~Asking For Friendships~

The three weeks that ensued the visit at the therapist's with her Dad and Adelina, Dolores gradually got comfortable with the smiling woman. Her visits became frequent to the therapist's office and although the woman had a tight schedule almost everyday, she never failed to accommodate Dolores when she came around.

The therapist, who Dolores loved to refer to as Miss Evelyn instead of Mrs, seemed to thoroughly enjoy her presence whenever she came around. She took her time to ask questions and dig out her worries as she spelt them to her.

As a closer, confidential relationship bloomed between her and the older woman, Dolores saw that unlike the previous therapist her Dad had taken her to, Mrs Evelyn didn't treat her like a fragile doll ready to break any moment anytime her mom was mentioned. She gave preventive measures for the nightmares as well as helped her to gradually ease out of the shell she had cocooned herself in, to become a more confident person. She showed her to develop a tougher skin in the presence of bullies instead of cowering like she always did.

This morning, she woke feeling lighter than she had felt in years having had a fitful sleep and discovered that the nightmares were nowhere to be found. Hours later, Dolores arrived school after repeatedly chanting to herself in front of her mirror how drop dead gorgeous she looked, she crossed her fingers hoping for her day to go as expected.

She was walking out of the first class thinking absentmindedly when she bumped hard into somebody. She froze thinking it was Nicolas again but it was an unfamiliar pair of dark eyes staring down at her. Her books as well as her heart dropped to the floor in fright when she recognized him as one of the guys that rarely hung out with Carlos, but that wasn't what fazed her. It was the fact that he wasn't giving her a hostile look as expected and it had her on the edge. Her thoughts were that Carlos was seeking revenge since he got publicly humiliated by Nicolas for her sake.

Before she could grab her books and vanish into thin air like she was hoping to, he already beat her to it. Arranging them into a neat bundle, he handed them over to Dolores who was too stunned to speak.

"I'm Simeon and I'm sorry about that." His hands were stretched out for a handshake. She stared at his hand for the longest time but did not take it.

"I'll take it that you don't do handshakes as well. That is cautious but if it works for you, no worries and why are you staring like you just saw a ghost?" He asked looking behind him.

He was oblivious to the thoughts swirling around in Dolores' head as she stood with a baffled expression. A couple of weeks ago, Nicolas stood up for her much to the chagrin of Carlos and had become friendlier to her ever since. Now, Simeon or whatever his name was trying to be friends with her?

She shook her head with her eyes closed tightly.

'I must have entered into an alternate universe for these acts of goodness to be happening to me in less than a month.'

When she opened them again, he was still standing in front of her with amusement written all over his face. She gathered the last bits of her courage which were still somewhere within her.

"Look, I know what you and Nicolas are aiming for but let me make you understand that I am not the same person you bullied in the past and got away unharmed."

He cocked a lazy eyebrow at her as he tried not to laugh. "What are you talking about? I'm trying to be friends with you and by the way, I don't remember bullying anyone."

"What a liar! Why then are you hanging out with Carlos?"

He raised his hands in defense. "Okay, if my little sister counts then yes, I bully her but not other people. I hung out with Carlos for lack of things to do but I was not always around them anyway."

As he mentioned it, Dolores noticed he was saying the truth. She had indeed seen him on one or two occasions but he wasn't a frequent sight like Nicolas who recently stopped hanging out with them.

She looked at him feeling wary of his next actions. "So, you don't hang out with them anymore? Why am I even asking since it's not any of my business?"

She made to walk away when she got pulled back by her arm. "I just want us to be friends plus I don't move with Carlos anymore. That has to be like two months ago since we last talked."

Another truth, she noticed.

"Well sad news, we can't be friends. Not when I'm busy seeking my revenge upon both of you and Carlos." She jerked her hand out of his hold, maneuvering around him to continue on her way but tried as she could, she couldn't stop his words from reverberating in her head.

