Old memories

Feeling bold, Marissa decided to strike up a conversation. "So, sir, what brings you here? I mean, how come you're on this route today?"

Erickson smiled, his eyes lighting up with a hint of amusement. "Well, I often take different routes to explore the city. I thought it would be a nice change of scenery."

Marissa couldn't help but notice how effortlessly charming he was. His charisma and genuine kindness always drew her in. She had admired him from afar for months but never had the courage to express her feelings.

As they continued their journey, Marissa couldn't resist stealing glances at him. His confident yet gentle demeanor was captivating. She wanted to know more about him, to unravel the layers that made up Erickson.

"So, Mari, how long have you been working at your job?" Erickson inquired, breaking the comfortable silence.

Startled by the sudden turn of attention towards her, Marissa bit her lip nervously. "Um, just a few months now. It's been an interesting experience so far."

Erickson nodded, genuinely interested in what she had to say. He listened attentively as Marissa shared her experiences, her passion shining through in her voice. It felt refreshing to have someone genuinely interested in her thoughts and aspirations.

Before they knew it, they had arrived at Marissa's workplace. Reluctantly, she unbuckled her seatbelt, feeling a twinge of disappointment that their time together had ended too soon.

"I really appreciate the ride, sir. You're such a kind person," Marissa said, her eyes conveying her gratitude.

Erickson smiled warmly at her. "It was my pleasure, Marissa. Have a great day at work!"

With a final nod, Marissa stepped out of the car, her heart pounding with in her chest.

...

"What do you mean, sir?" Flower shuttered fearfully. She couldn't lose her job.

"You heard me well, or have you probably gone deaf?" he asked rudely.

"Please, I'm so sorry. It won't happen again," she pleaded.

He suddenly stood up from his seat and grabbed onto his briefcase.

"I don't want to see you in my house when I come back," he huffed and walked off.

Flower's eyes widened as she fell flat on the floor. She held onto her beating chest, unable to believe what had really happened.

"I lost my job," she remarked, her voice filled with despair.

...

Honey Bell, Tifana, and Julienne arrived at school and were hailed as usual. The N3 and the JLG entered shortly.

The N3 smirked as they approached the dolls.

"Get ready for today," Nancy remarked with a smile.

"Bring it on," Honey Bell smiled.

"Let me see what a douchebag like you is good at," Julienne jibed.

The N3 fumed.

"Well, we'll see then," Nora replied, and they began walking off.

"What do you think they are up to?" Tifana asked.

"I don't know, but I think we should show them what we're made of," Honey remarked.

"I'm in, I think so too," Julienne replied.

"I'm in too," Tifana joined. They all bumped their fists together.

...

Honey Bell, Julienne, and Tifana walked into the already filled classroom and headed towards their seats.

Honey Bell's eyes locked with Jackson's, and she noticed a smirk on his face.

She wondered what they were all up to.

As they approached their seats, she couldn't help but notice something unusual about them. Tifana made to sit down, but Honey quickly stopped her.

"What?" Tifana asked.

Honey Bell didn't reply but instead placed a book on the seat. She tried to remove it, but it stuck.

"There's sticky glue on our seats," Julienne remarked.

"And it's all the work of the N3," Tifana added, and the three turned to face the N3, who wore disappointed looks on their faces.

"Thank goodness we didn't fall into their trap," Honey smiled.

"We'll pay them back," Julienne smirked.

The three friends exchanged determined glances, ready to take on the challenge presented by the N3.

With an air of confidence, Honey Bell quickly pulled out a small bottle of solvent from her bag. She carefully applied it to the glue on their seats, skillfully removing every trace of the sticky mess. Soon, their seats were clean and ready for them to sit on.

"Now that we've shown them we're not easily fooled, let's focus on our own game," Honey Bell suggested.

...

Charles sat in his office, typing rapidly on his laptop. Suddenly, his fingers froze as his eyes caught sight of something unexpected.

"Natalie," he whispered, reading the name on the screen.

His mind immediately drifted back to that precious moment they had shared.

"Charles, what do you think of these flowers?" Natalie had asked, her voice dripping with charm.

A warm smile formed on Charles' face as he gently ran his fingers through her hair.

"They're beautiful, but not as much as you," he replied, his words filled with sincerity.

Natalie blushed, her cheeks turning a rosy shade.

"Oh, stop flattering me, Charles," she giggled, feigning modesty.

"I'm not just saying it to flatter you. It's the truth. You are so incredibly beautiful, I can't help but be captivated by you," he reassured her, his smile growing wider.

"Gosh, Charles," she exclaimed, blushing hard and instinctively covering her already flushed cheeks with her hand.

"Are you shy?" he teased, finding her bashfulness quite endearing.

"Of course not," she retorted, removing her hands from her face and attempting to regain her composure.

"I love you," he said, leaning in for a tender kiss.

"And I love you too," she responded, her voice filled with genuine affection.

...

Charles felt his heart constrict with sadness as he reminisced about his cherished memories with Natalie. Her passing had caused him immense pain; she had been his first love and meant the world to him. He had made a solemn vow to himself to remember her fondly without letting his emotions overrun him, but his tears betrayed his resolve. Wiping away the evidence of his grief, he attempted to refocus on his laptop, determined to distract himself from the intense emotions that threatened to consume him.

However, his mind stubbornly shifted back to the haunting words his mother had uttered on her deathbed, a curse that still echoed in Charles' soul.

"You shall never find true love, and if you do, it will only bring misery..."