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General

Just like a traffic light, I believe there are three types of people in this world.


There is red: dangerous to be crossed over. These people are the ones who you will never befriend, the ones whose personality never match yours. And that’s Bella.


How do I know this fact? Because I happened to overhear a phone call that she had in the old park behind the school building, the phone call that made me realize the personality of the school’s cheerleader squad captain.


The phone call that made me understand how this beautiful, well-respected, famous girl in our high school was faking herself.


“What? Why can’t I go to the party?” Bella asked. Her tone sounded upset.


The person on the other end mumbled his reply that I couldn’t quite catch. The reply that made the redhead girl looking even grimmer.


“I can assure you it’s safe, Papa,” Bella replied. This time, I could tell from the tone that she tried to persuade the other person.


Again, the person answered Bella. The answer that made Bella clicking her tongue in annoyance. 


“You are unreasonable, Papa! The party is going to start at 8, and you want me home by 10? They are going to call me a loser! I might even get bullied for this, you know? Do you want me to suffer?” Bella threw a tantrum, slightly threatening her father on the receiving end.


Yet again, the person answered her, this time with some long sentences. The sentences that made Bella roll her eyes while tapping her feet continuously as she listened to it.


“Ugh, you never understand! Fine, whatever you say, I’m still coming to the party tonight!” The angered girl then ended the call right away.


So, would you call a person who fought their father for a trivial matter as “nice”? 


Well, I wouldn’t.


---


Just like the traffic light, there is the green: allowing people to pass. These people are the kindest ones who never blame others for their mistakes, letting them walk away without burden. And that’s Kevin.


How do I know this fact? Because I happened to find the boy who disappeared eight years ago, the boy whom I thought to have died in the car accident. The boy who used to be all smiles back then, the same boy who suddenly jumped from the bridge as he tried to take his own life when I met him once again.


The same boy that made me dive and swam against the flow while dragging him to the rocky area beside the river. The same boy whom I never talked to, but scolded right away.


“I don’t know what your experiences were, but don’t throw away your life!”


Upon my sentence, I could see Kevin lowering his head while his shoulder shivered. I couldn’t tell whether that was from his emotions or the coldness of the water that drenched his entire outfit.


“I don’t know you, but can you listen to my stories?” Kevin asked while he put his arms around his knees, hiding his face from me.


“Sure,” I sat beside Kevin, the boy who made my heart flutter back in high school, the boy who stayed in the same position without saying anything for a while. 


The boy who then broke the silence with a single sentence, “I…, I am a murderer.”


I doubted my hearing at that time. “A… what?”


“A murderer. I killed someone,” Kevin restated his sentence.


I became speechless, unsure which words I should use to reply to him. And to this silence, Kevin turned his head towards me. “Eight years ago, I was driving a car with my girlfriend, Bella. I was driving my father’s car although I had no license. And that killed her. And I…, I felt so bad…,” Kevin let out more words. 


The boy with dark brown hair beside me took a deep breath, then continued his story. “We were having a conversation. I couldn’t quite remember what was it about; I replied to her without much thinking since I was too focused on the road.”


“Then?”


“Then at one point, she asked me to look at the sunset outside. Stupidly, I did.”


“And that led to the crash?”


Kevin nodded his head. “The car went to the other lane, where a teal-coloured truck drove towards us. I…, I panicked and turned the steer as quickly as I can, but maybe it was too late by then.”


“So you crashed to the truck?”


The boy shook his head. “We fell off the cliff.”


I could see tears started to well on Kevin’s eyes as he recalled the memories from the accident.


And while thinking for a reply, I tapped Kevin’s back, supported him as he sniffled, supported him as he let out his cry for a couple of minutes. 


And when he managed to stop his tears, I asked, “Where were you going back then?”


“The observatory on the mountaintop.”


“Why there?”


“Because Bella wanted to. Because she said watching the stars with me would relax her from the stalker.”


I frowned. “Stalker?”


Kevin let out a sigh. “The afternoon before the accident, Bella was mad. She said there was a stalker; a girl who keeps following the two of us, a girl with dark green eyes.”


So, would you call someone who carried the burden on their own, to the point they wanted to kill themselves as “happy”?


Well, I wouldn’t.


---


As you know, between red and green in the traffic light, there is the yellow light: sometimes letting you go, then forcing you to stop, depending on the timing and situation. These people are the ones who seem without harm but might change according to the context. And that’s who I am.


