by Yuriko Hime
“Dulce called me about that.” Her tone was calm. “Apparently, she wanted to explain it to you, but you ended the call before she even had a chance.”
“So it’s my fault?”
“No. But you should have let her say her piece. Listen to me Frio. Dulce doesn’t want you to visit anytime soon because if she sees you in France, she’ll just pack her bags and beg to go home with you. She won’t be able to handle your presence there. She’ll quit.”
My shoulders sagged lower. They had a point. I was too devastated to understand it. “Oh,” was all I could say. Way to go Glace, you pathetic fool.
“Now that it’s out of the way, let’s talk about another topic.” Eris pushed herself from the couch. She disappeared from the living room for a few minutes and came back with two glasses that were half-filled with white wine. She handed one to me with a smirk, gracefully sitting back on the sofa. I placed the untouched wine on the table. What was she up to?
“Let’s have a meeting about what you’re going to do with your life for the next four years.” She sipped from the glass. So that was how she wanted to play.
I cringed. “We’re really going to discuss this now?”
She blinked slowly at me. “Why not? Dulce wanted me to talk to you about it. We’re going to discuss it whether you want to or not.” She swished the glass subtly, watching in obvious fascination as the content made a small swirl. “So?”
“I don’t know. My thoughts are filled with her. She’s everything I see Eris.” I sighed. “You know that feeling? That feeling that every time I’d look over my shoulder, I’d expect her to be there? Yet when I actually do, she’s not. That’s what kills me each time. It stops me from doing anything else.”
“You’re experiencing so many emotions right now.” Eris nodded, as if she understood completely what I was going through. Maybe she did. After all, Patty wasn’t here. The big difference was she could always see her girlfriend whenever she wanted, while mine was so far away that I couldn’t reach her even if I screamed her name. “Let’s use that emotion.”
My eyes traveled to hers. “What do you mean?”
“I meant you can harness beautiful acting from that anger, sadness, and loneliness that you’re feeling.” She placed the empty glass on the coffee table. “Go back to your career. It’s what you’re good at. It’s your passion, your happiness. You shine best when you’re in front of the camera.”
I gripped the glass with my left hand. “I don’t think stars are meant to shine on their own Eris. Without Dulce, I’m lackluster.”
My companion clicked her tongue in disagreement. “Remember that stars are dead. Don’t use that metaphor for yourself. You are Frio, the celebrity. You’re not just any star. You’re the sun.”
“You really should create a quotes book.” I chuckled. “I bet lots of people will buy that.”
She tossed her hair over her shoulder, cocking an eyebrow. “They won’t be able to afford it. Anyway, I have more options for you.” She got up. “Wait right there. I have something to show you.” Without another word, she sashayed out of the living room again, leaving me to my thoughts and wine. Eris had a folder tucked under her arm when she got back. She placed it on the coffee table as soon as she was seated.
“What’s this?” I looked with interest at the brown folder she brought. Eris opened it. There was a picture of me in a photo shoot. I rolled my eyes at her. “You know I don’t like seeing my own pictorials. What the hell?”
She ignored me and took the bond paper sized picture. “Subject one,” she said. “If you want to take a break from acting, you can try the catwalk with me.”
“No thank you. I’ve tried that once remember?” My thoughts strayed to the time I had to go on the runway for a top brand. I almost slipped and banged my head on the floor. Not to mention my feet killed me the next day. Who knew six inches heels hurt like that? “I think I’ll pass on the catwalk and stick to commercials and photo shoots.”
“No problem,” Eris muttered as she tossed the picture behind her, uncaring where it landed. She showed me the next picture she got from the folder. “Subject two. You can be a musician. This can actually work. Your playing is amazing, plus Dulce also agreed on this when we talked last night.”
I stared at the picture of me sitting in front of the piano, my hands poised over the keys. I didn’t even know when and where she took it. In a way she was as much of a stalker as Tim was. “Being a musician means that I’ll be on the road a lot,” I said. “I simply do not have the strength for it. Aside from that, you need heart when playing, and we all know that Dulce took mine with her.”
