Starstruck

by Yuriko Hime

  She placed a hand on my leg, making me look back to her. “I’m sorry Dulce. I was scared to admit my feelings for you. Popularity was everything to me. I thought everyone would hate me when they find out.”

  “Did you really love me? Or was I another kingdom that you wanted to conquer?”

  She bit her lower lip and hesitated. “I. . .” Looking away she whispered, “I really loved you. Still love you.” Denise cleared her throat. “You’re everything to me babe. Leave her. I can make you happy too.”

  I shook my head, watching as her face fell. “I can’t. I’m in love with her. I’m in love with your sister.” I caught the first stream of tears that dropped from her eyes, as I knew it would. It was all I could do for her now, to be honest and set her free so she could move on with her life.

  She cried quietly. Denise wasn't the type to show any weaknesses to other people, yet here she was with tears in her eyes. It was not something I enjoyed seeing. “Why can’t it be me that you’re in love with? With billions of people in this earth, you had to fall for my illegitimate sister. I hate her!” She wiped the tears angrily with the back of her hands.

  She was saying all these things yet I still couldn’t get mad at her. In fact, I felt sorry for her. “I can’t tell my heart who to love Denise. That’s just the way it works.” I said it clearly so she’d understand. “I can love you too, but not the way you want. That part of me will always be hers.”

  She pressed her body to me for a hug. Her cinnamon scent that I used to like engulfed me once again. “If Frio didn’t come along, or if I said yes when you confessed to me, did I really have a chance with you?”

  I thought about her question and answered as honestly as possible. “Yes. Because I knew that you’re a good person deep inside.” Denise froze. As if realizing for the first time that she lost something beautiful when she rejected me. I pushed her away. “It’s for that reason that I want you to promise me something.”

  Her lips trembled. “What?”

  “That you’ll take care of her for me.”

  Confusion lined her features. “What exactly are you saying?”

  I replaced my sunglasses. “I’ve decided to leave for France to study culinary. I want you to take care of your sister while I’m gone.”

  She showed how disgusted she was by the concept by moving away from me on the bench. “I can’t. I just can’t babe. How can you say that?” She glared at me but couldn’t do anything more. Because she loved me, she wouldn’t dare attack me like she did with Glace. What I was asking of her was insane, but I needed someone to look after my girlfriend. “I’d rather cut off my blonde hair than become Frio’s slave.”

  “You’re not going to be her slave,” I explained patiently. “I just want you to check on her from time to time when I’m away. You have a lot of friends Denise. She only has me. Can’t you do it for me?”

  “I can’t,” she answered with finality. “I hate her too much.”

  I placed my hand on her shoulder. “You’re just saying that. I know you’ll do it because I asked you to.” She pursed her lips.

  We stayed in a comfortable silence for a while, listening to the chirping of the birds, and the rustle of the leaves as the blowing of the wind made it dance on its place above us. “Why do you want to leave for France?” she said curiously.

  “It’s not that I want to. It’s more like I need to. Consider it an investment for the future.” I conveniently left out the part about how my life was permanently wrecked because she sent the picture of me and Glace to the paparazzi. There was no use making her guiltier than she already was. Besides, I really needed for her to take care of Glace.

  A glance on my watch informed me that we’ve been talking for two hours. It was time to go home to my future wife and savor what little time I had with her. I stood up from the bench and offered a hand to Denise. She took it, stunning me with a warm embrace as she stood. “I know you love her now. But I will work hard and prove to you someday that you can love me too. I will win you back.”

  I kissed her on the cheek. It was for goodbye. “Start proving that you’re worth it by taking care of her. Goodbye babe.” I walked away without a glance back.

  I was surprised to see my girlfriend swimming in the pool. She rarely used it nowadays, saying that she preferred running in the morning. Glace swam in my direction after seeing me. She floated on the edge. “Someone looks hot,” I said naughtily. I glanced pointedly at her cleavage that was displayed sexily behind her black string bikini. If only I could sing praises for the geniuses who invented that.

