Prized Possessions - Chapter 1

Hilda had just got a text message from an anonymous stranger during lunch time.

[Meet me at the school rooftop during lunch break. DO NOT KEEP ME WAITING!]

It sounded pretty important despite not knowing who this person might be. After eating her lunch, Hilda left the cafeteria. Was it an admirer? A bully? A pervert? Either way, Hilda decided go up there and get it over with. If anything strange came about, her karate skills would come in handy. While she walked up stairs to the rooftop, Hilda spotted the figure from a distance. She walked closer to get a better look and was surprised by the identity of the anonymous person.

"M-Margret!" Hilda exclaimed, "What are you doing here?!"

The girl in question had on a red long-sleeved shirt, black stockings and pleated skirt. Her honey brown hair had a few drill curls in the front. She also stood out with her piercing, cold, and unfriendly steel-blue eyes. And to top it all off…the girl was holding a stuffed bear in her arms. Ever since her first day of high school, Margret had that bear tight in her arms. She would snap at anyone if they were to touch it. Not even the principle could do anything about the minor issue. So, shorter girl continued school, with her teddy bear of course.

"Tch. Hello to you too." said the other girl, eyes averting from Hilda.

"Well, can you blame me for being surprised?" asked Hilda, hands on her hips. "Of all the people who would meet me like this, it had to be you."

Margret looked back at the dark-skinned student. "Is that a problem?" she asked, glaring softly.

"Ummm….yes!" Hilda replied, with some mild irritation. One of her hands was rubbing behind her neck. "Almost everyone at school can't stand you! You're kind of cold bitch at times."

"Whatever. I don't give a rat's behind about what other people think. Their opinions are nothing but trash."

"Figures…" Hilda sighed.

Then, the shorter girl looked down at her shoes. "But…"

"But…?" the dark-skinned student echoed.

"But," Margret continued. "Your opinion matters to me…the most…"

Hilda's black eyes widened slightly. Now Margret had her full attention. "Where are you getting at?"

"W-well…" the shorter girl began. "It's been 2 years since I've been in this school. And...Y-you've been the only person t-t-t-to deal with me." Margret's cheeks turned red with embarrassment. "Without my permission, you would help me from time to time."

Hilda noticed the other girl holding her stuffed animal tighter. "Uh huh..."

"I know I've been very moody about everything..." Margret concluded. "But, being around you...you make me feel different. Hilda, I know that, to you, I was just some other bratty half pint. You just came and kept an eye on me because I was always getting into trouble at school."

"Uh huh..."

"Oh screw it!" Margret exclaimed with frustration." Forget the sappy monologue! Hilda...I...I'm in love with you."

Just then, Hilda was stiff with confusion. "Hmm?"

"How dense are you?" Margret huffed, blushing madly. "I said I'm falling for you!"

Again. She said it again. Hilda replayed that sentence in her brain repeatedly for a moment until she finally understood. Love? Romantic love? Lustful love? The kind of love shared between two people? Now it was her turn to blush.

"WHAT?!"

Was this seriously a confession right now? Usually, the dark-skinned girl would get confessions from boys. Margret was the first girl. This was all too much. Too sudden. Hilda's mind was in complete disturbance. She had no idea that this teddy bear carrying girl had those kind of feelings. It had almost took Hilda hours to finally speak up.

"Is this a joke?" she asked impulsively.

Margret gasped, realizing that the other girl didn't believe her. Regret consumed Hilda at that moment. She always had a habit of saying the wrong things at the wrong time. Hilda mentally kicked herself. What a stupid question! Of course Margret was serious about it! The shorter girl's short monologue and her love confession was proof enough. Hilda could tell by her reactions.

Even so, these moments were so sudden that Hilda refused to believe this was real. However, it was even more real when Margret watery eyes stared at her shoes.

"So...are you rejecting me?"

"No...I mean...umm...It's not you! I just...!" Hilda stuttered, trying desperately to think of something to say. She want to refuse gently but she didn't find the courage or strength to do that either. The shock had crippled her thinking process.

"I knew it!" the honey brown-haired girl said, tears threatening to fall down her cheeks. "Things will just get awkward between us now."

"M-Margret...?"

The teddy bear carrier slowly walked past her crush. Then, she turned around, looking at Hilda with tear streaked eyes and a weak smile. "Hilda, you are the only person that I'll ever confess to. Got it?"

