CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Jenny

I slept my entire time throughout the week. With no school on my mind I felt relaxed and relieved.

I thought of Carlos Jeffrey and everyday and couldn't wait for Saturday night to come already.

I visited my college's website on Monday to go through my application again.

I couldn't wait to have it confirmed so that I'd fulfil my dream of becoming a journalist.

Since I was little, my father always called me the curious cat and my mother would laugh it off saying I'll grow up and become a beautiful reporter.

On Tuesday, I had a video call on Skype with Isha. She apologized for abruptly leaving without any goodbyes.

'That day at the party, I received a call from my mom that we were being vacated out of the house and that's when we just went back to Iran. Am so sorry for not being in contact....Settling down in the foreign country wasn't as peaceful as I thought I'd be....'

'Its okay Isha...am just glad you're fine.'

I was sad to hear that she left America but knowing she was safe was good.

Having Isha around was really beautiful for me and knowing that people like her existed was an even bigger realisation. I considered myself fortunate to have my path cross with her's.

On Wednesday, I binge watched all my favourite movies all day long.

I Ate a bunch of junk foods and my room has never been messy.

Two more days until Carlos pays me a visit. I had time to work things out.

On Thursday, I went shopping with Kailani.

Her internship was going on so well and she sold her very first condominium, with the help of my father of course.

We went out to celebrate her first victory and for once I was happy Georgina Morgan didn't dare show her face.

Looks like the earful I gave her last time was enough to get her to silently walk away.

How I wished she'd let my dad live in peace with Kailani.....

Yesterday, being a Friday, I thought I would take sometime to talk to my father.

I had a lot of things on the list that I needed to let out on him.

He had to listen and I had to do the talking. For a while now, I'd observed that things in our house and our lives were gradually changing and there wouldn't be a way out if we kept our stability.

We've lived here for a year and haven't moved yet. Something was not right...

We never overstayed in a place like with have but something gave me a glimmering hope that it would be alright.

Finally, the day I waited for for so long arrived.

Unlike some other teenagers, I spent the entire day sleeping hoping I'd reserve energy for the night.

That evening, I was bored when Georgina Morgan came over.

I asked my dad to go out with her as I was having a friend over but he didn't listen to me.

He said they had business to deal with and they had to do it at home.

I so hoped he was planning on breaking up with her. I mean I already knew nothing was up between them, but since someone was being such a pushover about it, she had to face the consequences.

Georgina Morgan the bitch!

I took a bath at 7 in the evening. I wanted to be fresh the moment Carlos comes home.

I wore a black tank top that walk way my trunk, acid blue denim jean by short that almost covered up the bare part of my trunk although not entirely. I loved that a part of my waist was showing between my top and my shorts.

I wore my hair in a ponytail with a few strands falling off my face but the way Kris does it with her long hair.

She looks dashing and I hoped I'd look equally beautiful.

With no make up on, I just applied some pink lipgloss and pushed my feet into some fluffy slides.

Seated on my dressing table, I loved just how I looked.

Head to toe, I looked totally different.

Just like Kailani put it, I'll have to embrace this new me. The me that I am when without hats, without bodyguards, without shields and walls.

Just a beautiful girl living her life, blooming like a sunflower.

"Ma'am...there's someone here for you..." Anila knocked on my door and I turned to face her.

I got up and walked toward the door.

"You look.... beautiful...." her tone was assuring and I didn't have to doubt my self esteem anymore. I met Richie at the door who guided me down the stairs and to the main entrance.

I crossed my hands beneath my small bust and pursed my lips.

I watched him look like the best version of Jace Norman there is.

His height peaked and he almost smashed against the ceiling.

I wasn't wearing my boots and I looked even shorter when I stand next to him.

"Hey...." I greeted him trying to keep it modest.

"Hello to the hot Draculaura...." there was something about his smile that got me feeling butterflies in my stomach. He got out of the car and being the good boy he is, didn't forget to thank the driver before he drove off.

Standing on the top the staircase, I looked at him walk up to me and it felt as though I was his bride waiting at the altar.

