Chapter one

Bedroom

Today is a winding road that's taking me to places that I didn't want to go
Today in the blink of an eye I'm holding on to something and I do not know why
I tried
I tried to read between the lines
I tried to look in your eyes
I want a simple explanation
For what I'm feeling inside
I gotta find a way out
Maybe there's a way out

Thunder by Boys like Girls

Strange.

Sabrina thought. Even with her eyes closed, she could still sense the absence of several things. There was no little Emily telling her to wake up and prepare something for breakfast, there was also no naughty Ethan yelling outside her room while disguising to be any modern superhero and most especially, there was no slamming of the weary front door whenever her father reached home.

Suddenly, she felt an odd pain emanating somewhere at the back of her head. Her right hand flew to where the pain dwells. She almost groaned in pain. She felt dizzy and even felt like puking. And even though she wanted, her lashes seemed to be very heavy for she could not open her eyes.

She tried to calm herself by filling her lungs with air.

Wait!

The room smelled differently. She imagined a large window where the curtains gracefully danced with the whispers of the morning breeze and the pillow where her head currently rests felt so smooth in her skin.

She felt like being in a trance or maybe a dream and she would not like to wake up and spoil the strange but pleasing experience. Yet, her forehead momentarily creased when she heard a familiar sound somewhere near that her ears could hear, human breathing. There was suddenly a movement beside her, her cheeks touched something warm and smooth. Pillow, she told herself---but no! Pillows couldn't move by themselves. Her mind was suddenly in a rattle.

Her eyes unstoppably flew open and directly shot a questioning stare at the alien ceiling. She looked right and saw the physical manifestation of the window with its light green curtains as they were being kissed by the sunlight. Her heart hammered as she cautiously turned to her right. Her eyes fell at the man beside her. He had his back exposed before the blanket that remained hugging his waist and again revealed the skin of his legs down to his feet. She almost forgot about the frantic that's taking place in her mind when she saw his face. The contours were beautifully molded for him, strong eyebrows, wonderful nose and tempting lips----what is he doing here?

She suddenly looked down at herself and caught a sight of a familiar shirt on the floor beside the bed, she picked it up and realized that it was the same shirt that she wore--and then she searched herself beneath the blanket and was welcomed by her nakedness!

This time surprise had fully taken over her senses that she absent-mindedly shouted atop of her voice.

"Ahhhhh!"

The person suddenly jerked beside her, his skin touched hers.

"Ahhhhh!" she went on.

"Argh!" he grumbled loudly. "Why the hell are you shouting!" he sounded pissed.

She didn't stop.

He groaned angrily as he now revealed his face matching with his disheveled black hair.

"I said stop ye-" he cut his own words when he was finally able to open his eyes and caught a sight of her panicked state. "Who are you?"

She stopped shouting but did not answer as realization suddenly hit her. She was in a room with this person and worst! They were both NAKED.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" he demanded answers.

"What have you done to me?" she asked back angrily the moment she was able to find her voice.

He opened his mouth to argue once more but the bedroom's door immediately flew open and let out of a woman and a teenage girl.

"Jeremy!" the woman asked in surprise at the sight of everything.

"Whoa big bro! Not again!" the young one said, her face accented by an amused smile.

Another figure added. The father.

"Jeremy Valerian!" his voice was fierce, his eyes painted by rage.

"Listen-" Jeremy tried to say.

"Listen yourself!" the father interjected.

"Hey!" Jeremy yelled. "This is not what you think it's like." He reasoned out.

"Shut up! I'm telling you Jeremy, I am sick and totally tired of your scandalous acts in this family, it's time for you to finally stop." The father said still in fury. "You better get dressed and meet us downstairs." He added.

"I said I don't--"

"Downstairs!" His father commanded as he dragged the two ladies out of the place.

She nervously looked at him while her hands trembled.

He looked back at her in rage.

"This is all your fault!" he yelled as he scooped for his boxers on the floor.

She immediately looked away and did not move until he was already in his jeans. He grabbed his shirt near the door and slammed the door as he got out.

She wanted to cry.

