The Truth in Lies: A TALE OF MANN

by Amelia Wilson

  He had a tall stature, probably over six feet, and broad shoulders. His well-defined physique was showing with his fitted polo, which he complemented with jeans and black sneakers just like most of the students. He had defined jaws and a slightly pointed chin, accompanied by thin lips that had a permanent curl on its ends as if there was a slight smile. His face was captivating but what caught Madison’s attention the most were his eyes, which were dark and rounded and were accentuated with long lashes and thick brows.

  His eyes looked beautiful, yet they feel eerily familiar. He looked like a model for luxury clothing and perfume brands; his face worthy to be plastered across billboards and magazines.

  The TA cleared her throat loudly, aware that the attention of students was not with her anymore, and read all the rules, emphasizing that tardiness will not be tolerated while glancing fleetingly at the direction of the newcomer.

  Madison chanced a glance at him, curious about his reaction to the jibe, but was surprised when she looked back and found him looking in her direction as well. Their eyes met for a split second.

  Embarrassed for being caught, she whipped her head back and listened to the high, torturous voice of Lilia as she rattled off her peeves.

  The students listened with rapt attention and Madison tried to do the same. She wriggled on her seat every after a few minutes and fidgeted with her hands. There was a crawling feeling that someone was staring at her, which was stupid since everyone was taking notes.

  She tried to shake it off, but the weight remained, distracting her and pulling away her attention.

  Discreetly, she looked around, trying to find the source of her uneasiness but found none. When she checked her back, the newcomer was staring at her, his deep set eyes not straying away even if she had caught him.

  She gulped.

  Was he staring at me?

  She looked behind again and indeed, his eyes were dead-on staring at her and no one else. For a second, it may be dismissed as him drifting off, but his eyes didn’t look lost.

  Madison checked the one in front of her, a blonde dressed in a skirt that barely reached mid-thighs. Madison smirked.

  Of course, he was not staring at me.

  She chuckled at the stupidity of her thought.

  ***

  Madison drummed her fingers against her table and stared outside, looking at the graying clouds and wishing her umbrella was in her locker.

  She was too early for her class, an Anthropology elective which she had meant to take, and she was alone in the room.

  The winds howled, and she watched as the clouds drifted by slowly. The news talked about a fairly cloudy day for their city, but clearly, the situation outside was saying otherwise.

  The sound of footsteps snatched back her attention and, turning to its direction, she swallowed a lump in her throat when she saw its source.

  The gorgeous newcomer.

  She contemplated about smiling but held herself off and returned back to staring, though now, she could not concentrate.

  What is he majoring on even? I never saw him around campus, and I am sure I will remember his face if I had seen it even only once. Is he a transfer student? It’s impossible that he’s a freshman since this course is only for those with at least junior standing.

  She could hear him walking, and his footsteps stopped near her. Unconsciously, she held her breath.

  Madison was not looking, but she was sure that he had just slumped at the seat right behind hers, which was weird because the whole room was practically empty besides the two of them.

  It was not even a minute after and there was it again, similar to that of yesterday, the heavy feeling of being stared at.

  Minutes passed, and she almost squealed in relief when a pair of friends arrived in the room and filled in the silence. She was bordering panicking at the thought that the guy may be a potential pervert.

  Soon enough, more people came in, and the class started. Their professor, a fairly old man with a gentle, amiable smile, walked in, greeted them a good morning before starting to explain about class requirements.

  Madison forgot about the weird man and focused on the professor.

  When they were dismissed, she arranged her things and was about to go when there was a tap on her shoulder.

  “Hi.” The man said. His voice was deep and sent alarming bells to Madison. She was sure she heard that voice before, but she cannot pinpoint when and where exactly.

  Lost on what to do, she gave a tight-lipped smile, and a croaked Hi back.

  All the while, he stared at her face. She was all in for fleeing that room before they were even left behind by everyone else.

  “Can I help you with something?” She asked when he didn’t seem to want to continue the conversation and continued to watch her.

  He shook his head and smiled. Madison swooned internally at the sight but got a grip, reminding herself that he may potentially be a creep.

  “I have to go.” She turned around and strode toward the exit.

  “Hey, wait.” He scrambled to fix his things, but Madison did not stop walking. She was beginning to be really scared.

  “Sorry, I really have to go.” She said and picked up her pace, hurrying down the hall until she was in the crowded lobby.

  Resting a hand on her chest, she could feel the thumping of her heart.

  She convinced herself that it was because of the scary encounter and not because of his disarming smile.

