Chapter 2The Charm

It started raining when I came out. I leaned against the dorm entrance reading a paper, waiting for Liam.

"You've gotten bold, Penny."

"Where's Liam?"

I looked past him, gazing into the distance.

Caleb suddenly reached out and pulled me under his umbrella.

"Can't I pick you up?"

One sentence dragged me from the Ivy League campus back to the damp slums.

Heavy rain poured outside the window. The power went out in the classroom.

Other students were celebrating getting out early, but I was calculating how much extra I could make delivering food in this weather.

I had no choice. I was an orphan. If I didn't make money, no one would.

Plunging into the rain, I was soaked instantly.

Afraid of getting a complaint, I took off my raincoat to cover the delivery box on the back.

Before I could celebrate earning some money, my electric scooter skidded and crashed heavily.

My leg was scraped badly. I tried for a long time but couldn't stand up.

Helpless, I called my childhood friend to pick me up.

But instead of him, Caleb came.

Back then, Caleb was still a delinquent.

Wearing jingling accessories, looking like a walking hardware store, he ran through the wind and rain to my side.

"Where's Kevin?"

"Can't I pick you up? I'm your good friend too."

He helped me lift the scooter and then picked me up.

A faint smell of herbal medicine surrounded me.

I lay on his back, watching the young master fumble to start the scooter, cursing the whole time.

"Penny, are you sick? Can't you tell me if you need money? Delivering food in this rain, aren't you afraid of an accident?"

"Mr. Wang would have a heart attack in front of the whole class if something happened to you."

Mr. Wang was our homeroom teacher who took great care of me.

I lay on his back, feeling his warmth.

Maybe because I found him annoying, or maybe my fast heartbeat was messing with my brain, I reached out and covered his mouth.

"Shut up."

It was instantly quiet around us, except for the sound of rain and my pounding heart.

His breath hit my hand, making my ears burn even more.

I, who always valued efficiency, suddenly wished time would stop for a while.

But now.

I wished time would speed up, letting me escape being with him.

"Penny, I'm here."

Liam arrived. I couldn't wait to run to him.

He pulled me into his arms before looking at Caleb.

Caleb stood in the rain, looking lonely for no reason.

He clutched the charm in his hand, opening and closing his mouth.

Liam glanced at it, his grip on my hand tightening.

"Let's go."

But Caleb called out to him.

"Do you know who gave me this charm?"

My body stiffened.

Liam turned around with a smile.

"Does it matter who gave it?"

"Aren't you just pining over a raggedy charm after getting dumped?"

Caleb didn't get angry.

"But when she gave it to me, she put a safety talisman inside. She begged for it personally."

"Liam, has your girlfriend ever given you one?"

They stared at each other in silence.

Liam suddenly grabbed my arm, revealing the bracelet on my wrist.

"I can't bear to let my girlfriend do those things for me, so I begged for one for her."

Caleb's pupils constricted. The charm in his hand was crushed into wrinkles.

He opened his mouth, then closed it.

I guessed he wanted to ask.

If the scar on my wrist had healed.