I woke up, as I could feel a dull throb in my head and a sick stomach. My mouth was dry and my body was heavy, like I just ran a marathon.
As I turn my head to the side I see my bright red book on my nightstand. When I left Caleb's house, I was so in a hurry. I forgot all about it, so I was happy to see it their beside me.
I stumbled out of bed trying to find some aspirin, to ease my morning sickness. I could barely remember yesterday. The only thing I remember was dancing all over Caleb, and people were offering drinks. So many that I couldn't keep count.
The hangover had officially set in, and I told myself, "never again." I knew I was in for a rough day, and I was doing whatever I could to help it go away.
I discreetly made my way to the kitchen to get an ice pack. I notice Maya sleeping on the couch wildly.
"Goodmorning," Maya's voice was barely above a whisper. You could tell she had a rough night.
I was startled by her because I didn't know she was awake.
"Are you okay from last night. You got pretty wasted," I said searching though the fridge for an ice pack.
I couldn't find any, so I searched for food instead.
"I'm so sorry about that, that was like the worst impression ever."
She slaps her face, and kicks her feet into the cushions.
"No I don't blame you. That's the point of drinking anyways."
I pretended like it was nothing, knowing damn well I had dipsophobia. I hated being around drunk people, it makes me want to cry. But part of me didn't want to be left out. I had no choice but to fit in, and I knew I had to overcome that fear.
"I forgot to mention, but my room is flooded," I said nervously, my voice sounded disappointed.
"I'm sorry to hear that, where are you going to stay," she questioned.
"I don't know. I was thinking I could stay with you till my room dries up."
"That's a great idea! Now we can be even closer. You might as well not even live there at all."
I was relieved she approved of my suggestion, but deep down I knew this was a bad idea. I needed to stay away from her, and Caleb. They were nothing, but trouble. The more parties I attended, the more I slept pass my bedtime, my grades were going to be bad. How was I going to manage this lifestyle, and keep good grades?
She notices me opening and closing the cabinets.
"There is no food. How about you take the car and go grocery shopping," Maya said sitting up from her laid position.
"I can't drive."
"Oh."
There was a brief pause.
"There is only one person I know who has a car."
"Who," I said eager to know.
"Caleb," she said.
"I thought you said I needed to stay away from him?"
"No I said to be careful around him. But it's important for you to get groceries. I can't do it because I'm sick, so who else?"
"I understand that, but what about ordering groceries online or using a delivery service? I don't feel comfortable going to the store and potentially exposing myself to the virus."
She laughs, "There is no such thing as delivery here."
"And your not going to spread this virus." She starts mocking me, and quoting her fingers.
"Just try to avoid him, and get the groceries. Imagine him as your driver. He just drives, and ur just there for the ride."
"That's a good way to look at it," I said with a smile trying to see the positive side.
I took a shower. I wanted to clear my mind without any distractions. The hot steam helped ease my headache. As I stood there, I let the warm water run down my body.
You know that feeling when your in the bathroom, and you feel as if someone outside the door is being murdered? That's how I felt. I could feel the cold air creeping into the bathroom, as if the door was opened. How insane would someone have to be to just walk in here and see me without any clothes.
I step out of the shower and see Caleb tracing pictures on the foggy mirror.
"Get out, you pervert!" I yelled as I grabbed a towel to cover myself.
"No," he shrugged nonchalantly.
"Maya told me to give you these ice packs."
"It would have been better if you had given me the ice packs outside the bathroom while I was dressed," I was angry at him.
"Nah, it would have been better if I were here instead. I had hoped to see you naked."
"Do you ever hold yourself accountable for your actions?"
"No my actions are always in line."
As he moves closer, I find myself backing against the wall.
"You're scaring me."
"I want you to feel afraid. Now I know you won't try to escape from me," he said slowly pulling the towel down.
The glint of malice in his eyes, sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel the fear rising in my chest as he continued to speak in a low, seducing voice. I knew I was trapped, and there wasn't an escape.
"You belong to me now, and there's nothing you can do about it."
As he pulls down the towel, I attempt to tighten my arms to prevent it from being removed. Eventually, my arms gave up.