  “Look who’s talking,” she murmured suggestively. “Want to join me for a swim?”

  “Sure.” I pulled the top I was wearing over my head.

  “You’re not going to change into a swim suit?”

  “Nah,” I replied as I removed my sneakers and socks, followed by the jeans I was wearing. Without looking at her reaction, I jumped on the pool, resurfacing after a few seconds. Glace swam expertly to me. She pushed wet hair out of my face.

  “Well hello there sexy.” She smirked as her eyes trailed to my chest which was covered by my pink bra. “God Dulce, you’re so beautiful.”

  Her compliments never failed to make me blush. I splashed her with water to hide that I was smitten by what she said. “You said that last night,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around her neck, pulling her to me.

  “Don’t forget the night before that,” she whispered, touching my nose with hers.

  “Stop making my knees shake McKenzie. We’re in a pool.” Glace caught me by surprise when instead of replying, she nipped my lips softly with her teeth. My hormones went up the roof in seconds. “Baby,” I whispered as I felt her hands go behind my back, unclasping what was left of my clothes. I almost forgot my name when her tongue glided on my neck. The butterflies tried to break free from my stomach. “We’re out in the open. Someone might see.”

  “That’s why I had them construct high walls. And a gate,” she said, distracted as she began teasing her favorite spot on my chest. I gasped, letting her work her fingers magically.

  “I’m so horny right now,” I murmured. My back touched the wall of the pool. We were moving even if it didn’t feel like it.

  “Let me take care of that.” She grinned. Disappearing underwater, I watched fascinated as her hair bobbed on the surface of the pool before she submerged completely. The movement she made underneath made me grasp her shoulder tightly. I bit my lips and enjoyed her gentle teasing. She resurfaced to catch air. “Want another one Dulce?” Lust took over Glace’s features.

  She was so happy that I felt it wasn’t the right time to inform her about my decision. I’d tell her after. Giving her a slight nod, I hauled myself up from the pool. I made a come here motion with my finger. “I’m giving you five minutes to take me to bed.”

  Chapter 33. Creating Memories

  Dulce

  “Glace?” I called in the darkness. She didn’t answer. Running my hands on the satin covered mattress, I realized that the space on my left was empty. I rolled off the bed and grabbed the black sweater which has fallen on the floor.

  As I opened the door, my ears picked up on faint music, coming from one of the rooms. It was still dark outside. What was she doing up? My suspicions were confirmed when I headed to the music room. Glace was seated on the floor. Her eyes were closed as she played one of her favorite songs on the guitar. She stopped when I entered.

  “I recalled sleeping next to you. Why are you here?”

  “I don’t really know. I woke up and couldn’t go back to sleep so I went here.” She propped the guitar on the wall and wrapped her silk bathrobe snugly around her.

  Glace welcomed me with open arms when I went to sit on her lap. “Is there something on your mind baby?” I asked. She avoided my eyes. I had a feeling about what was bothering her. We haven’t discussed it yet. The thing about me leaving. And now she wanted to know, but was afraid to ask.

  I didn’t want to
beat around the bush anymore, as I was doing the past couple of days since I’ve decided. “I’m going to France.” The expression on her face as I said it told me everything I needed to know. She was crestfallen. Going abroad to study was their idea, but maybe she was secretly hoping that I’d stay here with her.

  Glace refused to stare in my direction for a minute or two. When she did, a lackluster smile was on her lips. But her eyes told a different story. Like she wanted to do nothing more than to beg me to stay. She didn’t though. My girlfriend was strong and mature. She understood that leaving was the right decision for my future. Our future. She breathed deeply before saying, “That’s great. You’ll have a lot of fun there. You’ll meet a lot of people. Learn a lot of things.” Her voice cracked. It was one of the saddest things I have heard so far, and it wasn't even a word.

