Chapter 3 – A Name Remembered
A step, a glance, a memory's call,
Two hearts that once had lost it all.
A name once whispered breaks the chain,
Revealing joy… and buried pain.
"Hi, girls," Johnson said, stepping forward with a friendly smile. "We're the prefects of the school. Could we have your details, please?"
Neither Clara nor Liona responded at first; they were still deep in their own world.
Nelson, the other prefect, tried again. "Please, can we have a moment of your time?"
This time, Liona heard him. She quickly nudged Clara and sent a text.
Liona: Girl, there are boys in front of us.
Clara: Really?
They looked up.
When Clara saw Johnson, a strange feeling stirred inside her. She wasn't sure if she had met him before or if it was just a trick of her memory. Johnson felt the same way, a flicker of recognition flashing in his eyes.
"Sorry, guys," Liona said quickly, "we didn't mean to ignore you."
Johnson nodded kindly. "No problem at all. Like I said, we're prefects. We've been assigned to collect details from all new students."
"Oh, okay," Liona replied.
Nelson added, "If you don't mind, could we sit by the Lovers' Bench to proceed?"
"Sure," Liona agreed.
Clara remained quiet, lost in thought.
They all walked toward the bench near a small bridge. Clara was so deep in her thoughts that she almost lost her balance on the edge of the bridge.
"Clara!" Liona gasped.
Before she could fall, Johnson caught her in his arms, steadying her with a gentle touch. The moment his hands touched her waist, something inside Clara stirred—a distant memory, a feeling she couldn't quite place.
Nelson and Liona watched in surprise, unable to believe what had just happened.
"Angel, are you okay?" Johnson asked softly.
Clara nodded. "Yeah, thanks."
Nelson grinned. "I'll take Liona's details. You focus on Clara."
They separated, Nelson leading Liona away.
Johnson and Clara sat under the shade of a tree. For a long moment, neither spoke.
Finally, Johnson broke the silence. "Hi, pretty. May I know your name?"
"Clara," she answered quietly.
"And your surname?"
"My first name is all I can give. For more, ask the principal."
Johnson frowned. "I think you're misunderstanding."
"I'm not," Clara said firmly.
Liona and Nelson returned, having finished their part.
Nelson said apologetically, "Sorry, but we need your full details. It's school policy."
Clara's voice grew sharp. "The principal already knows. Clara is all you get."
Johnson tried again. "Please, it's our duty, assigned by the principal."
"I don't care," Clara snapped. "Clara is all I'll give."
Nelson sighed. "You're making this difficult."
Suddenly, Liona spoke up. "Clara… Norway."
Johnson's heart tightened, pain flashing across his face. Tears spilled from Clara's eyes.
Nelson laughed teasingly. "Norway? No way—that's why you're so difficult?"
Clara's anger erupted. She slapped Nelson hard and ran toward the dormitory without looking back.
Johnson stood frozen, lost in memories.
Liona looked at Nelson. "I'm sorry for what happened." Then she ran after Clara.
To be continued…