"Your body is perfect," he said tracing every inch of my body. His fingers were warm, leaving trails of heat wherever they touched.
I feel self-conscious, wondering if he truly meant what he said. But the way he passionately looked at me, with love and adoration in his eyes, made me believe him. And in that moment, I felt truly beautiful.
Maya yells from the bathroom, "Dream are you almost done in there. I have to pee."
Caleb covers his hand over my mouth, assuming that I was going to snitch.
"Don't hesitate. Don't stutter," he whispers.
I push his arm from my mouth.
"Sorry, Maya, I'll be out there in a minute. I'm just finishing shaving."
Maya groans, "Hurry up, I really have to go. Your taking forever."
I roll my eyes, "Well, maybe if you didn't drink so much last night, you wouldn't have this bad of an urge to pee."
Caleb holds a laugh. Now I was covering his mouth this time.
"Oh shut up," she said walking away knowing I had a point.
"Can you please get out," I said.
"Yes I'll be in the car."
"Don't take forever," he said teasing.
Maya rushes into the bathroom, barely making it to the toilet in time. I could hear the sound of urine hitting the floor, as I put clothes on and headed out the door.
I felt bad for making her wait to pee, but it was Caleb's fault.
As I made my way to my car, I saw him staring at me, and it made me feel uncomfortable.
"You're not going out in that, are you?"
"Yes, I am. Can we please go now? We're running a little late," I say, gesturing to my watch.
"I don't care how late we are, I'm not letting you wear that in public."
With a slam of his door, I yelled, "You can forget it, Caleb!"
He rolls the window down, "Fine! Just get in the car."
I stood there for a moment, with my back turned away from him. Deciding if I should go or not?
His words were convincing, and he made me even more hungry. I was so angry at him. I forgot how hungry I was.
We got the boring errands out the way, and we were free to do whatever.
"Where do you want to go," he asked turning the car engine off, to hear me clearly.
"I want to go back to the room," I said without hesitation, looking into the distance.
"Oh come on. After, we just did all that running. Let's do something fun," he wasn't convinced to my response.
"I don't want to have fun with you Caleb. Why don't you have fun by yourself," I demanded.
"What's the fun in that," he questioned.
"No, I want to spend time with you. Why don't you want to have fun?" Caleb replied, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Because I don't want to be with you anymore. This whole day has been a reminder of how much I hate you. I just want to go back to the room and be alone." I stated firmly, looking away from him.
Caleb's face fell and he sighed, "I hate you more."
As we drove back to the dorms in silence, I couldn't help but feel relieved that I finally spoke my mind. Sometimes, it's important to put your own needs first, even if it means going against the expectations of others.
"Are we there yet? I feel like you've been driving for hours," I groaned, gazing out the window at the seemingly endless road ahead of us. My legs were starting to cramp from sitting for so long, and I was beginning to lose my patience.
"Almost," he said.
We got out the car to walk. What if he was leading me to nowhere? I got suspicious.
The closer we walked, we stepped inside the museums corridor. The first thing that caught my eye was the high ceilings and grand arches, that seemed to hold within its centuries. I was lost in my own world, admiring the works of art by some of Italy's greatest artists - Botticelli, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci, just to name a few. The beauty and detail in each piece left me in awe. I couldn't believe that I was standing in front of such masterpieces, that I did a project on about a few months ago.
"How did you know I wanted to visit this place," I asked out of curiosity.
"I took a peek of your "Get to know me paper."
I laugh.
"Thank you. I really appreciate it," I said smiling.
He nods his head, "Is that your stomach growling?"
"Shut up," I said as we laughed.
"Where do you want to eat," he questioned.
"How about you choose, since you suprised me with a tour."
"I always allow the lady to make the decision."
I knew he was lying, but I didn't want to ruin the moment.
"I point to "Flamebite Burger Shack".
"No," he said bluntly.
"We can only eat on this side of the street."
