"Why did you take me here? You shouldn't have gotten into my problem," I talk back.
"You surely know how to be ungrateful. I couldn't watch my saintly partner ending up in any random girl's bed. Or fainting in the middle of the road."
He's getting back at me... "I wasn't..! And I couldn't end up in her bed either!"
"Are you sure?" He gives a coquettish grin. "Wanna bet?"
"I...was fine. I just didn't sleep properly for the past few..." I close my lips again not wanting to tell him about it. I could say weeks but then again what difference would it make? It started 2 years ago.
"Why?" He asks.
I go silent.
"Nevermind that," he waves me off. "I'm gonna write some lyrics. You sleep here as long as you want. I'll be in the next room. Don't break anything in case you get mad for something okay."
"Damien..?" As he was about to leave I call out his name.
"Yeah?" His bright gleaming eyes twinkle in sudden giddiness. "You don't often call me by my name."
"Don't get used to that," I roll my eyes.
But as the thought of sleeping alone passes over my head I tremble. I have enough trouble falling asleep and the main reason here is quite ridiculous—that is I can't sleep in unfamiliar places. Whereas sleeping alone is another trouble I've come across since then. Ever since mom and dad... And after grandmother died... Whenever I try to close my eyes I feel sleep slipping away from my grasp.
He studies my face doubtfully. "Something the matter?"
How am I supposed to tell him?
"Why don't you do it here? I mean lyrics writing. I might be able to help you too even if you don't need," I suggest hiding the real reason.
He peers at me skeptically then hops down from the couch with a pen and a short diary. I feel my eyelids getting heavy all of a sudden. Am I still exhausted? Or is it because of him?
••••
Damien's slow romantic tune of guitar implores my eyes to flutter open. I look at the time. 8.30pm. So I've slept a total of 3 and half hours. Surprisingly my body feels well rested. I've never slept this effectively before.
He puts down the guitar then throws a blue bottle at me. "How do you feel now?"
I catch it in mid air and finish the half of water. I better leave now. Too much time with him...
"Hey! I asked you something." His impatient gaze scowls at me.
"I feel better now. Anyway I have to go now."
"Are you sure?" He asks warily.
"Yeah. I'll take a cab."
He smirks. That smug expression of his says it all. —Really Saint Angel? I literally drove you here in my car. Atleast show me some gratitude.
"T-thanks for...earlier." There I've said it! I should've taken my car to meet her there. Instead I had to walk there... How annoying.
He bares his canines, eyes shooting up in surprise. But then he clicks his tongue in slight annoyance. "Why would you take a cab? I have my car."
Okay now I'm doubting both him and myself. At him for he's being awfully thoughtful and at myself for I let myself being taken care of by someone like him. Who knows what he'll demand from me later.
Seeing me giving no reaction he fetches the keys. "Follow me. Unless you want to spend the night with me."
"Musclehead."
He chuckles at my remark.
His car is neat from inside. By the looks it doesn't appear much old. A year or two? Dad also wanted to buy me a new car 2 years ago since it's been 5 years with my present car. I don't have a problem with the one I have. It's very dear to me as grandma gifted it to me. So I refused him—cause I didn't want to spend more of his money. He acts like he knows how important earning money is when he doesn't even know how really it is. It's not like I hated him from the beginning... But time never stays the same for everyone. I don't want my life to be controlled by anyone.
"Penny for your thoughts Mr. Angel?" He swerves the car in right.
"I guess we're even now... Favours and all." I'm not telling you what's in my head.
"That's not what you were thinking just now." He gives me a sidelong look.
I turn my head away. "That's not true. Don't bother me pointlessly from now on okay? I helped you, you helped me. We're even," I assert avoid meeting his eyes. I don't like people who deliberately tries to get into my head and they almost succeed.
"You call that even?" He scoffs. "You took care of me because I was kinda sick." He clears his throat awkwardly as if embarrassed to admit it. "But I saved your dignity," he says that in a proud way. "I even let you sleep in my room... something I never did."
"Alright alright," I click my tongue in visible annoyance. "It's not like I didn't have that coming. What do you want?"
He moves his head in a roundabout way. "For starters we won't be on formal terms anymore. You'll call me only..." He brings his face near my right ear. "Damien. No Frost. You can even give me a nickname."
His whisper unusually close to my ear delivers a faint shiver. What are we? Roommates? Childhood friends? Even Chris never got a nickname from me.
"Probably Demon?" I crane my neck at my left, allowing some space between us. "Damien to Demon... Has a nice ring to it, hasn't it?"
He returns my smirk. "I'll see if I can allow it."
What?! Shouldn't he be annoyed at me? How is he so chill? Suddenly the inside of his house feels awfully hot. I gasp for air.
