Chapter 24
*Santana Miller*
Carmen and I walks out from the orphanage with more questions in our head. Criselda was very secretive and obviously… doesn’t have any friends aside from Brian and Damian. I thought I was the only one who doesn’t have any friend, until Carmen comes in. I look at her, she’s thinking about it too. Now that I am thinking about it, I am actually happy that Carmen became my friend and I can’t help but smile at my thoughts.
“Why are you smiling? It’s creepy you know.” She said with a suspicious look on her face.
I smirk. “Nothing, I was just going through what we have discussed earlier with Sister Bernadeth. That Criselda didn’t have any friend. I was smiling because I feel blessed to have you as my friend.” I said honestly.
Her mouth slightly opens. “You are so cheesy!” she slaps my shoulder and then hugs me.
“Carmen?”
She’s sniffing. “I’m sorry. I’m just so touched by your compliment. I am also happy to have you as my friend.” She said.
“Awww… thank you.”
“Being your friend has lots of benefits. You have a big house, where we can hang out anytime. You have gorgeous brothers that I can drool in anytime too.” She said smiling.
“Jerk!” I said and we both laugh.
We drove back to the town when we pass through… Damian’s house.
“We should talk to him directly.” Carmen said.
“But Craig and Brian told me not to get close to him.” I said. “They both said that he’s very dangerous.”
“What?! This mystery is getting on my nerves. Why does everyone say something so confusing?” she whines.
“I don’t know either. But I’m pretty sure that what they are hiding is something big.”
“Why can’t we just talk to him right now?” Carmen insists.
“Are you even listening? They said that it would be very dangerous to talk to him alone.”
“Duh? I’m right here? And besides it their house and his family is well-known so he can’t do anything to us in broad day light and in their house. Plus I have this.” She said and shows me a pepper spray.
I sigh and thought about it for a while. I have Carmen with me and he can’t possibly just do things like killing right?
“Fine.” I said and we both went out of the car and walk straight to their front door.
“Yes?” A butler opens the door.
“Hi… am we were wondering if Damian is in the house… I mean in here… right now?” I said, kind of confuse with what I’m saying.
“I’m sorry about my friend Jerry. We would like to talk to Damian.” Carmen said casually. I look at her with shock. “What? He’s my mom’s friend.”
The guy named Jerry laughs. “Please come in.” Carmen smiles at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me that you know their butler?” I asks her in a whispering manner.
“I was shocked too, you know. I just know how to compose myself faster than you.” She said.
I shake my head.
“Please wait here.” Jerry said and we both sits on the luxurious couch.
We waited for a moment, and then Damian finally arrives.
“I was surprised when my butler said that you were looking for me. It’s very rare.” He said. But he’s not looking at me…but to Carmen. What’s happening?
“Sorry to disappoint you, but I have more important matter to discuss with you.” She said.
“Okay… so you guys knew each other?” I said confused.
Damian looks at me with a force smile. “She’s my ex girlfriend.” He said and I heard Carmen hissed.
I look at her with disbelief. “I can explain later.” She said.
“So she didn’t tell you?” Damian said.
“Enough, we are here to ask about Criselda.” Carmen said.
I notice that Damian was taken aback when Criseld’as name was mentioned. “what about her?”
“You know exactly what we want to know Damian.” She said.
“Well, let’s all have our seats then.” He said and we did.
There is this awkward atmosphere, especially now that I know about their past.
“Criselda huh.” Damian broke the silence.
“Can you just please tell us what actually happen to her? to Brian… to you?” I said.
“You think that it can be that easy for me to tell you?”
“I know it’s hard, but we have to know.”
He took a deep breath. “The day Criselda died…. That day, I got drunk and I went to Brian’s house to stay there.”
“You were 15 back then…”
“I know, it was my first time being drunk.” Damian said. “I saw Criselda waiting in Brian’s room…”
He made a pause. “What happened?” This time, Carmen is asking.
He sighs. “I kind of… lose myself and tried to… kiss her. She fought back and I got mad so I pushed her, at the same time Brian arrived.”
“So you guys had a fight?” I said.
He looks at me; He’s letting me guess what happened next. Then he smirks. “Yeah we had a fight. Brian was above me, about to beat me up to pulp, But before that happened, Criselda pushed her and his head landed on the edge of the table and hit his head.”
