Two Planets

-12-

"Darien! Please, don't leave me..." I call out to him and dash after him to grab onto his shoulder. 

He turns around and dodges my hand, and instead tightly holds me close to his face. 

"You know, Marion, you make me want to do things to you sometimes," he whispers.

"And you make me want to hit you each time you step out of this place,"

"No one else can have you but me. Do I make myself clear?"

"Listen here, Darien, shouldn't you also follow the same orders that you have given me? No one can have you either,"

He roughly kisses my lips, and I wrap my arms around his neck like a pair of snakes. He carries me across the dark alley, while I continue caressing the silky locks on his head. For an instant, we were old lovers.

"Don't you still love me?" he asks.

"I do, but you should stop pushing me away so much,"

"Would you sacrifice yourself for me? Because you know too well that I would,"

"I don't think I'm too sure about that. I'd like to equally save both of our skins, but more so mine I'm afraid. I'm almost certain that you'd feel the same way once you're put in that situation,"

Oh, God. He knew that I wasn't being truthful here, I was lying and we both knew it. We knew that I was just trying to hurt him just as much as he hurt me.

"What did we say about being truthful, Marion? Going against your word just as much as I am now, huh?" he grins.

His eyes are piercing through the windows to my soul. I pull him closer to me so that he is now looking down at me and into my eyes and lips. He reciprocates, holding me tighter and leaning in to kiss me again, but he then shakes his head, shakes his head and turns around to leave me again. He turns around slightly to speak to me again, saying "You and I both know how much we would do to save each other's skins. You'd die for me, and you know it. It's time for you to be at peace with that fact, much like how Leyli was,"

"How do you know about Leyli? Were you involved in her death? How many more things will I find out about you?" I said, taking in shallow breaths as I continued asking these questions.

"You can ask Anika, won't you?"

Once again, he disappears into thin air, leaving me like the worthless, wretched toy that I am.

*****

"Let me guess, it's that dickhead Darien again? Can't you just leave him?" Fritha's voice shook with its usual loud raspiness.

"Fritha, maintain appropriate language and table manners when we are eating!" orders Edith.

"I don't know what we are anymore. One moment, we'd be wildly all over each other, and he'd be all sweet and affectionate and the next moment, he'd be leaving me like I was nothing to him. I'm also guilty of doing this, as my feelings for him are so conflicting. He was being unfaithful after all, but then again I'm still somewhat leading him on. I'm frustrated with him and yet, I still want him..."

We were back at the dining hall, going on about our usual conversations about my relationship hardships if it was still a relationship. The morning was still golden and bright, which juxtaposed with this sour environment.

"Well, why can't you just learn how to be in a healthy and loving relationship like Anika and me? Perhaps find a new partner?" asks Klara.

"Well that's not so difficult for you to say now, is it? You only decided to be in a relationship with Anya now that Leyli is out of the picture! Besides, didn't you have issues with Leyli for so many years?" I shout.

"Do not mention Leyli in front of me, Marion," Klara's voice grew, and before we both broke out in an argument, Edith managed to keep us quiet.

"Now, now! Hush, both of you! We are trying to sort out this situation, do not make it worse!"

"Speak of the devil," mutters Fritha.

We all turn to catch the sight of Darien, in the flesh of course. He was talking to the other teachers, before approaching our dining table. What does he want now?

"Good morning, Marion. I'd like to apologise for the other day as I feel like we have a lot to unpack here. I've left something in your room, don't forget to check once you're in there. Also, meet me in my office, we will discuss the matter there. See you there," 

He announces this and walks away, as per usual. Why does he always walk away? Is he trying to run away from something? Is he perhaps afraid of being committed to this relationship, if it still is one? Whatever it is, I will find out in this meeting that we will have together, in an office that I've never been to before.

Is he finally trying to let me in?