Starstruck Page 9

  Eris studied my face. “I see what you mean. The girl can be an actress with her looks.” She smirked. “Afraid of competition Frio? Or perhaps you’re scared that someone may take her from you.”

  Glace’s ears turned red, but since her back was turned to me, I didn’t know what her reaction was. “Just do it okay?”

  “Alright,” Eris agreed. Before she turned around and walked out of the room, she glanced at me and said, “But I meant it about the virginity thing darling. Call me.” I gulped loudly, watching her saunter out.

  Chapter 10. Confrontation

  “Where have you been young lady?” I stopped dead in my tracks. Mom was standing in the middle of the living room. Her arms were folded in front of her chest, her face devoid of expression. Uh-oh. Was she mad? I just got home from Glace’s place. A glance at my wristwatch told me that it was after six in the evening. I was dead meat.

  I took a large gulp of air and smiled sheepishly at her. “Sorry mom. I didn’t think it would be this late. Glace and I were talking, and the time kind of slipped my mind.”

  “You’re grounded,” she said. “I need to confiscate your phone. No TV for a week. And also, you’re not allowed to go to Frio’s house again.”

  “Please don’t do this.” I could handle the TV part since I’d rather read books. But the Frio thing bothered me. I really liked Glace. More than I should actually. The thought of not going back to her place bummed me.

  Mom uncrossed her arms, smirking. “What are you whining for? Is it because of Frio?”

  I sat on the sofa before answering her question. “Yes, it’s because of her.”

  Mom grinned widely. “You do know that I’m kidding right?” She joined me on the sofa. “You’re not grounded Dulce, but we need to talk.”

  “About what?” I asked innocently.

  “About Frio,” she said with a shrug. “Are you in love with her? I remember you calling her Glace. Does that mean that she’s that girl we’ve been talking about?”

  I reached for the pillow on my right and hugged it tightly to my chest. There was no use hiding it from her anyway. I might as well spill the beans. “Yes mom. She’s that girl. She introduced herself as Glace, and I found out later on that she’s a celebrity.” I hid my face behind the pillow. “It’s too early to be in love with her, but lately she’s all I can think of.”

  “Why not pursue her? Frio is a great kid. With her character, it’s very easy to forget that she’s a celebrity.” Mom removed the pillow in front of my face. Her stare was serious. “She can be good for you. And besides, I think she likes you too.”

  “You’re just saying that because I’m your daughter.”

  She shook her head. “No sweetie. When Glace came over two weeks ago, she asked me a couple of things about you. She wanted to know about your favorite food, the things you liked, and she really seemed interested in you. Come to think of it, she even asked me about your childhood, which was weird.”

  “What did she particularly ask about?”

  “Glace wanted to know what kind of kid you were when you were seven years old. She also asked to see your childhood pictures.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe she likes children.”

  “Probably,” she said. “So you see Dulce? She has a thing for you.”

  “But she said she’s already in love with someone.” I caught the disappointment in my own voice.

  “You’ll never truly know unless you try. Just give it a shot honey. Who knows? Maybe she’s the person that you’ve been waiting for. I’m not saying that you steal her away from another girl because that’s just wrong. But if she’s single, you can always pursue her.”

  “I don’t have a chance." Sigh. "She’s a celebrity, and I’m just plain old me.”

  Mom clicked her tongue, leaning in for a hug. “You have much to learn about the world sweetie. Celebrities are people too. They get embarrassed, feel shy, and they definitely fall in love. Frio is no exception. She may look all that, but deep inside she’s just like you.”

  “I’ll remember that mom,” I mumbled.

  She smiled warmly at me as she ended the embrace. “I almost forgot to tell you something.” Her eyes gleamed. “I started dating again.”

  I couldn’t contain my excitement. “That’s great!” It has been too long since she went back to the dating game. Come to think of it, she never dated after dad died. It was about time. “Just promise me one thing.”

  “What?”

  “Don’t forget about dad. Even if you meet an awesome guy, always remember him.”

  “You know I will.”

