Quinn
{' It is the nature of truth in general, as of some ores in particular, to be richest when most superficial. '}
"Give me details."
I rolled my eyes as I marched into my room and sat on the couch, slouching. "There is no such details if she can't even remember everything last night."
"Yeah, that's why I'm asking you about it," Khloe insisted as she jumped over my bed.
"She is now my girlfriend. That's the detail you're asking about. Happy now?"
I'm happy. Why am I happy?
She hummed, rolling over then looked at me with a grin on her lips. "I know about that. She even took her time to show me that you're now her girlfriend. The question is how?"
"Nothing romantic happened so take it down on your head. I just blurted it out that she's my girlfriend this morning and that's it."
"What?!" Khloe exclaimed as she jerked up. "No kneeling or red thread of fate BS or... or butterflies in the stomach or even a spark or anything.
I let out a frustrated sigh. "First, I don't kneel for such a trivial thing. Second, I didn't bring a red thread because obviously, we were going to have a party, not to make a dress. Third, I don't eat caterpillars so why there would be butterflies in my stomach? And lastly, I'm not electrifying enough to be on the spark with her."
Khloe tilted her head, making faces from my sarcastic remark. "How that bitch even like you if you're such a dull and boring person? If you're not my sister, I won't even bat my eyelids to get any attention from you."
I shrugged. "If you're not my sister then I would probably kick you on your ass the moment I set my eyes on you."
Khloe whimpered as she put her hand over her chest. "That hurts. How can you say that to me?" she said before she rested on the bed and began to escape a set of fake sob as she muffled her voice with my pillow. "Does half of your brain isn't functioning? You can't even control your mouth from speaking so harshly. You're considering Feisty Butt as a trivial thing yet you can't even wipe off your smile ever since we left the villa."
"No, I'm not!" I hissed at her.
"You are," she countered back. "Can't you stop being immature? I know this is hard for you but I believe that you can do it. Just go with the flow and admit that you like her."
"I just admitted it yesterday!"
Khloe sighed. "Yes but you're still refusing it. You're saying ridiculous things about her. Seriously, you're my sister so you can take it all on me and I would be pleased to hear everything no matter what you say. Just tell me the truth."
I heaved a sigh. "You want the truth?"
My sister nodded and sat up. "I know the truth, Quinn. It's you who's not saying all of it."
"You know this is all new to me. This is my first time liking someone so I don't know how to ask her to be my girlfriend so I just blurted it out. You know Jane was just a diversion for my condition and even if she doesn't feel anything special for me, I still hurt her when she learned the truth." I paused, standing up to sit beside my sister, and held her hand. "Nothing. There is nothing more hurtful than this. But knowing that my relationship with Risa will be going to end up horribly when the time comes, I didn't even stop myself from making this huge mistake. I wish I didn't play along with her because I didn't expect that I would feel this way."
"You're still lying, you know," Khloe interrupted me with a whisper.
I looked down at our joined hands. "Which part?"
"Everything," she answered. "How can you hide this all along? You're lying to me since day one!"
"I don't understand," I mumbled.
"You don't understand because you never even bothered to tell me the whole truth," she hissed madly as she clung to me. "You said you trust me yet you're still lying even if I'm always with you. You don't trust me at all, Quinn. You don't trust anyone, even yourself."
I remained silent at her strong statement. Obviously, I let my sister down. All I did was hide the true form of my pain inside me. The truth hurts so why should I reveal it? Lying is so much better so why is my sister was so disappointed in me right now?
"Why can't you trust me?" she said and I was so speechless. I couldn't' say anything because hearing that fact was hurting me. I didn't mean to make her feel this way but I did.
Khloe laughed weakly without any hint of humor. "How can you endure all your pain inside you? Why aren't you sharing it with me? Why aren't you sharing it with everybody? I'm always showing you how much I care for you so at least, I think I deserve the truth. And now, Arisa is getting involved. Why did you have to lie to her? Why are you pretending that you don't know her since from the start?"
I shut my eyes closed. Of course, she would know about it. "B-Because she's not Arisa I've always known," I answered as I clenched my teeth because I was disappointed in myself.
"How?" she asked, squeezing my hand.
"She is different from what I had expected her to be. How did you know all about this? Tell me what else do you know about it," I demanded, leaning my head on her shoulder.
She chuckled. "Everything?"
I nodded. "Everything."
"Then will you promise that you'll also tell me everything from now on?"
I nodded again and from now on, I was going to tell her the truth. I didn't want to let her down anymore. "I promise."
