Chapter Four ~ Saer Pike
Thoughts raced through my mind like bullets.
‘I do love Dranne. I do. I love Dranne…right?’ I thought. ‘Dranne is my boyfriend. I love him dearly. I…I do. I love Dranne. But…” I shook my head.
“Come on Saer!” I said out loud, staring at the ground, watching my feet land right in front of each other. Dranne was probably in total shock right now, Girlfriend-Boyfriend denial was probably setting in. Poor Dranne. I feel horrible, treating him like this. I feel like a piece of-
I slammed right into someone; I flew down on my butt and sent my victim spinning to the ground. I sat there, dazed and confused but soon realized I wasn’t the only one hit. Quickly I scrambled up and took the hand of the winded one on the ground and was hauled up.
“I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, I wasn’t looking. I didn’t see you coming and I wasn’t-“
“It’s okay. I’m fine.” A boy looked up from his shoes and dusted off his pants. I almost died when I saw him.
He had blond hair, not too short, but not too long. He had stunning blue eyes, a small face and a nice build. He was wearing average kid clothes, some orange and white striped polo t-shirt and jeans. But his eyes were what made me want to kill myself.
“I...I...I’ve got to...home...and I was going...” I stopped myself and took a deep breath. “Hi.”
The boy gave a small smile. “Hi.”
“I’m...Saer. I’m Saer Pike. I don’t know if you know that. Do I know you? You must be new. I’d know those eyes-“I quickly stopped myself from rambling. “Hi.”
The boy laughed. “Hi.” He looked down and back up again. “My name’s Luke. Gavner. I just moved here. Literally, about two hours ago.”
Before I made myself look too much like an idiot, I turned back to my destination. “Well I’m going home, so bye.” I quickly shot out at him and walked home. He stood there for a moment but turned around and ran to me. He was walking beside me, hands in his pockets.
“You gotta get home?”
“Something like that.”
“Huh?”
“I wanna go home.”
“Ah, I see. Well, why?”
“I dunno.”
“Business or pleasure?”
“Um...” We stopped at a red light and I kept my gaze forward. “Neither I guess. Boredom?” I suggested. I didn’t need to scare him away by drowning him with my Dranne story.
He nodded his head. “Alright. Well, here’s something for you to do. Show me around the town?” I gave him an odd look. The light turned green and we went forward.
“Why?”
“Why? Well, I don’t know where I’m going. What happens if I get to the bad side of town and get mugged?”
“Well, the “bad side of town” in Kenton is probably in front of the house where the grass isn’t as green as the rest of the lawns. You’re not gonna find anything badder than that.”
“Worse.”
“Huh?”
“It’s...it’s worse. Not badder.”
I flipped my hand at him and gave him an odd smile. “Grammar Geek.” I shook my head. “Fine. Where do you want to start? The town’s almost like two big circles and some odd looking parallelogram.”
“The best part first.”
“Okay.” I thought for a while and Luke seemed to get annoyed.
“Oh, come on.”
“Kenton isn’t filled with many thrills.” I tapped my foot as we waited for a car to turn. “How about the movie theatre?”
“Fine.”
“Good, well, then turn here.” We turned at the corner and headed down a street I hardly ever travel on. The next we’d have to walk on was Dranne’s, but I didn’t want to walk around it and add the extra blocks. It would take far too long.
“So...what’s up?”
“Don’t make conversation for no reason.” I said coldly. Thinking about Dranne, for some reason, made me mad.
“Sorry.” He said defensively.
“No, it’s just awkward. To me, at least.” I looked down.
“Hey, what’s that?” Luke squinted in the distance.
“Oh, that?” I squinted with him. “That’s the 24 hour diner sign. It’s only open 18, though. It’s a pretty big sign. You can see it almost anywhere.”
“Looks like a big blue and pink neon fuzz to me.”
“Well, you can see the color at least.”
Luke nodded his head. We had finally reached Dranne’s street and I prayed to god that Dranne wasn’t coming the other way.
“You okay?” Luke looked at me peculiarly.
“Hmm? Oh, yeah. I’m fine. Just...fine.” When we finally got off the street we turned right and the theatre was right beyond it. “And here we are.” They passed the theatre in silence. “There’s the flower shop. We have three. Don’t know why, though.”
We kept walking.
“The fifth pizza parlor. The cleaners. Only one of those, though.” I shook my head. “Sports Emporium. ‘All of your sporting needs, just around the bend.’” I quoted.
“Sounds great.” Luke smiled sarcastically.
“Oh,” I smiled wickedly, “there’s more. Much more.”
Chapter Five~ Luke Gavner
Saer took me around the whole town. And I mean the whole town. It took only an hour, we went around after it all to stop for pizza though. We ordered a large, everything pizza and took a seat at a back table.
“So you’re sister…”
“Srellia.” I said.
“Srelya? She is the spawn of the devil, is that correct?”
“Yes.” I said plainly.
