Chapter 7

At 3:00 am, the sounds in the room finally stopped, and the sounds of running water from the bathroom followed. Samantha pulled the curtains open and walked out on her numb legs. She stepped over the clothes scattered across the floor, placed the memory card on the desk, and opened the door. After that, a deep voice came from the bathroom, "What's that noise? Is someone there?" "How could someone else be there in the middle of the night? Just ignore it. How about a second round?" Natalie asked. The bathroom door that was slightly ajar was now closed again. Samantha looked back at the reflection on the glass before turning to close the door. … At dawn, the street was empty, with no cars in sight. Samantha walked aimlessly, her ears ringing and her mind blank. The sky grew lighter after a short while. She looked up blankly, only to realize that she had somehow made her way to her old high school. The campus was quiet at 7:00 am. She wandered around the path alone, looking around absentmindedly as some of her long-forgotten memories began to resurface. Samantha walked past the 0.5-mile track where Wilson had run with her in tow. She passed the hall where he had decorated roses on her birthday and the courtyard where he had confessed to her in front of everyone. Everything was exactly as it had been in the past, yet she felt completely different being there now. Samantha walked to the academic building and was met with the dean, Robert Saunders, who was there to work. Almost all the teachers knew of her due to Wilson's public pursuit of her in the past. Robert smiled and greeted her. "Is that you, Samantha? What brings you back to school? Where's Wilson? I've just heard that the two of you got engaged. Are you here to hand out wedding invitations?" Samantha forced a smile and changed the topic. "I haven't been back for in a long time, so I came to visit the teachers since I'm nearby." As they walked and talked, they reminisced about the past, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. Before they parted, Robert recalled something and took out a yellowed diary from the cabinet in his office. "I took this from Wilson during study hall back when I was making the rounds. I thought I'd return it to you since your wedding is soon." Stunned, Samantha took the diary and thanked him. On her way back, she opened the diary and saw Wilson's immaculate handwriting. The diary entries read, "March 12th: Sam did not accept my confession, but she smiled at me today. I feel like I still have a chance. "July 1st: The summer break is just too long. I waited for four hours under Sam's house just to see her for a moment. "November 23rd: Someone confessed to Sam today. I beat him up out of anger and got a warning from the school. "December 21st: Today is my 17th birthday. My only wish as a 17-year-old is to be together with 16-year-old Samantha forever." Every page carried the same name, filled with the thoughts and feelings of a young boy. Samantha felt a lump in her throat as she read through the pages. Tears started falling uncontrollably, each teardrop a nostalgia for the past and a form of farewell. … By the time the car stopped in front of the villa, Samantha had already managed to calm down. She closed the diary and opened the door, immediately locking eyes with Wilson, who had just returned. Upon noticing the red love bites on his neck, she recalled what happened the night before and quickly averted her gaze. Wilson noticed Samantha's red eyes and frowned. He wondered how he could ask about them without making it too obvious. Natalie, who was nestled in his arms, noticed the same and started chuckling. "Thanks for your hard work yesterday. I've already transferred the money to you. I'm really happy with what you've taken. I'm sure you're equally satisfied, right?" she asked. Wilson's heart skipped a beat upon hearing Natalie's seemingly cryptic words. "Satisfied about what?" She replied, "What else could it be other than the birthday photos during the first half of the night? As for the second half of the night—" Wilson's heart lurched when he heard Natalie's unfiltered words. He immediately covered her mouth with his hand. She merely gave him a wink and started sucking on his fingers. Samantha was already immune to the way the two of them openly flirted. She turned around and headed back into the villa. She casually tossed the diary into the trash as she walked past it. Their youth, which was filled with love and sincerity, was now buried just like that.