41 The picnic-4

Zara tried repeating herself, "I...I saw Rebecca, she was slapped and people were hurting her."

Veronica gave her a bright smile, "Wow really. Dang, I missed it."

Zara rolled her eyes, "I am serious V."

Jake reached both of them and smiled at Zara, "There is nobody here, Z. Maybe it was a trick of the light or you are watching too many sci-fi movies."

Zara tried opening her mouth, apparently puzzled with herself, "But-"

Veronica slapped on her shoulder, "Gosh, I thought you two were making out in the woods."

Zara was so taken aback by her best friend's comment that she momentarily forgot what she was talking about. She stomped on Veronica's foot, her eyes bulging like balloons.

Jake's cheeks too looked flushed and he tried to speak evenly, "Umm..can we go have our picnic now?"

Zara pulled Veronica near her and hissed in her ear, " Why didn't you tell me you had invited Jake too?"

Veronica focussed her beady eyes on the ground, navigating her way through the muck and dirt, while being loud enough that Jake would hear her, "Why should I invite him? I made the plans with him, only he arrived a bit late. Are you saying he shouldn't be here."

A cursory glance at Jake told Zara that he had heard Veronica. His shoulders slouched and he began pacing fast, putting enough distance between himself and the two girls following him.

Zara glared at Veronica but she only looked at her with innocence, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Zara began running towards him and called him once or twice but he kept walking straight ahead. Zara muttered under her breath and took to jogging.

She was surprised that she was panting when they reached their picnic spot but Jake didn't look like he had just walked a few miles without any breaks.

Zara gasped for air as she bent with her hands on her knees. When Jake didn't stop she shouted, "Are you going to ignore me, J?"

Jake still didn't answer and continued walking out of the spot where the grass met the dirt road. Had he walked here all the way?

Zara couldn't run after him anymore and shouted, "What is your problem, J?"

Jake stopped walking and his fingers curled into fists. He turned around and faced her, his face streaked with sorrow. "What is my problem? I don't have any problem with anyone."

Zara was surprised to see him angry, he was always polite and gentle. "What else do I say? You are running away as if you can't hear me."

Jake gave a sad smile, "That is exactly what I could say."

His face looked troubled as if he was trying to put the right words instead of the wrong ones that wanted to be out and biting, "I...I wanted to surprise you, but I guess I just crashed your picnic."

Zara tried to reason, "Jake, it is not you, it is me."

Jake's lips turned into a thin line as he nodded his head, "Mm-hmm. Yes, that is the answer to all the problems, isn't it?"

The warm sunny atmosphere was suddenly turning into a cold and turbulent one. Zara glanced up at the skies, while it had been brightly colored with specks of whites dotting the horizon, now it was taking the shape of something cold and bitter. Grey clouds were quickly beginning to fill in and Zara felt prickly winds raking through the leaves like an angry horde of bees.

"Jake, I-"

Jake raised his hand and thrust it forward, a sign that asked her to stop. without another word, he stormed off from the place without a backward glance. Zara was exhausted, the emotional toll of the things she had been witnessing lately, taking her apart inch by inch.

Veronica reached her as she sat on the basket, "Where is Jake?"

"He left without talking to me. He has never done that, V."

Veronica was going to crack a lame joke, but one look at her best friend told her that it was not a good time to do so.

Trying to change the topic she commented, "Isn't the weather a bit weird, it was all stormy one second and now it is going back to being sunny as usual."

Zara glanced up, indeed the dark patches were clearing out as the sun rays peeked through them, illuminating the day as if it was sunrise.

Zara was lost deep in thought as she mumbled, "Hmm"