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The Loyal Followers

Lucia decided to stop by for a moment at Rottenbir Park, staring at every corner of the place that held so many memories of her childhood. Swings, slides, sand pools and other toys that stay in the same position, nothing has changed.

Cit ... cit ... cit ...

She squeaking sound of the shoes worn by a child can be heard along with footsteps and voices breaking the silence of the night.

Lucia turned her head, looked at a little girl who was running around happily because her shoes kept making a sound that sounded very attractive to her.

"Molly, be careful!" Said a man who was standing in front of the park gate.

The man stood waiting for the girl to run towards him. However, being too enthusiastic, the little girl entered the park and ran excitedly.

"How sweet!" Lucia muttered who had already sat on her favorite swing before she realized it.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Shouted the little girl calling her father who was still standing in front of the park.

"Molly, let's go home, honey! Grandma and Grandpa are waiting!" Said the man.

Because the man was standing right in front of the street lamp, his face couldn't be seen clearly. For some reason, Lucia remembered the conversation she had with Olivia at the convenience store earlier. About Chris who already has a daughter from his dead wife.

Bruuukkk...

The little girl stumbled and fell. Spontaneously, she immediately burst into tears because her leg was injured.

Lucia who was right near her, immediately approached the little girl and helped her to her feet, even though she was still crying very hard.

"The pain has gone, flown to the sky, the pain has gone-" Lucia was forced to sing to comfort this little girl.

"Molly, are you all right, my dear?" That man immediately went to his daughter when he found out that she had fallen and was crying.

"Daddy, the pain has gone, hiks-" She said sobbing, although she didn't cry as hard as before. This little girl was already trying to endure the pain.

Lucia who had guessed Chris's whereabouts from the start, was somehow nervous so she couldn't move. In fact, she could not even look up his face. Lucia continued to maintain her crouched stance and lowered her head to avoid making eye contact with this man standing before her.

"Thank you so much for helping my daughter!" He said. Lucia doesn't know, is it true that this voice is the voice of Chris, the cowardly and whiny from the Nothingville troop? It seemed impossible, this voice that sounded masculine and full of dignity belonged to that coward.

"It's okay!" Lucia said who was getting even more nervous. Perhaps, this man was confused as to why Lucia kept crouched down like that? However, it would be rude to ask.

"All right, Molly. Let's go home!"

"Okay, Daddy! Thank you, bye bye...?" The little girl waved her hand with a smile, while the other hand was held by her father.

Lucia felt warm, seeing the sincere smile of a little child. Who knows how long she hasn't felt this kind of feeling. It felt like, really calm and comfortable. After that man turned around, only then did Lucia dare to get up and look at her increasingly distant back.

"Is that man Chris? But, it could be someone else!" She thought. If she had had the courage to look at his face, she would have recognized right away. Because a person's face won't change too much.

After the man and his daughter left, Lucia decided to go home, remembering that she had to give Mrs Joana, the salt she had been waiting for.

"I'm home!"

"Wow... well, you must have gone around, right?" Asked Mrs Joana who could have guessed it.

"Hahaha... sorry to be late bringing the salt that you ordered!"

"It's okay, let's eat! I will call Grandma, so we can eat together!"

"Okay!"

Invitation to a reunion, Lucia suddenly remembered the reunion invitation Olivia had said. Could it be that she suddenly came to the event? Even though she was not with them until graduation. Do they still remember it?

"Why are you daydreaming? My cooking isn't good, isn't it?"

"No, that's not it! it's just that I'm a little confused-"

"Why are you confused?" Mrs Joana asked seriously. Meanwhile, Grandma seemed unable to really understand because of her hearing condition.

"I met my school friend, she worked as a cashier at a convenience store!"

"You mean, Olivia Atkinson?"

"Ah... yes! You know her?"

"Of course, she's been working there for a long time. After all, there are only four employees of the minimarket. So how about it? It's no wonder you came home late, and it turned out to be chatting with friends, huh?"

"Yes, she invited me to a school reunion!"

"Really? Good, just come!"

"But I was only in that school until the summer of second grade. It must be weird if I suddenly came!"

"What are you worried about? You has changed a lot, huh? Even though it seemed like you weren't afraid of anything back then, so why the reunion just made you tremble?"

"I'm afraid to meet other friends-"

"Bryan, Christopher, Pierre and Galileo, right? If I'm not mistaken, they were your closest childhood friends, right?"

"Yeah, that's right! It turns out that you still remembers their names,"

"Of course! How could I forget that group of bad brats like you guys who often buy five burgers, but only pay for four!" She said, holding back laughter.

Lucia couldn't even hold back her laughter, because her past sins were brought up again. Remembering that the idea of paying for four portions was an idea from her that her gang members had to agree to.

"Joana, add the soup...!" Grandma shouted. Their laughter immediately stopped because Grandma's voice was very loud.

"Yes, Mother! Don't scream like that!" Mrs Joana said as she poured the soup into Grandma's bowl.

"Do you think I should come?"

"When?"

"Saturday in Bryan's hotel!"

"You better come, don't you want to find a job too? Who knows if a friend of yours can help. Oh yeah, I heard Bryan is already the CEO of his family's cruise ship company. If you meet him, just ask him to make you an employee!" She said, giving advice that was actually very reasonable, considering that Lucia and Bryan had been friends since the age of five.

Lucia was silent, maybe no one knows why she felt so worried if she had to meet those four people, including Bryan. The sins she has committed to her friends are enormous and it seems difficult to forgive.

"How can I tell her, if I move from this city without telling them." She thought.

At that time, she felt very arrogant because she thought that she never needed those who for 12 years had always been her loyal followers. The people who always walked behind her without protest. Yes, people who are always there for her whenever she needs. Friends that for her will never be replaced. That was the regret that made Lucia wish, that time could be turned back.


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