  “Let’s not talk about it okay? Not yet.” Standing up from her lap, I held out a hand, giving her the wildest smile I could muster without looking so fake. For both our sakes. “Let’s go back to bed.” She followed me back to the room.

  I was the first one to wake up the next morning. Glace was still fast asleep, looking like the Goddess she was. Her pinkish lips were parted slightly. Her bare chest moved up and down in a gentle rhythm. I would miss this when I leave, seeing her asleep beside me. My heart squeezed painfully at the thought. Don’t be weak Dulce. You wanted this. So you could be a worthy Wendy for your Peter Pan.

  Taking care not to disturb Glace’s sleeping form, I got out of bed, replacing the comforter over my girlfriend so she wouldn’t get cold. It has been a long time since I made breakfast for her. She was always the one who would cook so early in the morning. I began to prepare breakfast in the kitchen which consisted of a sandwich, bacon, and strawberry smoothie. Though Glace was on a permanent diet and had a rigorous workout routine, she didn’t shy away from heavy breakfast, especially when I was the one who made it.

  “The amazing smell woke me up,” she said as she entered the kitchen. Glace sat in front of the counter. The sandwich was already there, waiting to be devoured by two very hungry females.

  “Have your coffee first.” I placed the hot mug in front of her.

  She took it with a look of gratitude and had a sip. “There’s nothing like the smell of coffee in the morning.”

  I kissed her on the forehead before sitting next to her. “Speak for yourself baby. You’re the one who smells like coffee.”

  “Don’t you just want to taste me because of that?” She looked smug.

  “Been there done that.”

  “Hey! You loved it. So don’t make it sound like a chore.” I raised my hands in surrender. She smiled in satisfaction and stared at the food. “So. . . I must have done something right to deserve this feast from you. It’s that or this is your way of saying goodbye.” My appetite vanished. “I’m right aren’t I?”

  “Glace. . .”

  “I know,” she said. “About your decision. Your mom told me after you called her. Don’t worry baby, I’m not mad at you for not telling me immediately. If anything, I’m proud of you for agreeing to do this.” She swallowed hard. “I’ll miss you though.”

  It took a while before I found my voice. It felt like I was choking, missing her already even though she was still in front of me. How could I survive not seeing her for the longest time? It was beyond me. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I said in an even tone. “Let’s cross the bridge when we get there. Right here, right now, I want to do everything that we’ve never done before.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “We met when we were 7 right?” She nodded. “Then we got separated and met each other again last year when we were 17. We haven’t had a date from ages 8 to 16.” Glace smiled, looking like she already knew what I was planning. “So,” I continued. “I want to do everything that we would have done when we were children until we’re 16. Consider it as catching up.”

  Glace's chair toppled to the floor when she suddenly stood. “Let’s do it now!”

  “Woah, slow down there cowgirl. We need to eat breakfast first.” I motioned to the sandwich. “Let’s not waste the food I prepared.”

  “Okay.” She attacked the bacon eagerly.

  That night, I walked to the kitchen with a silly smile on my face. “Do you want soda?” I opened the fridge. Glace was in the living room, preparing everything else while I was getting the snacks.

  “I don’t drink that,” she called back. “I asked Eris to buy that for you. Get me the juice instead please.”

  I grabbed a bottle of juice, a can of soda, and a pint of yogurt. I should have brought a bag. I kicked myself mentally as I opened the pantry next and got a box of Oreo and chips, balancing everything in my arms. Glace hurried to my side when I returned to the living room. She took half of my loot. “So much junk food,” she said with a frown.

  “You shouldn’t have bought it if you weren’t going to eat it.” Glace and Eris were such health freaks. No wonder they became good friends.

  “Hey, I bought that for you.” She pouted.

  “That’s so sweet of you.” I ducked low and entered the space we created, pushing the pillows aside with my foot so there would be room for the food on the floor.

  Glace followed right behind me. “I can’t believe we built a freaking blanket fort!" she exclaimed. "In the living room!” She sat on one of the pillows.

