Chapter 14: Goodbye (Part 2)
The silence was deafening in the room, and combined with the anger emitting from Selena, Kyle was beyond uncomfortable. Close to tears was more the feeling, but she fought hard against them since she knew that the lady before her didn't like them.
"Wh-at?" Kyle berated herself when she heard her voice crack. There goes any chances of showing that she was strong. More so when she took an involuntary step back as Selena leaned in.
"You heard me. You're very good at listening into somebody else's conversation, you know. I don't think what I said missed you."
"You're lying. I don't know why you're doing this, but you're not going to just send me away. I can handle it, whatever it is you're hiding."
"I believe it's out of your reach, kid."
"I'm not a little kid anymore! You can't tell me what to do."
"Of course not." Even though she had used a calm tone, it still surprised Kyle to no ends. "Your mother will." She held her hands up casually. "I'm just the guardian."
"Excuse me?" The redhead's eyes turned to angry slits before she looked around for this so called 'mother'.
"She's not exactly happy," Kyle turned back to Selena, but the lady wasn't talking to her, "but I think she'll change her mind when she sees you." She was talking to the little device in her hand, or more specifically, the woman on the other end.
"What are you doing?" The lady merely ignored her and walked past her, toward the door.
"Sure, send them in. There's nobody here."
Kyle blinked and looked back at the others, who were just as confused as she was. "Selena?" She paused right before she could smack into the female, who was staring at the door.
"Selena," Barbie stepped forward, her eyes wide and focused on the doors, "I think you've lost it." Kyle took a step to the side and gawped at the two men who had entered. They were dressed in suits, but the guns strapped to their shoulders meant that they weren't here to talk about business proposals. One of the man spotted Kyle and turned back to Selena.
"Is this her?" His voice was gruff and his accent was English, but it didn't soothe Kyle anyhow as she made these observations.
"Do you know another redheaded, green eyed teenager with an attitude problem?" The man chuckled and shook his head.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure of meeting her yet, Miss Valentine. But no, I do not."
"Well," she stepped away to completely reveal Kyle who looked like a deer in the headlights, "now you do."
"No," Barbie took hold of Kyle's arm and started pulling her back, "you're not." Selena frowned at her sister, who frowned back. "You have officially lost it, Sel. Jay never should've let you stop those medications."
"But this doesn't concern you," Selena placed her hands on the sole hand holding onto Kyle, "so let go of her."
Barbie looked at the newcomers. "What are you going to do with her?"
"We won't hurt her, Miss. We've been recruited by Miss Wascher and Miss Valentine to protect and escort her." The other man merely nodded in agreement. Barbie stared at him in surprise and Selena took the chance to take her hand off.
Kyle blinked and turned her attention to the men. "Protect me? From what? Wait," she blinked again as the rest of the sentence hit her, "escort me? Escort me where?"
The man who spoke turned to Selena. "You didn't tell her?"
"I thought I'll let the boss do that for me..." The Asian replied dryly with a glare at the man, who gulped and chuckled nervously.
"Right."
"Protect me from what?"
"Selena," all eyes but Selena's turned to Marlene, "what did you do?"
The lady waved a hand in the air. "It's being taken care of. Don't worry."
"Don't worry?" Marlene repeated in disbelief, unable to comprehend the person before her. Surely her best friend wasn't hiding anything from her, was she? "How come you never told me you were sending her away? Better yet, why do you have to send her away? What did you do, Selena?"
Selena didn't look at her as she answered, keeping her eyes to the empty and abandoned counter of the diner. "Because you would find every reason not to and I know it's not the wisest thing to do. And I'll repeat what I said. It's being taken care of."
Kyle swallowed the lump in her throat as she unconsciously rubbed her wrist. "If it's being taken care of, why do I have to go?"
Selena was about to answer but the man beat her to it. "Because you're a liability to Miss Valentine?"
"You," Selena narrowed her eyes at him, "shut it. We're not paying you to talk, idiot."
