CHAPTER 17

As soon as Helene entered the school, she looked for Minerva. She has to ask about what happened to them last night. How did she get home, and why she can’t remember anything after Madame Chona barged into her showroom?

“Helene…”

Helene turned around and was surprised to see Lexy. “Is there something that you need?” she asked, trying to sound neutral.

“Helene, about yesterday…” she said, pertaining to Adam’s visit to their classroom.

“What about it?” she asked casually. She tried to smile despite the pain that she felt inside her chest. “You wanted to ask me if I really tried to flirt with Adam?”

“No, Helene…I know that you can’t do that,” Lexy said hesitantly. “I just wanted to ask if you’re okay?”

Helene felt the walls around her heart shook. She didn’t expect Lexy to ask her if she’s okay because Lexy was the hard-to-please one compared to Arianne. She remembered the first time that she met her. She was dining alone at the table inside the crowded school canteen. Nobody tried to share the table with her because she’s not letting anyone sit in front of her. But, when she passed by her table, she saw that The Beach Boys was her cellphone’s wallpaper.

She asked Lexy if she was also a fan, and when she said yes, their friendship started. But, Helene didn’t expect that The Beach Boys would also be the reason for the end of their friendship.

“I’m okay,” Helene replied. “Why do you ask?”

Lexy heaved a sigh. She stepped forward to her. “Helene, I’m so—”

“Hey, Helene!” From the school gate, Minerva ran in their direction and hugged her tightly. ‘I’m so worried about you. Are you okay?”

Helene doesn’t know what to say. She doesn’t understand why Minerva was so worried about her if she was the one that brought her home last night.

“So, it’s true?” Lexy asked her. “It’s true that you’re hanging out with her?”

Helene curled her lips. It hurts to see Lexy hurting because of her. “Lexy—”

“I thought we could still fix our friendship, but I was wrong. Arianne was wrong. You don’t need us anymore,” she said, stressing on every word, and walked away from her.

Helene tried to stop her, but Minerva didn’t let her. Tears stung Helene’s eyes. “Lexy…”

“Hey, don’t mind them…” Minerva wiped the tears on her face. “They chose to turn their backs at you when you’re at your worst. And, not that you’re starting to look on your best, they’re coming to you again.”

Helene couldn’t stop crying. She doesn’t know if she’ll ever accept that this is the end of her friendship with Arianne and Lexy. She knew that three years wasn’t enough to say that their relationship was at its peak. Still, for Helene, who used to be alone, three years of friendship was more than enough for her to treat them as one of the most remarkable persons in her life.

“By the way, here’s the money that you need.” Minerva gave her an envelope. “Pay me on your second salary. I want your first money to be all yours because you deserved it.”

Helene then remembered the things that she wanted to ask Minerva. “Minerva, did you brought me home last night?”

Minerva knotted her forehead. “Huh? I didn’t,” she said. “I left the agency first.”

“What? You left first?” she asked in disbelief. “W-Why? I thought it was you that brought me home.”

Minerva shook her head. “After my session, I went to your room. But, Madame Chona told me that you ask for overtime. And, you told them to tell me that it’s okay with you if I will go home without you.”

Helene’s brows furrowed in confusion. “Did I? I can’t remember anything,” she said, starting to feel worried about what happened to her last night. “My neighbor told me that she found me sleeping outside my house last night.”

“What?” Minerva asked. Based on her confused expression, she doesn’t know what happened to her when she left. “And, you can’t remember how you got home?”

Helene nodded. “I also don’t remember saying to Madame Chona that I asked for overtime, because as far as I know, I was eager to get home because…” She hesitated. “Because somebody is waiting for me.”

Minerva looked at her. “Then who brought you home?”

Helene brushed her shoulders as she started to feel uncomfortable. “I don’t know…I can’t even remember too what happened inside the showroom.”

Helene tried to recall everything about last night. But what she only remembered is when they entered the building to the time that she entered the showroom. Her memory stopped at that time. And, she doesn’t understand why.

She then remembered Malcolm…She was already inside her house when she woke up, and it was him that brought her there. Her memory from the time she entered the room jumped to when she saw Malcolm after waking up. But everything that happened between that time seemed like it doesn’t exist in her memory. That it never happened.

“I’ll ask one of the security guards if they saw somebody fetch you from the building,” Minerva said and took out her phone.

“Wait, Minerva,” she said before she could dial on her phone. “If you left first last night, then what makes you so worried about me now?”

Minerva paused. Her brows furrowed. “Because I can’t reach your phone last night,” she said sadly. “I’m your friend, Helene. It’s just normal that I feel worried about you, right?”

Helene pressed her lips together and heaved a sigh. “My phone is not working.”

“Then, use that money to buy a new phone, so I won’t worry about death for you, okay?”

When Helene nodded, Minerva called the security guard on the agency. After a few talks, she lowered the phone and looked at her in a knotted forehead. Helene’s heartbeat raced frantically.

“What did he say? Did he see somebody fetch me?” Helene asked.

Minerva looked at her as if wondering why she’s asking her. “Nobody fetched you, Helene,” she said. “The guards saw you hailed a cab alone.”

***