Owned

by Holly Grace

  I hope she won’t take her anger out on my baby. I’ve only had her for a few months and I had to work real hard in order for me to get her, maintaining straight A’s is a real feat.

  The last bell rung for school and I saw Sin jog around eager to go home students. He saw my distress and non-verbally asked what’s wrong.

  “I can’t ride with you.” I blurted fast.

  “Why, is it because of Veronica? I’ll talk to her tomorrow don’t worry, or is it because you’re ashamed to be seen with me?” somehow my taunting of his feelings garnered a dent to his pride.

  “No, it’s not that. Have you seen what I’m wearing?” with my abject embarrassment points and looks to the tiny skirt of the dress I loaned from Veronica.

  I was baffled when I didn’t get any reaction from him so I looked up, he was staring intently. I didn’t even think he blinked.

  “Hey! Wake up dude! Eyes up here!” Snapping my fingers in front of him seemed to wake him up.

  “I’m sorry—what?” he asked, confounded.

  “I said, I can’t be riding your motorcycle wearing this! It’s positively indecent not to mention unsafe.”

  “Unsafe for whom?” he muttered under his breath.

  “What’s that?”

  “Nothing, look you can still ride with me, just ride it the ladylike way. Come on I’ll show you.”

  We proceeded to go where he parked his motorcycle; I was dejected to not find my car parked where it should be. Veronica might have taken it for a spin. Sin saw my expression and distracted me by demonstrating on the etiquette of riding a motorcycle while wearing a minute skirt.

  “Are you sure this is alright?” I asked while he handed me the helmet. “Aren’t you going to wear one?” to which he just smirked.

  “I don’t need one; I’m quite invincible you know. You are what I worry about.”

  “Alright, just be careful okay, let’s go.” I conceded as I put on the helmet and sit on the motorcycle, gripping the seat in the back he persuasively took my hands and put it in his rock hard abs making me embrace him.

  “Hold on tight, Princess.”

  The ride to the hospital from the school usually takes me thirty minutes in my car, he cut it in half. That was how fast he was driving. My knocking knees almost gave out as I got out of the motorcycle.

  He quickly tried to assist me so that I won’t fall, I saw him smirk though and I am definitely not amused.

  “You! You did that on purpose! You jerk!” and rapped his chest with the helmet.

  He was full on laughing now, as if being hit by a hard object doesn’t affect him. I couldn’t help myself, his laughter was infectious, I couldn’t seem to hold a grudge against him for long. I can see why Veronica is attracted to him.

  “You should’ve seen your face Princess, it was awesome! Seeing you all flustered with tangled hair and clothes disarrayed, you looked more adorable right then. Can I keep you?” he said earnestly, bringing to mind a line uttered by a beloved ghost.

  “The problem with you mister, is that you are a copy-cat! Just don’t let Veronica hear you say that, she might destroy me.”

  “Don’t worry; I’ll take care of you. No one is going to hurt you, not without battling me first. I promise you that.” He seriously said.

  Shaking off the ominous tones of where the conversation might lead, I led him through the waiting lounge where Jane’s room was. As we get there, her mom who sat in vigil over night was clearly distraught, even though Jane’s condition was better than last night. Only an I.V. drip was connected to her left wrist, but she was still fast asleep.

  “Mrs. Austin, we’re here to see Jane. Is there anything I can do? Any news?”

  “Bless you dear, there’s nothing new, she’s still unresponsive. Your mom came by a while ago, it seems her condition is stabilized and they will be waking her up soon. I just hope we can get through this, I really had no idea Jane took some drugs. She was such a happy normal girl.”

  “Neither did I, Mrs. Austin, I promise, I’ve never seen Jane took any drugs. Don’t worry ma’am we’ll help get Jane through this. She’ll be okay.” I reassured her, knowing she needs the guarantee that her daughter was not turning into a junkie. “Mrs. Austin, would you like to take breather? I knew you’ve been here since last night and haven’t left here since. Would you mind if I stay with her for just a while?”

