#11

“Promise me?”

Chapter 3: His Lips

I fiddled with the handkerchief as I stared out to the open blue of the sky.

I hadn’t received any of his notes this morning, then again, he might be busy.

“Morgan!” my teacher called out my name.

I snapped out from my day dreaming.

“Read out the paragraph your friend, Mindy, has just ended.”

I gulped, obviously not knowing where in the world Mindy has read. I looked around desperately, hoping someone in class is kind enough to give me some hint or something.

“Miss? I believe there is a teacher’s briefing for tomorrow’s carnival.” A voice called out.

Both the teacher and I looked at the speaker and to my surprise was Leon, the outgoing, funny, good looking guy in my class. In fact, he was voted Most Good Looking and Hot Stuff for junior prom. He caught me looking at him and winked his wasabi green eyes.

“Oh yes, thank you, Leon.” The teacher said after checking her watch. She gave me the evil eye and walked out of the classroom. I mouthed thanks to him and sat awkwardly down, unto my sit, feeling warm blood on my cheeks and I realized I was blushing.

“Like, oh my God, Leon!” Cynthia, the girl bitch in my class cried out as soon as teacher walked out of the room. “Are you, like, ready for the Spring Carnival tomorrow? Because I’m totally free to go with you, if you want, that is.” She started at Leon.

The reason why she spoke out loud is because she wants him to go with her and not to choose if he should go with her. Everyone in the room was staring at the couple; Leon’s friends urged him to go with her; Cynthia’s friends were giggling; I fiddling with the handkerchief and wondered if my mysterious friend would like to come along for the carnival? Or maybe he is still shy to not show his face.

Leon hesitated.

Cynthia’s started to wailed.

Everyone stared at me.

With their mouth wide open.

I, too, was shocked when I heard what Leon had to say.

“I promised Morgan I’m going with her. Right, Morgan?”

My jaw dropped and saw Leon was pleading silently with his green eyes. If I said yes, Cynthia will give me a hard time in school; after all, she’s Miss Popularity and I’m Miss Nobody.  Then again, Leon saved me; I should return the favor, even if it’s putting up with a snob like Cynthia.

“Yeah, I thought you’ve forgotten about it.” I said and smiled my best, best, best smile I can manage.

Cynthia gave me the evil eye and she started whispering to her fellow cheerleaders;

Leon smiled at me;

My two close friends, Roy and Clarisse, were looking at me.

“So, what’s the scoop? Did you really ask Leon to the carnival tomorrow?” Roy said as soon as we headed out to my locker.

I shrugged, figured if I told them the truth, they’ll spread it and it’s not worth it.

“Oh, come one Morgy.” Clarisse begged me.

“Something like that,” I muttered as I opened my locker, my heart was filled with hope. Hoping he’ll leave me a note.

A piece of yellow paper was all I saw. I snatched the paper, hoping Roy and Clarisse did not see it. I opened the note and my hopes were shattered for it was not him, it was someone else.

Hey, can you meet me at the Cherry Blossoms tree?

Leon

Did I say my hope was shattered? Well, maybe not shattered, but was put down, I guess.  I wondered what Leon wants from Little Miss Nobody. Plus, why didn’t he send me a note? I remembered putting notes at places where he used to put his notes at. I sighed, put my books in my locker and walked towards the Cherry Blossoms tree which was planted behind the school.

“Hey,” Leon greeted me when he saw my arriving.

I gasped, taken back by the view I saw. Leon was leaning on the Cherry Blossom tree while playing with one of its flower. His hair swayed softly with the breeze, his wasabi green eyes was fully focused on the flower he was playing with. No wonder he was voted as Most Good Looking and Hot Stuff.  He looked up and smiled at me when he heard me approached and it caused me to have a mini heart attack.

“Hey,” I said, standing ten feet away from him yet still under the tree.

He took a few steps towards me, five, maybe?

“Um, there is something I would like to tell you,” Leon said.

“Oh, don’t worry about that, it was nothing. After all, you saved me from the teacher.” I said, thinking it’s about the incident that happened earlier on.