She thought this was a wonderful dream but she had it all wrong. Nightmare.

***

The two of them stood face to face with Jeremy's parents after the young girl was told to vacate her place. They were inside a mansion, she could tell…

"Jeremy, you really don't get it, do you?" his father asked.

"No dad! You don't get it right, okay?" he explained. "I told you, it's not what you think it's like----"

"Then what eh? You were with this girl in your room and you're both out of garments. How would you explain that?" Lester stated. "Don't treat me and your mom like morons!" he raised his voice.

"See, I don't even know who this girl is, or where the hell she came from." He reasoned out.

The females were at the whole time speechless, both overwhelmed by what is happening.

Angela Valerian looked at the girl and asked her softly.

"What's your name?"

It was just then that she was able to raise her head. "I'm S-Sabrina."

"I never heard of that name before." Jeremy swore. "Except the witch thing in TV Maddie used to be obsessed with."

"Will you shut up Jeremy?" his father snapped.

Angela stared at Sabrina once more and questioned,

"Sabrina…what really happened up there?"

Sabrina wanted to go and run away from everything but her feet were firmly glued to where she stood.

"I--" she moved her head side wards. "I really don't know." She suddenly felt her knees went limp. This is beyond her control.

"How did you get into my room?" Jeremy asked very angry.

"I don't know."

"You were in my room Naked! How could you not know?" he was really being a cynic this time.

She immediately felt like shouting at him. How could he say that to her.

"Don't you think that you should know that part too because you were there naked yourself?" She blurted out.

"Damn it!" Jeremy yelled at her.

"Jeremy." Angela hissed.

"Mom? We don't even know who she is!" he said determined.

"The maids said that you were very drunk last night." His mother told her.

"Even drunk, I know what I'm doing and this thing that you're accusing me of sleeping with this girl is beyond anything my memory could remember!"

Jeremy looked at Sabrina. She was crying and tears streamed down her cheeks. she was wearing a blue cotton t shirt and jeans. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, allowing some hair locks to fall on her face. She had nice eyes, he thought for a second but hastily shook the idea out of his head.

"For goodness' sake! Stop crying." He was still furious. "I'm sure nothing happened."

"How can you so sure?" His father asked strictly.

"Look at her. She's not likely my type. How could you think I'd slept with her?"

"Maybe if you were in your right mind." Lester rebuked.

"I didn't even feel anything!" he said looking at Sabrina smugly.

"Jeremy!" his father howled.

"I told you---" he paused and took a deep breath "Okay, what if something really did happen?" his gaze touched Sabrina. "It's not like she's never done it before."

Sabrina thought that he was really a jerk for telling her that. She was not able to stop herself and immediately slapped him in the face.

The parents were both shocked as if it's the first time somebody did that to their son.

"How dare you accuse me of sleeping with other guys?" she said defiantly.

"So," he smiled smugly. "Are you telling me that you've never had this before?" he continued to mock her. "That you're someone clean and untouched?"

"You shameless jerk!" she pointed at him. "You're going to pay for this!" she cursed.

"Yes, he's going to pay for this." Lester interjected with a very serious tone.

"Now what? You're going to ground me again? Go on dad! Because I'm already used being busted." He retorted.

"And who told you about grounding?"

Jeremy waited after the scornful look that he had from his father.

"I told you Jeremy, one more foolishness from you will be charged against you." He continued.

"Will you just spill it." Jeremy was evidently annoyed.

"Marriage."

"What?" Sabrina and Jeremy chorused.

"Lester?" Even Angela was alarmed by her husband's verdict.

"You can't be serious dad!"

"Do I look like joking to you Jeremy?"

"You can't just make her part of the family!" He blurted out bluntly. "What if she's a criminal?"

She ignored Jeremy's words and turned to the father.

"Please. Don't do this to me. I can't. I don't---"

"I'm sorry Sabrina but you're in this now." He replied.

"But Lester, don't you think it's--" Angela tried to convince her husband but cut her.

"No Angela, I'm serious about this and I swear I'd never change my mind."