  “Alright dear, I’ve been missing my daily dose of caffeine, I’ll just nip it quick at the cafeteria, see if their coffee has improved since last night.” She perked up at my suggestion, Jane’s mom was the active type, never wanting to sit down, always doing some project so being cooped up in the four corners of the rooms is like being in a jail cell. Noticing Sin at my side for the first time, she couldn’t resist giving a parting shot. “And you’ve brought your boyfriend dear; aww you look good together, but no hanky-panky while I’m gone okay? You can do that while I’m here so I can include it in my book.”

  Her teasing offered a lighter mood from the somber atmosphere a sickbed gives and as she left I shyly peeked to Sin’s smug expression.

  “Hear that? She thinks I’m your boyfriend, I don’t do girlfriends but for you Princess I’ll make an exemption.” He leered, stroking his non-existent beard naughtily.

  “You are impossible! Just get our home work and let’s start studying before we end up in one of Mrs. Austin’s “New Generation Young Adult Novels” as star-crossed lovers who made out in a hospital’s broom closet.”

  “Can we make that happen? Is there even a broom closet here? I’m all for it if you ask me.” He teased, but did get our things.

  “You are really impossible Sin!” shaking my head in disbelief.

  We studied for an hour and waited while Jane’s mom had to go home to get some clothes for her and Jane, just a hopeful precaution if she woke up and wants to go home. We finally said our goodbyes when visiting hours were over, and we needed to go home. As usual I had to ride in Sin’s motorcycle since I couldn’t go with mom and dad for they had an emergency surgery when a man, stabbed fourteen times by an unknown assailant was wheeled in.

  Unlike our trip to the hospital where it was too fast, travelling for home was too slow. I walk faster than this! What is he doing? When we got home I immediately asked him why he was going too slowly.

  “I didn’t want to end this, I’m enjoying myself too much when I’m with you.” he said.

  I just snorted in derision.

  “Seriously? Out of all the girls in school and you chose to spend your night studying, doing homework, visiting the sick and ushering me around town when you could’ve been on date with Veronica.”

  “You clearly underestimate your charms,” he contradicted while he tucks a stray strand of hair escaping from my hastily done ponytail. “How about we do this again tomorrow? That way I can prove to you that a full night doing “mundane” tasks is better than going on a date with a girl I don’t have feelings for.”

  “You know a lot of guys should be like you, there would be little to no broken hearts at all. Seriously though Sin, I’m not looking for a romantic relationship right now, I’m not ready, I just want to enjoy high school, have fun with friends, get good grades and get to college. Friendship is what I can offer for now.”

  Me saying that did not deter him though; his grin was ever not even showing a hint of vexation.

  “I’ll take it, I don’t want you to feel rushed but truthfully I have never felt anything like this. I like you Kat.” He said solemnly. “So, see you tomorrow? I’ll be here to take you to school, if you want you can wear a similar dress,” pointing to what I’m wearing, “I don’t really mind. Except maybe when boys will stare too much.”

  I just shook my head at his jibes enjoying his easy banter.

  We said our goodbyes and goodnights; he left with a wave of his hand and accelerated into the night. As I neared our porch I noticed my car was parked off center, like it was left hurriedly. I went near to see if there was some damage to
my baby, aside from a few bumps and nicks with an occasional cigarette burn like it was used as an ashtray, there was nothing major. I saw the keys locked inside though. Veronica sure does hold a grudge, not worrying too much because dad has the spare, the scratches and bumps can be re-detailed what gave me grief however was that our friendship might not recover from this.

  Chapter 16 Jane

  I sense him, he’s here.

  Don’t take me! I want to stay! I promise I’ll never do it again!

  Don’t thank me. What are you thanking me for?

  I’ll kill her before you even take her, she’s not yours!

  She’ll want to die first before belonging to you!

  Hah! She’ll never love you! She’s far too smarter than that!

  No! Leave her alone!

  KAT!