“Suit yourself,” Eris said, once again throwing the picture behind her. “Okay, for the last subject, and I really hope you want it. You can be a composer.” She showed a picture of me, staring in concentration at a piece of paper, pen in hand. I really should know where she got these pictures.
“No, no, and no. If I compose something now, every song I make will be sad and gloomy. It will make me depressed. It will make the listeners cry, yada yada yada. So no.”
“But it will be great for sales,” she whined, pointing to the picture.
“I don’t care about the money.”
“You’re a really difficult person to please. Super talented but difficult. I wish Dulce is here to kick your ass.”
“I wish that too.” Eris didn’t know what to say to that so both of us kept quiet for a while, staring at the floor. It was a good thing my phone rang when it did. Was it Dulce? My stomach flipped. Taking my cell from my jeans pocket, I immediately answered the call. “Hey baby!” Eris stared with interest.
“Actually, you are my baby. Literally,” came the amused voice from the other line.
“Dad?” The knot in my stomach was removed as soon as I heard him. “Is there something wrong?”
“No princess. I’m just calling to ask you for a huge favor.”
I raised my eyebrows. Dad has never asked me for something before. Maybe it was important. “Sure, what is it?”
“Can you meet me after two hours? I want to go camping with you.” He sounded nervous. “I’d really like to have a father-daughter bonding. We’ve never taken a trip before. Since Andrea told me that your girlfriend left the country, I thought it would be a good chance to cheer you up.”
“Oh.” That was so thoughtful of him. “Okay dad. I’ll pack my camping gear and meet you after two hours. Should I pick you up?”
“No! No!” he objected forcefully. “I’ll come and get you. Toodles!”
I stared at my phone as the call disconnected. That was weird. He sounded like he was on a rush. I turned back to Eris. “I need to go. My dad wants to go camping. Let’s talk once I get back.” Both of us stood and walked to the direction of the front door. As she opened the wooden door, Eris had the silliest smile on her face. “What’s that goofy smile for?”
“You said we’ll talk when you get back. I’m happy that you’re willing to negotiate.” She had a self-satisfied smirk. “Dulce will be so glad when I report this to her. Have fun on your camping trip with Henry. Look at the flowers Frio, look at the flowers.” Her eyes glinted.
My lips perked up into a smile. “You’re such a weirdo. Okay I’ll be going now.” Stepping outside, I shielded my eyes as the glare of the sun made contact. Wow, I haven’t seen that in a while. Turning into a vampire are we?
“Oh and Frio,” Eris called out when I was entering my car.
“What?”
“Dulce has a message for you. She said it’s from Peter Pan.” Eris had a thoughtful look on her face. “It goes like this. You know that place between asleep and awake; that place where you can still remember dreaming? That’s where I will always love you. That’s where I’ll be waiting.”
My heart fluttered furiously against my chest. Even whilst Dulce was thousands of miles away, she could still make me so happy. “Thanks Eris. Tell her I got the message.” I entered the car and went back to my house where my Wendy
wasn’t.
After two hours, I was ready for the camping trip with dad. True to his word, he drove just outside my gate and sounded the car horn. I shoved my camping stuff in the trunk and got on the passenger seat, settling myself comfortably beside him. He immediately started the car. Dad floored the gas like he was being chased by demons. What was up with him?
“Why the sudden urge for camping dad?”
His eyes darted nervously to me before he concentrated on the road. “Oh you know, bonding and stuff.” Unbelievably, the car picked up more speed. Were we still within the city limit?
“Daddy I think you need to slow down.” By the rate we were going, if we crashed into something or someone, we’d both be dead. I secured the seatbelt on my waist and braced myself for whatever was coming. “Dad,” I warned, as another speeding car came into view.
“Yes honey?” he answered anxiously, not even appearing to have heard my warning. All of a sudden, a motorcycle showed out of nowhere, nearly colliding with us. I grit my teeth and said my quick prayers, thinking that I was going to die. It was in the last second that dad was able to maneuver the car.
