Chapter 13: Chapter 13

By the time Malcolm finished telling me his past, I was in tears, literal tears.

"Stop crying, it's not as bad as it sounds," he told me trying to smile but I could tell it was forced.

"I'm so sorry," I cried ambushing him with a hug, he got a fright and swerved sharply to the side before he got control of the car and sighed in content.

"It's ok really," he said, patting my arm with his free hand before placing it hanging freely outside the car door. Only then did I truly know the meaning behind the endless tattoos littering his arms.

"But I'm still sorry that you went through that," I sadly said sitting back in my seat.

"No worries, but you owe me now though so spill," he urged, giving me a side glance. I tried to rack my brain for something as big as what he told me but all I came up with was that I was still finding reasons for being alive.

"And no lies, if it's true then you shouldn't have been thinking this long so you were going to tell me a lie weren't you?" He asked with a disappointed lie

"Maybe," I shamefully said.

"Why? I poured my heart out to you a stranger no less," he said.

"Because I only have one and it's a little too personal," I softly said looking down at my lap, my jaw tightening.

"Personal really, I just told you all my secrets but if you want to go personal then let's go. By the age of thirteen, I lost my virginity to an older man and I'm not gay by the way nor was it by choice. I hate octopuses with all my being don't ask why they are just so fucking ugly and creepy. I have never been to a cinema before and oh I hate coke and that's me all of me," he said blankly not keeping his eyes off the road, my heart was racing through the roof throughout him revealing his secrets. With a sigh I got the courage to finally think back to that night in the ally and recall everything that happened.

"I didn't exactly tell the truth about what happened the day Kyle died and I don't think Lauren has told the full truth either for my privacy," I began already feeling my skin crawl.

"What happened?" He asked glancing my way with a confused look,

"Well..." I told him everything that happened that night and the effects it had on me ever since. I told him my whole truth that I didn't even know I was holding back, I told him things about that night I never told anyone not even the police. Truth be told I remember one of the men taking off their masks and till this day his face was engraved in my brain.

"Shit," he cursed, clearly pissed as much as I was.

"Ya," I gently said, rubbing away the tears that managed to escape. He pulled over and turned the car off before he got out of the car and came to my side before opening the car door, holding his hand out for me. I took it and the moment I was out of the car he pulled me into a tight hug practically lifting me off the ground. His warm embrace soothed my racing mind and heart, his large form provided a safe sanctuary in those couple of seconds that we embraced. I wrapped my arms around his broad back and rested my head on his chest, closing my eyes and breathing in his masculine cologne.

"I know we just met but know that whatever you need don't be afraid to give me a call no matter how small a favour you need ok?" He gently whispered in my ear.

"Ok, same applies to you," I said in a small voice feeling slightly better now. I wasn't quite sure why I wasn't freaking out with him hugging me let alone touching me but it was a nice relief to be hugged like this.

"Good then let's head over to this party I could use a pick me up," he beamed.

"Tell me about it," I chuckled while getting back in the car. He turned the radio up with Good 4 u by Olivia Rodrigo playing lifting my moods.

"Good for you, "I sang the chorus unleashing my singing mood as I practically sang at the top of my lungs.

"Oh hell Nah," Malcolm said before changing the radio channel to some other boring channel playing a country song.

"Oh you did not just do that," I gasped.

"Oh yes I did and trust me I did us both a favour, that song is so overrated," he rolled his eyes.

"You take that back," I said and smacked his arm.

"Over my dead body," he laughed giving me a wink.

"Die," I grumpily grumbled, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Awe and miss annoying the life out of you, never," he beamed making me roll my eyes at him.

We spent the rest of the ride listening to music and getting to know each other better, if I didn't know better I would suggest Malcolm was the male version of me. We were practically the same person, self-imploding, major trust issues and gravitate towards trouble.

"Let's backtrack for a second, you don't like coke?" I asked astounded by the fact.

"I don't and never will," he scrunched up his face in disgust at the thought of the drink.

"What planet were you born on?" I asked outrageously.

"Says the girl who hates tomatoes in any shape or form," he raised an eyebrow.

"Gross I hate those things, they are just so nasty and smell weird," I stuck my tongue out in disgust as we drove into Anji's driveway.

"Girl you're weird," he said.

"Look who's talking," I scoffed getting out of the car once he parked the car right opposite Anji's house. It was only three-fifteen which was about four hours too early before I was supposed to even be here but I guess it was better to be early than late, way early.

"Oh please, I have a valid reason on hating coke you have no reason to hate those delicious," he leaned into my ear holding me in place by the shoulders, "Mouthwatering, lip-smacking red fruits," he teased, I shivered in disgust at the mere mention of that fruit.

"Fuck off," I grunted shoving his arms off my shoulders, he laughed at my discomfort before catching up to me with two long strides, the man was freakishly tall.

"Bare warning this girl is the definition of the devil on earth," I warned him.

"Oh I've come face to face with the devil, trust me she'll be a piece of cake," he said, shrugging his shoulders. I smacked my forehead remembering what he's been through.

"Right of course stupid me," I said remembering that Anji would be a walk in the park for him.

"Don't worry about it, I mean how bad could she possibly be if you have a thing for her," he smirked, my mouth hung open in shock before I looked around in case anyone heard him say that.

"Shush, "I said smacking his arm which just made his smirk widen.

