Chapter 8

Owen
When I got back from walking out Angelic on the road, my mother immediately grab my
wrist and face me. She said she doesn’t like Angelic hanging out with me, most
especially, hanging out inside our house.
“I just don’t want trouble, Owen.” She sighed, shaking her head at me. She couldn’t stop
speaking ill of Angelic. Say… she won’t notice me, that she’s just using me, or she was
just bugging me and that she was bored. Looking at my mother, I saw worry and
concern flash on her face.
“You like her?”
I pressed a thin line on my lips. When I didn’t respond, she softly hold my hand. “She’s
out of your league, Owen. You know that.”
It was like a slap in my face.
Everyone says that. No one deserves the angel of the family Patterson except Zachary
Herren. I nodded and dismiss the conversation with my mother.
The next few days, I stay at Jake’s trailer. Most of the nights, I sleep because of alcohol.
It was pretty damn hard week for me. I don’t want to face Angelic. My mother told me
that she’s been looking for me. Even though she irritates my mother, she just told her to
come back the next day. My mother only says that to shove her off.
What she didn’t expect is to see her the next day.
“Dude! Get a damn house if you don’t want to go home!” Jake blurted out and snap me
back to reality. I was holding a bottle of beer in my hand. He took it away from me,
causing me to glare at him.
“Stop drinking and do not copy my style! Tss!” he said but there was a playful smirk in
his face. Then, he sat and sigh. “She’s been bugging you, huh?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“What does she wants from you?” he chuckled.
“I don’t know…” was all I said and stare blankly at the fridge. I remember our dance in
front of our fridge that night. I was confessing at her. My mind got blank and I couldn’t
hold my feelings anymore, yet, she was smart enough to divert the topic immediately.
Clearly, she doesn’t want to talk about it so I understand not to push it.
“Damn, she’s fucking your head again. How many times do I have to tell you that girl
isn’t for you, Owen? And how many times had you defied your best friend’s advice!”
“Then stop giving advices.”
“You know I won’t do that. Man, come on…” his voice is frustrated. He was tired telling
me about this, “move on and get another girl. There are plenty of girls in our frat. One
who has an angelic and innocent face, too. If you want, I can arrange a – “
I stand up on the uncomfortable sofa of Jake and gaze my eyes on his messy place. I
twist my wristwatch to see what time is it, and it was about time to fetch Monica Fidger.
She’s one of us, but her father decided to transfer her at Stumberson High because of a
reason that I don’t know.
His father was been always good to my family, especially to my mother. He helped us
when we were in need, and this is the only way to reciprocate his kindness. He told me
to guard and fetch Monica in her new school because he thought the students will bully
her.
Everyone knows about the stereotyping, yet they turn a blind eye about this.
Jake has a playful grin on his face. “How about Monica Fidger, dude? She’s got nice tits
and body, wealthy, you’re close to his father, he trust you more than anyone, and
maybe there is a little chance he will arrange marriage his daughter to you - “
“Gotta go, dickhead,” I raised my arms, jiggling my keys in the air, and press the button
of the Aston Martin in front of me. Our class is half-day always while the Stumberson
High start their classes from eight to five in the afternoon.
As soon as I parked the car on their school, I saw Monica and her new friends giggling
and mumbling something. I don’t want to go out so I stayed on the car for a few
minutes, hoping Monica notice I arrive, however, she was still busy hushing something
to her new friends.
It seems like she is very welcome in this place knowing she was once a student of
Thornhill High. My fingers tap unconsciously on the steering wheel while looking at
Angelic and her smiles.
Her dog isn’t around, just the dog’s friend named Matthew. He is Natasha’s brother. I
saw Natasha leaning on probably one of her date’s car, and she was whispering
something to a blonde boy. They started making out.
Angelic’s face flushed because of the view. Although it may seems this is normal at
them, no one knew it wasn’t normal at her. Her breathing hitched when she saw the two
lover birds in an intimate scene.
Tap.
One.
Tap. Tap.
Two.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
I keep on tapping my fingers leisurely on the steering wheel.
Three.
Angelic shouted something at Natasha and her date that they almost stumble on their
toes. Natasha glared and say something at her for disturbing them. Angelic responded
immediately with, for all I know, a sarcastic but oh so admiring, for all I know, remarks
and the two love birds walk out from the scene, leaving Angelic alone on the car she
was sitting at.
She looks pissed.
I got out from the car and sighed, crossing my arms on my chest and lean on the car
window. My eyes lock at what she does. She was trying to calm herself. I keep on
looking at her from afar. When she found my eyes, I don’t know if I was being delusional
again because her eyes lit up.
Her doe-eyes shine like a star when she saw me. Minutes after, a smile formed in her
lips. It was a sad smile.