“Dad!” I yelled, sweat dripping down my body. “Are you trying to kill us?!”
“What’s all the shouting for?! I was sleeping!” someone said from behind.
Oh darn. As I looked at the rearview mirror, Denise met my eyes disbelievingly. We stared at each other in horror. “She’s with us?!” we said at the same time.
Dad laughed nervously. He gripped the wheel tightly. “The three of us are going to have so much fun on this trip.”
Chapter 36. Differences
Glace
“Are we there yet?” No one answered. “Are we there yet?” Ignored. “Daddy are we there yet?”
Her snotty tone made me look at Denise from the rearview mirror in disgust. “You’ve been asking the same question for the past eight hours. Can’t you just sit back quietly so we can get this over with?” I said obnoxiously.
My so-called sister covered her ears. “I didn’t hear anything. Did you hear something daddy? A ghost seems to be talking beside you.” Dad ignored her, as he has been doing for the last few hours that we have been driving on the road, going to heaven knows where. Come to think of it, he has been ignoring me too, which was fine, except my sister was a loony.
“You’re so childish Denise. I can’t believe I have a sister like you.”
“Who cares what you think?” she snapped. “You’re an illegitimate child anyway.”
“Enough.” Dad slammed on the brakes, making me and Barbie- yes I was calling her that for the time being, lurch on our seats. Underneath dad’s calm demeanor was irritation. He stared from me to Barbie. “We’re going to have this family camping trip. You have to get along whether you like to or not. Are we clear on that?” He wasn’t joking. I nodded while Barbie pursed her lips but remained silent. The car started moving forward again.
Two hours later, I was jolted awake when dad touched my shoulder. The vehicle was parked in the middle of nowhere, and Barbie was already outside, groaning. “We’re here cupcake,” he said. “Help me get the camping gear out of the car so we can hike to the spot.”
I got out with a heavy heart and took the huge backpack and tent with me. Barbie was being all whiny and unreasonable. “But I don’t want to bring all those things. It’s heavy,” she said.
“Would you rather that your sister and I leave you here?” Dad asked. “Besides, you brought them, so you have to carry them.”
Upon hearing the word leave, Barbie glanced around the area. I observed everything with her. All there was were trees, rocks, and nature. The place looked like the perfect set for slasher movies. It made me wonder where we were. But if I had to take a guess, it was somewhere in Arizona based from the scenery and the hours we traveled. Or maybe I was wrong. Barbie doll made up her mind and picked up her things, shuddering as we followed dad to the greeneries. Several kilometers into the hike, dad finally stopped next to a river. He dropped all his gear with a sigh.
As I set my bag on the ground and stared at the clear stream of water, I couldn’t help but think about Dulce and the time we went fishing. My heart protested at the thought of her lean arms as she tried to scoop the catch we made. Her reddish hair fluttering gently against the wind as she laughed at me with a twinkle in her soulful brown eyes. Everything about her warmed me. Now that she was a thousand miles away, I was as cold as the fish swimming in the river. Despite being the Hollywood celebrity I was, my life kind of sucked at the moment.
“You’re such a weirdo,” Barbie girl said. She was beside me, glancing at my face like I lost my mind. I was so deep in thought that I haven’t noticed her there. What else was there to do than ignore her catty remark?
Turning around, I discovered that dad had already set-up the tent and was currently pitching it on the ground for support. Sweat lined his forehead as he stooped down, finishing the task that we were all supposed to do. I took it upon myself to help him by bringing out the things we needed for the trip and tidying up the cooler and fishing poles.
“This is such a bore,” Barbie drawled. “I’ll take a look around.”
I turned to dad when she vanished among the trees. “Won’t she get lost?”
“I’m sure she won’t go far.” He busied himself with the tent. When he was done, he got up and stretched. “Glace.”
“Yes Dad?”
