Free My Kind of Perfect by Freesia Lockheart Page A

me. I seriously need to see him
right now.”
    His laughter caught up some more tone and it echoed across
the hall. We caught three heads who passed by. I sort of joined in and laughed,
too. For no reason at all. Seriously, I didn’t even know what I was laughing
about. His face turned even redder as he saw what I was doing. He held his
stomach as he laughed some more. I kind of forced some more laughs which
clearly sounded confused.
    After a while, he held a hand in front of me as he got back
to his stance again. I stopped my sham laugh right away. The laughing mania
must be over by now. Then I heard him say, “So you don’t believe that I am
John? The one you fondly called Johnny from way back then?”
    “Johnny?” I asked in utmost abashment.
    He silently nodded.
    “No... don’t tell me...” I stalled with the words, not
knowing what else to say. My eyes widened in shock as I came to realize who he
was. I was still in denial but then as I looked closely at his features, it was
really the same as Johnny’s.
    “Yes, it’s me. What do you expect to see? Someone in
suspenders and bow tie?”
    “Maybe,” I murmured to myself, suddenly feeling bad about
the whole thing. But it was that way all along. What else did he expect him to
see? Nothing but an older version of the Johnny I once knew.
    But as much as I wanted to tell him yes, I’d settled down on
not making him angry instead. That would be too much of a tragedy if this whole
building would collapse on me. Like only the side where I was would fall down
and the rest where John was would still be intact.
    I’d seen too many tragedies that I’d easily believe in any.
    “That’s alright. We haven’t seen each other for years. What
brought you here?” he asked.
    “Oh, yeah. That’s right! I’m actually here to ask your
forgiveness,” I sputtered the words one after the other.
    “Forgiveness? For what?” he asked me, confused.
    “I don’t know. Maybe you have an idea?” I shrugged. Well, I
had a hunch but it might or might not be right. You know, holding a grudge
because I dated Jonathan and not him.
    “I don’t have a clue on what you’re talking about,” he
honestly told me.
    “Don’t you have some sort of hatred towards me?” I asked him
once more. “I’ll do anything to make it up to you.”
    He thought for a while before answering, “Maybe when we were
younger, I used to. But a lot of things happened after that so I don’t think it
matters anymore.”
    “Really? You did? When? Why?” I asked one question after
another. So he did hate me. I couldn’t believe that the kindest person I knew
was even capable of that.
    He flung his hands as he explained, “It wasn’t even a big
deal. And it was like what? Years ago?”
    “Oh no, you have to forgive me,” I told him, holding him on
both shoulders. “I will do anything I can to make it up to you. Swear!”
    He was quite surprised by my unexpected plea. And I also
noticed that he shove my hands away carefully. It felt awkward being, you know,
pushed like that. Although he had done it in a discreet manner, I felt
repulsion with his touch.
    “Okay, I forgive you,” he said with a half smile.
    “You didn’t mean that. You have to sincerely forgive me,” I
said. Then after which, a splendid thought came to mind. “I know! Make me do
anything. In that way, we will be even. And I won’t have to feel bad about it.
And you don’t have to hate me, okay?”
    He was lost in thoughts for a while. Tapping his right foot,
he looked at his watch once more before he finally met my eyes and said, “Okay
then, be my bride.”

Chapter 6
     
    “Excuse me?” I replied incoherently.
    “You said you’d do anything for me. I don’t have a bride and
I have a wedding to finish tomorrow,” the words came out of his mouth way too
easily.
    “But it’s a wedding! And you’re asking me to be your bride
out of nowhere,” I pointed out the gravity of the situation to him just in case
he didn’t