"So, what was the matter?" Bin asked.
"I...have always been a victim of bullying right from my elementary days. Strangely, those brats always have their eyes on me. They always targeted me. No one knew about this. I kept it within me since it wasn't that extreme. But things got worse on my first year in high school. It was as if the whole world was against me. I'm always getting picked on without any tangible reasons and my talent for singing made things worse. In other worse it gained me more enemies. I had a particular rival then...just like me she has a talent for music but you know how it always goes...I was better and that apparently pissed her off so I became her target for destruction. She made everything in her might possible to make sure she frustrated my life. I was beaten, threatened and Oppressed. I couldn't tell anyone for the fear of the same thing happening to Aiden since that was how I was threatened. Transferring would have been better, but I couldn't cause I was chosen for an international music competition alongside with her. I saw it as a step towards achieving my dream. An opportunity no sane teenager dare refuse. So I ignored any other things and went for it. Had I known that would be the worst day of my life, I would have listened.
She was annoyingly nice to me that day, I should have suspected. Unknown to me, the drink I had had been tampered with. Except for the normal nervousness of facing a crowd of thousands. I was sure there were nothing else wrong with me until I started singing. I shocked the audience and most especially myself. My voice was like that of a Banshee, warning the audience of an impending death of their ears perhaps. A loud roar of laughter sprung out...everywhere went totally berserk. It was really hilarious, you should have seen everybody's faces. They were all laughing like they inhaled the laughing gas. I would have been tempted to laugh also. If only I wasn't the one they were laughing at. Maybe there was a mistake, that can't probably be me. I continued but then some people almost rolled down the chairs. Cameras lights flickers, comments roared from every angles...fingers started pointing and hot tears trickled down my eyes.
It was a live performance but I ended up making a fool out of myself. I was so embarrassed that I felt like disappearing right there at the moment. To think everyone across the country watched that, what a failure I was.
Since then I hated music...I ran away from it, I regretted everything, even having the dream. I couldn't stood on stage any longer, I instantly developed a phobia for it. Everything about it irritates me...I couldn't take it anymore so I relocated to Singapore where no one knows me. I stayed with my aunt and reconstructed my life. I forsake anything that has to do with music and just live doing no particular thing. Years later, I came back home only to find myself coming back to the same world of music" She looks at him and smiles.
"That's why you're very important to me Robin. I've never had someone to protect or take my side but then you always appear everytime I'm in a distress. Knowing I have you protecting me always and you'll always show up whenever I need you, I feel assured and secured. I wonder sometimes...if I had met you sooner then would my life have been a little different than this? Wouldn't I have given up on music then? But then I realized maybe it's just not the path for me. You know you can't cheat fate. What's bound to happen will happen. Nevertheless, I'm glad I met someone like you. I'm sure I wouldn't have come this far if not for your intervention everytime things goes wrong. One thing I'm sure of, even after everything ends, even after everything goes back to how it used to. Even when things finally go back to their original places...even when that time comes I will never to forget you. Even if there would be no reason for us to meet or talk anymore...I promise to always think of you now and then. You've done so much I'm grateful for Robin so that's why...I can never forget you...My Black knight"
End of Flashback.
"Stupid blobfish..." Bin snorted and grab a small towel.
He came out of the bathroom with a towel on his head.
"What are you doing here?" He creased a brow at Viola who was sitting on his bed.
Viola snapped her head up and smiles seeing him. She drops her phone which she was pressing and stood up.
"Isn't it obvious? I was waiting for you"
"What do you want?"
"Where did you go early in the morning? I came but couldn't find you"
"Do you have anything to say?" He ignored her question. Viola walked closer to him. She took her hand to his hair and started drying it with the towel but Bin held her hand.
"What are you doing?"
"Shooting starts today"
"What?"
"You know what that means? I think he's gonna move up the album release date"
Bin walks away from her to the wardrobe.
"So?"
"Aren't you even bothered one bit? This will be the first album you'll be releasing without him"
"So what do you want me to do? He chose to leave so let it be!"
"Seriously Robin?"
"Leave...I want to dress up"
"Are you really fine with everything? You don't even know if he's dead or alive. You don't really care??"
