==Hi, everyone! Here's another 2am chapter for you all XD And I lied about this being the last update for awhile. I just found out the actual date of when we go back to school and found that I can post again maybe two times! :D There will be no cliffhangers if that makes anybody feel better. That's about enough news I have, but I must say that this chapter was so much fun to write. I've been looking forward to it for months now. Getting it under my belt is such a satisfying feeling. There was a lot of laughter that went into it, and I hope that translates to you. After this, we'll be taking a super short break from the Ninja and Macca to get an update on some other subplot characters. I hope that is okay with you all! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Let me know your thoughts. I'm quite interested :) ==
Yellow Claw - "Invitation" feat. Yade Lauren
Say you wanna spend some time, want someone to do it right. Well, baby, I'm free tonight. Everybody needs that one good fire in their life, and if you wanna burn, I got the light...No looking back. Eyes on mine. Need to live and let go. Since we met, on my mind, you've been on it the most. You can take it how you want it. You know the invitation's open.
Haunted: Collapse into Caliginosity
Chapter 63:
Behind Closed Doors
She pushed him away? I didn't see her reject the affection on stage. I thought I was finished, but now I'm running back to her. Surely she found a reason to stay exactly where she was. I wouldn't be surprised if she was just sitting in her car distracted by her phone or something of the matter.
Avoiding the spots of light throughout the parking lot, I traveled like the wind. The darkness concealed my presence to those entering and exiting the arena. When the outline of the gate came into my view, I decided to avoid interaction with the person keeping watch. He wasn't paying attention, anyway, so I climbed the side of the building until I found the flattened top.
The gravel crunched underneath the soles of my shoes as I carefully made my way to the prohibited area full of vehicles of all kinds. It was mostly covered in obscurity, but the moon's white light reflected off the many pristine surfaces. Locating her Ferrari was simple. She was still around. I gripped the edge of the building and threw myself over, the bottoms of my feet resting against the metal wall. Before I could make my way back down, I heard voices communicating back and forth.
"What do you mean you don't want a boyfriend? You always have one," a male pointed out.
"I kind of made the decision to take a break from that and live life a little bit," Macca settled. "And I don't really appreciate being taken advantage of back there."
"But you kissed me back!"
"Yeah, well, you weren't really letting me go when I was pushing for you to stop. I figured giving you what you wanted would do something about it."
I let one of my hands dangle free as I eavesdropped. The moon's limited light made it difficult to see Macca speaking with the stranger, whom I thought left a long time ago. They were standing at the back end of her car where we left her. He towered over her, but she was standing her ground without hinting any fear. The conversation they were having had the chance of becoming hostile.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I won't try anymore."
"So what other reason has caused you to pretend to leave but just show up again after my friends leave?"
Without a sound, I came to the ground again, hunkering behind a sponsor car. I pulled the hood off my head to free my hair.
"I wanted to offer you a job," he blatantly explained.
There a pause and a sigh. "What kind of job?"
"I'm throwing a party in my brother's penthouse in a few days. I was wondering if you'd moonlight as DJ for the night."
"What kind of party are we talking here?"
"His birthday party. It's gonna be huge. Have you ever been to his penthouse?"
"Unfortunately, no, but I know it's the biggest one in Ninjago City."
"The place is gonna be packed. I know it'll be a little crazy, so I was gonna offer you six-hundred dollars to be there to surprise him."
"Six-hundred? How the hell do you have that kind of money?"
"Uh, I have my own career, you know. I'm not scamming your or anything. I want the best of the best for this party. I want you, not some other guy who just makes music. You make masterpieces. In fact, you practically make Ninjago City-"
"Okay, okay, I'll do it," she interrupted.
I cringed. The last thing I wanted was her to see him again.
"Here's my number with the address," he continued. "You think you can stop by tomorrow so we can figure some things out?"
"I'm meeting my friends at noon. Can I come in the morning?"
"Yeah, I'll let you up. I'll talk to you later, Macca Soxx." His footsteps began to fade away with distance.
"See ya," she exhaled.
She was alone now. I had to do it now before he made too much of an impact on her. He said he would stop, but I doubted that. If I didn't take her, he would slip in just in time. Maybe I could offer to take out for dinner tonight and then set the mood there.
