CHAPTER 78: MEETING THE GUYS

"Hey." I manage to produce a decent enough greeting without it sounding like a screech. "Where's Joy? Did you just come back from sending her home?" my fingers can't stop from fidgeting with my bag strap. I try to give Allen the best casual smile I can muster up right now through the pounding of my heart against my chest.

Why am I this scared anyway? I feel like an adultery caught red handed. We're not dating, for fuck's sake!

Allen's not answering and instead his eyes strays to where Kenneth's car is disappearing to. I feel a sense of dread as well as annoyance building up. I tug at his arm, bringing his attention back to me. His frown deepens as he stares at me. I sigh and drag him inside. This guy is truly unpredictable and so hard to read, I complain to myself as I walk towards my room.

"Can you at least let me shower first?" I ask helplessly when Allen grabs my hand and stalks towards the bed. Allen turns to me just as I said that. His eyes searching. I can't help but smile at him as I reach out my hand to caress his face.

"Why? Don't want me to smell him on you?" Allen is practically growling at me when he says it. I feel even more helpless.

If he's like this towards me, imagine what he's like towards Joy.

I laugh, shaking my head.

"We were just having dinner," I tell Chuck trying to placate him.

"Does dinner include kissing now?" Chuck asks flatly.

Se, he DID see.

"Allen…" I sigh, stepping forwards towards him, "don't be like this…" I whisper. Allen then proceeds to engulf me in his embrace. So tight I almost can't breathe. He buries his face on the crook of my neck, mumbling something I can't quite catch.

"What?" I ask, finally, slowly lifting his head up so he can say whatever it is he wants to say.

"I don't like you seeing him. I don't want you seeing him," he tells me.

Something inside of me truly, truly broken when I heard that. I push him away gently. Releasing myself from his arms. Allen frowns. I sigh, giving him a small smile and bringing his face closer to mine, staring into his eyes.

"You can't ask this of me," I tell him, hoping not to break down, "It's not fair. You know that."

We stare at each other and I can see many emotions flash through his eyes and I feel even sadder. Utterly broken. I cup his face in my hand. There are words I can neve say. Not to him. Not if I want to keep him. Not in a million years. Not even when those words are the truest. Not when all I want to do is scream them. Especially not then.

"Hold me," so, instead, I tell him this. I whisper into his ear, telling him what to do with me. To me.

At that, the both of us let go of everything. Him even more so. As he enters me and pounds into me, calling my name over and over like a crazed man. Fingers digging deep into my flesh, drawing blood and whimpers from me. As if he's possessed, Allen doesn't stop even after the both of us are drained and I can no longer move.

A possessive man. Having the object he's obsessed about right there in his arms, but can never claim it.

How sad.

*

After that night, Allen sticks to me even more than before. I keep finding him everywhere near me. He texts and calls me even more often now and I don't know whether to laugh or cry at this sudden development. He makes it so hard for me to keep 'secret' a 'secret'. He's probably not thinking straight, only acting out of instincts.

Friday then comes around and I feel ecstatic as well as dreadful. The excitement can't even be concealed as I pack my bag for the sleepover ay Malik's later. I've packed since early in the morning even before I get ready for class. I feel like a five year old getting ready for an outing to the amusement park or the zoo with his classmates.

Keaton calls just after I finished my first class in the morning, asking me at what time should he pick me up. Feeling uncharacteristically excited and aloof, I invited him to hang with my friends for coffee at 3.30 before we headed to Malik's.

Very bold of me, of course. But I've been putting it off for too long. They're bound to meet each other anyway since they're from the same circle. It's better to just get it over with as soon as possible to avoid further troubles and awkward conversations.

"You're finally introducing me to your friends?" Keaton asks. I can hear the slight teasing and glee in his voice and I chuckle too, grinning.

"What introduction," I roll my eyes though I can feel my face heating up, "you lot are in the same circle. I doubt any introduction is even necessary."

"Of course it's necessary," Keaton says softly, "I'll be introducing myself as your date tonight, wouldn't I?'

"Oh…" Umh… Well… Yeah. really caught me off guard there. "That's true…" I say slowly after a while. Keaton's laugh is even more gleeful after I answer him. I pout, of course, though he can't see it.

"Don't be late," I huff at him.

"Are you pouting?" Keaton asks between his chuckles.

"What if I am?" What am I? Four?

"Don't pout when I can't see you," Keaton says with his gentle voice and that erasers my pout effectively.

"Huh?" Dumb me responding.

"You look lovely when you pout. I don't want to miss it," he tells me and that gives me a full blown blush and I hide my face in py palm from embarrassment.

"You're too good at this," I complain to him.

"I'm trying my best." his laugh sounds so good in my ears. "I'll see you later."

"Drive safe," I remind him before hanging up.

Truly. What a guy.

*

Me and my friends; Chuck, Marsha, Allen and Joy all sitting in one of the coffee shops on campus, chatting mindlessly. Mostly about the Halloween event our uni is doing tonight. I keep glancing at my watch, feeling nervous, and glancing over at the door in anticipation.

I smile automatically when I see Keaton walking inside the shop. I sit up straight, waving my hand at him, "here!" I call out and his eyes immediately find me while my friends' eyes immediately turn to the door. The surprise in their faces is something I will forever cherish.

I stand up as Keaton approaches and I receive his kiss on my cheek, "hey," he greets me softly before turning to my friends who still have a dumbfounded look on their faces. "Hello," he greets them, nodding politely.

"Sit down," I pull him to sit beside me. He sits down and I follow suit, glancing over at my friends, waiting for them to react. Keaton's hand reaches out to hold mine and I hold back, squeezing it gently as I give him a smile.

