THE INMATE

No longer in the story

Confused, Andrew glanced at the two ladies, then immediately let go of Jessica. Ashamed, Jessica tried to grab his hands back, but he kept dodging it.

“I knew you never loved her. At least, this is enough proof, some bitches can now know where they truly belong,” Bella mocked, while watching Jessica break down with tears.

“Ouch! cry-cry baby. Go on girl, go use the restroom. You don’t want us to keep watching how hurt you are, or do you?” Bella teased, as her friends laughed along with her.

Broken, Jessica immediately ran away, without a second glance at Andrew.

“Come on girls, I’m sure my baby does need his time alone!” Bella whispered, as she left with her friends.

Exhausted, Andrew went back to his punishment, before Joel came to help him.

“I broke her heart again,” Andrew started up the conversation. Confused, Joel rolled his eyes at him while looking round to be sure he was actually talking to him.

“I'm talking to you bro, I broke Jessica's heart again”. Andrew continued, sounding a little disheartened.

“How? Why?” Joel mumbled confused, as Andrew narrated the story to him.

“Hmm, that isn't pleasant you know, but It's fine. It will only take you another round of apology”.

“Yeah, I guess so”

«»«»WEEKS LATER«»«»

Rumors of Jessica leaving the school after days of absentism, spread like weird fire. Leaving most of her friends worried.

“Now that she is gone, I guess it's us now, right?”. Bella let out as she approached Andrew after school.

“She's not gone. Besides, there is no us, you just want to use me to catch cruise, do your assignments and be the talk of town and honestly, I'm not in for that bullshit Bells, I really do wish you can stay the heck away from me”. Andrew barked, then walked away. Bella stood gazing at him confused, she didn't expect him to react that way, especially not to her.

To Andrew , there was something weird about Jessica's absenteeism from school. Something he couldn't completely place his hands on, More like, there was a missing part of him and it made him restless.

In the evening, he went over to Joel's, they were about to have dinner.

“Hey Andrew, it's good you came right on time, come join us for dinner”. Joel's mum, a tall, slim, Japanese woman, said as he sighted Andrew walking in with Joel.

“Hello ma'am”. Andrew greeted, while casually waving at Joel's younger sister.

“Hey! Andrew, come—come sit beside me”. The little girl who is super fond of Andrew said as she made space for him to seat down.

“Thank you”. Andrew let out with a polite smile.

“Joel told me how you helped him win the maths competition. We are deeply grateful”. Joel's mum said after a little silence.

“Oh! It's really nothing ma'am, Besides Joel is my brother, that's the least I could do for him”. Andrew said warmly.

“Thanks for always being there for him”. Joel's mum said.

“It's okay ma'am”. Andrew said, before they continued with their meal.

After dinner, Joel and Andrew went to his room. Andrew was still very moody, he is yet to stop feeling guilty for Jessica's disappearance.

“Maybe we should pay her a visit. You seem super worried”. Joel whispered as he took a seat close to him.

“What if she doesn't want to see me?”. Andrew mumbled with guilt.

“You won't know until you go check. So, come on, let's go look for her. It's good we already know where she lives”. Joel said, patting his shoulders.

“Hmm… let's go check then”. Andrew said standing up to go with him.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

At Jessica's house, her mum was outside in the garden, while her father was milking the cow. Joel and Andrew, though skeptical about approaching them, still settled seeing her mum, who seemed nicer and a little happy.

“Hello ma'am”. Andrew and Joel chorused as they approached the woman.

“Hello, how—?”. She paused, glaring confused through her round shaped glasses. “Children, how may I help you?”. She eventually said.

“We are Jessica's friends, we haven't been seeing her around in school for some time now. We've come to check up on her”. Andrew spoke up, before Jessica's mother dropped her watering can.

“Oh! That's so nice of you. Please, do come inside”. Jessica's mother mumbled a little saddened while leading them inside.

Just as they sat down, Jessica's mother began to tell them the story.

“She has been experiencing serious mental stress since her last birthday. She has refused to say a word to anyone, not even the doctors”.

“Can we see her please, she's our friend, I'm sure she will be willing to talk to us”. Andrew pleaded, but the old lady shook her head disappointedly.

“She's no longer in the state. The doctor had advised we transfer her to a safer environment where she can heal”. She mumbled.

Andrew glanced at Joel who looked twice as disappointed as him. Tears gradually trickled down Andrew's eyes. He was quick to wipe it off, not to get anyone to notice.

“It's fine ma'am, we will keep praying for her. She will be fine, we only came to check up, we will head home now”. Joel muttered before they stood up.

Jessica's mother appreciated them, before seeing them off. Andrew was yet to say a word, Joel didn't want to make things harder for him, so he remained mute until they got home.

“She was there for me”. Andrew eventually let out with tears, as he laid on Joel's mattress, he couldn't go back to his house.

“You are overthinking. I'm certain she didn't leave because of you, so… you have to forgive yourself. Somehow, I think you should be happy she left. At least, she won't get in your way again and you don't have to hurt her even more”. Joel let out, but Andrew raised his reddened eyes to look at him.

“You still don't get it, do you?”. Andrew whispered as Joel kept staring at him confused.

“Get what?”. Joel questioned.

“I think I'm in love with her. I don't even feel the same way for Bella anymore. It feels like a part of me has been taken away”. Andrew cried.