  After my heart to heart talk with mom, I went to my room and shut myself in. I didn’t speak to anyone during the weekend. Different thoughts were running in my head. I felt that it was best to recuperate, take my time, and just think. Since my mobile was turned off, I didn’t see if Tim and Patty messaged. If Denise was trying to pester me, or if Glace called to see how I was doing, I really had no idea. By Monday morning at school, I was refreshed and ready to take on the challenges of the day.

  I slid on my seat. On my right, Tim and Patty had guilty expressions on their faces. “Girl I’m so sorry,” Tim said.

  “You better be.” My face was straight, though I was slightly annoyed. “Do you have any idea what happened to me at that party? Kevin cornered me and—” I looked around before leaning to Tim. “Denise nearly had her way with me,” I said in a hushed tone.

  Tim gasped. “What the hell happened?!”

  I explained everything that occurred, from how Denise spiked my drink, to how she took me all the way to the guest room. I left the part about Glace taking me home and me waking up in my undergarments inside her room. That bit was between me and her. All I told them was Glace walked in the room and rescued me.

  Tim shuddered in disgust. “I swear. I want to punch Denise on the face.”

  Patty touched his arm from the other side. “That won’t be good Tim,” she said. “You’ll get suspended. Her boyfriend will pummel you too.”

  Tim sat straighter in his chair, narrowing his eyes. The action nearly made his pupils disappear. “Uhm Patty,” he said. “In case you haven’t noticed, I can go head to head with anyone in this school. I may act like a diva Barbie doll when I’m with both of you, but I’m also a tall dude who goes to the gym constantly. I’ll put both James and his biatch to the hospital.”

  Patty frowned. “You want to fight again?”

  I stared at both of them. “What do you mean again?” Did I miss something?

  At my question, Tim lowered his head while Patty proceeded to explain. “We weren’t able to come to your rescue at the party because Tim here,” she elbowed him hard, “had a fight with someone. Right Timmy?” Her voice was full of sarcasm.

  “Look at me,” I said to Tim. When he raised his head, I noticed the fading bruises near his right temple. I wasn’t able to catch it earlier. “Who did you fight with? This is so unlike you."

  He shrugged and averted my gaze. “Drop it Dulce.”

  “Don’t hide it from her,” Patty said, staring past Tim so she could lock eyes with me. “He punched Kevin for saying something dirty about you.”

  My jaw clenched. “Me? What did he say?”

  Tim growled low. “He said you look very fuc. . . errr yummy. And he can’t wait to eat you.” He sighed. “I overheard him talking to his friends. You know I can’t let that slide Dulce. I had to beat the guy up.”

  “And he beat you too,” Patty said. “It’s a good thing Fabio was there to help him, or the whole basketball team would have kicked him to the curb.”

  “Fabio the Judo guy?” I asked. “Mr. Tall, dark, and handsome?”

  Tim smirked, a self-satisfied look on his face. “If you’re talking about that Latino Brazilian guy with curly dark hair and kissable lips, then yes it’s the same Fabio.”

  “Oh. That’s good Tim,” I said. Fabio was a black belt in Judo. He won the national tournament last year. Everyone was scared to fight
him. “Did you thank him for helping you?”

  “Totally!” Tim gushed. “I gave him my number too.”

  My mouth opened in surprise. “He’s like you?”

  “Girl he’s gayer then me,” he said excitedly. “But nobody knows that of course. We’re going to start seeing each other. I can’t wait.”

  “I’m happy for you,” I said with a smile. “But I’m pissed off because of the whole Kevin thing. Duh! I’m not going to have sex anytime soon. At least not with a guy.”

  “You don’t have to worry about him. Now that Fabio is on our side, Kevin will think twice before he says anything again.”

  The bell rang loudly, halting our conversation. Before the teacher came in, Glace walked briskly inside the classroom, sliding next to my seat. She always arrived just when the bell rings. Maybe she did that on purpose to avoid her fans from cornering her inside the classroom. Our eyes met before we stared straight in front. My stomach fluttered like always.

  After the final bell rang, Glace jogged out of the classroom. As usual, all her fans followed her. Aside from always wanting to be near her, they didn’t tire of stalking her at school. I felt sorry for Glace, yet at the same time I was glad that she enrolled here and not in some private high school somewhere. When everyone left, including Tim and Patty, I finally grabbed my things and made my way to the locker. I was in no mood to hang out after school, so I made this lame excuse so they’d go home without me.