  I studied the walls of the fort as I slid beside her. Or the walls of blankets if you wanted to put it that way. It was so authentic. It even had Christmas lights all over to give us lighting. “I’m pretty sure that if we’ve been together when we were 8, we would have done the same thing.”

  “I totally would have done this with you.” There was a twinkle in her eyes. “So is this the part where we kiss?” Glace scooted closer, touching my elbow with hers.

  “No silly. This is the part where we watch horror movies.” Seeing her frown, I stuck my tongue at her. “The first kiss shouldn’t come until we’re 16.”

  “But we kissed when we were 7,” she complained.

  “It didn’t have tongue.” Her jaw fell, making me laugh. “Did you bring the laptop?”

  She still looked shocked as she nodded. “I’ve arranged it so we can stream Netflix. Which movie do you want to watch?”

  One hour into the film, I was shaking in fright, holding tightly to Glace as the possessed girl’s head twisted while she was saying these really creepy Latin words. My companion seemed to be enjoying herself. I forgot that she wasn’t easily scared, as evidenced by the time we went to the amusement park with Patty and Eris.

  “That wasn’t as scary as I thought,” she said after the movie.

  “Are you kidding? The girl vomited this green substance. How could it not be scary?”

  “That’s because you’re a scaredy cat,” she teased. “I’ll pick the next movie okay?”

  It was midnight when we fell asleep inside the blanket fort, locked in each other’s arms. We were like innocent children who didn’t have a care in the world. But that wasn’t true. We had a lot of problems. Things that children shouldn’t have to go through. Pretty soon we would be separated again. Peter Pan would have to wait for his wife to-be, while Wendy tries to fly on her own.

  Glace and I was up early the next day. We drove to a secluded area where no one would be around to recognize us. Our plan for today was a bit different. We didn’t want anyone to disturb us. We took a road where next to no one would pass by to have privacy.

  Parking the car on the side, Glace looked meaningfully to me before unbuckling her seatbelt. I did the same. “Are you sure you want to do this? she asked, wriggling her eyebrows. It made me laugh. She was being cute again.

  “It was my suggestion. I wouldn’t back down.” We opened our respective doors simultaneously and got out of the car. She jogged to the trunk. Her head disappeared as she scavenged for our toys for the day. I grabbed one without hesitation when she offered it to me.

  “What age are we toda
y Dulce?”

  “I’m pretty sure we’re ten. Have you tried this before?”

  “Nope.” She placed the pastel blue board on the ground before she closed the trunk and locked the car with her key. “I know how to surf. I had to learn for a movie. But penny boarding is new to me. You?”

  I set the neon pink board on the floor, stepping on it with my right foot. “I rode a skateboard once when I was a kid. Tim forced me and Patty to go with him because his crush at the time was a skateboarder.” I shrugged. “But that was long ago, and I’ve never tried the penny board before. Ready?” She nodded eagerly. Glace was as psyched as I was.

  Making sure the white backpack I had was secure behind me, I kicked my left foot on the ground and placed it on the board. I had to find my balance for a few minutes before I could truly enjoy the ride. On my right side, Glace looked like she was riding the Penny board all her life.

  “Yolo!” she hollered as she kicked on the ground with her right foot. I copied her movement so I could race next to her. It felt like we were flying. Looking up for a brief moment, I saw the trees swaying gently above us. The white top I was wearing clung to my body as the wind blew past me. Though it was summer already and was beginning to get hot, my outfit plus the air was enough to keep me cool. It was exactly what I needed.

  Minutes into the cruise, Glace and I found a shady area about ten meters off road. We stopped there so we could rest under the trees. Since there was no fence or signs, we could stay there as long as we wanted. I took out a blanket from my bag and spread it on the grass.

  Glace handed me a bottle of water. After gulping it down to my heart's content, I sat crossed leg on the blanket beside her. She was staring at the sky. The sun’s rays played with her hair, making me question if she was real or not. But I knew that this girl was in fact very much alive. She was beautiful, and she was mine.