Acceptance - Chapter 12

“So… what do you think I should do?” Ayden asked. It had been several minutes since they were sitting in silence.

Grace, who was leaning back on the couch, opened her eyes. “I don’t know. I am not able to think of anything. Maybe I can get her to talk to you after college and you two sort it out?”

“I tried doing that yesterday but she doesn’t want to sort out anything. It is the end from her side. Also… I just did not know what to say to her. I know this time… this is really a big thing. I don’t even know how to ask for forgiveness. I am just ashamed of myself.” He clutched his pillow as he expressed his guilt.

Life wasn’t being good to him. Not that it had ever been anyway.

He had been an overweight kid throughout his school days. His parents did not even consider that it could lead to him getting bullied there. Like every kid, he was told that school was going to be fun… that he was going to make friends who were going to be his friends for life… but it had turned out the exact opposite for Ayden.

Ayden Webley couldn’t make any friends. Going to school wasn’t fun for Ayden rather his fellow schoolmates had turned the whole experience of going to school nightmarish for him.

They made fun of his weight.

Little Ayden was constantly mocked.

Nobody liked him.

Nobody wanted to be his friend.

He would go to school, quietly sit there and take all the abuses thrown at him and return home.

He could never bring himself to confess at home that he was getting bullied in the school. He could never. He still did not know why. Perhaps, because he thought his parents would not believe him. Perhaps, because he believed that it would not be a huge deal for the elders.

After all, it was just a so-called harmless fun by small school kids.

He himself had not thought that school kids could get that mean.

Maybe they didn’t mean any harm. Maybe it was just fun for them. Maybe they did not even remember it after all those years.

But Ayden did. Wuxiaworld for visiting.

Ayden had npt forgotten a thing. He had not forgotten a thing. Neither the abuses nor the mocking. They had left a long-lasting impact on him and even though he had come to a point where he could pretend to be cool to any funny remarks made upon his weight, he still wasn’t okay with them.

Growing up, Ayden had very few friends. All of them had moved to different places. He met Ashton on the first day of college. Ashton, surprisingly, seemed different from everyone. Ever since they met, he had not passed a single remark on Ayden’s weight that could hurt him.

Ayden, who was already lonely, took no time to accept Ashton’s friendship. After all, he had got a friend after so long. He might argue but it was one of the reasons why he never went against Ashton.

Ayden’s insecurities were far too deep for the world to see.

“You have accepted that you have made a mistake. Accept it in front of her. Tell her that you would do anything for her forgiveness.” Grace could not think of anything else. She was in a tough spot. The last thing that she wanted to do was to hurt Irene.

She would have to take her every step extremely carefully. One wrong step and things could get really bad,

“Give me some time. I will think of something. For now, I have to go. I have promised Irene to get some cupcakes for her.”

“Wait. Please let me know how she is doing.” He almost joined his hands in front of her and Grace just nodded.

‘Why do you do things that you have to regret later?’ She thought before she headed to her kitchen.

*

“Looks like someone is heartbroken.”

“Looks like someone is being nosy.”

He instantly held up his palms. “Alright. I need to go. Take care of your knees. Make sure that you see a doctor and get the proper dressing done.”

“Are you serious about your phone number being too precious to share? Like I am not going to stalk you or something. It is just… you have been kind enough to help. The least I can do is to get you your handkerchiefs back so that you have them when you need to help someone else.”

She found him a bit weird but it was rude to say that on his face so she just kept quiet regarding that. His talks sounded awfully philosophical.

He laughed out aloud. “Of course, I am kidding but I am not good with remembering numbers and I haven’t brought my phone.”

“Oh,” she uttered, thinking of a solution. “Do you have a pen?”

His hands automatically started checking his pockets for the same. His eyes lit up as he got one out. “I guess, I do.”

“What do you not have? You have everything.” She rolled her eyes at that. She still had the handkerchief he had given her when she was crying. She wrote down her number over it and handed it to him. “Don’t forget to either call me or leave me a message. I have to return these to you.”

“Eh. Why are you getting so worked up over them? If you are really grateful then… get me some pastries instead. Can you?” He buried his hand in his hair yet again only to make her squeeze her eyes shut in irritation.

“Stop touching your hair when your hands are not clean,” she screeched, clenching her fists.

“Are you hygiene-freak?”

She hated that ‘I don’t care even if you are’ look on his face.

“I am a hygiene lover. I am not a freak.”

“It is so easy to get you annoyed. Hahaha.” He suppressed his laughter the moment he saw her face reddening in anger.

“Tell me, are you going to treat me with pastries or not?”

“Fine. For this help… I will. How many do you want?”

“A hundred would do.”