The Sacred Pendant

Chapter 11

Celine walked home alone, with her bag hanging lazily on her right shoulder. She thought over and over again everything that had happened in Don's room. She was oblivious to her surroundings that she didn't know when she past her aunt's house.
"Celine, " Someone called loudly and it shook Celine back to reality. She looked around and saw that she had past her aunt's house. Celine slapped her forehead and turned back. She met Chi sitting on the doorstep. She was the one who had called Celine when she saw her past the house, wondering where she was going to.
"Where have you been?" Chi asked. "I told you to come to my class when school was over but you didn't. I even went to your class but you weren't there."
"I'm sorry. I totally forgot I was supposed to meet you in your class, " Celine said apologetically.
"Where have you been?" Chi asked again.
"I was at Don's, " Celine said, seeing no reason to lie and also because she felt proud to have been at his house.
"Wait, what? You've been at Don's? Like you went to his house?" Chi asked, shocked. She stood up quickly.
"Yes, " Celine said casually, acting like it was no big deal.
"You are lying. No one has ever been to Don's house before. He doesn't let anyone follow him there, " Chi said, "So you better drop this joke and tell me where you've been."
"I'm not joking. I was at Don's place. He took me there himself, " Celine said proudly.
"Wha -," Chi said, surprised and lost of words.
"Yes, " Celine said, smiling. She knew Chi would be jealous.
"But why? Why did Don take you to his home? He doesn't even like you," Chi said.
"He does now, " Celine said, folding her arms, "We are even partners for some Physics project."
"Partners? Why would Don want to be partners with you after the prank he played on you today?" Chi said.
"What prank?" Celine asked and gasped loudly, "Wait, you knew about it?"
"Yes, he kinda told me about it. I told him not to do it but he insisted, " Chi said.
"You knew beforehand and you didn't bother to warn me? Because of you I was hurt and humiliated " Celine said angrily.
"Because of me? I beg your pardon! I was mad at you, OK? I know that even though I was angry I should have still warned you but you can't just say it's my fault. Don planned it!" Chi said, getting infuriated.
"Still Don't is more of a friend than you can ever be!" Celine said.
"Don?" Chi said and laughed mockingly. "You think Don likes you just because he invited you to his house? You are a dreamer! You are so not Don's type, " Chi said.
"Then who is? You? And by the way, he didn't just invite me to his house. He took me to his room and we made out," Celine said, the last statement a lie. Celine knew she and Don didn't do anything intimate but she said so to make Chi more jealous and it worked.
     Chi's jaw dropped.
"What???" She bellowed.
"Yes, Chi, we made out and it was beyond imagination. It was amazing and he told me he loves me. So in your face, bitch!" Celine said. Hearing Celine's last word, Chi slapped her hard on the cheek.
     Celine held her cheek. She was boiling with anger. She glared at Chi, her eyes turning green.
"Ehm... Celine, " Chi said, backing away.
"You are going to pay for that, " Celine flared sinisterly.
"Celine, you need to calm down, " Chi said, looking at Celine's hand that was already glowing with green fire.
     Celine pushed her towards Chi. She screamed and bent down, covering her head. But instead of a green fireball shooting out of Celine's hands like before, something electrocuted Celine and she blacked out.

Celine! Celine! Celine!
     Celine opened her eyes slowly. Everything was blurry.
Where am I? Celine thought.
     She blinked. Everything was different. Her ceiling that was white was now blue and beautifully designed with white flowers. Celine turned to her right. A white wardrobe stood against the wall but Celine remembered vividly that her wardrobe was brown. She turned to her left and saw Chi sitting beside her.
"Are you feeling well?" Chi asked.
"Where am I?" Celine asked weakly, ignoring Chi's question.
"You are in my room," Chi said.
Oh, that's why everything is different, Celine thought.
"Are you feeling well?" Chi asked again, holding Celine's hand. Celine released her hand sharply.
"I'm fine!" She snapped and groaned as she tried to sit. "What happened?"
"Well, you...you... How do I put it? You suddenly started shaking like someone being teased and then you fainted. I rushed inside to call my mum and she came and helped me bring you in here," Chi said.
"I didn't want that to happen. I wanted to blast a fireball at your face, " Celine said, frowning.
"Excuse me?" Chi said, folding her arms and giving Celine a look, " I don't know why you are angry. I'm the one who is supposed to be angry."
"And why is that?" Celine asked, also folding her arms.
"You called me a bitch! And apart from that, you left me in school when you knew we were supposed to go home together, " Chi said.
"You did it first, " Celine said.
"I did it first? When?"
"When you left me and went to walk with Don."
"I only did that because he told me to, " Chi defended.
"And I only left you because he wanted me to go with him too, " Celine said stubbornly.
     They stared at each other for a while.
"So I guess we are even then, " Chi finally said.
"Yes, " Celine agreed, calming down.
"I'm sorry for saying you are not Don's type."
"I'm sorry for calling you a bitch." They said together. Chi smiled and Celine hugged her.
"You are awake, " Someone said and they both turned to the door. Chi's mother stood by the door holding a tray with two cups steaming with hot choco. Celine looked from Chi's mother to Chi. It was so obvious to her where Chi got her good looks from. The curve body shape, pretty face, skin tone, bright eyes and sweet smile were all the same. Only, of course, that Chi's mother was matured but one could say Chi is the younger, teenage version of her mother.
"Can I join in the hug?" She asked with the Chi-like smile on her face.
"I think you are too late for that, " Chi said, getting up and her mother laughed.
"Let me help you with that, " Chi offered, taking the tray from her mother. She gave Celine a cup and took the other one for herself and kept the tray on the drawer close to the bed.
"Thank you, ma'am, " Celine said.
"No problem. A friend to my cutie bear, " Chi's mother said, pulling Chi's cheek, "is my friend."
"I've told you to stop calling me that," Chi said, releasing her cheek, "I'm no longer five and it's embarrassing."
"Even when you are fifty, as long as I am still alive, you will always be my cutie bear, " Chi's mother said and pulled Chi's cheek even harder.
"Mum...!" Chi groaned frustratingly and her mother laughed.
"Fine, you kids of nowadays, " She said, releasing Chi's cheek. "I will leave you girls to chit chat. If you need me, I will be in the kitchen."
"OK, mum, " Chi said. Chi's mother left the room, taking the tray along with her.
"Your mother is really beautiful and nice too. You are like her, " Celine said and sipped the hot choco gently.
"Yes, " Chi said and sat beside Celine on the bed.
     Celine could tell through Chi's expression that something was going on in her mind and she knew what it was.
"I lied, " Celine said.
"Huh?" Chi said absentmindedly.
"I lied about doing...ehm...something with Don, " Celine said.
"I knew it!" Chi shrieked excitedly, "I knew there was no way Don would want to be intimate with a girl like you."
"I beg your pardon, " Celine said, grimacing.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. So...does that mean you going to Don's house was also a lie?" Chi asked, hoping not to increase the tension she had mistakenly built up.
"No, I really went there. He told me to, " Celine said, still proud of the fact of being the first person to be invited personally by Don to his place.
"Why?" Chi asked casually.
"He wanted to talk to me, " Celine said.
"About what?" Chi asked, still casual.
How does she do it? Celine thought, How does she remain so calm and cool.
"About our Physics project, " Celine said. She didn't see it as a good idea to tell Chi that Don knew about her secret.
You are lying to your friend again, Celine. Her conscience told her.
"That was all?" Chi asked.
"That was all, " Celine replied.
You lied again!
"OK then, " Chi said and smiled.
     Celine smiled back.