"Keep your distance from me....at most 2 meters...." I grinned as he got to where I was standing.

"Am not promising but I'll try...." he held my hand and we walked into the house.

Holding his hand like that, I felt somewhat secure. It felt as though I couldn't be defeated standing next to him, as though I owned the whole world and everything was at my reach.

It felt like I'd see the stars in a blink and have the whole world revolving at my feet.

It felt....amazing.....

We walked in and thankfully there was no one in the living room.

"No bodyguards around???" he asked and I span my head to stare at him.

"Shut up",I narrowed my eyes and he laughed.

"Look who's here???" Georgina Morgan came in from the kitchen and I rolled my eyes.

"Oh My God....you're Georgina Morgan...my mother's a huge fan of yours...." Carlos blurted and God, he had just the most awful timing.

"Oh really??" she asked politely and I raised my eyebrows as though in wonder. Politeness wasn't her face and I could feel her trembling.

"Yes yes...may I please take an autograph?? I can't just go without taking one...my mother will be very disappointed...."

"Sure sure....a selfie maybe? Or a picture.... Jennifer can help us with that, right Jennifer???" she turned to me and shot lasers at me.

Her gray eyes shone in the room and I felt suffocated.

Carlos was naive and didn't know what was going on.

She was using him as a pawn to get back at me although I didn't understand how.

"Umm....sure...." I smiled. "But maybe later...come on...." I grabbed his hand and dragged him up the stairs with me.

I got to my room and the moment I got there, I had the door shut and instructed Anila to give me a call if anything came up.

"Well...that wasn't very peppy...", he shrugged his shoulders as he sat on my bed. I walked to my dressing table and leaned on it looking at him from that angle.

"That woman is a witch!" I screamed only to get a half laugh from him.

"It feels good to know that am not the only one in a fight with you....at least someone else has to out up with your poison asides me...That way, there's a guarantee that I might come out alive...." he rested his hands on his knees and looked at me.

I didn't laugh although I wanted to.

He wasn't laughing or smiling and that made me look at his given speech from the serious perspective.

"You know I can't tell with you..." I waved my hands in the air and pulled out the chair to sit on.

"Can't tell what??"

"When you're being sarcastic and when your being serious..."

"How would you know, you're always fighting with me...." he replied while looking around my room. He had his hair in a ponytail today and I realised we were matching. I was also wearing a ponytail but then, I pulled it off and had my hair flashing all over my face.

He stood up from his seat and walked about everywhere.

Freeman Carlos Jeffrey.

"Quiet a room you have here....." he sank his hands in his front pockets and looked at me. He looked away and I saw him do a double take.

"Thank you..." I stood up too and walked to where he was.

"It's huge...." he replied with his lips forming one line and I giggled.

My room was the largest in this whole mansion. It was the master bedroom and belonging to me gave me a sense of supremacy.

"Huge??" I repeated after I figured he got quiet. I placed my hands behind me and into my back pockets. He had his folded on his chest and his eyes fixed on the entire architecture around us.

"Yes...huge...it's like my room times seven..." he drew a laugh and I literally laughed.

"Oh my God Carlos...that's an overstatement...." I covered my mouth as I laughed.

"Am serious...I've never seen a room so big in my life...."

"It's the smallest in the house by the way," I lied and awaited his next expression. Another look of awe as his mouth flipped open.

"You're joking?"

"No am not...." I replied still laughing. I knew I was joking and laughing was the only clue I'd give him to figure it out.

Unfortunately, he didn't.

Then, through my teary eyes, I saw him walk to me although my vision was blurred.

He stopped when he was a few feet from me and I could feel my nerves shutting down.

He was too close...

He raised his hand and tucked my hair in behind my ears. I couldn't hide the gasp that came out when his skin touched mine and truth be told I found it embarrassing.

"I've never seen you without a hat before and you look....lovely...." he took a deep breath and I felt him breath just about close to me.

His compliment made me feel good about myself. I know am beautiful because everyone has told me that before but in this moment, I could feel my own beauty and it made me happy.

