17. Revenge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17.   REVENGE

 

     I WOKE UP AT ELEVEN IN THE MORNING, SINCE I SLEPT PAST FOUR already�"but at least I finished the poem�" and I’m still a little dizzy.

     After I did my usual routine, I decided to go to Shane’s house to give Adam the poem, since, if I’m not corrected, tomorrow will be Arianna’s birthday.

     I was on my way to their house when I stopped the car to see Chace and Arianna sitting on the bench in the park where only counted people are strolling. I went out of my car to see what they’re doing, not that I care or anything, just for curiosity.

     “Hey,” I greeted.

     “Hi,” Chace said, taking his hand off Arianna’s waist.

     “So, what’re you guys doing here?” I asked, trying not to ask what my instinct tells me to do.

     “Um, just hanging around,”

     “Alone,”

     “Yes, but it’s not what you think... we’re just um... talking about... the new recipe,” he pressed his lips together. He’s really worst at lying.

 

 

♦148♦

     “Right,” I said, trying as simple as possible to tell him that there’s no way people would believe his stupid excuse, especially me.

     “C’mon, lets tell her already,” Adrianna muttered.

     “Tell me what?” I crossed my arms like a professor that caught two students cheating on her class.

     Adrianna looked to Chace then back to me, sigh, “We’re... we’re dating,” she closed her eyes.

     “What?”

     “I know that it’s wrong when I’m still with Adam, but... I can’t help it,” she breathed. “Chace is just so... irresistible,”

     “You’re cheating on Adam. Adam Cyrus... the guy who every girl fantasizes and could die for,”

     “Yes,” she took a deep breath, “You see, I don’t think our relationship can really work out. We’re too nice. He’s too nice. Relationships work out when two people understand each other, then they don’t, then they make up. It can be passionate�"”

     “You’re saying to me that relationships stay strong only because two people fight then make up.” I waited for her to nod then continue, “If you think that a relationship can be successful because of fights, well, you’re not in a healthy relationship,”

     “Hey, you two broke up, right?”

     “Yah, but still...”

     “Well, no offense, but I believe that you have nothing to do on whatever I want to do with my life.” she breathed. “It’s up to you if you’ll tell him. He won’t believe you anyway,” she said. Why did she change? Or maybe I didn’t really know the real Arianna, and today is the time for her to show it.

     “What?” I said insulted. “Aren’t you going to tell him?”

     “Not yet,”

     “Why?”

     “I like the popularity. Most people say that they hate paparazzi, well, I’m not like them. I like people knowing my name and talking about me.”

     “Until when will you do this?”

 

 

♦149♦

     “As long as I want to,” she breathed, “Why are you asking anyway? You used him too, right? If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t even be famous.”

     “What the...” I never had been insulted like this for my life. I closed my fist and tried to keep my cool. “I never used him,”

     “Admit it already. You only dated him just to be one of them,” she breathed, “Then, when you knew that you’re as famous as them already, you left the band and made your own name then you two broke up... and now, to make your name to be the most talk-about, you decided to date his brother instead,”

     I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I need to calm myself, or else I can slap the b***h in front of me. I opened my eyes then said, “I never used them like you... I thought you were...”

     “Different? Oh please,”

     “Chace?” I wanted to call a best friend for help; though I’m sure I can’t put my hopes up to him and if he’s really a best friend.

     “I’m sorry Alyson, but, I can’t...”

     “Fine...” I breathed, “Why do I care about you anyway? It’s Adam who’s going to be hurt, not me...”

     “That’s the spirit,” Arianna said.

     I sighed, “You’re right,” I choked the words out. “Well, I’ll leave you two now,”

     I went back to my car and started to drive. I can’t believe it. Arianna; the girl I thought who’s so sweet and innocent, like the ones who can’t hurt a fly. I guess some people can truly hide the real them.

     I headed to their house and this time, barged in to Adam’s room.

     “Hey, can’t you knock?” he said, tuning his guitar.

     “Oh, sorry.” I knocked on the door twice, “Happy?”

     “Close enough, so, you finished the poem?”

     “Yes,” I breathed. “But, I have a question to you first,”

     “What?”

     “Um, how well do you know Arianna?”

     “I know all about her,” he said, tuning his guitar again.

 

 

♦150♦

     “Really,” I breathed. I have no plans on taking this any longer, “Like, on whose she’s with today?”

     “Um, all her co-workers in the spices, obviously.”

     “No she’s not,”

     “Where is this conversation going?”

