"My cat misses you..."
– Nautica
❀❀❀
~ D O R O T H Y ~
January 1998
When I finish telling them everything, Nolan, silent, stands up, marches to the VCR, pulls out the cassette and drops it on the floor only to step on it repeatedly, crushing it, before he kicks it across the room. Harris is sitting silently with a blank expression while Reece is standing, with his arms crossed and his back leaning against the wall. Jenny has her arm draped around my shoulders and Damien is holding my left hand, stroking the back of it with his thumb.
It does not escape my notice that Reece glances at our intertwined hands now and then.
"Lets report the shit outta them," Nolan huffs.
I shake my head.
"I don't want anyone else to know about this," I say.
"Well we can't just let them go free!" he says, running his hands through his blonde hair as he paces back and forth the room. "To harm someone as sweet and innocent as you... They should be punished!"
His words touch my heart.
"I agree with Nolan," Damien says. "They should pay for what they did."
"I've already handled that," Reece says in a low tone.
All of us turn to face him.
"...What did you do?" Damien asks, wary.
"It doesn't matter what I did. What matters is that they got the taste of their own medicine."
"Is that what you did while you were away last night?" I ask.
Reece looks at me.
"Don't think too much about it," he says. "It's not your concern."
Before I can respond, Jenny speaks up.
"Now it makes sense why Luna took me away from you during the party. She knew what was coming, yet, frighteningly, she was ok for it to happen. That's just... wicked. I knew that she's the kind of person who would do anything to get what she wants, but I didn't think she'd go this far."
"Same," Harris adds, nodding.
"And for what? To catch Reece's attention? Absolutely toxic! Luna Evans is no longer my friend. I don't care if our mums are friends, I refuse to associate myself with her."
Then, she looks at me.
"Dorothy, we're here for you," she says.
"All of us," Damien adds.
Nolan crouches down in front of me.
"No matter what," he says.
I look at each and every one of them with profound affection, gratitude and relief.
"I can't emphasise how much that means to me," I say, smiling with watery eyes.
About an hour later, they begin to leave, but Jenny decides to stay over for the night, which makes me happy. As all of us make our way to the front door, with Jenny acting as my support this time, I tap Harris on the shoulder, catching his attention.
"We need to talk," I whisper, to which he nods.
After waving Damien and Nolan goodbye as they drive off, I excuse myself and Harris from Reece and Jenny. With Harris as my new support, I head upstairs to my room, away from Reece and Jenny's earshots.
"You said you wanted to discuss something with me when you arrived," I say, sitting on my bed.
"Oh, it doesn't matter anymore," Harris says, sitting next to me.
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah."
"Harris... I know it's hard for you to learn about Luna, given your feelings for her, but–"
"It isn't," he says. "I told her about the kiss."
"Oh..."
"And then I confessed. She... She rejected me without a thought. It hurt. I thought I could get some consolation from you since you're the only one who knows apparently. But now that I am aware of her true nature, I'm glad that it turned out the way it did."
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that," I say, to which he shakes his head.
"After what you went through, I'm sorry. I've always been aware that Luna is spoilt and a bit... controlling. I guess I was too blinded by my feelings for her to actually see how bad her qualities actually are..."
We then sit in silence for a moment before he stands up.
"I'll leave now. I have to go to the hospital."
"Oh, is everything alright?"
"My grandma is not well. She has breast cancer. Stage IV," he replies, shocking me.
"Harris, I... I'm so sorry to learn that."
"We've known for a while. We're not too optimistic, but I try to spend as much time as I can with her."
"Of course. If you need anything or if you just want to talk about it–"
"I'll let you and Jenny know," he says, sending me a small smile.
Internally, I am touched that he considers Jenny as a person to turn to in a time of difficulty.
"I'll see you around," he says, turning around.
"Bye," I reply.
But then, he stops at the doorway,
"Dorothy," he says.
"Hmm?"
