Chương 21: Chapter 18 – The Beginning Of The End

My centuries long overdue return [a slight exaggeration], strolling through the majestic park gate, decorated in typically fine fashion with a single wildly alluring and intricately designed dragon statuette carefully perched beside either gate (together with my very unexpected accomplice), couldn't have occurred on a more gorgeous day. The warming rays of the sun bore down upon us as the small tufts of cloud originally littered across the sky had ultimately dissipated towards non-existence, leaving behind the calming aqua blue tinge humans could stare towards endlessly; A far-cry from the unrelenting thunderstorms bearing down upon us throughout yesterday.

The breath-taking natural beauty within the park sparkled magnificently as the recently watered plants and greenery, twinkled whilst perfectly reflecting the sun's tranquil rays. Having largely overcome my recent disillusionment with humanity, my currently inviting and picturesque surroundings appeared almost as if to be celebrating my positive new outlook on life; Eagerly awaiting the return of that giddy and innocent child once thought completely lost to the unforgiving fabric of time itself.

Jenna on the other hand was looking substantially more akin to her usual self, lighting her third cigarette within the space of roughly 9 minutes....Though I imagine an impromptu healthy-living lecture regarding the future dire consequences of tobacco, may not be the best idea in my current situation:

"You know we're in a park, right???? You're not really supposed to smoke here...."

"I'm sorry have we somehow entered the anime called, that time I died and was magically reincarnated as Jenna Knight's dad??" (There's an anime called that time I was reincarnated as a slime......Yeah a slime...Seriously I just reference the names, I don't pick them.)

Exhaling an exasperated sigh whilst swinging her sexy long legs and plopping herself comfortably onto a deserted park bench before loudly patting the space next to her, stubbornly refusing in typical fashion to gaze in my direction.

Carefully taking a seat, (slightly away from my apparently designated area mind you), Jenna proceeded to retrieve the two bottles of Vanilla Coke from her bag, passing one to myself before opening and gracefully sipping her own, (so now she decides to act lady-like, go figure).

"Thanks."

"Not sure why your thanking me, considering you paid for it." Jenna gazed ponderously into the distance as she spoke, her tone of voice carried the slightest hint of irritation however her blank expression proved almost impossible to read. Regardless of minute details, Jenna's intense popularity was undoubtedly well deserved; Despite being slightly small in the chest department she emanated an aura you'd associate with that of an alluring unpolished natural beauty....Also (not to sound perverted), but those long luscious legs of hers could literally be the dictionary-definition of perfection!!

"So, Miss Knight, want to tell me the purpose of inviting me here??? Or are we just going to lounge about and enjoy this admittedly gorgeous view??" Cautiously craning my head to face Jenna who in turn recapped her drink yet once again refused to meet my gaze, instead gazing despairingly towards her lap. My feelings are that Miss Knight maybe in dire need of an in-depth review of her current extremely below-par social skills.....Though I may be in danger of that age-old adage involving a pot, a kettle and the colour black.

"What's your first name Creed?" Narrowing my gaze in bewildered perplexity towards Jenna, I remain hopelessly unable to gauge our current situation. The insistent and emphatic refusal to meet my gaze, coupled with the flagrant ignoring of my question leave me understandably questioning my own relevance within this conversation, (if this exchange even qualifies for a conversation that is!!)

"Shimon."

"You know Shimon.....You're the first boy bar Scott whose even attempted a conversation with me in God knows how many years." Jenna's abject words affected me deeply. Achieving clarity in regards to her solemn expression and distant gaze left within me deep feelings of regret. It's safe to say Scott was absolutely justified in his harsh criticism of my misjudged pre-conceptions, (and believe me it's killing me inside to say those words).

Loneliness is a wide-reaching and truly frightening prospect becoming ever more pronounced in almost every culture stretching towards the far reaches of the earth and is sadly able to manifest in various horrific shapes or forms. Certain cases maybe substantially easier to recognise, however in those people with hardened exteriors and with a tendency to hide their emotions a diagnosis can become all the more difficult.