She shook her head. “I’d kill to have a sibling. I’m so lonely sometimes. Of course, sometimes Dranne would bring his sister with when he came over and…”
“Who’s Dranne?”
“Oops.” She almost whispered. “Um… Dranne? He goes to school with me. In the same group of friends. Hangs out with all of us. He’s over a lot.”
“Oh, cool.” I sighed. I hope I didn’t sound too relieved.
“So, you want to get out of here?” She smiled brightly.
“Sure.” I sat up from my seat and slid out.
The door to the pizza parlor slammed open. There was a boy there. About my age. But he was taller and buffer than me. Dark, short hair, ripped jeans, and a black shirt. He scanned around the room and set his gaze on me and Saer.
“Saer, I need to talk to you.” He walked over to here, giving me a hideous look. He took hold of Saer’s arm.
“Dranne, no.” she yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Dranne go away. I told you I wanted to be alone.”
“You can’t be alone after what happened back there.” He threw his arms in the air. I sat down back in my seat, tentatively, as to not draw attention. “Saer, you can’t expect me to just let you go after that.”
“Why? I can’t think about it?” she raised her voice. By this point, the whole restaurant was looking at us.
“Because it’s either you do or you don’t. No thinking.”
“But I already said I did. Back at the gazebo. I said I do.”
“That wasn’t anything back there. It was a forced reply. You didn’t want to say it. And don’t lie to me. I know it.”
Saer looked down for a moment. Then back up, then to me. Dranne laid his gaze to me too, then his face got red. “Who’s this clown?”
“He’s not a clown, Dranne.” Saer sighed. “Dranne, this is Luke Gavner, Luke, this is Dranne Kurda.”
“Dranne stuck out a large hand. “Luke, “he nodded his head. I looked at his massive hand and slowly took it and we shook.
“Dranne, “I managed to spit out.
Dranne stood back next to Saer and draped his arm over her shoulder, as if an advance to me. “Saer, honey,” he stroked her hair, “I think we should go to my place. My mom is cooking dinner and wants you over. She keeps telling me over and over, ‘I love you girlfriend,” he emphasized. “She says, ‘Your girlfriend is a real prize.’ All week long.” Dranne smiled. One point for Dranne.
“Hey, Saer, I’ll take home the rest of the pizza. We should go out like this every week. More than once. We can spend weekends together, too. Oh yeah, and Saer, remember you promised to meet my mom tonight, at dinner?” I smiled. One point for Luke.
“Oh, right.” Saer smiled shyly. “Dranne, I’m sorry, but I promised him first. And, I still need my space from you.” Two points for Luke.
Saer winded her way out from Dranne’s arms and left. I was standing there, Dranne’s fiery eyes upon me, when I quickly slipped away, following Saer.
“You didn’t have to come with me, you know. You could have gone with your...” I forced out the word, “boyfriend.”
“No, it’s alright. And right now, I need to be as far away from him as possible.”
“Did he do something to you?” my eyebrows rose high.
“No, no, he didn’t do anything. It’s just, you know, I needed some alone time.” I looked at her unconvinced, and she caved in right away. “Well, today, we were ditching some stupid holiday thing the down does, right?”
I just nodded.
“And we were sitting in the gazebo, talking, messing around, when out of the blue he says, ‘Saer, I love you.’ I mean, there was nothing else to support it and it seemed forced and...” she looked over at me in sorrow. “Aw, Luke. I’m sorry I’m dumping all this on you. Really, I don’t need to tell you this junk.”
“No,” I shook me head, “No it’s alright, really. I like to hear others talk. It’s...it’s a nice change from my voice. Well, except from my mom’s or sister’s.”
Saer laughed and gave a small, cute smile. “Luke, you make me smile.”
“I can see.”
She smiled again and looked down. “I’m glad you like to listen.”
“Hm?”
“It’s good, for me I mean, that you like to listen, because, you know, I really couldn’t talk to this with someone else, right? Mom? No way, she’d freak about the stuff I’d tell her. Dad? He cut the word ‘boys’ out of his dictionary a long time ago. And, I have no siblings.”
“How about your friends?”
“My friends? Are you mad? They don’t have guy troubles. To them, it’s not a relationship; it’s who you’re seen with at parties and stuff. They switch from guy to guy weekly. They find it ridiculous that I have this long of a relationship with Dranne.”
“It’s been...”
“Two years. About. I’m not sure.”
“Wow. That’s a long time. What was wrong? Got bored of him?”
“No. It’s not that. Dranne’s the most amaz-“ she stopped herself. But I know what she was going to say. “It’s that I’m not ready.”
“You’re not ready...you’re not...ooooooh!” I suddenly realized.
“No!” Saer pulled a face of horror. “No, that’s not what I mean. No, no.”
“What, then?”
“I’m not ready to say the words. The words he said to me. It must’ve been hard for him, because I know how hard it is for me. Those three words.”
I was trying to make out the three words in my head. When she realized my confusion, she said in a low whisper, “I love you.”
