Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Flora

****

Monica’s POV.

“So.. what do you wanna tell me? “I finally asked after giving several guesses in my little mind.

I asked almost immediately we got to the restaurant.I swear,my mind hasn’t been at rest ever since i received a call from Peter… He pleaded with me to meet him at a nearby restaurant…He said there’s something he wanted to tell me…

OR?

Does he likes me now?

OR

Does he want to apologize for pretending as if he has no feelings for me?

OR

Does he want to propose to me now?

Oh My God!

I was blushing heavily already.

“Has your Mom returned already? ” He asked.

What’s the heck? So he called me only to ask if Mom has travelled back to Europe?

Jeeez.

“Monica”

“Oh..yeah, she left yesterday” I answered.

He only nodded and sipped his bottle-drink.

“Is that what you wanna ask? ” I managed to ask.

“Not really”He responded.

I sighed; “Then….? ”

He interrupted.

“You aren’t even eating..”He said.

“I am”I quickly put a spoon-full into my mouth..if that would make him tell me…

“Tell me” I pleaded.

He finished his drink,dropped d bottle on d table and began to stare at me.

Awwwn, i love those eyes.. that look to be precised…

“Monica”He resumed.

“Yes dear, I’m all ears”I said.

He cleared his throat…

Oh my, I was too anxious already…Tell me, tell me..

“He loves her but she does’nt really love him”He said.

Ok,I don’t get. I don’t understand him right now.

Wait,he loves me but he’s not sure if i love him in return?

“What should he do? ” He asked.

Who is the HE? HIM? and Who is the SHE? ME?

“Peter, with my very little understanding, if he really loves her, he shouldn’t pretend.. he should let her know..how could he be sure that she doesn’t love him in return.. “I finally responded trying to relate the present situation..

“He’s not pretending besides, she loves another guy”Peter said.

Now, i don’t understand what he really meant.

“You know what Peter, I don’t understand.Can you please stop using pronouns now? I can be of help if you want me to… ”

“Alright..”He paused.

“Now Go on, be calm and direct”I said.

“Vincent is in love with you”He finally said.

Arrrrrrrrrrrrgh

An anxious mood left and an heartbroken took over.

“Peter, can we talk about something else? ”

“Not yet ”

“For Goodness sake peter” I pleaded but he continued.

“He has this one-sided feeling for you since we were in secondary school”He said.

“Let’s talk about fashion…Jennifer is…. ”

He kept on interrupting me.

“Monica, you’re hurting him.That’s so unfair.. ”

“You’re hurting me too and it’s fair enough,you’re hurting my feelings and i’m hurting his'”

He was mute.

“I’m leaving now” I stood up.

“Fine, let’s talk about something else” He said.

“Better” I sat down back.

“Examination is already at the corner, How is your preparation ?”

“Very well.. Quite Okay” I responded smiling then i suddenly frowned;”And you?.. your housemaid…is she still coaching you? ”

“Yeah and she tutors me very well”

“She’s your housemaid for crying out loud”

“It doesn’t matter”

“It does…”

“You’re wrong. Listen Monica… ”

I cut in sharply.

“I’m not comfortable with the fact that she lives you”I paused; ” All alone.. ” I added.

He burrowed his eyes into mine.

“I really have to go home now, i have something very important to attend to”I said taking away my bag from the table.. Then i stood up and left.

*****

Confused Boyfriend

James POV

"Three more bottles please'' Angela shouted at no one exactly but the bartender who doesn't care whether she's drunk or not.As long as he's gonna receive his money, He came to her table and dropped three bottles and opened them for her.

She grabbed one immediately and gulped it down.

I have been watching her all along, right from when she left her house, I thought she was going to Frank's place but instead she came here - a bar.

If I'm not mistaken, there are six empty bottles on her table plus the three she just ordered for. Is she really going to kill herself because of one damn boyfriend? Is he even worthy to be referred to as a boyfriend?

Being the really gentle and easy going guy I really am, and if not for that, I would have beaten the hell out of him (Frank) even if there ain't any hell in him.

I continue to watch through the transparent glass. She gulped the first bottle at once, then took another bottle, oh no I've got to watching her and go ahead to stop her.

I walked into the bar without delaying.

''Damn you frank, Damn you! How could you abandon me? " she yelled and raised the extra bottle up to have another greedy gulp directly from the bottle. I held her hand and collected the bottle from her.

'' Who are you? Who the hell are you?" She yelled at me and turned to see me.

'' You need to stop all this Angela" I said

''Two James" She said, she's drunk.. So she's seeing double of me.

"Give me back the bottle" she yelled raising her hand up to get it.

''You'll drink no more" I said and ignored her.

"Bartender!" I called the bar boy who served her and he ran to meet me right away.

''What are you? You saw this young girl drinking excessively and she is already drunk yet you served her more bottles of alcohol" I half shouted at him.

''She demanded for it sir" The young boy said.

''I'm not drunk, now give me back my bottle" Angela said.