"Wait...!"

Damn it! Move, legs! Move! I can't leave the poor girl in a state like this.

"Stupid Hilda..." Margret said, running away in tears. She entered inside the building and walked down the stairs.

"Margret, wait!" Hilda shouted, running after the other student seconds later. As soon as Hilda stopped at the 2nd floor hallway, there was no sign of the teddy bear carrier. Needless to say, Hilda felt terrible and ashamed for her poor behavior.

"Margret...I'm sorry..."

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As much as she tried, Hilda couldn't get Margret out of her mind. She full in depression. Even when she did well in her classes as usual, Hilda didn't care at that moment.

Afterwards, school was over for the day. Hilda was on her way out of home room when someone stopped her.

"Excuse me, Hilda?" asked the home room teacher, handing the girl a red backpack. "Would you mind giving this to Margret before you head on home?"

"Is that Margret's backpack?" the student asked. "Why is it still doing here?"

"Margret left early today without notice and didn't even bother grabbing her backpack."

She must've left because of me…

The flashback of Margret's tearful face replayed out of the blue. Her steel-blue eyes that shined with the afternoon sun. Her honey brown curly hair blown gently with the wind. Damn it! Hilda's thoughts were all about that girl.

That did it. She couldn't dwell on this depression forever. Right now, Hilda resolved to make amends with Margret. "

All right, I'll make sure she gets it back."

"Thank you."

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Hilda decided to take the errand and visit Margret's house. She knew it was going to take some time to make amends with the shorter girl. She might even be hated for it. Even so, the dark-skinned girl resolved to apologize and explain her confused feelings. Judging by how Margret was acting earlier, she didn't seem that cold, guarded, and mean.

Maybe there was more to that than meets the eye. Whatever it was, Hilda wanted to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible. Why was Margret like that? What happened to her that made her cold towards others? And most importantly, what's the deal with that teddy bear?

She was now at the house. The house of the stone cold student, Margret. Hilda took a good view of it before staring at the entrance door. She marched forward and stopped at the door mat.

As if she was entering a dragon's cave, the black-haired girl took a deep breath as she prepared herself. She pressed the doorbell and waited for a few minutes. Then, she knocked on the door. Suddenly, someone answered it. The figure was a man in his early forties, wearing some detective clothing. His rugged face had the same steel-blue eyes Margret had. Perhaps he had the same personality…?

"Why, hello there. May I help you, young lady?"

Hilda was taken aback slightly by his friendly tone of voice but stood in the same spot. "Y-yes," Hilda nodded. "Is Margret here? She forgot her backpack at school today."

"Oh, you must be a classmate of my daughter's." said Margret's father. "Yeah, she's here. She might be in the shower now."

S-s-shower?! Did that mean Hilda had to wait? Well, it was now or never.

"Would it be okay if I waited for her inside?" she asked.

The middle-aged man shrugged. "I don't see why not. Go on ahead. It's getting a little chilly out anyway."

"Thank you, sir."

"I'm heading to work now. Let Margret know I left, would you?"

"Of course, sir."

Great. Now Hilda was inside the house. And she had to wait even more. Might as well look around for a bit. Placing the backpack down on the floor, Hilda looked at the family photos on the wall in the living room. A few showed then eight year old Margret with her father. And many showed photos of her, her teddy bear, and…her mother. She had honey brown hair and light green eyes.

Judging by the pictures themselves, Margret seemed happier during her childhood. Hilda looked around and saw some steam coming from the bathroom door. It was slightly cracked open. Her slender legs moved without her consent walking towards it.

A little peek wouldn't hurt, right?

With foolish curiosity, one of Hilda's jet black eyes peeked through the door. Through the thick and warm steam was a young woman in her early teens, the same age as Hilda. She had the body of an eighteen year old. Was this Margret's older sister? No way. Hilda only seen pictures of Margret and both of her parents. She didn't have siblings. What the heck is going on?

Moments later, the shower head was off and the curtain pushed aside. The girl wrapped a towel around her mature body and unraveled her hair that was bound by a shower cap. She had the same curly hairstyle. A sigh escaped her lips. "Not even a shower can make me feel better…"

What the girl said next shattered all possibilities.

"Stupid Hilda…"

Just then, Hilda had a better view. Her eyes widened as she gasped. She could not believe who she was looking at!

M-M-M-Margret?!