"Ya'll done staring?" I ask after a while. I really want to laugh but also really want to cry. "You all know each other so I don't really have to introduce him, do I?" I ask, getting impatient.

"Mr. Du Bois," Marsha is the first one who finds her voice back. She greets and nods politely at Keaton.

"Keaton, please, miss Cortes," Keaton says, smiling and nodding politely at her.

"Marsha," she says, offering him a smile.

"Marsha," Keaton smiles before turning to Allen, "Mr. Luthor. Nice to see you again."

"Allen," Allen says. "Nice to see you again, Keaton." Allen finally manages a smile and I unconsciously smile in relief.

"Joy," Keaton grins at his good friend/co-founder and Joy pouts at him and says nothing and that only makes Keaton chuckles before he turns to Chuck who has been staring at him since he came in. "Mr. Lester."

"It's Chuck," Chuck says a little too sternly for my liking but thankfully, Keaton seems to not pay any mind to it. "You taking Lee out?" Chuck asks.

On the corner of my eyes, I can see Marsha rolling her eyes, Joy trying to stifle her giggle, while I, myself, am trying not to sigh exasperatedly.

"Is this why you're not participating in the Halloween event at uni?" Marsha asks.

"Nah. I wasn't feeling it when they decided to do it. And then this happened, so, yeah…" I shrug trying to be nonchalant, grinning at Keaton who smiles back.

"When did that happen, by the way?" Joy asks, pointing between me and Keaton.

"A few weeks?" I turn to Keaton for confirmation. "We met a few weeks ago, right?"

"Yes," Keaton says, "we met coincidentally a few weeks ago and since then, I've been trying to win him over." he smiles and I blush, of course.

"What 'win me over'? Are you Darth Vader or something?" I roll my eyes at his response.

"Where are you going today?" Marsha asks again carefully.

"The Carnival," Keaton answers. "Lee told me he hasn't been to one before."

"He told you about that time he got sick during carnival days?" Chuck asks. His voice restrained and his gaze seems to search for something as he stares at Keaton unblinkingly.

"I did." I answer for Keaton and that makes Chuck turn to me.

"He eats a lot." Chuck turns back to Keaton after glaring at me. I roll my eyes again and turn to Marsha, asking for assistance.

"I realized that." Keaton smiles at Chuck and that probably annoyed Chuck more than anything.

"He's high-maintenance," Chuck says again.

"Hey!" and of course I protest but Keaton says nothing and just smiles at Chuck and then at me. "Can you not bash me? Seriously?" I tell Chuck.

"Who's bashing? I'm stating facts." Chuck shrugs.

"Fuck you, seriously," I tell him, although not as seriously as I intended. Chuck only scoffs and grins at me before once again turning to Keaton.

"Before you say anything, Charles, I suggest you don't," Marsha tells him. Chuck turns to Marsha with mouth open as he was just about to say something. He closes his mouth, stares at her before shrugging and leans back against his chair.

Surely, I can count on Marsha at times like this.

"We better get going," Keaton tells me. I look at my watch and nod at him.

"Imma go. You lot best behave," I tell my friends with a grin as I get up from my seat.

"Say that to yourself," Chuck scoffs at me.

Why is he being so damn annoying?

I decide to ignore him and just grab Keaton, wave and smile at my friends, before getting out of the café in a huff. I walk for some time before I realize I don't know where Keaton parks his car so I stop. I turn to Keaton with guilt and embarrassment.

"It's not far from here," Keaton says, moving my hand so now he's the one holding mine.

"Sorry." I can only look down and apologize for being rude.

"We're heading straight to the carnival. Malik's there already with some of his friends," Keaton trolls me as we sit in his car. I nod. Malik sent me a text earlier, also telling me that.

But right now, I can't really feel the excitement I felt this morning. Chuck, that bastard, managed to destroy my mood. What an ass.

"Are you okay?" Keaton asks softly.

"Bad mood," I admit though I do feel guilty because I shouldn't be in a bad mood. We're about to have fun. I really don't want to ruin today.

"Chuck?" Keaton asks after a while.

"He's been trying on my patience lately. I don't know what is wrong with him." I turn to Keaton who glances at me through the mirror before he reaches out his free hand to touch mine. "Sorry," I sigh, closing my eyes.

"It's okay," Keaton tells me as he brings his hand higher to pat my head, "I think he;s worried about you," he tells me.

"He always is. They always are," I tell him. "I'm no longer five, though. I'm an adult but they have forgotten that, I think." I huff in annoyance.

"Not that they forgot about that. They probably are just too used to taking care of you, so it has become second nature to them." Keaton tries to explain for their sake and that's sweet. He's really too good.

"I know they can't help it," I sigh, knowing full well that resistance is futile when it comes to my friends. "But they really need to learn how to respect boundaries."

"Then teach them. Instead of getting mad at them, you should teach them instead," Keaton tells me.

"Do you think I'm spoiled?" I ask suddenly and that makes him laugh somehow.

"You are spoiled." Keaton agrees and I pout though I know that's a fact, "or rather, you're used to being spoiled so you unconsciously expected to be spoiled each time." he corrects himself.

"That is the case," I admit with a giggle.

"But I like you. Spoiled or not," he confesses suddenly and that just makes me gape like a fish and my face heating up as per usual.

"How can you say that so suddenly?" I complain, cupping my cheeks to keep from getting even hotter.

"Swayed?" Keaton asks with a laugh.

"Who says!?"

Of course I'm not!