I know why.
She couldn’t approach me. Not in public area, of course.
Nobody know about what happened that night, when the bastard punches me in the
face I have to take six stitches from Coach Tim.
She cocked an eyebrow when I didn’t break our eye contact. She looked away, and
seeing her cheeks flushed red makes my dick hard.
I shifted uncomfortably and look down at my school pants. Fucking great. I have a hard-
on just by looking at her goddamned face and short skirt. And her cunt wasn’t even
inside of me.
Monica’s smirking face blocked my view from Angelic. She raised an eyebrow at me.
“Why are you smiling like an idiot, Owen?” she asked. I didn’t know I was smiling, so I
shrugged in response.
Monica grab my arm, looking at me in squinting eyes. “Are you high?”
I push her lightly. “No. I don’t take drugs, Monica.”
“Well? Jake told me you’ve been drinking in his shitty place. What’s the problem, lover
boy?” She laughs so loud people glance their way at us after that.
“Okay! Fine! I’ll shut up!” She even throws her arms on the air, still laughing and
mocking at me.
“Get in the car, Monica,” I said in a frustrated voice when she steps back as I open the
car door for her.
“Nope, not until you tell my why you have a hard on in the middle of a hot afternoon,
Owen.” My eyes widen a fraction when I saw her biting her lip, trying hard not to laugh
hard, and glancing back and forth at my pants and to my face.
“Is it because of me?” Her eyes were hopeful. Then, she flip her hair and said, “Oh well,
I didn’t know you like me, Owen. If I knew earlier, I would’ve tell my dad to fix us
marriage as soon as we turn eighteen – “
“Monica, what the fuck?” The idea is absurd.
“What?” She was still laughing and position herself closer of me. I clench my jaw and
look around that my eyes found Angelic.
She is looking both of us.
Her arms crosses her chest, and she raised an eyebrow at us. I saw the grim look of her
face, but her face is blank.
Always fucking blank.
I wouldn’t know what’s on her mind, didn’t know what does she feel when Monica is at
me, couldn’t ask her why does she look like a fucking jealous girlfriend.
A hand caresses my hard on, and my dick twitch it needed a release. Angelic looked
away when I stare back at her. If she look pissed earlier, she looks murderous right
now. “Come on, Owen. Don’t be a hard-to-get type of guy.” Monica whispered and inch
her chest on mine.
I don’t want to look down because her cleavage is showing off.
“Can you wait for a while?” I asked, pushing her body rubbing on my dick, and before
she could utter a single word, I was already running towards Angelic.
She left their place a while ago.
Where is she?
I look around the sea of students on the soccer field. No Angelic. My feet drag me to the
library, thinking she might be there to read some books, but she wasn’t there, too.
Plenty pair of eyes were looking at me and mumbling something, probably wondering
why I was in their den, or because I didn’t belong here.
I shrug it off.
I need to find Angelic.
When I found her on the back of the school, I heaved a deep sigh. Sweats covered my
polo shirt because of running. She’s here, huh?
The place is secluded. There’s a man-made forest beside the benches, and she was
the only one here. I clench my jaw. What if someone tried to harass her? Just by
thinking of it, my head becomes fuzzy and my hand turned into fist.
Running towards her, I saw her playing with her iPad. She heard my footsteps so she
look up. It didn’t slip in my eyes how she gasp when she saw me. I wonder if it’s the
same reaction if I was her boyfriend.
By the way, where the fuck is the bastard? And why did he leave her alone?
“Owen, why are you here?” she asked, casually. To think that she was calm down after
I’ve seen her state a while ago irritates me. How could she control her feelings with
discipline?
“I went to look for you.”
She nodded and continue looking at the screen of her iPad. That’s when I found out
something.
“Angelic.”
“Hmm?”
“You’re holding the iPad backwardly.”
I saw the control button on top. Her shoulders stiffen, and she heaved a deep sigh.
Before she could grab her things and run away from me again, I hold her wrist and
made her sit down on the bench.
I sat across from her, smiling. She looks tensed, and I want her to be comfortable
around me, just like when she was inside my apartment. “I heard you’ve been visiting
me?” I cocked an eyebrow, letting a playful grin on my face.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, and I heard, too, you’ve been avoiding me?”
I laugh. She laughs.
Then, we fell silence. What we talked isn’t funny, I realized.
The cold air kisses my skin and she squirm on the bench. We shared a look. It was
comforting. With her beside me, I’m at peace except how my heart beats rapidly. And
when she smiles, she didn’t know she put a bomb in my chest, leaving me breathless
for a while.
I don’t know why I like this girl.
But I’m sure of my feelings. The feeling is foreign, and I want to keep and treasure this
moment.
