Chapter 4
Choice
~Nate Trevino~
“Urghhhhhhh! IT HURTS!!!” I flinched away from the damp acid cotton.
“Calm down sir,” the servant girl quietly said. “It’s for your best.”
“Tsk, I’ll do it myself,” I said irritated as I yanked the cotton away from her. “Leave.”
The girl hesitated, but followed my order. She bowed down excusing herself as she left the room. I looked down at the cotton as I gently pressed it on my still bleeding upper lip I tried to resist jerking away. My right cheek was swollen.
That girl can pack a punch I’ll give her that. I drifted to that moment when she punched me.
She was like an angry hurricane, strong and bold. But yet… there was something more to her punch. I just couldn’t quite put a finger to it.
“Why did she punch me?” I asked myself. “What did I do?”
“You angered her that’s what you did.” I flinched my head towards the sound of the voice. My eyes met a grinning Angie. She closed the door behind, never taking her eyes off of mine.
“You dumped her and that’s why she punched you,” she guessed as she walked towards me. “No, she found out you were unfaithful and then she punched you. C’mon am I getting warm, hot?”
She stopped only a few feet away from me as leaned on the red couch folding her arms at her chest, grinning. “I think that’s a new. All the other girls usually slap you or curse at you. But punching you, I think that girl had guts.”
I grunted at her tease. “Shut up, Angie. No, I didn’t cheat on her because she was never my girlfriend... just a fake.”
She tilted her head to the side in wonder. “Fake girlfriend?” She asked as if she never heard those words.
“Yes, Angie,” I said with irritation. “‘fake girlfriend’, my mother wanted to meet my real girlfriend, but I declined so I stumbled into this girl and made a deal for her to be my fake girlfriend and–”
“And you humiliated her,” she said finishing my sentence. She stared at me with a blank expression. “You got what you deserved.”
My eyes widen. This was so unfair!
“What?!” I yelled at her, crazed as I stood up from my bed. “Are you insane?! Why did I deserve something I didn’t do?!!”
She stood still raising an eyebrow. “Really?” My jaw dropped opened.
“I cannot believe this! How can you side with her when I didn’t even do anything! Sure I entered to the ladies room–”
“You entered the ladies room?!” Her eyes widen as she stared at me. “And you were in there with –with this girl?!”
“What! No! I entered there because Sonya…she…,”I trailed off looking away from Angie. I hesitated not wanting to tell her, but knowing Angie she would persist like a fly. “I wanted to have an alone time with her and Janice was there –I didn’t even know she was in there!”
Angie slapped her forehead, shaking her head. “You really are stupid.”
“How was that stupid,” I asked breathlessly. “Yeah sure I got in the ladies room and made out with Sonya and so what! I bet I’m not the only guy who does that!”
I realized I was only a feet away from Angie’s face. She stared at me with a blank expression. “What?!”
She sighed slowly as she shook her head. “Nothing.” Then she muttered something under her breath to low for me to hear. I rolled my eyes impatient.
“You can leave,” I ordered. I wasn’t in the mood to hear her lecture that I knew she was about to say.
“No,” she simply said. “Think about it, Nate. Think about it thoroughly. If you introduced your mother your fake girlfriend and you break up with her after she will know you lied to her and you what will happen if she finds out you lied to her. You will–”
“No don’t say it,” I warned. “I know what will happen if she found out. But how will I do it, Angie?! Janice is mad at me and I don’t think she will accept the offer after she punched me.”
“Then talk to her,” Angie retorted. “Just apologize yourself and talk to her. Maybe she will forgive you for being stupid.”
I grumbled, “Angie,” I began slowly. “How can I tell her ‘I’m sorry’ if I never did anything to piss her off!”
“Are you stupid?” She walked towards me and slapped me in the face. I howled in pain not only because of the pain, but because it was spot where Janice had punched me. The sound echoed throughout the enormous room. I rubbed the spot and narrowed my eyes at her.
“You are so oblivious about a girl’s feelings,” she sneered. “You humiliated her! How is that hard to understand Nathaniel?!”
Realization flashed before my eyes as I sat down in my bed. My own words echoed through my mind.
“I was using her get bypass my mother.” I hadn’t realized she took it that way. But still…
“Now do you understand,” she kneeled down looking at me.
“How can she feel like that,” I explained to her. “It was a deal not a dare. We both knew that.”
“Some feelings are not meant to be controlled and you know that,” she answered with gentle eyes. “Go and talk to her, clear things out.”
I sighed heavy, “I should.”
She grinned as she stood up. “Good boy.” She slowly patted my head. I wrinkled my nose and pushed her hand away.
“I’m not your dog!” She laughed as I smiled.
“So?” She asked. I looked up at her questioning her gaze. She mirrored my expression.
“So what?”
“What are you waiting? You should go and talk to her,” she said.
I frowned. “Now?” She nodded widening her light green jaded eyes.
“Yes.”
“It’s too late,” I complained. “Plus she might be asleep and I don’t even know her address!”
