Adapted

Chapter 5

ADAPTED

All Rights Reserved

©️ Emrys Noah 2021

BETILLA

I was beyond confused. Archer had become awfully bipolar. The previous day, he couldn't emphasise his disgust of me more and now, it's like I was with his complete opposite. We started off the lesson by learning concepts of transport at the cellular level. "We have three main concepts of transport. Can you list them?" I looked at him only to find his gaze already one. He only blinked and didn't utter a word. "Okay, they are, active transport, diffusion and osmosis. They are pretty much the same." I waited for him to nod and as if he read my mind, "I'm not going to nod." He scowled. I rolled my eyes at him and looked at the textbook. I read out what it said, "Here it says Diffusion is the movement of molecules from a region of higher concentration to a region of lower concentration until equilibrium is attained." I looked around for a bottle of his perfume. I spotted it on his dresser. I stood up to get it and he only watched me with a raised brow. I held it out and sprayed it on my arm. "The molecules of this perfume are in a region of higher concentration in this bottle. Now if I spray," I did, "The molecules thereby move to fill up  the room with this intoxicating smell which I love." I put my hand on my mouth immediately.

He only chuckled. "Now, that was just diffusion in action." I said, "Hey that rhymed!" I looked back at the textbook to check if I was missing out on anything. I was. "Now diffusion is sometimes called Passive Transport. That's cause it doesn't need energy from the cell to work. And it works along the concentration gradient." I stopped to look at him, he only blinked at me. "Now from all this, can you define diffusion?" I looked at him in response. "No," He replied flatly. I felt out of place suddenly, "Do you even want me to be here? Do you need my help?" He stood up to walk to where I was. And I had a sudden feeling of deja vu. I took a step back instinctively. I couldn't relive the moment. "Archer, what the fuck?" He frowned at me, "What do you mean?" He asked unmovingly. "Oh, Archer, pardon me but last time I checked, you said it was best we didn't talk or see each other now, you're here playing the nice guy. I can't keep up with your mood swings. Why did you choose me to tutor you? Why do you want to hurt me?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Betty." He said and ignored all that I said earlier. "Why did you leave?" I said turning to face him. "Those were the worst 6 months of my life, Archer. I was hopeless without you. You couldn't even give me the note. I didn't expect you to actually move away." I said and tears threatened to leave my eyes. His eyes widened at the sight. He reached for my face but I moved away. "No, it hurt. You hurt me." I took a step back. "You went away and it hurt and it kept on hurting. And now you're here acting as if none of that happened." I couldn't contain the tears again. Archer rushed to me and held my face, I let him. "Well, say something!" I screamed at him and left his grasp when he didn't. "I don't know what to say." He said once again, shattering my heart.

How could he not know what to say? Maybe, Oh Betilla, I chose you to tutor me because I felt like. I left town because I needed to or something. Or even, why don't we talk things through? I looked back at him with teary eyes still, he looked at me and sighed. "How about I drive you back to school?" I nodded. I packed up my books and headed to his car. The drive was swift and I was in school. I raised my head from the window when the car came to a halt. "Thanks," I whispered. I reached to open the door when I felt his hand on mine. I looked at the gesture and felt my heart squirm when he gently squeezed my hand. He looked as if it hurt him to do that. 

"Look Betty, I don't mean to hurt you in any way, I'm just doing what's best for you, for us." I frowned at his pathetic excuse. "That doesn't explain your attitude towards me." I snapped and ripped my hand away from his grasp. I closed the door behind me and walked into the night. My stomach growled as I entered the dorm room. "Mae!" I exclaimed when I saw her lying on her bed. She had promised to stay up waiting for me. She gave me a cheeky smile. Then analysed my features. "Did he make you cry?" She questioned. I nodded. "Tell me everything." She said and I did. I explained how he seemed different at first before he turned to his normal cold self. I also emphasised what he said in the car. Mae scoffed. "He doesn't want to hurt you, my foot. Yet, he totally doing that." I nodded in agreement. 

Mae and I spent the night doing homework and also binging a series on Netflix on my Macbook. Truth be told, I wasn't completely immersed in the show like Mae was. My mind kept on wandering to his words and his face. It was as if he genuinely cared but that was unlike him. He had made it clear several times that there was nowhere on earth that he would care. But I already had my hopes high up that deep down, farther down, Archer genuinely cared for me. I know it was too big to have faith in but I realised, my feelings for him weren't going to change anytime soon, no matter how much pain he puts me through, I will always and forever care for him. PS I loved him.