playboy diaries : c.h

4: story time

calum hood.

"Are we really at the right house?" I asked Luke. Clarice texted him and invited us over at her house. Well, it's not just a house.

It's a fucking mansion.

"Uhh, yeah. Look." He handed me his phone as we still stand in front of their tall gates looking up at how high it was. I read the address and no doubt, we really are at the right place.

Luke carefully pressed the doorbell and automatically, the gates opened and hell, the house or I mean, the mansion we just entered is goddamn luxurious. It was colored cream and plants were all over the front yard. I can make puppies run all over this yard forever.

As we entered, an old woman in about her 40's approached us with her heart-warming smile. "How may I help you handsome boys?" She asked us and I smirked at the thought. Michael smiled and talked to her. "Clarice invited us over, and we are her friends. Is she here?" He asked. The woman motioned us to follow her inside the house.

I nearly jumped when I entered their house. Their family picture is really big, more of like a portrait. I looked at the pictures and damn, she looks so adorable. I also noticed her mum. She is familiar. I somehow saw her at our house before because of my mum's work. Oh, well. Maybe that's just coincidence.

We climbed the stairs, more of like Beauty and the Beast staircase because of how long it is. As soon as we were on the second floor, we arrived at a "movie-theatre" like door and the lady opened it briskly, walking her way in and signaling us to wait for a minute outside.

Music was blaring inside and I tapped my feet at the floor, catching up the tune. Ashton sighed. "Man, the Andersons sure are rich as fuck. I have never been into a mansion before like, damn. I might take a selfie." I laughed at his attempt to really take a godddamn selfie at Clarice's house. He is just a Tumblr-ish boy, that's all.

Minutes after, the old lady came back at us. "She's inside. You can come in and please make yourself at home." She smiled. "Have fun!" With that, she walked away from us. We all smiled at her and breathing deeply, we stepped inside the room. My jaw dropped at the feeling.

She's on stage.

She's dancing.

She is beautiful.

I shook my head because I was really watching her and checking her out. I choked on my own saliva and she stopped dancing. Wow, she has the best senses ever.

"Hey!" She snapped at us. We all shook our heads off to face and smile at her, shyly. "Oh, uh. Hello, Clarice. Thanks for inviting us over." Michael seemed shy, and smiled at her. Clarice stared at us for a minute before speaking up again. "Shush, it's fine! I really need company and please don't leave me like what my parents did." Our eyes widened in horror as she jumped off stage. "What about her parents?" I asked myself but ignored the fact. Clarice turned the lights off and accompanied us to the theatre room. "I planned on us to watch movies and shit. Or we can just watch at Netflix." She smiled but I watched her moves very closely.

The rest of the day went by slowly. We watched Netflix instead of some crapp old movies that has been stucked in our heads for the longest of times we can't count on.

But, one thing crossed my mind.

The deal.

I nearly fainted when I see how she managed our clumsy attitudes. The day was filled with laughter and non-stop accussations of how rich Clarice is. She just put her tongue out and laughed at us.

"Story time!" Michael shouted. Clarice cringed. I know she doesn't want to talk about it. I sighed and started to cut off the silence that engulfed us. "Mikey, don't let her push herself with that. I think it's really a sensitive topic to talk about." I finally spoke. Luke nodded in response. Clarice managed to snort lightly. "It's okay, guys. I mean, yeah. It's a sensitive topic but I can really trust you, right?" All of us nodded and shifted to our comfortable seats.

"So," Clarice breathed deeply, signaling that she'll start her story. "When I was ten, my mum and dad usually goes on dates like everyday. My dad always ensures that there is a bouquet of flowers for my mum. He wants her to feel that he's still courting her ever since the first day they met and laid eyes on. But, then something happened."

She paused. She was holding back the tears that are forming in her eyes. I soothed her back and she started again. "My dad got influenced by his officemates to always go on a bar and he totally ditched us every family gatherings on my previous school. He even said that he's tired of always going home to us. He said that our face are disgusting and fury ate him out. They separated and left me all alone here. My mum always goes home late and tired. I never saw her wake up because she wakes up early and she still has the habit of going to my room and kissing my forehead. She always has work. My Nana, the one who accompanied you a while ago?" We looked at each other and nodding at her. "She's the one who has been with me ever since that happened. She witnessed everything. How I wish I had a mum like her." She stopped, her eyes are watery and she let it out on herself by now.

But, then. The deal came across the picture again.

Will I do it just to make myself a pure man of my own?

I turned to face Luke, who was sitting beside me. Clarice excused herself for a moment and I grabbed the opportunity to drop the deal that has been lurking in my head for a week now. "Luke, I can't do it." I spatted at him. He gave me a questioning face and I gave him a "i-know-you-know-what-i'm-thinking" look. He breathed. "Oh. I don't really think you could. You just saw her cry, and you're the type of guy to make a girl cry and beg down on your knees." He said and the two boys joined in the conversation. "Be careful, man. She trusted us, and let me tell you one thing. We need to treat her like a sister. She has no friends yet. We need to be careful with her." Ashton ended as soon as Clarice entered the room.

"Oh, guy talks. Is it boring or okay?" She asked us. Michael snorted. "I bet girl talks are the worst." She smacked Michael at the head. "Hell, no! They're not. All you talk about is dresses, the type of food you want to eat. And to remind you, I never had the urge to bring a up a topic about guys. I just hate it." We all laughed and she joined in.

"Someone's being a little baby about boys. Bet you had a heartbreak before."

Her laugh faded away and she broke into tears again.

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clarice likes to cry idk why

i had an updated like hOLY YES i just got home from school and i need to do an assignment but oh well, i still don't wanna and i will be sleeping late again i am such a bad girl forgive me :-)

ohhhh, and calum is a bit confused if he will still do the deal or not what do you think? will he do it or naaaah?

yaaay thanks for making me happy by reading it even if i suck so damn hard ilysm :D