half / 13 [2/2]

3155 Words
........ Deciding it would cause me a headache, I took my mind off the code and chose to complete the original plan. Making certain that my friends were already fast asleep, I pushed the blanket off me and started to move in silence out of the room. In my relief, I reached Khloe's bedroom door. I could tell it was her door because it was labeled Khloe with a red 'stop sign' hanging on it. I knocked twice before hearing her footstep behind the door. When the door opened, I tried to keep still of myself as she stood inside her room, being so stunning on her own. Khloe stepped back to let me in and I was proud of myself because I was able to walk forward without tripping in the air. The thoughts of myself alone with Khloe were making me tense to the core. We were spending time alone before but this was a different case. Before it was sort of a conflict without feelings but this time, my emotions were involved and the war in my heart was starting to grow into something I didn't even recognize. With a grin on her alluring face, she grasped my hand and ushered me further into her own privacy. My skin was burning from her touch and to distract myself from the sensation she was bringing out of me, I scanned her room thoroughly. For a messy and rebellious personality, I found Khloe's room to be somewhat structured. All of her belongings were in the right place. Her walls were designed with geometric wallpapers whilst the furniture was synthesized in a modern manner. Unlike her sister Quinn who had a cabinet of expensive digital cameras, vintage cameras, lenses, and books about photography, Khloe had her fair share of multi-purpose gadgets like a virtual reality headset, binoculars, a surface laptop, and a stack of books about digital media. Across her bed, on the other side of her room, I wouldn't miss her workspace with a huge Surface Studio on it, a pair of Bluetooth speakers on each side, a wireless keyboard and mouse, a clear cup of stylus pens, and a high-end laptop. Of course, I would know all about these designer gadgets because I was also an artist. However, I was more into traditional art, and from what I gathered tonight, Khloe was interested in digital which caught me off guard. "You can close your mouth, Boots," I heard Khloe say with a little laugh, and I shifted my eyes to her in disbelief. "I-I wouldn't peg you as an artist," I said, giving her an awed look. Khloe gave her heart-stopping smile, then pulling me towards her workspace. She let me sit on her comfortable rolling chair while she sat on the nearby wooden stool beside me. "Why not? My Dad was an artist, Quinn is also an artist. Although my Mom is an accountant, it doesn't mean I will refuse to do the things I'm passionate about." My eyes moved to the surface screen, looking at her portfolio. I was impressed that she had real talent. The brunette beside me had a unique concept and her art was really eye-catching. But I really couldn't believe that Khloe had done all of these amazing artworks. Biting my lip, I turned to her, realizing that she was so close to me. The warmth radiating from her body skipped my heartbeat and I could sense the tension around the air. While the light from her light shade was illuminating her defined and striking face, my gaze couldn't deny the brightness of her earthly orbs. They were staring at mine with such passion and they strongly created a spark within my body. Needing to get away from her proximity, I whirled the chair and moved my focus to her designs. I just swiped the touchscreen, skimming her works tensely. "I-I just can't believe that you, Khloe Summer, the Bimbo Captain and the school troublemaker, love digital arts. I'm somehow thinking that you're into a mob or will get involved in an underground society. I could imagine you rolling money from the black market with tobacco in your mouth," Khloe let out a lovely laugh causing my stomach to churn in admiration. Her laughter was a soft melody in my ears. "Well, I was in the gang before," she revealed, making me halt and looked at her with concern. "Remember? I was in a coma during the summer before junior year. After that, I quit." I immediately recalled her involvement with Jet who was still a mystery to me. "If you really quit, why are you still with this Jet?" I asked, my tone was scolding because I couldn't help it. I was worried and yes, I was a little bit jealous. Khloe raised her brow at me. "Why do you sound upset?" "Because I'm upset," I hissed, crossing my arms. "Because I care about you!" Her lips curled into an amused smile and then she held the armrest of the chair and dragged me closer to her. She unfastened my arms before taking both of my hands in hers. It was a relief that her room was slightly dark because I'm sure that I was blushing at this moment. "It wasn't Jet's fault that I got into a car accident," Khloe claimed with sincerity in her eyes. "We were in a car racing against a notorious gang because I urged him to do it. I thought it was fun which is really stupid. He refused to do it but I kept on convincing him so we could raise our reputations among the members of our gang. When I was in a coma, he took the blame and received a month of probation. In fact, I still feel guilty about it. I really owe him so much. I'm thankful that he accepted me back in his life and I will not dare to mess up our relationship again." Although I was grateful to Jet for saving my Khloe, I wondered how deep their relationship was. "Do you like him?" Khloe nodded, squeezing my hands gently but my heart punitively. "Of course. He's really amazing." Okay, that really hurt! "What about Xander?" I asked, putting myself