CHAPTER 13
1013 Words
"Are you feeling better now?" Mark asked.
Janine slowly nodded. "Yes." She woke up in the clinic.
"We should be careful next time. Avoid touching things that isn't yours." Mark slowly caressed her hair.
She nodded again. She felt warm and love just by that tender touch on her hair.
"Let me take you home in a short while. Jackie's in her class. She can't skip now but she'll visit you later."
"Where's Marvin?" She looked for Mark's cousin.
"He said he'll wait for Jackie and send her home." He smiled. "Don't worry, she'll be fine with him."
"I know. Thank you for being here with me. It's your first day in school, yet here you are with me in the clinic instead of going to your class."
"Anything for you, Janine," Mark looked straight into her eyes. "I will take care of you from now on."
She genuinely smiled. She saw sincerity, love and security in those eyes. She's melting.
"Janine," Nurse Jen called. She peaked through the curtain divider. They both looked at her, feeling embarrassed. "I already have your excuse letter. Your father is still here but he went to meet Professor Homer. He said you go ahead first. He trusts him," she said, referring to Mark.
"Thank you, Nurse Jen," she said. She got up. Mark helped her with her shoes and school things.
"Can you manage to walk?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you." She felt a little dizzy and couldn't stand straight.
"Let me help you." He held her arm and supported her while walking.
"We'll go home first, Nurse Jen."
"I'll visit you later after work to check on you," Nurse Jen offered. "Be careful going home."
Janine nodded. They both walk out of the clinic while Mark is still holding her. She felt a little embarrassed when students are looking at them, but Mark seemed doesn't care about it.
"Your father said he will look for the girl Nadia and ask about that slum note."
"I just don't know why am I always caught in this situation." Janine sighed. "Have I told you about my story when I was still a kid?"
Mark shook his head. "Not yet, I guess. What happened?"
"I didn't realize it not until I saw what happened to Mina, your sister." Janine paused. Mark opened the car door and she hopped in to the passenger seat. Mark rushed to the other side and hopped in to the driver's seat.
"What happened back then?" Mark didn't start the car engine yet.
"I was so young then, I hardly can remember the event. My father just told me recently about it." She pulled the seat belt and put it on. "He said, I picked up a bag from the street and the owner was a kidnap victim. I saw a vision of her taken in a white vehicle and I saw the plate number. They were able to solve the crime because of my vision and my father got promoted."
"You mean you really have this ability since you were young?"
Janine nodded. "Yeah. I didn't know. I never had anything like this after that incident years ago that my father told me, and before what happened to Mina."
"Maybe we could try to find someone who's knowledgeable about paranormal abilities and ask them, for you to handle your ability well. You can't just collapse anywhere after holding someone else's belongings."
"Where can we ask for help and guidance? I don't know anyone with deep knowledge about paranormal stuff." Janine sighed.
"I'll ask for help from my friends," Mark said. He started the car engine. "Or maybe Marvin knows someone we could talk to."
"Right!" Janine exclaimed. "He said he meets people with abilities anywhere, right?"
"Let's wait for him in your house. Let's go." He drove out of the school campus. "Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat for snacks?"
"Burger and fries would be fine." Janine smiled. She's shy but her stomach growled after hearing the word snacks. Jackie would go crazy if we don't buy for her, too. We both love burger and fries. "Can we buy for Jackie, too?"
"We'll buy snacks for everyone, don't worry," Mark assured her. "Anything for my princess."
Janine wanted to scream but she controlled herself. "I was called his princess! Oh, my..." she said in her mind. "Thank you." She smiled while holding her breath.
They went to a drive thru fast food chain and ordered food for everyone. Janine felt happy and contented how Mark treats her as a woman.
"Let's go," Mark said. He drove the car going to Janine's house.
Janine was busy looking outside the car window when her phone rang. "Hello?"
"Hi, Janine. It's Nadia," said the girl on the other line.
"Glad you called. How are you feeling?"
"I'm still down. I'm here at Sandy's wake. I can't accept she's already dead." Nadia cried.
"Calm down. You need to be strong for Sandy. We will find out what happened on the roof top."
"I hope Darryl and his friends would get their Karma," she said.
"Darryl?" Janine asked. "Is that the guy who bullied her?"
"Yes," Nadia replied. "Sandy had a crush on him since we're in grade school. She wrote it on the slum note I made last year. I brought it in school to give it to Sandy but I left it on my desk. Darryl's girlfriend, Sally, saw it. They bullied her non-stop since then. Sally is a notorious bully in school and Darryl is a suspected drug addict."
"So, that's how it started." Janine felt sorry for Sandy. "I'll visit her wake tomorrow. Hope to see you there, too."
"I'm always here everyday. Thank you for being kind to Sandy." She sniffed. "I still feel responsible for what happened to her. I was careless."
"I'm sure you didn't do it intentionally," Janine said. "We'll talk tomorrow. Just be strong and stop overthinking."
"Okay. Thank you," Nadia said before ending the call.
She just looked outside the car window and sighed.
- Writer