She hummed and leaned her cheek on the side of my head. "I'll start from what you've just said a while ago. Jane Hale wasn't your diversion because of your condition. Seriously, you're a creepy one to believe that she could replace the Arisa Gail Valentine that you've known since we were kids. Jane almost looked like Arisa so that convinced me enough that you were just fooling yourself. Next, you didn't play along with Arisa because you wanted to protect yourself. You played along because you needed to know more about her. Or maybe you had this hope that the girl you've known is still hiding beneath a faćade. But seeing that you're neglecting her feelings towards you as well as you've admitted that she isn't your Arisa, I realized that you're irritated because you didn't expect that she isn't someone you have longed for. And now you're getting mad at her as well as at yourself because you are starting to like her even she's not the person you've liked before. And then you became protected of her. When Ella kept on insulting her on your face, you spilled the coffee on my friend. After the sleepover you two had, you've strangely changed as if you've discovered something about her. But now that she is your girlfriend, you're still rejecting your feelings for her even if you've just admitted it last night. Your strange and confusing behavior is all over the place already. Because you know what? You can't accept the fact that you're falling for a different person. Seriously, Quinn, stop all of these and be true to yourself and everyone. You like her before you even stepped into our school. You have these infatuation feelings for her before you even got to meet her personally after a long time at our Halloween party during our freshman year. And that infatuation turned into something more. But you don't want to just throw away your Arisa even if your hearts shout differently."
I shut my eyes closed. I couldn't even utter any words out of my mouth. Why did Khloe know all about this? How did she know about the Halloween party?
"Do you remember what happened during our school's Halloween party?" she asked as she pulled away to stare at me.
I dropped down my gaze as the memories drifted into my consciousness. I reminisced those disappointed yet worthy moments with Risa. The night I've met her once again after those long years that I was so lonely.
......
I knocked on the door twice but my sister seemed so busy preparing for the upcoming party. I groaned impatiently so I smashed the door open and found her sleeping on her bed.
What the?! Why is she still asleep? She's supposed to get ready for her school's Halloween party.
"Aunt Claire!" I called out downstairs. "I thought Khloe has a party to attend. Why is she sleeping?!"
"Yes!" Aunt Claire responded as she yelled back from down below. "Kick her out of her bed!"
I laughed softly before I did what she told me. Putting my bare feet at my sister's butt, I pushed it strongly so she growled in irritation. However, she positioned herself back to slumber. Shaking my head, I tried a different way so I gripped both of her ankles and pulled her, making her end up almost on the floor. Luckily, she was quick to grab the bedsheet.
"What the hell, Mom!" she cried out as she rubbed her head and I began to get into a fit of laughter.
"I'm not your Mom," I exclaimed, letting go of her feet. "Wake up, bitch! It's not right to sleep on me. I flew thousands of miles in here just to see you and now you're sleeping?"
"Quinn?" Khloe said in confusion as she got up to her own feet. "Why are you here?"
"I got bored so I sneaked out of Grandma's mansion to see you," I answered. "C'mon! We have to prepare for the party!"
"We?" she asked as she sat at the edge of her bed. "What do you mean 'we'? This is our school party and I don't plan to go anyway so I didn't buy any costume."
I shrugged, spreading my arms wide before I dropped them on my side. "That's why I'm here and I brought two costumes. Sneak me in, please! I want to enjoy my visit here."
"So you flew up here because you got bored and now you're expecting me to sneak you into our school party?" she asked, reassuring me of what she just heard from me.
"Yes!" I responded cheerfully and grabbed her hands as I leaped with excitement. "So please, pretty please! You have to attend this party with me!"
My sister groaned. "Okay, okay! Seriously, what's gotten in that head of yours?"
Ignoring her, I began to rummage inside the bag I brought with me. We started to dress up and applied some makeup. I professionally put a thick lavender eyeliner to Khloe's and once I placed the two-pointed crown on her head, I just couldn't stop laughing.
My sister grumbled and took off the crown from her head and tossed it across the room. "Why do I have to be the witch Maleficent while you dress up like a golden princess?!"
I was wearing a feathery yellow tube dress that ended above my knees, complimenting my golden locks and my porcelain skin. I had a pair of black stiletto heels, matching the jet black clutch purse. Khloe's costume was different. She had a cloak of Maleficent and a scepter that had a black crow at the top to complete the whole package.
"Because you're a bitch, remember?" I answered after my laugh mended down.
She rolled her eyes. "Then you should be my pet dragon because you're bitchier!"
"Stop complaining! I brought two costumes for precaution and it's your fault that you didn't buy anything for yourself. So can we just move along because we're getting late?"
In defeat, Khloe yielded as she put the crown back on her head again. We skipped downstairs to say goodbye to Aunt Claire. Once everything was settled, we drove to her school wordlessly but I felt extremely excited.