"Apologies, Miss Valentine." The man nodded in respect before gesturing to the door. "Shall we, Miss Millender?"
Kyle blinked for the thousand time that day and turned wide eyed to the Asian. "Selena?"
"Move along, kid. She's not paying for the jet to wait."
"I, I can't. I need more time. I can't just-"
"Miss Millender," the other guard who hadn't talked until now spoke, "we really don't have time for this. If we don't move now, the other forces will be alerted of your departure and we will have a hard time arriving in the safe zone."
"I'm sorry. I don't get anything." The man sighed and looked over at Selena, who raised a brow.
"I'm trying to be very patient here, Miss Valentine, but I don't do very well with kids."
Selena rolled her eyes and turned back to Kyle. "You're leaving, and that's that. Don't leave the limo waiting, child."
"Limo?" Marlene and Kyle repeated, staring at Selena like the female had just grown another head.
"How did you get a limo?/A limo now? Where are you getting the money?" The questions were made of pure shock, but they seemed to calm the Asian down.
"I know what you two are doing, but I won't let this get any further." Selena gestured forward to Kyle as she looked at the two men. They nodded and approached Kyle, who shook her head as she backed away.
"Selena, please." Kyle begged as she looked over to Selena, whose face had hardened. "I don't want to go."
"You don't have a choice."
"But I need more time."
"You're running out of it. It's too precious to be wasted now." The Asian turned her back to them and crossed her arms. "Take her away."
"Please don't leave me alone!"
"You're not-" Selena stopped short as the girl sobbed and dropped to her knees before her, hands clasped with her green eyes begging.
"Selena, please. Don't leave me." She blinked, a sudden and familiar image flashing before her.
"Selena," a girl was kneeling on the ground, a few years younger than the Asian, "please. Don't leave me. You can't go." She had black curled hair and the same red brown eyes, but her features differed to the older Asian.
"I," Selena pulled the hand holding onto hers away, feeling slightly perturbed, "have to go."
"Please. Don't leave me. You swore that you would never leave me. You said you would protect me no matter what and be there for me."
"I'm sorry, Savvy. Don't worry, okay? I'll be back. I promise."
"Liar!" The girl spat angrily and got to her feet. "Promises are meant to be broken! Don't even think of returning!" She pushed the teenager away and ran down the hall. Selena didn't look back and swallowed, trying hard not to cry. She shook her head and took a step forward, only to be stopped by a voice screaming her name.
She whirled around, "Savannah! No! Not her! NO! PLEASE! TAKE ME INSTEAD!" She dropped the bag and ran toward her, hoping she could at least reach them...
Selena sucked in a deep breath and took an unsteady step back. Her hand flew to her hair and she greedily gulped in the air, blinking back into focus.
"Selena?" Kyle's voice brought her back and she stared down at the redhead, the recent memory still fresh in her mind like it happened only yesterday. "Are you alright?" A dark expression overcame Selena and her mouth settled into a thin line.
"Hell no." She murmured through gritted teeth before reaching down and grabbing Kyle by the arm. She jerked her up and without waiting for the girl to stand properly, started dragging her to the door.
"Se-Selena! Wait, please wait! I can't," she struggled to walk but the lady was too fast for her liking and before she knew it, the door to a black limo was wide open and she was tossed in. The door shut behind her and she quickly reached for the handle, but it was locked. "No! No, wait, please! Don't leave me! Marlene! B-Barbie!" Another sob escaped and she closed her eyes against the wave threatening to flow from her eyes. "Selena..."
"We," Kyle didn't have to look up to see the man before her. Apparently, he had joined her and she was sure that he was there to make sure she didn't escape. "We are really sorry, but the situation is out of our hands. I assure you, this was done in both Miss Valentine's and your mother's best interests for you." She didn't answer and continued sobbing into her hands as the limo started moving.
