"Just messing with you."
Seeing how easily Sophie got flustered, Odie finally said with a casual air, "Whether in the real world or in dreams, past or future, I'll never have the last name Smith."
Because Smith just didn't fit him at all.
"Okay, I don't need you tagging along today. Head back to your dorm."
Odie playfully ruffled Sophie's hair, leaving it in a mess.
Sophie stood there, a bit stunned, staring at her now tousled hair.
Doesn't need her around?
Then why did he drag her out here all this way?
She looked back at her dorm, a good kilometer away, and suddenly thought, maybe minding her own business isn't so bad after all.
Odie strolled solo around campus, taking in the sights.
He ambled past the basketball courts, the main field, the two dining halls in the west wing, the café, and the little corner shop.
Campus life seemed relaxed and pleasant, a vibe he wasn't used to feeling.
Without realizing it, Odie had covered quite a distance. He stopped and, without looking back, sensed Sophie was tailing him. "Why are you trailing me?"
He thought he'd made it clear he didn't need her around today.
Sophie was keeping her distance, having slowed her steps on purpose.
Yet Odie still picked up on her shadowing him.
"Uh... I was worried you might..."
"Worried about what? That I'd jump off a building?"
Sophie nodded vigorously, like a little bird pecking at seeds.
"Don't worry. Even if everyone at this school decided to jump, I wouldn't."
Odie replied with a hint of impatience, "Stop pestering me. Go back to your dorm."
"Will you... promise not to jump?"
"Sophie, why do you ask so many questions?"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Revenge is best served cold