"Don't always wear hat....let the world..... see you..." he suggested and I took a few steps away from where he stood.

I walked back and leaned on my dressing table.

"I can't....that's ....that's just ...suicide...." I tried to reply vaguely so that he doesn't get suspicious and ask a lot of questions but I seemed to be doing it wrongly.

"Am not sure what that means but....I think....if you're hiding from someone, you're not doing s good job at it. You're literally putting yourself on the map here..."

I raised my eyes and looked at his. My hands on each side of my thus and my legs crossed into of the other.

"Do you understand?? I mean...you're the only one that wears a hat in school, only one who has an intense security and only one who walks around with a bodyguard and has a nanny. You miss classes a lot and barely stay on campus....You're unique. And unique is different....and different is.....not something I'd recommend....maybe if you blend in---"

"Carlos....am not sure if that's concern for me but you really need not trouble yourself...it's not necessary....."

"It's just....that....I think for once am actually worried about you..."

"Well....don't be....I've lived like this my entire life am almost used to it...."

"Almost....is not good enough...." he folded his arms on his chest again and I raised my eyebrows.

"Who are you hiding from???"

"Umm.....so-someone....." I scratched my head and and walked to the window.

"Why can't you just tell the police? they might help..."

I quickly span around to face him and the moment his eyes met mine, I laughed horribly.

I'd never laughed like that before.

Him on the other hand wasn't laughing. I knew he could tell this wasn't a joyous laughter but a sad one. I knew he could tell I was suffocating and if I had my way I would've told the police already by now.

I knew he knew that....I just knew...

"Now that's a charming thought. Why can't you just call the police? Carlos Jeffrey, the person am hiding from has contacts. In the government, in the police, in the FBI, in the military... everywhere. He's everywhere....."

"But there has to be ----"

"Okay...umm....this conversation has suddenly become so uncomfortable for me....Uh mmm....why don't you follow me and I can show you my science project...?? It's what you're here for isn't it.???" I suggested and he nodded.

Thankfully.

I headed towards my back door and got in. I felt awful all of a sudden as though by shutting Carlos out I was closing the door to my freedom.

I couldn't believe I told him the truth about my life just like that when I didn't even have him investigated.

He could be a spy....

What was I doing?

How could I just trust him too and bring him home like that?

I had gone nuts. Surely.

Just because of a kiss and the complications brew on my life.

I should've known better and let it be the first day I met him again at school.

I should've forgotten about it and move on.

Maybe then life would be fair.

I wouldn't have to feel guilty over petty useless issues.

"Take a seat...." I asked of him and he did as I told him.

Prior to all this, I had my project recorded and sent to my Television via Bluetooth. Easy to handle in that way.

I didn't like last minute shortcomings of struggling to do something that would get settled before hand. After turning it on, I went and occupied the chair in front of him.

"What was it about??" he asked as he bent on the arm rest of the chair in front of me.

"The Binary Star Phenomenon..." I replied and found myself explaining pretty much what the entire video was all about. "Two stars find their way across vast stretches of space and time to find another wandering body and become attached for eternity. Each star pushing the other star to explode in supernova....." I said the last part looking around.

Then, the whole room was filled with a hologram that resembled a galaxy.

Two stars, as explained, were depicted to find their way through space and underwent fission becoming one.

"Oh my word...this is incredible...you really did this???" he asked emotionally.

Seeing that he liked it made me feel the very best about myself.

"Yes I did...." I replied as I switched the TV off. I got up and walked toward the stand, placing the remote down and aiming to brighten the dim lights when I bumped into Carlos.

How the hell did he get behind me so fast??

"Jenny....you're brilliant.....and smart...this is why we needed your brain in the science project. We would've come up with something even better than the solar system...."

"Please.....I think that was just about fascinating....besides, am in college remember?? I already did all this and there's no point in doing them again...."

"You said you want to learn how to socialize....you could...it'd be a great chance"

"I'd rather remain hidden...am okay that way...." I smiled and walked toward the wall to turn the light on but unfortunately Carlos wasn't in support.

He held my hand and drew me back to him. Just like it happened in the lab.