"I'm only telling you this because I care about you. I've noticed how much time you've been spending with Reece. I know it's not my place to tell you this, but I don't want you to end up getting hurt," he says, slowly turning around to face me. "Be cautious of Reece."
"Harris, he's–"
"Just trust me on this, ok?" he says, before he turns around and leaves, not leaving me a chance to question him further.
***
I had forgotten about my French toasts.
Reece insisted that he'd make another plate of fresh French toasts since the one he made about an hour ago has gone cold. Not wanting to waste food, I remained adamant that he reheat the toasts on the pan instead. He eventually agreed, though reluctantly.
Now I'm watching him flip the toasts. When my eyes land on his hands, the small purplish-brown patches on his knuckles catch my attention.
"Reece, why are your knuckles bruised," I ask.
"It's nothing," he says, shrugging it off.
"Reece, what happened last night?"
"It's nothing," he assures me.
"It's not nothing. Goodness, it looks as if you punched a wall. It must have hurt a lot. You didn't break a bone, did you?"
His two deep dimples appear as he suddenly smiles. I ignore the itch to poke them.
"Are you worried?"
"Of course, I am!" I blurt, making his smile grow.
When I process what I just said, I feel heat rush to my cheeks.
"I'm fine. Seriously," Reece then says, clearing his throat.
"What did you do to them?" I say, referring to my assaulters.
"It's none of your concern. Now, your French toasts are ready. Here."
He slides the toasts onto the plate in front of me.
"But–"
"Shhh."
He picks up a berry and plops it into my mouth to silence me.
"Eat."
I pout, before I chew on the berry while Reece watches me in amusement.
Jenny then enters the kitchen, carrying a cassette. She and I decided to watch a show. From the look of the cassette case, it seems that we will be rewatching Friends.
"Jenny," Reece says, facing her.
"Sup?" she says.
"Make sure she eats all of it – every last crumb – from this plate," he says, gesturing to the French toasts.
"You got it!"
"Thank you. And you," he says, facing me. "I have some errands to run. If there's an emergency, call me, ok?"
At the mention of errands, I suspect that he will be meeting with Dave. Dave reassured Jenny and me that whatever Reece is doing is legal. Yet, Harris suggests otherwise. I don't know who to believe.
"Ok," I reply.
"Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow," he says, shooting me a smile.
***
Firm and perky...
The kind I like...
Just thinking how tight you'll be makes me wanna...
Gasping, I wake up in the middle of the night with wet cheeks and a sweaty forehead. The sensation of Jared's intrusive touches lingers.
"Dorothy?" Jenny says hoarsely.
She switches on the bedside lamp. Seeing my trembling state, she sits up, worried.
"What happened?"
"H-He... I t-thought h-he was h-here."
"Calm down, Dorothy," she says, wrapping her arms around me. "Take deep breaths. He isn't here. You're safe here. Just breathe."
A few minutes later, when I calm down, I end up resting my head on her lap. She gently runs her fingertips through my long hair while I stare ahead of me blankly.
"How are you feeling now, Dorothy?"
"...Afraid."
"Don't be. We will make sure that nothing like this will ever happen to you. We're here for you, remember?"
"I'm not afraid of that. I'm afraid that I will forever be haunted by it..."
"Oh... Well, in that case, we need to dilute the intensity of the memory."
"...How?" I say, shifting to face her.
"I think the best way is to let it all out."
"What do you mean?"
"Don't contain your emotions. Unleash it all, Dorothy. If you want to break something, then let's break something. If you want to scream, go for it. If you want to cry, go Niagara Falls all over me. Whatever it is, I can take it, so don't bottle anything up."
I feel so grateful and lucky to have her as my close friend.
"Thank you," I say, smiling weakly. "I truly mean it."
"Anytime," she says, returning my smile with a bigger one.
***
Jenny leaves in the noon and Reece arrives during lunch.
