Aaralynn never felt happier
than today. She secretly wished she could link arms or hold hands with Asche when
they were walking out in the streets. Asche told her he's going to a coffee
shop and Aaralynn decides to follow him.
Asche brought them to a cafe that looks deserted
and dirty. When they went in there, the bartender looked up for a brief second
before going back to cleaning mugs with dirty rags. The only people in there
were the balding tattooed bartender and a lanky pink haired waitress who
smokes. Aaralynn gulped nervously, but all Asche did was walk up to the corner
of the shop and sat in one of the tables that has a dark violet curtain that
can be pulled around it. The table was circular and comfortable-looking, worn
out couches encircled the table. Aaralynn followed suit and sat across Asche,
who pulled the curtain across their table to give them privacy.
A moment later, the waitress slipped a cup of
coffee on the table and looked at Aaralynn, waiting for an order.
"Orange Juice, please," she squeaked.
The waitress left and came back with a glass of juice and set it on the table.
She left them alone again.
"So..." Aaralynn said, mind whirling in
hope of finding a topic to talk about. She sipped her Orange Juice mindlessly
and spat it out a second later, gagging and spluttering, "Ugh, that's
horrible..."
"I know," Asche said not really caring.
He lied down on the comforters and folded his arms on his head for pillow. For
a few minutes, they stayed in silence, Asche lying down, Aaralynn fidgeting,
dying for a conversation. She looked at her wristwatch and her eyes bulged.
10:58? Her mother is going to kill her! She didn't
even realize she's been out that long.
"Asche?"
"What?"
"Can we go home now? It's late... Your
parents are probably worrying."
"My dad won't worry. You can go home if you
like," he said his eyes still close.
"But, it's late and dark," she whined.
"So?"
"Bring me home?" She asked, hoping for a
yes. Instead, Asche sighed and said, "Go home by yourself, I need my
rest."
She begged and asked and plead for a few more
minutes but Asche won't budge.
"Alright," she said, finally giving in,
"Good night, Asche."
She reluctantly gets up and waited for a good
night or good bye from Asche, but none came. Disappointed, she left. The moment
she opened the door, the chilly October air hits her face. The neighbourhood
was disturbingly quiet and still. Goosebumps appeared on her skin. Crossing her
arms in front of her, she made her way home.
---------------------------------------------------------
Asche heard the girl said good night and left. He
wanted to say something to her, but he's not used to this kind of situations.
He was Asche Faber after all. He did not know that a cute girl like Aaralynn
who walks alone in the middle of the night is a target for perverts, rapists
and lechers who lurks the night in dark alleyways looking for suitable targets
like Aaralynn. He didn't know danger exists, because he's danger itself. He
heard the bell hung on top of the cafe's doors tingle and was sure that she has
left. A cold unsettling lonely feeling settled in his heart. It troubled him.
It also troubles him how needy he is of Aaralynn's presence.
He craves for her. He craves for her smile, her
smell, her touch, her caress. He craves to see those eyes, those lips, that
face, the way her fingers laces each other and how much he wish it's his that
it laces with. He craves for her soft and warm hands. He craves for her voice,
the sound of her breathing. The way she looks when she's asleep and the way her
hair dance in the wind. He craves for those eyes that look kindly at him without
any fear and the way she cares for him. The way her eyes twinkle whenever she
saw him. He craves for the warm and fuzzy feelings she gave him. He craves
everything about her. It's driving him mad and it scares him, and that's saying
something. Because Asche Faber never gets scared of anything, ever.
He leapt up from his seat and slipped some money
on the table. He left the cafe in a hurry looking for Aaralynn. His Aaralynn.
---------------------------------------------------------
Aaralynn had to cross a dark alley to get to her
side of town. Either that or the cemetery that she was even more reluctant to
cross. The alley was so dark, that she can only see the tiny speck of light at
the other end of the alley. She hesitantly stepped into the darkness when she
heard a noise and froze.
Meow.
She defreezes, thankful it's only a cat. She puts
another foot in front of the other one and continued walking in a brisk pace,
focusing only on that speck of light on the other end. She stumbled on cardboard
boxes or a trash cans a couple of times, but her steps are undeterred. Fear is
puncturing her brain. Something flashed in front of her blocking the light at
the other end.