I was confused of why we couldn't eat on the other side of the street. I was taken aback by his abrupt refusal to eat at "Flamebite Burger Shack". I couldn't understand why we were only allowed to eat on this side of the street. Did he have some sort of bias against the other side of the street? Maybe he was one of those snobby types who thought himself too good for a fast food place. I noticed the other side of the street was ran down and had a few homeless people sitting outside. If so that was why he didn't want to eat there. Or maybe he just had a bad experience at that particular restaurant. I was left wondering why he was so against it. Whatever the reason was I grew more suspicious.
"You choose since your so picky."
"Let's just go to my comfort spot, Trattoria Bella Bita."
He led me to a fancy restaurant where we sat at the back of the building. Nobody was in sight. It was just the two of us. The view was breathtaking as I saw the waves gently moving back and forth, the sky was a beautiful shade of pink and orange as the sun was setting.
"Wow, Caleb you didn't have to do this."
It felt like our first date, but it wasn't officially.
"I know, but I wanted to," he smiled holding my hand.
I saw the menu, and it was filled with expensive and exotic dishes, that I didn't know existed. The restaurant was elegant and refined, with crystal chandeliers and plush velvet chairs. The people looked rich, wearing designer clothes, and driving luxury cars. It was clear that this was a high-end establishment, and I couldn't help but wonder how Caleb could afford to eat here every day.
The waistess came to our table.
"Caleb, what number girl is this?" she said, glancing at her phone. She had been keeping track of all the girls Caleb had brought here, and she was starting to lose count.
I felt offended, even though I wasn't his girl.
He snatched her phone and threw it off the cliff. She gasped in shock, but before she could react, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. "I don't keep count," he whispered, his lips dangerously close to her ear. "You should know that by now."
She blushed, knowing that he was right. I could see it in her eyes.
"How may I take your order?" she said, holding her notebook expectantly.
"I'll get a pizza with water," I said.
"And for you, Mr. Caruso," she winked at him.
"I'm not hungry, but I'll get a shot of tequila," he said, pulling out an I.D.
"Alright, the food should be here soon."
"How old are you?" I asked.
"Not 21," he said as we laughed.
"So, what do you do here?" I said sarcastically. "You must never experience boredom in your life."
"Your almost right, but school is where boredom starts. I hate sitting in the classroom listening to the teachers lecture, and tell us what to do. I usually leave half the time."
I sighed, "Well I'm glad I was homeschooled all my life," I said.
"I feel like that's just as worse," he said.
"Then why are you here?" I asked out of curiosity.
"Although my parents may believe they are forcing me, the reality is that they have very little influence over my decision-making process. Outside of school, I am in control of my own choices and actions.
"That explains everything," I said.
"What," a smile forms onto his face.
"My parents would kill me if they found out I was hanging out with you all."
"Don't let them find out."
The food came smoking with steam.
"Please be careful your plate is hot," the waitress from earlier said.
"Thank you. This looks really good."
She smiled.
The way the cheese spread apart before each bite, and the cheese melting inside my mouth. I could taste the thin crusts topped with fresh vegetables, and meats. I tried to eat like a lady. I avoided getting food all over my face, or shoving food into my mouth all at once. It was hard especially when I hadn't ate all day.
I quickly finish my whole pizza, giving up eating like a lady and using my hands to scoop up the last bits of food. Caleb's phone rings loudly, as I feel the strong vibration on the table.
I was wondering who could be calling him. I watched his facial expressions closely for any clues. His eyebrows furrowed and his lips pressed into a thin line, indicating that the call was not bringing good news. He quickly excused himself and left the table, leaving me to ponder the possible reasons for the call. Could it be a family emergency or a school-related issue? I felt concerned for him.
"We have to go now," he said, rushing to pull out his wallet and leaving a fat tip for our waitress.
"Why? What happened? Is everything okay"
"No I just got a call that there is something wrong with my father. My mother would never summon me, if it wasn't serious."
We got into the dark limousine. The silence in the car was defeating, and I could tell Caleb was trying to hold back tears. I gripped his hands tightly, showing that I was there for him. I couldn't imagine how he must been feeling right now.
The limousine drove on, each passing feeling like forever. I tried to distract myself by staring out the window, but his haunting words kept replaying into my head.
I rested my head onto his shoulder, dozing off to sleep.