  Chapter 17 Veronica

  I told her! I told her never to steal him from me, he’s mine and I don’t like sharing. My anger barely simmers as I paced my tiny bedroom.

  That self-entitled bitch will get what she deserve and soon. I parked her car not carefully in their driveway; she doesn’t know I’ve put tricks in there. Hah! I will be soaring above the clouds if everything that I’ve planned will happen.

  Let’s see the newspapers tomorrow.

  I heard a knock from the front door. Who could this be? It’s only Eight O’clock, mom gets out at Midnight and I don’t expect her to come home early during Wednesday nights, it’s her feature night at the lounge.

  When I opened the door it’s as if all my prayers were answered, my one and only wish came knocking at my door.

  And damn he looks so good!

  Chapter 18 Kat

  You know the feeling of foreboding? That something bad will happen on that day? That feeling never went away since Jane and Joan went home with us after what occurred in the voodoo shop. It was always there, at the back of my mind, never letting me go.

  It was another school day. Apparently, Sin had to take me to school today since I hid and covered my car in the garage to hide the damage Veronica made from my dad, I still had ample savings, dad wouldn’t notice if I nicked a couple of hundreds for the repair. He will totally go ballistic and ground me for life if he saw the state of my car.

  Today I will also confront Veronica; hopefully she’ll listen. She is becoming more and more volatile each day, I’ve only ever notice this since the chasm she’d sat upon our friendship. I always thought she was the worldly one, the one who was strong enough to get what she wants and to hell whatever happens to everybody. Now, looking back, I say it’s more of her boldness, her audacity and determination to one-up us. To her, since she doesn’t have the money, the family or the smarts she had made up on what she thought lesser qualities of hers with daring and bluster.

  It was never those things that made me want to befriend her then though; it was her ability to make the feistiness inside us appear. She always exudes this light as if it shines just for her, I always tell her that when we graduate she could pursue a career as an actress or a model, with her commanding presence and allure she could be whatever she wants to be. Not like me, who as early as I was in diapers there was a huge expectation to be as intelligent, successful and focused like my parents. Everyone assumed that I’d be a doctor, pursuing medicine like them; it’s not that I don’t want to be a doctor, mom and dad are my role-models but when you were so young and be stereotyped as a child wonder I found myself asking sometimes if my hopes and dreams were forced upon me.

  I heard Sin’s loud motorcycle rumbling in the driveway and I quickly dashed out of the house since I’m wearing my favourite pair of jeans I get to ride properly on the back, and I also ambled up quietly lest I wake mom and dad up. They were late coming back, the emergency intracranial surgery they teamed up on lasted for three hours, and I guess the high of saving a life never made it to the front porch.

  That is one of the reasons why I wanted to be a doctor. Knowing that you saved a life or given them enough time on this earth to be with loved ones is rewarding, no amount of money or accolades will equal to the satisfaction of resuscitating a body nearly abandoned by its soul.

  The thoughts that were dancing through my brain were quite a jumble so when we got to the school without me noticing and I was still clinging to Sin like a limpet.

  “I never knew that you could be this clingy every morning, if I did I would’ve transferred early and brought you to school every day. We could be doing the boyfriend and girlfriend stuff instead of being friends.” He teased.

  I just shook my head at him in derision.

  “Hey, don’t dash a good guy’s hopes up. I’ll still be here waiting even if you say it’ll be only pure platonic for now. Maybe in time you’ll get to change your mind, and that’s when I’m gonna pounce.” Imitating a tiger with that last statement.

  “You’re hopeless, Sin.”

  “Yep, hopeless. Hopelessly devoted to you.” singing now.

  I just ignored his ribbing until we got to the lockers as a lot of eyes were straying in our direction, I don’t want nasty gossips to tell Veronica any more news of our seeming closeness so I gave myself space from Sin’s immediate direction. He might have taken a hint and tamed his teasing, but I still confronted him albeit lightly as to not create a scene.