"Hello, cutie pie," warm breaths shot at
Aaralynn's face. It was the smell of alcohol and smoke, mingled with other
nasty smelling odors.
Aaralynn started to shake. She willed her body to
move in any other way than shaking, but her mind went numb. She felt her hands
grabbed and her body shoved against the wall. Instinctively, she screamed as
loud as she could, hoping someone would hear.
"Scream all you want, bitch. No one can
listen to you," the warm breath trickles down her neck again.
The darkness in the alley made it hard for
Aaralynn to identify or see her perpetrator. She fought when he lifted her
hands above her and pin her to the wall. Her screams are muffled by the piece
of cloth he shoved in her mouth. She can feel his free hand moving... Moving
downwards and wandering into her sweater... She kicked and struggled, but he's
still stronger. Her brain screamed for Asche to come and save her all the
while.
"Allie?" The all familiar voice of Asche
rang throughout the alley.
---------------------------------------------------------
Asche couldn't find his Aaralynn anywhere when he
heard a high-pitched scream. What are the chances of it being Aaralynn? He
thought. But the mere thought of someone hurting Aaralynn filled him up with so
much hate he didn't think twice when he ran towards the source of the noise. He
heard a struggle and muffled screams from within the alley, but it was too dark
to see.
"Allie?" He tried to call out into the
darkness hoping to get some confirmation. The struggles and screams intensify
and all doubt of the girl who screamed was someone other than Aaralynn disappeared.
He lit up his hand phone and use it as a torchlight to show him his way around
the alley.
The sound of the struggles becomes louder and
Asche quickens his pace, the light from his phone not bright enough to show
much. He came closer and eventually came face to face with something that boils
him with so much anger and hate.
Aaralynn's eyes are both relieved and pleading
from seeing Asche with tinges of fear. Her sweater torn at some parts. The
hands of the perpetrator roaming her body freely. He flashed his light at the
perpetrator and couldn't believe who it was.
"Father?" He asked. The perpetrator
looked up from Aaralynn and into Asche's face. Shock was clearly shown in his
face for a brief moment. He lets his hand go but still pins Aaralynn's arms
against the wall with the other.
"Asche, my boy," he says, clearly drunk
by Asche's judgment. But his voice still trembled a little when he talks to
Asche. In fear, "Want to share?" He motioned towards Aaralynn.
Asche's eyes follow his father's hand and landed on Aaralynn's eyes.
Aaralynn looked at Asche in... Betrayal? And hate?
Asche couldn't stand the pain in Aaralynn's eyes. He looked away and towards
his own father.
"Let her go," Asche spat in disgust. His
father laughed cruelly.
"And what are you going to do if I am not
going to? Hurt me?" He mocked his son, feeling a bit more confident with
his argument, "Remember, the only reason you aren't locked up right now is
because of me, and you owe me one. Seems like you know this girl. Let me have
her and I'll consider this debt settled."
Asche didn't take long to decide when he launched
himself against his father's stronger built, dropping his phone somewhere. His
father let's go of Aaralynn's arms who slid down the wall and trembled at the
foot of the wall, hugging herself as if to ward off the trouble after spitting
the piece of cloth out of her mouth.
Asche bashed his fist against his father's jaw and
a second one to his nose. He didn't stop even as his father starts losing
consciousness in the inability to fight as he was pinned down on the alley
floor by Asche. Asche only stops after he was sure his father was lost in
unconsciousness.
Asche leapt off his father and ran to Aaralynn's
side.
"Allie?" He asked softly, begging for a
reaction. None came, "Allie, I am so sorry," he said again softly. He
never thought he could feel or act this way before. But now, it all seems so
natural and right. It's as if his heart had taken over his brain and act as it
likes regardless of consequences.
Aaralynn just kept trembling, her mind racing with
a lot of things. That pervert who just tried to rape her was Asche's father!
She knew it wasn't Asche's fault and Asche wasn't his father, but the thought
of that person being Asche's father already felt like a betrayal to her. She
couldn't help but feel disgusted with herself and Asche. She just kept
trembling.
