Hybrid

by Melissas Writings

  "SIMONNN!!! " I shouted but clearly chimpanzee was having fun at my expense. I threw pillow at him which landed straight on his face, which sobered him a little "Sorry." he muttered, while trying very hard to control his laughter.

  I tried to stay calm while shooting daggers with my eyes.

  "I shouldn't have laughed. Sorry Princess " he lowered his eyes and started reading further.

  " Hobbies: Painting and playing with Simon.

  I love : Dark Chocolate and New York Super Fudge Chunk Ice cream.

  I hate: Simon's morning breath and when we fight

  Memorable moment: When Simon asked me to become his best friend

  Unforgettable Experience: When fatty Simon accidentally slept on top of me and I couldn't breathe.

  My goal in life: I don't know. I have never given it any thought.

  Future plans: I don't think about my future.

  He was still reading when Tack entered and his eyes zoomed in on Simon "You have to go home now."

  Simon opened his mouth to say something, but I interrupted by saying "Why can’t he stay here?"

  Tack turned his gaze towards me: "May I remind you that when someone comes here, Simon is not supposed to stay here in their presence. You already know that and Zach can be a little scary at times.”

  I should have known that my parents will be friends only with scary people. They won't ever send normal people to escort me.

  "How do you know him?"Simon asked cautiously and I gasped. This was what- his first question to Tack in like eleven years.

  He shot his eyes to Simon, surprised and annoyed with his question. He narrowed his eyes at him and muttered with great restraint "I am not answerable to you."

  In the next instant Mary entered the room looking very fazed and scared. "Zach called to inform that he will reach here in ten minutes. Simon why don't you come down and help me."

  Simon nodded and looked at me. "You go and finish your morning ritual. I will be waiting downstairs for you. "

  "Okay. I will be there in 15 minutes." I stated. Then he got up and walked out of the room and so did Mary and Tack.

  I rushed towards my closet and picked a black skinny jeans and white top.

  After closing the bathroom door, I quickly shed my clothes. The moment I stood in front of mirror for brushing, I noticed something at the junction of my neck and right shoulder. There was a faint dark patch etched on the surface. I tried to scratch it with my fingers. But, nothing happened. Infact the area reddened and I felt the burning sensation all over my body.

  Since scratching didn’t help so I unwillingly left the spot, hoping that soap will be able to remove it. I showered in ten minutes and went straight to the mirror. The patch was still there. So I concluded that it is a bruise patch, which will only heal with time.

  I quickly got dressed and walked outside. Cool breeze hit my bare skin, making me shiver.

  hYBrID V

  I let out a shrill, terrified shriek when I noticed an unfamiliar pair of shoes near my bed side. Then my eyes moved to the right and saw a person sitting comfortably on my bed. His back was towards me. I waited a beat for the person to turn around from my loud high pitched shriek and when he didn’t, I arched my neck back to allow my line of sight to rise. From here I could make out that he was tall and lean. He was wearing a Black Long Sleeve T-Shirt. The back of his head, mainly near the nape had shaggy hair. His head was slightly bent forward. His dark brown hair had a little bit of strategically placed blonde highlights. Still as hot as his back and hair was, it wasn’t until he turned 180 degree and I looked into his eyes that sucked the air from my lungs. I felt the air shift between us as I continued looking in to his eyes. His blue eyes had a strikingly large amount of gold around the pupil.

  There was a dark-blue rim around the iris and the dark-blue-and-white crypts in the main part of the loosely textured iris. Even though he had a very unusual pair of beautiful orbs, but the thing that creeped me out was his lifeless eyes. It was like staring at the dead eyes of a corpse. The eyes themselves weren’t hard, but the tiny muscles around the eyes had also gone rigid to make the eyes look hardened. It seemed that all the emotion had left his beautiful eyes years ago, and was replaced by a blank, empty pit, which made him seem older than he really was. He was definitely few years younger than Sammy, but his eyes were much wordlier. Hard and sharply intelligent. I was too preoccupied with the staring, riveted by the man in front of me. His eyes had literally immobilized me and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t look or move away. I had not even blinked once from the time my gaze met his. He on the other hand, was unperturbed inside and out while I was struggling with my inner turmoil.

  He broke the gaze and it was then that I noticed that he had Simon’s Slam book clutched in his hand, Infact the grip was so tight that I was sure that it would leave a dent in it.

  Then he did something crazy.

  He raised the blanket to his nose and inhaled it and threw it so hard that it landed on laundry bin.

  Who smells the blanket? Yikes!!! I do have fresh blankets in my closet. You don't have to sniff it.

  “Who was here?” his voice was cultured and smooth, with a rasp that made my stomach flutter. This sensation was so foreign to me to me that I thought if something was wrong with me. Even the spot at the junction of my neck and right shoulder was intermittently hurting like hell.

