章 7: Alycia’s Past
*Two Years Ago*
It was the first day back to school after a long break.
Students eagerly poured into their classes, ready to meet their friends and talk about their experiences.
But one student walked a bit slower than the others.
She had short purple hair, glasses, and a large face mask that covered most of her face. She walked through the halls with her head down, avoiding eye contact.
No one paid any attention to her, yet she felt like everyone was laughing.
She used her familiarity with the school to quietly find her way to class.
*Thud*
"Oof."
She accidentally bumped into someone. His body was solid, and she began to fall backward, bracing herself for the impact.
"Sorry about that." Instead of the pain she expected, she felt the warmth of someone catching her.
She opened her eyes and immediately recognized the boy who helped her.
Even though it was only his first semester at the school, he was already popular.
Handsome, athletic, and smart, he had quickly taken over her #1 spot in class rankings.
Flustered, she moved away from him, apologizing hastily.
"S-Sorry, Eden! I wasn't paying attention." She heard him laugh, and her heart sank as she assumed he was laughing at her. But then he spoke again.
"Nah, I shouldn't have been standing in the middle of the hallway. Are you okay?" His kind words warmed her heart. It wasn't much, but compared to what she was used to at school and home, it meant a lot.
"You're Alycia, right? We're in the same class. Want to walk together?" Eden smiled and gestured down the hallway.
Alycia nodded, a small smile hidden behind her mask.
The walk was pleasant, and they learned a little about each other. Once they arrived at the classroom, they went to their assigned seats.
"Hey, buddy, why were you with her?" A boy with blonde hair approached Eden as he sat down.
"Good morning, Eric. We bumped into each other and walked to class. She's nice." Eden replied.
Eric glanced at Alycia and shook his head, confused about why his friend would be interested in her.
"I'm telling you, Sylvia's going to be jealous if she sees you. You're lucky she's not in this class." Eric joked.
"Speaking of Sylvia—where's Kei? Still trying to woo her?" Eden looked around the room.
"You know it. They've been friends for so long, he's not giving up anytime soon." Eric said, shaking his head as they moved on with their day.
When lunchtime came, Eric said he was going to eat with Mike and would be back later.
Eden stayed behind in the cafeteria, scanning the room until he spotted Alycia sitting alone in the corner. He smiled and made his way over, declining invitations from other students.
"Hello!" he said, taking a seat across from her.
Alycia flinched at the greeting but quickly relaxed when she saw it was him.
"O-Oh, hi." she stammered, embarrassed by her awkward response, but his smile calmed her.
Lunch passed smoothly, and the two grew closer during that time.
The rest of the day was uneventful. At the end of the day, Eden stayed for practice, saying goodbye to his friends before heading to the gym.
A few hours later, exhausted and sweaty, he left practice. As he exited the gym, his smile returned when he saw Alycia still sitting outside, waiting for her parents.
He walked closer, about to greet her when he overheard her phone conversation.
"Why do you keep calling us?! Your father will come when he leaves the bar! I'm busy watching my shows, leave me alone!" A woman's voice shouted through the phone, and Alycia began to sob.
"It's only been four hours! If you really want to leave, I'll call your uncle to pick you up!"
It seems these words frightened her as her sobs quickly stopped.
"M-mom…please…you know why I don't want to be around him…" Her voice was shaky as she spoke.
"Ugh. This again? What's wrong with you? Your uncle wouldn't do anything like that to you, stop lying!" Only silence followed before a dial tone was heard, indicating that her mother hung up.
Alycia's sobs resumed as she sat there, the cold wind blowing against her face.
"Hey…"
Startled by the sound, Alycia looked up and saw Eden approaching. She quickly wiped her tears and moved over to give him space to sit.
Eden hesitated, then took a seat a good distance from her, unsure of what to say.
"Did… did you hear that?" Alycia broke the silence.
Eden was honest.
"Yeah… sorry about that. I didn't mean to eavesdrop."
They sat in silence for a few minutes before Eden spoke again.
"We barely know each other, but if you ever want to talk about it, I'm here. No judgment. I'll listen."
Alycia didn't reply verbally, but she nodded.
Time passed slowly as they sat together in silence. Alycia glanced at him, noticing his tired expression and sweat-soaked shirt. She wondered why he hadn't left yet.
Sensing her gaze, Eden looked down at himself.
"Oh, I just came from practice. I probably don't smell the best, huh? I'll move over there. I was just waiting until your ride arrived." he said.
Panic rushed through her as she thought he was offended, but when he mentioned waiting for her ride, warmth filled her chest on that cold night.
As he stood up to leave, she boldly grabbed his arm. He looked down at her, confused.
"Why? I can tell you're tired. Why won't you go home and rest? Why have you been so nice to me today?" she asked, her voice small but sincere.
Eden paused, thinking about her question.
"I'd consider us friends… but honestly, I don't really know. I'm just following my instinct. It's the first time in a long time I've let it guide me."
He smiled. "So of course, I can't leave a friend alone this late. Even though we're on school property, it's not the safest neighborhood."
He sat back down next to her.
Alycia didn't say anything, but she looked into his eyes and smiled softly.
"friend…" she whispered under her breath.
They sat quietly for a while longer until a car pulled up. Alycia's face relaxed slightly, so he figured it wasn't her uncle.
His expression hardened for a moment, but he softened it when he looked at her.
"I'll walk you to the car. I live nearby, so I'll be heading that way anyway." Eden offered, standing up.
Alycia nodded, walking with him. As they reached the car, Eden opened the door for her, and she climbed into the back seat.
He then leaned over to the passenger window and made eye contact with her father.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Eden, Alycia's friend. Just wanted to introduce myself. It's dangerous this late at night…drive safe, okay?"
His gaze turned cold as he said the last words.
Alycia's father, initially uninterested, suddenly felt a wave of fear. It was as though an invisible force was tightening around his neck, suffocating him. He didn't even respond before Eden stepped back, turning his attention to Alycia.
"You have a beautiful smile. Good night, Alycia."
Eden stepped away from the car, and her father, now pale, drove off slowly.
Alycia sat in the back seat, blushing at his words, then suddenly remembered.
'My mask!'
She had taken off her mask earlier, exposing her bruised and cut face.
Yet, there was no disgust in Eden's eyes. He wasn't repelled by her appearance. And after what she had just witnessed with her father, she knew he was angry on her behalf.
"Friend." she whispered to herself. It was the first time anyone had called her that.
The rest of the ride home was quiet, her father still shaken, while she smiled the whole way.
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