Silent thoughts

Episode 9

You can guess...I've been avoiding Adrian ever since, I didn't even go home with them, and that was possible because I skip swimming training and when I got home, I was gloomy as hell, I didn't say much, my mom was starting to suspect something was wrong but I just can't hide it.

"I'll skip dinner" I announced after I helped set the table before entering my room, which confirmed something was really wrong because I never skip meals, I was reading when mom came by.

"Adrian wants to see you," She relayed waiting for my reply, she had wanted to know what the problem was and she was guessing if it had something to do with Adrian so whatever my reply is determined if her hunch was right, but I don't care if she knows or not, I don't feel like seeing Adrian, not now.

"I'm busy mom," I replied politely as I turn back to my book

"You sure you don't wanna see him?" She asked again to be precise.

"Yes mom" I confirmed and she left, I stood and walk to the door, then opened it slightly to hear my mom talking.

"I'm sorry Adrian, looks like she's a little busy right now, maybe later" My mom tried to say as politely as she could but she couldn't mask the sympathy in her voice.

"Thanks, Mrs Howard...can you please give this to her" He then handed something to my mom, I couldn't make out what it was though, then I heard him departing. I quickly ran back to my reading table knowing quite well my mom is headed for my room the next moment.

"Hey" My mom called softly.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" She asked knowing for certain something was wrong, I sighed and walked to my bed then sat with my leg crossed.

"No mom" I finally answered.

"Okay...just know I'm always here for you, and he wanted you to have this" She informed handing me an envelope, I exhaled before collecting it and putting it on my bedside table, my mom was leaving when I called her back after recalling some strange things I've been experiencing with Adrian.

"Mom" I called reluctantly and she turned almost immediately.

"What's it, honey?" My mom asked eagerly.

"Can I ask you a few questions?" I asked hoping she won't misunderstand.

"Sure" She agreed and took a seat next to me on my thick pink girly bedspread.

"Mom...what do you think can be the reason for me not hearing someone's thoughts," I asked and she furrowed looking confused.

"How do you mean?" She asked with a knitted brow making her confusion evident.

"I mean there's this person...I can't hear his thoughts, and I don't know why, but when I have a kind of intimacy with the person. The thought become clearer" I said and the only thing floating on top of her mind was the word I used.

"Intimacy?" She asked not sure what I meant by that.

"Like a kiss" I specified and her face scrunched into a questioning glance.

"A kiss?" She arched a brow.

"Can you tell me what exactly happened?" She asked now more attentive than ever.

"Well...I can't hear Adrian's thoughts but whenever we are so close, I could hear it but not enough to get what he's thinking but today" I paused studying her expression closely. "He kissed me" I completed and her eyes shot up in surprise.

"Kissed you?" She repeated steadying her gaze on me.

"Yeah and all of a sudden I could hear what he's thinking" I elucidated but my mom wasn't after that anymore she wanted to know how? Why? When? Adrian kissed me. "Mom!" I exclaimed throwing my hands up.

"Seriously, the guy kissed you?" My mom pointed out again as if finding it too hard to believe.

"Mom please listen," I pleaded with a sigh.

"Is that why you were mad at him? Because he kissed you?" She asked and I bit my lip bitterly.

"Mom please listen to me okay? Please" I begged and she finally calm down.

"You like that guy don't you?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Mom!" I called in protest.

"Tell me the truth Natalie" She commanded, face straight...which means, dead serious.

"I don't know mom, I'm confused too, I've never felt like this before, but I barely know him, and the fact that he's not admitting it is just making it more complicated, I don't know mom" I admitted and my mom sighed.

"I understand dear, but I think you like him, you just find it hard to admit it and I think he does too, you are an adult now, and I know you can make your own decisions, okay?" She expressed and I nodded in understanding. "And about you not being able to hear his thoughts, maybe he's just someone who's always on guard" She added.

"Always on guard?" I asked not too sure what she meant.

"Yeah...maybe he's someone that watches his back and doesn't quickly give in to people" she explained further.

"Like someone that finds it hard to trust?" I specified.

"Kinda...but if he's intimate with you he's got a little distracted, or maybe he just relaxed his walls with you, like he felt safe with you and trusts you during intimacy" She added and that was really quite helpful.

"Thanks, mom" I smiled gratefully.

"Anytime dear...now come eat" She urged.

"Mom, I'm not hungry" I lied looking away from my mom.