My heart started to race and my soul began praying hoping that incident doesn't repeat itself.

"Jenny....am sorry but am going to say this....I don't know exactly what's going on but lately...I've seen a side of you I'd never seen before and I think you're gorgeous...."

"Oh dear..." I bit my lip.

"Seriously.....you....you're just amazing outside the charade you put on when you're at school and I like that you are an amazing woman..."

"Carlos is it was just a kiss. Don't think too much about it. It means nothing...You probably have kissed many other girls just like I've kissed many other boys too....in the end you'll just realise counting on it is just hopeless after all...."

"Tsk... kissed other boys before. Oh really???" he asked dryly and I tasted the sarcasm he added to that. Shamed, I span around and looked at him. How did he know is never kissed anyone before??

Was I that bad?

Did I spit in his mouth or something?

"Relax...it was my first kiss too...."

"What???" now that was a pure shocker.

The way he kissed my as though he has time building his experience.

"Anyway....I think that we can--"

"If you wanna say 'be friends' am afraid we can't....." I cut him and headed for the door.

Maybe inviting him over was a wrong idea.

"Am sorry...am sorry for asking all those questions back there in your room....and sorry for being abnoxious and annoying this entire time..."

"Carlos please...."

"Most of all...am sorry for spilling my milkshake on you the other day at the gym...trust me on this one. I am sorry...."

He finally said it. Just the words I'd been longing o hear from him.

Just the words I wanted him to hear.

"Carlos stop this...we can't be friends....am sort of a lot of trouble for you....we...you...you don't know...but....this is a risk...."

"I understand...it's okay if you'll have bodyguards around you whenever we have to talk and meet but please...can we stop this fighting game? Looking at it from another angle, it's fate that we had to meet that day at the gym..." he carried on talking and talking and each time he opened his mouth I got convinced to believe in what he was saying.

Given a cautious person like me, I wouldn't have entertained anyone spilling their milkshake on me like that. I'd have him investigated and taken care of already but here I was with him in my study room under a hologram of stars with a distance of about thirty centimetres between us and it kept getting smaller with every step he took towards me.

I backed away from him and I could see that he was still talking.

I wasn't listening.

I was thinking.

Friendship??

No....

I just realised I have feelings for him and having him close to me was dangerous than me walking around in the streets without a hat.

"We can't be friends Carlos understand that..." I said firmly and headed for the door which he quickly closed and pinned me against it. He had his hands on my sides and I was already hyperventilation.

Not because I was frightened but because of the fact that with him so close to me, my brain usually became dumb and stopped thinking. Right now, I needed it to think.

"Why can't we??? when you're friends with Kris and Jace...why can't we??"

"Because.....because ...you're...too uptight...and am....am..very different..." I stammered. I couldn't do this anymore.

My brain was failing and I couldn't anymore.

He noticed I was panicking and ended up resting his forehead against mine.

He was breathing into me and my heart was still racing. I held his hands, still in the door, and rested my head on his chest.

I took deep breaths and feeling a bit better raised my eyes to meet his as my hands severed his skin and raced to his neck.

He bent his head toward mine and I knew it was happening again.

I wanted to stop him. To push him away and tell him to leave me alone.

I wanted him to know I somewhat loved him in my hate and I didn't want it to change.

I was so undecided.

"Tell me to stop because if you don't....I won't...."

I listened carefully as he laid it down to me.

It was up to me. He literally asked for my permission to go ahead with the kiss.

Then I remembered his doctor-patient consent gibberish.

Stupid bastard! my conscious laughed and I pursed my lips.

"You're running out of time..." he reminded and I giggled. I looked at his eyes and nose and lips and back at his eyes.

"1 meter.....was all I said..." I composed a statement and got very proud of myself.

I saw the corners of his lips curving and then, he was moving away from me.

I quickly tightened my grip around his neck and brought his face close to me.

I lowered my hand to lock the door and being all fully convinced, I stared back into his eyes.

"Say it...." he demanded with passion. "Say what you want me to do....I won't do anything unless you tell me..."

"Kiss me....now!"