HENRY POV
"Why are looking like this," Rossy said, looking at me.
Alice darted here. "She is surprised to see your big breasts." She blinks her eyes to me not to mess up.
"What happened to your eyes?" Vivi asked Alice.
"Something entered it," Alice replied, she closed one of her eyes and walked to Vivi. "Help me remove it please."
After a minute of checking her eyes, Vivi says, "There's nothing there. Is it paining you?"
Alice rubbed her eyes for a while. "It's no longer there."
I walked to Alice and says, "Can you see now? How many fingers is this?"
"If I slap you, Henry."
"Henry?" Rossy said.
"Oh no, I mean Anabelle," Alice said, walking away.
I looked back and I saw the nakedness of Alice's friends. Bras and pants on their body. I held my eye shut, remembering Alice's warning, I opened my eyes again, Vivi has turned her back. I turned my back and darted to Alice, who sat down on a small rock before the river. Alice looked at me and whispered, "You see what you caused there?"
"I'm sorry. I can't endure it."
"You must.", Alice whispered, "If you don't want to die. You remember that?"
"Yes. I will try," I said
"Come on, sit down near me."
I sat near her, swinging my legs above the water.
I was gripped with fear as Alice's friends walked into the water. Alice looked at me, and I understand what she meant.
"Oh!," Vivi said, in the water.
"It's so cold," Corey shouted.
Rossy screamed as Vivi splash water on her fresh body. "Please, Vivi."
Vivi and Corey laughed, and then Rossy retaliate. And within a minute, they fight themselves with water. It's so interesting, I don't know when I laughed and said, "Alice, see Rossy."
Alice look at me and shake her head. I looked down and then keep quiet, thinking that I had said the wrong thing, because Rossy's bra has fallen in the water.
"Alice, wouldn't you swim?", Corey called.
"Nay, not today," Alice shouted. She tapped my leg and look forward. "Who is the prettiest among them?"
"You."
"Me?"
"Oh no, I mean Vivi."
I felt uneasy when Alice's gazing at me. Maybe I have offended her when I said she was the prettiest girl. I closed my eyes and then opened it, and I was astonished to see Alice still gazing at me. I summoned courage and say, "Hey. Hey." I waved my hands to her eyes, but she doesn't blink. "What is wrong with you?" I tapped her head.
"Ouch," she said.
"Hey. What's wrong with you?" I asked.
"Everything."
"Huh?"
"I'm having stomach pain. You should wait for me here." Alice jumped on the ground and darted into the bush.
Staring at her as she runs into the bush, no one needs to tell me that she has fallen in love with me. I looked forward, gazing at Alice's friends, who were busy playing in the water. I looked at them without caring about their bodies anymore. A white butterfly flew before me and then descend on my white gown. Staring at it, I remembered Sophia, who once told me she loves butterflies, especially the white ones. I breathe in and out deeply, and here, here, my past played itself in my mind.
I'm not sure if Erica's feeling fine now. Who could the shooter be? I recollect his face, that night of sorrow, under the oaks. I was lucky after the bullet wasn't in the shooter's gun. If not, he would have shot me down, and then find another person to put the crime on. How did the policemen get there? The killer might have called them. I breathe in and out deeply again. I have missed my parents, especially my grandma, because my parents had left me often in her care, since childhood.
I missed Sophia more than before. Would she believe the newspaper? She might not, I thought.
Someone slapped my back. "Anabelle, what are you thinking?"
I was gripped with fear and then looked back. Alice's eyes held mine. "Have been here for five minutes, and yet you didn't know. What are you thinking?"
"It's nothing."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"I know you lie. I understand everything, you just have to stop thinking about it."
"I want to stop," I said, "but I don't know how?"
"You don't need to know-how. Just do it."
"Isn't easy"
Alice sighed. "Mom would be worrying about us, especially you. We must do quickly."
I stood up and walked towards the bucket of water. And Alice shouted, "Guys, we are going home."
"So soon?" Corey asked
"Is it because of Anabelle?" Vivi asked.
"No, mom said we must not be late"
"I'm going home too," Rossy said as she walked out of the river.
"Would you leave us here?" Vivi asked Rossy
"I have a math assignment to do at home."
And within five minutes, Alice's friends dressed and everyone goes back to each house.