I'm eating mother's home-made lasagna as I watch an episode of Pride and Prejudice (Damien handed me the cassettes a few days ago) with Reece, who has just finished eating his share of the lasagna. I internally swoon at the scene where Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are dancing for the first time. I can definitely sense the tension from Mr. Darcy's end. Poor guy.
"Someone get me a Mr. Darcy," I say, completely immersed in the show.
"I assure you," Reece says, snapping me back to reality. "You don't have to look far."
I face him with heat creeping into my cheeks. For a moment, I forgot that Reece is in the same room as me.
"Oh really?" I say, trying my best to not give into my embarrassment. "Know anyone who owns Pemberley?"
"Oh, is owning Pemberley a prerequisite to winning your heart?" he asks, amused.
Honestly, I am not the kind of person who gets impressed by money or possessions, but I play along.
"Of course," I drawl. "Whoever I end up with must treat me as if I were a princess – he must provide me a palace as a home, priceless crockery, expensive jewellery and sparkling dresses."
He chuckles at my pretence.
"I admire your sense of humour," he begins. "But you forget one important thing."
"And what is that? A dozen ponies?" I joke.
"Unconditional love," he replies. "If you have that, nothing else matters."
"Are you serious?" I say, furrowing my eyebrows. "What if something like financial issues overshadows that?"
"Then he does not love you unconditionally," he says.
"I don't understand..."
"If a man loves a woman unconditionally, he would do anything – go through hell even – to make sure that she stays happy, comfortable and safe – basically, he would never make her feel as if she is lacking anything."
"Really?" I ask, to which he nods.
"But the caveat is that it is rare to find someone like that. Many marry thinking that they have found that sort of love. But what they think is unconditional love is actually just a temporary form of attraction that fades away with time. As it fades, the motivation to keep their partner happy fades too."
"Then how would one know if the love they have for someone is unconditional and not just temporary?"
"Well, there is no right answer as it varies with different people."
I stay silent, processing his words. It is an interesting perspective of love, no doubt. But what surprises me is that this is his perspective. I then recall our conversation about Romeo and Juliet from a while back.
Since when was Reece an expert on love?
Reece then leans back and gives out a yawn.
"I'm going back to my place to sleep," he informs me, gathering his plate and cutlery from the table in front of us.
"You can take the guest room upstairs," I offer.
"Thanks, but I think I'll go sleep in my room."
"Ok."
"Will you be alright on your own?"
I gesture to my half-eaten food and the television.
"Trust me, I'll be fine," I say.
"Great."
About an hour later, the sound of pitter-patter graces my ears. I glance outside. Rain falls heavily, making it difficult to discern the view from the window. Thinking nothing much of it, I continue to watch Mr. Darcy stare longingly at Elizabeth.
Aw, he really is infatuated with her.
My mind automatically drifts to how Reece usually looks at me.
As if I am the centre of his universe.
The sudden boom of thunder makes me jump.
Gosh...
But then, I freeze as realisation hits me.
Reece.
I quickly get up, ignoring the ache in my body, and slip my feet into my slippers. I swipe the keys from a hook as I leave my house through the front door. Rain drenches me, but it doesn't bother me. Unlocking Reece's front door, I make my way to his bedroom. When I stand in front of his door, I knock.
No response.
With worry eating me alive, I open the door.
There, trembling underneath the duvet, is Reece. Approaching him, I notice how he is struggling to breathe. His face is pale. His eyes are shut tight. Drops of sweat cling to his forehead.
"Hey, hey, hey," I whisper, slipping underneath his duvet after taking off my slippers.
When I drape my arm over him in an attempt to calm him down, his bloodshot eyes snap open and widen when they land on my face.
"D-Dorothy," he chokes out.
"It'll pass away. It won't harm you," I whisper to him, now lying down with him in my arms.
"Y-You found me..." he breathes.
"You're just next door...?" I say, confused.
