Paradox of Being - Sukani's Return

"You have the prettiest eyes ever. They sparkle when you smile."

As soon as I said it, her cheeks, already flushed, turned completely red—like a tomato.

I had made Kimberly Hart blush. Was I dreaming? Her lips trembled slightly, and I felt like I might die right there.

"Well, thank you," she stammered, her gaze shifting to the grass. I looked away, too, searching for something to say. But before I could, her phone rang from her bag. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen—Charlotte was calling. I could tell from the way it was saved: “Char baby.”

That devil, I thought. Perfect timing.

"Hey, Char, what's up?" she said, pressing the phone to her ear. "Oh, really?" Her expression changed to something more serious.

"I'll be there," she replied and hung up. "I gotta go now," she said, turning to me.

"Okay," I replied, but I felt a dying urge to ask for her number.

This was my one chance. If I didn't, I knew I would never forgive myself. But something held me back as I watched her stand up. She smiled at me before looking away.

Come on, Chester. Be a man. You can do this.

"Kimberly!" I called after her, jumping to my feet. She looked back, tucking her hair behind her ears as she turned. "Can I get your number?" I blurted out, too quickly, too abruptly, like my life depended on it. Because, in a way, it did.She looked surprised, like she was thinking it over. But then her face softened, and she held out her hand.

"Where's your phone?"

I handed it to her, trying not to grin like an idiot, even though I felt like I was on top of the world. I watched as she dialed her number. When she was done, she handed the phone back to me without a word.

She always did that—left quietly for some reason.

I looked down at my phone and couldn't believe my eyes. "Kimberly Hart?"

No way.

I saved her number as Kimberly Hart and held my phone close to my chest, feeling like I'd just won the lottery.

The next day, I found myself sitting in the park with Fiona. She had practically begged me to help walk her dogs, Soufflé and Dio.

Yeah, I know—rich-kid names, just like hers.

But honestly, they were the most adorable German Shepherds you could ever meet. Soufflé had these big, expressive brown eyes and a coat so fluffy you could bury your hands in it forever. She had a habit of tilting her head to the side every time you spoke to her, like she was trying to understand every word.

Dio, on the other hand, was the bigger of the two. He had a sleek, darker coat and a serious look, always on a mission, sniffing around with his nose to the ground like he was some kind of detective, solving the world’s greatest mystery.

I couldn’t resist those eyes, and Fiona knew it.

We were sitting on a wooden bench near the duck pond, where the sun filtered through the leaves, casting playful shadows that danced on the ground. The air was warm and smelled faintly of grass and the pond's water. It was one of those rare, perfect days where everything felt just right—except for the tension that seemed to radiate off Fiona like heat waves on asphalt.

“So, what's with you and Kimberly?” Fiona asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between us.

I knew exactly who she was talking about, but I decided to play dumb. “Kimberly?” I replied, raising an eyebrow and trying to feign ignorance.

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed. “Don't play dumb, Chester,” she snapped, her voice tinged with frustration. “I've seen and heard plenty of rumors lately. What's going on?”I sighed, glancing down at Dio, who had flopped onto his back beside me, paws in the air, begging for a belly rub. I obliged, scratching his belly absentmindedly. “Look, Fiona, I really like her, okay? You know that. But for now, we're just friends.”

Fiona scoffed, shaking her head. “You think Kimberly wants to be ‘just friends’ with you?” She took a sip from her water bottle, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh, come on, Chester.”

I felt a twinge of defensiveness in my chest. “Oh, wow, you too, huh?” I shot back, feeling frustration start to bubble up. “Why would she want to be friends with me? Why would she want to be friends with someone like me? Someone who's not in the same social class as you, or her, or anyone else around here?”

I trailed off, my voice quieter than I intended.

For a moment, Fiona’s eyes widened, and I saw a flicker of guilt pass across her face.

"Chester, you know that's not what I mean," Fiona said quickly, her voice rising in defense.

I leaned in, not letting it go. "Then what do you mean, Fiona?" I pressed, my eyes searching her face.

She sighed and moved a little closer, her voice dropping to a softer tone. “Kimberly's a bad egg, Chester. Everyone knows it. There's no way she'd want to be friends with you or anyone else without some ulterior motive.”

“Maybe she's not what everyone thinks,” I argued, feeling my frustration mix with something else—something like hope.

“Maybe she's different. Maybe she's just misunderstood.” I paused, trying to read Fiona’s expression, but she remained guarded.

“Look, Fiona, I know you two have a bad history. No one really knows how it started or what it’s even about. But I’m telling you, Kimberly is not who you think she is. She’s smart, beautiful, friendly—”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, enough,” Fiona cut me off, her tone sharp and final. "Just leave me alone, okay? Don’t say I didn’t warn you, Chester. People don’t change overnight, okay, Mr. Romeo?”

I laughed, pretending to be offended. “First, how dare you hit me with the ‘Romeo’ card? And second, don't tell me you're jealous." I smirked, raising an eyebrow playfully.

“Ew!” Fiona's eyes narrowed in mock disgust, and she gave me a hard shove on the shoulder. I stumbled back, laughing as I caught my balance.

"You wish!" she called after me, but I noticed a slight hint of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

I jumped off the bench, still laughing, and began to run across the grassy park. I glanced over my shoulder to see her charging after me, her hair flying in the wind. “I’m going to kill you, Chester!” she shouted, but there was a playful lilt to her voice that made it clear she wasn’t serious.

The dogs, sensing the excitement, started barking and bounding after us, their tails wagging furiously.

For a moment, everything else faded away.

The world felt light, carefree, and the only thing that mattered was the sound of Fiona’s laughter, the feel of the sun on my face, and the pure, unfiltered joy of the chase.