Chapter Twenty Seven
May's POV
"So.." I sighed. "What are my options aside from killing myself or those girls?" I asked. "I would personally prefer the latter by the way if you ask me." I jested, a very lame attempt in lightening up what I felt.
Who am I kidding? No joke could lighten up the situation I'm currently in.
"According to my knowledge.." My bluenette bestrfriend started.
"You mean according to your anime knowledge Dawn." I inserted.
I honestly don't know why I'm even asking Dawn for advice.
'Why is this all happening?!?!' I mentally screamed.
Dawn pouted at me.
"Well, you can move to another country and have a different identity." She grinned as if she just suggested the best advice I could ever hear.
Which is actually a pretty decent idea to be honest.
Though my face still pokered up, it is still as impossible as killing anyone.
"Dawn I'm serious." I deadpanned.
"If you were then you wouldn't have suggested about killing someone or yourself." She rolled her eyes.
"I, ehh, uhh.." I tried coming up a retort but came up with nothing, which frustrated me more. "You should be helping me!" I clawed the air. "Ugh!"
"Well I am you dummy!" She let out a frustrated grunt of her own. "I'm trying here! And I suggested a more legit idea, better than yours!"
"And why are you even asking me for advice?! You know I'm bad at this!" She added.
I was about to say something when the bell of her door rang.
After that date I had with Drew at the cafe, Drew and I sprang from our seat and chased the nosy witches. Unluckily, they were all out of sight the moment we got out of the cafe, like they all had their magical brooms parked just near the door and they just stepped on it right after they got out.
And without knowing what to do, Drew decided to talk with our parents about this dilemma while I decided on my own here to gather a few ideas and plan together with my friends.
Which might prove to be not the brightest of ideas I fear.
I wonder how I got my hopes up.
"Oh thank god they're here!" Dawn dropped her shoulder in exasperation. We quickly got up to our feet and shuffled towards their seating room. And as if we weren't stressed out enough, seeing Misty in a burglar get up with all the thieving gloves and bonnet, plus a huge mallet, just made me gulp a gallon of saliva.
She just ventured the street like that? Without attracting the police?!
I am so not trusting this town anymore with my welfare and being.
"So who are we killing, kidnapping and torturing tonight?" She asked as she twirled a swiss knife around her left hand.
Holy.
Leaf stood beside her in her usual maroon jeans and sweater.
I shivered from the cold at seeing how warm Leaf must have felt with her clothes. I forgot that it was starting to snow a little tonight.
"Come in quick!" Dawn pulled them inside her house. "May is going bonkers real fast!"
We quickly trudged around the seating room, went up stairs and closed the door of Dawn's room. Johanna, Dawn's mother, just giggled at us while preparing something for us to chew on.
"Are those real?" Dawn immediately asked Misty as soon as she closed in the door.
"Of course they're real." Misty replied. "Here." She gently tossed the weapon to the bluenette.
"Woah this is heavy!" Dawn awed at seeing a foreign object for the first time.
My eyes patrolled between Dawn and Misty chatting animatedly. Meanwhile Leaf was talking with someone over her phone, Gary maybe.
Ugh.
"Guys!" I screamed and called all their attention. I was already at my limit trying hard not uproot all my hair. "I'm in a real situation over here!"
"I called you all here for this!" I vented out. I was almost at the brink of insanity.
"Oh yeah, right right." Misty turned her attention at me, so did Leaf.
"So how did it happened?" Leaf asked. "How did they found out?"
I wiped some frustrated tears from my eyes and started saying the details of what happened.
"Drew and I went out to this cafe after school and I didn't notice that there were some girls who followed us." I checked my breathing pattern if it was still normal, for a quick moment I thought I was already hyperventilating.
"Fan girls?" Misty asked.
"Maybe? I'm not really sure." I answered. "One of them was this girl with peach swirling locks."
"Oh Ursula. I know her." Dawn inserted. "She's the vice president of school journalist committee."
