unHOLY

one.waiting.game

one.waiting.game

"May I now take your order, sir?" a waiter politely inquired as he approached a young man sitting by himself near the window.

The young man reluctantly peeled his gaze away from the nighttime city backdrop glittering outside the glass wall. He had strong, aristocratic features: a cold, emotionless face, a pair of thin lips pressed in a nonchalant line, high chiseled cheekbones and a deep set of stormy eyes. It could be said that he had perfect features if not for one burn scar marring his forehead. If not for the neat collared shirt and rimless reading glasses that he was wearing, he could be mistaken for a Greek hero straight out from a European post-antique painting.

But then, he spoke and his image broke.

"Uhhm." He fidgeted like a boy who was caught stealing from the cookie jar. His whole face was as red as an apple. "N-Not yet, uhm, my date, she probably got stuck in traffic . . . "

Today was supposed to be a special night. He even especially booked this private dining room overlooking the whole of Chicago because he Googled that girls were into this thing.

Well, she would have probably said it sucked. Still, his effort mattered, right?

He glanced at his wristwatch. With a wry smile, he added with a sigh, "Stuck in traffic, that's what I said two hours ago."

Please, earth. Just swallow me whole.

"I am sure she's on her way, sir." The waiter merely smiled at the young man, his voice as courteous as ever, his look of pity well-concealed. "Would you like more Romanee-Conti while you wait?

This place sure knows how to do business.

"I-I'm sorry," he awkwardly scratched his nose, "but yes, I would very much like one."

Left alone once again, the young man slumped his shoulders and hit his head on the table. He eyed the two empty bottles of expensive wine on the middle of the table. "Why do I feel frustrated knowing she never liked me too?"

He and Hayley dated out of convenience. It was an open relationship that surprisingly lasted for three years, covering almost their whole high school life. The thing was, they were as compatible as oil and water. Hayley was impulsive and outgoing, and he could be considered a reclusive loner. They never enjoyed hanging out together, unless it's on the bed.

Suddenly, the door opened and someone entered the room. Instead of the waiter, an older red-haired girl sashayed her way inside.

"Oh my, did you prepare all these for me?" The girl dramatically widened her already large brown eyes. "Shucks, I'm so touched."

The young man jumped from his seat like his seat was on fire. "Addie? What are you doing here?"

"Is this how you greet your sister, baby bro?" She loudly smacked his head. "Do I need to educate you again, Aren?"

The young man made a face, inevitably earning him another loud smack. He wanted to cry. "Seriously, why are you here Addie? Aren't you supposed to be in New York with Dad?"

Addie tightly embraced the young man, her smile coy. "Ever heard of GPS? I'm alone. I sneaked out of uni to visit you. Arnie is going to be so jealous."

"I hate you."

"I love you too, baby bro."

Addie released him from her hug and shamelessly scooped one of the breadsticks on the table. "So, what's the occasion? Are you proposing to your girlfriend? What's her name again? Dolly? Like the sheep?"

"It's Hayley," Aren scratched his nose, his expression odd, "and no. I'm breaking up with her. This is supposed to be our last dinner."

"Wow. For real?" Addie slapped the table with two hands. "You're bringing the bitch to a 5-star resto for a break-up. Why can't I find guys like you?"

Aren could only laugh in response. Was it really that surprising? After all they went through, he just thought that Hayley deserved a proper and clean break-up. In roughly a month, the seniors would go their separate ways. From what he heard, Hayley would be attending a community college nearby. There's a high chance that they would never get to see each other again.

Clicking her tongue in distaste, his older sister could only helplessly shake her head. "So, where is the unlucky girl?"

"She didn't come."

"What?"

"She's not here."

"You're breaking up with her, but she didn't show up in the first place. Hell. That's awkward, bro."

Again, Aren could only laugh. Maybe this was for the best?

"Well, forget about her." Addie waved the issue away with the flick of a hand. "The bitch doesn't know what she's missing out, and hell, I think it's better this way. Listen, I travelled for hundreds of miles to bring you good news. You ought to worship me, baby bro."

"What good news?" Had something good ever happened recently? There was the divorce, Arnie getting rehab due to drug abuse, Dad losing a job due to the recent decline in the stock market, and Addie's adamant refusal to go to NYU because her ex-boyfriend studies there. All of these within a span of a year. It was way too much stress to bear.

There was an excited and somewhat mischievous glint in her eyes. It double-spelled trouble. "You got accepted in all the universities you applied for, right?"

Why was she asking? "Uhm, yes?"

"Why are you not sure?" Addie frowned. "Never mind. You applied for Borealis U, right?"

"Uhm, yes? But Addie, I'm heading for Harvard Business School like mom wants and I –"

Addie rolled her eyes. "Borealis U might not be Ivy League, but it has an awesome art program, which is where you ought to be. Everyone knows that, well, aside from our parents. Going back on track, I know I've mentioned to you before that Borealis U has an affiliated high school. Guess what, I just learned that there is this incoming freshman that you will be interested in."

Did she personally come to Chicago just to match make him with another girl? Aren felt like nothing made sense. Addie could be a headache sometimes, but wasn't this way too much for a prank? "Uhh, you know, I am strictly speaking still in a relationship right now."

But she continued to speak as if she didn't hear him. "I think her name is Noelle."

"Addie!"

"But baby bro, aren't you looking for a person with a surname Witchriver? I'm telling you, I found one. Her name is Noelle Witchriver, an incoming freshman, and you're familiar with how insane Borealis is, right? Even with my help, unless you enroll there, you aren't gonna get a chance to meet her."

"WHAT?! Why didn't you say so in the first place? I'm packing now!"

--- 

TADAH!

Another update from yours truly!

Guess what? Today is my birthday, so I'm gonna celebrate by doing massive chapter uploads. Beware of flooding! (kidding!) Enjoy the story :)

P.S. I'll prolly hang around Twitter for the rest of the night once I'm done with the chapters. I'm just a few clicks away @natsuriayuko 

See ya!