The Butterfly Effect

Chapter Fourteen

You know the moment when the world goes on but for someone, time just stops and everything comes to a halt all of a sudden. Nothing seems to work except the heart, where it all starts to come back in flashes. Every small detail. Every single moment. Every smile, the sound of laughter echoes in your head and your heart fills with warmth when you realize - everything from the first day till now happened for a reason. Not even the briefest glance in the most trivial moment went wasted. And for all this time, you had a good time. And these memories will last forever.

As Juliet watches them from a distance, standing near the gate, she realizes this - the fact that the last two months will forever stay just as bright in her heart. She was too absorbed in enjoying the moments that time passed without her notice.

Miles and Ariel haven't seen her yet, too busy in conversation as they sit side by side on the lakeshore. Ariel is laughing and talking while Miles has a joyful smile plastered on his face.

But her heart breaks at the scene. Taking one lasting look at Miles, the next second she makes up her mind. Realization dawns upon her and Juliet swallows hard. Now that the decision is made, she'll never go back again.

She approaches them, putting on a fake smile and Ariel is the first one to notice. Her eyes light up and she waves at her excitedly.

"Hi, Juliet!"

"Hey..." Juliet mimics her enthusiasm as her gaze shifts toward him.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Nothing much. Just sitting because we're bored." He shrugs.

"Well, let's get bored together then." She replies, sitting herself down next to Ariel and keeping her backpack aside. "I don't actually like sitting on the ground, you know... Bugs and ants. Today is an exception."

"We're honored."

Juliet laughs, shaking her head at Miles. He runs his hand through his hair twice in a quick manner before lazily looking back at her. She brings her attention back to Ariel, a genuine smile touching her lips. "Guess what, little princess? I've brought a gift for you."

Ariel's face gleams with excitement, "Gift? What gift?"

"I'm sure you'll love it."

Saying that, Juliet opens her backpack and brings out a medium-sized navy blue box as she hands it to Ariel.

"Open it!"

Juliet says and Ariel starts lifting the cover up, smiling in anticipation. Her lips stretch into a grin as she finds so many chocolates of different brands put together in the box.

"Chocolates! You're the best, Juliet. Thank you!" She giggles, her eyes twinkling like stars and she turns to see her brother's expression.

"You love spoiling children, don't you?" Miles asks, but his face looks amused indicating he's not serious.

Juliet shrugs, "Children are cute. What can I say?"

Miles lets out a chuckle, looking back and forth at the two girls in adoration.

Juliet is like a shining star, lights up the way she goes and somehow her glow now attracts him like a magnet, he realizes. And he's just gravitating toward her flame more every day.

.....

Miles watches the bracelet with scrutinizing eyes as his fingers brush over the words 'love' attached to the chain. The white stones shimmer under the bright light of his bedside lamp and he keeps playing with it, his mind somewhere else.

Last night, he found the bracelet lying on the living room floor, near the couch. He noticed it on her wrist that evening while studying so he picked it up and kept it, hoping to give it back to Juliet the next day. But then something, the strange part of his brain told him otherwise. Suddenly he didn't want to return it anymore and for what reasons? Guess we'll never know. It just felt right to have a piece of her to himself forever, no matter how weird it sounds. Juliet also didn't ask anything about it much to his relief.

It's crazy. All his life even when he was little, he never stole a single toy from his peers ever and now at nineteen, he's stealing a girl's bracelet - life changes people drastically at times. And sometimes without prior notice and proper reasons.

But this little thing - which belongs to her means so much suddenly. He wonders if he'd have reacted the same way had the girl been anyone else but Juliet? He knows the answer. And it does no good to his peace of mind.

With a frustrated sigh, he brings a small burgundy colored box out of the nightstand drawer and keeps the bracelet in it. As he puts it back, he casts his eyes around the room then rubs his face in irritation.

Just when did everything start to go downhill? His whole life choices have come into question. It was all planned, immaculately designed like a skilled architect's work. Out of the blue, everything is ruined now. The perfect design is destroyed and he's left contemplating every single belief he's been holding onto up to this point. His logical mind has stopped reasoning, analyzing brain doesn't seem to provide him with valid grounds anymore. It's devastating, having to deal with it all alone.

Feeling helpless was never the plan when he decided to meet her.

Neither was this unknown agony that's been burning his heart into ashes each second.