I then frown when I notice that his eyes watch me in a daze, as if he is lost in his own thoughts. Slowly, he snuggles closer to me and holds me. His sticky forehead presses against mine. My heart races at his touch and at our proximity.
"T-Thank you for f-finding me," he breathes, closing his eyes.
When thunder booms again, his body jolts, and his grip on me tightens. I whisper soothing words to him, letting him know that he is safe and that the thunder will not harm him. I gently stroke his back as I do so.
"It'll pass," I continue to whisper.
Reece never told me the origin of his astraphobia, whether it was triggered by an unpleasant event he had to go through or whether it was developed naturally. Regardless, he has not been able to overcome it, and his reaction towards it seems worse than to the one he displayed when he was younger.
About half an hour later, the rain stops. Reece is fast asleep, still holding onto me. It's pleasantly warm and cosy being next to him, in his arms. Slowly, I try to peel myself away from him, but, given that our legs are tangled and his grip on me is firm, it's a bit tricky to do so without waking him up.
Being brought up in an all-girls boarding school run by nuns, I am aware that it is frowned upon to share the same bed with the opposite gender after puberty.
Yet, with Reece, it feels... right.
I can't really explain it. I'm not saying that sharing a bed with any guy feels right. I highly doubt I'd feel this comfortable if it was someone else I know, like Harris, Nolan or even Damien. I'd most probably whack them away or tell them off.
But with Reece... it's different. In a good way. In a safe way.
When the sleeping Reece furrows his eyebrows at my slightest movement, I decide to give into the comfort. I drape my arm over him and snuggle closer to him.
"I missed your hugs..." I murmur, closing my eyes.
And then I fall asleep.
***
A series of giggles tries to pull me from my sleep.
"Hurry before they wake up!" a voice whispers in excitement.
"I'm trying! It takes time for it to start up."
"They look so cute!"
The warmth and comfort compels my body to continue to sleep, although I am curious to investigate the sources of those voices.
"It's finally on!"
"Ah curses! The battery is low–"
"Quick! We only need one–"
"DONE!"
When silence follows, I do not think too much of what I just heard, thinking that it was just a dream.
***
When I wake up, the first thing I see is a pair of brown eyes staring at me. Blinking, I realise that I am on Reece's bed. Next to Reece himself. I quickly recollect how I ended up here.
...The storm.
"Hey," he says, an amused smile playing on his lips.
"Hey," I whisper.
"Do you usually snore in your sleep?" he asks innocently, making me widen my eyes.
"W-What? I don't snore," I quickly say, immensely embarrassed.
But then again, I've been sleeping on my own for months and may have developed it during that time?
Oh, how I wish the bed would open up and swallow me whole!
Reece then chuckles, deep and loud.
"Relax, Dorothy," he says, as his laughter dies down. "I'm just messing with you."
Clenching my jaw, I glare at him.
"That was not funny."
"So was the time when you joked that you were a stripper," he says.
"I... uh..."
What the heck do I say to that? Gosh, if it isn't for how distracted I am by his seeing his gorgeous face and by the infinitesimal space between us, I could have come up with a great comeback.
But alas...
He then shifts, propping himself up on his elbows, and stares at me intensely.
"Thank you," he whispers, serious. "For earlier."
"Oh, don't mention it–"
"It must have hurt getting here on your own," he says, referring to my injuries.
"I didn't even notice it," I say.
And it's true. I guess the amount of worry I felt was so great that it obliterated the soreness and ache in my body.
Reece then brings his hand close to my face. His fingers brush away the few rogue strands from my face, tucking them behind my left ear. I shiver at his gentle touch but, thankfully, he doesn't notice it.
"I–"
Suddenly, the sound of the front door opening is heard by the two of us.
"Reece? Honey, I'm home!" Linda yells from downstairs.
Startled, I push myself away from Reece and slip out of his bed while he glances at the clock on his bedside table.