“No, problem,” she smirked. “I can get you that.”
I shook my head. “I’m tired.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “You’re not –especially with that flamed cheek.”
“Even the more reason I should stay indoors,” I urged. I got from the bed and walked towards my dresser while stretching. I winced when I pretended to yawned. She sighed. I opened the first drawer and dug through piles of colored shirts.
“Fine,” she pouted. “But you need to talk to her tomorrow.”
“Why?” I inquired wearily, not turning around to face her.
“It’s a Saturday,” she sung mockingly. I stopped, processing her words.
Crap, I thought. I turned around to face her. My eyes widen as I saw a bag of ice thrown at me. I dodged it as I dropped down on the soft violet rug. It collided with dresser as it fell with a loud thump, inches away from me.
A roar of laughter filled the room. My eyes snapped at Angie who was crutching her stomach real hard.
“You could have killed me!” I stood up with a fury expression.
After what seemed like hours of laughter she started to calm to down.
She smirked as she cleaned a tear from the corner of her left eye, “Your expression was priceless.”
I open my mouth to retort, but she held out a hand to stop me. “Go to sleep.” She chuckled as she made her way towards the door. “You’re such a kid.” She said before closing the door behind her.
“And you’re annoying,” I snapped too late. I turned around and picked up the bag of ice.
“Weird,” I said thoughtfully. “From the impact I could have sworn the bag would rip.” Just as I said that I heard a ripping sound. The tiny ice cubes landed square on my feet. I yelled as the cold wrapped itself around my feet.
* * *
“Wake up, sir,” a light murmur said. “Please, sir.”
I felt a soft nudge. I moaned moving to my side.
“Wake up,” the same voice pleaded.
“Go away,” I ordered groaning. Freezing cold water splashed on my bare skin. I jolted up screaming.
“Wake up,” a harsh voice demanded.
“Are you insane?!” I stared up at Angie who was grinning at me with a blue bucket in her hands. Behind her a servant girl looked at me meekly. Angie handed her the bucket as the girl excused herself, closing the door behind her.
“You have a date,” she reminded me. I frowned as I looked at her and then my bed stand watch which read 11:34 am.
“It’s too early,” I moaned. I stared down at my now wet bed. “Look that what you’ve done!”
“Good now you won’t be able to go back to sleep,” she said as she crossed her arms at her chest. “Now go take a shower and get ready.”
Goosebumps rose on my skin as I started to shiver. She smiled as she saw me shiver. I narrowed my eyes at her. “I hate you.”
“I love you, too,” she grinned wide. I grumbled as I mentally cursed. I brushed past her, heading for the bathroom. After taking a warm bath, I looked at myself in the mirror. My cheek was not swollen anymore which was a good thing, but in its place was a big bruise. I winced as I poke it with my finger. It hurt.
Several servants were drying my bed with a vacuum cleaner. Angie was sitting on the couch as she was on the cell phone talking seriously.
“Yes,” she responded. “I understand I will have everything ready for the show.” She ended the call and looked at me. “Work,” she said nonchalantly. “I have to pack my things. Your mother wants me to fly over to New York and hand some business.”
I smiled wide. She narrowed her eyes at me.
“You will clear things out with her if you don’t want your mother to cut your head off.”
My smile instantly vanished. I sighed heavily. “It will be good to not have you around.”
“Ha-ha,” she mocked. “Girls you can leave now.” The servants followed the order and left my room. Angie stayed behind.
“What?” I inquired as I dried my hair.
“Be kind,” she said as she closed the door.
“Whatever,” I muttered.
I got dressed for my “date” as I headed down to the kitchen for something to eat. The butler, Gerald, was waiting for me down the steps.
“Good morning, sir,” he said in his deep tone. He held out a small envelope towards me. “Ms. Sire asked me to give this to you.” I grabbed the small paper, opened it, and read its content.
It contained an address.
“Thanks Ger,” I replied as I left towards the kitchen. The aroma of waffles filled the air. I closed my eyes as I processed the smell toward my lungs.
“What will it be, sir?” The servant girl asked as she held out the chair for me. “Waffles? Pancakes? Or scrambled eggs with bacon?”
“Waffles,” I said as I sat on the chair. She bowed her head and left the room. I checked my phone for any messages and surely enough there were. Some messages were from the guys, others from some girls, but no messages from Sonya. I rolled my eyes.
The girl entered the room with a tray, placed it in front of me and excused herself. I ate in silence, chewing on my food slowly to waste time. I didn’t want to go and talk to the girl. I didn’t want to go outside with this bruise.
The thought of my mother slipped into my head. I shivered not wanting to recall what her words were or what will happen if she figures out I lied to her.
I bit on my bottom lip. I didn’t have any choice for much as I wanted to. My mother was one hard core lady.
I got up from the table and left towards my car. The only sound that echoed throughout the mansion was my shoes.
I hopped on my car and drove away from my home and headed for Janice. She and I had some serious business to attend to.