"No you are Natalie, it's unlike you, you're always hungry and you not being hungry is something that worries me" She said and I laughed, she's the best mom ever, I thought as she slipped out of my room, I sighed and move my eye over to the envelope, I wonder what was in there, I was about to take a quick look when my mom popped her head through the door.

"Come eat, now!" she commanded and I stood joining them in the sitting room.

***

I woke up late, so as I made my way out, I saw Mrs Smith's car passing by, as usual, she waited so I could run up.

"Morning Mrs Smith" I greeted as I took my seat next to Adrian as usual.

"Morning dear...how was your night?" She asked cheerfully and continue driving, I knew she was doing that to make me discover she wasn't upset about what happened.

"Fine thank you," I said placing my bagpack on my lap before deciding to greet Ashley.

"Hi Ashley" I greeted casually and she replied almost immediately.

"Morning Natalie" she replied smiling

'Now you're gonna be Adrian's girlfriend, how awesome is that' I heard her inner voice say and I swallowed my spit on that, I couldn't define what my feelings were on that.

"Hi" Adrian greeted looking at me but I didn't meet his eyes.

"Hi" I replied without looking at him, I could see Mrs Smith signalling to Adrian to start a conversation with me through her reflection in the mirror, and then I heard her thoughts.

I concentrate to get the details, then somehow I was able to get her discussion with Adrian the previous night,

{'Hey' she had entered Adrian's room and called.

"Hi mom" Adrian had replied sadly and she sat beside him.

"You know...what you did back in school, was wrong" She had told Adrian.

"I know" Adrian had replied ruefully.

"Not because you kissed Natalie alone, but the fact you denied her after taking advantage of her is wrong," She pointed out taking a Seat next to him, Adrian had sighed.

"But I didn't know what to say mom" Adrian had confessed in frustration.

"I know...but in a situation like that, you should have stood for her, like it won't happen again, we are sorry, an accident? O God Adrian I'm your mother, not another teacher, she was hurt by that, she is a girl...and girls can be easily hurt even with a slip of tongue" She had advised.

"Is she?" Adrian had asked cluelessly.

"Yes, trust me...and I know you love her, right?" She asked and Adrian's expression paled.

" I do mom...but-" He was saying when he suddenly stopped

"You still have uncertainty expressed in that voice...you do Adrian, I know you do, and I hope you'll make it up to her" she urged.

"But how?" Adrian had asked cluelessly.

"Anyhow...you can write a letter or something, just apologise and confess, it's as simple as that?" Mrs Smith had said with a shake of her head.

"Okay...but-"}

That was the last thing I could make out before I was suddenly called.

"Natalie!" Adrian called loudly jolting me to consciousness.

"What!?" I asked suddenly aware.

"Are you okay? You blanked out!" He worried.

"Oh...yeah, I'm fine...I'm good" I assured him before I finally realized we are now at school, I got down to see the worried look on Mrs Smith's face.

"Will you be alright?" She asked as I was set to go, the three were all worried, they all thought I was thinking about the situation in school.

"Yes," I replied plainly.

"Natalie... You don't have to think much about it okay? I already took care of it, so the scandal is now in the past so you don't worry" She assured kindly and I felt a familiar warmth seize me, Mrs Smith is really very kind.

"Thank you Mrs Smith," I said in gratitude and I started to walk towards class.

"Hey" Adrian called but I still don't want to talk to him right now, I have forgotten to read his letter, I wonder what's in it, I was thinking when I felt a hold.

"Can we talk?" Adrian demanded and that pissed me off, who the hell does he think he is?.

"We have nothing to talk about Adrian, just...leave me alone" I shot at him and resumed walking, I got to class and Adrian held me back again.

"For goodness sake, Natalie, listen to me" He pleaded but I wasn't there, the thoughts crowding my head right at that moment were what I was trying to sort out,

'Are they showing love in class now'

'Wow...so romantic'

'Ohhh, that sucks'

'Hope the kiss won't come again'

'she's so in hell' that last one kinda gets me, I look over at Hanna and I felt myself shuffling her mind, her face widen in surprise, she must have felt the force, that haven't happened to me before, I can only hear immediate thought not shuffle through someone's mind, it must have been the rage, yes I have rage...when I'm so mad, I just have the effect.

'Where is it?' Nicole had asked.

' here' Hanna had handed her Miss Michelle gold wristwatch to her and

damn, they had kept it in my locker, I checked exactly where it was kept and someone yelled my name at the minute.

"Natalie!" Adrian called in alarm.

"What!?" I snapped at him, still pissed why he had to call out that loud.

"You blanked out, again! Why is that?" He asked perplexed.

