Episode 10

I stay silent. Only my eyes take a risk to wander over him warily as his figure wander over like a dark spirit, casting shadows on everything around him. He throws something in his locker as he swings it open. The intense energy emits from each of his neurotic movements. Shaden must be raging beneath the shield of his monotonous face. But what can I do? It's not my fault.

I still try to connect all the dots to understand why would everyone pull such a trick on us. This event was a swindle-- a carefully detailed evil scheme. That's even more difficult to grasp the true meaning of the motives behind Shaden's unjustified behavior. What am I supposed to do with it now?

"Go away, please." I snap at him, wiping the tear from my cheek with a bare hand but he merely shakes his head in my words having no impact on him.

"Ahm, ahm." He imitates an uncomfortable caugh. "Maybe you go away. It's kind of a male changing room." Shaden informs me and it's like the mist clears around me when I turn my head to observe the surrounding.

Indeed. I must have run into the boys' room by mistake but I still refuse to go until my parents take me away from here. I know they will call me back soon and dad will send me a taxi in the worst case.

"Do you need some water?" He questions, raising his brow at me as he stares one more time at my face with a pitiful look.

"Umm. I don't kn-" He throws a bottle with some orange liquid in my direction before I answer and I instinctively catch it but along with the unexpected attack, I feel the fuzzy drops soaks through the bottle throat and sprinkle on me.

"You didn't secure it well!" I yell, jumping off to only hear an insincere 'Oops' from him.

"This is not even my dress." I point out to make him instantly regret his trick but instead, it shudders a mocking laugh out of his chest.

"Then whose? Your grandma's wedding dress?"

How can somebody be this rude?

I fold my arms together, my face hardens as I look in one single dote in front of me with a blank stare as the party music beats through the wall.

"What are you doing?" I yell escapes from my mouth when the sound of the unbuckling belt rings in my ears and I perceive that this psycho begins to take off his clothes as if he just had a little chat with his imaginary friend and no one is here with him in the room.

"What a disrespect," I complain, closing my eyes with my hands, and waiting for this to finish fast but he to my dismay does it on the contrary extremely slow.

"Disrespect is when you left me like an idiot alone on the stage. That's totally unfair." He retorts and this response only makes me snort in awe.

Did I have to haul him behind me? Who is he to have this much sass? Seems I have already heard a similar chant. I can't even imagine my little brother grows up like this one day.

"So what, cutie? Do you think we will make a beautiful couple?" His face full of aggressive curiosity drawls closer to me as he squats down to get on my level where I sit on the secluded bench, shaking the tremors off in an attempt to figure out what is going on.

"No way it's even possible." I snarl, pulling my head to the side to avoid a direct encounter with his grey eyes he has been narrowing in a foxy manner ever since he decided to play with my patience.

I start developing a theory that he might be a witch in a male form.

"Oh no... Are you sad?" He pukers his lips, mimicking the way people usually talk to five-year-old kids or something. "So am I but everyone voted for us behind our backs. Now you are my girlfriend. Tell me, sweet cake. Am I your first boyfriend?"

"What?" I jolt up my head, shocked by such a declare and then stammer. "But it is not how it works." Peeved at his repetitive mantra, I manage to raise my tone at him, despite my principle to always treat people with respect.

"I don't need a self-proclaimed psychopathic boyfriend." I insist directly.

"Then whom do you need? A prince? Bruh. Maybe I would become a prince for you but if only fairytales were real and frogs could turn into princesses." He chuckles, protecting his position and trying to debate with me even though it's so unnecessary at the moment.

What do you imply?

"Talk for yourself." I grit my teeth at the way he says this bullshit in such a calm tone as I'm starting to disappoint in the human race even more.

"But it's not how it works. We are not a couple. There must be a mistake." I manage to raise my tone at him, despite the fact that I always treat people with respect. I don't even understand whom I crossed the road or did something bad for this all to tumble on my shoulders when I least expected it.

He ignores my rant, smiling like a fool, obviously emerging in his own stupid fantasies as he makes a move toward me.

I don't even understand whom I crossed the road or did something bad for this bitchy karma to tumble on my shoulders when I least expected it.

I can't utter a single word when he leans in crossing the dangerous zone of our distance. His soft whisper brushes across my neck, instantly sending the tingles to dance on my skin. "Maybe it's fate. And you can't run away from fate, can you?"

The next moment I remember... that I don't remember anything.

***

"Ouch." A painful yelp escapes my mouth when I hit my head on the backside of something rock-hard while trying to acquire a comfortable position and sit up like a normal person.

"Dad?" I exclaim when I realize I rip my eyelids from a nap and I'm already in a car and everything sorrowful is blurring past us as we move ahead. "Thanks for picking me up. I'm feeling so lousy." I slur through half-open eyes in a complaining voice, rubbing my hand against my forehead until I feel it heat up.

"Heheh. So fast you call me your daddy? I didn't know you are into those kinky things. But it's alright, you can call me that. I let you." The deep voice scoffs at my confusing behavior which makes me quickly realize it's not my dad.

I examine the saloon better and stumble upon a male shoe covered in dark red stains that looks relatively old.

"What is this?" I fold myself down to look at it.

"Hey. Don't you touch anything here if you don't want to leave your fingertips." He orders and I immediately yank my hands away and pull them close to myself to rub the goosebumps off my arms.

"What? Holy fuck!" I curse under my nose, exploring the saloon of the car which is clattered with more creepy stuff.

"Could you please bite your tongue and don't say all those bad words because cursing is ruining my current car aesthetic." He strikes me right away with instruction in a manner of haughty disdain.

"Who are you to order me?" I venture, annoyed by the fact that his presence only adds more rain to my already ruined parade.

"My car, my rules." He replies and that makes me roll my eyes.

"Where are you taking me, bastard?" I spit, skipping to the main issue that disturbs me.

"Home." He states but it still remains a big question for me.

"What home?" I demand but he ignores me when a song starts playing and I understand it's my ringtone and it must be emitting from my phone. I fidget on the seat to search for it but I have no idea where it is until I get a clue it's in Shaden's greedy hands when he speaks up, "Hello. Yes. Umm... I'm Shaden. Melanie's friend..."

Hey, mister. You are not my friend!

"Your daughter fell asleep at the party so I'm driving her home. We already discussed it with Mr. Sunley, her dad. Could you please remind me the address?" He continues in a sweet tone which makes me ponder on how quickly his young man can change his personalities.

I don't trust this dude. I need to take action before he drops me in some forest.

"Mom! Mom. It's a maniac. Take me home! Call the police. Do something." I reap my throat out in a shout, trying to be louder than the road noises mixed with the beeping sounds Shaden creates by honking the horn to muffle my hysteric down.

Smart enough.

He fakes a polite giggle while secretly gritting his teeth in aggravation, his anger at me rising higher than the car speed.

"Excuse me. Repeat, please. The traffic is unbearable here."