Every time I was pulled into my 'time warp/hibernation' period I felt like not doing anything at all. Anything at all. Even writing. But just as I promised I'm trying so hard to finish this story.
Thirteen
It was nightmare.
It was like waking up on Elm Street with Fredy Krueger’s claws on me. I could very well commend him for that kind of revenge. It was torture. It was… not what I had envisioned of him to do. And you shouldn’t be doing any envisioning at all, !@#$, Nate!
Not that I was wondering about him at all!
“He’s an egotistical maniac after all. Who cares about age anyway?” I tapped the drums harder than I ever did before. I slammed my hands angrily on the drum set.
“Not me.”
My jaws clenched. Leon came out of the door. “Talking to… someone, eh?”
“I’m not talking!” I snapped. My cheeks turning beet-red. Leon knew how hated people doing crazy pep talk to themselves. I never really acquired the knack of it. But now…
“`Course not. Unless you’re seeing someone I do not, right?”
I gave him my most infamous fu—ck off glare here in the pub. It always worked. Save for two people… Leon and well, that coward.
Who probably couldn’t kiss a seventeen year old girl.
“Who couldn’t kiss who?” Leon’s voice rang out. My head turned to him. I cleared my throat. I hadn’t said that aloud, had I? No, no, no, of course not! “You kissed who Nate?” he straightened against the wall.
I bared my not-so-long fangs. I wished at this moment that I had. “None of your damned business, Leon.”
“You kissed somebody! Oh, God.”
That shock on his face insulted me. And then went his laughter all ringing out in the air! “What is funny?” I snapped. His got this I-don’t-believe-you expression on his face. Like it would be the end of the world if I had been kissed by some frog prince. Or vice versa.
Why? Didn’t I deserve some fairy-talish shrek story here? My anger seethed.
“Don’t I deserve some respect here, Leon?”
And before I knew what Leon was doing. He was ducking his head out of the door and shouting, “Guys, can you believe it? Nate just kissed somebody—!” For all the world to hear.
Whatever I was holding at that time—which I didn’t remember anymore—fell out of my hand. Really. I never felt like superwoman before. But I had dashed to him like I had wings in my feet. I covered—no, slapped my hand against his mouth!
“You big mouthed worm!” I swallowed and gritted. His eyes were in merriment. He had me! I eased my fingers one by one from his mouth. “Shout Leon.”
Leon’s eyes darted from left to right. “Y-You’re serious?”
“Fu—cking serious.”
He looked at me incredulously. I lifted one brow, challenging him to do his worst.
“Who did you kiss last night?”
I shrugged.
“Oh-kay. That’s a big bluff, isn’t it? You dreamed of it.”
“I what?” Now that was more insulting.
Leon sighed. He raised both hands in the air. “Back off, Nate. I have a surprise for everybody. And I don’t want to spoil it when you’re so out for my blood.”
“Leon, you know I have your deepest, darkest and loveliest secret of all.”
He paled. “You wouldn’t dare Nate.”
“`Course not. It’s kept in the closet. In your closet.” I said innocently which made him paper white all the more. I slow smiled. “Of course if you kept your mouth shut it will stay there. Unless…”
“I haven’t heard a thing earlier!” he protested. He nodded solemnly and crossed his arms.
“Good boy.” My smile spread wide. He sighed loudly. “Anyway, the new vocalist has turned up.”
I inhaled slowly. Even if there were more times I wanted Leon dead than those times I didn’t I still wanted him here by my side. He patted my cheek affectionately, “I won’t be gone long. You’ll probably miss me.”
“Bloody hell.”
“He’ll be here in a short while. And I promise you, everybody’ll be happy with this guy,” his tone went low-key. “Butt-sexy.”
I rolled my eyes ceilingward. “Just please, Nate. Be good.”
My eyes squinted in disbelief. I hated it when people told me, me? To behave and be good. As if I weren’t sensible enough to know what wasn’t right. Anyway, what would I do with that new vocalist? So far, I hadn’t murdered anybody here I disliked. Well, even hated to his very core.
“Hell-o.”
Whatthefu—ck.
Leon’s stance stiffened. His eyes darted over my shoulder. A smile slowly flashed across his face. And I knew that smile of Leon’s too well. I stilled. I knew that voice. So much. Too much. I was yet in another dream, wasn’t I?
I hadn’t murdered anybody.
“Hey pal! You really, really look good Ethan.”
Not yet.
