Sweet Pineapple

Chapter 5: Jae's POV

I woke up to an empty room. I turned my head around searching for Nyan, but he wasn't there. All the curtains were closed making the room much darker than before. I jumped from the bed and started looking for my phone. Where the hell did I leave it?

I went to the dressing table and managed to turn the lights on. To my surprise, and terror, everything was a mess. My brushes were all dirty, there were eyeshadow cases opened and a tube of foundation dripping liquid on the floor... I was too startled to think straight. My phone was under one of the cases, dead. How did this happen?!

"Hello, sleepyhead!" I shivered with the sound of his voice coming out of nowhere. Nyan was standing behind me, his lips bending in a half smile.

"What the heck, Nyan? What time is it?" My tone was a mix of desperation and anger. Yes, anger! I was pissed off! "Why didn't you wake me up? What happened to my stuff? Is Exy here already?"

He didn't answer. I found his face reflected in the mirror. What the...? What's that face? What's wrong? But he changed his expression to a grin as soon as his eyes met mine.

"Well, one question at a time." He started, his hands on my shoulders making me sit down on the white chair. "First, it's 4 o'clock." 4pm, ok, so I didn't sleep that much... I relaxed a little, the muscles on my back were so tightly contracted they sting. "Second, about waking you up... You weren't..." He paused, and I felt the change in his voice. A crease formed between his thick brows. He turned around and started picking up my brushes and cases on the table. "I'm so sorry... I had to use your stuff and I didn't have time to tyde everything up."

Confusion took over my mind. "But why? Why did you have to use it? It doesn't make any sense..." I stood up and started organizing the table, taking everything from his hands. I started making a mental checklist of what needed to be cleaned and washed. Brushes will take forever to dry, maybe I can use his hairdryer...

"Jae-Eun, look at me."

I didn't want to. I was too pissed! How could he make this mess?! And especially today! "Help me clean this up, Nyan. I still have time before Exy arrives, so I need everything perfect..."

"Exy is gone, Jae..."

I stopped, frozen by his words.

"The concert is over, it's four o'clock in the morning."

The concert is over...

His words kept echoing inside my head. I tried to turn around but my body was paralyzed.

The concert is over...

That can't be true, he is lying! I didn't sleep that many hours, it's impossible! "You are lying." My voice came out as a squeaky cry.

"I'm sorry, but it's true, Jae." He took my hand, taking away the brushes I was holding.

I jumped back in a reflex movement, tripping on my own foot and landing awkwardly in the chair behind me. Nyan reached his hands trying to catch me. "Don't touch me!"

"Look, there was nothing I could do, you know?!"

"Don't! Just don't... don't talk anymore!" I was angry, frustrated. My eyes got blurred and tears started running down my face. The pain stuck in my throat formed a lump. I can't believe I missed that... I can't believe I missed Exy... he was here, in this room... and I was sleeping... The more I thought about it, the bigger was the pain in my chest. I took my bag and started tossing things inside it.

"Jae-Eun, calm down, please."

"Why are you talking to me? Stop talking to me!"

"Will you let me explain?"

"Fuck that! I don't want your explanations. I want you to shut the fuck up! You said Exy is gone, what's more to be said?"

I continued packing my stuff even faster. All I wanted was to get out of there, be alone. I held the tears forming in my eyes. I felt my body burning in anger. Did he even try to wake me up? No! How difficult could it be to wake someone up?

"Jae-Eun..." he started, but I ignored.

I finished packing everything and headed to the door. He did the same. Following me silently. We left the building and got into the car. I hated the fact that I needed him to take me back home. I walked fast through the parking lot, got into his car and just sat in the passenger seat facing the window beside me. Nyan took the driver's one. He turned the engine on but didn't leave the parking lot.

"Look kid, I can't be blamed for ruining your fucking dream day, you know?" Kid? Who does he think he is? My father? "My day was not great either! I came here with one thing in mind, but hey, spoiler alert, it was completely different from what I planned!"

"Leave-me-alone!" I spit, clenching my teeth and crossing my arms over my chest.

"Will you look at me? I'm trying to make things clear here."

"I already said I don't want to talk to you, I just want to go home!"

"I'll get you home after you look at me!"

I pressed my eyes shut, fighting the urge to punch him in that pretty face. I hate him! I hate him so much! I turned my face towards him, displeased. "What?"

He ran a hand through his hair and then turned his body towards me, sitting almost sideways. The look in his eyes was odd, painful almost. He took a deep breath and started talking again. But I wasn't really listening, I just wanted to leave as fast as possible.

"Jae-Eun, I'll say it again and hope you will take it seriously this time. I wish I had a better explanation, I'm trying to wrap things up inside my head too! Just try not to hate me because I really don't know how to deal with what happened, you know?! This has never happened to me, I did my best to solve the problem at hand, that's all I focused on! Just, please, calm down and try not to be so angry, ok?"

It's easier said than done. As if I could just press a button and voilà, not angry anymore. But I didn't want to argue with him anymore, so I just agreed. "Fine! It was not your fault. Ok, now let's go, I really need my bed."

He nodded and we left the parking lot for a silent ride to my house. It was almost morning when Nyan dropped me home. I blacked out on my bed after crying my eyes out.

I was exhausted and slept through the day. How could I be so tired after sleeping for so long in Exy's room? It felt good, though. Refreshing. I woke up and went to the living room where Berta was watching TV and eating a bag of chips.

"Oh, hi..." She said in a surprised voice. I could tell by the look on her face that she already knew what happened the previous night. "How are you feeling today? Better?"

"I really appreciate it if we don't talk about it..." My reply was too bitter. Even for me. But I couldn't think about everything without starting to cry again. I sat on the floor next to her and took some chips from her bag.

"Okay. So we don't talk." She agreed.

"Thank you." I said with my mouth full.

"Why don't you eat something properly before you fill your stomach with grease?"

I shrugged and scowled at her. "This is perfectly fine." I grabbed another handful and tossed into my mouth.

"By the way..." she gave me the whole pack of chips and sat straight to face me but I stayed still. "Nyan was here." A pinch of anger stabbed my stomach. Or maybe it was just hunger... whatever! "You forgot your bag in his car last night, he brought it to you."

"Great." I answered while looking at the tv, but I wasn't really watching it.

"You can't blame him, Jae-Jae. You know it."

"I know. But he was there, living my dream. Why didn't he try harder? He could have thrown a bucket of water on me, couldn't he? And what the hell happened to the 'we don't talk about it'?"

"Sorry, sorry... I'm just saying..."

"So don't say." I replied, angrier than I intended to.

Berta was right, I hate to admit it! But... I need someone to blame, right?