The soft hum of her engine started. I jumped up as she backed out of the spot. What just happened? She was getting away!
I followed the wall of the arena toward the gate, beating her car to it. The person keeping surveillance had his face buried in his phone. He had no idea she was close enough for it to be open. I couldn't just walk out in front of her car to get her to stop. I would either be hit or be seen by the person, which would be bad because he saw me leave earlier. He would know I snuck back in, and I would be in trouble. If she hadn't moved from her parking spot, I wouldn't be in this predicament!
A pile of thick chains was at my feet. They must've been attached to the gate at the start of the day but were taken off for the time being. An idea came to mind, so while she was still operating her vehicle, I took the opportunity to toss the pile right in front of one of the tires. A minor crashing sound commenced, causing her to slam on the brakes. Macca opened her door to investigate, anger and fright on her face as she went to look at the front for whatever it was that her car hit.
I froze in place. Now, what was I supposed to do? I still couldn't make an appearance. The person at the gate even came to help her, unsure of what the noise was.
In a state of panic about missing my chance, I leaped over her car and threw myself into the open driver's seat. It was a tight fit, but I managed to squeeze into the back and find that she had never restored her seats back to their original places. It was a vast area that led to her trunk, so I crawled to the very back and curled up where she wouldn't be able to see me. Neither of them saw or noticed anything I had just done because it happened so quickly.
About a minute later, shuffling sounded from a body getting back in along with the shutting of the door and the click of a seatbelt. The yellow light that indicated the door was open deactivated, causing everything to be masked with darkness. I could feel how the car crept forward into the parking lot and then out into the public streets.
My heart rapidly beat in my chest. This was a really bad motive, but I had no other choice. My best option was to just wait it out until she got home. It wouldn't be the first time I tapped on her apartment window to let me inside. Besides, I didn't know how to get to her apartment from here. I had no choice but to hitch a secret ride.
The impending obstacle I would encounter would be removing myself from my hiding place without being detected. She had no reason to open the trunk; her equipment was safely stored away in the floor of her back seats. I had no intention of staying in here all night. I still had to help take my friends back to the Bounty. I only hoped Macca wouldn't spend too much time on the road. If it was possible, I wanted to meet them at the train station we started at earlier today. But all of was pending at the moment.
Loud music began playing throughout the car, causing it to vibrate. The driving became fast with intermittent stops. I had to apply pressure to the fabric walls to keep myself from sliding around everywhere. Clearly, Macca was having a good time by herself. I could hear her singing to whatever song played. Since I couldn't lay my eyes on her, I assumed she was also dancing a little bit. At least there wasn't a chance of her hearing me as I lay in a small space full of new car smell.
Soon, the volume of the music lowered and the car turned into a lot. I heard a window slide open and a machine being used. As the window closed back up, the car lurched forward again. Powerful water jets attacked the temporary paint job on the outside. I could imagine the blue and black markings washing away to once again show the purple underneath.
The car got pushed through the car wash in a three minute and thirteen-second timeframe. She parked and got out to examine if anything left residual stains, but it must've all washed off because she was back in the car with the music loud again. From there, I knew her next destination was home.
The subsequential drive to the apartment complex was prolonged because of many traffic lights. It gave me time to think about my exit plan, but I knew there was no guarantee for any of my envisioned scenarios actually taking place. I had to do everything in my power to not get caught. If she had knowledge that I did this, the reaction would be negative. I had to stage it as if I made the trip by myself. That way my move would be better received. But I also wondered when the perfect time to tap the glass would be. Should she be in the middle of something or should she already be in bed? I couldn't decide-
The engine of the car suddenly shut off. The music quit playing. My body tensed up.
This was it. I had to escape.
Her door opened and shut without pausing. When her adjoining back door should've also opened, it didn't. The momentary confusion was interrupted by my sixth sense screaming for me to move. Macca was approaching her trunk.
In the blink of an eye, I had rolled away from the back hatch and hovered above her stashed equipment on the floor. When the trunk opened, I watched her hands reach for a strap embedded in the black carpet to open an even bigger compartment than the one her flat screen computer was stowed away in. It must've been where the spare tire was, but she pulled out a folded contraption instead. Once she had it, the compartment fell shut along with the trunk.
