Perfect hearts episode 41

🎗️PERFECT
HEARTS💞
(Secret star🌟)
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CHAPTER 41
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BY BLESSING SILVER
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✏️
Walking into the coffee shop with Axel licking his ice cream with relish, they picked a table at the window side, occupying the four chairs placed around the table.
Jeremy glanced at the wall clock in the large hall; 6:37, it read. He gave Rebecca a light tap and when she faced him, he nudged secretly towards the clock.

“Oops! The music competition” she retorted, taking out a voice recorder from her bag.
“Sshh!” Jeremy whispered to her cautiously, nonverbally informing her of Roderick’s presence.

“Oh..he knows about it, Jeremy. There is no need to be insecure” Rebecca informed.
Jeremy mouthed an oh and handed the form to her at her insistence.
“I’ll quickly do this in the ladies” she told him, standing up. Few steps away, she stopped and turned..
“I should’ve done this sooner,” she mumbled, stopping at their table. “Jeremy, that’s Roderick. Roderick, Jeremy!” She did a quick introduction and dashed off, her blue hair bouncing behind her.

“Err..hi” Jeremy passed at him.
“Hey Jeremy” Roderick smiled at him, his attention diverting from the child’s game he was playing with Axel.
“So..you and Rebecca must be pretty close for you to know about her singing and the Flex competition. She doesn’t tell just anyone that” Jeremy said.
“I know. And you both must be pretty close as well for you to know”
“Um..yeah. we’re kinda” Jeremy said, a little flustered.

“If I may ask, what is your relationsh¡p with Rebecca?” He asked with a bit of skepticism. “It’s fine if you don’t want to tell me” Jeremy added, seeing the bit of reluctance in Roderick’s face while Axel played with his fingers one by one.
“No, it’s okay,” Roderick smiled at him. “Rebecca and I are just friends”

Jeremy found himself sighing in relief at the revelation and it caught him off guard, he pulled up a smile at Roderick.
“I see” Jeremy said.
“Initially we used to be..well, not friends but we just pulled it off recently” Roderick further expatiate.
Jeremy nodded.
Roderick went back to playing with Axel while Jeremy just stared on.
His phone buzzed and when he took it out, he found a text message from Alicia.
**Hey, I’m worried about you. You left in such a haste and it made everyone curious. I hope you’re okay though? Call me when you get this** the message read and as Jeremy finished reading it, a thought suddenly clicked in his head.
A thought he had been reminiscing on the possibilities for hours.

Rebecca and Alicia’s friendsh¡p?
How true can that be?
Rebecca definitely cannot be lying but no matter how much he thinks of it, he didn’t seem to find a logical explanation that could match then being friends.

**I’m fine, thank you so much. Please inform the others. Sorry, but I can’t call you right now** Jeremy texted her a reply and placed the phone on the table. Almost immediately, it buzzed again and he took it up, this time it was a text from Rebecca.
**Hey, I’m all done but I don’t know how this stuff is submitted. I’m at the backyard. A little help?** Her text said.
**Be right there** he texted back a reply.

“Roderick, do you mind watching my brother? I need to go help Rebecca with something” Jeremy inquired.
Roderick’s brows furrowed at him as he nodded slowly, “yeah..but she’s in the ladies?”

“What no! She’s at this building’s backyard and I’m meeting her there” Jeremy explained to him.
“Oh,” Roderick breathed out. “Sure, go ahead”
Jeremy took his phone and dashed off to meet Rebecca.
She handed him the video recorder and he quickly transfered the video and submitted it for the competition ten minutes before the closure.
“It’s done!” He informed her with a smile and she returned it with a nod.
Rebecca stood up from the moulded step, ready to head back to the restaurant when Jeremy stopped her.
“Can I ask you something?” He asked her.
“Sure!” Rebecca nodded.
“It might not be my business but I’ve not been able to get your words about you and Alicia being friends, off my mind. It’s all I’ve been thinking about ever since you told me” Jeremy said.
Rebecca sighed softly and walked to sit beside him again. The air unnecessarily convival.
“I will tell you all about it,” Rebecca started.
“Before I came to our school, Alicia and I used to attend this academy back at my former house. She started the school before me and on our third encounter, we cliqued and became best buds. We never missed the cafe together or curricular activities. Alicia was the school’s queen bee; wealthy, fashionable, smart..you name it. Every student at that school held her in high standard. So, I guess you can say being her best friend then was an advantage to me as well,” Rebecca paused, letting out a mild chuckle.

“I think the issue started when I got transferred to Alicia’s class. Apparently, she used to be the one with the higher grades and marks, she was the teacher’s favorite and the class’s representative. But when I got in, I took that position from her. It wasn’t intentional of course but I could do less good because I wanted a friend to maintain a temporary position. I did me and just few weeks after, I became the one topping grades and some teacher’s favorite. I was just doing me but Alicia was suddenly offended by it, she complained to me; she was in faux tears but because of her, I had to reduce my performance so she could keep taking first place.
My dad’s because belligerent to me, I got my very first beating from him because of it, he was massively offended each time my grade dropped and our relationsh¡p with each other took a twist. He registered me in several tutorial classes just so I could do better and didn’t hesitate to caution me” Rebecca paused again, taking a long drag of air.

“I told Alicia I couldn’t do it anymore, I didn’t tell her the reason of course and she got furious, we had a bit of argument and she completely acted like the victim. We stopped being friends and later she apologised to me,” Rebecca moistened her l-ips, “but unknown to me, she had a motive”

“Now, there was this guy in our class, a new student and the last son of a mayor. He was my seat partner and I was assigned to take him through some school stuffs because of my good grades. It was during that period that Alicia suddenly started talking to me, her approach was completely strange and neutral. I remember Josh, the new student and I were in the cafeteria, eating while I was telling him about our sporting activities. Alicia joined us, crossed her arm around my shoulder and began asking me stuffs like we never had an argument nor called off our friendsh¡p,” Rebecca shrugged, “it was after lunch that day, I found out why she suddenly started talking to me….
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T.B.C

BY BLESSING SILVER