Leaf nodded knowingly. "So the one who followed you were the journalist committee."
I thought for a while. So that's why they call Brianna 'Mistress', what the hell is up with that.
"But why?" Leaf asked.
"I don't know." I replied. "Anyway, the damn houseplant thought it was the perfect opportunity to confess to me and so-" I cut myself off when they all started giving me those glossy dazzling eyes.
Ahh damn it.
Dawn suddenly jumped at me giggling. "Congrats May!!!!!" She squealed.
Then the memory of him confessing to me suddenly refreshed itself. My face started becoming cherry again.
But this is it. It's not because we're married why I'm telling you this. It's despite that being married, I still love you.
I love you May. I really do.
Ugh why did he even say it like that?! A normal 'I love you' would have been enough! Why did he even make it cheesier?! It's not like it was gonna make me fall for him harder than I already did. Stupid Lettuce!
Misty took off his gloves and wiped a tear. "Congratulations on the reciprocated feelings May. Please don't forget us though. Make me your bridesmaid please."
'Reciprocated'. Misty's words echoed inside me. Comparing Drew's confession with Brendan's, I felt happier with Drew. Maybe that's what she meant by 'reciprocated'. That I love Drew and he loved me back. Maybe? I do like Brendan, he was nice and all, but Drew, he's Drew. And, he's Andrew.
The chloropyhlle-haired narcissist that I love.
"Congrats May." Leaf joined in. "I'm so happy for you."
If only we weren't caught up in such a situation then we would have been celebrating by now, I cried on the inside.
"Guys! This is not the time." I sighed. "I know this is something but, this is just not the time." I hung my shoulders. "So these girls followed us and heard Drew confessed to me and also our marriage! And now they're planning to tell it to everyone tomorrow!" I finished off. "I am so dead! What do I do?!"
Leaf cupped her own mouth. "Oh geez. That is real trouble."
Dawn mimicked Leaf. "But why would they be hostile to you if you've already made up with Brianna?"
"I don't know!" I replied. I was no longer able to keep it that I cried in a frustrated manner. "Brianna probably didn't tell them yet. They must have not known yet or I don't know. Just kill me now please!"
"Damn Brianna's goons." Misty patted my back. "We could have been celebrating by now."
I wiped my tears when Leaf's face suddenly lit up. "Speaking of Brianna, why don't we tell her about the situation? She would definitely help us right?"
"Yeah of course!" Dawn agreed. "That is a good idea Leaf!"
Our hope suddenly spiked up. But it soon died when we can't seem to contact Brianna.
Just my luck, as always.
"She seems out of signal range." Misty tried dialing her number again for the umpteenth time. "I guess what we can do right now is text her and hope she can read it before it's late."
"Oh no..." I felt my head. "This is really bad..." Tears started brimming in my eyes again. "Which is a stronger poison? Arsenic or cyanide?"
"Stop it with that already!" Dawn smacked my head. "Nobody is poisoning anyone tonight or tomorrow!"
"Then what other options do we have?" I panicky asked.
We all contemplated like this was all a huge life-changing decision. Which, for me, it really is.
After a few minutes of silence, Misty was the first one to speak.
"You know what, it ain't really that bad actually." She said, twirling the swiss knife around her fingers again. She had a huge smug plastered on her face. I had a clawing feeling that she was thinking about something that includes hurt and pain, pretty much everything that goes on inside her head. And I was afraid that I might agree to it. "If we really fear them talk, we make sure they don't talk." She raised her eyebrows at me.
I knew it.
"You're not serious are you?!" Dawn gasped.
Misty laughed darkly. "As what May said 'what other options do we have?'."
"You're a psycho!" Dawn punched Misty's shoulders. "And, as I said too 'Nobody is poisoning anyone tonight or tomorrow' and this includes killing, hurting and whatever synonyms it has."
"I can't be in jail when I'm already at the final season of SnK this year!" She towered over Misty, quite fuming.