Finally, I was going to meet her again. I hoped that she would recognize me because it had been almost five years. I didn't fly up here because I got bored. I went here to see her personally and hence why I was so excited.
Khloe had managed to sneak me in and I made sure that I was wearing a masquerade mask so they wouldn't notice that I wasn't supposed to be here in the first place. Luckily, she knew some way to get into the school without getting caught as we crept into the backyard and got through the window of the school's clinic.
As soon as we headed into the hall, my sister advised me to stay at my place and wait for her. She had to register her name at the reception because her attendance would give her extra points in some of her classes.
I scanned the room to search for her but the crowds were getting heavy and the various costumes didn't help much. Pumpkin lamps were hanging above as the lights danced around with the blast of music. The hall's windows were decorated with fake webs and bat toys to match the occasion. The students were strangely glancing at me but I just ignored them.
Khloe came back and she ushered me to get a drink before we danced together on the dance floor. I kept on searching but I couldn't find her at all. I found her father sitting with the other teachers so I was very careful not to get caught by him.
The party went fast and there was still no sign of her. Khloe was with her friends and I was left alone at the bleacher. Suddenly, the pumpkin lamps dimmed as the music stopped and the huge spotlight was pointed at the stage.
An old man marched at the center while holding a microphone and were going to announce the winners. The crowds roared in excitement and I was dreading that this party would end without me finding her.
Disregarding the center of the attention, my head kept spinning in random directions to look for her as the announcer, which I think was the school principal, shouted for a name who won as the best costume in the male category.
Sighing, I was starting to lose hope.
"Arisa Gail Valentine!"
My head shot up to the direction where the spotlight headed and there she was. The claps from the students faded out slowly through my ears while I stared at her merely. Her raven hair was flowing down on her snowy shoulders as her silver hairpins shone like prairie stars in the starry night. A pair of blue eyes were shifted down to avoid the uncomfortable light yet it still showed how she looked so captivating in my hazel green one.
Watching her in awe, I was stunned at my place as I noticed that she was wearing a fairy white dress with a pair of butterfly wings on her back while she strode forward to head over the stage. She was gorgeous and enticing. She looked like a fairy that could free me from the curse bestowed on me since my parents died.
I was in a daze when suddenly the huge spotlight was pointed at me. Wincing from the bright light, I realized that everyone was staring at me. Oh my God! Did I get caught? What am I going to do?
As I panicked in my place, a girl who was wearing a zombie costume next to me spoke to me. "Hey, pretty girl. He's calling for you to get on the stage."
Dammit! I'm busted! Not having any choice, I skipped through the crowds to head on the stage with my head down. Once my feet stepped over the wooden surface, I bravely raised my gaze to her and I got confused at the expression she was giving me.
Her sky eyes were almost in tears and I could feel her devastated presence as she held my gaze as if she had seen a ghost that's been haunting her dreams.
Did she recognize me? I asked myself as I stood next to her. I faced the crowd below us who were looking at us, awestruck. Smiling nervously, I could still feel her gaze on me but chose to ignore it. Why am I here again?
"We have two candidates for this year's Halloween party for the female category so we 've decided to judge the winner by your claps!" the principal said gleefully and the student roared in agreement. "But before that, I recommend you to remove your mask. We didn't get your name because we can't recognize you," the principal demanded as he turned to me.
Oh shit! So I was chosen as one of the candidates for whatever shit award? And now, he was demanding me to remove my mask? Why they couldn't just choose Risa as a winner because obviously, she's gorgeous? Crap! I should have just taken my sister's advice to wear a dragon costume so I wouldn't get their attention. Stupid, Quinn!
My head jerked to Uncle Nate and I found him laughing on the corner so that means he already recognized me. Why was he laughing? He was supposed to help me here because he practically owned this school. Why did he find it amusing that I was in torment here next to her daughter who couldn't even break her gaze from me? Though I was happy about it for some reason.
I gulped as everybody began to shout for me to take my mask off.
"Take it off!! Take it off!! Take it off!!"
Why couldn't they just shut up? Seriously, I wanted to take out a paint gun and shut them up but I was alone in here. Somebody, please help me! Anyone?! I waited for a miracle to come for the first time but still nothing.
With a yielding sigh, I decided to surrender and raised my hand to take my mask off but suddenly, I was halted by a familiar voice who was shouting against the screaming mob.
"No!! It cannot be!!"
And from those sets of loud words, everybody's head spun around in one spot, including me. My mouth gaped when I saw my sister standing over one of the tables. She spread her arms wide while she had the scepter in one hand. And all was in silence as we watched her in shock.
