HOPE

Chapter 09

I was on the edge the entire time I walked to work. I expected to see Veron when I came out of the apartment, leaning against the wall just waiting for me or on the way over to the restaurant. But when I didn't encounter him, I thought maybe he's at the restaurant. But he wasn't there. I was nervous even at work. When the door bell rang indicating that someone came in, I would check through the kitchen doors to see if it's him.

I was a little distracted the entire day while I was cleaning. Checking the crowd every once in a while to see if he is there. Waiting for him is even more annoying than actually facing him, it seems.

Ellen keeps looking at me whenever I go near the doors. It's almost like she is looking at a suspect. She probably thinks that Veron is with me or something since she knows that both me and Veron were at her birthday party that night. Or maybe people blame her for Veron's disappearance and that's why she hates me. But that doesn't explain why she rat me out to everyone at the party saying that I was Hope. 

During lunch time, I find Ellen gossiping about me with Beth, in the locker room. Beth was just listening. They can't see me as I'm hiding behind the door but I can hear them properly. I know eavesdropping is not good but right now, curiosity got the best of me.

"Did you know that she is pregnant?" I can hear Ellen say. "It's actually from a really rich guy named Veron. He is handsome and perfect, I don't know why he would be with a witch like her."

There's a sharp intake of breath. "Don't call her that!" Beth warns. "Look Ellen. I already heard about the rumor and I don't believe it. No mater what you say, I will never believe that Hope is pregnant. She doesn't seem like the type to be that irresponsible." Beth says.

"But she is! I'm sure."

"Did she tell you that?"

"No... but-"

"Then how are you so sure?"

"A friend of mine told me." Ellen voice sounds almost a whisper that I'm not sure if I heard it correctly.

"Did Hope tell that friend of yours that?"

Something like a "No" came from Ellen and Beth laughs mockingly.

"Well, there you go. She isn't pregnant. So stop making assumptions about people. Just because you don't like them doesn't mean you should accuse them falsely behind their back." With that, I can hear foot steps coming towards me. I crawl more towards the corner hoping they wouldn't see me. After awhile, Ellen walk away too, sighing.

I was smiling as I entered the locker room. I'm really glad of how Beth handled that situation. Me and Beth aren't that close but she is one of the closest friends I've got at the moment other than Mia. I mentally add a reminder to thank Beth later.

I don't know what's the problem with Ellen. Why does she hate me so much? I didn't do anything to her.

The day goes by and with each passing second, my nervousness dies a little low. But I keep scanning the crowd anyways.

Chelly said that Veron was still missing. I really hope nothing happened to him. I really do hate him after what happened but I guess I don't really want anything to happen to him. He may be a cruel person but still the intentions behind them were a bit reasonable. He didn't want to marry Ronica so he tried to use me to get himself out of that. 

Okay, No. They aren't that reasonable.

Maybe the medical test results I got, made the anger I had towards him lessen a little bit.

I liked Veron for so many years that I've actually gotten used to him being in my mind constantly. It's like he was always there. I don't know him all that well so my mind created a version of him that I thought he actually might be. That's who I liked, this "version" of him that was in my head. But being with him that few times showed me that the version I had a crush on is so different from his real self. So now, I'm not really sure whether I even like him at all. I don't know why I liked him even. My brain is angry with him while my heart mourns for losing him like this, for having to hate him like this. So there's actually a part of me that's a little reluctant to let him go even after what happened.