I sensed her moving again, so I rolled back my hiding place to find it warm from my body heat. Luckily she never touched where I had been laying. The warmth might've been suspicious.
The back door opened. I watched her grab equipment one by one, turning around to place the pieces somewhere. There were only so many parts to grab. Every time her hands extended, I counted to myself for an opportunity to get out. She had to not expect it and she couldn't see anything.
Something outside made a noise while she grabbed for a board covered in knobs and switches. Her head whipped around immediately. "Shit," she complained, turning around to deal with whatever it was.
My heartbeat pounded in my eardrums. I rolled back out, her back turned to me. She was bent over a retractable wagon full of equipment. I took the opportunity to emerge, nearly colliding into her, but did a backflip over her car and hid on the other side. My breath was caught in my trachea as I waited to hear my name or something like, but I just heard the door close and the wagon being rolled away.
I finally relaxed and sighed, allowing myself to go limp. The hardest part was over now.
When the slight squeaking of the plastic wheels faded away, I went to follow her from a distance. The rustic yellow street lights shone down on her as she walked all by herself. She could easily be ambushed by anyone from an alleyway, so I kept an eye on her until she disappeared inside the complex.
I traced her exact steps but halted under her window. Nobody was watching, so I climbed past many of the darkened windows until I came to the ones I was just at last night. It was a short wait until the main door opened, the lights turned on, and she came wheeling in her red wagon. I kept my presence unknown as she went into her small bland kitchen to cook herself a quick dinner. She impatiently stood in front of a microwave for three minutes and thirty seconds. A steaming bowl of macaroni and cheese was in her hand when she came to sit down on her green sofa, kick off her shoes, and turn on the television.
It was such a casual yet intriguing scene to witness. This was the real Macca Soxx, not the one the media made her look like. She was always portrayed as dangerously beautiful and physically unbreakable, but she was just a regular person. She wasn't eating a fancy and expensive restaurant steak, she made herself macaroni and cheese from the microwave! She didn't need to live a life of luxury.
It only took fifteen minutes for her to eat and lick the bowl clean. She took it back to a sink to soak for the night and then slipped off her baggy jeans.
I looked away. It didn't feel right to spy on her like this, but I climbed over to the other window to see that she had shorts on underneath them. She sat on the carpeted floor in front of her bed to stretch all the overworked muscles in her body. She looked at herself in a mirror the whole time. I made sure I didn't share it with her. It would be bad if she caught me in the same reflection with her.
The last thing she did was get on knees and spread her legs, pushing her posterior end into the air. She was stretching her groin, but the sight caused a rush of blood to my own groin. I forced myself to stop looking as my body reacted to the depiction of her anatomy.
This is very, very wrong, I told myself, peering back over the window pane once more.
She finished stretching, sitting on her knees and rolling tension out of her neck. Then she began removing articles of clothing. Someone needed to slap me, but I was so transfixed by her bare back. I'd never seen light reflect off such smooth skin with curls dangling gracefully around curves of her predominant hourglass figure. Not even the blotchy patches of birthmarks on her right side could bother the perfectness bestowed before me.
When she stood up and reached for her shorts, I ducked again. I wouldn't allow myself to see anything I know I shouldn't, mostly for Macca's sake. Instead, I sensed her move farther from my position. I reluctantly stole a look, but she was already behind the steaming glass of her shower. More waiting was upon me.
I observed the window. Maybe I didn't have to remain out here. Maybe it would be okay if I came inside and waited for her at her kitchen table. It was only me, after all. I wasn't going to rob her or anything.
I gripped the bottom of the window and pulled to find it release with ease.
Macca! You didn't lock it after my visit last night? We need to have a talk about safety.
I opened it all the way and let myself in. She didn't close the bathroom door, so I had to be sure she had her back to me before I crossed to the other side of the room. I sat down at her table with my elbows making a foundation for my hands to hold my head. I was ready to face her when she came out, whatever the reaction was.
But as I sat in silence, the pressure began to build in my nervous train of thought. What was I supposed to say? Being blunt seemed like a bad idea. She wasn't interested in relationships. Asking her to be my significant other would result in an instant shutdown. Asking her on a date would probably just give me a quick ponder and also a shutdown.