"She's back rather late," he says, getting out of bed.
"That doesn't matter," I say, panicking. "What if she sees me here?"
"Dorothy, calm down. We can simply say that we were hanging out," he says, making his bed.
"In your room?!"
"Maybe I wanted to show you a photo album–"
"Of what?"
"Of us."
"Wait... You have photos of us?"
"Of course."
I then remember Damien's words from months ago.
The photo. Oh damn, yes! The photo! So you are actually the girl Reece has been crushing hard on!
How come I don't have any photos of us?
Before I could ask, Linda knocks on Reece's door, making me jump.
"Relax," Reece whispers to me, stroking my back gently, smiling.
He then proceeds to his door while I quickly run my fingers through my hair to make it less of a 'bed hair' and put on my slippers. A beaming Linda comes into view as soon as the door is opened.
"Hey mum."
"There's my big boy!" she exclaims, enveloping him in a hug.
Reece returns her hug. Linda's blue eyes land on me and widen.
"Oh hello, Dorothy!" she exclaims, letting go of Reece.
Play it cool, Dorothy.
"H-Hi Linda," I say, cursing at myself for stuttering.
"What are you doing here?"
"I... uh..."
Darn it, have I mentioned before that I am incapable of lying?
"She's here to see the photo album," Reece cuts in, facing his mother.
Linda looks at him.
"Awww. That's sweet. Though, I think you two should continue with that later, so that Dorothy can go see Joanna," she says, before she faces me. "She's been missing you the entire trip!"
"Right," I say, clearing my throat. "I'll go then. It's nice seeing you, Linda."
"You too."
"I'll walk you to your place," Reece says, to which I nod.
When we stand in front of my house, he tucks his hands into the front pockets of his trousers.
"So when do you want to see it?" he asks.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"The photo album?"
"Oh, ASAP for sure!"
He grins.
"How about some time next week after college?"
"Yes!" I exclaim.
He watches me in utter amusement.
Then, we say farewell. I unlock my front door and enter my house. Mother is in the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge.
"Hey," I say.
She turns around and smiles widely.
"Dorothy!!" she exclaims, rushing towards me to envelop me in a hug. "I missed you!"
"Linda was telling me," I say, returning her hug. "I missed you too."
When we let go, I ask about her trip. She informs me that she and Linda visited most of the tourist attractions in Paris - the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Notre-Dame and the Palace of Versailles. It pleases me that the two of them had a great time and that Linda is feeling much better.
"And what about you? What happened while I was away?"
"Oh, nothing you'd want to hear," I say, shrugging.
"How's the application going?"
I didn't really have the time to go through my personal statement at all this entire weekend. But it's 99% complete. I just need to do a final read through.
"I'll submit it by tomorrow, hopefully."
"How exciting! Oh, I got you lots of chocolates and souvenirs!"
"Yay!" I say, mirroring her excitement. "I just need to pee first, I'll be back down."
"Sure."
After peeing, I go to my bedroom to put on a cardigan. When I make my way out, I notice a square-shaped paper sitting on the centre of my study desk. Curious, I approach it.
Picking it up, I freeze, feeling the blood rushing through my vessels go icy cold.
It's a polaroid.
Of me and Reece.
Holding each other as we sleep.
"You two look adorable together," I hear a feminine voice say.
I face the doorway, where mother is standing with a small smile. Her soft eyes watch me.
"Did you take this photo?" I ask, to which she nods.
I am utterly, utterly embarrassed!
"Does Linda know?" I ask, to which she nods again.
So that means that Linda knows that Reece lied about the reason why I was in his bedroom...
Oh...
My...
Gosh...
"Don't let him go, Dorothy," she continues. "For your sake."
What does she mean? I want to ask, but I am too speechless to.
Mother turns to leave, but then stops.
"And Reece's," she adds, before she disappears from my sight.
*~*~*~*~*
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Don't forget to vote, comment and share!