"Jessica," he began tentatively, "there's something I need to tell you."

"Hmm? " Abruptly, Jessica turned her face towards Ryan. "Don't tell me-"

"I-" Ryan's heart sped up to match the pace of light itself. He could feel his cheek burning and turning red like a potato.

"-you... you found someone!? Didn't you!? AAHA!" Jessica clapped her hands and chirped. The usual light in her eyes shone even brighter. "I knew it." She let out a loud sigh. "Am I the only one to know about it?" She winked at Ryan.

At any other time, Ryan would have argued, demystified Jessica's misconception, only this time, he did not have the heart to. Pangs of guilt wrenched his gut as he looked at her with a tired expression, adorned with a weary smile. How could he ruin it all for her? For himself? For all the friendship they have had? And worse of all, how could he let her recall all the past before they were friends.

Jessica switched schools when she was in grade five. That was when she first knew Ryan. She was a little girl- loner, socially anxious, and tiny at ten years old. She was often bullied by almost her classmates at her previous school, which was verbal and physical, and so when that number of bullies reduced to a mere girl and few other boys, she thought it was heaven.

Of course, she had no idea what bullying was, at that age. And her parents were too busy to care.

Her crush on Ryan developed when she realized he paid attention to her. A lot, that is. He spared no possible effort from his end to try and make her more open to conversations, and comfortable with people. It was a simple little thing where he would approach her for conversations, which she was too scared to do herself, but kind gestures often amplify themselves in the heart of the receivers. The giver often forgets, the receiver- is bound lifelong.

Her feelings were raw, childish, carefree, and free of exchanges. She wanted nothing more than just be in his company at school, and when she would find herself a little too vacant, she would sit by the window side and dream, daydream. Of Ryan. Of every two-liner conversation he has had with her.

That was until grade eighth. 

That year, Ryan confessed to liking another girl. 

And that instant- it was all gone for little Jessica.

Years passed. And high school came.  

In all honesty, Jessica's heart was already over the little thing called 'first love'. She was focused on her studies more than ever, yet in a moment of confusion she decided to confess.

Knowing, she would be declined. Although she never proposed, she knew her emotions were only in her head. She had never had a full human length conversation with anyone at school, forget Ryan. Even if there might have been... possibilities, there were none.

Of course, she was declined.

Her budding heart, full of summer breeze, full of youth, knowing well what was to come, still shattered like fragile glass when it happened. Days and days her mood went off, she would cry and cry for hours, locking herself in a room, not saying a word to her mum, or dad. 

She hated herself. She hated Ryan. Herself, for she thought she was over him, and prepared. Herself, for ever confessing to him. Ryan, for simply coming into her life. For simply making him fall in love with her.

Love, I say is a vice darker than Hades' lust, Athena's jealousy.

It was this vice, that thrived inside Jessica for years, and it had now taken the shape of a parasite that sucked on her desire to be with Ryan, and her refusal to accept that very fact.

"I'll Kill myself!" She cried in anguish as her body tremored when standing opposite to the guy she was obsessed with. "And it will be because of you!"

That was when Ryan turned into the villain that he was, in Jessica's story.

Nevertheless, Jessica spent years recovering from the loss a simple rejection and the complex slander Ryan's wrath had brought upon her. She still followed him into college, by fate perchance, and that was when she paused and reflected.

She was then truly over him.

And that was a bitter memory, more to Jessica, less to Ryan. One, that better stayed unvisited.

"Yeah. No."

Jessica narrowed her eyes into amused slits. "What would that mean, sir?" 

Ryan bent towards Jessica. "That means, ma'am, that I am out looking for someone. And will soon find the treasure of the quest." Jessica giggled and patted Ryan on the back. Then her grin turned into a platonic smile, expressing nothing but thanks for the happiness and peace they had all found in life as individuals. They had lost much, and found some. Amongst all they had found, she felt, contentment- was most precious. That thought, made her giddy over Ryan's deceptive words.

"It is nice." She stated genuinely. "It is high time now, life is moving faster than it did at eighteen, or ever before." Placing her hands on Ryan's she assured him. "Trust me, it's all easier with a companion. I hope you can find someone. I really do." Realizing her eyes were brimming with tears, she turned her face away and quickly wiped them off. 

Now, the sky had turned pitch black. Stars had multiplied, the moon still remained one, and the two pairs of eyes admired the scene till they drooped low to sleep.

******

A long, lean finger, pedicured on time with an exquisite display of nail art moved swiftly towards a phone and a green button was pressed.

Driver Jay... Calling  flashed on the screen.

Ring... Ring... Ring

"Hello?"

"WHERE. THE. FUCK. ARE. YOU?"

Jay drove by the empty farms alongside the highway in full speed. Ironically, his pulse was also in full speed as he was still in the robes of the hospital that had refused to discharge him. Apparently, his health was deteriorating.

But his employer had just landed in the city with no prior notice of her arrival. He had though, informed her of his half-a-day's absence from work. 

"I will be right there, Ma'am."

"You better be."

Heels that could almost dig into the tiles stomped their way upto an empty bench and stationed themselves a lady-like position. Then, a rather well fed yet moderately thin butt sat down onto the cool metallic surface.

Two minutes had passed.

"Can I have a look at that?"

In the middle of the night, at Beijing Airport, the bored woman, decorated with expensive luxuries and icy gold called Portia sat next to a little girl whose mom was fast asleep beside.

The little girl handed over a brand-new novel to the lady, quite precious to her in fact, not suspecting something could go wrong.

Portia flipped the pages of the book in annoyance. Writers were the biggest bullshit on the planet earth, she told herself. Then again, she turned the book back to page one, and skimmed through the lines. 

It was on page three when it happened. 

Portia taught herself to move, sit, walk and talk and laugh with poise. With grace that suited her temperament, pretentious temperament. Her hands would always move with elegance like that of a viscountess from the Britian. 

In doing all her customary gestures, she had somehow pulled the page of the book with a little too much force, resulting in a complete tear dividing it into two parts resembling the map of South and North American Continents.

The little girl saw it from the side of her eyes.

In a hurry, Portia hid the torn part between random pages of the book and quickly returned it to its owner. Then, she scurried off in the hustle of the airport.

To have seen her precious book been torn, and the culprit escape with not a word of apology right in front of her eyes, the child decided to not create a scene and wondered what sort of curse she should silently cast on the evil woman. Kids were too much into dramas these days. Had Portia apologized, she would have forgiven her with all her heart. Mistakes happen, but this strong charactered girl was kind, and taught to only forgive the ones who at least have the courage to admit to having done something wrong. Whatever spell she cast, her impression of this model looking woman was that of a bad human. 

Kids are often right.

But it might not be true. After all, Portia was a friend to Mary.

And, of interest to Ryan.

Of interest to Jessica.