“You should go back to your girlfriend now,” was all she said after a couple of minutes of
staring contest. I hold my smile, but I couldn’t. Grinning, I shrugged. “She can wait.”
Who the fuck told her Monica is my girlfriend?
Angelic let out a sigh. “Owen, I don’t want to be issued as a third party. Knowing
Monica, she has a reputation as the new transferee student – “
“I told you, she can wait for me.”
“That’s not how you take care of a girl!”
“How should I take care of you, then?”
“What? Not me, you idiot! We’re talking about Monica!”
“Uh-huh. Keep on talking. I like your jealousy.”
Her eyes widen a fraction. Then, she looked away before laughing like crazy. My brows
furrowed as soon as I saw the moist in the corner of her eyes. “W-Who’s jealous?”
“You,” I pointed at her and cross my arms on my chest.
“Are you kidding me?”
“Definitely not,” I answered in a serious face.
“Why would I be jealous? Did you hear yourself, Owen?” she asked.
“Did you see your face, Angelic?” I asked, and her lips parted in shock. I put both of my
elbows on the cemented table in between us and tuck her hair behind softly, “did you
see the glint of anger in your eyes when you saw me with Monica? Hmmm?” I said,
whispering on her face.
“You look like you were planning to kill her in multiple ways you could think of,” I
whispered again, this time, my head tilted beside her ears. She gasp and heard her
swallowed. “I-I’m not!” she mused.
“You… are… “I trailed kisses down her long neck, and she involuntarily arch her neck to
its side my dick strained on my pants again. Fuck.
“Owen,” she moaned, her voice weak and I thought she would fall on the bench so I grip
her shoulders to catch her. Her eyes becomes half-lidded while staring at me, and I
swallowed to stop myself from touching her more.
“Why are you not stopping me? Do you like me, Angelic?” I asked, looking at her in the
eyes. My voice is hopeful, but the moment her armor zip back and her eyes looking
blank, I know the moment is done.
“You know the answer, Owen,” was all she said in a sarcastic tone, standing up from
the bench, and giving me glares.
I chuckled without humor. “You think you can get out after giving me a hard-on? Didn’t
know you were such a tease, Angelic.”
“What did you say?” Her voice thundered with proximity and anger. Her jaw flexes when
our eyes met, and she tried to look away. My eyes doesn’t break contact at her. Can’t
she tell I only have my eyes on her? Damn it.
I ignored her last remarks.
“Tell me what do you think is my answer, Angelic. Why do I have this feeling that you
and I don’t have mutual answers?”
She was catching her breathe while looking at me. “Look, I think you’re mistaken. I
was… I was just… “ she was trying to find the right choice of words, “a-alone… I feel
like I’m caged, and I want a breathe of air with all my problems. Just because I visit your
apartment doesn’t mean I’m into you.”
“All those words it takes just to admit you don’t like me.” I smiled.
She froze on her place. “W-What?” she asked, confused.
“Let me clear things up because you’ve been fucking my head for two months now.
Firstly, you don’t like me, correct?”
She nodded without hesitance.
“Next, you’re visiting me because you feel like you were caged in your own house?”
Another nod from her. “So I’m like… a secret friend?” I tried to plaster a playful smile,
mocking her to feel her at ease. “Y-You’re crazy. Does that word even exist?” she
asked, now smiling and laughing in between.
“Yeah, it does exist now.”
She smiled and her cheeks flush red due from laughing. “Fine! Then we’re secret
friends.”
“What does secret friends do?” I asked. “I mean, does it have do’s and don’ts or
violations or something?” Fuck. I sound so desperate by making up reasons for her not
to leave me, or worse, ignore me again.
Our gaze broke when her phone rings. She ignore the call and looks at me with glinting
eyes. “I’ll tell you tonight.”
I froze on my place. She turn around and wave her hands goodbye at me. “It was nice
to be your, uhm, secret friend, Owen…” she whispered.
In respond, I nodded. “Me too.”
“Your girlfriend’s probably dying from waiting. You should go now.”
I stop, shrug, and the corner of my lips tugged a small smile. “Yeah.”
She nodded and both of us started walking. I know she doesn’t want to be seen by me
in public, so I walk behind her in few meters. Her walk is slow, so goddamn slow, and
she was glancing at me every minute.
She mouthed something when we parted our way. As soon as I saw Monica’s grumpy
face, I drop my smile and press the car button.
“What the hell, Owen! Where have you been? I swear I’m close to calling my dad to pick
me up!”
“Sorry, I had to calm myself,” was all I said and open the car door in front of her.
My head tilted to the side when I saw her weird face. She looks shocked. Then, she
press a thin line of her lips and broke a playful grin. “Okay!” she sounds so happy.
Man, I don’t understand girls sometimes.