Burning Coldness

|DEEP AFFLICTION|

Dark. Nathaniel was in complete dark. He could hear music reverberating against the door of the closet. He was sitting there for a couple of minutes from now, not uttering a single thing. It seemed that his heart couldn’t find its pace anymore. His palms clammy as he rubbed them against his pants.

I am just scared that he’ll kill me, right? Nathaniel reasoned to himself, but he couldn’t explain the sudden heat spreading through his whole body, and the funny feeling in his body. They were so close, their knees slightly touching, creating tiny sparks of electricity that spread through his whole being. He could feel Andrew’s hot breath on his face. His alluring perfume invaded his nostrils and clouded his mind. He couldn’t think straight anymore.

What the hell is wrong with me? How did I even get myself into this position, this situation with him?

“No way.” Nathaniel’s eyes widened as he stared shocked at the bottle in his lap. He was speechless, and his heart was beating so fast. He didn’t have time to process why is his heart thumping as loud as he brought his gaze up and looked at the person who spun it. Andrew looked, he looked shocked and confused. But the emotions playing on his face were all gone in just split of a second, and his icy mask was quickly back on.

Nathaniel couldn’t help but note how exceptionally handsome Andrew looked tonight. With his suited long sleeve and black tuxedo, and deep green eyes, he looked unearthly Zeus, and fragile, and definitely not as a devil spawn himself.

Andrew’s green eyes pierced Nathaniel’s chocolate ones in an uncomfortable manner as their eyes met.

Andrew scowled and he was about to say something at him, the random girl who called Andrew “handsome” just a couple of minutes ago, shouted “Nice, you’re so good!” He turned to Andrew to high-five him, and the looks he could give her would say, “If looks could kill, you would have been dead there.” This guy is really something. Nathaniel would have laughed if he wasn’t comfortable with all of this, and frankly a bit scared of Andrew’s scowling face. He sure did have psycho – I am going to kill you all, look on his face.

“I am not going anywhere with him!” Andrew spat glaring back at Nathaniel, but before he could protest anymore, the guys from the circle took them both towards the closet that was in the room.

“Rise up, bros!” The action was accompanied by clapping, cheering and shouting. Nathaniel rolled his eyes a drunken teenagers that wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Didn’t they see the deadly glare on his face? He might kill me in there. Nathaniel panicked as the closet was nearing by seconds. He looked at Andrew who was shouting how everyone is going to pay for their insolence or something like that. Next second, they were shoved in the closet, and the door were shut closed, leaving them in a complete dark.

Incapable of enduring the silence and the weird feelings that were overpowering him anymore, Nathaniel cleared his throat and said the first thing that came to his mind. “So are we going to do it?” He said without any hesitation.

Why did I just say that? He’ll be definitely kill me now. Stupid, Nathaniel. What’s wrong with you? Nathaniel silently scolded himself, wanting to bang himself against the door. Not being able to see Andrew’s face in the dark, he only heard intake of breath. Andrew didn’t say something right away. And all of the sudden, he started laughing, cold and humorless laugh.

“Maybe... maybe we could just kiss just like what they told us.” He mocked while laughing still.

“Never ever, not even in your wildest dreams, idiot.” Andrew glared at him, not favor of his idea.

Nathaniel couldn’t help but feel a pang of affliction. He was just laughed at and humiliated. He could feel tears stinging in his eyes. He was speechless, all warm fuzzy feelings gone, leaving only nausea in their wake. He couldn’t believe this guy, he was complete heartless, and he couldn’t believe that he ever considered that there was something beneath his ice mask. He fought the tears as best he could, deciding he won’t let this guy humiliate him anymore more than he did already.

Finally after composing himself, he said in a hateful voice he never heard uttering from his mouth.

“Well, who would even want to kiss an ice statue, I bet even your kisses taste of your personality, of coldness and maliciousness.” Lone tear stroll down his cheek. He didn’t know why he was so hurt by this, but he was, and he couldn’t get out of this closet.

“Whatever.” Andrew just scoffed indifferently at his remark.

They remained quiet for next couple of minutes, and when the door opened by whistles and cheers, Andrew sprung there as if he was on fire, as far away as he could from Andrew. The sudden pain in his chest, and heavy leaving in the pits of his stomach directed him towards kitchen, where he planned on drowning these feelings in alcohol.

Finally he was out of that stupid closet. Andrew couldn’t believe he just spent 10 ten minutes of his life with that stupid guy. He will definitely have to make a mental note of those guys who shoved him in there, and also everyone who cheered. He couldn’t let this slide by, humiliating him like this, and shoving him in there with the person he hated the most. I guess my minions will be busy with digging some dirty details on these bastards, Andrew thought to himself as his eyes scanned the crowd, looking for Isabelle.

He was definitely planning on giving her hell, because he saw him laughing as he was dragged towards the closet. But he couldn’t see her anywhere. He was infuriated at this point, and the stupid fuzzy feeling in his stomach wouldn’t go away.

It all started with Nathaniel. He was sitting there pissed as hell for having to endure this, and he realized how close he was with that guy. Instantly this stupid feeling spread through him, and stayed there the whole time. He interpreted it as a nausea for having to sit with Nathaniel in there.

Who wouldn’t be nauseated by that scent of him? What was it anyway? He smelled nice actually, fruity and intoxicating. Andrew contemplated mentally. He trembled in recollection.

Maybe I am getting sick, or something. Maybe the alcohol didn’t sit well, or he contaminated me with some virus. He scowled at the thought. He was looking for Isabelle for ten minutes now, and the b***h nowhere to be found. “That’s why I hate these stupid parties, they never bring anything good.” He said to himself, as he passed some couples making out and drinking in the living room with their loved ones. He went to the kitchen to check for Isabelle.

Before he saw him, he could hear his laughter. He was downing some drinks really fast with his girlfriend Allyssa. As he narrowed his eyes at him, he could feel that thing fluttering in his stomach, and he forced all of his energy to smother it, make it evaporate. With his eyes closed, he almost succeeded but he heard that laugh again, and the thing came back again, stronger than before.

Groaning loudly in frustration, he turned on his shoe, getting as far as possible from the annoying guy. Andrew wouldn’t find Isabelle anywhere so he went to the bathroom to freshen up. He just wanted to go home, even though home was embracing loneliness again. He didn’t feel like sleeping with Isabelle tonight, especially after pissing him off tonight. He was tired from this night.

As he looked down his reflection in the mirror, he couldn’t help but remember Nathaniel’s hurtful words in the closet and discomfort he felt when he said it. He never heard him speak such harsh words to anyone in that tone, as if he hated him. He sighed, and lowered his head down, trying to regain his icy composure that seemed to be shaken constantly throughout the night.

With his eyes closed, he heard the door opening. Shooting his eyes towards the mirror, Andrew saw Nathaniel’s flushed reflection behind him.