Have I told you before about my superhuman strength? That I have extraordinary things other people doesn't have? I didn't know I am that strong. Too bad I experimented Patrick on this matter.
On the minute he pressed his lips to mine, I panicked. But I didn't pulled away that fast. For the first few seconds, I need to admit I had a good time. I was never been kissed before, of course. The feeling was great. Then I snapped back to reality.
I pushed Patrick so hard that he landed on the floor with a loud thud, groaning. I gasped and rushed over him. "Oh, Patrick, I'm so sorry," I muttered. "Are you badly hurt?"
Patrick coughed a little and formed a smile but it quickly turned into a wince when he tried to move, like a small movement hurts. "That was one hell of a push, Kate," he said. "Where did you learn how to push like that?"
As I opened my mouth to make up a story, I noticed that part of the floor cracked a little bit. My eyes widened. Oh no. I pushed him so hard the floor cracked. No ordinary teenage human girl could to this. "Um... adrenaline rush, I guess?" I said. "Can you sit down?"
He tried positioning himself sitting but he just groaned and fall at his back again with a loud thud. I bit my lip and knelt beside him, leaned closer and studied his face. His eyes were shut of secret pain. His lips were pressed together in agony. His breathing was very fast, like every air counts. He opened an eye and formed a brief smile. "Checking if you're still gonna have a kiss?" he asked teasingly.
I blushed. "Of course not," I said. "Why did you kiss me?"
Patrick closed his eye again. "Lean closer, Kate," he said. "I like your presence... Your very presence relaxes me..."
And so I did. Then a female voice gasped. "Oh my gosh," she said. I turned and saw a red-headed girl who was staring at us. She's a teenage like us, maybe seventeen years old, too.
I stood up and smiled nervously. "Hi, I'm Kate Roberts," I said. "I'm a friend of Patrick Hall. And you are?"
"Beverly Adams," the red-head said. "I'm a cousin of Patrick." She glanced at him. "Why are you lying on the floor?"
"Because I'm hurt," Patrick said. He then sat up effortlessly and leaned on the will would wincing or groaning. I gaped at him, jaws dropped. He laughed at my expression. "Told you I am a good actor."
I rolled my eyes. The creep! He was acting the whole time. And to think I almost died with guilt! But what about the crack? ... Maybe it's been there before. "Yes, you really are," I snapped.
"Don't get cold," Patrick said, leaning towards me and putting his arm on my shoulders. I tried to shrug it away but he's too strong. Then he looked back at Beverly and gave her a sweet smile. "Hi, Bevs! When did you got here?"
"Just now," Beverly said. "Where's Uncle Alphonse?"
"Work," Patrick said shortly.
"When he gets here, please let me know," Beverly said. "I'll be in my room."
She turned to leave but halfway on her trip at the stairs, she glanced back at Patrick, who was toying with my hair. Beverly's eyes started to twinkle and her lips formed a little smile. Then her eyes moved to mine and we locked eyes. Her eyes suddenly flared with... what? Anger? Jealousy? I don't know. But I know her lips were pressed together with anger. Then she turned to look back at the stairs and continued walking.
I blinked. I didn't know what to think about her attitude. I looked back at Patrick. "Is she really your cousin?" I asked.
"Alice's cousin," Patrick said. "Which means we're not really related. She's from Alphonse's family."
That explains it. She might have liked Patrick and got jealous when she saw him together with me. I cleared my throat and tried my best to glare at Patrick. "Why did you kiss me?" I asked. "You still haven't answered that question."
Patrick shrugged. "So I really need to answer that question, huh?" he said and I firmly nodded. "Well, I choose not to answer that question." He stoop up before I could stop him. "I'll just call someone to clean this mess."
And he left. Just like that. I sighed and buried my head on my hands. My heart was beating so fast when Patrick kissed me. Now it turned back to the normal rate. My head is aching now. It was spinning when he kissed me. Is this normal? When someone kisses you, is this normal? I am afraid to know the answer.
