1 Bandage Love

Chapter 1

Ash was humming softly in the rhythm of the ballad played in his earpiece. The sun was burning, the rays had entered the windows in the school. He strolled along the corridor, he had a roughed face and dark spots under his eyes.

The campus was usually not in silence instead of a countless rattle of the students everywhere, even dozens of them in the corridor. They were within earshot of each other.

Ash's feet tap on the floor, creating a low pitch sound.

Multiple eyes had landed on Ash and they yammered.

Asb proceeded to his pace and just stayed quiet, his pinkish lips twitched and tighten his lips. His are like a burned pile of wood dust, his pupil never glimpses in any person.

The breeze howl, Ash wavy raven hair swayed together with the wind and he combed it with his fingers.

A pleasant feeling runs to the nostrils of Ash's pointed nose while wearing a cold facial expression, he was always used to it whenever he arrived at the school in the morning. Who wouldn't be popular for a guy in class A-1? In other words, the highest section in the campus.

Ash halted as he reached his room at the end of the hall, he removed his earpiece and put it away as he entered his room. His head had almost hit the entrance of the door.

The room was neat and clean but the class regularly has its own world to explore with. Some of them even gasconade themselves.

Ash shuffled his feet making away from his classmates and plopped on his seat at the back by the window before taking his phone out of his pocket, texting his friend, Cloud, to join him lunch after the bell ring.

But Cloud response made Ash to lower his head, knowing that he can't be with him in today's lunch.

Ash placed his phone on the table and grab the purse into his pocket, he opened it and stare at the moment.

Ash put it away and just couldn't help to agonize without having Cloud to join him. He sighed and narrowed his eyes while biting his lips. Slight anguish was shown from his eyes, he roamed his eyes in random faces in the room.

A burst of laughter and bright faces are shown from Ash's classmates.

While Ash was alone in his seat, motionlessly watching, he crossed his arms as and look away without hesitation.

The campus was filled by the bell.

Iris heels are tapping on the floor came from the hallway that caught the students attention at the room's door. They've stopped to their business hence they've put all their attention in front of the board.

Iris entered inside the room in front of the crowd and put her leather bag on the table, fixing her clothes, she had a shoulder-length brown sugar hair, her rosebud lips form a smile, her face had a bright gaze.

"All right, let's start." Iris began.

The class was quite focused on their discussion, you could barely see someone chatting together while Iris was explaining the lesson.

The others were bowing their head sketching any random art in their notebook, some of them were taking notes.

On the other hand, Ash was just staring at Iris, blinking his eyes while licking up his lips with a sour taste.

Ash yawned in the middle of the teacher's lesson, he rotated his head in the window staring outside, and he couldn't help to had deep thoughts running to his mind. He pressed his lips together before he decided to squeeze his eyes shut.

The class we're starting to have a small babble.

"Settle down," Iris ordered yet the chatters grew wider.

"Am I making myself clear?" Iris slammed the table as they falls into silence.

For a long time, at last, the bell rang once again.

The students automatically rush to the door.

The others left their things unfixed.

There he was, Ash sitting in his chair fixing his things putting it back inside his bag.

The room was almost empty except for the two people inside.

"Mr. Lewisville…?" Iris broke the silence.

Ash raised his head and saw no one except the person that is standing in front. He seemed not to notice it because he been busy focusing on himself.

Iris was fixing her things the same way as Ash did, she opened her lips saying, "Aren't you going to lunch?"

"I'm going, ma'am Iris," says Ash.

"Mind if you help me, Mr. Ashton Chaos?" Iris raise her brow.

Ash was silent for a moment while staring at Iris, it was so different being called by his full first name.

For a moment of silence, Ash finally took a pace towards Iris while his lips are open, "Just call me Ash, ma'am."

Iris nod her head, "Alright." She smiled as she bit her lips, "Would you like us to lunch together with me too?"

Iri offered and gave him a wink before she burst into laughter while waving her hand in the air. "Just kidding,"

Ash's eyes flashed while he was staring at her blankly and never spoke anything, he didn't smile or anything, his stomach grumbled and his throat was itchy it was merely oblivious to understand such baffle talk coming from an adult.

