Long Run

Chapter 2: Smitten

Like an angel who has descended, the dust rose along with the steps Ana took as she walked towards Natalie, gripping the attention of all the teenagers around. She clenched her fists in anger, she couldn’t help but feel that Natalie was up to no good. She knew Natalie like a mum knows her child, Natalie has always been an arrogant bully since they were kids and she only got worse by the day. Ana had never let her best friend be bullied nor was she going to let it happen especially by someone like Natalie.

“Natalie, stay away.” Ana snapped as soon as she stopped in front of Natalie while shielding Nova who was about five feet away.

“Or else what?” Natalie stood arm akimbo with a smirk on her face. She felt pleased to see that exasperated look on Ana who had always been known to be calm at all times. She resented the kind of bond Ana had with most of their classmates, Ana always seems to be respected and admired by all of the students but she, on the other hand, had not for once been respected. Everyone always seemed to be close to her but they were miles away. Nova also enjoyed the same entitlement as Ana, to make matters worse, she somehow gained Elias' attention and this made her blood boil with jealousy.

“We both know that you alone can not stop me, right?” Natalie grinned wickedly.

“You wouldn’t dare.” Ana looked her straight in the eye and the fury in her eyes grew.

“Watch me.”

It all went down to this…

“What do I have to do?” In the cold silence in the back seat of a black limousine, a feminine and robotic voice broke the silence. The voice was calm but it was not as feminine as the look on the girl’s face. “Keep cool,” another voice replied, crisply. “you wouldn’t want to rush things when they aren’t set, would you?”

“Not at all, Master.” The feminine but robotic voice answered.

"Then be good. And just wait patiently," the voice added, "The mayor hasn't said anything so we can only wait for now. It would not kill a man to be patient, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't." The feminine voice replied calmly.

"Great," the voice continued. "You'll only move at my signal and anything aside from that…would not be tolerated."

"Yes, Master." Just then, a knock was heard through the car window.

"Let him in." The voice instructed and instantly the car door flung open momentarily but the other person must have been used to it to have not reacted at all.

"Mayor," the voice called.

"Hmm," the person began, scanning through the people seated until his gaze laid on the one with the feminine and robotic voice. "It has been done? Project 05?"

"Of course," the voice answered. "It was faster than I expected."

"If there was anything outside your expectations, then such a thing must be exceptionally outstanding," the person raised a brow and turned to face the other side, "right?"

"Hmm."

"Well, it did come really handy when the Agencies almost caught us."

"Almost," the voice said crispy. "So they didn't."

It then became silent. Not until…

"Either way, it's best to hurry otherwise we might not get the chance to act if the Roslen Bureau decides to send aid," the person complained, with a hint of bitterness trailing in the voice. "I bet we don't even have enough time left."

"You don't have to worry. Everything is very much within my control and I would not allow for mishaps." The voice assured. "I hope so."

The car door was flung open and a pair of shiny boots alighted the car, maintaining a distance away from the car. Soon, the pair of boots were left behind as the car drove off.

"Hmm," a soft voice was heard. "He is becoming more ambitious, you better watch him properly."

***

"Ana, you shouldn't have done that." Nova spat, her face carrying a disapproving look as she stared at Ana angrily.

They were both in Ana's bedroom and Nova had her back rested on the door frame with her eyes glued on Ana, who just laid lazily on the bed with both hands crossed underneath her head.

"And for whom did I do so?" Ana bellowed as she nearly snapped in anger. She wasn't in a good mood, after all, her patience has been tested over and over again by Natalie. Besides, Nova didn't even give her a break before reprimanding her over her act of kindness. Ana felt her headache, and thus closed her eyes.

Earlier, when she attacked Natalie, Elias had rushed to stop her but he was too late as both Ana and Natalie had been rolled up like a spring roll while punching and pulling at each other. He'd been worried she would get into trouble but also wanted her to teach Natalie a lesson for having a loose mouth and a wrecked attitude so she respected his decision when he took Nova aside to avoid meddling in the fight, as well as having called her father over.

"Since you had done that for me, you could have just let me settle it all on my own. Rather than having yourself involved, I would have preferred fighting my own battle." Nova calmly walked over to the bedside and sat across Ana. The tense atmosphere seemed to have relaxed more after Nova spoke as evident from Ana's face, her face which was originally covered in anger gradually took a subtle change as a hint of helplessness flashed across her eyes. How could she not understand what Nova meant? Nova clearly wanted to make her stand before everyone, that she was not someone easy to bully but Ana just had to ruin her moment and at that too, got herself in trouble. How could she not be angry?

The showdown event was just around the corner and everyone in town was on tenterhooks, and Ana happened to have hit Natalie in the face, so hard that her nose broke. Natalie's parents couldn't be any more furious as they rushed over to Ana's side, demanding answers.

Luckily, Ana's father, Matt, had appeared just in time to cushion the hit while soothing Natalie's parents. An ambulance was brought over to have Natalie sent to the General Hospital. Everyone was relieved, including Elias but Mr Ruby had not let go of the incident as he had dragged Ana home, only to have her grounded within the four corners of the house.

"I know well enough what you mean," Ana started, immediately sitting upright. Her golden hair swept down behind her back, leaving a couple of strands falling before her face. "Watching you being insulted had gotten on my nerves so I had to do something as I could not help myself." Perhaps it was the reflection of the moon or the light in the room. Nova couldn't ascertain which one had highlighted Ana's straight, pointed nose and her grey eyes.

Nova had always appreciated, more or less admired Ana's golden hair that usually dazzled under the reflection of the sun as it kissed gently, her pale skin. And today was no exception. She sat dazed in front of Ana with her hands resting nimbly by her side, not knowing what to do with them anymore. She was silently resisting the urge to help sweep away those curled strands behind Ana's ears.

And as if on cue, Ana roughly tucked those strands away before meeting Nova's gaze. "I know I would be fine—"

"So you did something stupid all just to let yourself be punished, right?" Nova interrupted in a stern voice and her glare became sharpened with her eyes narrowing.

"It is only going to take a couple of days. My Dad can't stay mad at me for so long, can he?" Ana said, leisurely as she shook her butt off the bed, walking around the bedside to her wardrobe where she pulled out a white towel and still seemed to be looking for something.

Nova looked serious this time, "the Showdown event is until this Friday and you would be grounded till then. And to you, it is just a couple of days?"

"Yeah? What's bad about it?" Ana said, this time walking over to the side drawer. Her hair bounced around as she walked, Nova could barely keep herself in check to prevent pulling Ana by the hair, to scold her. She also felt brief sadness for dear old poor Mr Ruby, for having such a stubborn little daughter.

"Did you just ask what's bad about it?" Nova was practically yelling her head off, she was only short of pulling her hair out.

"Nova, I know you are worried. But trust me, it is only going to take a couple of days and it will be over in a blink of an eye." Ana said, smiling as she patted Nova on the shoulder before walking away, into the bathroom with a towel and a hairbrush in hand.