A little reminder before you go on . . .
This fic is once again AU, and the only characters that are not mine are the Arcobalenos. The others? So mine.
Okay, that aside, do enjoy chapter three!
-m16-
Love is a dangerous drug created for what seems like the enjoyment of those who can endure its effects. I myself have experienced those effects in my past life so I can freely say that it's not the type of remedy that a weary heart may want to take. Even so, love isn't always about bad outcomes and brokenness. It is also about joy, ecstasy, and, strangely, satisfaction.
Otherwise, why else would I take it upon myself as a treatment?
From somewhere beyond those blue skies, in a small place called Naples, my old hometown, love has once conjured a weary heart; gave it an illusion of eternal happiness which can never be attained through other means.
She was beautiful.
Young, innocent, and beautiful.
It was a surprise, actually, for an atheist like me to be visited by an angel like her. Meeting her was already as impossible as it may get, what more was being able to befriend her? Up until now, I never believed it, but it happened, and heaven only knows how much I wished it never did.
She fell in love with me.
"Here! Please accept this for me to you, Colonello!" A small, daintily-prepared box seemed to have zoomed from nowhere towards my chest. I looked down, and saw a shivering blonde's head bowing ever so lowly in front of me.
"Can I help you, kora?" I asked warily while the others behind me let out small snickers.
"Idiot," one of them teased. "She's giving you that present!"
"Man, how dense can you get?"
I turned my head to shush them, and then stared back at her, who was now looking at me with wide blue eyes.
"Um," I mumbled, blinking at her. "Is that for me, kora?"
Her eyes followed the direction of my gaze, and both our pair of sapphire orbs landed on the small package. She blushed furiously as she shoved it to my hands.
"Y-yes, of course! S-sorry!"
I stared at the package for a brief moment and then back at her again, to watch as her wobbly hand fidgeted with her light, yellow hair.
"Thank you very much, kora," I smiled. She looked up at me, and gave a shy smile. The howling behind us grew louder. I gave them a reprimanding glare, before gesturing to an empty space on one of the corners of our school. She accepted my invitation, and soon, we were standing next to each other under the shade of an old oak tree.
"Ah, finally!" I slumped myself on the soft grass as she watched me with uncertainty. I flashed her one of my well-known grins, and she blushed.
"We haven't properly introduced, kora," I told her. "You know me; who are you?"
"I-I'm Sheila!" she cried, blushing even more, and then she bowed. "I'm sorry . . . I probably look like an ass right now when I'm trying so very hard not to . . ."
"Sheila," I repeated. "That's a pretty name, kora!"
Gradually, she raised her head at me, and gave me a small beam before straightening herself up.
"Thank you," she squeaked.
"You know you don't have to be shy around me. I don't normally bite. As a matter of fact, I should be the one thanking you for this." I raised the small box to show her. "I love homemade chocolates the most, kora. So, I take it you were the one stuffing the same chocolates in my locker for the past few days?"
She nodded feebly, a tinge of embarrassment evident in her azure eyes.
"Hey now," I cooed. "That's nothing to be humiliated about. I find it quite sweet that you took the liberty to do these for me, kora. What if I do something nice for you for a change, kora?"
"T-that won't be necessary, Colonello, er . . ."
I touched my lips with my finger as I watched her cheeks grow back to their original color, and then gestured for her to come near. She did so, and knelt in front of me. I gave her blond head a good-natured pat, and slowly neared my face towards her.
Don't believe my no-good friends from awhile ago. I'm not dense. Sheila's feelings never went unnoticed by me as soon as the first box of chocolates was found lying inside my messy locker.
I knew what they meant, and yes, I knew that she likes me. Perhaps, like-like me, as how the other girls would say it. To put it simply, she wants me, and why am I not surprised? She's not the first. Nope. She's just one of the many, many hearts that are after me.
What can I say? There's something about me, not that I'm bragging though.
Don't think of this in a wrong way, but I also like everyone of them. Nothing beats the feeling of being wanted. Of being loved. I guess if my mind back then was as mature as mine now, then I would've realized myself that what I was doing was wrong and I would've stopped before things start falling apart.
Too bad. I was hopelessly immature.
Slowly, I let go of her lips as she looked up at me with the same wide blue eyes. For a moment there, I found myself hypnotized by those two serene orbs.
Never have I seen eyes as lovely as hers. Not even from my other ladyloves. Usually, theirs are a bit of aggressive and jolly, but hers were filled with innocence and lament. I felt this strange desire to look into her eyes forever.
It was not anymore a feeling of want.
It became a feeling of need.
"Colonello . . .?" she whispered, eyes slowly examining my astonished face. I couldn't believe it. What was with this girl?
I didn't answer her anymore. Rather, I pulled her again towards me and pressed my lips against her for the second time.
-m16-
"Good morning, kora," I greeted the familiar blond head. She turned around, and gave an innocent smile. The same innocent smile I have grown so very fond of.
"Hello there, Colonello."
The other girls behind her were looking at us, astonished. One even gathered up the courage to extend her hand and tap on Sheila's shoulder, ruining our moment. When she turned around again, the girl started saying something with a cagey expression that was occasionally directed to me.
A girl who is a bit familiar with me, I see.
I watched as she began shaking Sheila lightly and as the latter gently shrugged off her hold and gave a reassuring smile.
"I don't think he's anything like that," she beamed.
That's where you go wrong, Sheila, I thought.
"Hey, Sheila," I called. She looked up at me, and again I was bombarded by overwhelming feelings of need. I had to look away to keep my focus. "I think I should go. I remember I needed to fix a little something back in our room."
