Hey lovely readers. I changed my mind. Instead of updating on April 7, I'll post it now. Don't want to make you wait any longer! (HAPPY APRIL FOOLS!!!)
Oh loves. After decades of searching, I think I found Chase. I think he's Spanish. What & Ever.
#53 on Teen Fiction. O.O
CHAPTER 24: ALONE TOGETHER
"He blackmailed you?" Brent asked incredulously. "Are you sure? Maybe it's just a big misunderstanding. Sometimes what people really mean gets lost in translation. I don't think he's that heartless."
I decided to reveal the truth to my friends. They've been bugging me for days. I tried to keep it from them but Brent threatened to throw me out of his apartment if I'd keep my mouth shut. I didn't have anywhere else to go. I couldn't go back home. I didn't want to strangle someone who looked exactly as me. It's like killing myself. Good thing Dad still thought that I was staying at Rielle's.
Rielle grunted in disagreement. "I think we've already established that he didn't have a heart the moment he kissed Sacred in front of Chase."
"We still need to give him the benefit of the doubt," Brent argued.
"We don't have to! Clearly he's insane and horrible! He's sick!" Rielle replied, raising her voice.
"All I'm saying is that we shouldn't jump to conclusions without having all the right information!" Brent shouted in an equally harsh tone.
"Enough!" I yelled in frustration. "If you want to argue then do it outside! The door is widely open. You guys are giving me a headache."
"But Brent started it!" Rielle cried.
"No, you started it! My voice was perfectly calm until you provoked me," Brent said then turned to me. "Rielle's the one who should leave!"
"Why me? I'm the girl. It should be you!" Rielle fired back.
Their argument continued for more minutes until I finally lost all my patience. I grabbed the pillow from the couch and threw it at Brent. He stopped midsentence and threw back a shocked expression.
"Why is it always me? This friendship is unfair!"
"Oh please, Brenton, unfair defines this friendship," Rielle said and Brent clenched his fist.
"I'm Sacred's best friend. You're just the third wheel!" he exclaimed.
"That's ridiculous! I'm her best friend. You are the third wheel!" she yelled.
"I'm her best friend!"
"No, I'm her best friend!"
"Hey Sacred? Is it okay if I punch her just one time? It will be really quick," Brent asked me and I didn't know if he was serious. Rielle gasped, feigning hurt.
"Brent, just go," I said in a bored tone, purposely ignoring their new dispute.
"Fine," He scratched his head and reluctantly walked away. He was halfway to the door when he came into a halt, swiveling his head toward our direction. "Wait a minute! This is my apartment! I live here! You guys can't throw me out!"
Oops.
"Fine, Rielle you may go," I said and her jaw dropped.
"I'm just kidding. You know what, let's just all go back to school. I'm sorry that I dragged you here. I know you wanted to enjoy the party but here you are now, caught up in my drama again. If you want to make it to the coronation, we better start moving."
Rielle and Brent looked at each other, having a silent conversation of their own. Their faces gave them away. What's with these two? They fought one minute, then acted like they were on the same team the next. It's weird.
"Are you sure you want to go back now? We can skip the whole prom if you want to. The others will surely understand. Besides, you spent all your time decorating the area. The council members wouldn't complain if you're not there to help them usher," Rielle said.
Tonight was the night that everyone was waiting for. The entire student body spent too much effort trying to look classy and sophisticated. Everyone wore dresses and suits, flaunting their curves and expensive jewelries. It was just another scene where people were obviously making a huge effort to reach a certain level of popularity.
Popularity was a curse. Look at what happened to me.
We were at Dawson activity area earlier. Because of the student council's hard work, we had transformed the area into a sparkly dance floor with a Hollywood theme. As expected, Chase ignored me the whole time. It killed me inside.
Serene, on the other hand, was having the time of her life. Guys surrounded her, trying to make a move. Well, she liked that. She loved it when she's the center of attention.