  “I asked you a question.”he reminded me, his voice no longer soft and eyes had no emotion whatsoever. My lack of response was also unable to bring out any change in his eyes.

  “Why do you want to know?” I asked softly.

  “My parents already know about my sleeping arrangement. You don’t have to get riled up. They won’t say anything to you.” I paused and then fired “How do you know my parents?” I wanted to know about his relation with my dad. His relation with my dad had to be thick to be allowed here in this house.

  He smiled crookedly, even that didn’t reach his eyes. His lopsided smile was just restricted to his mouth and a few stern lines around it. “You think I am afraid of your father. That’s not why I asked you that question though.”

  “Then what will you do with that insignificant piece of information. Plus how do you know my parents? Are you related to my parents in some way?” I repeated the question again, even though I had an inkling that he won’t tell me anything.

  "I'd tell you why, but then I h'd have to kill you. Right now you are very important for me babe." he said with utter seriousness and then covered it with his crooked smile.

  I frowned in confusion. What a weird reply?

  He slammed the slam book on my study table. “Why are your eyes like this?” I blurted out the question that was nagging me for some time.

  His head flew up and something like surprise flashed in his eyes. It was gone in that next instant. He shook his head and lifted his shoulders . “Like what?”

  “Like you are dead.” It automatically came out of my mouth and then I cursed myself internally, hating that I had raised another hasty question. I should have phrased this question differently.

  He didn’t look surprised by my reply this time. The left corner of his upper lip tugged up in a mocking way. “How would you know what dead eyes look like?”

  My brows furrowed. He was staring at me with such an intensity now that I folded my arms tightly around myself, hoping that this would save me from his scrutinizing eyes.

  I shifted my weight from one foot to another nervously.

  “I d-don't know....It's just that" his blue orbs were kind of daring me to say something repulsive, so i dropped what I wanted to say to him "So-sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.”I confessed and ducked my gaze away from him. This was the first time I had broken my stare willingly from his.

  His ice cold voice reached my ears. “We will leave around 11 am. Go and finish your breakfast.” he barked out the order and then lied down on his back. He was lying at the exact same position where I always slept.

  There
are so many rooms available.

  Then I moved my jelly legs towards the door. Before leaving room, I turned around in his direction. Now as his eyes were not in the way, I noticed other things like how gorgeous he was. He wasn’t just beautiful; he was enthralling. His dark brown hair and couple of blonde streaks was hanging slightly over his eyes. He was muscular, but not overly muscular. He had well defined strong jaw and a straight shaped, structured nose.

  While I was still surveying him, he opened his eyeballs and looked straight in to my eye. Reacting purely on instinct, I shifted backward, three steps to be precise. His eyes were still vacant but his face gave me a What are you still doing here look.

  I am going. This is my room not yours.

  With one last look at his face I turned back and headed downstairs.

  Jerk!

  ************

  I was going through my bags. Last time, which was in December she had packed one small travel size bag. This time however she had packed five bags, as if I was shifting to JC permanently. Staying there when I do not have anyone to talk to makes the stay unbearably painful. I just hope that Sammy is not busy all the time. Some times I wished Simon was allowed to visit that place with me. Thinking of Simon, he had abandoned me and had already left for his home by the time I came downstairs.

  After mindlessly shuffling from one bag to another, I closed them and went outside to play with penny.

  Zach came down after two hours of sleep. His disheveled look made him even more hotter than before. However, his shirt and jeans were wrinkle free. He was also taller than me, almost one foot. His cold eyes were directed at Tack and Tack was by his side in ten seconds. With the pace at which Tack had rushed to the place where he was standing, was commendable. I wanted to laugh so badly, but I controlled it somehow. Had it been Simon, Tack wouldn’t have even looked at him, much less follow his orders.

  Tack and Zach easily carried all the bags to the car as if it was filled with feathers. Then Tack went to his original position, at the gate and Zach turned towards me. He was fifty feet away from me, but still I could make out what he was trying to say.

  It was time for us to leave.

  Penny who was usually friendly with everyone, surprisingly maintained distance from Zach. She ran towards the porch and started scratching at walls, doors and floors of the porch. Last time also when I was leaving for JC she had done the same. I wish I could do something to decrease her separation anxiety. I rushed towards her, got down on my knees and kissed the bridge of her nose.“I will be back soon. Be nice to Mary.” I whispered and rubbed my cheek on hers.

  I got up and then hugged Mary who had come out to bid me good bye. “Take care of Penny.” I mumbled to which she nodded in understanding and gave me a small smile.“Take good care of yourself, Ashley. May God's love be with you, always." Penny was not letting me go. So Mary had to take her inside.

  I walked towards Zach’s car and got inside without paying attention to his car.