     I took two deep breaths. I don’t know how to deliver this to him smoothly, but I need to try. “She’s... she’s cheating on you,”

     “What?”

     “I... I saw her with Chace on the park,”

     “How can you be sure that they’re dating?” he put his guitar on the stand beside his bed.

     “I talked to them, to know if my suspicion is right,”

     “You’re lying,”

     “What? How can you be sure that she’s the little miss goodie-goodie that you know?”

     “She just called and asked me if I’m going to the restaurant and I said no,”

     “Did she even say that she’s in the restaurant? Of course she’s checking if you’re going to check on her. Don’t be stupid,”

     “She’s not checking on me. I believe her, period.”

     “Then go to the restaurant now and see if she’s there,”

     “Why do you care so much anyway?”

     I was speechless for a moment.

     “Don’t tell me you’re jealous of her�"”

     “No I’m not! Is it a sin to tell you the truth and not make you look like a fool with her?”

     “I can handle myself. If she’s cheating on me, I can know it by myself,”

     “Why the hell don’t you believe me? I’m trying to help you, and yet you don’t believe me!” I took the poem from my bag. “Fine. And here’s your stupid poem. I should’ve known that you would just give it to a user, then I shouldn’t have done it!” I threw it at him then walked out of the room.

     “Alyson wait,”

 

 

♦151♦

     “Shut up. You’re right, why should I care if she’s cheating on you anyway?” I walked down the stairs and straight to my car. Great. Two insult in one afternoon. What else can happen?

     He’s right. I thought. If Arianna cheats on him, then fine. It’s his problem, not mine. I shouldn’t be dealing with his relationship, right?

The car suddenly stopped near the spices. Great. I’m out of gas. Can this day get any worse?

     “Hey, is there a problem?” Jake asked as he leaned on my car window.

     “Um, I’m out of gas,” I opened the car door.

     “Oh, well, I can give you a ride,”

     “Thanks, but I’ll take the cab instead.” I smiled.

     “I insist.”

     “Well,”

     “C’mon, your house isn’t that far from here.”

     “Fine,” I said, since I have no choice anyway. The gas station is a few miles from here.

     “That’s my girl,”

     I went to his passenger’s seat, as he attached my car to his. I waited for him in the car, then all of a sudden, someone from the back covered the lower part of my face with a handkerchief�"with some butane on it�"that made me unconscious.

 

 

     I woke up as the heat of the light flashes to my face. I flickered around slightly then pretended to still sleep to wonder on where am I.

     “What are we going to do with that girl?” I heard a guy asked.

     “I’m not sure. Mr. Faro said he’ll use her.” Another guy said. Wait, Mr. Faro? Jake? How could he?

     “For kidnap for ransom?” the first guy asked again. I guess he’s curious as I am.

     “No, Jacob has too much money for that,”

     “Then what for?”

 

 

♦152♦

     “To seek revenge or somethin’...”

     “To who?” I thought the question the same time the first guy asked.

     “Could you two keep your mouth shut?” I heard Jake complained.

     I waited for a moment to know if they’re going to give me more information. When no one else spoke, I decided to wake up already.

     “Finally, you’re awake.” Jake said.

     “Where am I?” I asked, trying to untangle my tied hands. I finally had a better look of the place.

     The place is quite small, filthy, and dark except for the light placed just above me and the lamp on the old coffee table near to Jake. It seems to be more than a decade old, with water dripping from the roof, unfurnished walls with vandals written all over it, crawling cockroaches and some mice hiding.

     “Just on my so called lair,” he said proudly. I wonder how he can stand this place. I mean, for a multimillionaire artist like him, it seems impossible for him to be pictured in this kind of place.

     “Why am I here?”

     “Later you’ll see,”

     “Jake...”

     “What?”

     “I thought you’re...”

     “Nice? A gentleman? I am,” he knelt down beside of me.

     “Really, then if you’re what you said then...”

     “I just want to you to do a little favor for me.” he breathed, “You see, when we were kids, Adam was really stupid. He did a lot of things that made me curse him.”

     Wait, how did Adam get into this? I wanted to asked, but instead, “What did he do to you?” I looked at him then to my tangled feet.

     “I’m already going to that part,” he stood up. “He’s the reason why my parents died.”

     “What?”

 

 

♦153♦

 

    “In our house when we were playing hide and seek, dumb Adam hid to the kitchen. I don’t know how, but he burned our whole house and almost didn’t get out. My dad was the stupid heroic one who saved him but got his foot stuck on a cracked wooden floor. While my mom died inside too, since she was staying in their room when that happened and she has asthma and didn’t have the chance to go out...”

