Page 49 of The Gargoyle in the College

I... Maybe I miss him. Now that I get us into this situation, I have no one to blame but myself. “Gisett, you aren’t showing up for me anymore, huh?”

I’ve been trying to spend time with Ryan, but it’s not the same. It feels like he can be a good friend, but it doesn’t feel like I have that kind of connection with him. While with Gisett, he can always comfort me, even when I’m tired. I’ve never been too tired to have Gisett with me, yet...

Maybe I should get my gargoyle back. but I was the one telling him that there was no future for us. I run my hand over my face. Maybe I can never go out with him to public places, and people around me are going to keep saying that I should date someone, but I’d be enjoying myself with Gisett.

I stare at the statue for a bit longer. Do I message him? he may not want to chat with me or think about me, but he still checks his message, right?

There’s a knot in my stomach, as if urging me to do something, but it doesn’t feel right.

Before I spend too much time in front of the statue and look suspicious, I continue heading down the road. Except the urge remains in my chest. I’ve tried to be normal almost my whole life, but that hasn’t worked out as I hoped. Yet, at the same time, it hasn’t been as bad as I imagined either.

But the problem is... will Gisett still want to deal with me? He did nothing wrong, and I told him that I didn’t want to date a gargoyle, I didn’t even give him a chance.

Maybe Ryan’s not that interested in me after all. I can be dating someone else, not that he and I have been dating anyway. There could be another human out there waiting for me and we’d get along great.

Or not...

Or maybe I’ve already run into someone who I can get along with great.

It is getting darker. There are birds chirping in the woods. My shadow is long under what’s left of the sun. I pick up speed, not wanting to run into another robber or something dangerousagain. When my luck sucks, which happens quite a lot, I don’t want today to be that day.

Where’s Gisett?

I pull out my phone to check for messages. I keep scrolling to look for Gisset. It has been a while since we—

I halt when there’s a shadow in front of me.

No way, I—

It’s a bird... Probably a crow.

I let out a breath. That stupid bird is going to give me a heart attack any day. I glance at my phone again. In the rush to halt before I bump into the bird, my fingers send me out of the app for messages. Now, I have to start the scrolling once again...

Stupid bird.

Maybe this is a sign I should wait to message Gisset after I get home safely. I don’t want to risk my luck. Humans can be a lot more dangerous than birds. Not to mention I know that Gisett isn’t around, and he can’t help me in time. He has some magic under his sleeves, but he has to know about my situation first, which may take time. I may not survive until then.

I open the door to the dorm building, getting in as quickly as the door opens wide enough for me to slip through.

Fuck... I forgot about my backpack, and it’s stuck over there.

I try to open the door again so I can unstuck myself, but my hands can’t reach the door. Yet, if I keep moving forward, my backpack will be ruined.

Maybe I should walk backward, and that should—

“Miss, looks like you need help.” It’s a hoarse male voice, which doesn’t sound like good news at all.

I jump, but I can’t move enough to get out of the way and into safety. I open my mouth to scream, but the door lets go of my backpack out of nowhere. I was trying to run forward, but now that the door doesn’t hold me back, I stumble forward. I try to steady myself, but my feet hit each other.

“Fuck!” I yell as I close my eyes, bracing for impact.

But the pain doesn’t arrive. Instead, I hit something softer than the tiled floor. “Wow, wow.” The guy’s there and...

I open my eyes to see a masked figure in front of me, who’s also the one holding me in his arms. He is masked, with sunglasses, despite that it isn’t that sunny outside. He also has a stupidly big hat with bulges to the sides, where the ears should be. “Who even are you? Security! I—“

He hisses and covers his mouth. “Stop the stupidity.” He puts me down and runs to the door.

I stare at him. Do I run and chase after him? For what?

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