"Fools! Idiots! Imbeciles!" Khloe shouted pointing the crow's beak at me and Risa. "You poor, simple fools. Thinking you could defeat me. Me, the Mistress of Evil?!" And then she laughed like a witch and all the audience jumped and raised their arms to give her moral support. Okay, did she quote Maleficent lines or I was just hearing things?
"Listen well, all of you!!" she continued and the crowds lowed down in silence to hear my sister's words. "This is unfair!! This is supposed to be a Halloween party, not a fairytale story, so why they are choosing someone like them? The winner should be the one who chills us to the bone in horror and crept us into a nightmare dream. So... who's with me?!!!"
Again, everyone roared in agreement while my sister jumped into the crowds and they lifted her like she was a famous rock star.
Taking advantage of the situation as I mentally whispered thanks to my sister, I grabbed Risa's hand and tugged her out of the stage as we ran together from the cheering crowd.
Once we were outside the school building, the night looked so mysteriously dark and cold but expectedly, I couldn't feel any sort of chills through my skin.
To my surprise, I didn't hear her complain so I continued to walk with her and I found a lighted gazebo in the school garden. Once we were under the roof, Risa pulled me and I stumbled slightly before I bravely faced her.
However, I didn't even get to see her face because she pulled me in her embrace. My eyes widened when a sob escaped her lips as she rested her head on my shoulder. "I-Is that you, Stella?"
Who's Stella??
I was in utter disbelief. Great! Of course, she wouldn't recognize me because I had a mask on but why was she calling me Stella?
"I-I'm not Stella," I answered her and her cries grew louder so I held her back. I guided her to one of the benches and we sat together there. I soothingly rubbed her arms while she continued to sob in my embrace.
"D-Do you want me to pretend that I-I'm Stella?" I said out of nowhere. I just assumed that this Stella was important to her. She may be her friend who left her or something. Or maybe Stella was her best friend. Arisa didn't answer me so I convinced her further to soothe her pain. "I can be Stella just for tonight so please don't cry."
Risa nodded so I smiled a little, fixing my arms around her body. Noticing the wings were restricting me from embracing her fully, I take it off her and set it aside on the wooden floor. I hugged her again and she didn't say any words as she continued to cry on my shoulder. She may be tipsy or probably drunk because I tasted a little alcohol in our drinks a while ago. How much did she consume anyway for her to be this messy?
And why things ended up this way? I didn't mean to make her cry. Did my mere existence hurt her? This isn't something I had expected. She was supposed to be a bright girl who's always smiling with confidence as her father had told me. Was this the Arisa who Uncle Nate had told me about whenever he would visit me? Was she the girl who was always dragging me around when we were kids?
I felt disappointed. Her father would always tell me about her so I've grown excited about meeting her. I nearly had no friends and he set my mind to expect someone I've longed for. For those years I was caged inside my Grandma's mansion, her stories coming from her father made me look forward to getting to know her personally.
But why was she different? This Arisa Gail Valentine in my arms was different and I hated it. I hated myself for expecting someone who already changed while I was still stuck inside my prison. Right now, she was a weak girl calling for someone who isn't me. And for some unknown reason, it hurts me inside.
We cuddled for I didn't know how long and I knew that she had already fallen asleep in my arms. My phone blared so I immediately took it out of my purse and read Khloe's message.
I sighed, knowing that I needed to leave now because Khloe was waiting for me. Carefully, I positioned Arisa on the bench in a comfortable state. I bent on my knees as I looked at her beautiful features and tucked loose hair away from her face.
I fished out my portable camera from my purse and pictured her peaceful face. Then I let out a deep breath. "This is probably the last time so goodbye, Risa," I whispered before I unlocked my necklace with a pendant of angel wings which was curved together in a heart shape. It was my Mom's gift for me on my tenth birthday-- the day they died together in a car accident. She said it would guide me in my lonely times but I realized that Risa needed it more so I put it in her hand then leaned forward to plant a kiss on her lips.
I laughed softly at myself as I felt her taste and it was the best feeling I'd ever felt. The funny thing is, how could I give my first kiss to this weak girl in front of me who I've barely known?
Standing up, I headed out and made sure I sent her father a message to inform him where his daughter was. At the end of my stride, I found Khloe leaning against the pillar of the school's gates. She was holding a trophy and a bag of candies so I rushed to her and she greeted me with a smile.
"You won?" I asked, snatching the bag of candies from her
She laughed. "No, I just stole it before another snatches it away from me."
"Are you serious?!" I asked in disbelief.
"Seriously, I deserve a prize for saving your ass," Khloe said and we laughed in unison as we went home together with a smile on our faces.
......