2~who the hell are you

<p>Sarah...the first time I had seen her was inside the church's rest room. sleeves rolled up,she was washing her hands <br/><br/>Honestly I might have not glance her way if my eyes had not caught the red and black ink on her forearm<br/>Astonished my eyes darted to her face, a pretty girl with a thin face stared back at me <br/>Her head had tilted slightly, the corners of her mouth raised as she mouthed an "hello" I returned her greeting flustered to have been caught staring at her tattoos <br/><br/>through the mirror I saw that she rolled her sleeves down while leaving just in time before a woman rushed inside <br/><br/>After she left I had stared at my forearm then suddenly giggled.<br/>somehow the thought of if, just if, I got a tattoo and my father got to know about it crossed my mind <br/><br/><br/>The second time was during a sermon... she waved at me as if she just suddenly saw her long lost best friend <br/>Awkwardly I had looked away from her because I felt awkward <br/>later during the prayers I thought, perhaps I should have waved back...but still..a sermon was going on<br/><br/>The third time, the first thing she said was "your hair looks pretty...golden blonde"<br/>As she passed by me I smelt the faint smell of cigarettes<br/>Later I berated myself for not offering her the gum and perfume In my purse, because I thought her mum might know she had smoked <br/><br/>After that encounter , whenever she sees me in church she'll strike up a conversation or two which she mainly carries because I really dont talk a lot but still l enjoyed her company<br/><br/>My parents were quite happy when they see us together my father always talks about how sarah is always properly dressed,very prayerful in church dosent smoke dosent drink and even contributed ideas to topics during discussion<br/><br/>Oh Father..... <br/><br/>Also, I had met Sarah's mum Just twice,Sarah looks like her mother a lot the same tall height slender body and thin face<br/><br/>Sometimes sarah and I chat, well mainly her texting me<br/>All this happened in the duration of two <br/>Weeks <br/>So when my mum had told me the news of me staying over at my best friends house I was taken aback. when my mother had seen how confused I was she prompted further teasing with a "your best friend from church" which even got me more confused <br/><br/>I have a best friend from church? I racked my head and couldn't come up with anyone <br/><br/>She had given me an exasperated look "sarah of course!"<br/><br/>Oh...<br/><br/><br/>**<br/><br/>"Sarah tugged at my cheek"<br/><br/>"Whatcha thinkin bout" <br/><br/>"Nothing,your apartment looks nice" I almost whistled looking at the polished ornaments <br/><br/>She snorted leading me to the big kitchen island i could see my reflection on it<br/>"What would you like to drink" out of the big refrigerator she brought out an apple juice and a bottle of alcohol<br/><br/>She pushed it to me,opening a bottle for herself<br/>Honestly, looking at her right now is a little bit strange because she seem like a totally different girl minutes ago before my parent left <br/><br/>"I know its you" I quietly stated <br/><br/>She paused ,her bottle about to be raised to her mouth<br/><br/>"Me?..."<br/><br/>I sighed softly sitting down "you were the one that told your mum to -"<br/><br/>Sarah erupted in laughter interrupting me <br/><br/>I frowned slightly did I say anything funny <br/><br/>"Jesus, beth you're so funny of course it was me! Why would my mother suddenly ask you to come stay with me? Ha, I told her myself to ask your father" sarah grinned pinching my red cheeks<br/><br/>Strangely I also found it funny because I acted as if I solved a mystery <br/><br/>"What am I going to do with you" fondly she tried to pinch my cheeks again but I moved my cheeks away to a safe zone <br/><br/>"The house is so big and always boring,I once had another roommate but she dosent live here anymore so.." sarah took a gulp from her bottle. it might just be me but I thought she sound rather happy when talking about her roommate leaving <br/><br/>"Well you're here now we can go shopping,to my favourite restaurant, picknicks,parties...what?" A knowing smile grew on her face as she asked innocently <br/><br/>Blankly I stated "I dont drink"<br/><br/>She laughed as if I said something funny<br/><br/>Over alcohol and apple juice we discussed. I had wanted to prepare dinner but she pushed me off shooing me away to my room to unpack saying she'll handle the cooking <br/><br/>My phone beeped,six messages from my parent and two from Daniel which  I quickly replied<br/><br/>My room has a large window from which I could see the view of the city below.<br/><br/> its pretty.<br/><br/>Theres a glass door walk in closet that I found rather too big since I really did not bring Tons of luggage,but still I am grateful <br/><br/>It had taken me a little while to carefully and meticulously unpack my things,making sure they were orderly <br/>All my books were stacked on the reading table in alphabetical order<br/>My clothes separated properly according to the types And my shoes properly paired up with no single of the pair sitting longer than the other <br/><br/>I like it that way<br/><br/>also my small painting supply had been brought with me.<br/>in my free time I love to paint,and I had also brought along the two portraits I was painting <br/>One of the scenery behind my house <br/>The other of James ,my boyfriend...