Chapter 3: The Girl That I Liked

I'm madly, passionately, and obsessively in love with Daphne. I've been fantasizing about having her all to myself. I'd go to any length to acquire her. I didn't give a damn whether my conscience was bothering me. It was horrible and unforgivable what I did to her. This is something I could never forgive myself for. No one would believe me if I said I'd do it. Even I couldn't believe I had done such a thing to her. She'd been my best friend since sixth grade, for God's sake! We had been great friends for a long time.

But I made a mistake with my best friend. I committed such a nasty, despicable act on her.

The crime happened on March 17, 2018.

Let me tell you about Daphne before I tell you about the crime that I did against her.

She was a beautiful young lady. Her attractiveness, however, was hidden by the large clothes she wore. Her face was heavenly, and she had long, lustrous hair, fair skin, and a petite physique. If she had worn beautiful clothes, she would have looked like a TV actress.

This was how we met.

When I was a young boy…

Daphne was a sixth-grade classmate of mine. I was an old student, and she was a new student. I sat just in front of her in the rear of the classroom. She was shy and reserved. I planned to talk to her during recess so she would have someone to talk to.

The sun shone brightly in the blue sky, illuminating the courtyard's grasses, trees, and flowers. The courtyard was bustling with teachers and students. Daphne sat under a tree by herself, reading a Kurt Vonnegut novel.

I said, "Hello Daphne. My name is Alexander."

"Hello, Alexander," she told me. We exchanged handshakes.

"That appears to be an intriguing book. Could you tell me more about it?” I asked her.

She gave me the novel's overview without giving anything away. She could tell a wonderful narrative and I could tell she was intelligent. But it was the way her eyes gleamed and her face appeared animated as she spoke to me about the book that truly attracted my attention. When she talked about something she enjoyed, she looked like that. As the light beamed down on her, I couldn't help but appreciate her glowing skin. I had a strong attraction to her right away. But Daphne was a new friend of mine.

***

Before I headed upstairs to my allotted classroom, Mister Samuel, my mathematics instructor, greeted me.

"Alex, good morning,” He greeted cheerfully.

"Good morning, Mister Samuel," I said, smiling cordially.

"Oh, my gosh," he continued. “I'm delighted you're still around. Did you know that a large number of talented pupils have transferred to other schools?”

"Are you serious, sir? Why is that?” I asked him.

"They say the tuition is too excessive, and they have to enroll in less expensive schools," Mister Samuel said, his face gloomy. It was true that many of the top pupils have moved on to other schools.

But it's not just because of the tuition fee hike, but also because a male student was raped by a homosexual teacher named Waylon. A male student in a higher batch informed his parents about the situation. The teacher was sued by the parents. And now he's in prison for rape and child abuse.

Everyone in the school was taken aback. Mister Waylon was a well-liked and extremely talented music instructor. Because of him, our school choir had always won choral competitions. He was also a great guitarist who could also play a variety of instruments. It's a pity because he was a gifted, intelligent, and approachable teacher.

Our institution, of course, does not accept such heinous criminal action, so they wisely banned him even before he was convicted.

I told Mr. Samuel, "I'm sorry to hear that, Mister Samuel."

"Anyway, I'm relieved. You're one of the top students in our class. A nationwide math competition will be held, and our school will compete. You will, of course, be one of the pupils representing the school. It will be broadcast on television."

"Wow, that's amazing!" I'm honestly relieved that my pimple went away a few days ago.

Mister Samuel said, "It's good talking to you, Alex."

I said, "You, too, Mister Samuel."

It was the first day of school. I was inside the classroom at the time. There were no tests. So far, we've only introduced ourselves to our teachers and the other way around. Our teacher instructed us to write a brief essay about our summer holiday activities. This was, to be honest, my favorite part because my family and I used to go on vacation every summer and semester break.

My family and I had nothing better to do to pass the time throughout the summer. As a result, we traveled to many locations and nations. We spent a few weeks at Nightshade City. It's a city with historic brick houses that have been refurbished, cobblestoned streets, and potted plants.

Passengers were transported from one location to another by male drivers in horse-drawn carriages. It was a sweltering environment, especially in the summer. The citizens had dark skin, as could be seen. It was excessively hot during the day, and even with minimal movement, we sweated profusely. Even sitting in the carriage will cause you to sweat profusely.

You'd think we were still in the sixteenth century if you saw this city. There were only a few modern eateries. We went to a restaurant that specialized in fried chicken when we felt hungry. A full-fried chicken, deep-fried pork trotters, stir-fried rice noodles, spaghetti, and chocolate cake slices were among the dishes we devoured. We drank iced tea, four seasons, and Coca-Cola to wash them down.

The city is particularly beautiful at night. The sky was navy blue, and the city was gilded by the lighting. Many tourists were out late at night. They photographed the structures, purchased souvenirs from gift shops, and rode the horses with and without carriages.

The trainers and drivers, of course, accompanied the tourists. We later ate at a buffet at the luxury hotel where we were staying.