“Well, yeah, and I would like to thank you,” he took a few more steps towards me.

“I told you, it’s okay,”

“Hear me out.” He stood in front of me. I could hardly breathe, afraid that the sound of my breath will disrupt whatever he wanted to say.

“Will you really come with me to the Carnival? It’s okay if you said no though, I don’t mind, really. In fact, do you have a date to go?”

My heart thumped really hard. Did he just asked me to the Carnival? Am I dreaming this? Why can’t my heart stop beating really hard?

“Morgan?”

“Y-yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes, I would like to go with you to the Carnival,” words just poured out without my control.

He took a step towards me; he was so close to me until I could feel his warmth. He reached out his right hand and tilted my head up so he could look at me in the eyes.

He then put the flower on my ear and smoothed my hair. He then whispered closely to my ear; just two simple words and the way his voice sounds like caused my heart to melt.

“Thank you.”

I lay on the roof top, trying to block out my thoughts about Leon while counting the stars. I closed my eyes, trying to block out all the thoughts swirling in my head. Apparently, counting stars isn’t a good idea; it gives you a headache and it will not block out thoughts.

Suddenly, a dark shadow loomed over me.

“Don’t open your eyes,”

It’s him! He came!

“Where were you? Why didn’t you reply my notes?” question starts to flow out of my mouth like a running water.

I rolled to my side, not wanting to look at the face of disappointment and despair.

I felt him shifted his position and he sat beside me. His back was facing me though.

“I’m busy, Red Rose. But I’ve read your notes. I apologized for not writing back to you.”

He sounded hurt. I got up and turned towards him and I put my arms around him, as though I’m hugging him from behind.

“No, it’s my fault for saying those things. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being so whiny just now.” His warmth seeped through me; his jacket felt warm and his hair was soft upon my crying eyes.

“My Red Rose,” he turned and my heart skipped a beat.

This is it, this will be the night I am able to see how he looks like. But much to my disappointment, the moon was behind a gigantic cloud, sending everything into dark.  He laughed when he saw my face changed into a disappointed face. His laughter sounded so soft. His laughing voice caused the night birds to stop singing, as though they would like to hear this beautiful music filled the air.

“Don’t be sad, you’ll soon one day see how I look like. The time will come.”

He reached out and wiped a teardrop from my cheek and rests his hand there.

“Though, Red Rose, I have a bad feeling about this Leon.”

I gasped.

“Ah, yes, I do know him. In fact, I know about his background and everything. Don’t be surprised. I saw him put a flower in your hair and if I’m not mistaken, you brought it home with you.”

Quick and graceful as a cat, he got up and went into my room. I rushed behind him.

How does he know? I couldn’t feel his presence like I used too. Did he develop something new so I can’t feel him nearby?

“Ah, here it is.”

I saw him took the flower out of a crystal vase which was next to my bed. 

“I was hoping I was wrong,” he sighed.

I stood there like a dummy when he put the Sakura (cherry blossoms in Japanese) back in the vase. He walked passed me and climbed through the window.

Tears started to flow down my cheeks.

Did I make him mad by bringing home the flower?

Or maybe it’s the encounter by Leon?

“Wait!” I cried and turned around.

I found his nose inches away from mine. I could see his nose! Maybe if I would look up, I could see his face? I looked up and saw darkness. His shadow was able to block everything else except his nose. I sighed.

“Red Rose,” he said softly.

“Don’t cry. I’m not mad, just… just upset over something so minor; you’ll laugh out loud if I would have told you,”

“Tell me then,” I hiccupped.

He hesitated.

“Promise me something, Red Rose,”

“Promise me that you will not change how you feel about me. No matter if you feel so negative about me right now, don’t change it?” he begged.

“I-I don’t have any negative thoughts about you,” I stammered, realizing how close his lips were from mine.

“Good,” he smiled and planted a soft kiss upon my cold one.

“Promise me that you’ll not go to the Carnival with him?” this time, he said it softly.

“W-what?”

“Promise me?”

“I-I”

He sighed and walked away, I stood there, stoned by what he just said. I can’t promise him that for I’ve promised Leon I would go to the Carnival with him.