I headed the other way, but immediately turned around to smile at her and her friends.
"I'll see you later, okay, kora?"
She smiled.
"Okay."
Hurriedly, my legs began striding towards my room.
I wasn't lying to Sheila.
I really did leave to go and fix something.
With a deep breath, I entered our classroom, and found that there were only three people inside aside from me. My eyes intently scoured the whole space to find her, but she wasn't here.
Maybe she's not here yet, I thought, as I laid my bag carefully on my table, only to let a small piece of card fall out of it. I crouched down to pick it up.
"Meet me at the usual place as soon as you get this.—L
P.S.: I've got a surprise for you.
Perhaps I spoke too soon.
I walked briskly to the designated place—under the shade of the old oak tree. Surely enough, she was there, sitting on the lone picnic bench, fidgeting with a flower.
I took a deep breath before I walked towards her.
"Hey, Lyn, kora," I greeted.
"Colonello!" she rejoiced, throwing her arms up in the air as if to welcome me. As soon as I reached her, she wrapped those tow arms around me. "Did you miss me, baby?"
"Hardly," I muttered, wrapping my arms around her before gently pushing her away. She looked up questioningly at me, her scarlet orbs boring into my rather vague appearance.
"What's wrong?" she asked innocently with a pout.
"Nothing," I answered, prying off her arms off of my neck. "I just needed to talk to you, that's all."
"Before that," she interrupted, producing from behind her a small, daintily-covered box, handing it to me. "Happy One Month Anniversary!"
I stared at the box. How vaguely familiar it was.
"You like it?" she asked. "I knew how much you love homemade chocolates, so, to make my present a little special for today, I asked a friend of mine to help me make this. Come on and try them, Colonello."
I didn't have to. Somehow, all this is starting to give me a bad feeling.
Like I know exactly what these chocolates would taste like.
"Well?" she almost pleaded as she looked up at me.
"T-thanks, kora." I forced a smile as I looked uncertainly at the box. "Uh, who did you say helped make these again?"
"A friend of mine," she said with a blink. "Her name's Sheila Ellyn. She's a year younger than us."
"Oh no," I muttered. From the corner of my eyes, I saw her smile a beautiful smile that caused me to loose my focus. Everything inside my head began spinning out of control.
This smile. These sweets. Those pair of lamenting orbs.
All of them are whirring inside my head, mixing themselves to one another, causing severe confusion to envelop me.
Then, I felt her lips against mine.
Well, that's that.
I've lost myself completely.
Perhaps, I could let myself go off the hook this time. It's not like anyone was to see us here anyway. After this . . . After this, I promise myself I'd fix this.
But, right now, just let me off the hook.
"Colonello?"
Our lips broke apart at the sound of that proverbial, pleading voice. I didn't bother turning my head to look at the speaker. I knew for a fact who she was.
"Sheila?" Lyn asked. I could feel said girl's blue eyes burying themselves to my trembling body.
"Hey, Lyn," she greeted back, almost inaudibly.
"Hey is something wrong, girl?" Lyn inquired with worry, letting go of my arms to approach her friend. "You look like you've been hurt pretty badly. Were those mean girls teasing you again?"
"No," I heard her choke. I couldn't help myself and turned around to see her dodgy eyes as she tried her best not to cry. "It's not the mean girls this time."
"Then who? Come on, you can tell me."
Hurtfully, Sheila lifted her blameless and melancholic eyes towards me, and I couldn't do anything but look back at her. Lyn followed her gaze, and then gave a sheepish giggle.
"Oh, where are my manners?" she exclaimed, and then grabbed me by the arm. "Sheila, this is Colonello." She looked up at me and grinned. "My boyfriend."
Sheila's eyes noticeably changed into a pair of hurt and unbelieving ones as tears began to fall from them. I had to endure them, for I found that I couldn't move at all.
"Colonello," Lyn continued, apathetic from our individual expressions. "This is Sheila. She's the friend who helped me make those chocolates for you."
I watched as how her lower lip trembled before she looked up at me with such a sweet and warm smile.
So, this is how she punishes those who hurt her. With a sincere smile that can send bites of unbearable pain towards your heart. From where I stood, even I would have to wonder who could ever destroy such a pure grin like that.
I'm a monster.
"Pleased to meet the real you," she muttered pleasantly, with no hint of bitterness or anything. Just the plain, old greeting she'd give anyone, causing my heart to go even farther down the pits of despair.
Again, her lower lip began to shake, and I saw more tears come out as she ran away.
Away from me.
"Sheila!" Lyn cried, holding out her hand to reach for her, but she had already gone too far to chase after. She sighed.
"My goodness, what has gotten into her?"
"I think I know," I mumbled, looking sideways to avoid her questioning pair of red orbs.
"Really? What?"
I slowly moved my grim blue orbs to look penetratingly at her, though, ironically, it felt as if it was I who got stung.
"Lyn, there's something you should know."
The following events were already too predictable to be stated, so I guess I shouldn't say it by detail. Perhaps all I could do now is reiterate what I have told you in the beginning.
Love is a dangerous drug created for what seems like the enjoyment of those who can endure its effects. Back then, I always thought that I was one of those people. I mean, I've been in one relationship after another, and no matter how much tears I see falling out of beautiful eyes, I didn't care. What was there to care about? They were just tears. Just a bunch of glimmering type of fluids that heeds upon the brief misery of an individual.
But, after experiencing the feelings of having someone slap the ignorance out of me and seeing such beautiful eyes produce such bitter tears, I've come to a conclusion.
There's no person in this world that can endure the bitter side of loving.
No one.
-FIN-
T.T
Please review . . .
LoveLots~
