Wingless And Beautiful episode 8

🕊WINGLESS AND BEAUTIFUL🕊
🍁EPISODE EIGHT🍁

I felt numb, my brain refused to function, my knees felt
like they wouldn’t be able to bear my weight any minute.
The hall was abuzz with people laughing, chatting, shrieking
and singing. But I wasn’t hearing, wasn’t seeing anything.
The world seemed to be a blur and everything was moving
in slow motion. I felt like I was in a tragic film. And the only
difference between a heartbreaking movie scene and my
reality was the cinematic score.
I blindly walked towards the girls’ room and locked
myself up in a cubicle.

He’s back. He’s perfectly fine!
I felt that moment of weakness as happiness, sadness
and relief enveloped me all at once. I silently let go of the
tears that I was holding back since I saw his face again.
Hunter made it!
His operation was successful. He could be wh0le again.
He need not feel that he was useless and worthless. He
could go back to his old self, live a normal life and enjoy the
best of what life had to offer him.
He looked into my eyes and saw my face. I sadly
realized that he looked right through me. Like I was…
invisible.
How ironic that I had always wanted to be invisible since
I went back to school. But now, I wanted Hunter to look at
me… and see me the way he did when he was blind.

I had waited for this moment for the past five hundred
forty-eight days. Each night, I would imagine throwing
myself in his arms and giving him a tight embrace. I would think about how it would be when he finally said he loved
me… and how I would say I loved him too.
But now that he was here… the first time he saw my
face… he didn’t even seem like he recognized me at all.
Maybe he didn’t. He didn’t touch my face. When he was
blind, he touched my scars, and tried to memorize my facial
features. He wouldn’t know what I looked like until he
touched me. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe he would
eventually realize who I was and things would go back to
the way they used to be… the way I imagined they would
be.
When I went out of the ladies’ room, the hall was empty.
I decided to make a quick escape and headed home. I
couldn’t face Chaise and Denise. They would ask questions
as to why I was crying. And I could not answer them. Not
yet. I waited for this moment for such a long time. But now,
I felt like this moment broke my heart more than when
Hunter left.

I held Hunter’s necklace in my hand.
I believe in you. I believe in us.
I called Mrs. Bailey and told her I could not come to work
tonight. I was not feeling well. That wasn’t a lie. I wasn’t
sick, but I wasn’t well either. When I got home, I went
straight to bed and curled up under the sheets.
I remembered the things he said to me, the promises he
made that kept me together for the last one and a half
years.
“You smell like strawberries. You have this sweet scent
that is engraved in my mind now. I would recognize you
anywhere.”

“I see you… angel. And you’re beautiful to me.”
“Because of you… I want to see again. I want to take
care of you. I want to see you smile, as much as I love
hearing you laugh. I want to build a future with you… where
I can protect you, where I am capable enough to chase your
nightmares away.”
For the first time since Hunter left, I didn’t feel like
writing in my diary at all. So, I sought refuge in sleep. I was
woken up by the sound of my phone ringing. I had more
than twenty missed calls coming from both Denise and
Chaise.
The phone rang again. I answered it this time. It was
Chaise.
“Where are you?” His voice was not too pleased. “You
had me worrying all afternoon!”
My heart warmed at the thought that Chaise genuinely
cared for me, that he could see me from the beginning. I
cared about him now too. He was a dear friend. I liked to call
him my guardian angel. But I know now why I could not fall
in love with him. He wasn’t… Hunter.
“I suddenly had a headache. I went home,” I replied.

“Stay there. I’m coming!”
He hung up. I made no effort to get out of bed. The
phone rang again. This time it was Denise.
“Where are you?”
“Home.”
“You cut classes?”
“I have a headache,” I lied again.
“Shoot! Stay put. I’ll be there in a few.”
She was about to hang up but I said, “Denise?”
“Yes?”
I took a deep breath. “Your cousin? What’s his name?”
I waited nervously for her answer. After what seemed
like forever, she replied, “Hunter. Hunter Vaughn. Now, wait
for me.”
After a few minutes, the doorbell rang. I finally got up
from bed to get it. I opened the door and the minute Chaise
saw me, he snatched me into his arms and gave me a tight
hug.