Her body only reacted after Asche tried wrapping
his jacket around her. The contact on their skins shock Aaralynn, she shoved
Asche away. A look of hurt flickered across Asche's eyes. Asche didn't try to
touch her or get close to her after that. He stood a good distance away from
Aaralynn, but still holds up his jacket for Aaralynn to take. Aaralynn did and
wrapped herself in it before slowly getting up and stifle her sobs. She made
her way home dazedly and Asche followed from behind, abandoning his phone in
the darkness. It's no use looking for it now in the dark.
His mind raced with vengeance and fury at his
father and what he tried to do to Aaralynn. He knew Aaralynn will hate him now
after knowing what his father was like and yet, he could not bring himself to
hate her as he had easily done to others.
They came to Aaralynn's front door, but Aaralynn
made no move to enter her house.
"Aaralynn?" Asche asked. Aaralynn stayed
quiet.
"I can't go in at this hour, looking like
this. My parents will freak..." Aaralynn said, dazedly. Asche understood.
He went to the side of the house and spotted Aaralynn's bedroom window. He
climbed the tree that grew alongside the house like he did that time when
Aaralynn was home alone and a burglar broke into the house.
He tried to push the window open, but it was
locked from the inside. He tapped at it a few times. Unable to think of any way
to enter the house from the window, he jumped down to the ground floor and walk
back towards the front of the house. But to his shock, Aaralynn disappeared.
Panicking, he ran to the streets, turning his head this way and there and saw
Aaralynn walking down the street.
"Aaralynn?" Aaralynn didn't reply. Asche
grew even more worried.
"Aaralynn?" He called her name again,
hoping for some reply or recognition. He walked a few feet away from her, still
keeping his distance, not wanting to hurt her.
"Where are you going?" He asked again. Still
no reply. It didn't take long for Asche to figure it out. An old hotel.
Aaralynn had paid the front desk and was walking up the stairs when Asche
caught up. Asche followed up the stairs but not into the hotel room. Aaralynn
closed the door on his face silently when she saw that Asche made no move to
enter the room with her. Asche slid down the door and sat in front of it until
morning.
---------------------------------------------------------
Aaralynn didn't know what to think. She was still
so shaken by what happened. She undressed the moment she entered the room and
sat underneath the showers for three hours trying to wash away the disgusted
feelings she had for herself, for Asche, and for his asshole of a father. The
warm waters slowly relaxed her muscles and she let the tears flow down her
cheeks.
Soon, sleepiness and tiredness slips in and she
decided to get into bed. She put on the hotel robes and tied it tightly around
her. She gropes for her bed in the dark and felt her torn clothes and Asche's
jacket. She dumps them all on the floor and slip under the covers. But no
matter how much she tried to shut it out, the memories of what happened in the
alley haunts her when she closed her eyes. She could feel the tears welling up
in her eyes again.
She sat up in bed, when she spotted Asche's jacket
on the floor. She went and picks it up, gazing at the door wondering if Asche
is still there. Probably not, she decided. She pressed her face into the
jacket. It still smells like Asche. Like the smell of light nicotine and the
fresh morning dew. Crying silently, she hugged the jacket and savour Asche's
smell before finally plunging into a deep and dreamless sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------
Aaralynn woke up that morning to the memories of
last night. She felt much better now that she's slept and her head felt much
clearer. She figures she needed to settle with her parents, so she called
Karista.
Ring. Ring.
"Hey, Ari!" Karista greeted happily from
the other side.
"Morning, Karista," Aaralynn said trying
to keep her voice as casual as possible, "Listen, I need a favour from
you."
"Sure, what is it?"
"If my parents call, can you tell them I am
staying over at your place?"
"Why? Aren't you home?" Karista asked
suspiciously.
"No, I am at a hotel. I came home too late
last night and didn't want to freak my parents out. So I am staying here at a
hotel," Aaralynn explained leaving the other details out.
"Oh, sure," Karista said, sounding a
little bit unsure.
"Thank you, Karista. I love you,
girlfriend!"
"I love you too! Bye!"
Aaralynn hung up and she decided she needed to get
ready for the morning when she saw her torn clothes. She wondered what to wear
that day and how to get clothes when the door was knocked.
Aaralynn went and open it, wondering who it would
be when she saw Asche holding a shopping bag.
"Morning, Allie. Here," he said and
pushed the bag towards Aaralynn. It seems like Asche had not slept at all.
Seeing Asche made last night's nightmare come back. Asche's father tried to
rape her! Asche's father!