When Dylan tried to kiss me in front of everybody, I snapped. I pretended to go to the comfort room so I could run away from him. I searched for Rielle and asked her if she could come with me, back to Brent's apartment. Brent heard our conversation and volunteered to drive us home.
It was a selfish request and now I was trying to make it right. I wanted to give back their night.
"It's been days since your last talk with Chase and all you did in school was stare blankly at a distance. We are really worried," Rielle continued. I looked at my dress which was pretty and elegant. Such a shame that the person I wanted to impress didn't belong to me anymore.
Such a shame that I belonged to someone else.
"I'm fine. Really. Don't sweat it. I'm a big girl. I'm sure I can handle boyfriend dramas," I said and they seemed reluctant to believe me. I couldn't blame them. Even I couldn't trust my own words either. But if I wanted to move on I had to keep moving forward. One step at a time.
I grabbed my purse from the couch. A soft sound from the inside caught my attention. Someone's calling me. My brows furrowed. It was from an unknown number.
1 (619) 5**-****
"Hello?"
Silence.
"Hello?" I asked again. "Can I help you?"
More silence.
"Uh, are you gonna speak or what?" I grew impatient. "Look, if you have nothing to say then I'm hanging up. Stop wasting my time."
All I heard in response was the sound of his breathing. Wait, was this person some kind of a pervert?
"Hey! If you're just a guy looking for a random girl to play with, then you seriously need to get a life. Stop bothering me. I'm not that kind of girl. I have a boyfriend." I informed him. In my wildest fantasies, Chase and I were still together.
A girl could dream.
I opened my mouth to continue but the line already went dead.
"Who was that?" Rielle asked as she climbed inside the car.
"No one. Just a perv calling random numbers," I replied.
"Eww," she replied.
We were just a few blocks away from the school when my phone rang again. It was the same number who called me earlier. Annoyed, I answered. "What? Are you gonna speak now? What's your problem dude? I told you to stop bothering me!"
The other person cleared his throat.
"Ugh, I'm sorry?" he said. It seemed more of a question than a real apology. "I'm just calling to ask if you're friends with the guy who borrowed my phone a while ago."
My brows creased in perplexity. "How would I know who borrowed your phone earlier? Is this another prank? I'm hanging up."
"No! Miss, you don't understand. A dark haired boy asked if he could use my phone and I let him because he looked decent and harmless. Then after his call, his mood changed and now he's acting strange," he explained.
"I think he's already drunk. He's fighting with the other customers now as we speak. I own this bar, miss. He's making a mess but I don't want to send him to jail. I have a feeling he's just a good boy going through a difficult time. I checked the call logs in my phone and you're the person he called."
I got a little bit confused. Who was that guy? If he's not a pervert then who in the world was he? "Can you please describe him to me?"
"Okay, he's got dark brushed up hair and brown eyes. Almost black but I'm not sure because it's dark here. He wore a suit without a tie. And he keeps saying sacred." My heart did a crazy jump. "I don't know if he's praying or something."
Chase? Is that my Chase? I didn't know why but my mind kept telling me it's him.
"Miss? Still there?" he asked and I swallowed nervously, trying to let everything sink in.
"Can you give me the address of your bar?" I pulled out a pen from my purse and wrote what he said on my wrist. "Thank you, sir. I'll be there in a few minutes. Please look after him for me."
"So you do know him?"
"I think so. I have a feeling that I'm the Sacred he's talking about." I hung up. "Brent, can you drop me at this place?"
I showed my wrist to him and told him instructions on how to get there. "What's going on Sac, I thought we're going back to the prom?"
"Both of you will. I, however, have some matters to deal with," I replied, silently praying for Chase's safety. What was he doing there? He shouldn't have left the prom.
"Why? What happened?" Rielle inquired.
"It's about Chase."
"What about him?" they asked in unison.
"I think he's in trouble."
**********
Brent parked his car at the end of the road, just across the wine shop my dad used to frequent before. I've been in this area a couple of times. When I stepped out of the car, cool air greeted me. I crossed my arms and hurried to the entrance, Brent and Rielle in tow.