"Does he? He left like that without a word. It's been almost a year now. Viola now I'm tired that I don't even wanna talk about him"
"I see...alright. I won't talk about him any longer. I'll take my leave now" She turns leaving. Robin released a frustrated sigh and call her back.
"Viola!" She turns back and look at him.
"I'm sorry"
"You don't have to apologize. I understand"
"Are you okay?"
She smiles.
"I'll be...see you later" She left the room.
SHOOTING SCENE.
Ash gulped down a bottle of water. He has been feeling a slight headache ever since he woke up. Maybe it's because he cried himself to sleep the other night or it was as a result of the little drink he had. He wasn't sure. He rubbed his forehead taking another gulp from the bottle.
"Ash!" Addison called excitedly on sighting him.
"Hey there Newbie. Wow you're looking good" He complimented earning a chuckle from her.
"But what's with the sudden shooting?" She asked.
"I'm surprised just like you are. PM must be crazy. He had a motive behind this trip of his. We were totally hoodwinked" Ash whisper to her. She chuckles again.
He smiles.
"But Ash...you okay? You look kinda dull this morning" She stared at him.
"I? I look okay. Perfect!" He winks.
HOURS LATER.
The headache seems to intensify every minute. By now he knows clearly well it isn't just a normal headache. It was what he feared the most. Sweats gathered at his forehead as the photographer keep taking shots of them. The flickering lights isn't really helping him right now. If anything, it makes the headache worse. Nevertheless, he tries holding it in...he can do it. He just have to make sure to round off this shots.
Minutes passed and he could feel himself going crazy already. Luckily, they stopped the shooting and they were given ten minutes break to get ready for the next concept. Ash didn't waste any seconds in whizzing himself out of there before he finally go bonkers in front of all. Addison who had been noticing him acting strange couldn't help but follow him.
On getting back to the Barn house, Ash rush to his room straight, by now his head was banging hard and it hurts like hell. He stumbled to his drawer and brought out his medication. Opening it with his hands shaking badly, he took two tablets and throws it down his throat, but almost immediately he did that, a deafening ring resonated in his left ear.
"ARGHH!!" He held unto the ear instantly and this action made the tablets got stuck in his throat.
In pains and agony, he creep into the bathroom groaning, really loud. He manage to turn on the shower so the rushing sounds of water will decimate his cries. The intensity of the ringing increases in his ear that he feels its gonna tear apart any moment soon. He held unto it tightly and scream out loud.
"ARGGGGHHHHH!!!"
Addison knock on his door countlessly, but he won't open the door. She could feel he's in there and something is not right.
"Ash I'm coming in!" She said loud enough for him to hear before opening the door going in.
"Where is he?" She thought out loud looking around the room. Her eyes caught the scattered meditation on the floor and she went closer picking it up.
"What's this?" She dropped it after peering at it for a while then stood and went towards the bathroom.
"Ash are you in there?" She knocked on the door but the only thing she could hear is the running water.
"Why would he be taking a sudden shower? Something is strange"
She knocked on the door again.
"Ash! Ash are you okay in there!! Ash!"
Ash snapped his head up. His eyes was already red and his veins are already shooting out. His face was already soaked with tears and even mucus ran down his nose.
"No..." He groans crawling to the door to lock it but the pain gripping him couldn't let him to that.
"Ash I'm coming in! I am!!" Addison's voice came again and within few seconds the door opens. Addison's eyes raked around the bathroom and when it landed on the groaning Ash on the floor. She shrieked.
"ASH!!!" She ran to him immediately holding him.
"OH, MY GOD!! ASH WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU! ARE YOU OKAY!! ASH WHAT'S WRONG!!"
"New...bie...its...its hurts" He clutch unto her arms.
"I feel like dy...ing...i want...to just die..."
"Ash what's happening with you? You're scaring me!" Addison held the shaky Ash. She was already on the verge of tears
"New...bie...newbie...it hurts so much...I feel...like dying...it hurts...like hell..." He wailed in her arms while the pending tears eventually trickled down Addison's face.
"Ash...." She held him tightly in his arms.