"Dad! You're definitely absurd. You're going to make me do it? I'm just twenty two and I'm still at school." He reasoned out.

"And since when did your school matter to you?" he retorted.

Jeremy sighed angrily.

"Lester, what about Sabrina? We just can't throw her into this. "Angela protested.

"Please, my family needs me. I can't do this." She explained helplessly.

"We'll go to your house and make arrangements with your family. I'm sure that is not so hard to do."

"C'mon dad! That's not possible." Jeremy intercepted, kicking the table in front of him.

Sabrina continued to weep. She knew exactly what would happen if they talked to her dad.

"Whether you like it or not Jeremy, she's going to be a Valerian and she's going to be your wife!" His father's tone was firm.

"I will not marry her" he swore. "Never."

"And I say you will." Lester told him.

"No. "Sabrina mouthed silently.

The final word was spoken and it did not come from her.

***

Sabrina could not almost command her eyes to blink when her father agreed with the marriage. They were at their house, Mr. and Mrs. Valerian, her father, and Jeremy who was guarded by two of the bodyguards his father brought for him.

"Dad…You just can't agree with it." She protested.

"I just did Sabrina." He replied, this time he was not drunk like he always was, but still agreed.

"You can't! Take it back then!"

"I'm the father here Sabrina, don't tell me what to do."

"What about Ethan and Emily? Who's going to look after them? They need me here."

"I'll have someone to look after them."

"You don't have money. Who else could you hire?"

"Shut up! I said you're going to marry their son!" He yelled at her.

"Dad, what about me? Are you going to give me that easily?" She asked knowing how her dad would respond.

"I do not care about you." He replied bitterly.

"Can you at least care about me, even just for now?"

"Take her with you Mr. Valerian."

She finally fell on her knees and cried.

She could not do anything but cry especially when she caught a sight of Ethan and Emily crying while they stood at the kitchen door.

***

The next day, when Sabrina just freely gave in with the idea, Jeremy on the other hand didn't. He tried to escape for so many times but being in a powerful family and a house guarded by bodyguards, even his bedroom's window…he finally got tired of everything.

"Okay!" he said as he went to face his parents at the swimming pool.

"Finally." Lester uttered, closing the newspaper that previously covered his face. "Angela, could you please call Sabrina?" he asked his wife who immediately did what was told of her to do.

When they were all present…

"So, when's going to be my doom?" Jeremy asked bluntly.

"Tomorrow."

Sabrina and Angela exchanged looks with each other but the men didn't move.

Jeremy smirked. "Why not now?" he defied. "Why prolong the agony?"

"Okay then, as you wish Jeremy." Lester replied.

"Mr. Valerian---" Sabrina tried to plead once more.

"What do you think can you do? He wouldn't even listen to me, what more to you?" he snapped.

"Let's call Judge Mendez then." Lester told everyone as he went to get the wireless phone.

After the call…

"Right after the wedding, you both will continue your studies. "he said.

"I can't. My father just kicked me out of his sight." Sabrina said, not looking at anyone.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of everything and you'll transfer to Jeremy's school." The elder Valerian said.

"What!" Jeremy reacted. "Are you're really trying to spell miserable for me dad? Why does she need to transfer to my school?"

"Give ranting up Jeremy." It was his mother who seemed to agree with this crazy idea.

Sabrina stared blankly at the water at the pool, wanting to cry once more.

"This marriage will come secretly, nobody need's to know about it. We wont hinder you from taking off the rings and we'll do something about the surname issues. If you want Sabrina, you could still use Ocampo as your family name, but that is only while the marriage is still confidential."

"She must." Jeremy interjected.

"And we already bought a house for you." Angela added. "It'll be just the both of you, we'll just send one of the maids some time of the week to get your clothes washed and to clean the house but she'll never stay with you." She explained.

"What else?" Jeremy asked exasperatedly.

"After that we'll let you be." Lester announced. "Though, one thing's not allowed…"

Sabrina looked at Jeremy and realized how mad he is right now.

"Separation." He delivered.

Jeremy's eyes turned to her.

i'll appreciate it so much if you tell me about your thoughts with this story. thanks.