in a sinking hole of regrets. Khloe scrunched her face in confusion before she chuckled. "No, you're wrong. Jet and I are just friends. Xandie is... Well, Xandie is different." Wow, Xandie?! They are already on puppy terms. Slaughter me now! What about me? Do you like me? Am I different? Or even special? "So you like Xander," I stated, ignoring the voice in my head and murdering myself further inside. "Yeah, kind of," Khloe appeared unsure of her emotional state for the mentioned guy and I didn't know if her answer was a downfall to me or not. "And hey, we shouldn't talk about who I like or who I don't like. I invited you here so that I could show you my designs." "I've seen some of them. They're really great, Klo. You're brilliant," I praised her genuinely. Khloe bent forward, placing her elbows on her knees while caressing the back of my hands with her thumbs. My breath caught in haywire for even looking at her cleavage. Butcher yourself, Ry! Look at your own cleavage! "I know, I know! I'm extremely amazing," she bragged earning a roll of eyes from me. "But it's not really the reason why I showed you how greatly gifted I am. I'm just curious about college. My future. Do you think that my designs are enough to get a pass to high-rated art universities?" My head shifted faintly in puzzlement. "Klo, I'm also an artist so I don't doubt that you'll get accepted to any universities you desire." Khloe beamed. "Thanks, I truly respect your opinion because you're not just an artist, you're a great artist on your own." She respected my opinion? Was that really good for me or not? Even so, I appreciated her thoughts of me. "Thanks, Klo." "But what about you?" I was confused. "What about me?" Khloe snickered at my question. "Yeah, where are you planning to go? Do you want to go with me? I mean do you consider going with me? You can go to any art school you want and then maybe I can also apply with you. We can be together." F uck! My heart!! Khloe wanted a future with me?! She wanted us to be together?! Dammit, Ry! Don't you ever go there! Khloe just wants to be with you in an artful way! The idea of us being together caused a butterfly in my stomach but I knew that I couldn't be with her as much as I wanted. I didn't even have any idea if my feelings for her would turn to an exquisite experience or a beautiful disaster. Imagining myself together with Khloe was a distant place, further than what I was supposed to be. Dropping my head down, I looked at our joined hands. "I can't, Klo. I-I've already applied for medical school. Cassie and my parents want me to be a great doctor." "Medical school? A doctor?" she muttered, her voice was a whisper in my ear. "But I can see that you love making art. Why do you want to go to a medical school if your passion is to paint on an empty canvas?" A bitter laugh came out of my mouth. "Painting is just for my spare time. I can't even finish a canvas. So you're wrong about me being great." "You're lying," she jeered and I stared up at her, clearly offended. "I'm not lying. It's true. I can't even finish anything. My arts are a joke. They are a disaster and all I ever want is to burn th——" "Stop!" Khloe yelled, shaking her head in distress. "You don't have the right to say that they're disasters. You are clearly insulting my opinion of you. If I say they're beautiful, then they truly are. The criticism is not in you. They're from the eyes that can see how remarkable you are. You're not going to a medical school because I can tell that it's not what you want." I frowned deeply, pulling my hands from her hold. Pushing the chair, I stood up and gazed down at her in anger. "What do you know about what I want?!" "You want to be an artist... a great one." "That's delusional," I gasped bitterly. She didn't even know that I liked her so how could she even tell about my dreams and passion straight to my face. Letting out a puff, Khloe stood up, running her fingers through her chocolate hair. She glanced at her own works before her eyes locked with mine. "Is this about your sister? Is she the reason why you can't even complete a canvas?" I clenched my jaw, hoping that I could suppress the rage inside me. But she was right. I didn't want to be a doctor. I was dreaming of becoming a great artist. Khloe told all the truth. My paintings were started to become imperfect after Cassie died. My sister wasn't the reason why I couldn't even end what I started on my canvas but it was me all along. I couldn't move on from her death. And hearing them from Khloe was more hurtful than it already was. Her words were like cold water falling on my face, awakening me to reality. "I don't... I don't know," I mumbled, brokenhearted. Khloe took steps towards me and dragged me into an embrace. "I don't know, Klo. I can't... I tried to move on." The brunette shushed me as she caressed my back comfortingly. "No, you have to let go. Moving on is entirely different. Do you understand? You must let go of her." I shook my head. "But that's it. I don't want to let her go. I want to keep her alive inside me." Khloe pulled away inches from me and cupped my face gently. Her touch was tender and she gazed at my eyes with tempest and warmth. "Cassie is alive with you, Hilary. But don't let yourself be dead for keeping her inside your heart. You can treasure her all your life but you shouldn't let her memories take what your heart desire." Conflicted and hopeless, that's what I was tonight while Khloe tried to persuade me to follow my heart. However, things around me were difficult. My parents would not consider my dreams and I loved them too much to contradict their ambitions for me. Khloe had seen the skirmish in my