We flew to Hawaii a week following our vacation to Nightshade City. We went to the wonderful beaches and swam there. We photographed the breathtaking vistas of the sea, palm trees, mountains, and huge modern structures. I went out and surfed the waves. I won a game of billiards with my cousins. The Hawaiian plate, Strawberry Mochi, Coco Puffs, Poke, Mac and Cheese Pancakes, Loco Moco, and Manapua were among the native cuisine we sampled.

We traveled to Hong Kong. We went to the stores and bought a lot of things. We went to Disneyland. We went on exciting rides, saw cute sights, and took photos with our favorite Disney characters. We had a great time and felt like kids again on this trip. My younger cousins and siblings, on the other hand, were the ones who had the most fun.

We visited the city of Paris, France. We photographed the Eiffel Tower, the Moulin Rouge, the Paris Catacombs, the Palace of Versailles, and many other well-known tourist attractions. Inside the medieval cathedrals, we visited and prayed. We also went to a few museums.

We traveled to Iceland. We took a stroll and afterward swam on the enigmatic-looking Black Beach, which has black sands and rocks, hence the name. We went swimming in the Blue Lagoon and photographed the ice waterfalls, aurora borealis, and geysers. We snapped images of the colorful residences and establishments while we explored the cities.

After that, we traveled to Los Angeles, California. We visited the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Grand Central Market, Skyspace, Santa Monica, and a number of other sites. The Santa Monica Pier was my favorite because of its great theme park, Pacific Park, as well as the food and the view of the sea.

“Thank you for telling us about your wonderful trip, Alexander,” our homeroom teacher, Miss Cordelia told me. She had blonde bob-cut hair, and a slim figure, and she was wearing eyeglasses. She was wearing a yellow and grey checkered uniform and black heels. While she was holding our index cards with our names and basic information on them, I noticed that her nails were bright red. She was, I think, about twenty years of age.

Miss Cordelia then proceeded to request the essay of the next pupil. It was now Daphne's turn to speak. I paid attention to her essay. When she was through, I felt terrible for her. She was extremely shy as she stepped up and announced her summer vacation to the class. She wrote in her essay that spending the summer with her family made her joyful. It occurred to me that it didn't sound like a vacation. Sure, our classmates and teacher thought it was dull. However, I find it fascinating that she placed such a high value on the simple things in life. After all, she came from a low-income family. She could only attend this expensive school because of the scholarship.

Daphne's essay did not impress our teacher. And I felt horrible for Daphne since it wasn't her fault that her family was poor, therefore she couldn't afford to go on fun vacations. Other students told Miss Cordelia about how they spent their summer vacation, and she was glad to hear them.

My male friends had invited me to join them at their table for lunch. However, I declined their invitation because I wanted to eat lunch with Daphne so that I could get to know her better and so that she wouldn't be sitting alone in the cafeteria.

I placed an order for a steak with mushrooms, one cup of white rice, corn bits on the side, and a bottle of orange juice. Daphne placed an order for fried fish, white rice, and a bottle of Mountain Dew.

"I absolutely admire your essay," I blurted out as soon as we sat at a table. It was enjoyable."

Daphne said sheepishly, "Please don't lie. I'm sure I bored our teacher and classmates to no end. Miss Cordelia fought the impulse to yawn in front of the entire class."

She felt terrible about her simple essay. I was pulled to her stunning brown eyes, celestial nose, and luscious cherry lips when I gazed at her. I could gaze at her indefinitely. But that would be disturbing, so I instead focused on her adorable pink handbag. Even though I could tell it was a cheap bag, she still looked beautiful carrying it.

She mumbled, "Oh, I know what you're thinking."

“Pardon?” I asked.

She suggested, "You probably think I'm too girly."

"What exactly do you mean? You're a girl."

"You probably believe I'm one of those shallow feminine girls who like superficial things, doesn't have an interesting personality, and is scared to get her hands dirty in physical activities," she told me.

I believe she was the polar opposite, based on the fact that she was dressed in baggy clothes and reads cool novels. Daphne wasn't an airhead. She was intelligent and fascinating, but she was too shy to show it.

"There's nothing wrong with wearing pink," I told her, “It’s a nice color."

"That's a nice perspective. I'm glad I found an open-minded gentleman like you," she remarked cheerfully, nervously smiling at me. "But the thing is my sister used to wear this bag. My parents don't have enough money to purchase me a new bag, but if I had, I'd pick either a blue or black bag."

"That's good," I said, and she smiled back.

We finished our meals and drinks and later exchanged phone numbers.

When we returned to our classroom, Miss Cordelia gave us a quick introduction about her subject, Science, as well as her grading method. She devised a formula for grading us, her students, based on our attendance and the outcomes of our seatwork, assignments, quizzes, and examinations. We realized we needed to study hard to pass her subject based on what she wrote. Science was one of my favorite subjects in school, so I won't have any trouble with it.

The students were dismissed from class. Because it was the first day, the class was short. I offered to walk Daphne home, but she turned me down. I couldn't figure out why at the moment. That, however, presented a significant issue for me. I desired to be near her.

I walked home by myself. I resided in a large and lovely home. My lovely house greeted me within the tall and broad golden gate when I entered it. My front yard was magnificent since there was a glittering aqua blue swimming pool on our grass. It was a three-story white home with sky blue roofs and a curving stair on each side as if they were saying, "welcome here, come in." The pool was gilded by the lights inside my house, making it appear more appealing.