  Chapter-2

  Madison stripped off her clothes and turned the shower on, basking on the lukewarm water cascading down her body. She reached for the scrub and rubbed it all over.

  There was a drizzle earlier, but the sun was brightly shining, and the humid was overbearing. She could still feel the stickiness on her neck because of the accumulated sweat and dirt.

  She just came back from her part-time job in an ice cream store by the park where parents usually bring their children. There was also a public school nearby so the store can get a bit crowded after classes end.

  Her eyelids were drooping, the warmth of the water aiding her sleepiness. Dragging a hand down her neck, she felt the two small bumps.

  It had been two weeks since that dream. The images of the wounds and dried blood were still fresh in her mind, but she concluded that something might have happened while she was sleeping. A large bug, perhaps, had bitten her, and her mind concocted an explanation of its own.

  It sounded absurd even to her but believing that there was someone who bit her was beyond outrageous. She was sure that if she relayed about what happened to her Aunt Courtney, she would either laugh her head off and call her crazy or straight out call for mental help.

  Sometimes, that night still crossed her mind. If not for the faint marks on her neck, then there would have been no trace of her illusions.

  A sharp pain in her neck made her knees jerk, and she decided that pressing on healing wounds repeatedly was probably a bad idea.

  ***

  The glass doors to the library were heavy, and she had to pause to push more forcibly for the doors to nudge.

  The chilling air from the air condition hit her, and she plopped down a computer and started to type down the book titles she needed to borrow.

  Most of her courses have required readings, particularly History 1, wherein Lilia enthusiastically listed off all the books they should check out. There was a reason Madison favored numbers over letters.

  Jotting down the location, she made her way through the shelves and surveyed the reference numbers, checking her notebook from time to time.

  It was lunch time and most students probably preferred whiling away in the cafeteria rather than the library. But it was Madison’s only vacant time before her next class. Afterward, she needed to go straight to her job for her shift.

  She tapped spine after spine, tilting her head to easily read the titles, smiling in glee once she found the first book in her list. The cover was a little tattered, and the edges are browning. B
ut maybe that was a little expected from a book published in the early 1900’s.

  She went on to find the other books and dropped them on a table. It was at the corner and barely any sunlight was there to light up the area. In the morning, the library relied on natural lighting that filtered through the large glass windows, but there were no windows nearby, rendering the spot dim-lighted than the rest.

  Reading through the table of contents, she drew her brows together when it got dimmer. Looking up, her eyes widened at the sight of the newcomer guy.

  In the past days, the guy kept a good distance from her and for that she was grateful. She was not expecting that he would try to talk to her again after how she reacted the last time.

  But there he was again. He laid his palms flat on the table and looked intently at Madison while he remained standing up. Madison’s throat dried. From up close, she could see how long his lashes were and the way they fluttered elegantly when he blinked.

  She composed herself before talking. “Do you need something?” Her tone was clipped. She didn’t mean to sound mean, but he was blocking the minimal lighting she could have. Madison thought she had every right to sound the least bit welcoming.

  “Go out with me.”

  Madison squawked. Her mouth was agape while her eyes blinked repetitively. She realized she must have looked unattractive with her mouth hanging open so she closed it. “Pardon?”

  “Go out with me, Madison.”

  “I don’t even know you.” She began to pile the books together, feeling the bubbling panic.

  The guy blocked her way. She tried to duck to his side, but he shot an arm up to stop her.

  “My name is Easton.” Madison felt a shiver shoot up her spine. Easton said it directly to her ear, and she felt her cheeks heating up.

  “Nice meeting you, Easton. But that wasn’t what I was talking about when I said I don’t know you.” She kept a straight face though inside, she was intimidated. The man was taller than she thought and he was almost twice her built.

  He looked thoughtful for a while, and he pursed his lips. Madison’s stomach lurched, unable to keep her eyes off the pink flesh.

  “What did you mean then?”

  She watched as his mouth formed the words and it took a moment before she comprehended his question.

  She took a step back when he leaned closer, then turned her face away.

  “I meant, I don’t know you. It’s the first time I’ve seen you--.”

  “We’re classmates in two courses.” Easton interrupted, but she ignored him.

  “And I only knew your name now. I don’t know anything about you for me to agree going out with you.” Easton’s eyes widened before he breathed loudly. The air that hit Madison’s nape almost made her gasp. He was way too close.

  He took a step back, and she figured it was her cue to dash away, and so she did, hugging her books to her chest and striding toward the counter to check them out. She did not look back until she was safely out, heart drumming fast.