<br/><br/>It had taken me a long time to finish. after I showered in the big bathroom,I could see my distorted reflection on the bronze tiles <br/>Standing in front of the large oval mirror a small and pale face stared back at me,my blue green eyes looked like they were taking up too much space on my face<br/>A knock on the draw drew my gaze away from the mirror <br/><br/>"I am coming"<br/><br/>Wiping my hand on a towel I went ahead to open the door<br/><br/>Sarah looked rather haggard, the smell of burnt meal diffused to my room<br/><br/>Sheepishly she scarched her neck" "ahem..how about some help?"<br/><br/>"You should have just let me to cook in the first place" i concernedly said following her back to the horror of a kitchen<br/><br/>It was mess, smoke still waft out of the blackened pan,ingredient and spice scattered everywhere <br/><br/>It was obvious she didnt know how to cook.but still, I appreciated her effort<br/><br/>Sarah is really a good roommate <br/><br/>After I saved dinner we had eaten,she invited me to watch tv but I had been feeling sleepy so I refused. <br/>going back to my room, after praying, <br/>I slept off <br/><br/>The rumbling inside my stomach woke me, my stomach felt funny. I think it's because I used the sauce sarah made. I should have just prepared another one myself <br/><br/>Stepping off the bed I decided to get water because my throat was dry and scratchy <br/><br/>The light was dim but I could still navigate my way around the big apartment.<br/>opening the fridge the cool air was refreshing, the cool water I gulped even felt better <br/><br/>I poured some more into the glass cup,only when I closed the fridge did I realise at the side of the fridge was a paper pasted with tiny writings on it moving closer i squinted my eyes trying to read it<br/><br/>"Who the hell are you?"<br/><br/>I startled so hard the glass sliped slipped through my hand and fell with a chatter,the water I was about swallowing choked me <br/><br/>Abruptly I whirled around,my eyes watering from several bouts of coughing <br/><br/>Shrouded Halfway in the shadow,half in the dim light my gaze fell on a tall figure reclined against the wall,his arms folded across his chest <br/><br/><br/>_______________________<br/><br/><br/>you see,I had been in an all girls catholic boarding school and even during holidays  when I am at home I rarely go out since my dad does not allow us going around town aimlessly and I'm also fine with that,I like the quiet of my room<br/><br/>It was Only when I graduated highschool did I started being at least a bit social that was when i met James my boyfriend<br/> actually my mother had introduced me to him he was the choir leader and he is five years older than I am <br/><br/>I really do not have interactions with the opposite gender <br/><br/>that is why This tall man who I couldn't see clearly because of the dim light intimidated me to a point that I  felt my fingers shook<br/><br/>He asked again slowly as if I'm retarded "you are?"<br/><br/>"Beth...your girlfriends roomate  " I even suprised myself with how firm my voice came out <br/><br/>I saw his head tilt quizically,but he didn't say anything. but somehow out of the dark I knew his eyes were shooting daggers at me from head to toe <br/><br/>Only when I heard the pitter patter of footsteps did I feel as if a rock was lifted off my shoulder <br/><br/>"Beth,did you come downstairs for something you-oh my God benjamin!" sarah was suprised, squealing she huged her boyfriend and I made sure to quickly look away, <br/><br/>"You should have told me you were coming over" I could hear a slight weirdness in her voice <br/><br/>His head was still directed towards my direction,the hostility in his voice quite evident <br/>"Sarah, didn't we agree you weren't going to bring in anymore stray animal's? what's with you and bring these lowlives here?"<br/><br/>Hearing this, it seems the breath was knocked out of me.<br/>shifting from one feet to another my hand tugged at the hem of my pyjamas a feeling I couldn't understand came over me, it seems liquid metal were poured into my chest flowing down into my arm till I tightened my fist<br/><br/>Me? lowlive?<br/><br/>"ben! What The hell? you want me to stay alone in this big ass apartment alone?wouldn't I just run mad?<br/><br/>"You have me" his low mellow voice came out calmly <br/><br/>Sarah laughed mockingly"you? As if you are counted as any company!"<br/><br/>"Fuck sarah... Have you forgotten what your last roomate did" <br/><br/>the thing that chilled me the most wasnt the anger in his voice but the way everything he said came out in a rather calm tone not once has he raised his voice, it was like a turbulent water behind high walls <br/><br/>Sarah rolled her eyes, infuriated she walking to me holding my shoulders "ben this is beth, a nice and sweet girl I met in church, this is Beth Not tiffany!" As if explaining to an elementary school kid she emphasized <br/>ⁿ..."<br/>All this while I made sure I kept my head bowed,I've learnt it worked.whenever father has a fit of his temper at dinner if I put my head down and pretend I'm not there he wont notice me or pay me attention<br/><br/>only when the gentle and almost inaudible tap of feet receded indicating that the boyfriend had left the kitchen  then did I look up, sarah let out a sigh <br/><br/>"Are you okay, I'm sorry he was so rude" she scoffed then suddenly look down<br/><br/>"Jesus! beth you're bleeding!" I slowly  look down mind still unfocused. On the floor the glass which had broken earlier had cut my feet <br/><br/>In a second she came back holding a small box with her <br/><br/>Pushing me down on the kitchen stool Sarah started cleaning my feets with antiseptic while saying words I couldn't even focus on properly <br/>I was still a little shocked because all my life I've never been treated with so much hostility by a stranger <br/><br/>But I didnt do anything...he called me a stray animal...