CHAPTER EIGHT: ELICIA

"Hello, excuse me?" I ask cautiously approaching.

Treadway's face comes into view and l feel the butterflies in my stomach explode.

"Thank you for doing what you did in the morning. Kindly keep it to yourself." He says and as he was about to leave l open my mouth to speak.

"We could have lunch together if you really want to thank me," I say with a small voice.

"I do not have the money to spend during lunch so l will have to pass, thank you though." He says and it confirms my suspicions.

He started working here to make sure he gets enough money to give his stepdad.

"It's my treat since I suggested the whole thing." I say hesitating.

"Okay then." He agrees surprising me.

As always, he never ceases to amaze me.

This makes me wonder what kind of person he really is.

We had lunch together the next day, he kept telling me to focus more on my food rather than looking at him but I could not stop myself from looking at him.

He was having lunch with me.

Even Isa and Andre asked a lot about the lunch we had.

He seemed to be surprising a lot of people.

I wrote a lot of journal entries the following two weeks.

Apparently we went for lunch three more times and he even laughed with me.

We seemed to be going somewhere, to the road of friendship obviously l promised not to get ahead of myself this time.

During dismissal time, everyone told me about the outing they were planning for Christmas break and wanted to invite me and him.

"Speaking of which, are you guys dating and all those kinds of stuff, you guys have lunch together these days." Isa asks.

I wish, I said in my mind at the same time shaking my head denying it.

"Of course not, you are way too good for him." Andre says and it cuts right through my chest to my heart and l wanted to defend him. They don't know him like I do, he is considerate, sometimes sweet and very kind.

He is just perfect for me, but l can't say that since I am supposed to convince them that we were not together so l just keep my mouth shut and they continue bad mouthing him.

"I won't be available though, I usually spend Christmas home with my mother." I say trying to dissolve the badmouthing but they all nod and continue badmouthing him.

As they continued bad mouthing him, it was now my turn, I did not want to bad mouth him because he was one of the strongest people l knew, he was perfect in my eyes but l had no choice since everyone was saying something.

"Mr. Stone-heart there doesn't want anything to do with your outing." I say and we all laugh until they started signalling me to keep quiet but since I was on a roll I did not pay attention to them instead I continued my little rant.

"Can you picture him actually being nice for once it's like nice and him are two parallel lines." I laugh and everyone's face is rather serious and l wonder why is that.

It takes me a second to put two and two together.

Just as l thought Treadway was standing behind me wearing the same serious face he always wears which made it difficult for me to tell if he was mad or not.

I try my best not to look so shocked but who was l kidding I was shitting in my pants.

I never want to cross him, not when l want to be his friend.

Everyone starts going home as we had finished our duty for the day. I was left to deal with Treadway all alone.

"Way!!!!" I call out to him as he was wearing his jacket to go for a walk I guess.

"It's Treadway." He corrects me for the umpteenth time but l don't listen, the usual.

"I don't want to hurt you." I blurt out.

That was not what I wanted to say to him but it seems as if my mind and mouth are disconnected.

"I want to be your friend; I want to show you that not everyone is out to get you. I actually want to be there for you when you want someone to be with. I want to be your first go to. I want you to get to know me as much as I want to get to know you." I say and start breathing heavily after my little rant yet again surprising myself with the words I did not intend on saying, especially after the incident.

He stops in his tracks to look at me.

"You have a funny way of showing it." He says and looks to the side.

"Oh that, l am so sorry. They were saying that we are dating and there was no way I could say no without saying something negative." I say trying not to sound excited because he was actually considering being my friend.

"Stop following me around." He says leaving the café bursting my happiness bubble, l thought after all that friend confession he would consider befriending me but no it didn't work that way with him.

Without another word I take my jacket, keys and head outside to the garage to take my car and go home.

Something I have never done before, I usually continue following him around even though he says not to but not today.

I got into the car, started the ignition and turned the head lights on.

I did not even realize that he was following me up until I turned on my head lights and see him standing in front of my car.

Ignoring my heart that was beating out of my chest because for the first time ever, he followed me. I drove my car and he moved

away afraid I was going to run over him.

I went home that day proud of myself.

It was one of my good days, as soon as l got home I wrote everything in my journal not leaving out the part when l almost run him over.

Because it was the first time I felt like I was not chasing him, he was chasing me and it felt good.

The next week that ended on the 20th of December, l tried my best not to follow him around.

Lydia had suspicions that he might have felt something for me but he was not aware of it, in denial, so she told me not to pay attention to him and if her suspicions were right he would follow me around.

Apparently it's psychologically meant to be that way if he liked me.