My own particular case was that of forced loneliness, forcibly cutting myself off from all human contact due to all-encompassing feelings of hurt coupled with absolute hopelessness. On the other hand, Eve's case was not only a direct result of my own disregard towards my precious sister, her strong character and caring attitude conversely instilled misplaced feelings of overwhelming responsibility whereby Eve felt it necessary to shoulder the lofty burden all upon her lonesome. In Jenna's case her wildly misunderstood negative reputation combined with a shockingly woeful lack of social skills, had seemingly dissuaded the male members of society from trying to befriend or even attempting a conversation with her.

Regardless of the highly diverse events progressing towards our current situation, the final outcome remained the same and therefore I couldn't help but feel a strong sense of empathy towards this beautiful (yet slightly unapproachable), female currently sat cross-legged beside myself.

"Really??? With that endearing smile and welcoming body language of yours, I can't see why guys aren't falling head over heels in their feeble attempts at trying to strike up a conversation with you." Flashing a playful little smile in Jenna's direction brought about the desired effect as she suddenly burst out laughing, perfectly epitomising the phrase "kawaii" (Japanese for a cute/red faced girl).

"Your pretty funny Shimon I'll give you that."

"Thanks...Say Jenna would you mind if I ask you something?" The deep-set hesitation in my voice caused me to stutter as Jenna stopped laughing and gazed questioningly into my eyes, her softly spoken reply carried the faintest hint of weary inevitability:

"Sure…..Go ahead."

"I haven't known you for very long...…But you seem way too nice to be involved with the girls who attacked Mia and my sister." Jenna almost ashamedly averted her eyes towards her lap, hurriedly closing her bottle, taking substantially longer than normal to place it in her bag due to her nervously trembling hands.

Momentarily exhaling; Jenna steadily rose to her feet whilst hoisting her bag across her shoulder, flashing a forced smile in my direction before quietly speaking a few words in my general direction:

"Thanks for indulging me Creed....I should really be going…." Jenna only managed to walk a few short steps before stopping dead in her tracks; Instantly raising myself off the bench and standing steadfast directly in-front of Jenna's path. I stood silently gazing towards her whilst my immediate surroundings suddenly felt devoid of warmth, mean-whilst Jenna's breathing had very quickly turned venomous. The whites of her eyes no longer resembled a lonely grey instead they were tainted with a fiery rage, her cheeks burning a dark shade of crimson as she gripped me harshly around my shirt collar, temporarily cutting off my circulation in the process:

"What are you going to do Jenna...HIT ME? GO AHEAD, prove to everyone that your EXACTLY the type of girl they say you are!"

What pushes humans towards a compulsive action such as acting completely out of character? A select few have the innate confidence to easily adapt to any and every situation, however in general the more introverted a person the more likely they are to act within their specified comfort zone. Acting provocative towards someone of Jenna's ilk would until only recently have been almost unthinkable, however the image of Eve surrounded like a terrified dear before a pack of hungry lions had lit a burning fire within me. Resolve for those you consider most dear, that's what pushes you over the edge.

"Just who the FUCK do YOU think you are Creed? Suddenly you think you know everything about me??? YOU judgmental little prick!!!"

"Your right I....I don't know anything about you Jenna......But I.......I.......I THOUGHT WE COULD BE FRIENDS!!!!!!!!!" Shutting my eyes tightly closed whilst pathetically squealing my final words, the image of Jenna rearing her arm back whilst clenching her fists in preparation to strike became imprinted in my mind as I anxiously braced myself for the inevitable searing pain. However, the pain never arrived, my surroundings remaining eerily silent whilst the grip around my collar suddenly loosened.

Nervously opening my eyes; I was faced with the image of a despondent Miss Knight staring wide-eyed towards the floor with tears welling up around her eyes, the expression etched upon her face screamed of pure and utter hopelessness. Taking a few deep breaths in order to relieve some of my pent-up anxiety, I impulsively pulled a tissue from my pocket and calmly held it towards Jenna, who in turn nodded her head gratefully whilst carefully wiping away the tears.