How do I know this fact?


Because when my first love told the story of how he accidentally killed his girlfriend, I fully sympathized with him, while feeling happy that Bella had died.


Because when Kevin uncovered the reason behind their last trip, I genuinely listened to it, while feeling happy knowing that Bella recognized the green-eyed stalker.


All while rejoicing the fact that green-eyed stalker indirectly caused Bella’s death.


All while knowing who the green-eyed stalker was.


So, to whoever reading this…, can you keep a secret from Kevin?


A secret that the green-eyed stalker was me.


Yes, me, the girl who saved his life, eight years after Bella’s death.


Yes, me, the girl whom he dated for two years; the one that he just knelt to propose to.


Well, you've read all this. Now, you would have to keep this secret of mine, wouldn’t you? :).

August 21, 2020 02:11

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171 comments

Gracie Jean
19:42 Aug 23, 2020

Wow! I was totally not expecting the end until the part where it said, “a girl who keeps following the two of us, a girl with dark green eyes.” Even then I was surprised! This was a super cool story idea, and even though it was short, I’m glad I read it.

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Deborah Angevin
22:56 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading and enjoying this story, Olivia! Glad that I can surprise you with the ending ;)

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Lynn Penny
18:37 Aug 23, 2020

You had me right from the start! That was such an adventure, I love the symbolism you used, it matched perfectly. The way you used the prompt was insane, I have to read it twice, the ending shocked me. I can see this winning.

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Deborah Angevin
22:57 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for your kind words, Lynn! I'm glad that you enjoyed the story :D

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17:51 Aug 23, 2020

OMGGGGGG!!!! That was sooooooooooooo gooddd! Omg the connection from the last story is everything, oh my goodness, the talent!! How did you even think about this! This is beyond level of creativity!! The comparing to the lights was amazing, everyone needs to read this story seriously! And the slick ending! AHHH A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. I seriously should have read this earlier. GREAT JOB Deborah seriously!!

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Deborah Angevin
22:57 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for enjoying the story, Ugochi! I'm glad that you like the traffic light analogy ;D

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00:23 Aug 25, 2020

Of course it was sooo good. 😊 Oh right! Do read my Bio!🤭

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Deborah Angevin
02:01 Aug 28, 2020

OMG! Thank you for putting my name up there :'D. I really appreciate it!

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03:40 Aug 28, 2020

Of course! Your story wass sooo good!

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Sadie Black
16:42 Aug 23, 2020

Ooh I love a narrator with questionable morals! Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

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Deborah Angevin
22:58 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading too, Sadie! :D

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David Drew
15:42 Aug 23, 2020

I really liked the traffic like angle. Made me wonder who was going to be "yellow"!

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Deborah Angevin
22:58 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading it, David! :D

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15:38 Aug 23, 2020

Deborah, thank you for the kind words on my story, I am so happy you liked it! I thoroughly enjoyed your story and how you likened personalities and the characteristics of a person to the colours and meaning behind traffic lights, very ingenious!

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Deborah Angevin
22:58 Aug 24, 2020

Glad to see you enjoying the story and the traffic light analogy, Shawna!

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Bookmark Here
14:55 Aug 23, 2020

Fantastic job! It flowed really well. I look forward to reading more of your stories.

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Deborah Angevin
22:59 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading and enjoying the story! :D

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Kingshuk Kundu
14:52 Aug 23, 2020

Such a dark story! I loved it. :D Keep writing!

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Deborah Angevin
22:59 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading it, Kingshuk :D

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Jacey Lee
14:15 Aug 23, 2020

This was an amazing story! I got chills from the sentences at the end of each perspective, especially the "Well, you've read all this. Now, you would have to keep this secret of mine, wouldn’t you? :)" I absolutely love how your stories have all connected to this plot, it made it so interesting to read. I also loved the simile used, tying people and traffic lights together. Well done! :)

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Deborah Angevin
23:00 Aug 24, 2020

Glad that you enjoyed the stories (within this colour series, I mean!)

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Ollie Joyner
13:54 Aug 23, 2020

I love all of your color stories, they are so beautiful! I love how you keep coming back, deepening the characters and coloring (haha I know, I'm hilarious) in the story. I think you could totally make a novel out of this series, it'd be great.

