half/closer

half / 7

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If there was another way around to keep my self-control, I would delightedly take that prospect. However, the circumstances at hand was so revolting to the extent that I wanted to just turn to dust and crawl through the gap of the door to escape this reality. The unforeseen pause due to the astonishing turn of event entombed my capacities to think straight. Some universal force must be punishing me for leading me into this small room with the girl who made my high school life so problematic.

Why?

There were a lot of reasons why I detested this girl and what was happening this night fired up the rising emotion within me. The alcohol in my system was not helping at all. I really had a lot and that was not a good indication. Usually, I would distract myself from drinking too much because I always had to take care of my girls. They were always my responsibilities and you could say I was the mother in the group. Bailey would be the father for handling us in terms of life and knocking wisdom. Arisa and Tiana were our children for being immature and unpredictable all the time.

But this night was unlike. I was nowhere in the right mind and that was because of this girl in front of me.

The air between us felt like a ton of bricks. The doors of the basement muffled the music from outside. We were in our own world, trapped by any means. I clenched my fist hard as I recalled what occurred between us— the body shot. Especially, the kiss.

"I can see your nose flaring from here," she firstly remarked, cutting the silence between us.

My jaw tensed. My stony eyes eager to bore holes into hers. In fact, I wanted to drill those two orbs until she go blind. I didn't want her to see me at this state—coated by animosity yet in weakness. I wanted her to see me so refine and without fault in my skin. I had to be superior in every aspect in her eyes to see.

"Sit with me," she added, waving her hand like I was a trainable dog. "If you wanna hear why they locked us both here."

Tilting my head back, I pinched the bridge of my nose and let out a drained sigh. I pressed my palm on my hip and then just regarded the lampstand at the corner of the room. It could be a tool for slaying a bimbo but it was only our source of light. The room was dimmed but I still could see the frame of her body from where I was standing, her shady presence.

Disregarding her, I just seated on the floor, knees up and arms around them. It wasn't like the strangers who grabbed me and put me into this freaking cell was willing to let us free anyway. I could hear them murmur outside, probably guarding us from whoever wants to save us from here.

"Suit yourself," Khloe muttered and sunk into her own spot.

Silence...

Yeah, I was raging inside but I was too exhausted to even start an argument. I knew better than to coil myself and retaliate. Taking a glance, I acknowledged her little movement. She was enjoying sucking her lollipop as if this situation was normal. Well, there was no normal about Khloe since the time I considered her existence.

I originally encountered her during first year at our school Halloween party. She was clad of dark robe during that moment as she questioned why the school had chosen Arisa as the best costume for the female category. And the crowd surprisingly agreed with her. Since then, I avoided her as much as I could but her very own presence flooded the place due to her infamous pranks and hoaxes. And in addition, she always loved to make fun of my best friend which includes me.

Shifting my head slightly up, I looked at her... as in looked at her. Her hair seemed like it was drenched with dark chocolate, complimenting her bright forest hazel eyes against the darkness. Those expressive eyes— I already had stared back at them in intensity multiple times due to our never-ending war. And staring at them was so hard for me but I never gave her a satisfaction to avert mine. However, each of her stares got a strong hold of me because those eyes were only clothed of confidence and brimming honesty.

I think Khloe was the most authentic person I've ever meet. She doesn't do filters. She doesn't do covers. She was always walking with her head up without any hesitation in each of her strides. And it was the more reason why I hated her. Because I could never do that. I could never be myself as much I wanted because I was only a shadow of my late sister, my Cassie, and I was only adopted for this sole purpose.

I loved my parents to bits for giving me a life that a foster child could never had so I promised myself that I would fulfill the life they had laid for me to follow. However, there were times I wanted to be myself, not just because Cassie would like that or Cassie would love that.

Yes, I envied Khloe Summer. Because she could be herself without any setbacks. Just pure heartbeats. And that realization would be forever buried in my heart. I would never admit that I was jealous of this bimbo. Never!

A loud groan pulled be back from my thoughts, causing my head to shot up. Khloe was peering at her finished lollipop in frustration. "Ugghhh... I'm starving."

I rolled my eyes. Overlooking her whining, I fished out my phone from my pocket and dialed Arisa's number. I could feel the bimbo's stares at me but I only focused at the constant ringing of my phone. Maybe my Captain could get me out of here because basically, she owned the party. Even I had damn guardians outside protecting me. Note the sarcasm!

To my dismay, I dialed her five times already yet she didn't even answer my call. I also called Bailey, Tiana and the rest of my friends but I guess they were too busy outside to even notice that someone was confined here.

I winced dramatically and tossed my phone on the carpeted floor.

I heard a snort so I swiftly jerked my head up to throw her a defiant glare. Khloe instantly averted her eyes from me as if I wouldn't catch them. Through narrowed eyes, I watched her pull out her own phone and dialed someone. Good gracious lord, I was thankful that she finally had the initiative to find a solution out of here.

She called a few times, probably reaching out for her friends. However, all her calls were ignored. No doubt about it, it was already one in the morning.

Khloe paused for a moment, flipping her phone before she tapped on her screen again. After a while, I perked up once I heard her voice saying 'hello'.

"Are you guys still deliver at this hour?" she asked, clamping her lips inward.

I gaped at her in disbelief. What the hell is she doing?

"Yeah, I need my Hawaiian pizza right now. I'm dying in here.... Large size, please. I'll send you the exact address after this call. And don't forget, I'm trapped here in the basement with a girl who doesn't even know how to kiss properly. And there are also kidnappers guarding us outside, for your information"

My jaw fell at her statement. My blood quickly fumed through my veins and I could feel my cheeks burning at her declaration. How could she say that to me?! After all I felt back then when I was kissing her. I was freaking out, panicking and yet she was claiming that I was a bad kisser?!

She laughed out loud. "No, I'm not kidding. She's a bad kisser. I'd rather kiss a koi fish... Yeah, I'm dead serious. Anyway, have it deliver as soon as possible. I'll give a lot of tips... Bye."

That was 'Ouch'!

Once she hung up, I stood up and ran my fingers through my hair. "I'm a bad kisser?!" I yelled, clenching my teeth in anger.

Khloe regarded me with an uninterested look. Then she frowned as a response and hung her mouth open slightly. "Didn't you hear what I said just now? Yeah, you're a bad kisser. A very, very bad kisser! It felt like I was kissing a durable ancient fossil buried since the age of dinosaur and was hardened by soil and dirt. And what are you frustrated about?! In the first place, we are in this situation because you didn't finish the kiss."

"Wow," I gasped, tilting my head sideway and then scowled back at her. "Now, it's my fault?! If you weren't here in the first place, I'm sure everything would be dandy and cool. But no, you had the nerve to f**k up everything," I breathed hard. "And I'm not a bad kisser. In fact, I felt like I was kissing a decayed mummified lips owned by a slave who never even brushed their teeth for a long century." My chest was heaving up and down in fury. "Are you really thinking that I liked the kiss that happened between us? I didn't finish the kiss because I felt sickened to the stomach I could barely breathe properly. All I wanted was, to run away and vomit all the filthy saliva you were trying to plague on me." I snickered in disbelief. "So from the two of us, you're the worst kisser! And you were the one who moaned first, remem——"

In my surprise, Khloe jolted up from the floor and skipped towards me. I immediately backed away and cursed the barrier against my back, immobilizing my body from running away. Khloe was not in her right mind anymore as she glared at me, the lights from the lamp exposed her obscure orbs. There were blazes in them that I couldn't name at all. Words couldn't describe how intense it brought within me. Her body flashed against mine, setting an unknown sensation growing inside me.

And before I could even protest, she cupped the back of my neck and hardly pressed her lips on mine, catching the air out of my lungs. My whole frame stiffened at her sudden attack, my mind was in mayhem once again and my knees wobbled down. I would fall right there but I was glad that the door was supporting me from behind as her free arm wrapped my waist to pull me closer on her body.

Dammit!!!

I lied... Her lips were nothing like I furiously claimed. They were soft and tasted so sweet it could lure me to a deep ocean of Christmas candies. They were jelly-like smashed on mine, bringing me a sensation of trance. I hadn't kiss someone like this before, maybe because she was a girl. A girl that can be fragile and ferocious at the same time.

I didn't stop her though. My limbs were frozen and all my damn consciousness was messed up due to her impulsive move. My brain couldn't function for some reason as I let her kiss me freely, my body at will.

Tilting her head, Khloe swiped her tongue against my bottom lip. Her hold on me intensified and my mouth parted willingly, giving her access to wander. Her tongue invaded not only my mouth but also my entire senses. Electric currents crawled through my whole skin in a speed of light as she circled my tongue using hers.