"Oi... what's wrong?" He asks looking concerned.
"It feels stuffy here. O-open the window... now!"
He does as I say. Slowly it becomes normal.
Sometimes after he drops me at my doorstep as I watch him drive away.
After talking to mom for a while I come to my room. She saw Damien dropping me off. She even teased me a while ago saying—"Finally someone worthy huh... He's Perfect for ya."
What the heck mom! How is he perfect? And at what? Being my what? Demon... he's a demon for sure.
I open the last entry page of my journal. Maybe if I jot down everything that's been going on in my mind—maybe I'll reach clarity. But seriously... What exactly happened back there? Why did I feel that sudden shortness of breath? Even in his car...why did it feel stuffy? And how the hell was I able to fall asleep in his room so easily?
••••
The Demon comes late again the next day. Henrietta sits next to Chris and glances at my way. Damien shoots a fierce glare at her and she turns her head away.
Then he waves at me as if saying—I got you partner. That very thought sends a warm tingle of shiver down my spine.
Chris comes to me. "How's your assignment going with him so far?"
I steal a brief glance at Damien again who has now an arm on the back of Zeb. They're laughing. Mika catches me staring and winks.
I turn back to Chris. "It's on progress."
Chris leans into me whispering. "I feel sure about her Saint."
Just the thought of Henrietta on top of me makes me quiver.
"You okay there?"
"Y-yeah..." I focus on him. "I..I think I need some air."
While heading out I take three steps back to face a confused looking Chris and speak in undertone only for him to hear, "Think twice before doing anything stupid, Chris."
"Saint..!" His voice fades behind me.
I come to the auditorium to rewrite that incomplete song but I don't want to continue with those lines anymore. Suddenly other lines start to flow in my head.
"You showered me with sunrays
Now I can't seem to go back to the dark
Alone I was fighting, the odds of this world
When I find you smiling at others
Why do I feel like being the one to make you laugh?
I know it might turn out rough
Then why my heart goes wild at your touch?
You showered me with sunshine
I seem to lose my way to the past
But it somehow feels okay
What I feel now feels like it'd last..."
I feel a tap on my left shoulder. "Wow... these lines seem intriguing."
Of course it's you! You have to follow me everywhere I go you demon. But I keep quiet.
Damien asks, "Didn't you say you have no experience in writing songs? How come you have conjured up such fine lyrics?"
I want to question myself the same. "It's just a draft. You may add your lines too. After all we're in this together," I suggest.
"They seem alright. Have you thought in your head how it'd sound like? The tune and stuff?" He asks again.
"Kinda," as I say it I feel my throat getting dry. Yes I've thought about it...but is that it? Is it really that simple? How did I even write..? Is mom right about me having the talent of being a singer?
"Try to sing it then." As easily as Damien says it I shake my head in no.
"Come on. Sing to me Saint Angel," he orders looking determined.
"I can't," I argue.
"Why the hell not?" He yells fiercely.
"I don't want to!" I protest.
"You..." His hands dig into both of my shoulders. "You have to bear with whatever shit's going through your life and don't let it mess up your present or future. We have an assignment to finish and only 6 days are left of it."
Rage bubbles up in me. Did anyone ever care about what I want? And you're no different from them Damien Frost. I clench my fist hard. "Weren't you the one who wanted to do most of the work? Why depend on me then? Why don't you write a song of your own? Or are you too lazy to do that?"
"I tried writing as well. But my mind's been distracted lately." His fingers dig deeper and it begins to hurt.
I shove him. He staggers back then pushes me. "Didn't you say we're in this together?!"
"Why should I be responsible for your distracted mind Damien?" I hiss out the words. "Your mind wavers from one thing to another. You're fickle."
"Watch your words my angel."
He knows damn well how to make me furious doesn't he? "Or what?"
"You!" He kicks the door shut holding me firm against the now closed door. "Are the reason. Learn to take responsibility."
He kicks the door open and storms out. The hell?! What reason? What did I do? Take responsibility of what?
That night I struggle for sleep again. It's become a regular thing now. I was not in a nice mood. And he asked me to try singing the song I didn't even finish writing, out of the blue. How was I supposed to feel? Why would he need to listen to my song? Isn't he the perfect one for it?
••••
The next day I skip school to work on the lyrics again. I have to edit it too.
".... What I feel now feels like it'd last
But time flies, flies and flies so fast
What I wouldn't do to stop it for once?
What I'm feeling now, I want this to last
Your smile—eternal sunshine
I want it all to last
I seem to lose my way to the past
Yet somehow it seems alright
What I feel now feels like it'd last..."
Failing to fall asleep I record my voice singing it around 2a.m. after editing the lines here and there. What would Damien do if I refuse to use this song in our assignment?