"Guys, you don't have to follow me inside. I can handle it. Go back to the prom, have a wonderful night," I suggested. "You worked hard for that party. Reward yourselves."
They didn't reply and just walked past me.
"Shut up, Sac. We all know you want us to accompany you," Rielle said.
"Reverse psychology doesn't suit you," Brent added.
I chuckled despite the butterflies in my stomach. What great friends I had. I shook my head as I stared at those two.
Rielle glanced at me over her shoulder. "You coming?"
Grinning, I ran after them. They were right. I did want them to come with me. Together, we entered the bar. A huge guy probably thrice Brent's size stopped us from getting any further.
"I.D. please," he demanded. Oh boy, I forgot about this. We're still minors. There's no way they'd let us in. How did Chase manage to get inside? If I'd beg to this guy, would he let us off the hook? Oh, I would get on my knees too if I had to. At this point I was ready to do anything. Anything for Chase.
"Sir, I really need to se-" I tried to say but Brent covered my mouth then pulled me back discreetly. Rielle moved forward and opened her purse. She took out three small cards from her wallet and handed it to Mr. Hulk.
After scrutinizing the said cards, he stepped aside and let us all pass. What just happened? Once inside, I pulled my friends at a corner.
"What did you show him?" I asked Rielle.
"Our IDs. What else?" she replied casually, like saying to a person that she had a fake ID done without her knowledge was the most natural thing in the world.
"You made me a fake ID?" I asked dubiously and she nodded. "And it just happened to be in your wallet? Do you bring that every day?"
"Uh-huh," she confirmed. I couldn't decide whether to hug her or strangle her because of this revelation. I mean, I was thankful for that but it's still illegal. "Now, find your man."
I went straight to the bartender. He was a tall guy with a weird looking mustache. "Um, excuse me? Where can I find the owner of this bar?"
He studied me for a moment. Then a smile spread across his face. "You're the sacred!"
I raised a brow at him. "Yeah. But actually, it's my name. I'm Sacred and these are my friends. You're the one who called me?"
"Yes, miss. So it is your name. It's lovely." Yeah, actually it's not.
"Thanks. Where is he?" I asked, hoping that he's fine and still breathing.
The guy shook his head in dismay then handed me a key. "That boy is going through a lot, I can tell. He locked himself in the bathroom. Go straight ahead then turn right. When you see a blue door, it's where he is. Go get your friend now."
I smiled at him and waved goodbye. I ran as fast as I could, hoping that I wouldn't trip on my long dress. I would've cut it if I had a pair of scissors. Brent and Rielle trailed behind. We reached the far end of the narrow hall then turned right as instructed. When I saw the blue door, I faced my friends.
"I'll take it from here. Can you wait here outside?" I asked, thankful for their company. I owed these two a lot. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow."
They looked at each other, contemplating their options. "Okay, we'll just order drinks while you're gone. Call us if you need anything."
I nodded and braced myself. With all the courage I could muster, I entered the bathroom. I trudged inside, the sound of my heels in contact with the tiled floor echoing throughout the room. At first I didn't notice him but then I saw a figure sitting on the ground near the sink, head bent down on his knees.
That's my Chase.
My poor Chase.
I approached him and stopped three steps away.
"Go away," he uttered. I bit my lip, uneasy.
"No. You need help," I said in response.
"I told you I don't need help from anyone!" he yelled as he lifted his face. I gaped at him. His lip was cut open, dry blood visible at the side of his mouth. He must've gotten it from the fight he started in the bar.
"Are you alright?" I asked in concern.
"It's none of your business! Go away!" he yelled again. I was hurt. It felt like being stabbed repeatedly. He hated me enough to the point that he's pushing me away.
"But I want to help you. Please, let's get you home," I pleaded. I couldn't leave him here at that state.
