Chapter 26: Chapter 26

“Wait for a second, are you…?” Angel asked James a question that the latter did not expect. At the back of James’ mind, he is trying to anticipate the questions and prepare a rebuttal all in vain when Angel just said, “No, I don’t think so,” while shaking her head. She was about to say something, some sort of explanation, when the second doorbell rang. Angel is

about to open the door when she hears that the person now knows the door’s pin, and that is how she automatically knows who it is.

“Hey, Linda. It’s Kyle-Hide!” Angel signals Linda to find a place to hide, and out of confusion, the latter hid hastily in the comfort room.

“Hey”

“Hi! Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“What the! You promised to watch Human Centipede with me on Netflix today. Did you forget?”

“About that….”

“What? I am not rescheduling. I also have a lot of things at hand….” Kyle is about to say something else when he realizes that someone else is there.

“What are you doing here?!”

“Hi.” James nodded and smiled at Kyle, who showed the opposite of how he greeted him.

The air in the room suddenly turned cold as these men seemed to try melting each other with the fires in their eyes. Angel, confused with the situation, tried to break the ice and asked James why he was there anyway. James’ face turned red as he was caught red-handed. He did not expect to ask Angel out on the first proper date in front of Kyle, a scenario that he failed to practice last night. James spent the whole evening yesterday thinking about how he would ask Angel to go out to a movie with him. He made up all sorts of excuses just in case she would say otherwise, practiced what he would say, and spent the whole morning coming up with the layback yet sophisticated style that he is wearing right now.

“I am here to ask Angel out,”

Kyle chuckled as he said, “Keep dreaming,”

James and Kyle started bickering, and though the situation is confusing and chaotic for Angel, it is rather comic and funny for the person hiding in the bathroom. Linda might be younger than Angel, but she is not as clueless as her, and it is crystal clear to her what is happening right now.

“Stupid, The smartest is always the clueless one.” Linda chuckled as she whispered those words. Linda is too engrossed in what is happening with the three, and she does not realize that she is moving too close to a cup that holds Angel’s toothbrush and accidentally makes it fall into the ground making a loud sound.

“What was that?” Kyle was startled,” I think it comes in the comfort room, is someone there?” Kyle asked Angel and was now walking towards the place when she failed to answer.

Linda’s heart is about to burst as she frantically thinks about what to do. Angel’s comfort room is small, and there is nowhere to hide in there. Linda’s last resort is just to hold on to the doorknob and try her best to prevent anyone from coming in.

Kyle is about to close to the comfort room when James takes over and says, “Let me check it,” Even though James does not really understand the situation, he understands one thing. James understands that is Angel does not want Kyle to see the other person inside the house; that reason is enough for him to help.

James tries to open the door, but Linda stops him because she thinks he is Kyle.

“I guess it is stuck. Why won't this door open….” James tries his best to drop hints to Linda, who is inside the comfort room, but it is vain.

Alas! When Kyle is about to take over, James overpowers Linda and opens the door at the last moment. It is a good thing that Linda dropped on the side, and she is not visible on the door, and that James’ reflexes are quick to hold the door in a position that will not reveal everything inside.

“Nothing is in here,” James said and was about to close the door.

“Let me check,” Kyle is about to get inside when Angel pulled him close and said

“Let’s go to your house and watch that movie! I really want to watch it. I can’t wait! Let’s go!”

“Wait!” James shouted, which made Angel and Kyle stop on their way towards the door. “I will come with you?”

And though Kyle worked all his might to stop James from coming with them, he could not do anything once Angel said yes. The trio walked out of the house with Angel leading as she forced Kyle to drive as fast as possible.

Once everything was cleared, the person hiding in the comfort room finally came out. Linda’s back hurts a little because of her fall a while back, but that bothers her. She feels a familiar feeling that she did not think about for a long time. “Don’t make the same mistake,” Linda says under, letting go a deep sigh. She puts a cupcake inside her mouth. “He’s sweet,” Linda smiles while looking at the cupcake, crushing it with his hands and washing her hands in the sink, “what a pity,”

Linda took a bath, wore one of Angel’s clothes, left her laundry on Angel’s bed, carried all the remaining cupcakes, and went out. She took a cab going somewhere, and after two hours and numerous bus stops, Linda got off at the last station. She got inside a sketchy-looking bar, ordered a bottle of soju, and waited for someone to arrive shortly.

“Anything new?” the person wearing a dark hoodie and black mask said

“Payment first,” The man pulled out a think envelope, and Linda checked; whatever was in it was something that painted a genuine smile on her face.

“There is someone new, he is a man his name is James,”

“Well, we know that much,”

“He looks familiar, though I just can’t remember where did I see him before,”

“Stay there for another night,”

“What the Hell! Why? I can find it out on my own without….” Linda did not finish her sentence. The man sitting beside her calmly stood out of the chair and walked out of the bar.

“Tsk, F*ck life!” She opened the bottle of soju and started drinking after securing the envelope she had just got.