I was too busy pondering on my thoughts that I didn't hear the footsteps walking to me. I looked up and saw it was Beverly walking towards me. She stopped just two meters away and she folded her arms. "What are you still doing here, Kate?" she asked. "Patrick is done with you. He got whatever he wanted from you."
"What do you mean?" I asked, completely puzzled.
"You seriously don't know this?" Beverly asked. I shook my head innocently. That made her roll her big black eyes. "Well, I need to explain. Patrick has this five-second crush syndrome. Like when he sees a hot girl, he manages to date them."
"No," I said. "Patrick is my friend. He wouldn't date me. We're not taking relationship seriously."
"Whatevs," Beverly said and raised her hand dismissively. "He gave you a tray of cookies and juice and made it spill, didn't he? Then he kissed you."
My mouth opened with complete shock. "How--how did you know?" I stammered.
She smiled triumphantly. "Patrick does that to any girl he sees," she said. "Particularly hot girls. Like you. I've been here the whole second semester and living with Patrick for a few weeks already made me realize he's toying with girls."
I stood up and took a step backward. No. This is not true. Patrick likes me. Maybe not as a girlfriend., but a friend. He brought me to his secret hideout. I made him realize that Joanne is not a good girlfriend. He broke up with her because I gave him a talk. An advice. "No..." I mumbled.
"Trust me, Kate," Beverly said, sympathetically. "If I were you, I'd go back to where I belong. You don't belong with Patrick."
Before I could respond, a female voice suddenly spoke. "Beverly!" it said. Beverly's eyes flared with impatience and turned. "Beverly, where are you?"
"Living room," Beverly yelled.
Two seconds after, another redhead appeared. She looks a little bit older, maybe eighteen years old. She was smiling at me in a friendly way--which is good. Maybe she's a friendly person. "Hello there," she greeted me. "I'm Fatima Adams, Beverly's older sister."
"Kate Roberts," I said.
"Why are you all here?" Fatima asked. Beverly and I didn't respond. Then Fatima's eyebrows furrowed. She looked at Beverly. "You didn't tell her the lie again, did you?"
"What if I did?" Beverly snapped coldly.
Fatima raised her arms in exasperation. "I told you to stop that!" she said, her voice unmistakbly angry. "You never knew when to stop, don't you?! You will never earn his love if you lie to every girl he brings about that!"
"It's the truth!" Beverly said coldly, glaring at her sister.
"No, it's not and you know it!" Fatima said angrily. "Go to your room, Beverly, if you don't want me to ground you. And, believe me, I have the power to."
"You act like Mom and Dad!" Beverly yelled at her angrily. "But you will never be our parents! Just shut the fuck up, okay?! And mind your own fucking business!"
"Don't use that tone to me, Beverly," Fatima said, staring down at her with distaste. "Go to your room."
Just for a second, they were glaring at each other. Then a tear fell from Beverly's eye and she rushed out the living room. Fatima sighed deeply and sat down on a couch. She stared at the carpet a long time. Then I cleared my throat. "I... I better go," I said.
"No; wait for Patrick," Fatima said.
"But... Beverly told me Patrick is using me," I said timidly. I just met this girl a few minutes back and now here I am talking about my problem. "Is... is it true?"
Fatima shrugged. "I seriously don't know, Kate," she said. "I apologize if Beverly was like that. Last semester, our parents died. I--I can't talk about it. Anyway, we were sent to live with Uncle Alphonse and we met his stepson, Patrick. He knows the feeling of losing someone you truly love. That's why he consoled Beverly. She fell in love with him. Patrick didn't. Patrick was pretty close with Alice. Beverly and I stayed with them for two weeks when Alice died in a car accident. Beverly tried to console Patrick but ... he was always out. He doesn't want any company. And about this girl business... Yes, Patrick does bring girls here. But we don't know if he's really toying with them."
I kept quiet and let the information sink in. He's not really toying with me after all. But how did Beverly knew about the juice and the cookies and the kiss? Maybe she saw us... Maybe she didn't... I don't know. But I know Patrick is not toying with me. He wouldn't do that to me.
Would he?