I closed my eyes and let him hold me. I knew it was
wrong, but I just felt drained… and broken. And I needed
somebody to comfort me… be strong for me. I could never return Chaise’s feelings but right now… I needed him. I
needed someone to catch me and pick me up… because I
felt like my wh0le being was about to shatter into a million
pieces. The only person that kept me strong for the last one
and a half years couldn’t see me… couldn’t remember me…

couldn’t even recognize me.
Chaise rested his cheek against my head as he kept his
arms around me. We stood there in the porch for a couple of
minutes, with me locked in Chaise’s embrace, trying my
best not to cry, not to whimper.
Suddenly, I heard a sound of a car door closing. Chaise
and I turned to look behind him. I saw Denise approaching
us. The car behind her drove away, its engine making a
loud, angry roar and after a few seconds we heard a
screeching sound of tires. Even Denise ran back towards the
streets to check if everything was okay. She shook her head
and muttered, “What a prick!”
I pulled away from Chaise. He reluctantly released me.
“Who was that?” Chaise asked Denise.
“My douchebag cousin,” she replied in an irritated tone.

“Hunter Vaughn,” Chaise said.
“The one and only,” Denise said sarcastically.
“Did you have a fight or something?” Chaise asked. “He
sounded like he wanted to ram his car into a tree.”
Denise shook her head. “We did not even speak to each
other the wh0le way. He’s just a jerk sometimes. Well, he
always seemed angry. He outcasts himself, engages in
fights. And in his condition… he should have been very
careful.”
“Condition?” Chaise echoed as we all went in,side my
house.

I closed the door behind me. I didn’t have to wait for
Denise’s response. I know what she meant by Hunter’s
condition. He just had a successful corneal transplant. He
should take care of his eyes because a simple head trauma
alone might cause him to lose his eyesight again.
“Hunter had a car accident that killed my aunt, his
mom,” Denise said. “It… blinded him.”
Chaise’s eyes w¡dened. “Blind? He didn’t look blind to
me.”

Denise nodded. “He was. For more than a year. He
stayed in an institution here, didn’t want to live with any of
us. But one day, he just told his dad that he was ready to
give transplant a chance. His father immediately got hold of
a donor and made sure he had the best doctors, in the best
facility in the world. When he has fully recovered, he
returned to town, saying he wanted to stay here until he
goes away for college.” Denise sighed. “I barely liked him
before. We just didn’t get along well. He was so… perfect.

Smart. Talented. Good-looking. He was so blessed.”
“But he lost his mother and his eyesight,” I said to her
then I shook my head. “You still have both. You should
realize how much luckier you are than him.”
Denise stared at me for a while. Then I saw
embarrassment and guilt cross her face. She nodded.
“You’re right. It must have been very difficult for him.”
“It was!” I almost snapped at her. I couldn’t help it. I
didn’t just guess Hunter’s feelings. I knew them! I knew that
it was hell for him to lose the most important things in his
life.
Chaise stared at me for a second. “You okay, babe?”
I shook myself back to reality. Denise was giving me a
weird look, like she didn’t understand what came over me. I
realized I came on too strong on her and she didn’t know
that I knew Hunter from before he had his operation.
“I’m sorry. It must be my headache,” I lied again. I sat
down on the couch and Chaise sat beside me.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Denise asked me.
I nodded.
“You must be hungry,” Denise said. “It’s almost time for
dinner.”

“Why don’t we order pizza and we’ll all do our
homework together?” Chaise asked.
Denise shrugged. “Sounds like a good idea. I can’t be
home for the family dinner. For sure my parents would again
hail King Hunter for acing his first day in school, although he
was practically catching up with us since he missed out a lot
during his accident.”
“So he won’t be graduating with us?” Chaise asked.
“Oh, he will. After his operation, he did a lot of home
studying to make up for the time he lost. And he’s taking
extra classes and acceleration exams now, so he can
graduate this year,” Denise replied.
“They can’t do that, can they?” Chaise asked.

“I’m sure they can make an exception,” I said. “If
someone is exceptionally smart then his brain just might be
able to take twice or thrice the learning an average person
takes.”
Denise stared at me for a moment and then she
nodded. “And Hunter is exceptionally smart.”
Chaise raised a brow. “Really?”
Denise nodded. “Yeah. He’s like Einstein smart!” I
thought I heard pride in her voice this time. Then she
sighed. “I guess that’s why I didn’t like him. Because no
matter how many times I aced my tests, my parents still
held a torch for their nephew… who had been officially
tested to have a genius IQ. They were so proud of him, they
sometimes forget that I am their kid.”
“Seriously? That’s tough.” Chaise sounded like he’s
disliking Hunter more and more by the second.