eyes. "I'll help you." Help me? Why? Why would she do that? "Klo," I sighed, taking her hands on our sides. "I don't think there's a solution to this. My Mom and Dad want me to be a doctor because it's Cassie's dream." "Exactly, it's not yours, to begin with," Khloe insisted. "Alright, let's just say they allow me to go to art school but what about my paintings? Do you really think the universities would want an incomplete canvas in my portfolio?" Khloe laughed. "Of course, it's a great concept. They're abstract." "No, they're not. They are not even imperfect. I can't just tell them they're abstract. They will not allow a student with only one concept. They will know that there is something with it. That there is something wrong with me." "That's why I'll help you," the brunette pointed out again. "But how?" I questioned, greatly disturbed. "I don't know how but one thing I know is you have to let go of the past, which is your sister. Just say anything you think is going to help you and I'll do it." "What? Even kissing me?" I said out of nowhere, making my eyes widened. Khloe eyed me suspiciously. "Why kissing me would help you to let go? You told me before that my kisses reminded you of her." I laughed nervously, trying to hide my embarrassment. As I mentioned before, it wasn't about Cassie anymore whenever I'm with Khloe. I started to grow things that were unknown to her. I began to catch feelings and I bet kissing her would heal my misery, cure my doubts, make me forget my fears, or even encourage me to let go of Cassie. This was the existing reality so I'd rather face them whether I like it or not. I clearly wanted her back to me. I had to enjoy her while it lasts. This was my opportunity to get one of the two things I desire. If I couldn't have everything like my dream, at least, there was a possibility I would get my own Khloe. "I-I don't know, Klo. I just think kissing someone triggers adrenaline rush," I stammered, making a fool of myself. It was obvious that I was just giving a sort of stupid excuses to get her to agree with me. "Whenever I kiss someone, it makes me forget all the stressful things in my life. I just have this theory that if you keep on kissing me while reminding me that you're not Cassie, then maybe I'll start to let go of her slowly because I'm already aware that you're not exactly Cassie." Epic question to myself for today: WHAT??! "But it doesn't have to be me, right?" she asked, brushing off my senseless rant. Good lord, she was absolutely rejecting my proposition. If I admitted that I really liked her, I was certain that she would turn me down. How many times did she have to kill my poor heart? I shrugged my shoulder nonchalantly and marched towards her bed and sat on it. "Well, it doesn't have to be you but I don't have the guts to be romantically involved with someone because my parents won't allow it. They want me to focus on my studies and beat your grades senseless so it has to be you." "Wow, really?" Khloe gaped her mouth at me, her expression was utterly bewildered at my continuous absurdity. "Okaaay, but I still can't understand why it has to be me." I groaned. "It has to be you because we've done this before. We gave each other benefits without being romantically involved." "And I will not remind you of Cassie anymore if you're aware that it's me kissing you?" "Eventually, if you keep on kissing me," I responded with a nod. "Are you really sure that it will work?" she insisted. "Theoretically." "Theoretically?" "Yeah?" Khloe smirked, which was a warning. "Or you're just making excuses after excuses because you just want to keep on kissing me?" I immediately felt the heat on my cheeks from that question. "Of course not! You know what, it doesn't hurt to just say 'No'. If you're not up for it then go... You're the one who said you'll do anything to help me." The hazel-eyed brunette slumped her shoulder. She walked towards her bed and sat beside me. I could feel her stare but I refused to look back because I was aware that I was slowly sinking into the hole of shame. "I also care for you, Hilary," she said softly, forcing me to meet her eyes. My pulse raced from her words and my body felt the blistering heat wrapping me in bliss. "I'll help you. If kissing you is possibly the way for you to let her go, I'm up for it. Even though I found it illogical and stupid, I completely trust you here because the truth is, you're the only one who knows how to help yourself from this." I smiled and nodded, happy that I had finally convinced her with my dumb idea. "Soooo? Do I have to kiss you now?" I gulped, my nerves peaked up instantly. "No, no... of course not. Anytime you want, of course. You just have to keep reminding me that you're not Cassie, okay?" She nodded with a haughty look on her face. "So... we're now officially friends with kissing benefits, huh?" I awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck. "Y-Yeah, I guess so." "Alriiigght," Khloe spread her arms wide and then engulfed me in an embrace again. Her face was inches from me, her minty smell covered my nostrils and my breath stopped for a second at her closeness. "Alright, wh-what?" I managed to say, stunned inside her arms. She looked straight down at my lips. "I'm Khloe Summer, your friend with kissing benefits and I'm going to kiss you now," she whispered playfully before placing her lips on mine without warning. It was a light kiss and it made me realize that I was terribly missing her. And I was truly wrong when I agreed to be just only friends with her. And that's how our story of kissing benefits began. Mission accomplished! ........
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