Part 5

The next morning…

*Phone rings…*

I woke up and immediately guessed that it was Memory. I looked at the cell phone beside my pillow: Memory.

“Hello?”

“WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!” she shouted on the other line.

“Here…” I replied, lazily.

“WHY DIDN’T YOU RECEIVE MY CALLS???!!!”

Calls?? “Hold on…” I checked my phone and realized that she had called me 67 times. Yeah, she can get that crazy.

“Sorry, Mem. It’s like, I had an accident and cut my hand and so I was at the hospital,” I said. She was the only one whom I didn’t mind screaming at me.

“Great! First she texts me to call her, and now she has injured herself!!” she said. Wow. I hadn’t seen her so angry since the last time I tore her favorite dress. “Chill down, Memory,” I said, trying to make sense out of what she was saying.

I heard her take a deep breath and let go, “Why are you like this, Scarlet?”

“I dunno,” I said, smiling. She knew that I’ll never change, so what’s the use asking? Answer- mental satisfaction.

“So, how’s your hand now?” she asked after a pause.

“It’s…okay.”

“And your fiancé?”

I felt the rage build up inside me. I remembered the sight of him tearing off my earphones.

“Scar???”

“HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT?” I yelled into the phone. The Damien thing and the scar thing really made me go mad. I hated being called that!

“Then what does Damien call you?” she asked in a teasing voice.

I became quiet. I hated this. “So?” she asked. “He hasn’t mentioned my name,” I lied. “Lying is not your thing,” she said, and then I blurted out, “Would you just stop talking about that bas-”

I was cut off by Damien pulling the phone away from me and then he spoke into the phone:

“Hey, sweetie, what’s up?”

Damien’s POV:

“Hey, sweetie, what’s up?” I asked into the phone. I knew it was Star’s best friend, and I also knew that doing this would make Star really angry and that was exactly what I wanted to do, because I love it when she’s angry with me.

“H-hi. Are you Damien?” the girl on the other line said. “Yeah,” I replied, dodging Star’s frantic attempts to get the phone back. “Well, I’m Memory, Scarlet’s best friend,” she said, and I heard Star say, “Damien, give that back!” I said into the phone, “Nice meeting you Memory. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m gonna spend some time with my fiancée. So, bye!” I hung up.

Normal POV:

I glared at him. He said, “C’mon, sweetheart,” and he walked out of the room. I freshened up and changed and then walked into the kitchen. Damien was making pancakes, I guess. I sat down on one of the chair and looked at him. Glared, actually. Seeing one of the knives on the table, I had a sudden urge to stab him. “If you’re planning to attack me, it’s useless,” he said. Damn! How did he know? “And why is that?” I asked.

“Because I wrote in my will that if I die in this house in your presence, it means that you killed me,” he replied.

“Whatever…”

He sat down beside me, putting my plate in front of me. We ate quietly and then when I got up to wash the dishes, he gently held my hand to stop me. “I’ll do it,” he said.

I should’ve thanked him, but I didn’t want to. I sat down again and then he asked, “How’s your arm?”

“Fine, I guess.”

I heard the doorbell ring and then Damien went to get it. I waited for a while and after a few moments, Katie came into the room, her eyes watery and then slowly tears began falling from her eyes. She ran towards me and began crying.

“Scarlet!!!” she said.

“Katie, why are you crying?”

“*Sniff* I thought something bad happened to you…” then she kept on sobbing. I was touched. I didn’t know this little kid for more than two days and here she was, crying into my lap. Aww…

“Hey,” Damien said as he slowly turned her around, “She’s alright now, don’t worry…” Then he slowly rubbed her tears with the tissue he was holding.

Katie turned around again and looked at my arm. “Does it hurt too much?”

“Nah…But it is a big problem when you try to hit Damien.”

She laughed a little and I guess that kinda cheered me up.

“Now, come on, want some breakfast?” Damien asked. Katie nodded.

“By the way, Katie,” I said, “Did u know that Damien tore my earphones?”

The little girl looked at Damien and said, “Why did u do that?”

Damien gave smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. “Well, uh, you see, uh...”

“YOU BIG MEANIE!”

Those words startled me. I guess Katie knows when to use the right words. I laughed. Damien was taken aback as well. I wonder how it feels getting scolded by a kid really younger than you. Well, at least Damien knows.

“I-I didn’t mean to, I mean, I wanted, no uh, I...!” he tried explaining himself, but there was no use. Me likey!

“C’mon, no need to fake it,” I said and ruffled his hair. I led Katie to the table for a seat and as we waited there for Damien, I heard him saying things to himself:

“She’s gotta be kidding me! Taking help from a little kid!”

He placed the food on the table and sat down as Katie ate. I was staring at him because I wanted him to feel awkward. First, he glanced at me and looked away. Then he turned to the other direction and began tapping the table. Finally, he blurted out, “Quit it, will you?”

“Nah, I like it this way.”

“Well, I like it the way in which you don't stare at me, so quit it!” he said, with Katie noticing.

“You really are a meanie, Damien!” Katie said, pointing at him and he was yet again taken aback. God, I love it when I get what I want!

“It’s not like that, Katie, Star’s the one who-” he began, but I cut him off, “Sheesh, how low can a person get? Blaming a girl whose earphones you’ve torn just to explain to a little child!”

Damien grew quiet and crossed his arms as he lay back on the chair. He had a glare fixed on me. I smiled sweetly.

Katie was done and she pushed her plate towards Damien and said, “Thank you!” and smiled. It was surprising how little kids forgive so easily.

After Katie went home in the evening, I went to ‘my’ room and lied down on the bed. The air in the room gave me weird vibes. But, for some reason I liked it. Then, Damien walked into my room and as I sat up, he sat down on the bed. And then, without permission or a damn care, he lied down on my bed!