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Deborah Angevin
23:00 Aug 24, 2020

Haha, colouring seems like a great word choice! Thank you for reading and enjoying the series, Abriella :D

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Debbie Teague
12:18 Aug 23, 2020

Very good Deborah. I did not expect Kevin to have done what he did (not mentioning here in case people have not read it yet). It was well written and the narrator being the yellow light. Keep up the great writing. And thank you for your comments on mine too.

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Deborah Angevin
23:01 Aug 24, 2020

Glad that you enjoyed the story, Debbie! Thank you for reading and commenting on it too :D

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Dunya Zatde
09:20 Aug 23, 2020

I genuinely enjoyed the use of colour as symbolism in this story and it was a wonderfully written story. Really loved the narrative! I shall now read your other works in the colour series🤗😉

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Deborah Angevin
23:01 Aug 24, 2020

Thank you for reading and enjoying it, Maya! :D

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Kate Rucker
09:03 Aug 23, 2020

“So, to whoever reading this…, can you keep a secret from Kevin?“ Oh chilling!! That last line had me looking over my shoulder! I loved the dialogue between Kevin and the author! They were super well written! And the parts where the author actually speaks to the reader are my favorite!! Super spooky Deborah! Awesome job!

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Deborah Angevin
23:02 Aug 24, 2020

Glad that you enjoyed the ending, Lizzy! Thank you for reading it :D

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Vicky S
03:13 Aug 22, 2020

Hi Deborah I loved the ending. Great twist. Good job!

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Deborah Angevin
07:22 Aug 23, 2020

Thank you for reading, Vicky :)

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S. Closson
02:17 Aug 22, 2020

That was an excellent twist, Deborah! I really enjoyed the layout of the story as a whole, and using the colors of the stoplight in conjunction with the reveals of your characters was really cool. Awesome job!

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Deborah Angevin
07:22 Aug 23, 2020

Glad that you enjoyed the structure of the story, Stephen :D

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Sue Marsh
21:50 Aug 21, 2020

This story is excellent especially with the comparison to the traffic light colors. The final twist was very well done. Sue PS would mind reading my Story the Dragon Lair?

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Deborah Angevin
07:23 Aug 23, 2020

Thank you for reading and enjoying it, Sue! Sure, will check yours out :)

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Michele Soux
17:06 Aug 21, 2020

Well done! The symbolism was skillfully woven throughout and I thought the personification of the "green-eyed monster" was quite clever. Your piece felt quite philosophical in a way, which I totally dig :)

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Deborah Angevin
07:23 Aug 23, 2020

Thank you for the kind words, Michele! I'm glad you enjoyed the story ;)

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Saron Mengistu
16:16 Aug 21, 2020

FINALLY. A STORY ON THE GREEN-EYED GIRL. I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M JUST READING THROUGH THESE LIKE AN ELEVEN-YEAR-OLD FANGIRL. BUT I LOVE IT SOO MUCHHHHH!!💗😍 Okay. Let's be serious. Wonderful job, as always, Deborah. You continue to impress me with your work. You have a beautiful hand for metaphors and comparisons. From everything to popsicles to skies to traffic lights. They impressed me most, because yes, your idealogies of how people are like traffic lights are very true. Well done. I think you can work on the dialogue. Your narration ha...

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Deborah Angevin
07:26 Aug 23, 2020

I reread this after the submission deadline and I have to agree with you: my dialogues need a lot of work! And that's ironic because I first started this series to practice my dialogue writing :( As for the green-eyed girl's name... will reveal that when the prompt fits! Keep an eye on that ;)

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Saron Mengistu
08:57 Aug 23, 2020

It's okay!! You're doing great. Enhancing dialogue is easy. You can do it!! Seriously though, great story!!

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Deborah Angevin
23:02 Aug 24, 2020

Will just have to practice some more on dialogues, I guess! ;)

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Saron Mengistu
05:52 Aug 25, 2020

That's right!! You go, Angevin!! You can do it!! 😃😄😁😆

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Maya W.
15:49 Aug 21, 2020

This was pretty cool! I loved the traffic light comparisons, and the connections to your other stories!

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Deborah Angevin
07:27 Aug 23, 2020

Thank you for enjoying the stories in this colour series, Maya! :D

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Krishi Norris
14:48 Aug 21, 2020

Wow, that ending was superb! I had chills! Nice story!

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Deborah Angevin
07:27 Aug 23, 2020

Thank you for reading and enjoying it, Trinity! :D

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Krishi Norris
12:28 Aug 23, 2020

No problem!

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