A long moan fled from me, my throat quivered. The shameful sound caused my kisser to let go. I opened my eyes, only to realize that I shut them off during those breathtaking kiss. However, all rational thoughts disappeared like bubbles as I peered at her forest eyes. She was still staring at my lips like she was only devoted to them. As if she was memorizing all the lines and edges.

As she slowly dived closer to kiss me once again, my eyelids fell down in anticipation. However, in a few seconds, nothing landed on my lips and my eyelids broke apart to see Khloe wearing a conniving smirk.

She chuckled in amusement. "You moaned and expecting a kiss. Still a bad kisser though."

Heat mounted to my cheeks in embarrassment. With all my strength, I pushed Khloe away and she fell on her ass. Clenching my jaw, I took the lamp near me and threw it on her in madness. Our only source of light was cut off and darkness surrounded us. I didn't care anymore!

"Aray!" I heard her yell painfully. "Fvck! Did you just throw the lampshade on me?!!"

"You're a b***h!!" I shouted at her before I blindly took all items I could get hold of from all the drawers and attacked Khloe with them. Though it was total darkness, the room was so contracted so she had no space to run away. She was yelling at me to stop but I was so mad at her. So ashamed of myself because she made me feel like I was stupid... so dumb!

"Help! She's murdering me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs but the people outside had no care at all. Well, I didn't care at all when I got a hold of a cold stone thing in my hand and pitched at her direction.

And the next thing I heard was a break of glasses. And then silence, my heavy breathing and my heartbeat was the only sound my ears made out.

"K-Khloe?" I called out softly but she was not answering.

Realizing that I had threw her a sharp thing, I hastily searched for my phone and once I held it on my hand, I put the flashlight on. And in my horror, Khloe was sprawled out on the floor with a broken vase near her brunette head. The image caused an unthinkable fear in me.

"s**t! s**t! s**t!" I chanted in panic and then kneeled beside her, entirely shaken. My hands were trembling as my eyes roamed at her state. Did I hit her in the head?! Fvck! Of course, you did. That's why Khloe was unconscious on the floor. Dammit! Dammit! I began to get out of my mind, not knowing what to do.

"Help," the words came out as a whisper as I stared down at the injured bimbo. "Hey, Khloe!"

I nudged her lightly, fearing that I would cause more damage. But all of a sudden, she jerked up from her position and dragged me down on the carpeted floor.

"I told you to stop, didn't I?!! You don't even have the slightest idea how monstrous I can be whenever I'm starving," Khloe hissed into my ear as she snaked her arms around my torso and her legs on my thighs. She detained me there like we were in a fight match of UFC.

Bitch! The b***h tricked me again. I was trying to free myself out of her hold but her limbs were too tight around me.

"You b***h! Let me go!" I screamed, trying to push her away with my elbow. I wished during that moment that I had kill her with the vase, instead of being in this kind of disturbing position. Her front against my back and me, stuck inside her arms.

"The hell I will! I'm starving! And I want my Hawaiian pizza now!!" she roared in desperation.

"Damn you!" After what she had done to me, she wanted her pizza of all things?!

Fortunately, she released me and we were both panting in exhaustion on the floor. I heard her shuffling away from me, mumbling about her empty stomach. I was too tired to put up with her so I just crawled to the wall and leaned my wobbly head. My temple prickled out sweats from the fight we just had. My eyes began to adjust with darkness and I could see Khloe was resting on the sofa, with her stomach on it.

We had four hours to waste here. We already had an hour of non-stop argument and I felt like I have already ran a marathon. My body was no longer tough because of trashing everywhere to free myself from her hold. I had to submit and I had to surrender and she seemed that she was also at her limit. Thank goodness!

We stayed silence at each other spot and I kept thinking about her words in my head. My pride had been damaged by her and she would never get away from it. I would make sure of that. She needed to pay for what she had said and done to me. She needed to know that none of her words were true. That I was bad kisser!

The pizza never came, the night was slowly saying goodbye as my mind swirled in a sole mission.

As I slowly fell into my own slumber, I swore in every fiber of my being that I would fulfill this mission no matter what.

I would make Khloe regret her words. I would make her admit that I was the best kisser she ever had and she would ever have.

And that is a promise!

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