  He twisted his key in the ignition and ordered me to fasten my seat belt, which I did absentmindedly.

  Even though this place was never a home for me, I was attached to this place, to Simon, who had always been there for me. I turned my gaze from my house as he shifted the car into drive.

  Guards were standing at their usual spot. Tack gave me a small smile as we passed through the gate. I returned his smile.

  The moment we approached Simon’s house, I saw him standing outside his gate. He got up and rushed in front of us. I stole a glance at Zach who was looking straight ahead and requested “Please stop the car for ten minutes.”

  He took some time in stopping the car and muttered agitatedly without so much as turning in my direction “I don’t have all day for this. I am giving you two minutes to wrap up with that boy. After that, I myself will come and bring you back.”

  I glared at him to which his response was “100 seconds.”

  “100 seconds is no-”

  He intervened by raising his right hand, but continued to look ahead.“80 seconds.”

  I unfastened my belt and rushed out of his car as fast as my feet could take me. Simon met me halfway, his eyes were red. He had been crying. Tears started flowing from my eyes as well.

  He hugged me and whispered “I just want to say two things. Don’t think too much and try to be happy there.”

  “I don’t think too much and I will try to be happy. You are my only friend Simon. I wish you could accompany me to JC.” I mussitated while hugging him tightly.

  I heard, distantly, the car door opening and closing.

  With his left hand he placed something in my right jeans pocket. “It is for you." Then his eyes shifted behind me. "Your driver is coming. I have to say one more thing before you go. The kiss that we shared today, it did mean something.”

  What did it mean?

  I got out of his arms and looked into his eyes. I always saw him as a young boy. Today he was looking so matured for his age.

  To show my affection, I touched my lips to his cheek. The very next moment electric tingles shot through my body as I was pulled and carried away from my one and only friend. Realization made my eyes blurred even more with tears.

  Simon called from that place “I will call you and do think about what I said.”

  He opened my door, dumped me in my seat and fastened my seat belt. Then went to his side and got inside and slammed his door so hard that the whole car shook. He turned the key, and immediately the car's engine sprang to life.

  I closed my eyes and cherished the kiss I shared with my best friend.

  I felt loved

  and wanted.

  hYBrID VI

  In spite of the air conditioning running full blast there were days- like once or twice in a month when I woke up in the morning covered in sweat. So, I never paid much attention to such rare occurrences because no matter how perspiring my awakening had been, I always felt refreshed and fully rested afterwards. Plus, I never jolted out of the bed. It was like any normal day with only my sweat glands involved in these happenings. The rational part of my brain that could still be heard from time to time over my rusty head prompted me to ponder over it, but the rest of my brain and heart always refrained me from thinking about it. Even if I pay attention to such small things and try to address them by bringing it in front of my dad like I had once when I was seven years old, then all I ever got as an answer was It will all get better in time.

  and I believe him.... after all, he is my dad and he’s way more intelligent and experienced than me.

  Today was one of those days when I woke up like that and to my surprise I had been left alone in the middle of somewhere. In the beginning I was thrilled and ecstatic to find myself in this condition, and I had explored the place, which was not much- just trees and the empty road.

  But now I sensed the mild panic settling in.

  I didn’t know what to do. Where to go? How to contact my parents and brother? Why can’t my parents give me a normal working phone?

  Not a single soul had passed this area. There was no way of contacting them.

  I was saying the two words Jerk and bastard repeatedly in my mind while nervously scanning the place around me.

  Zach, He had abandoned me in the midst of god knows which place, leaving me with no choice but to curse him.

  Somehow my left hand found its way to my jeans and I found something.

  I took out the paper, opened it and a tear slipped down my face. It was Simon’s portrait. My one and only friend, who had always been there for me. But now, he was miles away….. I had no way of letting him know about my current situation.

  And suddenly everything became too much. I was scared, with no one to bail me out of this situation. No Sammy, Simon or even my parents.

  I felt sick and I got out of the car at lightning speed and dumped everything on the side of the empty road. My left hand was still clutching the paper so tightly, that It was impossible for it to stay in one piece. My right ha
nd was placed on the tree for supporting my weight.

  Once I had emptied the bagel that I had in the morning I felt so weak and physically drained of energy that I sat by the road with my back resting on the car.

  How could he leave me like this?

  Not once in my lifetime I had ever been truly alone and I didn’t like the feeling. Not one bit. I always had someone nearby. Be it Simon, Mary, or the guards.

  Unconsciously they had become my crutch.

  I had stopped crying but my cheek were wet with tears and that’s when Zach came out of nowhere. He was carrying two jerry cans.

  He had not deserted me. I was so glad to see him that I got up abruptly and raced towards him.I even forgot why I was cursing him earlier.