Chapter 6
For some unknown reason, today’s classes were cancelled. I guess Thursday is still good to me.
Since I wasn’t in the mood to go home, I asked Andrew to kidnap me. He happily did and made an effort to make it seem real. He made me fall asleep and when I woke up, I was in a place I didn’t expect he’ll take me.
“Where are we?” I asked; the place isn’t really what I had in mind. But this would do, anywhere away from home would do.
“Rooftop.” He replied, as if the answer was obvious. Well, yea. The answer is obvious, it’s just that…
“I can see that.” I sighed, “I mean, where is this? What building’s rooftop is this?”
“Just…some building.” He grinned, “This wouldn’t be a kidnap if I told you, you know.”
I smiled, that makes sense. He sat at the edge and I did the same. Scary, I have a BIG fear of heights…but I guess today, I’m numb.
“So, what’s wrong?” he asked, handing me a bottled juice. Probably he stopped for grocery earlier. “You don’t seem like you’re in the mood. You like, no, love Thursdays.”
I sighed and drank the juice.
“Another relative revelation?” he chuckled.
“Ha-ha, NO. Well, not quite.”
I can feel Andrew staring at me—maybe he sensed that I’m not in the mood to fool around. Even if it was Andrew, I’m really not in the mood.
“Andrew…in your family” I didn’t know what I was supposed to say, like earlier, words just keep coming out of my mouth. Realizing, I thought hard of what to say next.
“Yes?”
“Well, uh. Do you have…fixed marriages?”
He laughed, it was bitter. I heard him swallowing then I looked at him, he wasn’t drinking juice.
“Andrew, I don’t know how to drive.”
“Yes, you do.” He gulped the last of the can, “And besides, it’s just one can. I just wanted to drink.”
I scoffed, “I didn’t know you drink.”
“I don’t, well…occasionally. Occasionally as in mostly only in parties.”
“So…?”
“So, now… I just wanted to drink. No reason, really.”
“Bu—”
“You’re getting married, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“When?”
“Andrew, no. I’m not going to get married. Well, not yet.”
“What do you mean ‘not yet’? Parents don’t tell their children about their arranged marriages if they aren’t going to be married after the announcement. Usually, a month after their parents introduced them to each other.”
“Andrew?”
“The answer to your question is yes. We do have fixed marriages, but not so. Well, barely. Just as long as it doesn’t go below the family standards, there would be no problem.”
Silence. I hate it when I’m talking to Andrew then there would be an awkward silence, I don’t like the feeling.
“So, who’s the guy?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I’m going to meet him tomorrow night.”
“Oh~”
“Yea.”
Andrew grabbed me by the shoulders and spun me to face him, “Want to run away with me?”
I frowned. “Tell me Andrew—are you in-love with me?”
“Huh?”
“Have you already realized that you love me, now that you know that I don’t like you like I did before?”
He laughed, ahh, that laughter is such music to me. It wasn’t an OA kind of laugh, it was, I don’t know…sweet?
“I never thought you’d figure it out.” He said, mocking me. Surprisingly, despite me saying that I’ve already moved on from him, I blushed and felt embarrassed. I pushed him away but he tightened his grip on my shoulders. “I am.”
“You’re drunk.” I tried hard for my voice not to shake, but I can’t help it, it’s so cold! Okay, it wasn’t that cold. But he’s making me nervous. He might be suicidal and jump off from the building and pull me with him.
He frowned and got closer, “No, I am not drunk…and I am in my right mind. I know what I’m doing and what I’m saying. And no alcohol is controlling me.”
“Really? You’re not acting like you’re in your right self.”
“Tiffany” he sighed, “I may not have liked you the moment you liked me, but I did…eventually. I just don’t know if that was the time when you still do or when you didn’t anymore.”
“Why…why are you saying this to me, now, Andrew?”
“Cliché. You’re about to get married, someone tells you he loves you. You know…”
I laughed. Even though he was serious…it was true. Hmmm, I guess we watch too many Asian dramas. But, there are a lot of different plots in different dramas, why does mine have to be the most common plot?
“Right. So, is this the part where you’re going to kiss me?”
“Hmmmm. Maybe.”
I pushed him off, this was getting too close. “Haha. Stop it, Andrew. I still have to think of—“
I wasn’t able to finish because his lips stopped me from blabbering. He’s smart: if I pushed him, he’ll fall off and he’ll pull me with him. Well, I’ve no choice but to just kiss him. It’s not that I’m complaining.
***
Andrew dropped me off at the house Mom and Dad bought me when I turned 18. It was a small house for one person, already fully furnished and it’s only waiting for me. They said that I can already move out, though I’m still in high school. If I were normal, I could’ve been happy because freedom from your parents was rare—especially if you’re still a high school student.
When I’m not in the mood, or mad at my parents, I would usually sleep here. I’m normally home at 7, but when I didn’t inform them that I would stay out later than 7, they’d assume I’m here.
I lied lazily on my mini sofa in my mini living room. I’m going to have to find a way to get away from my fixed marriage, but none of my options would include running away with Andrew—he knows that and I’m glad he understood.
I would have to do something before Friday night comes. I’m a believer of fairy tales, finding my prince charming and live happily ever after. I’m not going to ‘The End’ with someone I don’t know.
***
When I woke up, I thought it was still late Thursday. When I checked my phone, it was already 1 a.m.: Friday.
I stretched and thought of my agenda for today:
-I won’t be going to school
-take clothes and take the risk in driving (my parents bought me a second hand car, which I thought was a waste because I never really took my driving lessons seriously. But I think it would be handy, now.)
-run away to somewhere far, far, far
I woke up earlier than what I planned and decided to act on my plan right away. No matter how many times I tell my parents that I don’t want to, they’d still force me. Like last night, mom called me to remind me about tonight’s dinner. I declined and said ‘No, I don’t want to go to that dinner’ a thousand times, yet she wouldn’t listen then eventually cut the call.
After going to the bathroom, eating breakfast, and fixing myself; I went to my car. Oh, how I wish I took driving seriously. This could kill me!
Sighing, this is now or never, I wore my seatbelt and switched the engine on. I thanked God that it did not explode and pulled out of the driveway.
When I realized that I was already far from the city, I thought of the most important thing I should have thought before I rode this car, “Where am I going?”
Shrugging and thinking that I don’t really care, I continued driving.
***
I didn’t know how it happened.
I was driving peacefully, singing to the song on the radio and was keeping my eyes on the road when suddenly there were horns honking, wheels squeaking and cars crashing. Being the ever curious me, that didn’t stop me and continued driving since I wanted to see what happened. When suddenly a blinding headlight was before my eyes and everything went black. It was still dawn.
No comments:
Post a Comment