The shower suddenly stopped producing water. I could hear the glass door unlatch from its magnetic hold. The moment was here, but...
I can't do this.
Abort the mission! I hopped off the wooden chair. I wasn't prepared for this. Regardless of what I asked, why would she accept me? She didn't want a serious relationship! I would just go back to Kai and tell him she said no.
Her long shadow displayed across the carpet. I suddenly panicked. The window was in her line of sight. I couldn't escape. This was the end.
I leaped over the door frame and threw myself into her closet. When she went to bed, I would leave. I just couldn't face her-
The door casually unhinged and folded to open, and I laid eyes on her. Instead of being met with clothes like every other closet, she found me, and when she looked up at me, I saw the entire female anatomy for the first time ever.
She screamed.
I screamed.
Her hands tried to shield away the exposure, but the damage was already done. She slammed the closet door shut. "ZANE!" she bellowed from the other side. "WHAT THE FUCK?"
Petrified and terrified, I fell silent. There was no getting myself out of this one. She was going to tear me apart.
Knocking sounded from across the room. "Don't you dare come out," she threatened me, stepping away to tend to the neighbor who heard the commotion.
I heard drawers open and then the main entrance unlock. "Is everything okay in there?" a female voice asked.
"Yeah, Deborah, everything's fine. I'm sorry for waking you up," she assured her in a calm tone. When the door closed, I could sense her coming back. I covered my eyes before she opened the closet door again. Her hand grabbed my wrist and yanked me out. "Sit down," she commanded through gritted teeth.
I obeyed and sat at the edge of her bed. She was now wearing an orange shirt with small blue shorts. The anger radiating from her as she held her face in her hands made me gulp. For once, I felt tiny compared to her.
"Are you going to hurt me?" I sheepishly questioned her, awaiting a sudden blow.
"No, but I'm really tempted," she retorted, crossing her arms. "I am so humiliated right now."
"I'm sorry. I-I didn't come here to see...that."
"Then why are you here? Better yet, how did you get in here without my permission?"
"Y-Your window was unlocked."
"Oh, so you just decided it was okay to break in? And then hide in my closet?"
I failed to meet her eye, wanting to just crawl into a hole and forget any of this happened. "I came to ask you something but I realized I couldn't do it. When I saw I couldn't get out without you seeing me, I panicked and hid. I'm sorry. I just want to leave. I won't do this again."
She absorbed my sob story, not moving. I heard her quietly exhale before she sat down next to me. "If I stop being mad for a minute, will you ask me your question?"
"You won't hurt me?" I nervously asked.
"No." She did a hand gesture down her face with her eyes closed. When she opened them, she smiled. "I'm not mad for the moment. What did you want to ask me?"
"Oh, uh..." I trailed. This was harder than I could ever imagine. The one question that could potentially ruin everything between us was about to be spoken. If I didn't word it correctly, it was over. Being put on the spot made it even worse.
"Dang, this a serious question," she commented, placing her hand on mine. "It's okay, Zane. Just ask it."
I flinched at her touch, beyond scared about the future. "C-Can I take you to eat somewhere?" I suddenly blurted out, my eyes shut tight.
There wasn't an immediate response. She was pondering. Pondering equaled the shutdown. I exhaled my tense breath. It was exactly as I anticipated.
"You went through all this trouble just to ask me to hang out with you?" she asked. "Of course I'll go have dinner with you, Zane. My friends take me out to eat all the time."
A massive weight lifted off my shoulders all of a sudden as I sat in disbelief. She said yes? What?
"Speechless? Well, we'll work out details later. I'm going to go ahead and be mad again and tell you to get out."
Without saying a word, I got up from the bed and opened the window that damned me.
"Zane."
I turned my head.
My future wife didn't appear angry like she claimed to be. "Are you okay?"
"I don't know...Maybe."
She suppressed a giggle and then motioned for me to leave. I climbed out, jumped down, and sprinted far away to a place in Ninjago City where I was certain she couldn't hear me. "MACCA SOXX SAID YES!" I exclaimed at the top of my lungs.
Talk about getting more than what you bargained for XD Moral of the story, always lock your windows! Thank you SpitfirewaterNinja and RandomDragon for reviewing again. It's good to know we have readers who root for Zane!