  ***

  Madison spilled the vanilla ice cream on the counter, and the child was on the verge of crying. The little girl only stopped pouting when she promised a replacement with bigger servings.

  The afternoon was slow and dreary. It was the perfect time for napping and Madison, more than ever, wanted to go home and lie on her bed.

  A guy interrupted her thoughts, and she stood dumbfounded when she saw dark eyes, which was immediately gone when she blinked.

  “Hey.” The guy waved a hand in front of her face, and she apologized for drifting off.

  “Can I have two cones of the strawberry with candy sprinkles please?” He handed her the bill, and she punched it in the machine before preparing the orders and handing them out.

  She leaned against the counter and drowned in the noise of bantering children. Easton was distracting her. Sure, he may not be there, but Madison continued to think of him unconsciously. Just now, she thought she saw Easton’s eyes only to return into reality. What happened earlier in the library was testing her sanity.

  ***

  She was staring at her ceiling then blinked and the next second, there was someone hovering above her.

  Just like the first instance, there was an invisible clutch holding her limbs down, and she laid there peacefully, taking in the orbs that made her freeze.

  The eyes disappeared, and as if expecting it, there was a nudge against her cheeks, and then it traced her jaw. It rested on her neck, near the marks. She was still dazed and unresponsive.

  A strip of wetness against her neck made her hairs stand on end.

  Another strip and she groaned.

  The eyes returned, staring down at her intently. She blinked. The eyes drew farther and this time, it had a face.

  “Easton.” She had whispered before she drifted into a deep slumber. The morning after, she woke up to the strong winds coming from her wide open windows.

  ***

  Lilia’s voice was chirpy. Everyone was struggling to keep their eyes open. Madison herself was doodling at the back of her notebook just so she had something to do.

  In favor of ignoring the man who had been looking at her from behind, she wrote down all the words Lilia were saying though she was aware that everything was already in their resource books. It was a useless effort, but it was something to keep her distracted.

  Someone cleared his throat behind her, but she ignored him. Easton had been clearing his throat repeatedly for the past hour, and she was sure he did not have coughs.

  When the bell rang, she sighed in relief, glad that she would be able to escape the boring class she was holed in.

  “Are you free today?”

  A few students glanced their way. Easton’s presence alone was enough to warrant attention but seeing him talking to anybody was a sight to behold for their classmates. The guy was usually alone and barely talked unless asked.

  Madison’s movements were sluggish, and she still felt sleepy. Maybe she should take a nap in the library before working.

  “Madison?”

  She glanced up and gulped. Easton looked at her expectantly that she almost said yes to his question.

  “I have work.”

  “I’ll drive you there. It’s by the park, right?”

  She stopped dropping her books inside her backpack.

  “How did you know?” She narrowed her eyes at him and watched him fidget. “Were you following me?”

  “No!” She took a step back at the outburst. “I just saw you once while I passed by. I wasn’t following you.”

  “Okay, okay. Geez, no need to be defensive.” She slung her bag to her shoulder and went out.

  “Do you have time tomorrow then? Your last class is by 3 right?” Madison closed her eyes. A headache was beginning; she could feel the throbbing of her temples.

  “I have work five days a week, Easton. I don’t have any free time.”

  She did not wait for an answer and almost jogged away, leaving the dejected guy looking at her back longingly.

  ***

  Easton was gorgeous. That was a known fact.

  That was why it boggled Madison as to why he was so fixated on her. Madison was by no means drop dead gorgeous like him, nor does she wear flattering clothes. Things just did not add up.

  Madison could not deny that there was something about him that attracted her. The other day, she almost said yes to his offer, and it took a lot of self-control and logic not to latch on to him and agree to go with him. Being around him brought her constantly on edge.

  Whenever he was near, there was a clawing want in her to be near him, to draw him in. It was always a battle against her rational side.

  It did not help that he was adamant to be with her, for reasons she could not fathom. He talked about the most mundane things just so they had something to converse about but she always answered shortly, thinking on how to escape his presence. She did not want to scare him away because she was near to pulling him close.

&
nbsp; It was a scary feeling she could not explain.

  ***

  She returned the books to the counter and retrieved her ID and library card after it was scanned. Trudging to the tall shelves back to the history section, she scanned the titles, looking for the other books she needed for their paper.

  The red thick book taunted her, and she reached upwards, her finger tapping the edge but it was not enough to pull it out.

  A large hand from behind her shot up and pulled the book out. Madison turned around and met a broad chest. Easton handed her the book which she gratefully accepted.