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DIAMOND
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Episode 25
~Playlist for this chapter is 'Alan Walker – Fake A Smile' 🎶🎶 do enjoy
Micaela's POV
"Jeez! The music is too loud!" I whisper-yelled to my friends and they giggled. We finally made it to the pool party and I'm beginning to regret coming here. It's 7 pm by the time we got here and from the looks of it, everyone is having mad fun with their partner I suppose.
The pool party was hosted by Sabrina's friend Mario who is an artist that is celebrating his success in the music industry. He released a song 1week ago and it has hit over 2 million streams on YouTube and various music platforms.
I might not know him in person but I'm so happy for him, is not easy to make it big in such areas of one's career.
I glance around me and I saw some adults both in the pool swimming and even making out inside the pool, while some were in the garden close to the pool dancing. And others were sitting by the poolside drinking and making out as well. I screech just at the sight of these horny adults who are so carefree to do this out here. Can someone remind me why I said yes to this party?
"C'mon girl, the music isn't so loud, it's cool for me, right Kim?" Sabrina chirped and giggled.
"Yeah, that's right! C'mon let's have fun tonight" Kim responded and I groaned inwardly and facepalm. I forgot both girls are on the same page when it comes to partying.
"Hey, I'm going inside to get us some drinks, I'll be right back," Sabrina said to us and I nodded at her.
"Gosh! These Mexican guys are hot, girl! Look at their broad chest and abs, I'm so drooling over them right now!" Kim gosh out and I groaned aloud with an eye roll.
"Get a hold of yourself, Kim. Stop drooling over nothing, those are just bare chests nothing more. I wonder how you girls just see a guy's body and you're getting all giddy. Yuck!" I scrunched up my nose and she tutted at me.
"Are you kidding me?! You mean to tell me you're not drooling over those hot guys in that pool?" she squealed and I shook my head in response. "Oh no! What are you made of girl? A wood or what?!"
"I'm a human for crying out loud, Kim. What do you expect me to be aside from that?" I inquired exasperatingly.
"Of course, you're a human but all sexual feelings are dead with you because I don't understand how you won't even get moved by seeing hot gorgeous guys like that...one!" She pointed to a light skin tall dude with over 6 or 8 packs or whatever they call it.
My gaze accesses him, well, he is good looking I must confess but, "Those things don't freak me, Kim" I replied in a bored tone and she raised a brow at me.
"Then what freaks you, Micaela Alvarado?! Ladies?"
"What!" I exclaimed with wide eyes at her insinuation and she gave me a suspicious look. "Don't give me that dumb look, I'm not a lesbian!"
"I never said you were. I'm just wondering why you don't get freaked out with guys or men. Look around-" she requested and I furrowed at her. "Just look around," she said again and a short sigh escapes my mouth, and I glance around.
I noticed some of the guys were staring at me and others were busy with whoever they had come with to the party. I returned my gaze to her and shrugged, "So what?".
"You've caught so many young men's attention here in this party to the extent some are even trashing their babes and are gawking on you, that's what" she answered with a smirk.
"How did you even know that when you're standing right here with me?".
"Because I party more than you, pretty miss. My eyes have been roaming since we got here" she replied smiling and I rolled my eyes at her. "I'm leaving you right now, I need to...." she paused and touched her hair and then adjusted her boobs and her gown. "I need to do some social networking" She winks at me and blew me a kiss and off she takes off.
"Kim, you can't leave me here all alone. Sabrina won't...."
"You're not alone, gorgeous" a voice startled me from behind cutting me off mid-sentence.
I turnaround and came face to face with a light skin handsome dude dressed in a grey and black tuxedo and a black turtle shirt paired with black pants. His hair was partly combed to the front covering the left side of his face. In his hands were two glass cups filled with champagne. His cologne hits my nose and his gaze convened with mine.
"Hello, I'm Mario, Sabrina's friend. She asked me to keep you company while she's having fun with my friends. Hope you don't mind?"
I stared blankly at him for a moment. "Mario?" I croaked and gulped down some saliva from my dried throat.
"Yes, Mario" he affirmed and gave me a gorgeous smile that got me freaking out.
Now I know Sabrina my friend is an evil bitch. How can she send someone like Mario to keep me company? This wasn't our agreement before I accepted her invitation to this party, I was thinking the three of us will stay glued until the party is over but now look at how the two of them abandoned me here and went having fun.
"Micaela?" Mario's voice jars me out of thought and I squint and flashed him a half-smile.
"Yeah? Oh sorry, I was just lost in thoughts. It's nice meeting you, Mario. Congratulations on your new release!" I replied and he chuckles.
