Chapter 3: Chillo

When Chillo first saw Bloodywatergrl, he almost gasped. It wasn’t simply her beauty that mesmerized him. There was an aura about her, an alluring presence that pulled him deeper into her mind. After their handshake, Chillo found that he liked a lot, but he wasn’t able to overcome the attraction that he felt. 

“Well I gotta go” said RAIN.

“Me too.” echoed Suity, and they both walked off, leaving Chillo alone with Bloody. 

“Umm..hi.” Chillo said shyly, his bravado fading away fast. 

“It’s nice to meet you.” Bloody said, avoiding his glance. 

“Well…umm…I don’t have any homework or anything…so…do you want to go for some ice cream..?”

“I’d like that.” replied Bloody, blushing again as she smiled shyly.

Chillo couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked at that moment. 

They walked to Chillo’s brand new Mercedes and got in. As Chillo drove, he noticed Bloody looking out the winter and staring at all the houses and streets.

“How nice and peaceful it is here” she said.

Chillo looked at her in surprise. “You think so?” he asked. “What was it like where you lived before?”

“It was really stifling, and I desperately wanted to get away from the stress of urban life. I wanted to go somewhere with flowers and trees and the birds singing and bees buzzing, a place where no one could tell me what to do or how to live. You know, people all think America is this oh so great place with democracy for all but it’s not. When I moved here two days ago, I couldn’t help but see how disillusioned Americans were, and I realized I was one of them. ”

Chillo nodded. He had been born in East Germany just before the Berlin Wall had been torn down, and he understood what it was like to be indoctrinated by Communist rhetoric day after day. 

“So naturally, when I got the chance to get out of their, I didn’t hesitate” Bloody said. “And I don’t regret it either. I know this city is just like any other American city, but the people here are just … different.”

They reached downtown Bristol and Chillo stopped by an ice cream stand. He ordered two tall chocolate fudge milkshakes and handed one to Bloody. 

“The weather’s really nice today” he said. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

They drove for another quarter mile toward the riverfront, passing the University of Bristol, the royal theatre, and the city museum. Chillo parked on the grass and got out. Bloody smiled and followed him. They walked along the bank, eating their milkshakes in silence. Finally, Bloody said “You’re a really nice guy, you know that.” Now it was time for Chillo to blush. “Aww…thanks, and you’re a really great girl.” 

As they walked along, Chillo asked about her childhood, and told about himself in return. They laughed and Chillo noticed how easily they talked about their private lives, telling each other things that they would not have told even their closest friends. He shared his memories of his fifth birthday, about how he almost killed his elderly neighbor when he dropped his birthday cake on the man’s head from the fourth floor. Bloody told of her escapades with her friends, including the time when she had nearly electrocuted herself climbing down the side of a utility pole. Chillo noticed that Bloody had a particularly sweet voice, almost musical in quality, and he hoped she didn’t mind that he talked in slur. But she didn’t seem to notice, and they talked on until late in the afternoon.

As they walked back the way they had come, Chillo had a sudden urge to hold her hand, to protect her from the churning waters of the Avon River. She seemed so familiar to him, as if he had known her all his life. It was as if their souls had been separated at birth, and were now being united. Then, to his utter surprise, Bloody reached out and took him hand, and he felt himself melting in her grasp. 

“I don’t know how to say this,” she said softly, “but I..I…it feels like I know you like I’ve never known anyone else before…not even my parents. You seem so…special.”

Chillo’s heart pounded and his mouth felt dry. “I…I feel the same way,” he replied, and before he could control himself, said “I…love you.”

But Bloody did not step back, or run away, or look shocked at all. Instead, she stepped closer to him, and looked up at him. In her eyes, he saw his own reflection, silhouetted against the background of the river. He leaned closer toward her, until their lips almost touched, and then – 

“HEY CHILLO!” they both whipped around, and Chillo saw the dim outline of Player’s Club walking toward him. “Where have you been…I’ve been looking for you and Bloody for hours!” RAIN’s searching the musems, and whiteghost is combing all the libraries. Why’d you come here anyway?”

“I don’t really know.” Chillo said quietly, as he, Bloody, and Player walked back to his car.