Well, well. Are you guys ready for this chapter?
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As the car turned to park at the far end of the parking lot, Alissa spotted Paul from afar already, standing by the main entrance of the school building. She has been seeing Paul more than she had time to snap photos for leisure, she realized as she finally parked the car.
She grabbed her bag and camera before getting out of the car. Although she's completely focused with her things, she could not help but let her mind fly off to the thought of Paul trying to hang with her more often.
It's been a long time since they've been hanging back to back. She used to see him once or twice a week to meet with him in the dance studio, but now, he wanted to see her often. She knew that because he told her himself.
Alissa thought he was just trying to make it up to her, but deep inside, she felt like Paul was somehow attached. She didn't like the thought of it.
She was nearing Paul and knew she had to push the thoughts off her head or he'll notice something's off. He always noticed, she thought. They've known each for almost two months, and Alissa didn't really know much about him except that he majored in arts and that he loved to annoy her. But it seemed that Paul knew everything about her already.
"Morning, Sunshine!" Paul said in a cocky tone of voice, smirking at her,
Alissa rolled her eyes at him like the usual, "Don't you have class?" she smirked back,
Paul found this as a good sign, "Why do you always want to get rid of me?"
"Where's your bag?" Alissa noticed, not answering his question,
Paul didn't even move and answered right away as if he knew she'd ask him, "I'm free today,"
"Good for you." She said and started walking into the building. Paul followed her,
"We should go out today." He said as he caught up beside Alissa,
"I have class," she raised her book in her hand,
Paul didn't care, "After. Let's have some fun."
"What is it with you and fun?" She chuckled softly, "I never see you cram or stress about school."
"That's because I know how to have fun, Alissa."
She stopped walking to look at him, "Are you saying I'm not fun?"
"You always decline me, Alissa. I ask you to dance, you decline. I ask you the simplest things, you cower and respond in the most rhetorical way." He pointed out, leaving her squinting at him,
Suddenly, Shadow, Alissa's classmate walked past her, about to enter the classroom. She eyes Alissa and said out of concern that the professor's already inside when she noticed she's still outside,
Alissa glanced at her, "Yeah, Shadow, I'll be there in a minute."
Alissa paused for a while. Of course, she wouldn't back down. "Fine. Let's go."
"Alissa?"
"Let's go to wherever you wanna go." She taunted him,
"You just mentioned you were busy-"
"Fuck that." She took a quick glance at her classroom to look back at Paul in the way. If anything, she hated to be challenged. She hated it when someone underestimates her. She wasn't going to let him have the last word now. "Let's go." She said and walked out the building,
Paul could not help but smirk, secretly rejoicing at the success of his manipulation.
"The park?" He asked as she walked ahead of him,
Paul followed behind her, his hands inside his pocket,
"Yeah" She replied, making sure that she made him feel bored of her. He needs to remove whatever feelings he had for her. And boring the hell out of him would work, she thought.
"Well this is fun!"
Alissa furrowed her eyebrows "What's fun about parks?" It's been a long time since she's been in a park. Suddenly, she's reminded of the demon clown. She tries to shake it off her head, telling herself that the clown's gone for good,
"The scenery." Paul started walking beside her, "The isolation."
"It's so quiet here today." Alissa added,
Paul nodded, "It's missing something..." he took a deep breath, then exhaled through his nose, "Happy children." Paul smiled warmly at Alissa,
"Yeah well, you really don't think parents would let their kids out this time, do you?" She asked with sarcasm,
Paul chuckled at her, "Of course, of course." Pennywise didn't like the conversation to lead to that anymore, it thought. It needed Alissa to focus on Paul, not itself. Pennywise tried to veer away from the topic, "Did you like parks as a child, Alissa?"
Alissa smiled warmly at him. That's another first, "I did. I was always the adventurous one. Maybe that's why I didn't have much friends, because I always wanted to do something they didn't."
"Like what?"
"The weird stuff. Dissecting insects, playing with gooey creatures in the park, played with mud, talking about ghost stories." She laughed, genuinely, she tried not to laugh so hard when she remembered everything in her head, how her childhood friends would squirm at the sight of the huge bugs in her hand. She's scare them away and it made her laugh. Suddenly, her laughter dies out. She's not evil, she thought. She's just...daring.