  Someone hugged me from behind just as I was stuffing my books inside the locker. From the scent alone, I already knew it was Denise. I shut the locker and pried her arms from my body before turning to her. She immediately said her piece. “Babe, are you mad at me?”

  I stared at her wide eyes and peach colored lips and shook my head. “No Denise. I’m not mad at you. I’m completely disgusted,” I said in an even tone.

  She pouted and reached for me, but I sidestepped and avoided her. “Babe!” she whined. “I just wanted to be with you. You said you liked me too.”

  “That was before Denise. You almost raped me! How do you expect me to like you now?” I cut my eyes at her. “You’re crazy.” I turned away. She grabbed my shoulders, swinging my body to face her. If I didn’t do anything, she’d never leave me alone. I pushed her against the locker. Nobody was in sight. The clanging sound we made when her back hit the metal doors didn’t bother me. Her eyes widened. I placed my hands on either side of her face. When she didn’t speak, I grabbed the opportunity to consume her in my mouth. She made a moaning sound as I nibbled on her lower lip, slipping my tongue inside her.

  I pressed my whole body to her and pinched her butt, which made her groan low. As if that wasn’t enough, my hands travelled to her stomach. I raised her top slightly and traced my fingers on her smooth skin. When she was about to do the same, I ended the kiss.

  “Did that scratch your itch Denise?” My breath was ragged. "Or maybe you wanted something more? Don’t make me hate you. I’ll use you and spit you out if you do.” She tried to catch her breath as she stared at me in confusion. “Leave. Me. Alone,” I said through clenched teeth. I walked away, banging my hand on the locker. She didn’t follow me. She was probably shocked at such development. I didn’t want to do it, but she left me no choice.

  When I rounded the corner, I came face to face with Glace. It looked like she saw the whole thing with Denise. Inevitably, our gaze locked. We were so close that I saw my reflection in her eyes. I also noticed something there. Something I haven’t seen before. A guarded look. It wasn’t long before she turned around and left me standing there. What was I to do but follow her?

  “Glace,” I said, trying to catch up. She didn’t stop and continued heading down the empty halls. By now, the school was empty except for her, me, and the guards for all I cared. In a few strides I was able to reach her. I touched her right elbow making her stop. She didn’t turn in my direction. She looked ahead silently, as if I was merely a ghost. I went in front of her. She was biting her lower lips and staring at the floor while looking conflicted. “Glace,” I said softly. “Why did you run away?”

  She took a sharp intake of breath. It was a few seconds before she finally met my eyes. The things I saw there scared and confused the hell out of me. She didn’t appear mad. She wasn’t crying either. Though her expression was of nonchalance, her eyes said it all. She was hurt. Period. And deep inside, I blamed myself for it. Though I didn’t know how and when I did it to her. All I knew was she was hurting, and I was there, and I needed to do something somehow to wipe that emotion in her eyes. “Did I do something to you?”

  “Can you hug me Dulce?” Her voice cracked. I didn’t know how to respond. “Please. . . I won’t ask for anything else. I just need a hug from you.” Without another question, I closed the distance between us, engulfing her in a warm embrace. Glace was taller than me by an inch. She had the opportunity to place her head against my right shoulder. Her body trembled as I pressed my front to her. She kept her hands to her side while I stroked her back gently with mine.

  I wasn’t a big hugger. But for some reason I really loved embracing her. She was warm, almost feverish against me. Her creamy scent lingered in my nose. It made me think of my favorite dessert. I didn’t notice it before, but she was delicate and feminine. Both of us were soft, but her vulnerability at the moment made me want to protect her. Hugging her was like coming home after a long and tiring journey. No other words could describe it. As I felt her relax in my arms, she raised her left hand and stroked my hair. I sighed in contentment.

  “You’re such a handful,” she murmured.

  “Did I do something?”

  “Mmmmm,” was all she replied.

