half/closer

half / 11 [2/2]

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"Ms. Collins?" Miss Curtis tried to get my friend's attention while Bailey was still sleeping at her own desk. I winced, frustrated that our teacher had caught her. I had noticed already that she fell into sleep minutes ago but I just let her, knowing that she was exhausted for worrying and taking care of Tiana.

However, the whole class' attention was already at my sleeping friend so I needed to wake her up before it get worst.

"Bailey!" I called in a whisper, trying to get her out of her slumber state.

She seemed to hear my voice, lifting her head from her arms. Once she was completely conscious, she realized that she had slept involuntarily in the class for the first time.

Ms. Curtis acknowledged her with sympathy. She truly understood Bailey's situation but it came to me that her studies and consistencies were being affected due to this. Bailey might be not on the top line but she was intelligent, sharp and proven-wise, unlike us. Arisa and I were just a couple of academic top-ranked junkies but when it came to wisdom, we were far from Bailey.

"Miss Collins, I know you're tired but it would be better to ask me for a slip and I'll let you rest in the clinic instead of seeing you sleeping during my class."

Bailey flinched. "I-I'm sor—"

But then she was interrupted by the slam of the classroom door, surprising all of us. Zoey, Tiana's best friend, enetered the room with a horror look on her face. All my nerves gone up in fear while she skipped towards Bailey, tears in her darkest eyes.

"Zoey, what the hell happened?" Bailey questioned, her voice trembled at the sight of scared Zoey who mumbled incoherently. "Zoey, what happened!!!?" Bailey repeated the question roughly.

A wretched sob escaped from Tiana's friends. "Tiana.... T-They're taking her away... far away from us."

"W-What?!" Bailey voiced out the emotions lurching within me. I was at the edge of my seat, gasping at the intensity of that statement. Why?!

"Bailey, for god's sake, her parents are transferring her out of the country!" Zoey yelled out loud and Bailey began to get panic. My heart calmed a bit, knowing that Tiana was still safe but it didn't erase the storm revolting inside me. Why?! Why her mother would want her out of here?!

Bailey stood up from her desk and stormed out of the classroom with Zoey. I, too, scrambled my belongings but a firm voice from Miss Curtis made me stop.

"Miss Damien, I appreciate that you want to check on your friend but I won't allow you to get out of my class."

"But she's my friend!" I glared at my teacher in disbelief before scurrying out of the classroom, not even bothered that I would get detention again.

"s**t!" I cursed, my chest was heaving while I watched Bailey's car went rampage out of the parking lot. I was planning to call Khloe to drive me to hospital but decided against it. I wouldn't have her get involved with this situation.

Instead, I just called for a cab with hope in my heart that I would still see Tiana.

"But how? Why we can't see Tiana anymore?" I asked in total disbelief. We were currently in the hospital. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see Tiana and Bailey was already resting in a hospital room after she made a scene, causing the doctor to manage her down.

Zoey bit her lower lip before she spoke in agony, "Tiana isn't really a Hartley. Her supposed father stole her from her true family and forced her to live a life that she isn't supposed to be in. She's a Grayson. And now that they found her at a horrible state, they didn't hesitate to take her away and press charges for those who are involved."

Arisa sat down on the bench, completely shattered like me. Quinn caressed her girlfriend with tears also in her eyes. This is ridiculous!

"How come we don't know about this?!" I hissed, throwing my arms in frustration.

Zoey looked at me, sharp dagger in her eyes. "Because she found it just recently. And who would believe her? She's going to be like what?! 'Hello, I'm not the daughter of the drug lord because in truth, that bastard stole me from my family so don't judge me.' Or maybe you guys don't know her at all because all you'll ever do is to fool around and reign at the top of the world like a b***h!!"

"How dare you!!!" I shouted back, stepping forward to defend ourselves. "Don't question our relationship with Tiana and don't you ever judge us! You don't even know me!!"

"Stop!" Arisa stood between us, pushing both of us.

"She started it!" I roared, flipping her hand from my shoulder.

"You know damn well it was you!!!"

"Hey, if Tiana could hear the two of you, I'm sure she will be disappointed," Quinn said next to Arisa. "For now, all she wants us to do is to make sure that Bailey is going to be fine. So stop arguing!"

"Mom and I will stay with her," Zoey exclaimed, challenging me.

"Fine! I'll leave. Don't want to see your garbage face anyway!" With that, I made my exit and ignored the calls of my friend.

I was certain that I'm not needed anymore. Arisa and Quinn could handle it. Seeing that b***h didn't want me there, I chose to leave or else my anger might take over me and murder her lousy mouth for real.

Expecting that my parents would find out about my sudden disappearance during class, I called for a cab once again and headed to one place no one would find me. Moreover, the anger inside me was ready to lash out and there was only one thing which could stop me from doing that.

And that was, painting my emotion out in the canvas.

The cab arrived at the entrance of the property. The sky were in deep ginger, rendering that I had to be inside the tree house before sundown. Or else, the woods might eat me alive. Khloe told me this was a safe place and she gave me a card access anyway so all I had to do was lock the security from the inside so no one could enter without warning.