As Dawn and Misty debated about whether the current season of SnK was worth over jail or not, Leaf interrupted in.
"That is actually a swell idea!" Leaf approved.
"WHAT?!" Dawn and I reacted.
"Finally! Someone who understands me!" Misty raise a fist.
Leaf chuckled. "It's not the same as what you think Misty." She playfully poked Misty's shoulder. "I have a plan, this might include kidnapping though, BUT, certainly no killing because we're not Misty-crazy. We're relatively safe with this plan." She winked at Dawn.
Dawn gave a sigh or relief.
Thank god Leaf is part of this circle, she really brings the beacon and balance in this huge mess of a group.
"We take them all in here, Dawn's house, all of them." Leaf continued.
"And then what do we do after?" Misty asked. "Torture them?" She asked excitedly.
Leaf then crouched closer to us and stared at us for relatively a while, raising the tension.
I gulped.
'Please no killing.' I prayed.
"Then we talked it out with them." She finished, giggling.
"Ah damn it." Misty slammed her hand on the floor while Dawn sighed in relief for a second time. "That was so anti-climatic Leaf!"
"God I've wanted to do that for so long."Leaf chuckled. "Sorry."
"But, but.." I debated. "How do we talk to them?" I asked.
"Okay." Leaf exhaled after breathing in deep. "Let's talk."
While we were all engrossed in planning what to do, Johanna came in with a bowl of freshly baked cookies. It was more than perfect since all of this worrying made me so hungry. She bid us farewell before closing the door behind her.
We took each of our share of the delicious goodies and focused all our attention on the mission and discussed like this was all a huge heist. Damn this really took a serious turn, one moment I was just chilling my butt off inside the classroom then in a split moment I find myself praying for survival.
Damn indeed life why so much hate?
After a couple of hours of talking, well honestly it was twenty percent talking about the plan and eighty percent just goofing off because god knows how much I needed to just chill and calm down,. Thankfully it helped me and I was back at the apartment around 11pm.
I unlocked the doors and stepped in, the room was dark.
"Drew?" I called out and took off my boots and placed them beside the door. "Drew?" I took off my green bonnet and threw it on the chair across the room.
A cold breeze of winter air gushed in from an open window near the kitchen, I shivered as I went towards it and closed it. He really was not home yet. I wondered what happened. Why couldn't he just come home early like most normal teenager my age?
I slowly dragged myself to the sofa and let myself fall on the cushion with my underside, I was so dead-tired from worrying I no longer cared where I would be sleeping tonight.
"Where is he seriously though?" I asked, my voice muffled by the pillow. "He really has a thing for worrying me."
My eyes slowly drooped when the door finally opened with Drew coming in. My body jerked up.
"Drew? Where have you been?" I asked him immediately, both of my eyebrows scrunched.
He shook off some snow from his blue bonnet and took off his sweater and boots. "I'm sorry I'm late." He apologized. "I needed to buy something."
"What did our parents say?" I asked eagerly. "Did they say something?" I sat up.
He walked nearer to me and laid out his hand in front of me, he wore those rare soft genuine smiles of his.
"I didn't talk to them. I bought something for tomorrow." He chuckled. "Now how long are you gonna make my hand wait? Grab it, we need to rest."
With so much confusion going on, I just grabbed his hand as he pulled me up. I had so much questions bubbling inside me.
"You're gonna catch a cold if you're sleeping here."
"But- but, how..what are we gonna do tomorrow?" I asked, baffled about what he was talking about. "They're gonna tell everyone at the party. We're screwed."
We started walking towards my room. Drew didn't answer me.
Why is he taking all of this lightly?
We entered my room as he let go my hand.
"There you go." He breathed in. "Now you rest early to freshen yourself up."
"How can you be so calm about this?" I asked silently. Something inside me throbbed.
Why am I the only one so anxious and agitated about this? Does this mean that he doesn't care? Or care less whatever will happen to us? To me? To him?