"Creed…I mean Shimon...Did you really mean that?? You actually want to be friends with someone who threatened you twice in the space of less than an hour??" Jenna's gaze remained fixed firmly towards the floor, momentarily holding her breath as she anxiously awaited a response. My initial reaction was naturally geared towards a sarcastic/playful response, however certain situations require a tender and compassionate approach especially towards someone whose typical ideals have been emphatically shattered. Tenderly placing my hand across Jenna's shoulder, I pursed my lips into a warm smile as Jenna gazed into my eyes:

"You're asking me the impossible Jenna…You can't want to be friends with someone you already consider a friend, right?? Now I think we should celebrate our new friendship with dinner, I'll message Eve that she should be expecting a guest." A look of pensiveness crept along Jenna's face as she stuttered with her words:

"Dinner???? Do you really think Eve would be ok…With me coming...Specially considering everything that happened with her???" The wide grin remained a constant feature across my lips as I flashed a knowing wink towards Jenna:

"You have no clue how amazing my baby sister really is."

Joyously walking side by side towards that familiar place I refer to as home, whilst the warming rays of the sun begin its final descent towards the horizon, the backdrop provided by the breath-taking palette of colours felt as if from another world. The striking pink encircled by the encroaching reds, yellows and oranges provided by the oncoming dusk, left the two of us completely speechless as I silently began praying Eve wouldn't act too surprised towards our unexpected guest; Taking a deep breath whilst momentarily closing my eyes as I stepped upon the threshold, before carefully placing my weight upon the handle:

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My initial hesitation remained typically unfounded as Eve graciously welcomed Jenna into our home, before masterfully teaching (a very sheepish looking Miss Knight), the intricacies behind preparing my favourite dish...Lamb chops, kebabs and egg-fried rice!! Literally drooling in anticipation as the glorious scents emanating from the two gorgeous girls cooking peaked my taste-buds towards unfathomable levels.

The sight of my sister lovingly berate a clearly joyous Jenna, warmed my heart as I began questioning the seemingly steep upturn in recent events. Were the ephemeral girl to once again reappear before me and ask those 4 frightening words, for the very first time I could reply: I finally have everything I ever wanted.

However, fate remains the cruellest of mistresses. Yin will always follow Yang and in similar fashion, steep upturns will always be proceeded by merciless hardships. Those foolhardy individuals who wish to ignore this seemingly inescapable truth will inevitably be tossed into the blazing flames. As a great man once said, "nothing hits harder than life, what matters is how hard you can get hit and get back up."

But what happens when you get hit so hard it's impossible to get back up??

Interlude:

God what a miserable fricking day, though at the very least I have a chance to try out these cute matching boots and jacket I bought literally decades ago!! How long has it been exactly.....Roughly 2-3 months since I arrived and I'm seriously struggling, however this may inadvertently provide me with a very fortuitous opportunity for some alone time with a dear old friend.......

Tightening my grip around the handle of my umbrella and drawing it closer towards the warmth emanating from my body, the disorienting roar of thunder from somewhere in my close vicinity forces me to quicken my pace. Carelessly sloshing through the deep pools of rain, my breathing becomes heavy and uneven as the door to my apartment building draws near. Ignoring the vibration within my pocket, I desperately pull out my keys and fling open the door, steadying myself so as not to fall over as I scurry inside.

Slamming the door closed, I momentarily lean my back against the frame and attempt to catch my breath as the deafening roar of thunder booms from just behind my door. Shaking my head in dismay, the vibration within my pocket from earlier comes to mind as I carefully pull out my phone and open the message from Eve:

"Rea.......I'm going to tell him tomorrow......No time left.......Kinda scared, wish me luck? xOxXo"

Re-reading the message a few times fails to provide any clarity as I hang up my jacket and wearily collapse onto the couch. Unable to think of anything remotely useful, I settle for simplicity yet ponder on the almost inevitable negative repercussions:

"Good Luck Babes...Love You lots!!! XxoXOx."