     I let his words sink in to me before I could say anything. “I’m really sorry about that, but, I don’t think revenge can do anything. I mean, it’s been a lot of years already,”

     “I tried to forget about it but never did. Every day of my life, that scenery, it just became clearer and clearer whenever I see that guy.” He sighed, “Remember when I said that I was supposed to be in their band? Now you know the real reason.”

     “But�"”

     “Alyson, just... don’t move later, okay? I don’t really want to hurt you,”

     I looked to his eyes. It’s from then that I saw that the Jake I know is still there, but he’s covered with the Jacob that is full of hatred and vengeance. “Jake, maybe there some other ways, or maybe, maybe you should really try to forget it. I mean, it already happened, and, let’s face it, we can’t do anything to bring them back again,”

     “I tried to have revenge before by beating them on the top chart, but I still can’t...”

     “See? You can totally beat them on the chart. Just, don’t be violent, please.”

     He was about to say something when I heard Adam’s voice. “Alyson, where are you?” he said.

     “Finally,” Jake said.

     “Alyson!”  He ran toward me then stopped when he noticed Jake.

     “Well, well, well.”

     “Let her go,” his voice was stiffed.

 

 

♦154♦

     “Oh, I will... after you die,” Jake said. And there’s no doubt that he not bluffing.

     All of a sudden, the two guys�" who were talking when I was pretending to sleep�"hit him with a bat from behind.

     “Adam!” I screamed.

     “I almost forgot, just one fight back and Alyson dies,”

     I flickered to Jake who’s holding a gun a few meters from my head.

     “What do you want?” Adam asked, standing up.

     “You know what I want,”

     “Twelve years...”

     “Doesn’t make a difference... it’s still the same.”

     “Fine. Do what you want; just, just don’t hurt her...”

     “Great. Boys, you know what to do,”

     The two guys started battering him, hitting with bat, wood and their fists, as if he’s there some kind of punching bag.

     I tried to untangle my hands but it’s too tight. “Adam, fight them! You know that you could beat five guys with your eyes closed!”

     “Yes Adam, fight them,” Jake said, putting one hand on my shoulder and placing the gun closer to my head.

     “No way,” Adam groaned.

     “You’re not yet in pain?” Jake asked, his tone fascinated more than bewildered.

     “Not even close... is that all you got?” he tried to stood up again as blood started running down his head. He wiped it swiftly, as if it’s only sweat to him.

     The guys continued to beat him, and almost like enjoying it.

     “Adam, why won’t you fight them...” I murmured, turning my head down as tears slowly flow down my face. It’s then that I know that I’m also the one who’s going to answer my question. I know that I’m hurting him right now. The same time I’m telling him to fight them, it’s the same time he’s trying not to, just to save me.

     “I can’t...” he whispered, almost inaudible.

 

 

♦155♦

     I trust Jake. I know that he can’t hurt me. As much as he wants to kill Adam, I know that he can’t hurt me. The real Jake is still in there.         

     “Why won’t you just trust me? You never trusted me, even before.” My hair covered my face as I continued to sob. It’s worst enough to see him dying without anything I can do about it, but I can’t believe that after all that happened, I’m still the stupid girl who’s helplessly in love with him.

     “Adam, do you know how to lose someone special?” Jake asked.

     “You said you won’t hurt her,” Adam murmured, now crawling.

     “Don’t worry, I won’t. I just want you to feel it, to be the one lost.” He pointed the gun at Adam. “Say goodbye, Mr. Cyrus,”

     “No!” I finally managed to untangle my hands from the chair. I don’t care about my life anymore, especially if he won’t be with me. I know that he doesn’t feel the same, but I want him alive.

     I leaped to him�"though my feet are still tied tightly�"the same time Jake clutched his gun twice. The first one hit me on my right arm, while the second to my back. My eyes closed slowly by itself, though I heard Jake shouted my name. After that, nothing else, it seems as if I was isolated from everyone else.

     What’s weird is, despite the pain I’m bearing, it’s like I’m disconnected with my body. My mind is now floating in my paradise. I found myself wearing a white dress in a garden full of red tulips and roses. I closed my eyes as I embraced the warm soothing breeze of summer.

     I dance and turn around again and again until I got pricked by some thorns that send me back to reality. I heard Shane’s voice, and suddenly, I felt being in someone’s arms. Could the conflict be over?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

♦156♦