"Thank you beautiful. You look so gorgeous in your dress and your smile is priceless. I'll love to see it more often" he said and handed me a glass of wine. His flattering words got my cheeks heating up and I found myself smiling more.
I collected the drink from him and said, "Thank you. So, tell me, what's the title of your song because I haven't listened to it yet. Actually, my friend Sabrina didn't share the song with me that's why I haven't listened to it yet".
"It's okay, I understand. You could easily stream it online though, but for a beauty like you to have accepted the invitation to this great party of mine, it's an honor to tell you that...." He paused and grins widely and I raised a brow at him, "I'll be singing the song LIVE right about now for your listening pleasure" he continued and I gasp.
"For real?!" I half-exclaimed and he nods at me grinning widely.
"Of course, beautiful! You deserve to be serenaded. Come with me" he extended his hand for me to take and I stared down at it contemplating if I should take his hand to mine or not. "C'mon, I don't bite" he continues and I snickered and took his hand.
Mario led me to the DJ stand that was in between the garden and the pool. I watched him whisper something to the DJ and in a few seconds the DJ turned down the volume of the music. He handed Mario a microphone and he took it from him with his right hand while his left hand never left mine. I think I'm beginning to get nervous, no one has ever done this before to me.
"Hello! I'm sorry for the interruption" he announced and everyone paused whatever they were doing and glanced up at him. "Is everyone having fun?!" he asks and there was a loud chorus of "Yes" from his guests. He chuckles excitedly and continues, "Great! Y'all know the party is not complete without playing my new single, right?".
"Oh yeah!" "Yes!" Different responses came from his guests again and I couldn't help but smile at the love and support he's got from families, friends, and fans, I guess.
"I love what I hear! Now, I'll be doing my new single for you all to hear. All thanks to the beautiful author here, she just inspired me to do this!" He said and I flinched from his hold in a manner no one would suspect something was wrong.
Author? Does he know I'm an author? How did he know that? Three or five seconds had gone by before it dawned on me Sabrina has opened her big mouth. I wonder what else she must have told him about me.
"I'm dedicating my new single with the title 'You'll always be mine' to Micaela Alvarado! Please give it up for her!" He announced and thunderous applause and a whistling sound came from his guests.
"What?" I stuttered with wide eyes and he flashed me a smile.
"Thank you thank you thank you. DJ, play me the Kareoke instrument for my new song" he requested and there was an exciting squeal from his guests.
I diverted my gaze to the people in the garden and at the poolside in search of Sabrina. I'm sure she was still here listening and watching all that was going on now. If I set my eyes on her I'll drag her by the hair out of this party and...
"When my heart is throbbing fast, is because you are in my heart. Even though you are so scared of loving me,
I'll wait until eternity when your fears are all gone..."
The voice of Mario and its lyrics arrested me and it instantly shuts down my inner thoughts about having my revenge on Sabrina. I turnaround and stared up at him and my gaze was fixed on his handsome face. A carefully appraising eyes search through mine. My cheeks turned crimson and I quickly shifted my gaze to his lips that had just sung such a mellifluous lyric.
"Your smile is all I want to see when I'm sad
I don't mind if you don't feel the same way about me. That won't stop me from loving you
I am not scared of many things but I'm only
scared of one thing in this life, which is losing you because you're my happiness, you'll always be mine. Oh, oh-oh, oh oh oh-" Mario took my hand and pulls me closer to his chest and he carried on singing.
"If loving you was the only mistake I'd made in life. Then I don't mind making the same mistake again. I believe ty love will heal all your wounds. And you'll gain the sanity to love me back. But until then, I don't want any more hate. Neither do I want you to forget me before that day comes because that will be the end for me..."
I pulled away from him forcefully cutting him off from singing and I ran out of the garden. I didn't know if he kept on singing, all I did know was I needed to breathe out here. I came crashing to my car panting heavily like someone was chasing after me, and then the tears seared my vision.
How could Mario dedicate such a song to me? How could this be a coincidence that this has something to do with me and...and...Fernando?This was Mario saying out of my mind in his song. But how can that even be possible when he barely knows Fernando and me? Could my past be haunting me for not telling Fernando the truth? I grimaces at the thought and I mumbled his name "Fernando".
"Was it because of him you ran out?" A masculine voice startled me from behind and I turnaround to gaze at him. An inexplicable uneasiness settles in me and we stared at each other in awkward silence.
"Mario?" I croaked. A crop of disappointments can be sighted as he shook his head. "What are...you.. doing here?" I stuttered and blinks my tears away.