“Ooooh.” I said quietly. I was puzzled. “I really don’t understand. I mean, I would if you’ve only been dating for, like, a couple of months, but this is two years. I’d think this is the part of the relationship where ‘I love you’ is really easy to say to each other.”
“Yeah, but-” she hesitated.
“But what?” I looked at her sternly.
“I don’t think I even love Dranne.”
Chapter Six ~ Dranne Kurda
“GGGGGGRRRRRAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I slammed my fist into the wall of my bedroom. When I took my hand away, a small dent was left. “Saer, come on!” I yelled to myself, holding the sides of my head as if it was about to explode.
‘I wasn’t going to over react. No, that wouldn’t help you, Dranne. Calm down. Calm down.’
“GGGGGGRRRRRAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Man, mom was going to kill me when she saw what I did to the walls. But, maybe she’d understand. She’s a girl, right? So, that means she’d understand the torment that guys can go through, she must’ve put some guys through it, right?
You know what? I don’t care anymore. Saer has really got some nerve. We’ve spent two years together and I tell her something we should’ve said a long time ago and she freaks. It’s not like a told her that I wanted to breakup with her. I told her something that people really want. So why was she upset with me?
I just don’t get it. Maybe...maybe I’m overreacting. Maybe, this is all in my head. That Luke kid is just some annoyance that will go away. Yeah, I’ll make him go away. Or Saer will get bored, and she’ll be mine again. Yeah, that’s it. Saer will be mine.
Is that a little too possessive? Maybe it is, but I really am freaking out. I mean, Saer’s my girl. She has been for two years, and now, it’s over?
I looked over to my dresser. Pictures of her everywhere. Me and her at the movies, one of us on a Ferris Wheel, ice skating at the park in winter, The photo booth at Marcy’s Village, the mall where she’d shop. I looked at the chair. Her thin, blue sweater was draped over it. Her class novel was across the bed. I looked at the dent once more and decided to go out; too much Saer in here.
My mom sets a worried eye upon my and gives a sad smile. “Where you off to, Dranne?”
“Somewhere.” I say morosely.
“Well, don’t be there too long. Dinner will be soon. Did you say you were inviting Saer over tonight?”
“No, mom! Saer is not coming over tonight!” I screamed and threw my hands in the air.
“Maybe tomorrow then, yes?” she said plainly.
I turned away from her and shook my head. “Sure, mom. Tomorrow.” I spat and walked out the door.
I needed to think, that was all. Mom didn’t do anything really. I told her to expect Saer, and she was just checking. She liked Saer and loves her company. Says she’s a delight. Always a good hand to have around the house, despite that lazy butt, Dranne!
I wasn’t even sure what I was going to do. Was I going to find that Luke kid’s house, barge in, grab Saer, and run? That was ridiculous. Maybe, I could just wait outside the house. Yeah.
I marches down the street triumphantly and realized I didn’t know where the heck Luke Gavner lived. Who was I supposed to ask? Everyone’s home, at dinner, or just out. I don’t know who would know where the Gavner’s lived. Didn’t they just move here today?
This is ridiculous. I’m talking to myself! I feel so stupid.
Who am I kidding? Saer won’t care. I could sweep in Luke’s now are take her away, telling her all lovey-dovey stuff and whisper sweet nothings in her ear, and she’d just get up, leave, and say nothing.
So maybe, that’s it. Saer doesn’t love me. And we should break up. We may be good together, but just for fun; as friends. We aren’t boyfriend-girlfriend compatible. Saer and that Luke guy are. They should just get together.
‘What am I talking about? Saer’s my girl. She was just a bit confused at the time when I told her. Just confused. She’s just hanging out with her friend Luke and then she’ll come back and tell me she’s missed me, what a mistake she’s made, and that she loves me truly. Dranne and Saer, back together again.’ A little voice deep inside of me said.
And that voice was right. I didn’t need to get Saer back; I just had to wait for her. “Let the mouse come to the hawk instead of the hawk searching for the mouse.” What my grandma said has always stuck with me, because it had to do with so many things in life. But in this aspect, it was letting her love come to me, instead of me searching for her love. Boy, did grandma really sound philosophical right now.
As I walked down the street, I decided to be slick, so I started going towards Saer’s house. Then I started into a trot. When I realized the outcome, I started to run. I’d sit on her front step. Hopefully that kid didn’t try to take her to her door and steal a kiss from my Saer. I’d sit and wait, no matter how long. She’d come and see my outline in the shadow, question who I am, and I’d step, silently and quietly into the light.
‘Who...who’s there?’
‘It is I, Saer, Dranne.’
‘Dranne? What are you doing here? What are you here for?’
‘It is not I who am here for you, but you who are here for me.’
‘Oh, Dranne!’ Saer falls into my arms.
The fantasy ran through my mind as I reached her house. It was dark, but the lawn was lit up. I slipped onto the stairs and waited.
And there I waited until morning.
|
Submission Name: Through Another's Eyes (Ch. 4, 5, 6)
