Scarlet scars

CHAPTER 11: Refreshing Laughter

Scarlet

"I'd like to show you something" Jerald said as we got off the dining table.

"We'll be right back mom" he said to aunt Miranda who nodded in response. He led me up the stairs and I smiled as I run my hands on the railing as memories of Jerald and I sliding down from the top flashed in my mind. He might have caught on to what was on my mind as he also smiled running his hand over the railing..

We got to his room and I couldn't believe it still looked the same. The same posters on the wall, the same type of Mickey mouse beddings and the color of the walls. He used to like Mickey Mouse so much he had most of his stuff, Mickey branded, including his underwear.

“I assume you are still a Mickey fan.” I giggled out loud. He looked at me with a smirk, making me laugh.

"Don't you dare make fun of me." he warned in a playful tone. "I won't invite you to my clubhouse if you do" he continued. I, at this point, couldn’t control my laughter as I fell on the bed clutching my stomach. He soon joined me as we laughed with him throwing in more Mickey jokes.

Some minutes after the laughter died down, I sat on the bed looking at his back while he was rummaging through his closet looking for something. It felt so refreshing to have had so much laughter in one day. He brought out a box. The memory box we used to keep. I couldn't believe he still had it, especially since I had lost my own. And they say men are not capable of taking care of small things. He opened the box and the first thing that I saw was a photo of him and I, when I was just 7. I had just lost my front teeth.

"Oh no!" I face palmed myself, laughing softly."This is so embarrassing" I laughed, hand on my mouth.

After a few minutes of looking into the past. Jerald called my name. "Ahem... Yes.." I looked up clearing my throat and found him standing in front of me holding a white box. I looked at him raising an eyebrow confused.

"It's a phone.. I thought that since you don’t have one. I thought it would be great if you had one" he said scratching the back of his head.

"What? No.. you can’t be serious” I said hand on my mouth in surprise. “I don’t think I can accept it, I didn't.... "

"I insist. I got this for you..”

“But how could I accept something like this. It must have been so expensive”

“Why do you always have to argue with whatever I say. I can't do anything nice for you, you end up rejecting it. You have to accept it Cally!" I was surprised by his outburst and he must have noticed. He sighed and continued "besides, Mom suggested getting you this phone because she wants to keep in touch. "I took it with shaky hands, scared of holding something so expensive in my hands.

But I can't keep this phone, what if my aunt sees it? This never ending trouble I've been having with her is wearing me down. Speaking of which, I remembered that I needed to get home. I had totally forgotten about my aunt. I guess I got lost in the feeling of being happy over here that I forgot about the misery that was my life.

"I have to go" I stood up from the bed abruptly and headed for the door. I really needed to get home and fast.

"Wait.." I couldn't hear more as I had already run out. I rushed down the stairs to the living room. Aunt Miranda was no where to be seen. I checked the clock on the wall, which I doubted worked well, because it read 11pm! As in 11 freaking pm! an hour to midnight! How was that even possible? How was I going to go home at at midnight, when my curfew was 8pm. Nothing could save me this time around. I thought.

11pm! It felt like I stood there for hours staring at the clock and not believing in the time it was showing.

I needed to leave quickly. I didn't see my bag anywhere so I started to look for it everywhere in the living room but I couldn't find it. My mind was in a frenzy and I couldn't think straight. 'I left my bag just here a while ago. Where did it go? Maybe I should just leave it here, I'll come back for it later? But even then I'll be going home at this time, my aunt... My aunt was going to skin me alive. What do I do? I could just run away? Right? No I can't, my parents inheritance. I have to collect it. Whatever it is. But what if she's lying to keep me there? No , no but the lawyer said it was true. I can't let my parents down. Suddenly, I couldn't breathe, I clutched my chest in hopes for more air. But nothing. And thinking about it, I don't think it mattered if I breathed or not, I wasn’t going to survive anyway. I just needed to find my bag. Why was it getting so hard to breath.' I felt myself slide down but before I could feel the cold floor someone caught me or I fell onto something, soft.

"Cally! Hey! Listen to me. To my voice, Cally?.." I heard Jay say. I did hear it but my thoughts were just screaming death. I was in so much trouble everything else didn’t matter.