“No way! You are probably feeling guilty, that's all. You can't possibly be in love with Jessica”. Joel laughed

“You still think I'm joking right?”. Andrew mumbled in a low but serious tone.

“You are serious?!”. Joel let out a shock. “But, how come you never told me anything, how long have you been feeling this way?”. He pressed, but Andrew ignored him.

“I think I have a plan”. Joel said, as Andrew rolled his eyes at him.

“How about you give Bella a chance, through that, we can detect if you truly love Jessica or not. But, I honestly trust my intuition, you are probably fatuating…”.

“Do you mean infatuating?”. Andrew corrected.

“Yeah, in—fat—ua—ting”. Joel stammered, a little embarrassed.

“Well, whatever, you still understood what I was trying to say. So… what do you think?”. He pressed, then Andrew shook his head in disagreement.

“I honestly don't want to have my emotions or that or someone played. I think I have already done enough”. He let out.

“But, think about it. You aren't even the hottest guy, yet…”. Joel teased.

“Jessica is the only one who likes me. Bella is only trying to use me. So there is nothing special about it. You really don't know what it means when the most popular girl in school wants to use you, do you?” Andrew asked, but Joel refused to speak, he only laughed at him.

“That's pure insults bro, and I don't want to be mocked. Bella has done enough already”

“I'm not sure about that. Wait, until she comes crawling back”. Joel teased.

At the end of the day, Andrew ended up sleeping over at Joel's. At the next day, they went to school together

The school was a little cold upon entrance. Andrew stared strangely at Joel who in return shook his head surprised as well.

“Am I the only one or is the school just unnecessarily cold?”. Andrew eventually said

“You aren't the only one bro. Perhaps it's because of…”

“Don't complete that statement”. Andrew interrupted.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you, just saying it could be because of her absence. Meanwhile, what's your plan for the compulsory weekend picnic?”. Joel recalled, trying to diffuse the tension.

“Honestly, I don't know. Left for me, I just want to stay off every school activity. I just want to be on my own”.

“Hmm, that's deep. But since it's compulsory, I don't think you have a choice”. Andrew mumbled before a ball flew from the pitch and landed in front of them.

Gazing up, they saw Jasper approaching with his friends.

“Oh no! Not Jasper again”. Joel whispered frustrated.

“Why does he keep picking on me?”. Andrew let out disheartened, before Jasper eventually got to where they were standing.

“Hey,” Jasper said with a grin.

“Hi, here is your ball, guess you missed out or something”. Andrew whispered calmly, while handing the ball to Jasper.

“Oh no, I didn't miss, it landed right where I wanted it to. But, you can keep hold of it, until I'm done talking. Alright?”. Jasper let out as Andrew stared at them, then nodded slightly. “Sure”. He whispered.

“I heard your little girlfriend is outta town. Why?! You broke up with her or what?” Jasper let out, as his friends started to laugh at him.

“Nah, she probably found someone better. Someone must have advised her not to be with a loser”. Another of his friends added, as they continued to laugh at Andrew.

Annoyed yet calm, Andrew gnashed his teeth, while trying to hand the ball to Jasper

“Chill bro, why the rush? I ain't even done”. Jasper whispered, while patting him on his shoulder.

“That's not why I came. I came to give you good news. You do know about the school picnic yeah?”. Jasper asked as Andrew gazed at Joel and nodded slightly.

“Yeah” he mumbled, adding to the nod.

“Cool, that's cool. Well, guess who Jasper Everest picked as a room partner?”. Jasper mumbled, but Andrew remained mute.

“Well, I'm not expecting you to guess it right anyways. Just came to tell you to bring it a lot of foodstuff, get some cigarettes, y'know. Just things we could use for fun, and you better not think of changing because it's going to be a terrible decision for you”. He breathed, before grabbing the ball from Andrew and they all went back to the court.

“Jasper picked you as his roommate?! That's really bloody”. Joel whispered, afraid.

“I know, he just keeps following me around. I don't know what he wants”. Andrew mumbled sadly.

“I'm also confused. Maybe, he just wants to frustrate you, until you get tired and leave the school, not necessarily for anything special. Let's just say he just hates you”. Joel muttered.

For minutes, Andrew stood mute, the confusion on his face was visible. “Come on, let's go. It's just a weekend picnic, I'm sure you can cope. If it gets difficult, you can come stay with me”. Joel encouraged, before they eventually went to their classroom.

On Andrew's seat was an anonymous letter. He glanced at Joel then gently opened it.

“What does it say?”. Joel mumbled curiously.

“Hey, I know you are probably searching around for me, I just needed to give myself a break to heal. Maybe you love me, maybe you don't. I wasn't sure, I just didn't want to mingle with your affairs with that of Bella, seeing how you adore her.

I just want you to know that even though you despise me, I'll always love and adore you. Meet me after school, for a final goodbye. I'll be behind the laboratory. I'm sure you know who the letter is from.

See you later”

“I think it's from Jessica”. Andrew whispered, while looking around the class, but everyone concentrated on their book. Nothing suspicious or out of place. Even Bella was just gisting with her friends, so it couldn't be from her.

“I actually do think that's a trap, you should be careful”. Joel advised.

“I actually do have a strong feeling it's from Jessica. Don't worry, we'll find out after school”. Andrew mumbled, while holding on to the letter.