❤️THE SPACE IN BETWEEN❤️
?Age is just a number?
✍️ Written By Precious Pinky✍️
?Chapter Twenty-Two (22)?
#NOT EDITED.
Theme: Confrontation.
?Malby’s Pov?
The next morning, I felt headache before I have even opened my eyes. I forced my eyes open, blinking several times due to the bright light reflecting throu-ghthe open curtain.
I ma-ssaged my temples, with the aim of soothing the throbbing in my head. I hate hangovers. I shouldn’t have drank too much.
After trying to soothe the throbbing in my head (with no avail), I finally took in to my environment.
I was lying on a bed that seems to look like my bed. I look around and it turns out to be that I was in my room.
I can’t really remember what happened last night but I do remember having a fight with mom, grabbing three bottles of whiskey, going to the cliff to drown in my misery and having a conversation with Manuel.
I don’t remember what Manuel and I talked about yesterday but I also remember falling into the cold water with aim of finding an answer.
And that was the last thing I can remember. How i got home was still a mystery to me.
I slowly sat up from my bed and look out to the window as fresh tears sli-pped down to my cheek.
I still can’t believe what happened yesterday or maybe I expected it to happen but I never wanted it to.
I love mom so much and going against her is something i never wanted to do. I wanted her to be happy. I wanted to make her proud. That’s what a responsible daughter will do for her mother but then again, I love Xander.
I don’t want to be apart from him.
Yeah, I have a plan am that is to fight for my love, Xander.
But what if I lose mom in the process? What if I’m placed in a position where I have to choose between mom and Xander?
Who would I choose?
I don’t want to choose between them. I want them both in my life.
Do I sound greedy? Well, I don’t care.
I heard a soft knock on my door. I don’t have to turn to look to know who it was.
Juliana walked in, holding a tray which I’m quite sure holds a plate of hangover soup.
Yuck. I hate that soup.
Juliana smiles at my scrunched up face, placing the tray on the table, beside my bed.
“I’m not drinking that.” I said before she could even let a word out.
“You have no choice, Malby.” She was the only one who had the right to call me by my name. No one dare calls me by my name aside from Juliana.
She was like an elder sister to me. She gives me advice when I’m in need of one. She makes me laugh when I’m sad. She keeps me company when I’m bored. I’m so comfortable around her and that’s one reason why mom made her my personal maid.
“It’s tastes bad.” I whined.
“You should have thought about the taste before going out to drink. What were you thinking, Malby? If that young man hadn’t brou-ght you home, you would have slept off in the street.” She sounds like my mom right now.
Young man? I guess Manuel was the one who got me home. I should thank him when I get to school.
Speaking about school. I turned to look at the clock and it reads; 7:30am. Shoot, I will be late for school.
“You are drinking this soup before preparing for school.” Juliana said, sternly.
I gro-aned before taking the plate of soup and gulping down the liquid. I shivered at the bitterness.
I wonder who came up with something as bitter as this.
“Why were you crying?” Juliana suddenly ask just when I was about to get up from bed. I stopped in my track, looking up at her. “The years is still visible on your cheek.” She answered my unsaid question.
I wiped off the tears, standing up to my feet. “I…” I can trust Juliana. I can tell her anything that bothers me and she’s willing to listen to me and advice me. “Am I at the wrong side in dating Xander?”
Juliana sighed, walking closer to me. “Do you love him?” I nod my head ‘yes.’ “And do you think he loves you back?” I nod my head yes again. “Then I see nothing wrong in both of you dating. I actually saw it coming.”
“You did?”
“i did. I saw the way Xander always look at you and how you always look at him. Only a blind man will not see the love in both of you eyes.”
“Mom is blind then.” I mumbled under my breath but Juliana heard me.
“She isn’t. She just chose to be ignorant. Your mother loves you and she totally wants the best for you. She might not like the idea of you and Xander dating but that’s because she wants the best for you.”
“But Xander is the best for me.” I was at the verge of crying again.
Juliana noticed it because she gently engulfed me in a warm embrace and damn, I needed it.
My headaches were long forgotten, (thanks to the damn hangover soup) all I could place my head on was the problem at hand.
The pain my heart was feeling.
But this is quite unfair, how can a hangover soup be able to stop the ache in my head for just a minute and yet nothing could cure or stop the ache in my heart.
“He is. You just have to make her see it.”
Exactly what I’m going to do. I won’t let mom come in between Xander and I. Never. I will fight for our love.
And it turns out to be that our difference in age wasn’t the space in between after all… mom was the space.
??????????
I was burning in rage and anger.
How dare that bi-tch go to my house? How dare her tell my mom about Xander and I? How dare her even pretend to be my friend!?
I will skin that girl alive If I get my hand on her. I don’t care about the law of the school about no fighting because right now I’m so going to break that rule.
After all, rules are meant to be broken.
I walked past Manuel without even saying hi to him.
I was pissed. And i don’t want to pas-saggression on anybody.
Oh, there she is. Finally. She was talking to her two other bi-tch es.