"Focus on my voice.. Look at me" he said again. I heard him say but I had to go home. I should leave, I had to leave. Whatever my parents had left for me must be important... I have to..' I looked at him. His eyes. They were so alluring.

"Breath slowly.. And look at me.. I'm"

"But I have t-to go." I said looking in his eyes. Captivating!

"Shhhhh.." He shushed "I'll take you home right away.. okay. Now, Breath In slowly..... Out" he said and I followed his instructions with much difficulty at first. It became better as I continued. I didn't even know I was crying until he wiped my tears.

“How did that happen?” I thought I asked in my head but was surprised when he responded.

"You had a panic attack" He looked at me intensely. I shook my head in denial but his serious gaze made me believe it was true.

After some minutes of the breathing exercise, I got up from the floor feeling stupid. "Uhm.. I couldn't find my bag.. Can you help me?" I asked. He left and when he came back he had my backpack in his hands.

"Thank you.. I'm leaving.. I will come see aunty Miranda another day. I'm sure she must be asleep by now" I said heading for the door.

"Yes she must be.. I'm taking you home"

"I can..."

"There you go again. Something to say no to again. I'm taking you home and it's not up for debate. There's no way I'm letting you go home alone this late at night.." He said frustratedly. Grabbing his keys and jacket, heading out, leaving me standing there. I hurried out to see him get in his car and I followed.

I could sense he had millions of things he wanted to say as he drove, but for some reason he didn’t say them. I had billions of thoughts too, the number one on the list being the trouble I was in.

"Can you drop me off here?" I said as we reached the corner of my street and he looked at me like I had just committed the worst crime on the planet.

"I mean.. My aunt wouldn't like it if-if a man... I -I mean if you.. Take me home this late at night... You understand right?" I looked at him with the most pleading eyes I can conjure up. He looked at me as if he was trying to come up with an argument but couldn't and stopped the car.

"I'll still walk you home" he said seriously

"You can't leave your car here remem.."

"It doesn't matter,I will make sure you enter through that door safely" he took off his seat belt and opened the compartment looking for something.

"Still grumpy and controlling" I muttered under my breath. He stopped and looked at me. More like gave me the stink eye.

"What did you just say?" He asked and I just shrugged. He took out a white smart phone and handed it to me. It was the same phone, but it was no longer in the box.

"I've already put my number in here so you can call me at any time. Moms too. I'll call 5 minutes after you enter the house" he said leaving no room for argument. He shoved the phone in my hands when I hesitated. He got out of the car as fast as lightning. Like honestly, what was wrong with this guy? I quickly got out of the car.

"Not that I want to reject anything you do for me, but Jay I can't keep this phone.." He cut me off

"Cally.."

"Let me finish" I cut him off too " what will I tell everybody home? If they see this phone? It must be so expensive I can’t afford it. I don't want to get into trouble " I said calmly.

"Cally you're an adult now, you even working as a matter of fact, what's wrong with having a phone? And plus, you can keep the phone on silent and hide it well if it's still a bother" he said.

What he said did make sense. My aunt never got me a phone every time she got for my cousins but she never said I couldn't get one by myself! I never considered that.

"I can have a phone! My own!" I said not believing it even though I was looking at it in my hands.

"Yes Brave.. You can" he smiled. "Let me teach you a thing or two about how to use it" My heart raced, sending heat to my core as he stood so close to me.

“Okay so this is how you answer calls..” I only looked at him as he spoke. I didn’t hear what he was saying except when I heard him say ‘this is how you turn it on’ or was it off? Eh.. Will figure it out Later.

Soon we were at the gate. He stood there with his hands in his pockets as he watched me go in. I waved bye to him and whisper yelled

"you can go back now" he nodded but didn’t leave. I shook my head and smiled.

"call me when you reach your bedroom. Just do what I showed you okay?" ooops! I didn't hear nothing. I nodded and turned to go in, saying a silent prayer.

I stood at the front door fidgeting with my clothes. 'Should I go in, or not. They must be asleep right? Maybe they didn’t even notice. But who was I kidding! Maybe I should go back to Jerald's. I'm sure he had not gone far. But the trouble would only get worse if I did. Let me just get it over with.