  The embrace continued a little longer than expected. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I hated to admit it, but Glace frightened me. She made me feel like a train wreck. It wasn’t the fact that it felt perfect when my hands fit the curve of her small yet shapely hips, or the way her soft breast brushed against mine. It wasn’t because it felt like her elegant body was made for me or due to the fact that her beauty left me gasping for air. No. It was more than that. Because here and now, I knew that I was beginning to feel something for her. I also realized that if I fall in this moment, she wouldn’t be there to catch me. And that was what terrified me the most.

  Chapter 11. Reason

  “Are you sure you’re going to be okay sweetie?” mom asked, frowning.

  I nodded and swallowed painfully. It felt like there were barbed wires on my throat. “Don’t worry about me. This is just a silly cold. After I rest for a day, it will be gone like the wind.”

  She pulled the comforter just under my chin. “I can always cancel.”

  I shook my head and stopped immediately. The whole room spun. I shouldn’t have done that. “You can’t cancel on work mom. You told me that this is an important client. They’ll think you’re bailing on them. I’ll be fine while you’re in New York.” I smiled reassuringly at her.

  She sighed. “I can’t believe you got sick right before I’m leaving for the week. Can’t Patty or Tim take care of you? I hate leaving you like this. You don’t usually get sick, but when you do, you turn into a crybaby.” She sat on the bed, placing her palm on my forehead.

  “Patty is sick too. And Tim had an emergency to take care of. I’m a big girl.” A weak smile spread on my face. “I can handle it.” I fought the urge to cough so she wouldn’t get worried. More worried than she already was.

  Mom removed her hand from my forehead. “I’ll ask the neighbor to check on you from time to time.” She stood up. “Call me if there’s anything you need. I mean it Dulce.” She really looked worried.

  “Okay,” I croaked. “Have fun in New York. And spot a cute one for me,” I added.

  She was amused. “I doubt anyone is cuter than Glace honey.” I blushed. She didn’t notice since I was already red from fever. Mom glanced at her watch. “I need to go now if I want to catch my flight. Don’t forget to drink medicine and water.
” She tilted her head to the direction of the door. “There’s money on the kitchen table. Order Chinese food when you’re hungry.”

  “Go,” I said, sounding impatient. “Your flight won’t wait for you. I’ll handle myself.” She nodded and kissed my cheek before turning around and leaving my room. After a couple of minutes, I heard the front door below slam shut.

  The cough I’ve been holding finally broke free. I swallowed painfully when it subsided. What rotten luck. I caught a cold and had to be absent from school. Aside from the fact that I wouldn’t be able to see Glace, I felt really awful. Emphasis on the word awful. My head hurts. I was running a fever. And God knows how ugly I looked. I haven’t taken a bath this morning since I couldn’t get out of the bed. Yay me!

  I tried to search for my iPod without glancing at the bedside table where it was located. When my hands felt its smooth glass, I grabbed it, placing the earphones on my ear. One of my favorite songs called Invisible played. Its calming rhythm lulled me to sleep.

  I was awoken by something or someone prying the earphones from me. “Nooooo,” I said groggily, keeping my eyes closed. It was my hallucination playing tricks on me again. Whenever I’d get sick, I’d usually have bizarre dreams like this. My mom would often joke about it. A soft hand moved against my forehead. My fever hallucination was getting more and more realistic as years passed. I was so fatigued and sick to even think about opening my eyes. I drifted back to sleep.

  After a while, a cold, wet thing brushed on my forehead. My hands automatically went to it. I detected a soft cloth. My eyes opened. Glace stared back at me. I smiled widely at her, not minding my sore throat and current state. “You’re so pretty Glace. Can I keep you?” She gave me a look that said I was crazy and walked out of the room. I shook my head, annoyed. I was so sick that I imagined her here. How pathetic was I? And quoting Casper? God.

  She came back after a few minutes, holding a bowl. She placed it on my bedside table before turning to help me up. I was confused as heck and felt like a complete mess. “Why are you here baby?” I asked, trying to keep the spinning room under control. “This is a hallucination right?” She didn’t answer and fixed the pillow behind me so I could sit comfortably. I touched her face when she leaned in. “Since I’m hallucinating anyway, I’ll tell you exactly what I think of you.”