our relationship that had gotten ruined. His mum and mine didn't remain friends any longer as Jasper's mum kept blaming mine for bringing a 'psycho' to the house.

In the middle of high school, he suddenly transferred and moved out of the city completely, and I hadn't seen him since then.

I'd be a terrible liar if I claimed I didn't miss him.

"Feels good to see you again," I said with remnants of laughter from a previous joke we'd cracked. "Wasn't banking on it."

"Same here, Rali," he nodded. "You've grown really.... beautiful."

I chuckled. "You say it like I've never been pretty."

"Well, why do you think you were my best friend back then? You were the prettiest girl I knew, Rali."

I ducked my head to hide the smile creeping across my lips, but it was no use.

I was about to tease him when I felt my phone buzz in my bag.

"You know, after what happened... with the psycho boy—" Jasper went on talking as I reached for my bag and pulled out my phone. I opened my inbox and flinched when I read the new message:

UNKNOWN: Get your ass up and walk away from that fucker.

A shiver ran down my spine, as though someone had doused me in ice water. 

Who the hell was this freak?

"—I wish things had turned out different—" Jasper was saying, his tone reflective, ignorant of the facial reactions my phone was pulling from me.

"—But I had to keep my distance because my mum insisted. She said you were bad luck and I'd be punished if I was seen around you."

I dropped my phone on the table, dragging my eyes back to Jasper. I'd get back to the loser later, but for now, I needed to catch up with my ex-best friend.

I noticed his eyes had softened further, revealing a hint of guilt in them.

"I'm sorry I stayed away, Rali. I was a young coward who couldn't fight for his best friend."

Reaching across the table, I placed my hand over his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Hey, stop it, okay? It wasn't your fault. You were scared and had to listen to your mum. I'm just glad you're okay, Jasper."

My phone buzzed again. This time, the vibration felt like a warning siren.

Lines of worry creased my forehead as I withdrew my hand from Jasper's and checked the new text:

UNKNOWN: You have five seconds to walk away from him.

Almost immediately, another followed.

UNKNOWN: Me and patience do not have a good history.