In a moment, Iris and Ash step out of the door as they walk together in the hallway.

For a moment of silence, except for heels tapping on the floor. None in the both of them had guts to say anything instead the cat only caught their tongue.

Ash's eyes were squinting while watching his footsteps that moving along the pace with his teacher.

They had reached the hall, at last, Iris faced him with a wide smile in her face.

"I'll just take it from here." Iris took the stuff from Ash's hands, she bit her lower lips as the scene flashes to her mind what she'd done the while ago.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Ash." Iris exclaimed before she turned her back and raised her hand before she entered the office room.

Ash was left there not moving an inch, an odd gaze surrounded his place as if he was being watched as if from a distance like those eyes are darting at him for a long time, ever since they were walking together in the hallway. He investigated his surroundings however he found nothing except an empty hall and no sign of a person. He shakes his head and decided to clear those thoughts running to his mind.

On the other hand, Sharia sighed after packing her stuff from her room, she opened her cabinet and took bunch of her favorite clothes as she dropped a picture from it.

Sharia bend her knees and take the picture from the floor, her jaw dropped and immediately put her hands in her lips, tears join her silent agony when she realize the person in the picture. She had an emotional breakdown as she placed her hands in her chest.

Jenny knocked at the door, "Honey, don't take too much stuff. Don't be a burden, okay?! Only get those things that you only know that important!"

Sharia wiped her tears away, "I know, I know!" She took deep breath as she tried to calm herself and hid the picture inside the box before gathering her confidence to open the door.

"What's taking you so long?!" Jenny asked and crossed her arms, glaring at her.

Sharia shake her head, "Nothing, mom. But... Can I visit my friend and gave them goodbyes?"

"Fine." Jenny sighed and stroke her hair.

"Don't forget that thing be for you leave!" Jenny poured water on the glass and gave it to Sharia.

Sharia nodded and response and obeying her mother. "Done, I'm leaving then!"

"Be careful, also be back before dawn! Or else!" Jenny walked away.

Sharia laughed before changing her clothes and left home, only to visit ber friends personally.

At the school, the students are already dismissed, some students hurried their way home.

The campus was almost empty but few people are still left, the school's employees and few pupils.

While Ash was at the library, he was taking a pace in few book section, he roamed his eyes, but a girl from afar had caught from his sight, she was staring at him when he glanced back at her place she was gone.

Ash blinked for a moment, that was quite odd for him and sighed, wiggling his head and look away as he turned his back and picked a book from the shelf and a scent of printed papers emerged as he the open the pages.

As time pass, the sunsets and Ash was in front of the academy's gate. He moved his feet and crossed the road on at another side of the street. He entered the café and coffee and a pleasant fragrance had run to his nose. Ash ordered a coffee latte and blueberry cake before he sat down on the chair facing the table.

His eyes gleamed staring at those flowers nicely detailed and set on the tables as he flashes a smile. He shook his head and put his backpack on his lap, and then he pulled out a laptop. He put it in on the table, he put his backpack down the table and opened the laptop. His hand moved on the keyboard that created a ticking. His eyes we're drowning from his deep thoughts.

Ash suddenly stopped, he checked out his surroundings. His eyes were merry, suddenly the corner of his mouth lifted before he went back into his business. The gaze was bright, the wall was made with wooden planks while the tiles are shades with beige and butter. The café was keeping his inspiration on fire without having any distractions.

But only when a scenario struck to his mind, as he stared at nowhere and his mind was filled with an empty black space, until then...

Ash thoughts was drowning in his mind, can't help to imagine a new world within it, the thunder clapped within the distance as the raindrops pattering at the house roofs and everywhere in the structure of buildings.

The sky was unusually darker today and there's no visible light from the sun can be seen anywhere within the city alley.

"Stop here," Hallie waved her hand by the side of the road, she had long face and cold eyes staring at the taxi driver's eyes at the rear view mirror.

The driver's eyes was focused on the road, taxi pulled over as the driver stared at her from the rear mirror, "Are you sure you wanna get off here, madam?"

Without any hesitation Hallie opened the door and step out of the taxi, her hand held the taxi door close. She immediately ran with her might, numbness filled her system underneath the heavy rain. She stare up the sky.