I gasp. “So that was when Craig found him covered on his own blood?” Carmen said.
“Why didn’t you even help him?” I ask.
“Look, I was young, drunk and I basically don’t know what to do. Criselda panicked and just ran out to the house. I followed her until we arrived at the bridge.” He stops and look at Carmen and then me.
“Did you… kill her?” Carmen asks.
The atmosphere is so intense that I don’t even want to move or even breathe. Carmen and I are thrilled to know what happened. Especially now that we know Brian is innocent. This is all Damian and Criselda now. What happened to the both of them at that day?
“I didn’t. She… she told me that she came to Brian’s house to break up with him.”
“What?” I said.
“We were both panicking about what happened and I was so confused why was she opening that up. Then she said that she loves me.” I release another gasp, so did Carmen, but no one dares to speak up. “ I was shocked and literally I don’t know what to do back then. As I was finding some words from my brain, she said that she feels bad for loving me while being with Brian that she despised herself. She was happy that we became her friends but all she did was to betray the both of us. She started to climb off the bridge. I tried to stop her but I was too late.” Silence. “She jumped.”
I can feel my mouth slightly drop when I heard that she jumped. This is horrible. Why would a person think of killing itself? How… it too terrible.
“But the police said that there might be a foul play. That Criselda was pushed.” Carmen said. Damian looks at her. “We’ve been trying to ask you what really happened before, but all you did was to make us confuse and say that “You must ask Brian himself” and made us believed that Brian has something to do with this?” Carmen asks and made some air quotation.
“What are you trying to say?” Damian asks back.
“Why would you suddenly say this now when all you did was to make us confuse? What? You just realized that you have to tell the truth because you already had fun of making us confused?” Carmen said.
“Why are you talking like that? Do you think it’s easy for me to speak up like this? About the past that I want to forget?” Damian’s tone is now different. It seems like he’s mad. Carmen what are you doing? “How do you think I felt when everyone, everyone, including you thought that I was the one who killed her? huh?” he said looking at Carmen and stepping forward towards her.
Carmen, taken aback of what he said. “I’m just saying my thoughts. Don’t you think it’s too suspicious for you to just tell us directly what happened two years ago?” she said and composed herself trying to ignore her distance with Damian.
“You still don’t believe in me Carmen.” He released a force laugh. “Now that I think about it, I think you NEVER believed in me. You’re asking why? Then I’ll tell you why.”He said and walks away from Carmen. I saw her relaxes. “I tried to save her. I went down to the river to find her and when I did, her heart is not beating anymore and there’s blood on her head. I think she bumped into some rock when she jumped. I called the ambulance. They declared that she’s dead after some CPR… I was so devastated and then Craig called me that Brian almost died. That made feel so bad…so bad that I don’t know how to put it in words. Criselda just died, then my best friend is in the hospital fighting for his life. I blamed myself for what happened. Everything was my fault. If I didn’t get drunk at that time, maybe Criselda and Brian just talked normally, Brian wouldn’t find me kissing her girl and Criselda wouldn’t have to push her hard, she wouldn’t have to run and… killed herself.”
Damian finally broke down. His poker face is now broken. Tears started to fall from his eyes. I can feel his pain. Unconsciously, I am crying with him. It’s too painful that I can’t help it. Damian has been through a lot and no one seems to be with him when he was in pain. I can’t blame for acting that way before.
“Then why didn’t you deny what happened?” I ask.
“I can’t deny it when it’s my entire fault. But I can’t admit it either. I couldn’t visit Brian at the hospital after that. I was so relieved to know that he was now okay. When I finally got the courage to face him, He forgot about what happened that day. And like what everyone did. He blamed me of killing her. I couldn’t tell him the truth, knowing Brian, he would take responsibility of what happened and surely he will live miserably in his whole life.” Damian said.
He took all the blame to protect Brian, and he was forsaken by all the friends and people that he got. He should feel so lonely.
“Damian…” I am trying to say something when cuts me.
“I told you everything, because I think that you can help him. He became an asshole after the incident. I’ve hear about you and thought that I should check you out. I take back what I said that you are like Criselda… you are mush stronger that her Santana. Please take care of my friend.” He said.