“Get off, freak!” I shrieked.

“Nah, I like it this way” he said, echoing what I had said in the morning. I began pushing him, but there was no use, so I began pushing him with my feet. He sat up and said, “Sorry about the earphones.”

I grew mad. This jacka** busted my most favorite thing in the world, and he comes empty handed, apologizing?! “Hello?” he said because I wasn’t saying anything.

“Leave me alone!” I shouted and threw a pillow at him.

He caught it and said, “ I dunno what’s up with you! I told you I’m sorry!”

“Sorry isn’t gonna bring me new earphones! Now, get lost!” I threw the other pillow. He threw it back at me and it hit me on my injury and I moaned in pain. He stopped immediately, aware that he hit my injured arm. I had too much pride and I didn’t want to reply. I shoved him off.

“Get off!!”

“Would you please be quiet?” he demanded with a serious look hung on his face. I was taken aback, and for a moment there, I thought good of him as he examined my arm.

After a few moments, he said, “Your stitch is okay…you ought to be more careful…”

“I need to more careful? You made me angry in the first place!”

“I didn’t know that you couldn’t control your emotions, Star,” he said, leaning back.

“I hate u…” I retorted.

He seemed indifferent, yet somehow hurt. “Hate me all you want, just don't get hurt in the process,” he said, and got up from the bed. I exhaled, and he went to his room. For a moment there, I refused to believe that I actually had my first kiss with a guy so indecent. But, then again, he wasn’t so bad. We both were alone in this huge house - mansion would be a more appropriate word - and yet he was nice to me. I debated in my mind with my inner-self:

Should I say sorry?

Nah, it was his fault.

But I know it was partly mine…

You’re dang heart is softening too soon!

I guess that’s a yes…

After a long while, I got up and went to his room. I thought of knocking, but I opened the door anyway.

There he was, on that large bed of his, sleeping, or at least pretending to be. I called out his name, and he responded by slowly opening his eyes.

“Anything wrong, Star?” he asked, with a tone of concern in his voice.

“No,” I replied.

He sat up and said, “Come here,” and patted on the space beside him. I was amazed at what a tiny nap can do to him. I went up to him and sat down.

“You wanted to make a phone call or something?” he asked.

I shook my head. “I have a phone, ya’know,” I said and he smiled.

“Then, is it because you wanted to hit me again?” he asked. I raised my eyebrows.

“No,” I replied, “I came here to apologize.”

He waited for it.

“I’m sorry for saying that I hate you, Damien,” I said, me myself shocked by how sad my voice was.

“If you think that hurt me, it’s not true,” he said. I looked down. “What I want to know is if it’s true.”

“…No, it’s not,” I replied and saw a smile light up his face.

“So…you don't hate me?” he asked.

“I don't know,” I replied too quickly. I knew that he was trying to get some good words out of me.

“Hm…” He looked at me as I looked down onto the dark carpet.

“Your room is so dark,” I said and he chuckled.

“I thought you liked dark,” he said, smirking.

“How’d you know that?”

“I said I thought,” he replied. “So…it is true.”

“Yeah.”

“Then why don't you like it?”

“I didn’t say that I didn’t like it,” I replied, “I was just commenting.” I stood up, and went toward the window. It was starting to rain, and soon, there was the sound of rain all over the place. “Tell me what you're wondering about,” he said. I turned around and smiled. “Why do you wanna know?”

He looked down and slowly replied, “It’s because I want to know you.”

“I’m wondering about last night,” I answered, and saw his mouth twitch.

“Look, I’m really sorry,” he said. I did not reply. I went back to look at the rain.

“Black,” I said.

“Huh?”

“My favorite color is black. You said you wanted to know me”

I heard him laugh a little, and then, he asked, “What do you like to do?”

“Listen to music” The words came out harsh, even if I didn't mean to.

“Oh…too bad,” he said, and I could hear the smirk in his voice.

“Look, you should at least be sorry for what you did,” I said, turning back. I was about to leave, but then I stopped. He was only a few inches away from me.

He smiled and said, “I already said sorry, but you told me, ‘Sorry isn’t gonna bring me new earphones!’” he said, mocking my way of speaking. Give me a break! I sighed and my bangs fell loose in front of my face. Good. At least he wouldn’t be able to see my disappointment clearly. But just then, he slowly tugged my hair behind my ear. “Don't let your hair conceal your beautiful face, Star…”

I started feeling all giddy inside. I mean, yeah, sure, people call me that, but he just…made it sound so…different…

He fingers went under my chin and he slowly tipped my face towards his. Oh, please…no… I thought. I didn’t want any of this. He was being too good to be true.

He smiled. “You must be hungry,” he said, letting go.

I nodded. He gently took my hand and led me to the kitchen. I didn’t stop him.

All throughout dinner, I was distracted by his presence; I wished he would just go away. I had trouble eating because I wasn’t hungry. I just shoved some spaghetti into my mouth and went back to my room, changed into my pajamas and lied down on the bed. I heard the door open and then, Damien was standing beside the bed, looking at me. I pulled the blanket up till my neck and asked, “What is it?”

He looked away and said, “You better wake up early tomorrow morning.”

“Why?”

“I’m taking you out.”

I sat up and looked straight at him with a face that clearly showed my surprise.

“Hey, it’s not my idea!” he said, “Mom had called. She told me to do so.”

“Oh.” I could imagine Gloria saying ‘Marvelous!’ when Damien had agreed. I chuckled.

“What’s wrong? Why are you laughing?”

“No reason.”

He shrugged and said, “Well, goodnight, then.”

“Goodnight”

He left the room, and I slowly fell asleep watching the rain outside…