“Yep! Genius and hot! What a rare combination,” Denise
said, rolling her eyes.
“Maybe you’re just frustrated you can’t date him
because he’s your cousin,” Chaise said to Denise with a
teasing grin on his face.
She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. “Perv!” she
muttered under her breath and Chaise laughed.
“How was… his transplant?” I asked, trying to sound
casual.
“It was successful. But he has to take good care of it.
Though transplants can last for a very long time, apparently,
they don’t last forever. He might need to get another one
when this one wears out.”

I nodded slightly, but something in,side me broke. Again,
I couldn’t help feeling bad for Hunter. But I was happy too.
Ten or twenty years… a guy like him could make giant
leaps… epic years.
I remembered he told me that he decided to go through
with it because… because he wanted to see me, he wanted
to be able to protect me. Those memories pinched my
heart. I wanted to know if he still meant those words, now
that he’s perfect again.
We all managed to finish our homework by ten. Meredith
was out of town again. And although, at first I wanted to be
alone, I was thankful that Denise and Chaise decided to
hang out with me.
“I’m gonna call Hunter to pick me up,” Denise said.
“No need,” Chaise said. “I’ll drop you off.”

I smiled at that. Denise and Chaise seemed to be
getting along just fine now. Sure they still tease each other
a lot, but at least they know how to co-exist now.
They gathered their stuff and then headed for the door.
“Good night and have a good rest,” Denise said, leaning
forward to k-ss me on the cheek. Then she went outside,
leaving Chaise and me for a little while.
“Are you sure you’re gonna be okay here?” Chaise
asked.
I nodded.

“If something happens, call me first before 911, okay?”
I giggled. “You play the guardian angel part too well.
Thank you. But don’t worry, I’ll be okay.”
“Good night,” he said. Then he leaned forward and
k-ssed the top of my head. “Sweet dreams.”
“You too.”
The next day, I felt more conscious when I walked the
halls. When my normal routine included dodging legs that
were meant to send me flying face first on the floor and
ignoring the snide remarks and insults thrown my way,
today my mind was actually on something else. I was on the
lookout for Hunter.
I didn’t see him all morning. We didn’t share any class.
And I didn’t know whether I should be thankful or sad about
that. Lunchtime, I was lining up alone to get food in the
cafeteria. Denise and Chaise weren’t there yet.
I noticed that Queen Chelsea and Witless Candy were in
the line in front of me.
“I don’t really understand why Chaise is with her!”
Chelsea said.

“Come on! Is he blind? She’s a monster!” Candy agreed.
I didn’t have to guess. The ‘her’ and the ‘she’ in those
statements, actually referred to ‘me’. I wonder if they
realized I was just behind them. Maybe they knew, but they
just didn’t care.
I took a couple of steps back to increase the distance
between us. I didn’t really want to hear what they were
saying about me. I was about to eat my lunch and I was a
bit hungry. I didn’t want to lose my appetite.

When I took another step back, I bumped into
something hærd and solid behind me. I spun around and
found Hunter staring down at me with a frown on his face.
He looked like he found it literally annoying to have a little
bit of physical contact with me.
“Are you going to collide with me every single day
throughout the entire school year?” he asked with a bored
expression on his face. “Let me know the program, so I’ll be
prepared.”
“I’m… I’m sorry,” I said in a weak voice.

He turned away from me and scooped himself some
mashed potato. I was frozen in my place, unable to make myself move. I just stood there staring at him with a dazed
expression on my face. When he turned back to me, he saw
that I hadn’t budged. He raised a brow and then as if
realizing I wasn’t going to move soon, he moved past me
and never looked back.
I stared at the food in front of me, not really finding
anything interesting to eat now. I had completely lost my
appetite.
“Hey, dude,” a guy beside me said. “You’re holding up
the line.”
I apologized and took a carton of milk from my tray then
I paid for it at the cashier. I walked to our usual table. I saw
Hunter sitting in the middle of the cafeteria, where all the
popular boys and girls sat. My heart sank. I wondered if he
was really like this before he lost his sight. He looked like he
belonged there—to the group of privileged snobs, rich brats
and high school bullies.

