Chapter 30: Maybe they can?
Aaron's pov
I couldn't even blink an eye last night because of the events that day. Who is Brandon Mills? What is his secret? I don't know. But whoever he is, he is a mystery. An unsolved mystery which is giving me sleepless nights and restless days.
Checked at Preston's but they say no one with that name is enrolled there.
The address, it was false. No one with that name ever resided there. Plus, the house belonged to some woman who was living there for the last twenty years.
The number? Well, that's a different mystery altogether.
I guess the only option I have is talking to Daisy about this all. So, with the newfound determination and confidence, I text her.
Me: Hey Daisy!! Can we meet up tonight?
She replies almost ten minutes later.
Lazy Dazy: Hey! Yeah sure. So at my place?
Me: Yeah ok. I'll be there soon.
With that I get ready to meet her, to clear up the rising mystery. I have to find out whether this Brandon Mills exists or this is some wild goose chase.
An hour late, I just arrived at Daisy's house. After our usual greetings, we moved into the living room. She arranged my favourite cookies and coffee which is usually unlike her but today, she looks weirdly happy. Excited I guess.
"So?" She inquires, raising her eyebrows at me.
"I went to Preston's yesterday to see Brandon," I say while carefully scanning each of her reaction and body language.
Upon hearing this, her eyes suddenly light up with happiness and she excitedly asks, "Did you meet him? What did he say? Do you like him? Do you think he's perfect for me?"
She fires endless questions but there's nothing in her eyes or words that shows relief or surprise.
"There's no one named Brandon Mills in Preston's university, Daisy." I calmly say placing down the coffee mug. The room suddenly falls quiet except for the only sound coming from the kitchen where Martha must be cooking.
She just stares at me without blinking, no emotion evident on her straight face.
"Say something, Daisy."
"You're kidding right?" She finally mumbles after a while of silence.
"No, Daisy. I'm serious. The reception lady confirmed it with the administration." I clarify, walking over to her side.
"She is lying! I mean, this is not possible. He told me he's doing architecture at Preston's, Aaron. He can never lie to me, I know that." She says with various emotions whirling in her hazel brown orbs.
Carefully, I continue explaining her further, "Not only that but when I went to the address you gave, no Brandon Mills was residing at that house nor in that locality. Explain this to me, Daisy. It's beyond my understanding." I say running my fingers through my hair.
"This is all stupid, Aaron. You are not making sense to me." She screams.
"Plus, that number you gave me, that isn't in use for more than two years now. It was registered by some Thomas James." I say.
"Are you crazy? I spoke to him today!" She exclaims, standing up from the couch. Disbelief and chaos written all over her face.
"What game are you at Daisy? More than one detail being false can't be a coincidence. This all isn't adding up." I explain bewildered and agitated by all this.
"Wait! Let me show you the text he sent me today." She says and pulls out her phone from the back pocket.
"Here, Look at this." She handovers her phone to me.
But I don't see any text from Brandon. What she's showing me is the chat list.
"Are you kidding me, Daisy? There's no text from Brandon." I say shaking my head to clear up my perplexing thoughts.
"You are playing with me, Aaron. You are not making any sense to me right now. You are denying all the facts." She yanks her phone off my hands.
Then trying to be helpful I ask, "Daisy, do you have any pictures of him?" I was hurting inside doing this but I have to do this. This is the first time, I'm asking for his pictures but I have to see him to know what's happening.
A picture isn't going to help me but I'll at least know how he looks like. And this is my last chance to confirm his actual existence.
"Yeah. I'll show you wait a second." She says as she unlocks her phone and starts scrolling. After about two minutes she hands me her phone, "These are the only pictures we have. Scroll through them, there are his singles too. In the rest, we are together."
Looking at the pictures, my mind clouds with confusion and horror and I just stare at Daisy instead of the pictures. There's only Daisy in these pictures, there is no other guy in it.
Is she kidding me?! Is she trying to prank me or what.
"What?!" She asks as I continue to stare at her.
"Daisy, there's no one except you in these pictures. Are you trying to fool me?!" I ask perplexed.
"No, Aaron," she says coming to stand beside me. She starts pointing at the vacant space beside her and continues, "Look, Aaron, that's my Brandon."
I just don't understand what to feel at that moment. Why is she fooling me like this?
"There's no one there Daisy, that space is vacant" I shriek gaping at her in horror.
She starts sobbing and then suddenly her sobs turn into screaming.
"Why are you guys behaving like this Aaron? First dad, then you! What are you guys trying to prove? Are you guys trying to prove me insane or what?" She pauses to catch her breath.
"That day even dad behaved this way. Brandon was sitting just beside me holding my hand and Dad said there's no one, Aaron. There's no one!! When he was sitting just beside me, how can you guys deny his presence? He was there for me two long years, he was with me forever. How can you guys just deny his presence, Aaron? Why are you guys doing this to me?" She screams and she breaks down for the umpteenth time in this past month.
Her sobs turn loud as she falls on her knees, covering her face with her palms. It's heartbreaking for me to see her like this, in this state. But there's nothing I can do to help her.
What is happening is beyond my understanding. It's insane. I cannot be wrong because all the proofs she had of him, turned out to be false. Then how can I be wrong?
If he was just misleading Daisy, he should've been there in the pictures at least. Every picture cannot lie. No one can morph so many pictures. Maybe they can?
However, there's no such technology which shows something to someone and nothing to the other.
Something is very wrong here.
"I'm meeting him tomorrow, Aaron. You can come to see him for yourself." She whispers wiping off her tears and turns back, walking away towards her room.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone