Playing with the Player

Chapter 7: A New Found Friend

“You have to relax.” He said sitting on the bench next to me.

“Okay, so next time someone freaking frightens the sht out of me, I just have to relax. Is that what you’re saying?” I say sarcastically. This guy has been getting on my nerves, if only he wasn’t this gorgeous, I could have kicked his friend right down there.

“God, you really have to control your emotions.” I was thinking that he was going to flame up but instead, he let out the words without any hint of anger. He said it peacefully.

“Well I’m sorry for having anger management issues.” I was becoming too sarcastic and he was definitely right, I have to control these stupid emotions.

“Really, I’m sorry.” I repeated. “I’m such an –“

He placed his finger on my lips to hush me and so he talked, “I like how you’re so honest on things.”

I showed him a quizzical look. And with that, he continued, “I mean, others won’t even admit that they have anger management issues – Wait, let’s call it ANI for short. It’s too long to keep repeating it. –Anyway, going back, I just like how you’re so honest on things and I appreciate that but sometimes, we have to control our emotions just so not to hurt others.”

I snicker a little and then hide it using my hand. But even with that move, I still can’t hide my laughter. “Are – are you a haha life guru haha or something?” I say in between laughs. 

I think about it much deeper. This guy actually is right. I just have to control my emotions, and that’s it. But who is Katherine Wattson without her short temper? Maybe it’s just a matter of time and I’ll be able to get the hang of this. 

“Again, I’m being a friend here.” He repeats the gesture he did earlier, throwing his hands up to the hair and waving them.

“I’m sorry. I’ll keep that in mind. Anyway, if you don’t mind, can I ask about your sister?”

“What about my sister?” He questions giving me a quizzical look.

“You guys don’t act as if you really are siblings.” I say moving in much deeper on the conversation.

“Because we fully aren’t.” He softly says as if he was whispering but he really wasn’t.

I give him a surprised look; Lots of questions have been circulating my mind but anyway, when was I so eager to know about other people’s lives? Bianca, I guess, has influenced me big time. 

“Fully? You mean just half? But you guys look exactly alike. Well not really exactly but almost exactly alike. Does that even make any sense? Almost exactly, just pssh nevermind. Going back, you mean just half?” If I hadn’t put my hand on my mouth to shush myself out, I would have been talking up to then.

How shallow of me, I was just thinking that they just had a few arguments back at home but I didn’t know it could be this deep. Grace and Charlie being just half siblings. Why am I even surprised?

Come on, Kaye. This is California, what do you expect? My inner voice snapped out of me.

“It was just Roger, Grace and Grace’s mom in the picture. When Grace’s mom passed away because of her heart problems, dear Lord may she rest in peace, my mom came into the picture. Mom became dad’s shoulder to cry on and vice versa. Mom just told me that she had quite some problems with work which explains why dad became her companion. But I know there’s something deeper that she doesn’t want to tell me. And that’s when Charlie Hastings get into the picture. So, can you now imagine the photograph?” He breathes after a very long statement and smiles. I like how Charlie genuinely smiles. It reminds me of Singapore.

“Yeah.” Was all I could say processing all the things that he has told me. “I’m sorry for being too surprised. It’s just that I’m not used of hearing about broken families and stuff.” 

“That’s fine. I love my sister although she could be such a bitch at times.” He chuckles and I highly agree with him but I can’t hate Grace for that.

“At times!? You kidding me? She just shot daggers right into my eyes.” We both laugh and when silence takes over, it was him who asked. “So, tell me about you now.”

“About me?” That was such a stupid thing to ask, of course the dude wanted to know about me. So I continued, “Well, I’m from Singapore and we just moved here a few weeks ago. Well, just my mom and I. Dad died as well as – yea dad died in a car crash. I don’t like talking about it so can we skip this part?” I frown. He surely heard the bitterness in my tone and he just nodded reassuring me that it was okay for me to skip it.

When I was about to continue, he moves closer to me. Close enough for us to kiss but then I washed away that thought. As he moved closer, he positions his hand at the back of my left ear and I was sure to myself that we both could hear the loud thumping of my heart beat. 

When he shoved his hand away from my ear, he shows me a coin and enthusiastically says, “Magic!”

I smile. Genuinely.

I didn’t know he could do magic. 

“I didn’t know.. I mean, how – how did you do that?” I say stuttering my words out; I was too impressed to let out a coherent sentence.

Instead of answering my question, he smiles back at me and says, “You should smile more. It suits you.”

“Thanks.” Was all I could mutter and I sure was so red.

But NO. As what he said, I have to control these emotions. And maybe that’s what I should do with Carson as well.