I balled my hand in a tight fist and walked down to Tricky, she turns to me with her brows raised in… surprise?… questions?… Fear? Well, I don’t know and I don’t care but nothing stopped me in giving Tricky a punch right on her fake nose!
Her friends gasped while Tricky fell to the ground, holding her bleeding nose.
Tricky 1, Me 1.
It’s a fair game now.
Everyone has gathered us now. I hate when people gets involve in my business so I did what’s best. I yank Tricky’s wrist and pulled her up to her feet, dragging her to the bathroom, away from curious students.
I slammed the door shut, locking it so no one would walk in on us having a serious conversation.
I checked throu-ghthe cubicle to be sure that we were the only ones in the bathroom and that there was no prying eyes or ears.
Tricky held her nose as she sob, quietly. Was I too harsh?
She started it. If she didn’t go over to my house to say shit to my mother, what happened yesterday wouldn’t have happened.
Does she know the chaos she caused? Does she even care!?
~FLASHBACK~
“Oh, before I forget, your friend came over yesterday to talk to your mom. She said you sent her to her. But seems like the news she told your mother didn’t make her happy because it’s ever since then your mother became angry.” Juliana said as she comb my hair.
Mona came over at my house? And when did i send Mona to mom?
“I didn’t know you had other female friends aside from Mona and Greta.”
Other female friends? What female friends what she talking about? And wasn’t Mona the person to came by?
“What’s her name again…?….um, Tri… Yeah, Tricky!” She said.
Tricky? Tricky was the friend who came by to my house?
My face reddened in anger and surprise.
My suspicion is confirmed now. Tricky was the one who told mom about Xander and I. Tricky was the devil.
How does she even know about mom being against Xander and I because even Xander doesn’t know about it. Yet.
That bi-tch !
~END OF FLASHBACK~
“What was that for?” She questioned, still holding her bleeding nose.
“Did you just ask me that? Did you just ask me what that punch is for?” I towered towards her while she took some frightening step back until her back came up against the wall. “What gave you the right to go to my house and tell my mom shit?”
Tricky didn’t say anything. She just lowered her gaze to the floor as if it was the most interesting thing in the whole world.
“Answer me!”
“I’M SORRY, OKAY!” She yelled.
Did Tricky just apologized to me? Like she just said sorry to me. Thia is so surprising and shocking.
Or could it be another plan to make me believe she regret what she did just to do another evil to me?
I don’t know but I can’t trust Tricky. She hates me and me on the other hand don’t like her either.
We are both on the same page but she going to my mother to say shit to her is so out of the line.
Abuse me, hate me, do whatever to me but do not involve my family. That was the rules of the game. But seems like I didn’t tell her before hand.
But then again, how did she get to find out. She didn’t just thought or the idea. Someone must have told or she might have overheard someone saying it.
I don’t know but I need to find that out now.
“Cut the crap, Tricky. You are sorry? Well, fu-ck that apology!” I yelled in anger, shooting daggers at her. My fist were clenched at my side, the urge of punching her again is so strong but If I punch her then she might faint and if she did, I won’t find the answers I’m looking for; like who told her about mom being against Xander and I.
“Do you think I want to apologize to you? Do you think I regret what I did?” She was still holding her bleeding nose as she walked closer towards me. “Even though time is reversed, I would still choose the same decision. I hate you, Malby. I hate you so much and i enjoy to see you in so much pain.” She spat. “Why, are you wondering how I got to know about your mom being against you guys relationship?” She smirked. Even with her bleeding nose she was still smirking. Someone should give me one reason why I shouldn’t punch her right here and now? Oh, I need her to give me that one answer. “i over
heard Mona and Greta talking in the bathroom.”
“You snitch!” I growled.
She started laughing but suddenly winced at the pain she felt on her nose.
“But you know what, you still won even after I told your mother about your relationship with Xander,” I scrunched up my face in confusion. “Because I lost something in the process of hurting you. No, I lost someone.” What is she even talking about? Who did she lost? “I…I lost Manuel and it’s because of you! I don’t get, what do they see in you that they don’t see in me? What is so special in you!?”
“what are you saying?” I asked in a whisper.
“Don’t pretend not to know that Manuel has feeling for you!!”
??????????
?Narrator’s Pov?
“Why are you against them going out?” Malcolm asked, sitting down beside his wife.
“And why are you in support of them dating?” She fired back.
Malcolm shut his eyes close as he took in a few de-ep breath. This wasn’t how he planned to return home only to see his two princesses in a heated argument.
He loves them both so much and seeing them hurt will only make him hurt.
He knew right from the beginning that the two kids had some kind of feelings for each other. He could see it in their eyes.
They might not have realized their feelings for each other but people with good eyes will see it.
He knows Ruby noticed as well but she was only being ignorant.
Ruby loves her child but how she treats her doesn’t look like it.
How she force Malby into studying law when it was quite obvious that she wanted to be something else; a musician. But due to the love Malby has for her mother, she decided to leave her dream just to study law so she could make her mother happy.
And now, she wants to date Xander so why exactly was Ruby against it as well?
Does she intend to control her child for the rest of her life?