“Why didn’t tell me all of this before?” Carmen suddenly asks. Tears are flowing from her eyes. She must have regretted turning her back from him.
“I couldn’t. When I saw your eyes that day, I knew you got scared thinking that your boyfriend killed someone. I was in state that I couldn’t talk to anyone… including you.” Damian said looking straight into her eyes.
“You are so unfair. Why did you just let me think that way?” She asks but Damian stayed silent. Carmen walks out of the place.
“Carmen!” I said. I am about to follow her when Damian stop me.
“Please take care of the both of them. And I’m sorry for confusing you that way. I guess I wasn’t ready to tell you everything at that time.”
“I’m also sorry for judging you Damian. You’re a good guy. You deserve happiness. I’ll talk to Brian and Craig about this, you guys should become friends again. And about Carmen, I don’t know why she didn’t told me about you guys but, if you still love each other, fight for it. I think she still do love you too, she just needs time.” I said and hug him.
“You’re pretty nosy huh.” He said.
I smile at him. “I get that from Brian a lot. I have to go now, I’ll talk you some other time.” I said and we both said our goodbye.
I ran after Carmen. Darn she runs fast. I finally caught up with her, by my car.
“Carmen wait!” I said and went out of the car. “Carmen!” I grab her arm and hug her.
She’s sobbing. I brush her hair and rub her back. “I feel so horrible. I…”
“Shhh, it’s okay Carmen. Don’t blame yourself. You didn’t know about it.” I said.
Carmen cried on my shoulders. I’ve never seen him cried like this before. I know that she feels bad and I have to be with her at times like this.
“I shouldn’t have judged him.” Carmen said after a while. She’s calm now.
“Carmen…”
“I know, I didn’t know… but still I feel so bad. I wonder how lonely he was when everyone was avoiding him. That was the first time that I’ve seen him so lonely.” She confesses.
“You should talk to him… not now… but you should talk to him. Let me ask you this, all those time… these past two years, you are still in love with him are you?” I ask.
She presses her lips. “I never had boyfriend after him. I was still thinking about was he doing, is he okay? But I was scared.” She said.
“It’s okay, it’s normal to feel that way in that situation. But now that you know the truth, you guiys should talk.”
“Thanks.”
“No big.” I said. “by the way… can I ask one more thing?”
“what?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about you and Damian?” I ask hoping that she would tell me.
She smirks. “Well, it’s awkward for me to tell you about him when you are trying to solve the Criselda case.” She said and we both smile.
“aww sorry about that.”
“It’s fine, at least now we both know that both Brian and Damian have nothing to do with her death. Gosh! I’m so relieved!!” She said.
We went home after the confrontation. I called Carmen’s mom to let her stay over for another night and she said yes. Brian was wondering why our eyes are all puffed up. We just made some excuse that we became too emotional while watching Vampire Diaries.
“Hey, why are you late? And why does your friend didn’t tease me?” Brian asks.
I chuckle. “So you miss her teasing you eh?” I said. “She’s down today, so as her friend it’s my job to cheer her up.”
“Really? Well can I have you for a while?” He said and before I could protest, he wrap me in his arms and gave me his longing kiss.
“Gosh, did you miss me that much?” I said. “By the way… did you and Carmen knew each other before we became friends?”
“Aaahh yeah, she’s Damian’s… ex girlfriend.” Brian said hesitantly.
“You don’t mind?”
“She has nothing to do with my issue with that Damian. And besides I think she’s a good girl.”
“Aww… you actually like her huh… I mean as a friend… not the other way around.”
He made a laugh. “Don’t worry; you’re my most favorite girl.” He said and I am honestly touched that I kiss him.
“After I’m done with Carmen, I have something to tell you.” I said, now I’m serious.
“What?”
“That can wait so… bye.” Before he could grab me back in his arms I found my way to escape and close the door.
“Santee! You don’t play fair.” Brian shouts behind the door.
“Good night Brian… talk to you tomorrow.” I said and went to bed beside Carmen, whose sleeping.
There are tears coming out from her eyes. She must feel so bad about what she heard today. I fell asleep hoping that everything will be okay.
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