Seriously, I'm like, not wanting to type this chapter because the fun goes out but... I can't help it! x.x It's like my fingers want to really get a hold on the keyboard. Anyway, this is like, short, unlike the other chapters because I really don't feel like it.
Like Drina trailing us to Disneyland.
I can't stop thinking about what'll happen if I still stay by Ever's side. But I've given up staying away from her a long time ago. If it can't be helped, then protecting her directly is the only option I have.
Waiting against my dark car, I heard the bell ring noisily.
"Hey." I said as soon as I approach her, I came to her side and leans in for a kiss – that turned to stone. Ever just grabs her bag and races for the gate. "I'm sorry I lost you yesterday. I called your cell but you didn't answer." I reasoned out, trailing alongside her.
Taking hold of the cold iron bars tightly, Ever seems to take it out on it as she shakes them as hard as she can. The bars didn't even budge, she closed her eyes and pressed her forehead against them, knowing that we're late and it's useless.
"Did you get my message?" I asked her, ignoring that we're both late for classes because of the shut gate. It will be easy later to enter stealthily.
She lets go of the gate and heads for the office, envisioning the awful moment when she'll step inside and get nailed for yesterday's ditching and today's tardy. But of course, I won't let that happen to us – especially to her.
"What's wrong?" I asked about the important thing, grabbing hold of her hand and calming her boiling blood into warm molten liquid. "I thought we had fun. I thought you enjoyed it?"
Getting milady's pardon is the only thing I want.
"Or were you just humoring me?" I squeezed her hand, hoping for an answer as my eyes want to drop out of their sockets to beg hers forgiveness.
She gulped, shaking her head and clearing it like glass. Dropping her hand from mine and pulling away from me makes me feel like the world's greatest runaway boyfriend.
"Did you know Drina went to Disneyland, too?" Ever says so quickly, wincing as I saw all the memories in her head – Haven, their phone call, and my disappearance on the freeway – that made me swim in guilt. "Is there something I should know? Something you need to tell me?"
She braced for the worst, pressing her lips and tries to stop herself from breaking down. All that is she needed to know can be revealed now, all about her life mysteries… but those, it's all too great for her to handle now. I can't put pressure upon her.
I look at her, gazing into her deep blue eyes as I swear, "I'm not interested in Drina. I'm only interested in you."
She stares at the ground, wanting to believe that it's all true and to show her that it's sincere and not just any fantasy, I hold her hand caringly, slipping her doubts so easily. "So now's the part when you tell me you feel the same way," I said, gazing at her as I want to hear it from her lips.
Her heartbeats are so severe I'm sure I'm hearing it pound hard. Dazing and pausing for long as the moment flies, I slip my arm around her waist and lead her back to the gate gentlemanly.
"That's okay." I smile, looking forward to her confession. "Take your time. There's no rush, no expiration date." I laughed, that I crossed over the line and didn't cease myself until to the last moment. "But for now, let's get you to class." Shutting my eyes for a second, I opened the gate with my mind.
"But we have to go through the office." She stops in her tracks and squints at me. "The gate's locked, remember?" I shook my head playfully. "Ever, the gate's not locked."
"Uh, sorry, but I just tried to open it. It's locked."
I smile mischievously. "Will you trust me?" Ever looks at me. "What's it going to cost you? A few steps? Some additional tardy minutes?"
Turning my back and walking to the gate, she follows me in hesitation with a stealing glance from the office and me, as I swung the gate inexplicably open.
"But I saw it! And you saw it too!" Ever faces me, not understanding how did this happened. "I even shook them, as hard as I could, and they wouldn't budge an inch." I grin, wanting to tell her it's all of Damen's magic.
I just kiss her cheek and ushers her through, laughing. After checking the attendance, I said, "Go on. And don't worry, Mr. Robins is incapacitated and the sub's in a daze. You'll be fine."
"You're not coming?" Ever asks, that needy, panicky feeling building inside of her again. It's not her fault anyway. It was my bad she developed that kind of feeling.
I shrug freely. "I'm emancipated. I do what I want."
"Yeah, but –" She stops, realizing that my phone number's not the only thing missing in me. Barely knowing me, although she had known me for a hundred of decades (Geez, you make me feel old) is something that enters as a mystery about me for her. Making her feel normal, is that abnormal? Well, yes for her. But this is my life, this is 'normal' for someone like me.
Her mind's filled with the question she wants to ask but to help her, I said the truth, "My neighbor called. My sprinklers failed and my yard was flooding. I tried to get your attention but you were on the phone, and I didn't want to bother you." I took her hand.
She gazes down at our hands, bronze and pale, strong and frail, such an unlikely pair. But opposites attract, right? And that's a very good thing about our 'the-world-is-against-us' relationship, even though I personally don't want to think that it's like that and I want to look at things in the bright side.
"Now go. I'll see you after school, I promise." I smile, plucking a single red tulip out of thin air from the back of her ear. Practice makes perfect.
I drove away to a place (besides from Summerland because it makes me feel uneasy sometimes) I know where I can clear up my mind and get some fresh air.
Feeling the sand beneath my feet as the sea sings with its waves, I took some surfing. It was really nice, especially when it's a bright and nice day with candy-coated clouds above. The water feels like it's been missing me for a while as my hand touch the waves.
Some of this and some of that, enjoying the perks of emancipation, I guess. Then the time came and I stopped. Changing my clothes, I went back to the school.
.
.
.
.
.
.
And that's when I realize I'm so into courting that I haven't even noticed change about anything in my surrounding.
Even though I'm still outside of the architecture and parked in my best slot, I can feel the dreadful aura that emanates from the inside – the slithering and moving of a snake from Haven's wrist. It is an aura of many things yet in the end, there's something different about it – death.