I drank my milk and stared into space. I remembered
our first date. He treated me like a princess even though he
was blind. It was one of the best times of my life after I lost
my family. He made me feel like I mattered to him, that he
would always stand by me. Even when he was blind, he saw
what was in,side me, spoke to my soul… got through to my
heart. But now…

Are you going to collide with me every single day
throughout the entire school year? Let me know the
program, so I’ll be prepared.
It was almost like saying, Stay the hell away from me.
How could he say that when before he left he said, ‘I
want to see you smile, as much as I love hearing you
laugh… I want to build a future with you… where I can
protect you, where I am capable enough to chase your
nightmares away’?
Now, he looks at me like the rest of them… like a
vermin… like the mere sight of me boils his blood. How could he do that when he said he wanted to see the face of
his angel, that he wanted to see me the way that I saw him?
How can everything be upside down and in,side out? For
more than a year… I have our love as my refuge. I have the
hopes of his return to hold on to. That it doesn’t matter what
the other kids in school say or do to me. Because Hunter’s
love was enough for me to move on and live each day with
a smile. But now… what have I got?
Tears rolled down my cheeks and I wiped them before
anybody could notice. I took a sip of my milk. Just then,
somebody shoved a tray with an apple on it in front of me.
I stared up and saw Chaise sit on the empty chair beside
me.

“Milk is not enough,” he said. He settled his tray on the
table. “Just yesterday you have a headache. I don’t want
you to get sick.”
I smiled at his thoughtfulness. “You really make a great
guardian angel,” I teased him.
“That, I am!” he said dryly. “Unfortunately, I would
rather be called your boyfriend.”
I sighed.
Here we go again!
“Chaise…”
“I know!” He heaved a frustrated sigh. “You can’t,
right?”
I nodded.

“Alice… why not? Is it me? Is something wrong with me,
you couldn’t like me?”
“I like you,” I said. “Just not…”
“Not like me, like me,” he finished for me, sighing
heavily again.
I bit my lip. God knows how loveable Chaise could be.
He was really handsome, like a model who stepped out of
the covers of a magazine. He was sweet and funny and
when he wanted something, he worked hærd for it… when
he cared about something, he did everything to protect it. I should have fallen in love with him already. But I couldn’t. I
was in love with somebody else.
Remembering the
shattering pain in,side my chest, I realized that I was still in
love with that person.
“Chaise… you’re so good to me,” I said. “Even with the
way I look, you still liked me. But… I can’t.”
He raised a brow. Then this eyes went to my chest,
where my necklace was.
“There’s someone else?” he asked.
I didn’t want to hurt him, but I also wanted to be honest
with him. I nodded slightly.
“Where is he?”
About twenty feet behind us.
I wanted to tell him. But I didn’t know how to. I didn’t
even know if Hunter was still the same person he was when
he was blind. As I heard laughter coming from the table
where Hunter was… I realized that he belonged there. With
the charmed ones. He was, after all, a golden boy before he
lost his sight. And he wasn’t blind anymore, so it was easy
to go back to old habits. Maybe that guy who loved me was
never coming back. Because the guy who looked at me with
annoyance a while ago… that wasn’t my Hunter. They look
alike, but my Hunter would be strong enough to fight for
me, and would see that something in me was worth loving.

“He’s… gone,” I replied in a weak voice.
Chaise stared at me for a moment and then he
whispered, “Then babe… get him out of your heart, so I
could come in.”
I felt for Chaise at that moment. I wished it was that
easy. I wished my heart had a switch button that I could turn
off for one guy and on for another.
I reached out for Chaise’s hand and squeezed it. “I’m
sorry, Chaise.” Tears were beginning to well up in my eyes. I
didn’t want to cry, but since Hunter’s return, I had been
feeling emotional.
Chaise sighed and pulled his hand away. “Hey!” he said
in a soothing voice. He cupped my face between his hands.
“Don’t cry, babe. I’ll be okay. As long as you let me care for
you and love you… even as a friend. That’s good enough.

Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll wake up and realize
that… you’re in love with me already.” He grinned smugly.
“It’s not like your ex-boyfriend is around to make you feel
otherwise, anyway.”
I bit my lip.
If only you knew.
“You say it like you’re hoping for a miracle.”
Chaise smiled at me bitterly. “When it comes to you, I
don’t believe in miracles anymore,” he said. “I rely on
them… like my life depended on them.”
“Chaise…” I whispered. I didn’t know what to say really.

I felt both guilty and sad. But I couldn’t lie to him. I couldn’t
force myself to fall for him. I couldn’t even force myself to
forget Hunter.
We heard loud laughter from the center where I knew
Hunter was sitting in with the rest of the ‘beautiful ones’.
But shortly after, we heard a commotion. We turned around
to see what it was about. Everybody froze. I felt like time
was frozen. The only ones moving were Hunter and Don
Winston.
Hunter held Don by the collar, then he swung his arm
and his fist connected with Don’s jaw. Then he pushed him
to the table.

Hunter turned around and walked away without a word.
Everybody was shocked, everybody felt scared. They
expected Don to fight back, but he was only looking at
Hunter like he had no idea what just happened.
Hunter had a furious look on his face. He glanced at my
direction and our eyes met. He raised a brow and then he
turned away, shaking his head slightly. Then he pushed the
cafeteria door open with a strong force.
The world moved again when he was out of sight.
Everybody wanted to know what happened. People went to
Don’s side to ask him if he was alright.
I turned away from them. Don must have said
something stupid, which he didn’t know was offensive.

Hunter was a very sensible, level-headed guy. His time
being blind should have taught him to think first before he
reacted. Don must have done something to provoke him.
“I can’t say Winston didn’t deserve that,” Chaise said,
shaking his head. He stared at me for a moment. “Denise’s
cousin seems like a firecracker, though. Worse than her.”
“Where is Denise anyway?” I asked, trying to change
the topic. “She’s been too busy to have lunch lately.”
Chaise inclined his head to the right. “Ask her yourself.”
Suddenly, Denise sat down in front of us, settling her
tray on the table. Her face was flushed.
“Everything okay?” Chaise asked her.
Denise shook her head. “Hunter is out of control
sometimes.”
“We could tell,” Chaise said. It didn’t sound like he
cared.

“I just don’t get why he’s a dynamite in p-nts. Before
his accident, he was just playful… conceited even. When he
lost his mom and his sight, he was angry at the world. I get
that. But now that he could see again… I thought he’ll go
back to being the smug, mischievous boy I used to know. I
was prepared to handle even that. But not this… quiet,
brewing, impatient trouble-maker that came back as him.”
“Maybe he’s still adjusting to school again,” Chaise
suggested.
“I hope so. I didn’t want to worry about him all the time.

But I can’t help it.”
I can’t help it too. This was not the Hunter I knew. Even
when he was blind and mad at the world, he wasn’t like this.
He wouldn’t start unnecessary fights… especially not when he was in an institution with rules to follow and authority to
respect. He was smarter than that.
I told Chaise and Denise that I would be heading off. I
still had to pass by my locker and my next class was starting
in a couple of minutes.
The hall was still almost empty when I got there. Most of
the kids were probably still in the cafeteria, having lunch
and gossiping about the incident with Don and Hunter.

I saw Hunter standing in front of his locker. My heart
pounded in my chest. I took a deep breath and gathered my
courage. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to know for sure if
he knew who I was. If he did… and he didn’t care about me
anymore, then I knew I should move on. I should let go of
any hope I still held on to in my heart.
I stood a few feet behind him. I took a deep breath
again and then I said, “Hunter…”
The minute I called him, he stopped what he was doing
but he didn’t turn around to face me. He took something out
from his locker.
“What do you want?” he asked in a cold voice.

Yes. What do I want?
I drew in a deep breath again. “Do you… do you know
who I am?” It was the only question I could think of…
simple, short and direct to the point.
He paused for a second, but he still didn’t turn to look at
me. I waited for like an eternity before he closed his locker
with a stronger force than required and then finally he
turned to me. A cold expression was pasted on his face. He
stared at me for a moment with narrowed eyes, as if he was
trying his best to recognize me, remember me.
“No,” he finally said shaking his head. “Apparently, I
don’t know you at all.” I thought my heart broke at that
instance. Then he added, “Oh, wait. Right. You’re Chaise
Anderson’s girlfriend,” he said flatly, his eyes were devoid of
any emotion… like he didn’t care at all.
That surprised me. The last time I checked, I was his
girlfriend but he was acting like he wasn’t interested in me
anymore. He was acting like we didn’t have a past and the
mere presence of me disgusts him, just like the rest of the
kids in this school. I couldn’t find my voice. My heart was
breaking in,side and I was struggling to stand straight or
breathe properly.

