Chapter 14

Everything starts to come back to me. That night. The pain. That one man who sat in the back in the ice cream place. I began to space out and I stayed silent. My heart is beating in fear. Who can possibly be at the doorstep? Landon turned me towards him and hugged me and at the same time we walked farther and farther away from the door. We ended up hiding in his parents closet. I'm suddenly worried about Joy. Landon patted my head and told me to breathe. And I felt calm. Why is it that only he can keep me calm? After a while of hiding and staying silent it got awkward.  We got out of the closet and left the room. Landon checked the peephole again and sighed out of relief.  "What happened, Landon?" I asked. "Some creepy old guy. I wonder how he found this place" he replied.  "I felt so scared," I mentioned.  Landon walks towards me and holds me close to him. He smells so nice that it's almost breathtaking. "It's okay to be scared.  But don't worry, I'll take care of you and protect you with my life" he says. I feel myself blush at his words. I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face against his chest. This feels nice. Like drinking hot chocolate near a fireplace, in the middle of winter. Oh my gawd. Is this-? I can feel his chest pecs. I immediately released him. Think pure thoughts. Think pure thoughts. Think pure thoughts. Think pure thoughts. I keep repeating to myself. "Sorry, did I make you feel uncomfortable?" He asked me. "No no. I just need to check on Joy real quick". He nodded his head with an, "Ohh". And I ran to get Joy. I opened my bedroom door, and there she was. Asleep on the floor. No wonder I didn't hear anything. I didn't want to wake her, so I left her alone. I went to the living room and let myself drop on the couch like bird poop falling from the sky. "Do you want anything to drink?" Landon asked as he walked closer to me and sat on the couch. I rubbed my eyebrows with my fingers as if I was stressed. "Can I get a coffee?". "Okay. Whatever you want", he got and headed towards the kitchen. I know Landon is trying to comfort me but I get the feeling that he's worried about me and that he's pretending to be okay. I wish he could tell me his feelings… As I turned around to see him walk away I couldn't help but be mad at him and at the same time feel flustered at the sight of his broad shoulders and wide back.  I bet he can break me in half with those...mUsCleS. I turned away and closed my eyes trying to ignore my flustered-ness. I looked at the TV and wondered if it worked. It's kinda old but not too old.  It's not a flat screen. It's like one of those TV's I saw as a kid in kindergarten when the teacher wanted the class to watch a movie.  I think she used a box--what is it called again? A VCR? Anyways, I looked around and I saw the box thing. I opened the cabinet that was under the TV, and there it was, a bunch of box movies. I think I know how to use it? Okay first I need this TV on. Once the TV was on, I clicked a button on the VCR that read: Start. I guess it was on. I squatted down and I didn't know which movie to pick.  I saw a blue covered one. It somehow feels familiar but I can't quite picture a memory.  I placed the movie on and it started to play.  The introduction on TV made me feel nostalgic. Suddenly a blurry vision came to mind. It was dark and cold. And a TV was on. The picture on the screen was blurry yet colorful. And that was it.  What was that? A memory? I tried not to think about it much. Then the movie began.  I sat on the couch and observed. Landon's steps approached me and his arm reached out with a cup of coffee in his hand. I grabbed the coffee and took a sip. It was delicious and warm. Landon knows exactly how I like it, sweet and warm… He takes a seat next to me, "I see that you're watching My Universe, it's a good movie". "I feel like I've watched it somewhere before, but I can't really point my finger at it," I replied. We watched the movie for an hour and thirty minutes. It was mainly about a little boy who accidentally opened a portal and tried to find his way back home with the help of others he found on the way. It was alright I guess.  Then I heard Landon's parents come inside with groceries. Landon got up and went to help them put the groceries away. I turned off the TV and put the film away to where it was. Landon told his parents about what happened a while ago and they decided to put cameras around the house as well as some extra locks. I started to hear whimpers from upstairs. I guess Joy woke up from her nap? I put my coffee down near a nightstand. "Angela! Are you okay!?" Linda asked me. I told her I was and headed up the stairs. After watching the movie, I couldn't shake the feeling off, the feeling of the movie being so familiar and yet I can't remember how it is familiar. I know I've seen it before but I can't—I don't know! Why can't I remember it!? I shouldn't be getting overworked about this right? Maybe it's nothing, perhaps I watched it when I was young and maybe that was it, and I probably forgot about it as I grew older? I opened my bedroom door and Joy wagged her cute small tail. I closed the door so that she wouldn't get out. I carried her with me onto my bed and allowed her to bite my fingers with her soft non-painful teeth. She is so adorable. I looked out my window and saw the sun finally set, allowing the sky to be painted by red, orange, and pink. Then my phone made a notification sound and I grabbed it and turned it on. I wonder who messaged me? It was none other than Liam himself. My heart almost ran a mile. Maybe he needs something from me? I opened the chat and it read: "Hey! I'm having a party with some of my friends and I would like you and your friends to attend. There will be games and lots of snacks! Hope to see you there!". And then it had the date, time and place for the event. It's a week from now too. This is probably the first normal party I've been invited to. Aside from all the formal rich parties me and my family had to be in. Is it weird that I finally feel relieved from that kind of life? I wonder if I will be able to go…