"Just like that?" Kowalski asked haughtily as he stood behind her, watching the vehicle drive away. "You're just going to give her away?" The others were too shell shocked but the look on Marlene's face as he passed to go after the two told him a lot of things. The ones that stuck were sadness and betrayal. She too had ran off, but in the opposite direction, probably to the back of the diner. From the corner of his eye, he could have sworn that he saw Skipper go off in the same direction, but he didn't check. Instead, he concentrated on the scene before joining the Asian.
"She's where she needs to be, Mikhail."
"And that's not with you? You know her better than anyone, Selena. You knew she wouldn't want to leave you, no matter what you do to push her away." Selena whirled about and narrowed her eyes at him.
"Tell me. Why did your mother leave you with your father?" The man stared at her for a while before sighing and looking down. "Tell me."
"She wanted what's best for me."
"Exactly." It had a harsh tone to it, but she quickly hid it and smiled sadly, taking his hands in hers. "I keep telling you not to compare yourself to her, Mikhail."
"At least you knew what you are doing."
The smile disappeared and she placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at her. "Don't say that. Your mother knew what she was doing when she passed you to him. She just didn't know what he would do to you. It's not her fault, and it's definitely not your fault that your father is a huge pain-in-the-ass bastard."
"Glad to see you on my side for once."
"Just this once, okay?" Selena winked at him and he shook his head with a small grin. It faded away quickly and he licked his lips.
"I need to ask. Does it hurt?"
She frowned in confusion. "What?"
"Does it hurt? When the limo..." The Asian let out a sad sigh and looked down, closing her eyes. "Is love really such a huge problem for you that you can't even say it?" She looked up at him, her mouth in a forced smile.
"It's different from saying 'I love cheese', that's for sure."
He chuckled. "Are you ever serious?"
"If you make me watch a sappy movie just to see me cry, I will punch you." She giggled at his appalled look before shaking her head and adding. "I think we both know Penny enough. If she loves something,"
"She would do everything for it." Kowalski echoed her and sighed.
"I know. I've been her friend for a long time."
"And," Selena added with a livelier grin, "it's not going to be the last time I see her."
"No, it won't. Did you really have to pull out all that drama?"
"I tried to be less dramatic, but noooo, they all had to act like she's going to die."
"But, you still have the chance to say goodbye. I know you hate goodbyes," he raised one of the hands still in his and lightly kissed the top of it before looking down at her, "but it'll give you one last chance."
"One last chance..." She repeated softly and stared at the hand he kissed, feeling a wave of tiredness from the past few days come to her.
He nodded and dropped his hand, still not letting go of hers. "Just in case."
"Just in case..."
"My mother never came back, but maybe you can see her off?"
"I can't...It's too much to ask from Penny." And I can't bear another one...
"Penny will allow it. It's not easy, and she knows it. She'll allow it. You just need to be there."
"I-"
"Selena. Trust me on this. Just give a proper goodbye. Promise, no swear, you'll explain everything to her when there's time. Whatever you've gotten yourself into, you have to tell someone sometime. you can't keep it to yourself, Selena. you have to swear to that." Selena licked her lips and closed her eyes before nodding. "Thank you." Before she could go, he pulled her gently to him and touched his lips to the top of her head. She blinked her eyes in surprise before looking up at him, catching his eyes. She saw him falter a bit before moving a bit closer and felt herself get drawn in too, wrapping her hands around his neck. She couldn't breathe but she could feel his on her face. It was just so close, so close...until a thought came to her. Her eyes flew open and her hands traveled from his neck to his chest, pushing him away.
"I don't...I can't. I'm sorry." He looked at her in surprise, hand outstretched as she ran away. He watched sadly as his hand fell to his side and she disappeared into a side street.
Ta da! I updated! :3 XD I'd like to know what you think of Selena now though. I'm intrigued to what you have to say about the strange and heartless female I'm starting to make her to be...*grins* Remember when she used to be the shy and joking female?
A question for my readers. Why do you think Selena's like that? Clue: Go back a few chapters. Clue's there. XD