1 It All Started Here

Everyone was watching her as she went down the sidewalk like a model. She walked at a decent, steady pace, her strides long and smooth. She raised her shoulders and head, displaying her long, sleek neck and aggressive stride. Because that was one of her advantages, they sometimes misidentified her as a model. She is 5 feet, 9 inches tall. Jody can confidently wear any outfit, enhancing her physique's beauty. Her naturally colored, wavy, dark brown hair is wavy and loose. Her dimpled smile, long legs, and lovely eyes are the first things people notice about her, especially when they meet her up close.

It distracted most of those who saw her, and they stopped what they were doing. She was one of the university's well-known students. Almost every man there must have had a crush on her. She's everyone's girlfriend.

"Jody!"

Jody turned down the corridor when she heard a familiar voice. When she saw one of her friends, her smile widened. She instantly stopped walking and waited for her friend to approach.

"How are you?" Cassy asked as she approached her. "No more weird feelings?"

"Gone. I hope it doesn't come back because it's killing me." Jody said as her friend approached her. She kissed her on the cheek. "Cassy, what are you doing here? Aren't you done with your clearance?"

Jody had symptoms of an unfamiliar feeling a month before her vacation. Her heart rate was abnormal, and she noticed changes in her body that she couldn't explain. Strong hearing senses are one example. She could hear the conversation from around 10 meters away. It felt as though the people talking were standing right next to her.

"Well, I thought so, too," Cassy said. She wrapped her arms around Jody's. "Anyway, it's good that you're here since we're going somewhere."

Jody turned to face her friend. "Where? Do we have a stroll planned? "

Cassy did not respond, instead simply smiling at her. "Guys! "

They smiled when Cassy and Jody saw their two other friends, Lauren and Audrey.

———

They were strolling through the mall. Jody and her friends walked together, arms around each other. They intend to catch a movie before heading home, so they queue at the ticket counter. Lauren had already purchased popcorn and Coke for them. They stood behind Audrey, waiting in line at the ticket desk.

"So, no more symptoms?" Audrey asked.

"Today, none. Hopefully, these non-weird feelings will continue. I am no longer at ease with what is happening to me," Jody said.

"Have you seen the doctor yet?" Lauren asked.

Jody gave the nod. "Yeah, the doctor saw nothing, and all the tests done on me were normal, so what's happening to me is strange," Jody explained.

"Your parents must be worried about you," Cassy replied.

Jody remembered her parents. They seem concerned, yet they refuse to take her to a doctor. And, as her parents have stated, the doctor will see nothing in my body. She's healthy. But she couldn't understand her parents. If she's healthy, she shouldn't feel any symptoms.

"Let's talk about your 18th birthday," Lauren asked. "How's the planning going on?"

Jody pouted her lips. "I honestly don't know. My parents say nothing about it."

"Perhaps it's a surprise. Uncle hasn't mentioned anything yet," Cassie reasoned.

"Yes," Audrey said. "You remember, there was no sign that dad would prepare me for my birthday, but it shocked us that night."

"You're right, and it was unforgettable that night. Nathan broke up with her, and then she shoved him into the pool, but karma is real," Lauren laughs.

Jody chuckled. "Don't bring that up again."

"How come you still have feelings for him? As everyone says, first love never dies," Cassie explained.

"But I don't have any feelings for him anymore, so he's not my first love," Jody said. "Haist, please don't remind me about him. I remember him shoving me into the water. I can't believe what he did until now."

"But you shoved him first. He grabbed you. That's why you both fell."

Everyone burst out laughing. Audrey soon received a ticket. They were ready to enter the movie when a guy collided with Jody. She tossed the soda she was holding and collapsed on the floor.

"I apologize, Miss. You're not looking straight ahead."

Jody's friends looked at the two people in front of them. Nathan, the man who ran into her, was with a woman. Jody couldn't believe it and stood up with Lauren's help.

"Did you mean it?" Jody asked.

"Why do you blame my boyfriend, Miss?" the woman said, irritated.

Jody's friends exchanged glances. Jody scanned the woman from head to toe and repeated the process until she drew her gaze to the woman's boobs. The woman clutched her chest.

"Are you a lesbian? Why do you keep staring at my breast like that?" the woman said, irritated as her bag covered her breast.

Jody looked at her friends and then looked back at the woman. "Wait, is it a boobie?" Jody chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'm confused. I'm not sure if it is your back or your boobs. It looks the same to me."

"What?" the woman said. Jody's friends laughed when she said it.

"How are things going, Jody? You look better now." Nathan said.

"Do you know her?" the woman asked, shocked.

Jody smiled at Nathan. "I'm better without you, as you can see. Jody said. "But damn, Nathan, you've failed to live up to my expectations of you. I never imagined you'd ever replace me with someone like her. Anyway, aren't you confused? Is she already facing you, or has she turned her back on you?"

Nathan glanced at the woman standing next to him. The woman smacked Nathan's arm.

Laurence chuckled at what the woman did. "Right? What a waste of your charm, Nathan,"

"Let's go, girls," Cassy said.

Nathan and his girlfriend stood outside while Jody and her friends entered the movie theater.

"She's your ex?" the woman asked, addressing her boyfriend.

"How about we just watch another movie? I'll buy a new ticket," Nathan said.

"No," the woman said. "This is what I want to watch."

The woman took the man's hand and drew him into the theater. Jody's group instantly saw the couple and was astonished to find they would sit beside them. The woman perched on the edge of Jody's chair and ignored her. The group talked amicably while the movie began.

