ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DORMITORY, 

Hera was all alone in her room. What were her friends busy with, she’d no idea whatsoever. Maybe they’re all still angry with her, and that’s why avoiding her? Very much possible. But Hera welcomed the alone time. She needed it. She shoved the backpack under the table, tossed her uniform jacket on the desk, and grabbed a loose sweatshirt and jeans to get changed. 

But her feet halted suddenly, eyes guiding her back to her uniform blazer. Somehow, the intriguing stranger’s handsome face made an appearance in her mind invading her thoughts. Hera took out the crispy notes Johnathan the stranger gave her. She held it in her fingers, and her thumb automatically moved over them in a light caress. It felt warm and soft to the touch. 

Something tugged at her heart and brought a soft smile onto her face.. 

“Token of blessing,” she whispered inaudibly. She remembered how the said stranger had looked at her. As though he knew her from before and she meant something to him. Hera tried to imagine how it would feel if she had a loving family, and the elders could send her a token of blessings in the form of money or gifts. 

She wouldn’t want a literal gift though, because a simple warm smile or an affectionate gaze would be enough for her. All she needed was a loving family to have as her own. 

“Your niece is lucky to have an uncle who cares so much for her, Mr Johnathan,” Hera said aloud into an empty room.

Smiling sadly, she deposited the money into her purse safely and locked it away. 

She thought to freshen up and made her way to the bathroom lazily. As she grasped the door handle to push it open, it suddenly got yanked back, opened wide, revealing Adelaide’s form. Startled, Hera jumped back. “Dear God! You scared me, Ade!” She exclaimed with a disapproving scowl on her face. 

Adelaide pushed past her and started to put on her clothes. “So, are you back with your ex-boyfriend then?” She asked in the middle of putting on her woollen shirt, and her voice came out muffled beneath it. Hera sighed in irritation. “Ade, I’m not entitled to explain myself to anyone,” she snapped. She didn’t want to be rude, but she was tired of giving explanations. 

‘It’s my life for God’s sake! Don’t I have the right to choose and decide for myself?’ 

Adelaide sneered at her in disgust. “Your friends are right. You are so selfish, Hera. You don’t think of anyone else except yourself,” she stated, voice filled with such malice, it shocked Hera. Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped as she looked at Adelaide’s innocent face. 

“Why so cruel, Ade? You don’t even know me, and yet you’re judging me so, brutally!” Hera said, offended. Adelaide turned to face Hera eye to eye, and said with a grimace, “I know more than enough, Hera. You’re so obsessed with Ace Hunter that you don’t even mind being a doormat. After what he did to Nate, it was pathetic of you to go back to him like a desperate puppy.” Hera winced at her harsh words. Before she could recover from the shock, Adelaide walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. 

Hera felt anger bursting through her as she couldn’t even get the chance to defend her honour.

 ‘A doormat! Is that what I am?’ 

The question echoed in her mind. She was drowning in Adelaide’s accusations. Her face, her voice, as well as her words, exhibited the only emotion which Hera could only define it something as payback or revenge or vengeance. Hera couldn’t understand why, though. They hardly knew each other. What could have gone wrong in just one week? 

“How does she know about Nate?” Hera whispered to herself, suppressing an unpleasant feeling crawling through her heart. “That bitch Clara!” She hissed through her gritted teeth. 

Letting out a frustrated groan Hera kicked the nearby desk in anger, only to groan in pain as her toes hurt like a bitch. It seemed the wooden desk was cruel enough to return the favour, and she reached her bed, cursing the non-living thing for kicking her so mercilessly. Drawing the soft violate coloured curtains close, she jumped onto her bed, lying on her stomach, hiding her face in the soft pillow. 

She turned and tossed in a desperate attempt to block the memories from the bitter past. Guilt was already starting to gnaw its teeth at her, and nothing was easing her anxiety. 

People were always so quick to judge. They never understood their relationship. What Hera and Hunter had between them was beyond hate and hurt. She fell in love with him the second she laid her eyes on him. She loved him all her life, and he was her everything. Hera would never hurt him intentionally, no matter what. It’s true, he’d done so many wrong things in the past and had hurt her. Now that he wanted to do the right, shouldn’t she give him a chance?

Hera couldn’t refuse when Hunter asked for a second chance because she read the guilt and regret in his eyes. And besides, Hunter was not lying when he said, by hurting each other, they were only hurting themselves. They were moving in a circle aimlessly, and now Hera wanted to stop and try the different path to their destination.

In her heart, Hera believed that she’s doing the right thing. But her friends were pointing fingers at her. Clara and Andrew thought that giving Hunter another chance was her biggest mistake because, in their opinion, he doesn’t deserve it. But Hera thought otherwise. Everybody deserves a second chance in life, don’t they? 

In all honesty, it’s not about Hunter, getting another chance. Actually, Hera wanted a second chance for herself. She didn’t want to spend every second of her day thinking about what-ifs. It’s better to repent now than regret later, right? Whether it’s good or bad, right or wrong, she wanted to choose by her own will. She would bear the consequences by herself if anything went wrong in the future because it would be her decision, and she would have no one to blame but herself. 

‘Love doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to be true.’ 

And her love for Hunter was true. That’s why she’s ready to risk her heart again for him. But to get rid of the accusing fingers pointed at her, Hera needed certainty. She wished someone could tell her that she’s doing the right thing, but she knew it’s hardly possible judging by the current circumstances.

‘Please, God, please give me a sign. Something or anything to assure me that I’m on the right path.’

Hera prayed desperately. 

With a helpless sigh, she sat up and changed into her black sweatshirt and black jeans pant, the thought of washing face and getting fresh was long abandoned. Her hands absent-mindedly searched for a hair tie in the desk drawer, and her fingers met the long-forgotten chocolate bar she’d tossed inside in the morning. 

“Are you kidding me!” Hera exclaimed in disbelief eyeing the chocolate bar in her hand. She asked for a sign, and the sweet given by him magically appeared in her hand. She laughed at the coincidence. She’s not that stupid to take it as a sign. 

“How can a bar of sweet be a sign?” She laughed again. “Come on, dear Almighty, give me some solid and valid sign which I can rely upon,” she snapped at the unseen supreme power eyeing the ceiling. 

As she eyed the sweet, her stomach growled on cue reminding her that she’s hungry, and with hunger came the reminder that she’d chorus to help with, in Mrs Roger’s kitchen. Without sparing another second, she peeled the wrapper off carefully and scowling for no reason, shoved the wrapper under her pillow. She finished eating the sweet in five big bites. It was flavoured with mango on the top and vanilla on the inside. Chewing and savouring the sugary juice on her taste buds felt heaven in her mouth. 

Letting out a contented sigh, her hand automatically reached under the pillow and pulled the wrapper out.

Dear Goddess Hera,

We are going out on Friday at 6 PM. 

Wear something pleasant and comfortable if you want me to buy you a lot of candyflosses. 

Be ready on time, and don’t keep me waiting. 

PS. It’s a date 😉 

Hera’s breathing faltered, her heart slammed against her chest in a violent rhythm, and she whispered to herself in a shaky voice. 

“It’s a date.” 

There’s no use in trying to stop the growing blush on her cheeks. “And the Satan is winking at me!” She read the message, again and again, to confirm that it’s written correctly. Hera and Hunter had gone out many times along with his friends, but they had never been on a date. It would be their first official date. 

The temperature suddenly increased, and she felt hot all over.