Scarlet's heart continued to beat rapidly as Damien's hand reached for her eyes and he rubbed something that felt like a gel on the skin. The burning stopped immediately and she became confused.
Had he known what was wrong with her? She thought. She did not understand what he had just done and how he was so relaxed after touching her, like they were close.
She held his hand just as he was about to move it away and she looked into his eyes. She could get lost in those dreamy eyes, she thought and quickly blinked.
"Who are you?" she asked. "What do you think you are doing?" she asked again, sounding cautious.
Instead of replying, he brought his other hand and pushed something into her hand that held his.
Scarlet brought her hand down, releasing his, and she looked down at what he gave her. It had no name or anything written on it, instead, it was just plain and her brows pulled together.
"Find me again," he whispered.
Scarlet felt the hairs on her skin rise and when she blinked, he was no longer standing in front of her. She moved her eyes around to see if she would catch a sight of him but with the students now moving in great numbers, she didn't, and she gave up.
"What just happened?" she muttered to herself and looked up at the sun.
Nothing. She feels fine…she is fine. She lowered her head slowly and looked at the tube in her hand. What could it possibly be? She thought.
As she walked back home, she was soon suddenly overwhelmed as she thought back on what happened.
"Damien Grey," the name repeated in her head and for a second, she blushed and touched the jacket he had draped on her. Never had she thought she would get to meet him this way.
She stopped walking immediately when she remembered the mad itching and her eyes burning and she soon felt embarrassed.
"What if he had seen me that way and only took pity on me?" she thought and her face soon fell. He was must have felt sympathy towards her and she cursed that it had to be like that.
When she got home, she saw her mother in the kitchen and she simply just head upstairs to her room.
"Scarlet, are you back?" she could hear her mother ask in a loud voice but she was already closing the door to her room.
Dropping her bag on the floor, she climbed her bed and buried her face in the blanket. She thought on what happened earlier in the hallway and she felt an urge to cry and let it all out. No matter how hard she tries, her life just seems to be going on the miserable path.
Sniffing back the tears that threatened to flow out, she pushed her body up and got down from the bed to sit in front of her desk. She pulled out her diary and took a pen before clicking it.
"I never imagined my day to go like this," she began to write on a new page. "I feel like my life is going the opposite way and I can't control the direction in which it is heading. Johan has suddenly become aggressive, because of me, because he does not want Adam with me. Melanie's obsession is getting the best of our friendship. I think I am starting to feel different too. My body is reacting to everything around me. Something doesn't seem to be right and there is no one I can tell. I don't want to get mother worried too. I still remember the itching on my skin and burning in my eyes…" she paused and pulled her bag with her foot before taking out the tube she received and she stared at it before writing again, "I had wished then and there that the ground would just open and wrap me up. And that was when I saw him…no, I met him today. He came to me and wrapped me with his jacket. It is kind of weird though. We are strangers, yet it was like he knows me. I can still feel his hand on mine, his touch on my eyes, his scent…it was like salt, something like the sea. And then he told me to find him again before disappearing, like he does every time. How and where am I supposed to find him?"
She ran her fingers through her hair and let out a soft groan.
"Where can I possibly find you without you disappearing all of a sudden?" she muttered to herself and sighed.
Something then struck her mind and she raised her eyes a bit before fishing out the flier she had picked up from her pocket. She held it with both her hands and her eyes scanned every word written on it.
"It starts by seven," she muttered and just then, her door creaked open.
Scarlet closed her diary and pushed it to the back of the books on the desk and she stood up quickly to see her mother who had a slight frown on her forehead.
"Mom," she called and he mother looked at her as if suspecting what she was up to.
"Really Scarlet?" she said as she leaned on the door. "Are you planning on sneaking out without informing me?" she asked.
"What, no," Scarlet denied and she saw her mother's eyes scanning the jacket she was still putting on. She sighed and said, "This doesn't belong to me."
"I know," her mother agreed. "So, tell me, are you off to somewhere?" she asked, placing her eyes back on hers.
Scarlet's forehead crumpled and she raised her shoulders. "No, I'm not," she answered. "It's not like you will let me go even if I tell you," she muttered.
"Are you going for that school performance?" she asked.
Scarlet's eyes widen a bit. "How do you know there is a performance?" she asked.
Her mother set her lips into a thin line and said, "Melanie called earlier."
"Right, Mel," she muttered again. "So what about it?" she asked. "It's not like you will let me go anyway," she said and leaned on the desk.
Her mother came closer and said, "Scarlet, it's not like I am depriving you of enjoying the things you wish to do. You are my very own sunshine and—"
"Mom, I'm seventeen already. I'm a big girl now," she tried to reason with her. "And besides, if I wanted to go, I would have asked you first."
Her mother stared at her and then she said, "Just be back before ten."
Scarlet raised her brows a bit and her lips moved. "Y-you want me to go?" she asked.
Her mother gave her a smile and said, "Come downstairs when you are done." And with that, she left the room.
Scarlet used her palms to cover her mouth and she moved them up her face and down her hair.
"I'm really going," she said to herself and a smile appeared on her lips.
*
Scarlet hurried out of the house, marching down the porch and using her hand to support the bag she hung across her chest. She would get to the performance late and she knows it, but she was more than thrilled to know that she would meet him again this time and she wondered why he told her to find him again. Was there something he wanted to talk about? Or did he want to make friends as he does not have any? She thought as her feet moved fast. When she raised her eyes to look ahead of her, a short scream escaped her lung and she halted immediately.
She looked at the person standing in front of her and she let out a sigh. "Johan, really? Are you trying to scare me now?" she asked him.
Johan pocketed his hands and asked, "Are you really going?"
"Yes," Scarlet responded. "Surprisingly, my mom even gave me permission," she let him know and a smile appeared on her lips.
Johan looked downcast now and he gave a short nod.
Scarlet, on noticing, asked, "What is it? I thought you were also going. Is that not why you came here, to call me?"
"I didn't know you told your mother about Adam and she approves of him," he said and Scarlet's smile faded immediately.
"What?" she asked with slightly furrowed brows.
"So like now, I am your bodyguard who will escort you or what?" he asked, raising his voice a bit and gesturing with his hand.
"I don—" Scarlet was about to say when she suddenly remembered the scene that happened at school and an unbelievable scoff escaped her mouth. "You think this is about Adam?" she asked him with a look of disbelief and scoffed again.
"I warned you to stay away from him," Johan said, "If you get hurt…"
"What is your problem exactly, Johan? Why are you all about Adam every time? Why won't you let me live my life in peace?" she asked him, the skin on her forehead pressing together. "I am even starting to think that you are the one who is hurt about the breakup because you just don't want to see me with any other guy but you can move around with girls you want and meanwhile I didn't even end us, you did!" she pointed her finger to him.
"Scarlet," he called, "I'm just worried about you. Can't you see all I am doing is looking out for you?"
"Is it?" she asked, "Because all I see is you judging me because of Adam. And before you get the wrong intentions," she paused and took out something from her jean pocket and she spread it wide open for him to see, "I am going to the performance that is being held at school this evening. I bet you don't know about it and thanks to you now, I'm ten minutes late," she said and started to walk away, leaving him standing there.