When the movie ended, and they were strolling through the mall, they hugged each other's arms. They mock Nathan's girlfriend. The woman was envious of Jody.

"I also expect a gorgeous Georgina Wilson to replace me, but she has no boobs," Jody chuckled. "Mine is small, but hers is different. It's flat, girl."

"Why are you so bitter about his new girlfriend? Do you still have feelings for him?" Cassy asked.

"Of course not," Jody said. "

"Excuse me, but why should I be bitter? I was about to break up with him, but he broke up with me first. I'm annoyed I saw Nathan, but I'm not bitter."

"But you seem to be," Cassy said.

"Hey, whose side are you on, huh? I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, which is why I am asking you. You seem bitter, and I want to ask you why."

Jody sulks. "I'm not bitter, and I'm just annoyed. He already has a girlfriend. I think she flirted with her before he broke up with me."

"Don't be annoyed. You have many suitors. You're the only one who is so picky."

"I am waiting for the spark. I don't want to make a mistake like what happened to Nathan and me. We can't all have the same wants."

"What if the man with whom you've seen the spark is the man you hate the most? What are you going to do? Same feelings, right? You both hate each other."

"It depends," her friends laughed. "As long as there's a spark, even if I hate him, I'll give him a chance," Jody said with a smile.

"You know, girl, you're pretty, but what you want isn't fun."

Jody's friends laughed. "Let us enjoy ourselves today. We can't go to the bar since you're still not permitted in," Lauren said.

"I'll be eighteen in two weeks, so I can still wait," Jody said.

When Jody felt dizzy, she held Cassy. Cassy grabbed her right away.

"Are you OK, Jody?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah, I'm good," Jody said.

"You may be exhausted. We'll drive you home because it's too late." Cassy said.

Jody gave the nod. When she felt dizzy, she closed her eyes for a time, but when she opened them again, her eyesight was clear. She has better than 20/20 normal eyesight.

-------

While Audrey was driving, Jody leaned against the backrest of the chair. Cassy was in the passenger seat beside her, while Jody and Lauren were in the rear seat.

"Are you sure you're OK? You don't look well," Cassy said.

Jody was looking out the window and noticed people strolling on the opposite side of the road, roughly 25 meters from where they parked their car. That area is still in the dark. The sharpness of her hearing was a new feeling for Jody. She could hear more distant sounds. It was just 10 meters before, but now it's about 25 meters. She could listen to everyone's whispers as if they were beside her.

'What the hell is wrong with me?' Jody thought.

"Audrey, do you know any shortcuts?" Cassy asked.

Audrey chuckled. "Yes. Maybe."

The more Jody covered her ears, the more she could hear what was happening. She gazed out the window of the car. She overhears the conversation between the vendors and the buyers. Even the car horn was too loud for her to hear.

"Shit!" Jody exclaimed loudly.

"Are you OK, Jody?" Laurence asked.

Jody glanced around at her friends. "Yeah, I think so."

"Are you sure?" Audrey asked.

"Y-yes," Jody said. She could feel sweat beading on her brow. She took the medicine that the doctor had given her from her bag.

"OK, I saw shortcuts," Audrey replied, turning right into the alleyway where other vehicles passed.

"How do you know the way here?" Cassy asked.

"Haist, instinct," Audrey said, chuckling.

Laurence and Cassy kept their gaze on Jody. "Hey, Jody, how are you? Are you fine now?"

Jody nodded and smiled slightly. She wanted to get home early since she wasn't feeling well. Because the medicine she had taken wasn't working, she leaned back in the chair and blew air. That was also one thing the doctor taught her. She is unsure but believes she suffers from anxiety, as Cassy guesses.

Jody said, "Audrey, turn left.

"Are you sure?" Audrey asked. Despite her hesitation, she obeyed Jody's directions.

"First corner, then turn right," Jody said.

Audrey kept driving. Audrey has never been on any of their roads. They arrived in front of Jody's house just a few minutes later. They couldn't believe they could escape gridlock thanks to Jody's directions to Audrey.

"Jody, how did you know that shortcut?" Audrey asked.

Jody gave a little smile. "Hunch."

Her three friends laughed. "Well, your instinct has impressed me. It's true when you say it." Audrey said.

"No, I was just joking," Jody said. "My father used that shortcut almost every day to escape traffic."

Jody's three friends chuckled. "We almost believe you," Lauren said.

Cassy giggled, and they exited the car, swapping Audrey's position. Laurence looked out the window.

"Let's just talk later, Jody," Cassy said.

"Chat, not sleep, OK?" Laurence said.

"Yes, I'll try to stay awake," Jody chuckled. "Take care."

Jody waited for her friends to leave before approaching the gate of their house. Jody grasped her head, and she was OK and felt well since the medicine she had taken earlier worked. Jody grabbed the gate's door handle but didn't expect it to pull out.

"Oh sh*t, what happened?" Jody asked. She couldn't open the gate from the outside since she had ripped the gate handle out. She looked at the steel she held before calling her mother, who was inside the house.

"Ma!" Jody yells. "Mom, may you unlock the gate? The handle has snapped."

Jody did not know how easily she ripped out the handle. It was fastened and constructed of steel, making it difficult to take out simply by gripping it. Jody's parents arrived.

"Why would it rip out?" It distracted Jody's mother when she noticed Jody grasping the gate handle.

"It looks like our gate is rusty," Jody said.

"Hey, what took you so long? You'll open the..." Jody's father asked.

When Jody's father noticed Jody grasping the gate handle, he was astounded. The couple stared at one other, speechless.