Perfect Illusion

Five - "I'm Starting To Think I'm In A Twilight Movie."

I didn't know what to do next. What if he decided to fight back? I knew it was abuse if he did, but who knew? He definitely looked like he could beat me up into a pulp in a matter of seconds. And I wasn't going to stay around to find out.

So I ran away.

I literally hit and ran.

Wow, thinking about this really does wonders to my self-esteem.

~~~~~

The next week is a blur. Cara and I attend all our classes, even though for Cara, the temptation of skipping classes is super high. Cara takes business and marketing (god knows why, economics was never her forte back in high school) and her lecturer puts everyone to sleep. So she has made it a habit to come to class late, but thankfully she doesn't bring me down with her. I, on the other hand, actually like my classes.

I know, getting a degree in creative writing isn't probably something that will help me in the near future (God knows how many times my parents have told me that). But somehow, I find comfort in words.

When I write, it's as if I no longer exist in the present, but to another time, another place, where I can create whatever and whoever I want. I not only find it relaxing, but to the point where it consumes my entire life. I can't help it, I live and breathe words.

My lecturer whom I finally know the name to, Mrs. Stemming, really likes my work. She gave me a high grade for my first assignment and I'm really proud of it. After class, she told me I had a flair for writing and I should consider doing it as a full time job. I told her I would think about it, but I have my doubts.

Sure, reading and writing are my passions, but could I actually do it for a living? Mom and dad would kill me. No, scratch that. They would actually cut my head off and put it on a pike. They really want me to take over the family business when they retire.

Woods and Co are one of the biggest property contractors in all of Massachusetts. They've contributed to a lot of the Boston landscape, which is why whenever I look beyond the horizon of the Charles River, pride swells within me.

But am I even capable of running an empire? I don't want to end up like my parents, chained to the confines of the office, living off of paperwork, boring meetings, and always having to worry about investors and cost analysis breakdowns...

Maybe that's why I wanted to work at the Basil Kitchen two months ago. I'm not exactly a  business kind of girl. But my parents did trust me enough to run a construction business empire - something I'm not exactly the most psyched about.

I don't know. Perhaps I should talk to my parents about it. I'm heading home next weekend, and hopefully I can catch my parents before they leave for work.

I chuckle to myself softly. I can only imagine how that conversation would go.

Speaking of conversations, I have successfully avoided another confrontation with Daniel this entire week (yay me!). It has not been easy, let me tell you that. For one thing, he's my neighbour. And he's also in the same class as me. So, I have to be on alert at all times, practically on my toes whenever I go anywhere out of the apartment.

Although, there were a number of times in which Daniel and I have made eye contact with each other. There was one time in class where I was looking for a place to sit, when my eyes locked with his. The intensity from his glare almost made me jump out of my skin. I could tell he hates me even more now that I have hit him. His eyes basically told me so. I quickly looked away, my cheeks turning crimson, and kept my head down for the rest of the class.

The next day, I caught him shoving his tongue into a mouth of some random girl outside the apartment. Their make out session was getting really heated. He was feeling her under her shirt, and she was making weird moaning noises that practically scarred me for life. It was so horrifying, I had to look away. But before I did, his eyes pierced mine, making my skin boil.