... And They Painted Together .. Chapter Four!

Chapter Four:

Two days. They only have two days to work and the wall was still white. Jerry had still not recovered from his injuries while Allie..

"I quit," she said.
"W-why all of a sudden? Allie, you have to finish this mural," the principal asked, with a worried tone.

Allie looked at Jerry who was looking at her, too. Then, she looked away.

"I can't work with him any longer. I'm really sorry," Allie stood and walked out of the room.

The principal looked at Jerry who was really silent.

"What's wrong with the two of you?" the principal asked.

Jerry pretended to not hear the principal. His mind was blank. He couldn't think of anything.

-

The moment Jerry walked out of the principal's office. Three guys blocked him. They were the same guys who blocked Jerry the day he found out that he had to work with Allie for a mural.

"Remember us?" one of them said.

Jerry lifted his head. Normally, he would freeze and cowardly answer them. But that time was different. He was just silent. Not even a single fear appeared in his eyes.

"We don't care about the fact that you're injured or what-not," the biggest of them talked, "but I guess you still remember what we told you before."
The smallest continued, "The moment you make Allie cry, you're dead."

Jerry looked at them, still silent.

"Aren't you going to defend yourself?" the bigger said.
"I'd like to ask you something," Jerry started talking, "are you going to beat me because you're concerned about Allie? Because some guy, like me, hurt her? Is that the reason?"
"You bet!" the biggest replied.
"Then," Jerry continued, "I just did the same thing you're going to do with me. The same reason also."
"The hell do we care about you or anything!" the smallest punched Jerry that made him fell to the ground. They started beating him. Jerry couldn't defend himself.

-

In the clinic, Ray was assisting the nurse as they put bandages around Jerry's reopened wounds. When the nurse went away, Ray started talking.

"What kind of guy would go out there and let himself be beaten? Do you want to commit suicide?" Ray sat on the chair near Jerry, who was holding his bandaged head.
"I didn't want to be beaten up, for your information," Jerry replied.

Ray took an apple from a basket and tossed it into the air and then caught it.

"Hey! I was just wondering," Ray said, trying to put out the words, "I don't want to judge you because I know that you are a good guy but.. Man! What were you thinking when you fought that guy? And the weirdest thing is, why was Allie crying when he heard what you did? By the look of her face, I know she wasn't worried about you."

Jerry took the apple from Ray's hand and bit it.

"Do you think what I did was crazy?" Jerry asked.
"It was insane! You're about to be expelled! And because of what you did, most of the male population in our school threaten your life. Good thing, your a close friend of mine or else I could have beaten you up, too. If I were in your position, I would run away," Ray exclaimed.
"You will?" Jerry paused.

He took another bite and smiled. There was a moment of silence

"I don't know how to say this," Jerry said, "but I need your help."
"What kind of help? If it involved about being beaten up, please count me out," Ray said, waving his hands in front of Jerry's face.
"It's not about violence," Jerry immediately replied, "it's about the mural."

-

"Wow, man! I don't know that you're crazy in love! You really want to do that? I mean, the project was already canceled and it's just you versus this white wall," Ray was helping Jerry as they carried the cans of paint and ladder.
"Don't care," Jerry said.

After they put the cans down, Ray tapped Jerry's shoulder and smiled.

"This is my first time seeing a guy like you," Ray took a brush, "and you taught me that it takes a lot of courage to prove one's love."
"And a lot of paint," Jerry joked.

-

"Hey! Jerry, it's getting dark! We better go home now," Ray said, wiping off the smudges of paint on his face.
"I have to finish this. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day," Jerry replied.
"But we've been working for this for hours. And look," Ray took Jerry's hand, "your hand is already exhausted and don't tell me that it's not painful."

Jerry took his hand away and started painting again. He stopped and looked at Ray. He smiled.

"Thanks for helping me. I couldn't have done this without you," Jerry thanked Ray.

Ray showed a smile then turned his back from Jerry.

"I need to go. My parents are going to be worried about me," Ray said, "and by the way, if Allie will not appreciate this, I could really say that she is cruel and insensitive even if I like her."

Ray went away and Jerry continued painting. He painted and painted until he felt his hand turned numb. He stopped and thought.

"You made me realize what love can show, a world I've never known. If I could paint that world, it would take me a lifetime to paint it. This mural is not even half of all the things you made me realize."

He didn't even notice that he had fallen asleep. Not until morning came.

-

While Ray was walking to school, he saw Allie. He took a deep breath and thought about Jerry. He erased in his mind the fact that he liked Allie also. The next thing he knew was he was already holding Allie's arm.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Allie was surprised and struggled.
"I don't know either. All I know is that I have to do this," Ray replied as he led Allie to the location where the mural was.

Allie was complaining and struggling but the moment she saw the mural, she fell silent. She just stood there, not knowing what to say. Ray was looking at her and let out a sigh.

"He did that not because he have to. He did that because he wanted you to realize something," Ray said.
"Why.. Why did.. What's wrong with him?! I don't understand!" Allie shouted. She fell on her knees and clenched her fists.
"What's wrong with him?! The question here is, what's wrong with you?" Ray took her arm and tried to lift her up.
"Why are you so blind? Can't you see? He did that for you! Even though he was in pain, even if he was unable to paint, even if it hurts to move his arms, he painted that! And now you ask 'what's wrong with him?'," Ray said, letting Allie's arm go. He scratched his head and continued, "I don't understand why Jerry has to undergo all this pain. He's a good guy and even if he's stupid, he doesn't deserve to be treated like this!"

