Bitter yet Sweet

Chapter four

M A R K

When I entered the kitchen to grab some breakfast, I was shocked when I saw mom and dad kissing. Judging from dad's outfit: black suit, black pants and black shoes, he just got there from his business trip.

I U-turned, grabbed my gray cap and went outside and jogged up to Thoma's house. I saw Emily opening their gate. Are they going somewhere?

"Where's Thomas?" I slide my hands in the pocket of my short while waiting for Emily to reply. She was still royally chewing her chewing gum and blew. It created a small balloon and it poofed then she chewed it again.

"Tom's not here." She placed her hands on her waist like a strict mother.

"Where is he?" I adjusted my cap. This little Emily really knows how to piss the s**t out of me. Like my mom.

"Why would I tell you?" I was about to answer when she opened her mouth again and was taken aback. "Do you like my brother?" She raised her brow.

"What!?"

"Do you like my brother?" She repeated.

"You don't have to repeat it. I. . . don't like him. Of course, no!" This little girl was scary.

"Really? But you act like you do." It crept me out when she grinned.

"Fvck. I don't. I don't swing that fvcking way." No way! I didn't like him! Why would I? I was just desperate to have a friend to talk to while I was there.

"Whatever. So, you want to know where Tom is?"

"Are ya gonna tell me if I say yes?"

"I have a deal." She smiled. An evil smile. Oho, I won't like it.

"Go, say it." I said instead.

"My deal is imma tell ya where Tom is for a hundred." She talked like a gangster.

"Wait, what!? You're extorting me! And you're still a kid!" Was she really a kid?

"Fine, deal's closed." She turned her heels but I called her.

***

T H O M A S

I woke up early and made breakfast. Emily had a summer class to a nearby summer school and mom would be with her. So I was all alone again. After making breakfast, I went to my room and I grabbed my cheap digital camera from my drawer.

Ever since grade school, I liked taking photographs of anything that catches my attention. Even insects and flowers and I often sketches them.

I grabbed my jacket and placed the digital cam in its pocket and went out the house. I had been itching to wander around the area and that day's weather was perfect. I walked about fifty meters away and saw the tall redwoods. I had been meaning to capture those redwoods from a worm's point of view.

I walked deeper in the woods when I stepped into something hollow. Then the next thing I knew, I was rolling down in a pit. I screamed like the world as ending at that time and groaned when I hit a rock.

I tried to grip my hands to the ground and seedlings to stop me from rolling but it only snapped. Luckily, I stopped rolling before I fall into a small lake. My back hurts as I stood and I was glad that I didn't let go of my digital camera which was unscathed on my hands.

I looked at the clear lake when I heard a scream followed with a groan. Then after seconds, I saw another man rolling on the inclined ground and hit me hard that we both fell in the lake.

The fact that I didn't know how to swim made me grabbed anything within my reach from not drowning. I knew it was the other man but I still wrapped my arms around him and he also placed his hands on my waist.

Seconds later then I realized that it was Mark. If I weren't afraid of drowning then I would have pushed him away from me.

"You don't know how to swim?" I blushed and he laughed. "Do you know how deep this lake is?" He pointed his neck where the water level was and I pushed him away. My face was blushing and I climb to the ground then I remembered something.

"My camera," I whispered and looked at my hand. "My camera!" I turned back and glanced at the clear water.

"Is this what you're looking for?" Mark lifted his hand in the air with my wet cam and I snatched it.

I discharged the battery and the memory card inside the camera and stared at the black screen. We had been together for how many years. . . two years. I used my own money to bought that. I sighed and turned around.

"I'm sorry," he said and I glanced at him.

"Oh, you better be!" I blurted out without thinking. It was really his fault. "What are you even doing here? Are you a stalker? Or are you still into that crappy want-to-be-friends thing? Seriously, stop it." I walked out. It was hard to climb up but I still managed alone.

I was soaking wet and dirt were all over my clothes when I went back to the house. I looked like a pig after playing at the mud and slightly shivering from the cold. I hopped directly to the shower.

After I showered and dressed, I dried my dead cheap digital camera on my study table and placed it where the rays of the sun was. I sighed and went to the kitchen. I haven't had my breakfast and I was hungry.

While eating, I suddenly remembered Mark. Where in the world did he came from. He kept on appearing everywhere I go and I kept on pushing him away because as much as I want to be his friend, I knew that he would be disgusted if he knew what happened from my past.

I didn't want to feel that feeling again.

***