After a minutes of walk, I reached the spot, turned on the electric generator and marched through the hanging bridge. Once inside, I looked at the incomplete canvas on the wall of the living room. I noticed that Khloe had all the materials I mentioned on her shopping list on the working table she'd set up near the canvas.

Still angry about the state of my life, I approached the station and combined all my emotions into colors. From that moment, my whole system only fixated into creating an art. I had no concern about the world around me anymore. All I felt were the constructing feelings of regret, raging explosions of madness and undefined clatter of unknown emotions towards a person. I dedicated every waves of the brush to form an art that would be impossible to describe by a shallow individual.

An abstract of my deepest emotions that I wanted to let go for years.

Yet, it seemed to be impossible.

Deeply buried into my own creation, I was suddenly dragged out of it when someone held my wrist, stopping me at once.

"Enough," a soft voice caused my head to turn at the source. As I expected, it was none other than Khloe, one of the reasons of this f****d up feelings.

I harshly took my hand from her. "No, you don't understand. I have to do this!"

"You're angry," she said the obvious. "I don't want you to stain my father's art into a storm."

I gave her a venomous gaze. "Is this what you want?! And now you're complaining?!"

She frowned at me. "I expect you to fill it with happy thoughts, not like this."

"This is my art! I can do whatever I want!"

"This isn't what you want!!" Khloe fired back, snatching the brush from my hand and tossed it away from me.

"What do you want from me?!" I pushed her away and then pointed my fingers at her in fury. "This is all your fault!!!"

"Okay, you can blame it all on me," Khloe provoked, stretching her arms out. "Just stop crying."

Only then had I realized the tears streaming down on my cheek. Ashamed of myself, I dropped my head down and rubbed my smeared palms across my face. A pair of shoes stumbled in front of mine before two arms engulfed me into a caring embrace.

Tired of arguing, I let go of myself and accepted the warmth Khloe brought upon my system. It was calming and the anger surfacing in my whole body had vanished. Why would I always see myself inside her embrace? She must be thinking that I'm always weak, needing to be pampered at all times.

"Everyone is worried about where you are," she said, pulling me closer.

"What?" I breathed in her neck in confusion.

Khloe chuckled, stepping back to get a better look at me. "Have you not realized that you missed your dinner and your parents are now looking for you? You're lucky Arisa covered for you and Quinn called me to ask of your whereabouts."

I wasn't surprised that I lost a track of time. "Then how did you know I would be here?"

The brunette smirked and shifted her eyes over my shoulder. I followed the trail of her gaze and then answered my own question, "CCTV."

"Yup. So are you ready to go back?"

I shook my head in disagreement. "Can I stay here for a while?"

Khloe glanced at her father's canvas before turning her attention back at me. "You'll continue this? No offense but it looks like s**t to me."

I rolled my eyes. "Because it's not done yet. But I guess I have to stop for now. You're right, I shouldn't blemish your father's property with my own selfishness."

"You're not selfish," she murmured before dragging me on the couch. We sat side by side and she rested her head on the headrest, staring at the stars through her clear ceiling.

I copied her position and just looked at the starry night.

"Why? Why is it my fault?" Khloe suddenly asked, making me regret what I'd chuck out of my mouth.

I sat properly and gazed at her. "Sorry, it's not like that. I was just angry."

She released a heavy sigh before she met my eyes in determination. "But I feel like there's still something underneath. I want you tell me what's your problem with me. Remember? Rule number one, there's no secret inside my tree house."

I swallowed hard, contemplating if I should let her know what was really bothering me. Biting my lower lip, I held my eyes to her with more intensity. "Promise me, you won't get mad."

Khloe nodded, raising her palm up. "Promise."

Turning away my gaze, I stared at the empty spot in front of me. "You-You strongly reminds me of my late sister."

"What?" her voice raised up. "In what way?"

"In a lot of way," I murmured, my heart started to race. "Especially, whenever you k-kiss me. It's the reason why I liked kissing you. It truly makes me feel Cassie was close to me."

When I didn't get a response from her, I continued, putting our blooming friendship on the line, "When we kissed for the first time, an unimaginable emotions resurfaced and it seems like the more I felt it, the more I longed for it. Proving to you that I'm not the worst kisser was just a damn excuse. The truth is, I started that game with you so that I could feel that Cassie is still here with me. I used you to strengthen that feelings which had slowly faded away since she died. I wanted her to feel alive within me and thought that your lips was the only way to do it. I know that it's a wrong thing to do but I couldn't help being vulnerable whenever you kiss me. But I realized that it had to be stopped so I agreed being your friends. But then, Tiana left us and the pain float up again. I feel so guilty and angry at myself for doing that to you. Zoey is right. I'm a b***h for being so selfish. I will understand if you don't want me to be friends with you anymore."

When I was done explaining, I refused to look at her, fearing of her response. However, the gentleness of her voice caused me to lock my eyes with her hazel-green orbs.

"May I know why my kiss reminds me of your sister?" she asked and there was calm and whirlwind of how she murmured every words.

Recalling the moment of my past, I spoke without faltering, "Because Cassie is my first kiss."

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