"Awe you love her don't you," he teased pinching my cheek like I was a little kid before I smacked his arm away.

"Shut up," I grumbled before ringing the bell to Anji's sanctuary.

"Awe, are you blushing?" He teased ruffling my hair like I was a dog or something.

"You did not just do that," I said turning my icy glare to him, his smirk dropped and he gulped.

"Easy there," he nervously smiled.

"It takes me hours just to get this hair under control, do you know how painful it is to comb this stupid afro huh?" I angrily asked, hitting him playfully on the chest and arms.

"Ok I'm sorry," he laughed trying to dodge my hits.

"Can I help you?" A tall man who looked like a butler opened the door, he was a pretty good looking dark-skinned man looking like he was Will Smith from 'Men In Black'. Tall dark and handsome what a catch especially with those grey eyes of his that seemed to hold so much pain and suffering or was I reading too much into things?

"I'm Anji's classmate Belle and this is Malcolm, my friend. Anji invited me over so if you could just check with her and let us in that would be cool," I rambled on my throat going dry by his tense stair making me feel like I committed a felony.

"Of course wait here," he said before heading inside, closing the door behind him. The moment he left I felt like I could breathe.

"Damn was it just me or did it feel like he was looking straight into my soul discovering all my sins?" I asked Malcolm in fear

"No I got the same feeling," he said with a shiver, we didn't have to wait for a long time before the massive mahogany white door swung open once more and the evil ice queen herself stood in front of us with calculating eyes but the moment she turned her attention to Malcolm it's like she forgot everyone else existed. She practically purred at him with the way she was openly eyeing him up and down.

"Well hello," she smiled innocently, leaning her hip against the door. She was dressed in a simple silky matching summer PJs and silky gown hugging her perfectly shaped body not to mention she wasn't wearing a bra and the evidence could easily be seen through the silky baby blue top. I nearly gagged when she repeatedly fluttered her fake eyelashes at Malcolm,

"PB why didn't you tell me your friend was the beautiful Meredith Mickelson," Malcolm smiled, working those boyish charms of his melting Anji on the spot as she practically drooled over him.

"Ha Meredith Mickelson, me, never but I do get that a lot," she giggled, pushing her chest up like some peacock to attract Malcolms wandering eyes. I cringed feeling like someone was pouring acid into my eyes.

"Ok I've had enough of this so before I gauge my own eyes out, can we come inside?" I interrupted the love birds with a locked jaw. I wasn't mad at Malcolm nor Anji. I was mad because I wasn't normal like them. If I flirted so openly with girls they would think I was just giving them compliments. I guess I was just jealous that it was so easy for them to be so open with their sexuality while I was scorned if I was so open about mine.

"What crawled up your ass?" Anji asked with a scowl, she was mad that I ruined her little moment with Malcolm.

"That would be me," Malcolm answered Anji, making our eyes bulge. I nearly dug his grave and buried him alive at that moment while he looked composed as a cucumber with a lazy smile. I had nothing to say so I just rolled my eyes and walked past them, Anji's eyes followed my every move with her mouth hung open.

"PB where are you going I thought we had fun," he laughed following me inside. One thing people should know about Malcolm was that he loved to joke; it was his mechanism for everything and it's what kept him going through tough times. I stopped walking with no clue where I was going in the massive house that made me look like an ant.

"Wow," I said looking up at the never-ending ceiling.

"Damn what do your parents do?" Malcolm asked checking the place out in awe.

"They are actors if you haven't noticed by the endless rows of movie posters on the walls," Anji said irritably like we just asked the dumbest question.

"Damn you'd fit right into the acting industry," I scoffed making Malcolm stifle a laugh.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She angrily asked.

"Oh nothing mademoiselle," I smiled innocently looking at the posters of her parents that I've never seen before.

"Where are your parents?" I asked her without thinking.

"In America doing some big role with Tom Cruise," she proudly answered with a smug smile, I couldn't help but scoff at that too, "What the hell was that?" She asked in anger.

"Oh, nothing just thinking about something else," I quickly said.

"Damn right," she said with her arms crossed over her chest, "So why are you here so early?" She asked with a raised brow.

"We had nothing better to do," I shrugged my shoulders.

"I thought you had a funeral today?" She asked.

"It finished early," I flatly said giving a side look to Malcolm to not say anything different, he didn't look the least happy that I lied. Another thing about Malcolm was that he hated lies no matter how small, he said lies are the distractions of all relationships which I could agree with but this was just a single white lie that wasn't hurting anyone and it wasn't like I liked lying quite the opposite actually, I hated lying.

"So why come here?" Anji asked as if she was already fed up with looking at me which stung if I was being honest," But I don't mind your company," she bit her lip fluttering her eyelashes at Malcolm who openly stared at her voluminous lips.

"We had nothing better to do, that's it," I said with a shrug of my shoulders, finally looking her dead in the eyes. We had sort of a short heated stare off like she was trying to figure out something about me while I was maintaining eye contact to greedily stare at her alluring eyes.

"Ladies, why don't we sit down for a drink and get to know each other better," Malcolm said interrupting our stare off, "On a more personal level," He slowly said, eyeing Anji with a hungry stare.

"Oh god please get a room," I gagged before going on my trek to find the kitchen and give the love birds room to get to know each other better or better yet get to know each other's bodies better.