Chapter 24
----- Steva -----
It's been a week now and still seeing Stella on the bed unmoving makes my heartache.
I feel very guilty.
I believe that it's all my fault.
Yeah,,, I am completely at fault for everything that happened.
Perhaps Stella's Mom was right.
I am a bad person.
I am not a good friend to Stella.
I have never been.
It hurts so much
It hurts pretty badly.
It feels like my heart is being pricked by a thousand needles.
I feel like I was going to suffocate.
I held Stella's dead cold hands in mine as I looked at her.
Though she's been unconscious for about a week now I noticed that she's becoming more and more beautiful despite looking so lifeless.
My heart aches to see her like this.
" Please wake up, Stella. Please! Just open your eyes and talk to me! Please! "
" I feel very guilty. I know that I have offended you a lot. Please forgive me Stella and open your eyes. "
" Please, Stella! I miss you! My heart aches to see you in this condition. Please wake up Stella. "
I remember how she suddenly appeared in the studio and told me we needed to go.
I remembered how she helped me out and made sure I was safe.
I remembered the conversation in my dream.
<< Why do you always appear to save me from Danger and Harm, Stella? >>
<< Perhaps it's because I am your Guardian angel. >>
Guardian Angel...
These two words kept ringing in my mind.
I didn't need a priest or prophet to tell me that she is one.
She had not only saved me once but thrice!
What would I do without her?
I couldn't imagine what would have happened if she didn't come to save me just in time.
But wait, all this proves that Stella is one in a million.
She not only sees me as a friend but more like a blood-related sister... A twin sister.
I just realized that the type of love she had towards me wasn't the usual type of love but the Rare and unique one.
It's Agape love
The one which a friend is willing to give his life for the other friend.
I realized that the love I claim to have towards her isn't up to 1% of the love she has for me.
Even married couples might not have this much love for each other but Stella does for me and what did I do?
Not only was I not able to return her love, but I also hurt her.
I remember the time she gave me a warning with her eyes in the cafeteria.
<< Be careful. >> Her eyes read then.
I recalled Mr. Yale's words.
<< Steva Davis I hope that you would be wise enough to not lose the one person that is true to you. >>
Everyone could feel her love and care for me but I couldn't.
I was so blinded by hate.
I remember the words I spoke to her the last time she had called me to explain her side of the story.
<< I hate you, Stella! I hate you! >>
Remembering it now, I felt immense pain in my heart.
What if I had tried to understand her then?
What if I had allowed her to explain?
What if I had trusted her more?
What if?
Then I am sure that all this wouldn't have happened.
Which means we were framed.
everything that happened was a ploy to separate us.
I have to get to the bottom of this!
***
I left the hospital for a while and headed Straight to Jack's home.
He lived with his parents in a mini villa.
The housekeeper invited me into the house and soon Jack came out from his bedroom.
He was putting on Jean Trousers and a blue shirt, he still looked handsome but haggard.
I guess that he was more worried about Stella than I was.
" So what brings you here, Steva? Is Stella awake? " He asked the moment he set his eyes on me.
It seemed like the only thing he cared about now was Stella's well-being.
" Well, I came to talk to you about something. Stella isn't awake yet. I am sorry. " I replied bowing my head in shame.
" You don't have to be sorry, Steva. " He said taking a seat on the couch opposite me.
" But I feel very guilty. If I hadn't... Stella wouldn't have been in this condition. " I said sadly.
" Well, I think everything happens for a reason. If this hadn't happened then perhaps you wouldn't have known how much Stella loved and cared for you. " He replied with a sad smile.
" Well, I guess that you are right. By the way, I need your help with something. "
" What is it? " He asked.
" I want to find out about what happened that day. How did Stella and Mark end up together? How did it all happen? "
" Oh, but I thought you didn't want to care or hear about what happened. " he snapped.
" That was in the past. I was too blinded by hate then and I deeply regret my actions. "
" It's good that you realized it now. Anyways I had already asked my Dad to help me do some research about it and guess what I found out? "
" What? "
" Gloria and her gangs were behind all of this. Since they were very envious of the Friendship between Stella and you.
They made a step-by-step plan to break you girls apart and also to destroy your reputation in school. " He explained.
" But how did they do it? " I was very curious.
" Check this out. " He said handing over a spiral bonded document and a CD. to me.
I took it from him and checked it.
The title of the front page was.
Breaking the Inseparable Duo.
" You can either read through the documents or watch the video on the CD drive," he told me.
" I will watch it instead. Can you please lend me your laptop? "
" Sure, you can make use of it in my study room. Follow me. " He said standing up.
[ A/NJack is more mature than the two girls Because he's two years older than them. ]
*
In the study room.
I sat in front of the latest version of a laptop made by Apple.
I inserted the Disk inside it and soon the video started playing.

As I watched the video.
I realized a lot.
Everything was all planned.
Stella and Mark were
On that day when Stella was left alone at the bar.
She wanted to enjoy the view and as she continued enjoying the view.
She ordered an orange juice and sipped it slowly till she finished it not knowing that it has been drugged.
Then a drunk Mark also came along.
Stella despite being drugged thought of me first.
She was pleading with Mark not to break my heart and he assured her.
As they were both drugged they started dancing and well that's when we started seeing it wrongly.
So, Stella was innocent all along and all this while she was only concerned about my well-being.
I felt my eyes sting as tears threatened to pour from my eyes.
I sniffed to control the tears but I couldn't.
I felt overly guilty.
I wish I could go back in time to correct my mistakes but I couldn't as what's done is done.
" You shouldn't blame yourself too much for this. You only did what anyone would have done but the only thing you did wrong was not trusting Stella. " Jack's manly voice rang beside me.
" You are right. I didn't trust Stella enough and I regret it greatly. Perhaps all of this might not have happened if I had trusted her. "
" Hm, maybe. "
" So when did you find out about all of this? " I asked looking up at him.
" About a week ago when both you and Stella fell into a coma. " He replied, sadness was evident in his tone.
" Oh, by the way, why did Mark leave our school? "
" Isn't it obvious? "
" He was threatened. " I said in Realization.
" Yeah. "
" Oh. " I replied pursing my lips.
My fists were clenched.
I made a promise to myself to make those who did this pay for their crimes and that was exactly what I did.