Chapter 105: Caught Red-Handed

Chapter 105: Caught Red-Handed
Stacy was immediately at the door. With a swift motion, she swung the door open. The men lost their balance and tumbled into the room.
“What in the universe..” Stacy was dumbfounded while Nelly was shocked motionless on the bed. Her eyes wide and her jaw almost hit the bed.
Chad cleared his throat as he got up from the floor. “I’m looking for you,” he looked at Stacy. “Yeah? By throwing yourself at the door?”
Jack winced as he got up from the floor. “Oh, my poor back..”
“Sorry, I tripped,” Chad kept his poker face as he said it. “Yeah! That’s totally not cool, Chad,” Jack frowned. Stacy folded her arms in front of her as she stared the men down. Jack turned to the bed and saw Nelly sitting there. The look she gave him suggested that she didn’t believe they simply tripped and fell either. “Dominos gone wrong,” he flashed his teeth as he said it.
“How long have you guys been there?” Stacy asked the golden question. Jack’s eyes widened as he pointed at Chad, “he’s here first.” Chad shot Jack a look and pointed back, “he’s eavesdropping.” Jack got flustered. He immediately said, “he’s also listening!” “He started it first!” “Who was it that leaned in so close, claiming he can’t hear and pushed me to the door?” “You are taking up too much space!” “You are too big. You should consider losing weight.” “It’s muscles!”
Stacy and Nelly watched in amusement as the two men went back and forth like fighting children. Without them asking, they had conveniently spit out all of the evidence of their little eavesdropping routine.
Stacy cleared her throat, bringing the men’s attention back to the room. “Why are you here, really?” Her eyes were focused on Chad, ready to pierce a hole through him. “I couldn’t find you anywhere after sending Neil back. I was worried so I came to check if you are here,” Chad had his calm demeanor on.
“And what about you?” Stacy raised a brow at Jack. “I’m.. passing by.”
“Passing by or passing through?” Stacy wouldn’t let it go. She proceeded to wriggle her brows. “Passing by but have your ears on Nelly’s door?”
“How much did you hear?” Nelly was all tensed up, distress written all over her face. “Not much, really. The door is really thick,” Chad said with a straight face. He had his hands in his pocket, feigning innocence and would never meet Stacy’s eyes.
“Yeah, the door is thicker than my face,” Jack picked up quickly, adding with a smile that screamed guilt. “What’s that got to do with the sound proof?” Nelly asked.
“Well, I came back here after you told me to fuck off. That proved the thickness of my skin,” Jack explained, sounding too proud. “Whew, your door is thicker than my skin. No sound would get through that thick block of wood.”
“You’re trying too hard, Jack,” Stacy deadpanned.
Chad inched nearer to Stacy. He leaned in and lowered his voice. “If you are done here, there’s somewhere I wish to take you.”
Stacy’s eyes darted between Nelly and Jack. An idea came to her mind. “Alright, I’ll leave you two to it,” she said with a sense of finality. Nelly’s eyes widened in panic. “You are leaving already?” Stacy went over for a hug. “Cheer up! Remember that you can always come to me when you need someone to talk to,” she said softly. Nelly nodded. “Alright,” Stacy straightened and gestured at Jack, “play nice, you two.”
Before walking out the door, she looked back and winked at Nelly, “maybe you can explore the answer to my question.”
“What question?” Stacy gave her an evil smile. “The one I asked before they came tumbling in.” With that said, she closed the door and left them alone in the room.
The room plunged into an awkward silence. Jack tried to act casual by putting his hand in his pocket and leaning against the wall.
Nelly was sitting straight on her bed, acting as if the school principal came in for a check-up. The irony of it settled on her. It’s her own room. Why was she so tense? She tried leaning against the headboard but her body refused to relax.
Jack’s eyes darted in the room, trying desperately to find something that could start a conversation. His eyes settled on the empty takeaway package, now under the table.
“I’m not sure what you like so I got my usual order,” he said and Nelly followed his sight. “It’s really good. Thanks,” she replied. Again, the room was tense with deafening awkward silence.
“Are you alright?” Jack asked, his eyes searching hers in concern. Nelly nodded. “Yes, I feel better,” a pause, “I’m sorry.”
“You have to apologize for nothing,” Jack said, “I’m sorry, too, for everything that happened. I lost my temper. I was a jerk.”
Nelly’s brows furrowed. “No, you’re not. I’m sorry I said that. I didn’t mean it.. I was just..” “Really stressed,” Jack finished the sentence for her, “and I pushed you further by being a jerk when you are all stressed up.”
Jack pushed himself off the wall and walked up to her. From his pocket, he fished out a lollipop, the one the girl from the past gave him. He had developed a habit of buying lots of them and stocked up for when he was down.
“For you,” he held it out to her. She looked at the lollipop in his hand and up at him. “It’s sweet. It can make you happy,” he said as he watched a smile creeped up her face. She reached for it excitedly. “It’s been a long time since I had this!”
“Yeah?” She nodded, “I used to really want this when I was young. On my fourth birthday, my mother got me one. I was so happy.”
Jack laughed. “I see. No wonder your memory is so intact. I doubt I will remember what happened when I was four. To remember it so vividly, you must be so happy.”
“Yes, but actually, not only that. Something else happened. Something happened in my house and my mom asked me to hide in the bushes. I got curious and wandered further. I was lost in the forest.”
Jack’s heart skipped a beat. It further confirmed the fact that she’s indeed the little girl in the woods. “Did you see anyone when you were lost?”
Nelly stopped to think for a while. She shook her head.
‘Doesn’t she remember sharing the lollipop with me?’ Jack felt as if she just poured cold water all over him. He’s the only one who had been holding on to that piece of memory after all. But it’s understandable as she was only four.
Jack forced a smile and was about to say something else when Nelly’s eyes lit up.
“Oh.. By the way, do you believe in fairies?”