"Come on in and take a swim! The water is nice and refreshing," the pool told me. I desperately wanted to swim, but my body was exhausted and I was filthy. Maybe I'll shower first and then decide whether or not to swim. The pool, after all, wasn’t going anywhere.

You'll notice navy blue sofas next to each other when you walk into the living area. They encircled the rectangular table made of clear glass. Outside the windows, there was a view of the sea and the pool. The room was lit by a golden lantern suspended from the ceiling. It was a nice and relaxing spot to relax or, if you had brought friends around, to joyously speak with them.

A gleaming, long mahogany table was surrounded by matching tall mahogany chairs in the dining room. Beautiful artworks of my family members hung on the white walls. The color of the doors was white. The plants on the pricey vases were supported by wooden tables. The space was brightened by a crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

There were eight bedrooms in our house. We had bedrooms made because my family consists of six people, a maid, and a driver. There was a bathroom in each of the bedrooms. We all respect one other's privacy.

Blue was the color scheme in my room. My medals and awards were posted on the walls to motivate me to study harder. My pillows were blue and my bed was white. I had a desk for studying. I kept track of my notes and journals inside a few notebooks. I had two windows that looked out onto the garden. There was a television and a PlayStation in my room.

English roses, lilies, dahlias, peonies, wisterias, hydrangeas, daffodils, tulips, Japanese Camelia, and zinnias were among the blooms in the garden. Dogwoods, saucer magnolias, Eastern redbuds, birches, crabapple trees, crape myrtles, hawthorns, Japanese maples, plums, and oaks were among the trees we had. A clear, glistening pond was crossed by a wooden bridge. There was a gazebo with a view of the pond.

Many people believe I was fortunate since I was born wealthy. Perhaps what they claimed was correct. My home was lovely, and my life was lovely. I had the ability to purchase whatever I choose. Even though I was not on vacation, I still felt as if I was. I could go swimming, play billiards, watch movies, or visit my lovely garden when I'm sad. In comparison to individuals who were affected by financial troubles, I was extremely fortunate. I didn't get hungry at all. I never ran out of cash. I had a lot of friends who I could invite over to my house. I could date here at home because there were so many girls who liked me at school. But when I was not with the person I love, my life felt empty.

To get rid of all the dirt on my body, I took a shower in my bathroom. Before I go into the pool, I'd like to prepare my skin. I immediately went to the pool after showering.

The breeze was pleasant. I went for a swim. I liked the sensation of cold water on my skin as I swam. I felt calm. I felt relaxed.

I imagined myself swimming in the sea. In my reverie, I was competing against an unknown individual who was only a shadow. Because he swam quickly, I began to swim faster, as well. I increased my speed. The referee blew his whistle. In our race, I beat the guy.

The crowd erupted in applause for me. The guy with whom I was competing stared angrily at me. "Good for you, you lost," I remarked with a smug smirk. “I've got the gold medal," I said, putting an L on my forehead to show that he was the loser. I was giddy with joy over my victory.

Many attractive young ladies flocked to me and flirted with me. They only wanted to sleep with me so they could brag to their female friends about how they hooked up with the swimming champion. Just to be friendly, I smiled at those attractive girls and chatted with them.

These attractive girls asked for my number. But, because it's a top-secret number, I didn't give it to them. I didn't want to be inundated with text messages from people I didn't care about. There was only one girl with whom I desired to spend my time. It's Daphne, by the way.

Daphne congratulated me and approached me in the sea, whispering, "Let's make love," and I smiled and ordered everyone to leave us alone. They all went away and left us alone. In the sea, we made love.

I was unaware that I had masturbated during my daydream. I was in the pool. Fuck.

I jumped out of the pool right away. Because it was dark here, no one noticed me or the mess I created. I told my maid that I would clean the pool. I was insistent about it. I didn't tell her why, of course, because that would be creepy.

I took another shower in my bathroom. Then I changed into my ordinary house attire of a shirt and shorts.

While watching basketball on television, I sipped a Slurpee and ate bags of chips. My favorite team won. I let out a happy yell. Later on, I watched a romantic comedy. I was able to keep myself occupied.

But that only served to make me think about Daphne more. I imagined that we were the characters in the movie I was watching.

The insecure yet talented girl met a jock in the film. The popular and attractive jock bet his male friends that he would win the girl. The bet was accepted by the jock. However, as cliches go, it became more serious. The jock was smitten by the artistic girl. It was largely because the girl took off her spectacles and removed her ponytail, allowing her hair to fall freely over her shoulders.

And then, boom! In his opinion, she was ethereally lovely! The jock, on the other hand, said that it was her personality that drew him in. When the girl learned of the wager, she refused to speak to him for several days.

However, towards the conclusion of the film, he gave her flowers and sang to her, and she forgave him and confessed that she had been in love with him all along. We just assumed that they got together because they kissed long and hard.

I really did not understand myself at all. I had just met the lovely and interesting girl and felt like I was in love with her right away. This might be destiny.