“I know your sister has been very. . . Difficult.” I nodded. “She’s also the reason why Dulce went to France.” My stomach dipped low at the sound of my girlfriend’s name. I retained a straight face, being the great actress I was. But inside I was slowly being eaten alive. “Anyway, your sister won’t admit it but I know that she’s sorry for what she did. Forgive her Glace. It’s my fault that she’s like this.”
“What do you mean?”
He sighed. “I was the one who spoiled her rotten. Being busy with work, I thought the only way to compensate to her was if I gave her everything she wanted. That was a bad decision. I should have spent more time with her, with both of you, and I’m determined to do that from now on.” Dad stared at the afternoon sky, then back to me. “I’d appreciate it if you try to get along with her. Be the bigger sister. She needs you.”
My sarcastic laugh sounded out of place. “I don’t think she needs me dad. What she needs is a thorough spanking.”
“You know what I’m talking about.”
Barbie stepped back into the clearing. She looked very irritated for someone who wasn't contributing at all. “I’m hungry.” She pouted.
“Then let’s eat, princess.” Dad took a slab of meat from the cooler. “Let’s grill this.”
Barbie stuck her nose in the air. “I’m vegetarian. How do you think I maintain this figure, daddy?” She motioned to her body. If she wasn’t such a crazy girl, I would have loved to introduce her to Eris. They would jive so well.
“We have nothing else here. It’s either you eat the meal I’m cooking, or you’re going to starve.” Barbie was going to protest but dad hurriedly said, “Prepare the sleeping bags with your sister. It’s going to be dark soon, and it’s best to sleep under the stars.”
“Aren’t we going to use the tent?”
“I brought that in case it rains.” He shooed us away. “Now go along.” With a huff, Barbie went to where the sleeping bags were situated and grabbed one. Selfish prick. I took the other two.
She placed hers near the river. “I don’t think we should be sleeping right next to the water,” I said.
She glared at me. “What the hell do you know?”
“Oh well. Do as you wish.” I set the two sleeping bags a few meters away from the water. “It’s just that sometimes there are water snakes. You know that fat brown thing that slithers?” I chuckled. “I heard it gets easily agitated at night. I also heard that it’s very venomous. But since you insist on sleeping there, go ahead.” Her mouth opened in horror. She dragged the sleeping bag next to ours without
further arguments.
I lied. I had no idea about those snakes and whether there was one in the river. Who knew if it was venomous as well? But the look on her face was priceless. Barbie went to her bag and produced a brown fluffy object, which I could only describe as a stuffed toy with a pink ribbon. “You still play with that thing?” I snorted.
“It’s not a thing. It’s a bear. And she’s Dulce.”
The cocky smile vanished from my face. “You named your stuffed animal thing after my girlfriend? What the heck?” Not only was my half-sister insane, she was downright obsessed with what was mine. My hands curled into fists.
Instead of answering me, Barbie raised the bear and looked deep into its eyes. “Dulce is away in France right now, so bear Dulce would have to keep me company until she returns. Isn’t that right Dulce?” she crooned.
“Your bear is not Dulce,” I said between clenched teeth. The idea was irritating me. It was bad enough that she caused this whole chaos, but did she have to dangle it in my face when I was missing my girl so badly? Not a chance. In a few steps, I was beside her, swiping the bear from her hand away from her reach.
“Give Dulce back to me!” she screeched. Barbie tried to yank it away from me. I was too fast for her.
“I said its name is not Dulce!”
Dad heard the shouting. He dropped the tongs he was using to cook the meat and left the slab on top of the griller in a hurry to get to us before we murdered each other. “What’s happening?” His voice was raised while he looked panicked and frazzled. Barbie and I didn’t mind him.
She advanced to me. I took a step back. My converse felt cold and damp. It was dipped on the edge of the river. I dangled the bear over my head and threatened to throw it in the middle of the water. “I hate you!” she yelled. “Give her back to me. She’s mine!”
“She wasn’t even yours to begin with,” I said in an eerily calm voice, not even sure if we were talking about the bear anymore.