I scoffed and said to her "'I know right, you are not drunk at all" I said

'' You are the one who is drunk" She fired at me.

I just shook my head, Obviously, it's the work of the alcoholic alcohol she drank.

''Hey!" I turned back to the small bartender and faced him.

"Now take away all this bottles and here is the money" I said as I dipped my hands into my pocket and dropped the money on the table which he picked up first before picking each and every bottles

'' Just a piece of an advice that would save many lives. When a person is drunk do not serve him or her more drinks!" I warned.

"'I'm.... I'm sorry sir " He stammered finally packed the whole nine bottles.

''Huh, Wh....what are you doing? Where are you taking my bottles to, I said I'm not drunk!" Angela said struggling to stand up but she kept on staggering and falling back to the chair without anyone pushing her.

'' Yeah, he wants to refill them for you" I said.

....And she kept quiet for some moments.

'' Frankie" she began to mutter as if he was here.

'' I hate you very much, I hate you!" she said.

'' Go away!" She screamed at me.

Oh wait a minute, I'm not the one she's seeing but Frank.

I held her hand and said, ''I'm James, not Frank"

"Urh" she groaned.

''Ohk James, whenever you see Frank tell him I hate him"

"I....I will" I stammered.

She suddenly dropped her head on the table, with her hair roughen.

''Angela , An... Angela!" I called her name and raised her head up, oh thank God, she was only dozing off.

What now? I sighed.

She is worst when she's drunk

She's drunk yet my heart is still beating for her.

I bent so low to be on the same level with her then carried her on my back.

Huh? She looks light but where the hell did she get this huge weight?

I groaned then began to walk out of the bar.

I didn't bring a car and there were no cabs around because they've stopped driving around here at night for some security reasons.

All well and good, her house was nearby, half a mile away.

"Frank" She muttered in her sleep.

"For goodness sake, forget about the damn Frank and mention my name" I shouted because I know she won't hear me.

"Ja...." Uh, is she about to call my name?

"Frank" She finally said again and I smirked.

My back was aching but as far as it aches because the one who I love the most is the one making me go through this pain....Then, it's fine.

In 4 to 5 minutes, we'll be at her place.

I felt cold liquid pouring on my back... Huh?

I managed to raise a hand up and touched my sudden wet back. It was not rain because it's not even drizzling.

I brought my hand closer to my nose to perceive what it is.. Oh My God, she vomited on my back. Eww!

The irritating liquid continued to pour from her mouth to my back but when she burped, it stopped.

I breathe heavily, then continued to walk towards her house.

*We got to her place. Her mom told me that she left home after informing them that she was going to Frank's place for his birthday.

She asked me what made her to go to a bar and drank to stupor instead. I had to keep her little heartbroken secret to myself, so I lied to her that I had no idea of why she did so.

She thanked me for bringing her daughter home safely and her younger sister, Kate came to assist her mom in carrying the weightless looking but weightful Angela to her room.

"Now, I need to go home and bath thoroughly" I muttered to myself and touched the irritating liquid again, foolishly perceiving it again as if it had one sweet smell.

It smells like nothing but alcohol mixed with saliva.

*-*-*-*-*

Frank's POV

"Where exactly is she? " Paulina's aunt asked me as she rushed into the hospital.

I was able to identify her to be Paulina's aunt because she recongized me as Frank, the same person who called her immediately Paulina passed out.

I remember Paulina had told me that she lived with her Aunt, so checking through her call log and I found her aunt's contact which she saved as "Sweet Aunt Bella" was not a problem.

"She is in the ward" Freddie replied.

Only the both of us had brought her here while the party was ruined and everyone left.

"What ward? " Aunt Bella asked us.

Before we could speak, the doctor came out.

"Doctor!" Paulina's Aunt ran to meet him.

"You are Mrs Brown right? Can I talk to you about few things since you are the patient's mom" The Doctor said.

"No, I'm not her mother. I'm her aunt" Bella introduced herself properly.

"Well, a patient's health is best disclosed to her parents first" The Doctor said.

"I am, I'm her guidian, her aunt, I'm like a second mother to her" She spoke really fast.

"Well... "

"Tell me, is she okay? "

"Right now, she is" He replied

"What do you mean by Right now? " She flinched.

"Err...Mrs Brown, sorry Mrs... Erm"

"I'm Bella " She told her.

"Oh Okay! Contact her parents. I need to talk to them or one of them" The Doctor said.

"Ok, I will but can I see her now? " She asked.

"Sure being her closest Guardian, you can. She is in the ward 123" He directed and Bella ran there instantly.

"Can we see her too? " I asked.

"No. For now, visitors should not be more than one in a ward except someone who is very special to the patient seeked for. I can presume you two are just friends with her" He said.

"I.... I am, I'm.. " I wanted to introduce myself as Paulina's Boyfriend but Freddie interrupted me.

"We will come here tomorrow to check up on her" Freddie said and the doctor nodded and went his way.