<br/><br/>Absentmindedly i mumbled some words out, "why didnt you tell your boyfriend...." <br/><br/>Sarah paused looking up,she had switched on the light earlier when she went to get the first aid box so I could see the frown etched on her face <br/><br/>"benjamin is not my boyfriend,he's my brother. Her tone firm.<br/><br/>Oh...<br/><br/><br/><br/>She sighed seeming stressed,her hair messy form being raked with her slender manicured fingers.<br/> looking up at me she apologized<br/><br/> "look I'm so sorry okay?.he's usually not like this"  then she paused,looking rather thoughtfully <br/><br/>"okay he's usually worst than this" she confessed matter of factedly <br/><br/>I sucked in a sharp breath<br/><br/>But she quickly assured me smiling "no no dont worry,my brother isnt anything I cant handle and i wont let him bother you he also goes to our uni he is a senior"<br/><br/>I nodded, but inside my head I was thinking perhaps I should call my parent so I could live in the dorm. <br/>I'm not comfortable living in the same house with someone that dosent want me here<br/><br/>"And it's not like he'll be staying here always...he probably had a fight with... that's why he came here" sarah gently  seized my knee<br/><br/>With?<br/><br/>My mood seem to brightned a bit but quickly went sour when she said <br/>"...Although this is actually his own apartment"<br/><br/>Since this is his apartment Dosent that mean he can do whatever he want?<br/>I even found myself thinking of a worst case scenario of him throwing me out of the house on a cold freezing night.<br/>his face which in my memory was totally unmakable because the light was dim had a wicked smile on it and two devil horn while holding a pitch fork as I beg him to let me back into the house <br/><br/>I nodded absentmindedly at Sarah's chattering <br/><br/>Throughout the rest of the night I couldn't sleep a wink <br/>Sometimes I have to stop my self from almost sending a text to my parent<br/>I know it wouldn't end well <br/><br/>Later I plucked in my earphones listening to the soft hymn sang by the choir <br/><br/>My ears filled with melodic and harmonic hums I dozed off<br/><br/>******<br/><br/>The ray of the light seeping through the curtain  woke me up. squinting, I groaned getting off bed<br/><br/>After my prayer I sent a good morning text to my parent,freshened up I decided to pack my hair up <br/><br/>For a while I sat on my bed  hands meekly placed on my tighs. I contemplated if I should go downstairs or not because I was scared of seeing Sarah's brother <br/><br/>Almost when I was finalizing my decision My stomach rumbled,it seems the decision has been made for me <br/><br/>Soon I found myself walking through the long hallway with a slight limp because my wound was throbbing, walking out of the hallway towards the kitchen my gaze first landed on  Sarah's back  turned to me.  I guess she was cooking...she was cooking?<br/><br/>Then my gaze moved on to the boy sitting at the extreme end of the island which i had previously missed before  <br/><br/>There he sat,  a book was held in front of him.<br/>I was taken aback by the  glasses he had on which rather gave him a refined look and contrasted with his..his peculiar personality <br/><br/>benjamin  was dressed as if he was going out because a coat was draped over the chair and he had on a black long sleeve turtle neck <br/><br/>I pinched the inside of my palm trying to calm my timid mind <br/><br/>His gaze suddenly shot towards me and I had automatically voiced a "good morning"<br/>Not even sparing me a second glance he looked away uninterested <br/><br/>Only then did I realise I had whispered and he couldn't have heard me<br/><br/>I pinched the inside of my palm again<br/><br/>Even If Sarah had not told me hes not her boyfriend then I might have figured it out myself seeing his face in the clear light of the day <br/><br/>They looked alike and at the same time time they dont.<br/><br/>Unlike Sarah's olive completion he was pale. His skin like well polished white jade and in the milliseconds when he had turned his face towards me I noticed he seem to perhaps be of mixed race? his eyes were deep and slightly monolided with a winged brow giving it a sharp edge. His hair was a startling coal black the same shade as his eyes,lose locks of hair fell at at the  side of his face,strands framing a stubborn jaw, <br/><br/>he is very attractive but his personality i would say, is very ugly <br/><br/><br/><br/><br/><br/>I mustered up all the courage I could then stepped Into the kitchen <br/><br/>"Good morning" this time i made sure my voice was firm, loud and clear <br/><br/>Sarah abruptly turned, suprised.  in her hand was a spatula she had been using to flip a pancake she quickly came to give me a warm hug patting and rubbing my back as if giving me the courage <br/><br/>Perhaps she knew ill'd be needing a lot of it  especially with the boy sitting opposite me ozzing hostility and annoyance</p>