My chest caved in, I tried hard not to make him notice that I was trembling. Because honestly, I was so scared. I was never this scared before in my life. I never felt so vulnerable and defenseless.
I stayed in place with my hands balled hard in a fist.
I heard him sigh.
Just when I thought he have closed the door of my room and left me alone, he suddenly hugged me from behind. He then slowly walked me to bed. Without understanding why, I just let him do it without much struggle coming from me. He hugged me so tight as we both fell on our sides on my bed.
"You really are such a worry wart." I could feel his breath on my neck that it was giving me weird mixed signals.
"Just relax okay?" He said gently. He pressed his face on the back of my head.
It felt so awkward, my body was so rigged and stiffed.
But with everything going on today, there was nothing more I wanted than to be held inside his embrace. "Whatever happens, happens. If this was meant to be, we let it be."
"But, but..."
"And I promised you one thing May." I felt his embrace get tighter. I could almost feel his lips on the nape of my neck. Every breath he let out rose my temperature by a hundred degrees Celsius. "I will protect you. So please stop worrying and put all your trust in me. Okay?"
I wasn't able to give him an answer. Because I was so focused on how the heck I was still sane after this thing we were currently doing. We were alone, in my room, our body so tightly glued with each other. Each pant of air he breathed, I could count them as they kissed my neck. My sanity was at its last straws.
"I didn't tell our parents. Because I want to show you, prove to you that you can still count on me. That I'm still the same prince back then who swore to protect you. That this problem is not any different than those bullies we've faced at the park." He ranted.
Yeah, a prince. I'll stay by your side as your prince.
This is for terrorizing May you big ugly boar!
It's okay, as long as I'm here nobody will dare harm you
Of course, how could I forget? I've been counting on him ever since I was young. How could tomorrow be any different? Losing him for seven years made me forget how it was to be under his protection.
"Because of course. There's nobody else you could count on other than your husband right? And I'm more than willing to fulfill that job for you." He finished.
"Just lay it all on me May. Don't worry about it so much."
For some reason, my head automatically pictured him smirking so when I turned around and looked up at him, he had that impish grin. That sincere and impish grin he always had when we talked about marriage and stuff back when we were kids. My tears involuntarily jerked from my eyes.
I hugged him back and buried my face on his chest.
I was overflowing with emotions right now that I couldn't handle. This kind of feeling, to be under his protection, I missed it so much. I never knew I needed him this badly. I never knew how much I lost when he returned back to LaRousse seven years ago. I never knew how much I missed him and his company.
I hugged him so tight that my hands clawed his back. I craved for his warmth like never before. I cried like a toddler within his arms. I cried all of my fear and anxiety out. I was a pile of mess.
A couple is married because the love they both shared became something they wanted the most.
Guess Mom was right after all.
"I love you too Drew." I managed to let out my own confession since I wasn't able to respond to his back at the cafe. "I love you."
"Please stay with me. Spend this night with me."
"I don't have any other choice, do I?" I heard him chuckle.
"Grasshead." I bit my lips as I felt him pulled me in closer. I, too, snuggled closer.
But this is it. It's not because we're married why I'm telling you this. It's despite that being married, I still love you.
I love you May. I really do.
I never knew I could love someone like this.
Chapter Twenty Seven End: Longing
...
A/N: Haloo guys, finally updated after 3/4 months(?) wew the struggle is real. Anyway I was planning to end the story with this as a final chapter, but then I choose not to because I want to prolong it a tiny bit more to give Drew and May a few moments about them, this chapter being one of it because I find out that I didn't really write something shippy about them. So, uh, yeah, yeah?
But after this chapter, it will definitely be the last one and maybe I'll write something as an epilogue. But who knows. And by saying that, I probably have jinxed it already, damn it all!
Sorry by the way for a very late update and a short chapter, the struggle is really real.
See ya all on the next update!
Thanks for reading and the support!
-Adorkable