"What part of I don't need help can't you understand?" he asked in annoyance. "I don't need all of you! I only want Sacred!"
I was taken aback. I was here, standing in front of him. Couldn't he recognize me? Was he too drunk to realize that I was actually here? Instead of walking away like what he wanted me to do, I sat on the floor beside him. I didn't sit too close, afraid of his reaction. "Fine, if you don't want me to help you, then I won't. But let me sit here. I won't bother you."
He looked at me with a question mark written all over his face. "Whatever," he said.
He bent his head down again. I drummed my fingers on my lap, my nerves not cooperating. "Are you gonna stay here until morning?"
He didn't answer at first. I thought he would just ignore me but he tilted his head to his side. "You said you wouldn't bother me."
He was acting like a peevish child but at least he's not yelling anymore. That's a start.
"Sorry, I just want to talk. Can you uh, tell me about Sacred?" I asked, hoping he'd open up to me. It's really weird to ask someone about yourself but desperate times called for desperate measures.
"You really don't know when to shut up," he said in a serious tone. He raised his head and rested it against the wall. He looked at a distance, thinking deeply.
"So?" I asked, waiting for him to say something more. "Will you tell me about her?"
Without turning to me, he opened his mouth to speak. "She's different."
I rested my head against the wall too, glad that's he's talking to me. "And?"
"She's the most horrible person I've met," he said, grinning like a child. I tried not to be offended. Key word: tried.
"How come?" I asked.
He chuckled. "She's demanding. She orders people around. She's insensitive and mean. She eats a lot too. She eats more than most guys can handle in one meal. That's weird because she's skinny. Too skinny actually. She talks with her mouth full and I think it's cute."
I beamed. He's talking about me and he looked happy. Far better than his mood when I arrived here earlier.
"She has long wavy hair and I liked running my fingers through it," he added. "She hates gossip. It's ironic actually, considering she's the center of it."
"She's an intellectual person. We can talk all day but never run out of topics. There's no dull moment with her," he continued as he placed his arms over his knees. "Her laugh is contagious. It was an embarrassing laugh but I like it. It's genuine. Not like the other lip gloss smiles out there."
"I'm happy when I'm with her." The sadness came back to his eyes. "Then she left me for someone else."
I turned to him. I could feel the hurt in his voice. "Maybe she has a reason. Everyone has. Maybe you need to move on and forget her."
"That's the problem. She wouldn't tell me her real reason. I know she lied to me. I just know," he told me. "I begged her to stay but she didn't. She's cruel."
I fought back the urge to cry. Now's not the time.
"I hate what she did. She's heartless. She broke me. She's breaking me over and over again. She ruined me," he said and I was falling apart. "But no matter how many times I told myself to hate her, I just can't."
"I want to forget her. I want to loathe her. I even want to throw her in the river but I guess she put me under a spell because whatever I do, she's always in my mind. I can't push her out of my head. She's tattooed there."
"She's more than gorgeous. Even when she's yelling at me I still think she's the most beautiful girl in the world. She stepped all over me and treated me like trash but I would never be mad at her. She's the most beautiful thing that happened to my life and I will always be grateful for that," he said in a wavering voice.
Was he crying?
I couldn't deal with this. I couldn't see him cry, I would break down too.
"She told me s-she loved m-me," he said in between tears. "She told me she cared."
I got up on my knees and wrapped my arms around him, resting my chin over his head. I felt his hair touch my neck and shoulders. "Shhh, it's okay. Stop crying."
"She left me," he said. Tears were running down my face too. "She doesn't want me anymore."
"It's okay. You'll forget her soon. It's okay," I told him as I cried.
"She left me," he repeated and I hugged him tighter. "She left."
"You'll get through this," I said, kissing the top of his head. "We'll get through this."
We stayed like that for a while.
Alone together.
Sharing misery.
Loves.
I have nothing else to say. Writing this chapter is exhausting.
Comment away! Tell me watcha think! Vote too!
Trying hard to stay alive,
--Elle