Scars, Rin Tan Qian Yong [book club reads txt] 📗

you hate me?”, she asked.

“What?”, Frey said, shocked and he looked into her eyes for a second before turning away again. “You hate me, don’t you?” A short answer, “No.”. “Liar, you hate me, don’t you?”. And a few minutes of silence. “I said no, didn’t I?!”, he slammed the table, hard. Oceane jumped up but remained her calm composure straight afterwards.

“Then why? Why won’t you talk to me like you do to other girls, why don’t you look me straight in the eye? Why?! W–”. She was interrupted, by what? She didn’t understand it herself but it was a wave of happiness. Then slowly, she closed her eyes. Lips connected, eyes closed, heart bonded, rhythmic breathing, his hands on her waists, chests close to one another’s. Oceane allowed it to continue. So did Frey. Finally, Oceane let go and started, “F-Frey we… we… we can’t-”. “Oceane, we already did.”, Frey cut in as he lift up Oceane’s head with his hand and his lips brushed her’s again. “Oceane! I’m Meire! Can I come in?!”, a voice asked outside the room of Oceane’s locked door. “Oh…”, Frey and Oceane stopped and looked at each other, then blushed at each other. Frey let go of his grip on her waist, “Too bad then, go on. Call her in.”. Oceane smiled and her cheeks turned redder, then to the normal pale white, “Yes, sis?”. “I was just wondering what you guys were doing. You know, all those lover’s lips, hands and bodies?”. “Sis!”, Oceane shouted as she blushed at the particular mention of lips. “What! You mean you guys actually did it before?!”, her sister exclaimed. “No.”, Oceane said. “Sorta’.”, Frey answered. “S-Sorta’?! Y-You mean you guys actually d-did it before?!”, Meire shouted in excitement and amusement, “Cool!”, she continued. “F-Frey…”, Oceane wanted to say something but Flame put his finger on her lip, “Shh…”. Oceane blushed. 

 

“No, Meire. It was just a sort of. It doesn’t mean anything like that.”, Frey said. “Oh? No?”, said Meire, trying hard to say it casually. Still, Oceane could hear the tinge of disappointment in Meire’s voice.

Oceane smiled in spite of herself, her sister cared for her so much, sometimes too much, that she wanted her to be married as quickly as possible, so that she can be cared by another someone. Oceane did not really want that. What Oceane wanted was someone she cared for, and someone who cared for her. “I think you guys need some private time, huh? Meet ‘cha down the stairs!”, Meire added after a few minutes.

“I was planning to invite you to the Royal Ballet Dance. The one with the boy and girl dancing together? I wanted you to be my partner at the dance, or rather, the ball.”, Frey said, after Meire went out and he once again, locked the door, for some private conversation. “The ball? B-But I-”.

“You’re coming.”, Frey cut in.

“B-But I…… I…”, Oceane said, trying to find the words she wanted to say, she wanted, very much wanted, to go to the ball with Frey, but none of her friends would like that.

“No buts.”, Frey said as he bent down and kissed her again.

A Visit

30th October 2010 (Saturday) About 12.00 p.m.
Dear Diary,
It’s in the afternoon now and I’m going to Flame’s house for lunch. He said he was going to pick me up at 12.30p.m. so I decided that I might as well write to you. Not going to write much but we are going to the ball together. I (or rather, Flame) decided so in the end. So he’s going to pick me up, go to his house, eat lunch, meet his parent (mother)- he told me he only had his mother but he didn’t tell me why- , and then at 3.30, go to the ball. It’s not exactly my plan ( it’s Flame’s) .
And diary,
Love sucks. I love Flame but when I don’t see him, I feel a sense of defeat and loneliness. Does Flame feel like that too? This is totally the first time I feel this way so……*Blush*
I’m not quite familiar with this kind of feeling. What should I do?
Oh! Flame’s here, he’s early! Got to go! See you! Bye!
Regards,
Oceane

Oceane

“Hello Oceane.”, Frey said.

“Hi Frey.”, Oceane answered.

Frey stared at Oceane, wide-eyed. She was so beautiful with her long sparkly silver dress, making her look like she was from royal blood. Flame stared at her exquisite beauty, sparkling with ultimate confidence, hair let down, no make-ups, just a brush of light-pink lipstick which was almost invisible and big dark black eyes, they represented the night sky, filled with the sparkles of the stars, and brimming with shyness. She looked like an angel, an angel whom he wanted to have, to conquer, all by himself. Frey looked away for a moment. If he continued looking at her, he knew his desire for her would grow stronger, he knew he would want her whole body even more, he knew that, he knew everything that would happen, and the consequences. He knew, and he thus looked away.