“See you soon,” with those words; he disappeared into the inky black night.

As I clambered onto my bed, I found a red rose on my pillow. Thus, it caused thoughts swirling in my head like a rushing river.

I picked up the flower, hugged it closed to me like it’s my protector, ignoring the pain that the thorn caused upon me. I clambered unto my bed and there I lay, still holding unto the rose.

What should I do?

Which should I choose?

Why me?

He felt really bad when he walked towards his home. He felt as though he just made her promise something she will not do. Those words just flew out of his mouth and as soon as he said it, he regretted and yet he still pestered her, forcing her to make that particular promise by saying ‘promise me’. True, he thought about that, but he really didn’t mean to say it out loud.

“IT JUST SLIPPED OUT!” he yelled into the dark, dark sky.

“I DIDN’T MEAN TO!” he fell onto both his knees; his balled his fists really tight.

Somewhere, he heard a lightning crackled. He looked up and saw a dark blue bolt streaked across the starry sky.

He is a trained professional; he should know how to control the words he should say.

“I’M SUCH A FOOL!” he bellowed when the thunder boomed at the same time.

He was shocked at himself, really. He never knew he had such a temper and such selfishness in him. He really wanted her to be his and his only. After all, he never liked sharing his things with others in the first place anyways.

He pounded both his fists on the gravel as the rain started pouring down.

He didn’t care.

He didn’t care if he would get sick the next day or how cold the rain was.

He didn’t care if the lightning would strike him. No, he didn’t care about anything as foolish as that. All he could think of is Morgan.

His Morgan, his Red Rose.

A selfish bastard, that’s what I am.

He faced the sky and screamed as loud as he could.

And yet his sorrow was drowned by the thunder.

He got up and continued his journey home.

Foolish!

He opened the door,

“I’m home,” he called out to the empty house.

He thudded to his room and lay on his bed with a thump after he changed into dry clothes. He honestly was busy.

Yeah, busy killing those assassins; busy keeping them away from Morgan, from hurting her.

He gripped his right arm, the part where he got sliced by one of the assassins. But it’s his own fault, really, for playing with them like a cat with a mouse and not finishing them off as soon as possible. He got up and went to the medicine cupboard to put some ointment on the cut.

“That’s one ugly cut,” a female voice said.

“Yeah well, at least it didn’t scar my face,” he said as he applied the ointment.

He heard her growl.

“Come one, don’t be like that, baby.”

He sighed, how many bloody times must he drilled into that redhead’s brain to not call him baby.

“Why not sit down and I help you apply?” he voice may sound sincere to others but to him, it sounded like venom.

“Don’t you have something else to do?” he said as he passed the ointment.

“Are you out of your mind? It’s freaking pouring out there.”

I’m not, you are.

They both sat on the bed while Miss Redhead was applying ointment onto his naked chest where there was a small cut rests.

The redhead then put the ointment on the floor. She looked at him in the eyes and she placed her hand on his right chest, where his heart beats.

She slowly pushed him down on the bed as she tower over him.

Her eyes, a pair of baby blues, were locked onto his onyxes. He could not break free no matter how hard he tried. It seems like his muscles has been drained. Slowly, she leaned onto him and kissed him on the lips. It felt good, really good. But he knew he was betraying his Red Rose. He pushed her off him and Redhead landed on the carpet. He sat down and turned so his back would face her.

“Why don’t you understand that I love you!?” she wailed.

“From the very beginning, I’ve tried my best to make you happy! You’ve changed! You’ve changed a lot!”

She paused.

Thunder boomed.

“It’s because of her, right?” he voice now soft.

“Ever since you’ve met her, you changed. Last time it was just me and you against the world and now you’ve thrown me aside when you now have a new toy.”

Get out now before I lose my temper.

“Morgy,” she said with much disgust.

“I will not lose to her, I swear I won’t!”

With a flash of lightning, the Redhead was no longer where she stood. He was alone, again. He sighed, thanks for summing up my problems.

He sets his alarm at six in the morning, just a few minutes before the sun rise.