He took a step towards me. His eyes were boring
through me. He stood too close, I could almost feel his
warmth. I could smell his sweet, masculine cologne. I could
see his pupils dilating.
He continued looking down at me with that angry
expression on his face. I couldn’t recognize him at all. He
looked the same as the guy I loved… but this wasn’t him
anymore. Even though he couldn’t see me before, he never
looked at me this way.
“Is there a problem here?” a familiar voice asked behind
us, taking us both out of the trance we were in.
I turned around and found Chaise looking carefully at
Hunter. Without taking his eyes from him, he reached out
and pulled me away so I could stand next to him.
“Are you okay, babe?” he asked as he looked down at
me. I couldn’t answer. I could still feel Hunter’s closeness
electrifying me.

Funny, I could now see the huge difference between
these two boys. Being close to Chaise felt like being safe
and comfortable. Like you’re snuggling your childhood
blanket. Being close to Hunter felt electric, like pulling away
from gravity or magnetic poles. No matter how hærd you try
to fight it, you won’t win against it… no matter how
dangerous and unsafe it is, no matter how much pain it
might bring you… you still want to succ-mb to it… give in…
give it all up for him.
“Babe? Seriously?” Hunter laughed as if it was the most
ridiculous thing he’d ever heard. I wanted to slap him
because he made it sound like Chaise dating me was a laughable joke… like anybody dating me was a laughable
joke.
Chaise apparently felt the same way too. “Yes!
Seriously! Do you have a problem with that?” he asked
angrily. He shoved me behind him, as if he was shielding me
from Hunter. I was reminded of the night he saved me from
those potheads. I almost forgot that Chaise felt it was his
mission to protect me.
Hunter looked at how Chaise stood in front of me and he
seemed disgusted even more. He balled his hands into fists
and raised a challenging brow at Chaise. My heart pounded
in,side my chest. I didn’t want this to get out of hand.

Oh no! This is not happening!
“Chaise… let’s go,” I said, pulling Chaise away.
Chaise was looking at Hunter angrily too, he didn’t even
move a muscle when I pulled him.
“Chaise, please,” I begged.
Finally, I felt Chaise relax. He pointed a finger at Hunter
and said, “Stay the hell away from her!”
Hunter glared at him said, “Gladly!”
Chaise finally took my hand and we walked away. After a
few seconds, we heard a loud bang. Neither I nor Chaise
turned around but we both knew what that noise was.
Hunter couldn’t resist punching his locker door.

Chaise shook his head coolly, as if he couldn’t believe
there was a guy who had such a bad temper and could stay
angry all the time. I couldn’t believe it too. Hunter, even
when he was blind and mad at the world, was cool. He was
quiet and he bottled it all up in,side him. He was smart
enough to keep his emotions under control. But now… he
was randomly punching kids and insulting people… insulting
me. And he didn’t even know me. He looked like he didn’t
recognize me, not even my voice. If he really loved me… my
voice would have been familiar to him, even if he had no
idea what I looked like. And even if he didn’t remember me,I didn’t know Hunter could be so mean. The way he looked
at me… spoke to me… it was like he was disgusted with me.
“You okay?” Chaise asked, concern was all over his
voice.
I nodded. “I thought you were going to fight with him. I
felt scared. He just had a corneal transplant, and I’ve seen
you fight. It won’t be good for his operation.”

Chaise stared at me for a long moment. Then he
grinned. “Well… I don’t care if he gets blind again. He has
no right insulting you like that. You know I will always
protect you, right? I am your guardian angel, after all.”
I smiled at him. I may have forever lost Hunter’s love…
but at least I was thankful that for now… I have Chaise’s
friendsh¡p to count on. It may not be fair to Chaise that he
was only a friend… a protector… a guardian angel to me.
But I was hoping things would all fall into place someday.