"Adrian, just leave me alone," I said and left the class.

I saw Mrs Michelle pacing the corridor following the staff room, I concentrate, and then I felt her thoughts rushing into my head like a tornado of mixed thoughts, after sorting out her thoughts, I walked back to class and called on Hanna.

"Miss Michelle asked me to call on you," I said and she gave a mischievous smile before she was followed by her two associates immediately as witnesses perhaps, I went over to my locker then check behind my school sweatshirt under my textbooks lies the watch, I took it secretly and move over to her seat, I know her bag was the only choice since her locker was locked, I hit her chair making her bag fall, then I quickly kept the watch inside the rare side, I helped her dust it and went quietly back to my seat after successfully returning the bag, five minutes later she came in with Miss Michelle, she was so angry that her anger was radiating in my brain.

"Everyone out" She yelled and we all fall to the front of the class like kittens running from the rain.

"You, you, and you," She said pointing to Greg, Cassie, and Andrew my classmates.

"I want the whole class searched now! She ordered and they started to search in fear, I could hear them asking what she was looking for but non of them has the guts to ask not in her angry state.

"Tell me once you find a gold wristwatch, and start with the lockers first" she finally filled them in and that's exactly what was done, when they got to my locker, I heard Hanna's thoughts.

'She's so dead' She looked over at me and smiled then I smiled back, which really surprised her.

"Nothing's here Miss Michelle" Andrew informed after searching through the lockers, Miss Michelle turned to Hanna and she gave her a confused look.

"Did you search thoroughly?" She asked facing the search crew.

"Yes, Miss Michelle" They replied in unison.

"Why don't we search the bags too? It might be there?" Cassie suggested.

"That's right...continue the search" She ordered and right then was my turn to smile back devilishly, and I did, it's time you get a taste of your own medicine, the confusion among the girls is enough to make me burst into laughter.

"Did you put it there well?" She asked Nicole in a whisper

"Well, you saw it too didn't you?" Nicole replied and that makes me laugh quietly.

"Miss Michelle?" Greg called out in confusion. "Are you looking for this?" He asked taking the wristwatch out of Hanna's bag, the whole class gasped.

"What!? That's impossible" Hanna yelled and stood out.

"Shut it Hanna" Miss Michelle ordered.

"Now I remember, your bag was the only bag that wasn't searched then, I had asked to leave it thinking you wouldn't lay so low, I'm disappointed Hanna," She said with a nasty frown plastered on her face.

"You have to bring your parents or help in environmental service for a week, that's the available options for you" She added and I was pretty sure the first option wasn't really an option, she was an illegitimate child and her fake mom wouldn't come, especially not in this situation.

"I'll....I'll help in environmental service" she stuttered all teary-eyed.

"Good and I hope this won't affect your grades because your working hours include both recess and after class, and you're starting on Monday" Mrs Michelle concluded and left the class, they couldn't help but glue eyes to her, I guess her scandal has covered mine, I took out my phone and made the next topic.

'Oh my gosh, the class queen stole...how unthinkable, I heard she's illegitimate too, that's why she wouldn't bring her parents, how awful' I posted with a fake profile and within seconds I could see everyone getting the notification beep as they all started bringing out their phones and in no time comments flooded in.

'she sure is '

'Well...I think she deserves it, always acting damn powerful'

'Oh you should have seen her face'

'Oh such a pity'

'I was so damn surprised too'

'I couldn't believe my eyes'

'Hell...she's no damn queen with an illegitimate status'

'Queen my foot'

'Bob's dating a thief, I wouldn't have given him up if I had known'

'What makes her so different anyway... high-class thief right?'

'She doesn't deserve Bob'

'high class b***h you mean'

'she's so gone'

I saw Bob walk out angrily after checking his phone and I could see Hanna checking hers too, she ran out in tears well....that's only added to the comments, damn I was glad, she gave me the opportunity to revenge on her and that's just the tip of an iceberg, she had arrived in school and left for miss Michelle telling her she knew where her wristwatch is that she had seen it in one of the lockers, how stupid of her, miss Michelle, on the other hand, didn't want to believe her, so she had asked her to go, and when I called her for miss Michelle, she had no choice to conduct the search after Hanna had gone to her, I was sure she tried to persuade her to conduct it, today's Friday, no free activity.

I can't wait to get home, I've missed helping mom at the store, I thought as I took my lunch for recess, when I got to the stairs leading to the last floor, I changed my mind and head back to the cafeteria where I ate my lunch, but not without my headset on.

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