Alissa quickly smiled at Paul lightly so he wouldn't ask what's wrong,
Gladly, Paul asked another question, "Did you have siblings?"
Pennywise wanted to drool at the thought of Alissa having siblings.
"No, I don't. My parents only have me."
"Ahhh," was all Pennywise said. It was busy thinking about her would-be siblings. Would they act the same? Would they be as appetizing as she once were to it before it found out it needed her badly to be able to suck all the ancient power in earth,
"What about you?" She asked him,
Paul gladly responded, "I ran away." He smiled at her,
"Oh."
"Yes."
Alissa nodded, telling herself that she understands him now. She felt guilty.
"Paul," she stopped walking, "I'm so sorry about last night. Now I understand why. You weren't ready to tell me you ran away."
"It's nothing, Alissa. I admire your concern."
Silence filled the air between them,
"Do you mind if I ask why you ran away?"
Paul kept walking beside her, "Because I wanted to be in a place where I belonged."
Alissa felt her heart. Sounds like me, she mentally told herself.
"I understand," She said as she looked at him now, but Paul never glanced at her.
"Yes. I stayed here by myself, and I've never been happier."
"Really? Why?"
"Because I found my purpose." To feed on so much children, blood and soul full of fear in this town, Pennywise thought, "And this town?" Paul jumped on a fallen log and waved his hands as if presenting something, "This town is fun!"
She squinted her eyes at him and shook her head, "What's so fun about this town?"
"You!" He suddenly said sternly, as he gradually put his arms down and slid his hands into his pocket. She walked past him while he stepped down the log with poise, smirking, he added, "Where in the world would ya meet such an interesting girl?" he chuckled, "Such an interesting girl. You're very fun to be with, Alissa."
Alissa turned around to look at Paul, "Thanks."
"I mean it." He said, looking all serious now, walking towards her. Alissa stayed still, watching his every move as he closed in on her until he was a step away,
"Again," she looked at him from head to toe, "Thanks."
There was silence between them in the park,
Alissa cleared her throat, "I think you're fun, too, Paul." She said trying not to make the situation awkward, "I'm glad I met you."
Paul smirked at her as a response.
Alissa didn't know how the mood changed, but she was sure it didn't feel right. Although she really did appreciate Paul's kind words, his sudden affectionate comments turned her off rather than please her. She just felt very guilty about how she acted.
"You're a good friend." She added,
Paul nodded as he stepped a bit closer, "I apologize about what happened."
"It's okay. I'm sorry, too."
She smiled at Paul, "It's getting late," She said, "Maybe we should go. I mean, I gotta head back home."
Pennywise knew it began to have control of the situation again today. If only it could pin her down on the ground and force himself upon her to finally take the power it's been hungry and been longing for, but it was not the right way. The transition wouldn't work unless she agreed to invite himself, to sacrifice her own flesh to him.
The demon clown nodded to her with a smile, knowing that this time, it would have the upper hand.
Alissa entered the darkroom, bringing the film she had converted from her digital camera. It was time to finally show off the photos she's taken over the whole semester. Excited, she focused on the task and quickly was prepared to hang the wet photographs. But as she was preparing to hang them, she noticed something in the photos that made her frown. The photos weren't all that good, she thought.
The eyes of the people from dancers' club are all too bright. Alissa paused for a moment, wondering if she used the wrong flash on her camera. She took out her camera and saw that she didn't use the flash at all.
She paused again and sighed in disbelief, thinking that she had nothing to submit. She looked through all the photographs again, but noticed that the other photos she took were normal, even in the dark. No reflection of light in the eyes or anything.
Alissa suddenly was confused and frustrated. She saw other students come inside the darkroom to prepare their photos. She needed to submit her photos but how could she?
Alissa looked through them again and saw one photo of Paul when he was dancing alone in the studio. She noticed his eyes glowed too even in black and white. She observed the photo for a minute.
Suddenly, her eyes widened at the realization.
Paul was standing from from the camera. The angle was too high, and the aperture was just enough. There was no way his eyes would reflect any sort of light. Slowly, Alissa hanged the photograph, still dazed, a strange feeling beginning to whirl up inside her, though she was not sure what.