Leon skirted me to the guy behind me. The hairs on my nape stood on ends. Slowly, as if somebody had clicked slow motion, some of the crews in the pub were crowding in the room. Crowding him—the coward.
He didn’t smile. Oh, he did actually. That tilt of he did with his mouth. One brow lifted. As if he was so sure everybody was charmed by his silent and not-so-quiet appeal. Very contrary.
Somebody giggled. “If I’ll have him I’ll—”
Probably kill you… My teeth hurt. It clenched. Shook hands. Pleasantries and all. While I stood by like I was someone not really here. Like a ghost. And he went straight to the drum set. Walked straight past at me. As—if—nothing—ever—happened.
His eyes met mine in a brief second. There was no recognition. Nada. Zilch.
It was like I wasn’t here. Just like the old times, my mind screamed bitterly.
I slowly turned to Leon, “You bloody well know how I feel about this? About him?” I whispered harshly never minding the stares slowly making my way. He opened his mouth and shut it again.
And this was one of those many times I wished Leon killed.
“Tell me you’re kidding.” I prayed fiercely somebody from Just for Laughs crew had to do something with this otherwise… otherwise…
“He can’t sing.” I pointed my finger at him. Everybody turned quiet. I didn’t care if I brought the tension in the air. I looked at the guy now checking the microphone. As if he belonged here! It was one thing to be with him in the campus. But this was another matter. This was my territory.
When nobody dared answer me I slowly walked up to him. “Five minutes and you’re gone.”
Seconds passed. Minutes. And he didn’t even look at me! As if I wasn’t here. Na-a.
Hazelnut eyes slowly bored into mine. It flickered. He could have very well asked me, who are you pest?
“Hello, Nate…”
Nate? Nate! I almost choked in anger. What was his game now? Ethan never called me Nate!
“I told you I’ll sue you!” I whispered harshly. My words were scathing.
He lifted one brow in the air. His eyes were impenetrable. A slow sexy smile spread about his face.
“For what?”
“You don’t remember, do you? Or pretend not to remember?” My hands balled into fists.
“Remember what?” his forehead creased with questioningly lines. Whether he was a great actor or the temporary amnesia of so last night was real I bet the entire population in the vicinity believed him. Or was enthralled by the Prince. The heartthrob. The heartbreaker. Mr. Famous. Our Campus’ Mr. Right.
Prince So-Fuucking-Charming.
“Now Nate, don’t get mad. We all know about Ethan’s past with Natalie but that was so last year and—” I glared. Leon backed off quite easily. Last night’s scandal—our brawl—wasn’t yet forgotten.
“You want me to tell them what a monster you are?”
Someone gasped. I couldn’t care less. And did you know what he did? What he did?! He just shrugged his sturdy shoulders. Making him more like the victim here.
But it would change now. Oh, all hail the conqueror!
“Of course. You were too drunk to remember how you entered and broke into our house!”
Silence descended. I smiled bitterly. “How you did it, go figure. You wanted revenge from me because a mere woman punched you in the face! You almost accosted me in our house!” I shouted.
I could have seen their condescending faces at Ethan.
“In your room.”
My eyes grew wide. “You wouldn’t dare tell them—”
“That I almost kissed you?”
Silence. I couldn’t believe this. He was now turning the tables on me!
“And that you wanted it too?”
“I didn’t say I wanted—”
“You didn’t say. Because we almost—”
My claws were unsheathing now, so to speak. I screamed at him. A guttural sound with no coherent words in it. My hands flailed before I lunged at him. But two arms caught me from behind. “Nate, please!” Leon hugged me too hard.
I flailed and screamed, “I told you to go to hell where you belong!” I wriggled from Leon’s arms. Nothing happened. “Let me go, bastard! I thought you are my friend! You!” My teeth were grating so hard. I was screaming, screeching, heaving.
And Ethan—the bloody victim was poised, too composed! Just standing there. His hands inside his pocket. Eyeing me as if he were the prince and I, I were some commoner, someone with no worth whatsoever!
It was a commotion.
“And you might want to drag me with you, you goddamned Lucifer! You might have gotten away making my sister cry. But you’re not going to get away from me!”
“Nate please… it’s humiliating. Everyone’s watching—”
“I said let me—go!” my balled-fist connected flesh and bones. Bull’s eye.
Leon staggered backwards. Horror was written on his face. “Leon I—”
“You bloody my nose Nate!” he cried.
Poll