Fortunately, he didn't put an arm out to stop her as she feared he would. She kept her gaze straight ahead and noticed Adelina standing a few feet away with a disgruntled expression. The look was not targeted at her but behind her where Simeon was. By the time she got close to where her friend stood, she had turned her attention to her locker.

"What does that jerk want with you?" Adelina shoved the jacket clutched in her hand into her locker and slammed it shut before looking at Dolores with arms crossed.

The addressed shrugged mindlessly as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ears and replied simply, "Friendship."

"What manner of friendship does he want with you? First it was Nicolas and now it's Simeon. Do they have a death wish?" Her round lips were drawn taut in a pout.

Dolores let out a small snort of laughter. "I honestly have no idea, Adelina." She paused to observe her and realized she was just arriving. "Why are you late today by the way?"

Adelina gave no replies but avoided the way blue eyes pierced into her skin seeking to discover more than she was revealing. She felt herself tense but before Dolores caught on, she quickly tried to mask her behavior with a calm composure.

"Talk to me, Lina. Did something bad happen at home? You're not usually this late to school." Dolores probed further, trying to ignore the curious gazes from the students milling about in the hallway.

"It's nothing. I woke up late today and I got a call for me from my parents. Unfortunately, they cancelled their trip home because business came up. Again."

Dolores felt her eyes widen as she threw a playful punch on her shoulder. "They were going to come and you didn't think to tell me? What kind of a best friend are you?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see a need to. I wanted it to be a surprise when I introduced you to them but as it stands, they won't be home until another one year. Maybe not." There was a sad glint in her eyes as she looked down at her shoes.

Dolores immediately realised what was wrong with the green eyed girl whose eyes started to shimmer with tears. She put her arms around Adelina despite being aware of how much she hated being vulnerable in public. In the few years she had known her, she came to the understanding that Adelina didn't like to fawned over but was more than willing to take pampering to the next level with the person she cared about.

"What has Noona said about this?" She queried in quiet tone.

Adelina pulled away from her embrace with a puzzled look. "What does Noona have to say about this? She is merely an employee despite how I have grown to know her as family. There is nothing much she can do to salvage this."

Dolores took her hand in hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'm positive it's going to be alright. It would be best to let things take their own course." A thought occured to her as she opened her locker to take notes for the next class. "How are you and Grayson working out?"

Dolores did not fail to notice the immediate switch in her demeanor. The cloud of gloom hovering over Adelina seemed to dissipate into nothingness as her lips turned upwards in one of her signature heart stopping grins. Dolores had to cock her eyebrows in a knowing manner.

"Actually, we got together some days ago. Sorry I didn't tell you. I got so occupied planning my parents' arrival and forgot to give you the details."

"Apology accepted and I'm happy you like him. I just hope he's here to stay for a long time instead of how you have evicted the other boys in your life." She replied with her curious blue orbs following Adelina's every move.

Adelina ducked her head to avoid her unrelenting gaze as she smiled. "We are okay, I guess." She sighed suddenly, raising her eyes to Dolores. "I really do like him and I do not want to mess things up like I have done the rest. Will you help me?"

There was a brief silence before the addressed doubled over with her hands over her lips to stop the hysterical laughter about to burst out of her. She pointed between herself and the frowning girl beside her. "Between us, you are more of a relationship expert than I am. Look at my history; one guy, zero expertise, zero experience. But you, you have what it takes."

Adelina stood unimpressed as a big frown contorted her pretty face. "You're offering no words of advice as you are expected to."

Dolores struggled to bite back another bout of laughter threatening to spill. "Try to talk out issues with him instead of bottling them up and letting them strangle you like sprouting seaweeds."

"Sicko!" Adelina walked away annoyed, leaving Dolores to follow on her trail.

~~~{•}~~~

I know I'm dragging this on longer than expected but the fun part would be worth it, I promise.

No fast pace here..just nice and slow. Don't forget not to get your panties in a twist.

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~~Tequila~~