Unexpectedly, Ray, who is a die-hard Allie admirer, is trying to make Allie realize how much Jerry loves her. What will Allie do? Is she going to reject Jerry because she still can't move on or is she going to open her heart again and love Jerry at last?

Spoiler:
'Three words.. '
Find out what these three words are.!

LitTLe . mAkE-BeLieVeR . sTorYtELLeR


iF tHerE's sOmeThinG sToriEs TeLL, wHaT cOuLd iT bE?

... And They Painted Together .. Chapter Three!

Chapter Three:

Allie didn't show up the next day.

"Is she sick? And what's with her? I thought it was 'back-to-normal' Allie. Who was that guy anyway?" Jerry was asking himself as he laid himself on the grass. He was looking at the white wall.
"I better see if she's okay," he stood, "and ask her personally about that guy."

-

Jerry knocked twice before a lady who was familiar to him, opened the door.

"G-good morning. I'm Jerry Gomez, Allie's schoolmate. I just came to see if she's alright," Jerry said.
"She has a fever and can't go to school. It must be because of the rain yesterday," she replied.

There was a moment of silence.

"Is there anything you want me to say to her?" the lady broke the silence.
"N-nothing in particular. It's just that.." Jerry stuttered.

Could he really ask such question? He shook his head and looked at the lady.

"Ma'am," he continued, "do you have any idea why Allie has changed ever since the third year of high school ended? It seems as though she is having some problems."

The lady was quiet. She opened the door wide enough for Jerry to enter.

"You might want to come in first," she welcomed Jerry.

Jerry sat on the couch as he waited. The lady brought some cookies and juice. She sat and smiled at Jerry.

"I don't know who you are but I think you are really a good friend of Allie. What you said is true. When the third year came to an end, she started to change," she sighed. "It's because of that guy."
"Guy? That must the guy Allie slapped yesterday," Jerry thought.
"She has fallen in love with him. He was a member of your school's Arts Club. I know that Allie liked him because ever since my daughter joined that club, she was always talking about that guy. She said that she started drawing because of him," the lady reminisced.
"So.. That guy.. He was.. Allie's first love, wasn't he?" Jerry felt his heart broke while saying those words. All this time, he was unaware that Allie had fallen for another guy.
"Yes, he was. But everything changed when that guy transferred to another school. Allie told me that she will wait for him. She will never find another guy because he was the only one for her. It was fine with me but she began to act strangely. She's always staring at blank space," the lady replied.

Jerry looked down. He closed his eyes and clenched his fist, trying to stop his emotions. He recalled the events yesterday. The time when Allie's first love was with someone else. He then understood why Allie slapped him.

"I'd better go. I'm happy Allie is alright. I hope she'll get better soon and thanks for your time," Jerry said his goodbye and went away.

-

The next day..

"What? Jerry is not here?" Allie was in Jerry's classroom asking Ray about her co-artist.
"Actually, he was here and now he is not," Ray said trying to impress Allie with his moves, which were left unnoticed by the girl.
"If he comes back, please tell him to go immediately to our working place. We need to hurry painting," Allie requested.
"Everything for you, my lady," Ray was about to take Allie's hand when she went away.
"We will meet again, Princess Allie," he continued.

-

"Hello," Jerry greeted the guy Allie slapped.
"Do I know you?" the guy asked.
"Oh no. But I DO know you," after saying those words, Jerry punched him.

The guy fell on the ground and some of the students gathered to see what was happening. Jerry was normally not the kind of guy who'd punch someone on the face. It was all because of Allie. Jerry could no longer keep his anger towards the guy who hurt his beloved.

"Does it hurt? Well, sorry but that is not enough to repay the pain you caused her. Making her wait when you already have someone else. That's cruel," Jerry took the guy's shirt and punched him again. Jerry could feel the pain in his knuckles. The guy's nose was already bleeding that time.
"W-what? What d'ya mean? I didn' know 'nything. I dun' understand you," the guy was trying to let himself go from Jerry.

Jerry threw him on the ground and kicked him. He looked at him with anger and went ahead. Before Jerry could exit the gate, a hand grabbed his neck and took him to the ground. The real fight started. It was Jerry versus Allie's first love, the guy who hurt Allie, the guy who stole Allie from Jerry. Just the thought of it made Jerry mad.

-

"J-jerry? Jerry went to his school?!" Allie was surprised when she heard about what happened to Jerry that day.
"Calm down. Jerry is alright. He was-" the principal was explaining to Allie.
"Where is he?!" Allie wanted to scream that time. Tears were already filling her eyes.

-

The moment Allie saw Jerry on his wheelchair, she went to him and slapped him hard. The nurse stopped her and pulled her away from Jerry.

"Tell me, huh! Why do you have to go there? WHY?!" Allie screamed as she was trying to hurt Jerry again. "Can't you just mind your own business? Why do you have to bother going there?! Are you crazy?" she struggled from the nurse's arms.
"Why? Just because.." Jerry said, smirking.
"Y-you.." Allie whispered, "you idiot! I can't believe you could do this to me! Who are you anyway? Why do you bother me? Can't you just stop it?!" Allie went away after saying those things.
Jerry broke his smile and cried.
"Why? I'm also asking the same thing. Why do I do these things when you don't even recognize them?" Jerry whispered as tears fell from his eyes.


Will Allie realize how much Jerry loves her? Can Allie ever forget about the guy and start moving on?

Spoiler:
Jerry would do something special for Allie!
"You made me realize what love can show, a world I've never known. If I could paint that world, it would take me a lifetime to paint it.."

LitTLe . mAkE-BeLieVeR . sTorYtELLeR


iF tHerE's sOmeThinG sToriEs TeLL, wHaT cOuLd iT bE?