“……… Frey. Frey?”, Frey heard Oceane’s voice, he was so busy thinking about the ‘things’ that he hadn’t hear what Oceane said.

“Sorry, mind repeating again?”

Oceane looked a little taken aback, “Oh? Sure, I thought that we ought to go now.”, Frey had never stopped listening to her before. “Oh, okay. Sure. Let’s head off now.”.

“Usual.”, Frey said. Wow! Oceane never thought that just with one word, Frey's driver would start the drive. Still, it was a little weird. Oceane never knew Frey was from a rich family, Frey never told her before.
When the black posh car stopped, Frey and Oceane stepped out. The chaffeur opened the door for them. Oceane looked up. She gasped. The house looked exactly like a mansion. “Wow! I didn’t know you were rich, you didn’t tell me, did you?”, Oceane said in a tone of curiosity mixed with excitement. “Yeah. I uh…… didn’t.”, Frey answered uneasily. This mansion-like house was ten floors high, able with three lifts, eighteen escalators and some staircases. A big fruit and flower garden at the back, a backyard beside it, and a huge farm filled with different animals.

They entered the grand mansion, which Frey confirmed it was. Oceane’s house, compared to this, was three times smaller. Although Oceane was rich, Flame was richer. Oceane’s house did not have a garden, neither a backyard nor a farm. No lifts. No escalators. Only a four floor building. Oceane looked around. Everything around her looked SO stranger-like.

“Hello. I suppose you are Oceane. What a beauty.”.

A Story Told, A Favour Asked

Oceane blushed and looked up and saw a lady in her 50s, dressed in blackish blue. “G-good afternoon!”, Oceane flushed at her praise and stammered out with a polite bow. “Mind if I had a little moment with your honey, Frey?”, she asked. Frey and Oceane looked at each other for a moment, eyes-locked, then looked away, blushing. “No.”, Frey answered with his continuous red face. “You, dear?”, she looked at Oceane. “No.”, Oceane answered, still in her blush-up. “Good.”, the lady said at last, satisfied that she could finally have a chat with Oceane.

“Up here dear.”, the woman said, pointing to the lift. She was wheel-chaired bound. “Okay.”, Oceane answered as she followed her. “Bye Frey.”, Oceane whispered when she passed Flame by.

“Did Frey act uneasy when you said he was rich?”, Mrs. Fiery asked as the twosome reached the older woman’s room.

“Oh……”, flashbacks from outside the mansion flowed through Oceane’s mind, “He did.”, she answered. “Let me tell you the reason why,”, the woman said and Oceane sat, waiting. “I was cheated on.”, the lady and stopped, “You’re not surprised?”. “I am but I shouldn’t be interrupting.”, Oceane answered. “How polite,”, she said, “And do you know why?”. “It’s just a guess.”

“Give it a try, go on.”

“The man did not really love you, he loved nothing, none of you, not one part of you. He acted like he did. But what he loved was your money. He aimed your money. When one day, he finally found the chance, he cheated you, he stole your money and ran away. A-Am I right?”, Oceane said at last.

Mrs. Fiery stared at Oceane for a while, “H-How did you k-know?”, she finally stuttered out.

“A wild guess.”, was the answer.

“Well, you are correct. And Frey knew about my past and he therefore is afraid too that someone will cheat on him. Please give it your all, you can heal him. I know you can heal him. Only you can. Please.”, Mr. Fiery said pleadingly.

“I’ll try.”, was all Oceane could say.

“I’m glad to have a chat, this chat, to be exact. Now, would you like your long-awaited lunch?”, Mrs. Fiery asked. “Sure.”, Oceane answered, giving a flash of what she hoped was a smile.

After Dinner, Leave For A Ball

“Done with your girly chats?”, Frey asked as the two females – one young girl and the other, an old lady – as they reached the living yet again. They walked together and pushed Mrs. Fiery into the kitchen. There laid one humongous dining table and one ten times smaller. Just nice for them three.

“Over here, Oceane.”, Frey said as he pointed to the pinkish-black chair beside him. “Oh. Wait. Give me a second.”, Oceane said as she helped Mrs. Fiery to her space, “I have to help your mother with her food first.”.
“Don’t worry dear. I’ll be fine.”, Mrs. Fiery said, “Go ahead. Frey is impatiently waiting for you. Are you afraid that I will steal your girlfriend away?”, she teased.

Hearing that, both Frey and Oceane turned red.

“Okay then. If you insist.”, Oceane answered. She took the seat beside Frey. The meal was good. Both Oceane and Frey ate their