"I should ask you the same. You ruined the moment and ran out here. Why did you do that? Didn't you like the song?".
"No, no, I love it. It was perfect! I... I... was... just...."
"Feeling emotional?" he completed for me and I nodded with a snort. He smiled and walks up to me and took my hand. "I thought as much. I've heard a lot of reviews on the song and many of my fans find it so emotional like you do".
I sigh in relief knowing I'm not the only one and more importantly what he just said would cover up the topic of Fernando.
"So, tell me, why do you find it emotional? Is it because of Fernando? Is he your boyfriend?" his question caught me almost choking on my breath. I guess the topic of Fernando wasn't over yet.
"Boy..friend?" I stuttered for the umpteenth time tonight.
"Yes! Don't you know what that word means?".
"Of course, I do!" I chuckled in response.
"I know you do, I was just teasing you. So, is he your boyfriend?" he laughs.
"No, I don't have a boyfriend".
"You don't?!" he half-yells and I nod in response. "Ain't I lucky then?!" he grins widely and I raised a brow at him.
"Pardon?" I requested clarity and he shook his head.
"It's nothing. If you don't have a boyfriend, then who is Fernando? I heard you mentioned his name that's why I'm asking".
"Fernando...Fernando...Ha! He's an artist too. When you were singing earlier on you sounded almost like him!" I lied my way out of the real truth. There's no way I'm going to start explaining to Mario that Fernando is my forever crush and the song was speaking my mind about what I feel for him.
"Oh really!"
"Yes really" I flashed him my best smile.
"I should listen to his song to confirm that. What's his stage name?"
"What?" I stammered in confusion. When I lied, I didn't realize I had to continue lying. Right now, I think my airflow is being restricted.
"Stage name. I mean my stage name is Mario K. So, what's his stage name? Is it just Fernando? Because I can assure you there are many Fernando that are musicians, so how do I differentiate him from the rest?"
I gaped at him perplexed. Who asked me to lie when I know I'm not a good liar? Perhaps, I should just tell him the truth. "The thing is....."
"Micaela!" Sabrina's voice chirps right behind us cutting me off mid-sentence and I couldn't help but heave a sharp sigh of relief. For the first time, this is the only time nosy Sabrina has proved useful. Don't get me wrong, she is useful other times but not like right now. She just saved me.
We both turnaround and met gaze with hers. "Sabrina" I smiled at her.
"Hey, babe, what are you two doing out here? I thought you left us behind after I saw you ran out of the party".
"I thought the same that was why I followed her out here," Mario said agreeing with Sabrina.
"No, I'm very much around. The thing is...the atmosphere got so hot, I needed to breathe some fresh air out here for a short while before I would have joined you guys back in there" I replied and both of them furrowed their brows at me.
"The atmosphere was hot?" They both ask in unison and I nod slightly.
"In there is very cool and comfortable. It's an open space with lots of breeze blowing around the surrounding. I was even thinking you were getting cold and needed a jacket to cover you up" Sabrina said and gave me a suspicious glare.
"Yes, I'm very cold and needed to take a jacket from the car-" I paused and reminisce about what I just said. I facepalm myself at how stupid and a bad liar I could be. Wasn't I the one that just told them I was feeling so hot in there that's why I came out? "I...."
"It's okay beautiful, you don't have to feel embarrassed about it. If you were cold you could have just asked for my jacket and I'll give it to you without any delay" Mario interrupted and took off his jacket and handed it to me.
"Look at that! You are so sweet, Mario, you're such a gentleman. I can't even remember when last a guy gave me his jacket" Sabrina whines and I rolled my eyes.
"What is so fascinating about a guy giving you his jacket, Sabrina?" I asked and she gapes at me for a moment.
"Everything honey! I can't believe you don't find it romantic for a guy to give you his jacket" she nags and scrunched up her nose.
"Everything can't be romantic to me, Sabrina, I'm not you" I replied and Mario snorted.
"You're so unique, Micaela Alvarado. I'll love to know more about you. How about a dance with me tonight?" He requested.
"Of course, she is going to say yes to that, Mario!" Sabrina giggled and I shot her a cold glare.
"That's not true. I'm sorry Mario, I'm not much for dancing tonight" I replied.
"Please, just one slow dance is all I ask" he implored me and I glance from him to Sabrina.
Sabrina winks at me and I understood what that meant without much talking. I switched my gaze back to Mario and he smiled at me. I guess I'm here for just one thing, to forget about Fernando, a dance with Mario and having fun with him and his friends would help me forget about him.
"Just one dance" I responded with a smile and Sabrina squealed excitedly beside me.