In fact, Hallie's heart tighten as tears cascading down from her eyes. She decide to head back home by walking barefoot, astounded, drench all over in the rain. She was agonizing after knowing that someone special to her had left her too early.

Hallie wiped her tears away and started to take a pace gathering courage to reach her home. Upon walking barefoot, she halted in front of the door. Her movements became fidget as she bit her lips and knocked few times.

A glasses plate with blueberry cake clang on the table that woke Ash from his thoughts and a cup of coffee latte were placed beside it.

"Please enjoy sir," the girl bowed her head for a bit before she fled, leaving Ash alone in his seat.

Ash paused and sighed for a moment, later deciding to take a nibble in his cake, the sweet-savory flavor of blueberries played in his mouth and continued taking another bite again what his mind can only describe as ambrosial. He also sipped in his cup of coffee as he continued to type again.

The sky was vintage rose and slightly hyacinth, Ash decided to keep his belongings and put it inside his bag. He even finished his meal before leaving the café and stormed off.

While Ash was moving in the street, the sky had started to darken, and he couldn't help to glance at the sunset, the day has almost turned into night, what would the morning bring? Those thoughts had stuck to his mind, he sighed as he took his pocket and stare at the woman from the photo for a while, his eyes are narrowed, and he was biting his lips.

"I miss you…"

The other words were left to be unspoken.

The night takes place, Ash managed to arrive in front of his home. He stepped inside the lawn, and then he turned the doorknob. His sight found his father sitting on the couch. Danielle was narrowing his eyebrows and biting his nails.

The door did creak as he glanced and saw that his son was back from school.

"Hey, I will leave for the rest of the night. And the rest will be yourself to deal with." Danielle enunciated and Ash put his bag down the couch beside his father, hoping his father just leave soon, and he really does want to be left alone.

"I'll be fine. Leave already." Ash answered while taking out the laptop from his bag.

"I just really need to spend my time in the veterinary clinic, an emergency comes every time. Even the middle of the night people may come and seek help, you know." Ash's father explained.

"Well, if you feel hungry just get anything from the fridge or cook something in the kitchen." Danielle pointed out the kitchen and Ash nodded.

"Got it. If that's everything you wanted to say, you can leave now, bye." Ash replied before he went upstairs.

Leaving Danielle dumbfounded and just sighed left more words unspoken from his mind.

"That kid. I'll guess I have to take my leave then." Danielle mumbled and hissed before he stood on his feet and left home.

Ash opened the door of his room, he placed the laptop on the table so as his phone and went all the way to the balcony.

The water started pouring from the sky as someone pulled by in front of Ash's neighbor's house. He was sure that was empty... But now, someone had arrived to occupied the empty space.

Ladies emerged from the back as the taxi left already, both of the ladies hands are full of boxes, then entered the house turning the light on.

As the girl's mother was busy taking their things from the truck, the lady was holding an umbrella and her back was turn within sight of Ash, but the lady felt a gaze of someone watching her, she turned her head and saw Ash from the balcony.

They had a long moment of staring contest.

"Honey, stop standing there and help me here!" The girl's mother said.

The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, "Fine, I'm coming!"

Until Ash yawned and entered back inside and laid on his bed as he drifted off to sleep.

The night turns onto the day, the sun had already risen.

While Ash is still asleep, laying on his bed. The breeze howls together with the clapping leaves of the trees.

In Ash fantasy, a little boy was dazzled in the sun, he was under the tree staring at the woman in the field of white roses, it was back turned and her hair was swaying together with the wind.

"I wonder if you still remember me…" Those voices filled his ears and a little boy tried to insight the person when suddenly the surrounding light grew wider.

"Ash..."

The woman uttered and the little boy had a blurry vision while she was facing him, he barely has seen her face, a few events flashes in his mind, such as the woman was pushing him in the swing, kissing him to his forehead, and everything went black.

"Can you sing me a song…?" The boy whispered as the faded voice of a woman singing had filled his ears.

A clap of thunder clapped and interrupted her song and was followed by a shaken voice of his father screaming the woman's name...