  “Would you please stop this declarations Sin? We’ve only known each other yesterday; it’s not only awkward but foolish as well. You know you sound a little bit like Veronica just now. She was so head over heels in love with you with just meeting you twice its ridiculous.”

  “Hey, that hurt! You have managed to imply that I’m stupid, unlovable and crazy in just one sentence. Kat, whatever feelings I’m letting you know just now, those are true. I’m just being honest with myself and I don’t want to regret anything because if I did not grab whatever fate gave me, if it slips through my fingers then I am not allowed to mourn over what could have beens’. How could I when I let the most important person that came into my life escape from my grasp?” the sincerity of his voice was palpable but I still chose to confront him head on.

  “That! If you can only hear yourself, you sound do stalker-ish that I couldn’t help myself to feel a little alarmed. Maybe if you could just tone it down a little, I still need to talk to Veronica and her hearing you say those words will make her even more unstable. Did you know what she did to my car last night? Somehow you think you know someone half your life and then a critical incident happens between you and your friends then that’s where you’ll knew the real her, the real person who hides behind the mask she lets us see.” expressing my grief over my shattered friendship.

  Hearing the first bell, the two of us walked together to class.

  “Don’t worry; I’ll protect you from Veronica. She will never hurt you.” was only his cryptic reply.

  At lunch, when we usually meet up for the day, we never saw her. I kept on waiting on our table but she didn’t show up. Asking her classmates from an earlier period if they knew where she was, they only said that she was absent from class.

  That really got me worried.

  First there was Jane; second, Joan didn’t turn up for class yesterday. Now, it’s Veronica who has disappeared. Will I be next?

  I watched as five men roughed her up. Seeing her beaten and bleeding on the uneven cracked concrete floor feeds me. All the menace, depraved and wicked acts humans commit on each other is my sustenance. As long as evil lurks in the world then I am alive.

  I hear her whimper. It was a melodious duo of a musical perfection; accompanied by a man’s grunts and blissful shouts, I watched satisfied that she won’t wreck her havoc on Kat again. She dared to harm what was mine. I would fuck anyone up before they become an obstruction and threaten everything that I have planned.

  It was amusing to watch the bitch be swayed by a well timed smile, few seductive words and insincere gestures. The lust and greed on her face alone could sustain me for a week. That’s why I choose to haunt where immature unguided pure souls thriv
e, they bend so easily and the harvest is ripe. Easy pickings for a demon like me.

  Just dangle something that they want so much, their greatest desire, anything they would kill for, would die for and I’m in. Nothing has ever changed; humans were so superfluous, so predictable it’s getting kinda old. Nothing’s ever more constant than their greed.

  There were a stellar few that doesn’t bend though. Once in a while there’s someone who is incorruptible, someone who doesn’t bow to my will, holds steadfast to their convictions and principle that I cannot even sway them no matter the promises I’ve made.

  I’ve only ever met one.

  Her sacrifice bound me to the relic I was incased in for nearly a century. Good thing that a young irresolute soul released me from my prison.

  And what hate she held. It was exhilarating, invigorating me from my slumber. Her hate was heady because it was masked with admiration, love and compassion.

  Her guilt was even more so. It has not yet matured and feeding it was a rush!

  Only a day later and I am at my strongest.

  I also found my weakness.

  Every demon has a particular soul that entices them, one who is created to be their downfall, the only one who can clean away the taint to make us whole again.

  My mate.

  Created to be chaste at heart, unsullied by everything impure, clean and untainted, a soul so pristine that it can freshen a dark, stale and corrupted spirit into the light.

  She woos me, drawing me in, tempting me to take her. I tried to resist, every demon puts up a good fight, my Father did. In the end he chose to let my mother go, knowing that her soul withers when she was with him, it was the most unselfish act he ever did in his life. Personally, I think it was a dumb move. There was not a day he longed for her, satiating his need for my mother with countless impure women but never satisfying the hunger. I would never do that. I promised that when I do find my mate I would never release her. I will bind her in chains if I have to. I will own her.