Her brain screamed for her thoughts to stop. That
it wasn't Asche's fault and that he saved her. That his father wasn't him and
that he had nothing to do with it. But her whole body told her to stay away
from Asche. She couldn't help but feel disgusted. She stepped back
instinctively, not missing the hurt look on Asche's face. Asche looked down on
to the floor and put the bag there. Then he stepped away from Aaralynn, giving
her her space. He gave one last longing look at Aaralynn before departing.
Aaralynn took the bag off the floor and saw
clothes. She gave a sweeping look at the direction Asche left, the 'thank you'
lingering at the tips of her tongue, but he was nowhere in sight. Sighing,
Aaralynn closed the door and headed for the bathroom.
---------------------------------------------------------
She checked out of the hotel not long after,
dressed in the clothes Asche bought her; an oversized t-shirt and jeans that were
held together by the belt of the bath robe. She decided to chuck her old
clothes and put on Asche's jacket. After all, that jacket was not hers to throw
away.
She was not really sure of where to go now. But
when she saw the time on the clock above the receptionist's desk, she knew her
house would be empty as her parents would most likely be out for lunch.
She heads home and was glad to find her house
empty. She doesn't want to be caught snooping after disappearing for a whole
night and wearing boys' clothing.
The first thing she did when she gets home was
getting properly dressed. She puts on a summer dress and white stockings
underneath and a warm jacket and some shawl. Although only October, the air was
colder than it's supposed to be and many people had already put on winter
clothing.
She stared at the clothes on the bed, not sure if
Asche bought it or brought it from home. She took a new bag from her closet
drawer and stuffs the clothes in, planning to return it to Asche either way.
Her hands met his jacket and stopped. She hesitated for a moment before
stuffing the jacket in with the rest of the clothes.
---------------------------------------------------------
Asche returned to the hotel that noon with lunch
in hand and learned that Aaralynn had left the hotel. He wondered if she's home
and decided to drop a visit. Once again, he decided to enter the house through
the window. When he reached, the curtains were drawn and he tried knocking on
the glass. He waited. Nothing.
He knocked again and heard a stir from inside.
Encouraged, he knocked some more. A moment later, a tired looking Aaralynn was
staring back at him. When she saw him, she just draws the curtains back. Asche
felt like she had slapped him. He left her lunch on a tree branch just within
her reach if she stretches her arms a little and jumped to the ground.
Staring at the window, he left, wondering if she
will ever care for him the same way ever again.
---------------------------------------------------------
The next day, Aaralynn woke up, not really feeling
up for school. But she knows she needs to go today for her Physics and World
History exams. If she misses those, it will be a sure fail on her report cards.
She got dressed and got to school, grabbing the
clothes with Asche's clothes in it on the way out.
"Aaralynn!" Aaralynn swiveled her head
around while she was walking towards the school's front doors.
"Hello, Noel," Aaralynn greeted. Noel
grinned back happily. Karista joined them not long after, wiggling her eyebrows
with a knowing look at both of them. Aaralynn rolled her eyes and pulled
Karista towards the school with Noel following behind.
Upon getting closer to her locker, Aaralynn notice
Asche leaning against her locker door.
"What's he doing here?" Karista
whispered to Aaralynn under her breath. Aaralynn shrugged.
"Hello, Aaralynn," he greeted.
Aaralynn gave him a curt, "Good morning. Here
are your clothes. Please excuse me, Asche, I need to get to class," she
said sternly.
"Yeah," Asche said sadly and took the
bag, "See you..." He walked away from Aaralynn, giving her one last
pleading chance to forgive him, before disappearing among the crowd of
students.
"Why do you have-" Karista couldn't
finish the question when she saw the hurt look on Aaralynn's face, she decided
not to ask.
"What happened between you two?" Noel
asked, who was feeling surprised at what he just saw compared to last Saturday
night.
"Nothing," Aaralynn said coldly,
"Nothing..." She turned to her locker and started to take out her
books for today.
Noel gave her a long hard scrutinizing look before
shrugging. Then he left for his own locker further away. The first class for
the day is Physics. Her class is having their quantum mechanics exams today,
and she was glad of the distraction. She doesn't want to think about last
Saturday night anymore.
>>>Next Chapter