“It’s our daughter we are talking about here, Ruby.”
“Exactly. And that’s why I want what’s best for her.” She sighed. “I love Xander as a son but I don’t want him to be with Malby.”
“why?”
“Because… he’s four years older than our Malby.”
“Is that really your reason? or it’s because you are scared.” it wasn’t a question but fact.
Malby hesitate for a while as she stared right into her husband’s eyes.
He was the only one who has the ability to read her just by looking into her eyes. She can’t keep anything away from her lovely husband.
Malby didn’t say anything as she lowered her gaze to the ground.
Was she really scared?
But why should she be scared? It’s Xander they are talking about here, hw can’t possibly hurt Malby. so what exactly what she afraid of?
Malcolm wrapped his arms around his wide and pulled her against himself.
It was silent until Malby spoke out her fears.
“What If they end up breaking up, what will happen to their friendship? How will Malby take it? You know much she loves Xander and can’t seem to stay without him either as a friend or as a boyfriend.” She paused. “I knew from the very beginning that they had feelings for each other but..but…”
“You don’t have to be scared about that, Ruby. You don’t have to always be afraid of every little thing. It was still this fear of yours that made things difficult for us when we weren’t married yet. Your fear is the problem here.” He pulled away from her, breaking the embrace. “It’s Malby’s life we are talking about here. She has to make mistakes and learn from them. She has to love and be loved to. What ever decision she makes, as a parent our work is to stand by her and tell her whether or not the decision is right. We can’t always decide for her.” Malcolm said calmly.
“But…but I don’t want to see her in pain. And besides, Xander will soon graduate from high school and go to college, what if he chooses a college that’s far from home, what will happen then?”
“Let them sort it out themselves.” Hw smiled.
Ruby didn’t return the smile. She just let out a sigh and rested her head on her husband’s shoulder, shutting her eyes close.
Malcolm was right. It’s Malby life they are talking about and she has every right to make decisions for herself but why does it still feel like Xander and Malby shouldn’t be together?
??????????
?Malby’s Pov?
I couldn’t breath. I couldn’t walk. I just stood still on the school rooftop, staring down at the depth of the building.
I clenched my fist so tightly that i could even hear my knuckles cracking but I don’t care.
My thoughts are running in a circle like a toll train. Manuel and I were like a perfect picture in a broken frame.
That line kinda reminds of descendant 3 when Audrey was singing…arrrrgh! now is not the time for that.
How could Manuel do something this mean?
I thought he was my friend. No, I treated him as a friend. A close friend. But what did he do in return? He went behind my back and betrayed me by becoming ally with that bi-tch !
Yeah, he might have had feelings for me according to Tricky, but I don’t have any feelings for him. My kindness towards him was as nothing but as a friend.
~FLASHBACK~
“Don’t pretend not to know about Manuel’s feelings for you, okay?”
“Wait, what? Manuel has feelings for me? What are you even saying?”
“What I’m saying is, Manuel likes you even before you started going out with Xander and that’s one reason why he worked with me to destroy you guys relationship!”
Wait, recap.
“What I’m trying to…” Fast forward. “And that’s one reason why he decided to work with me to destroy you and Xander’s relationship.”
Manuel is involve in this whole shit? Manuel chose to work with Tricky against me?
I thought we were friends!
Well, fu-ck that.
Because if Manuel truly likes me like hw claim to then he wouldn’t do what he did.
He wouldn’t betray me like he did.
~END OF FLASHBACK~
I sat down on the ground and started crying.
I trusted him.
I loved him as a friend.
It hurt me to see him hurt.
I wanted to make him happy.
I wanted to see him happy.
I wanted to be there for him.
And this is how he could repay me?
I wiped my tears as I stood upright.
I’m going to confront Manuel.
I want to hear his own side of the story. Who knows maybe Tricky is only just lying.
I don’t know but whatever his answer is, is going to detect whether or not we should remain friends.
Because trust me, a friend who betray you today is willing to betray you tomorrow.
??????????
?Xander’s Pov?
“Xander, have you seen Malby?” Mona asked as she made her way towards me.
I shut my locker close and turned to look at her. “Nope. Shouldn’t you be the one to know that? i mean, you guys are in the same building.”
“Yeah. But i can’t seem to find her anywhere. I heard she even got into a fight with Tricky.”
“A fight?” Mona nods her head ‘yes.’
This was strange. Malby hardly gets into a fight with anyone. in fact, she hates fighting because to her belief, violence will only cause her harm so why will she get into a fight with Tricky?
“Have you try calling her?”
“Yeah. But she isn’t answering. I’m kinda worried, what if Tricky did something bad to her?”
I look down at my wrist watch. I only have fifteen minutes more to warm up for the exams and get into cla-ss.
The seniors were starting their exams today while the Juniors were going to start next week Monday.
And the teacher whose subject we are having hates to redo his exams.
If you fail to be present for his exams then it’s left to you and it has absolutely nothing to do with him.
And most importantly, it was an important subject for me.
Now, back to the question at hand, what do I do? Should I go in search of Malby or I should sit for my exams first?
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#To Be Continued….