"Excuse me? Did you not see me standing right here?" she asked, "Is this how you greet someone who comes to pick you up?"
Theo turned sharply and glared at her, his voice edged with anger. "Did I ask you to come here?"
He didn't wait for a response.
But Cherry wasn't having it. She stepped in front of him again, her voice firm and unwavering. "I'm not letting you go until we talk!"
Theo clenched his jaw, trying to move past her again, but she effortlessly shifted with him, blocking him without being aggressive. Compared to her composed stance, he looked like a storm ready to burst.
His fists balled tightly at his sides. He was trying to hold it together, but it was getting harder by the second. And then, all at once, he snapped. Instead of walking, he turned suddenly and broke into a run, cutting to the side in a desperate attempt to lose her.
Cherry blinked in surprise, then sighed and picked up her pace, she wasn't going to let him get away that easily. She followed him at a swift stride, not running, but quickly enough that she matched his every turn.
And just like that, the quiet school driveway turned into a bizarre game of cat and mouse.
Theo weaved between the parked cars and the school's low gate, clearly trying to reach his private vehicle. His satchel bounced against his hip with each hurried step. His heart pounded, not just from running, but from frustration, confusion, and maybe even fear of what she'd say if he stopped.
Cherry, on the other hand, remained calm. Her heels clicked against the pavement rhythmically. She didn't yell. She didn't raise her voice. She just kept going, determined to talk to the boy she hadn't been able to reach in weeks.
Just as Theo reached for the car door handle, Cherry caught up. With one swift motion, she reached out and grabbed his wrist.
"Gotcha!"
A perfectly manicured hand shot out and caught him by the wrist. "Ack—!" Theo yelped, like someone had just unplugged his brain.
Theo gasped, eyes wide. He jerked back instinctively, his composure finally crumbling. His face flushed red, not with embarrassment, but with a sense of helpless anger he didn't know how to deal with. He looked like a cornered animal, too proud to cry, too angry to speak.
"What are you doing?! What do you want from me? Why are you chasing me like this?"
Cherry's grip didn't loosen. She met his gaze, "I just want to talk, Theo. That's all. But you, you're running away like I'm a threat. Can't you stay still and hear me out for just a moment?"
By now, both of their drivers had hurried over, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. They looked at each other, equally confused.
Madam, who had never once shown up at the school before, was suddenly here chasing the young master across the way?
And Theo, the well-mannered, composed boy they had always seen carrying himself with quiet dignity, was now visibly flustered and actually look like a child?
Neither of them knew what to say.
What on earth was going on here? And more importantly, what were they supposed to do?
Cherry let go of Theo's wrist, her voice soft but firm. " Please… I just need to talk to you. It's important."
"I need your help in a do-or-die situation, okay?! Just listen to me once. Will it hurt your pride that much to hear me out?"
Theo stared at her silently.
"…..."
***
A while later, they sat in a quiet, resturant nearby. It was a small, private booth-chosen specifically so no one could overhear them. Outside, their drivers waited in the cars, glancing toward the entrance every now and then.
Theo sat across from her like a stubborn statue, back straight, arms crossed, leg bouncing under the table like a ticking time bomb. He'd refused to take off his backpack, and his phone was clenched in one hand, like a shield he could hide behind at any moment. They had ordered something minimal. Cherry eyes were focused entirely on him.
Then, she took a deep breath, one of those here goes nothing kind of breaths and leaned forward.
"Okay, listen carefully. What I'm about to say is not normal. And you'll probably think I've lost it."
Theo arched an eyebrow, but didn't speak.
"But I need you to believe me. Even if it sounds insane. Even if it sounds like crazy?!!"
Theo didn't respond, but he didn't look away either.
Cherry nodded to herself as if giving permission to finally speak. "What I'm going to tell you is absolutely true. I know it's going to sound a lot at first… maybe even unbelievable. But believe me when I say, this is the truth."
"I'm not Charlotte Moore. I'm Cherry Nelson."
"I'm 25 years old. In my world, I lived a normal life with my family, my mom, dad, and my older twin siblings. I worked as a bank clerk. Life was... quiet. Peaceful.
On Sundays, like always, I was spending some ME-time at home, curled up in bed with chips, watching something on my laptop while also reading a couple of novels.
And then… suddenly, my eyes just shut? I didn't fall asleep, not like that but the next time I opened my eyes… I am here. In this world. In this novel's world?!
Can you believe it?! I mean, no offense, but you, too, you're a character from this novel. This whole world, this is from a book called The Moonlight. And yes, you, and this original Charlotte, and everyone around you, you're all fictional characters!
But me? I'm not. And somehow, for some unexplainable reason, I ended up inside the body of your stepmother, Charlotte?! Just like that? What kind of miracle even is this?
Obviously, I want to go back to my real home. I've tried everything I could think of so far, but nothing has worked! And according to the plot of the novel, you, you're some kind of genius kid, right? The final boss? So… will you help me? Please?
And… I ended up in your house, didn't I? That has to mean something. Like, does your house have some kind of ancestral power? Or gravitational field? Or something weird that might've pulled me into this Charlotte's body? Or do you have any scientific theory about it? Any explanation? Anything that could help me get back home?
And I swear, I didn't die in my real world! I think I just… fell asleep. Or maybe blacked out. And this body? This is my own body. Same height, same birthmarks, everything. It's not even like I became someone else. It's me. In this world. In this body. Somehow transported here. I even asked the maids about the original Charlotte. They said she looked exactly like me, same everything, just a few tiny differences.
It's Like... I was the 'budget' version back home, and she was the fancy, rich version of me here.
So that means... maybe the original Charlotte is gone? Vanished? And I took her place? If that's possible, then shouldn't it also be possible for me to return to my world?
Are you following me? Huh? Are you getting what I'm saying?!"
Theo, " ... "