Hershey Kisses

Eighth Kiss

As the car hums zooming past the freeway, I sketch out my new ideas for my next series on my old sketchbook. Rick noticed me and chuckled a bit.

"What's so funny?" I asked him irritated.

"I don't know." he looked forward at the road, "Seeing you look enthusiastic about accepting this favor and also doing something you like makes me a little jealous."

I stared at him then went back to sketching. "It's like not I'm doing this for fun. Whenever I stress out, I draw out my expression." He then grabbed my sketchbook and flipped through it while steering the car with his legs. "HEY!!! Eyes on the road you idiot!!!"

"But I wanted to see your work, Sophia." he teased me.

"No one calls me Sophia!!! Just call me Hayate, fake prince!!!!" I shouted at him trying to retrieve my sketchbook back. But as I grabbed it back, he glanced at one of my old sketches. We arrived back at his house and we settled inside. I moved to a small empty room and continued sketching. The more I get lost in thought, I soon realized I was sketching Rick. I was so pissed off seeing his face I ended up ruining the sketch by drawing in bruises and stabs. Then I remembered he saw one of my old sketches. I flipped back a few pages to see which one he glanced.

I gave up looking through my old sketches as I found an old sketch of Bryan. We practiced drawing each other back then, but he was a better artist than I. Just staring at his face before we met Julia, his soft smile and his comforting yet harsh words, he always makes me feel at home. I closed my sketchbook and covered my face to avoid tears falling onto the pages of my memories of him and me. Boys are the cruelest humans, aren't they?

My mind was clouded in hatred until something hard hit me at the back of the head.

"Are you going to keep daydreaming or are you ready to train?" Rick looks down at me.

"I-I was just waiting for you to get ready." I pouted as I put away my sketchbook. As he heads out the room, I followed him as we walked towards the kitchen. He prepared the ingredients and tools to bake something. "Chocolate?"

"Yup." He responds as he puts an apron around my waist, "We'll be learning tampering chocolate."

As he takes out a few ingredients, he demonstrates how to prepare the chocolate. Just staring at how he bakes it's different than how Damien cooks. It's hard to put it in words but all I can say is just watching him bake relaxes me. He looked at me as I was more relaxed and he grabbed my arm to keep me focused.

"You'll have to heat the cream and stir it next." he commanded me. When it comes to baking, his personality changes completely. He was a whole different person. I continued following his every order, and made a few mistakes here and there, and finally we finished making chocolate. My first dessert I made on my own, with a little help from Rick, made me feel happy for my accomplishment.

"It's still slightly not right but for your first time, you did good." he complimented as he pat my head.

"I'm not a pet you know. This kind of gratitude you're giving does not make me happy." I said grumpily as he continues patting my head.

"Would it be bad if I see you like a lost kitten than a person?" he smirked.

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT?!" I shouted as I punched his arm. As the clock chimes, I glanced at what time is it and saw it's about to hit night time. "Oh crap I gotta get home!!" I grabbed my stuff and headed outside the house. As I ran towards the street, Rick pulled me away.

"Whoa easy there." he said as he pulled me close to his chest. "I could just take you home if you want."

"N-no it's okay." I shook my head, "You bought me clothes, you gave me a ride, and you're offering me something in return. You've done way so much for me." I didn't want another person being concerned for me so I pulled off a fake smile. "I'll be fine. Don't worry." As I struggled out of his arms, I sprinted out as fast as I can away from him. I recognized this area because this is my hometown. As I started losing my breath, I stopped running and arrived at the park.

I walked slowly through the park and took caution to avoid any strangers or thieves. When I reached the end of the park, I felt someone behind me. I turned and saw two thugs looking at me.

"Well well." one of the thug said, "If it isn't a poor lost girl. Shouldn't you be in bed, little one?"

I glared at them and prepared my bag as my weapon. "I'm sorry. I don't speak idiot. Repeat what you said, moron." I taunted the thug and he was about to land a punch at me, but I dodged it and swung my bag at his face. HA!! Thank you heavy textbooks. But I forgot about the other guy and he grabbed me from behind keeping me up from running away. "Let me go!!"

"How you try to attack isn't really nice." the thug cracked his knuckles and grabbed my bag to take out all my books. He caught an eye at my sketchbook and grabbed it.

"NO!!! That's mine!!! Give it back!!!!" I screamed at him.

"Ah this is yours..." he smirked as he slowly starts tearing apart my sketchbook. I glared at him and tried to get off from the other guy's arms. As he laughed cocky slowly tearing away my only sketchbook, I couldn't make him stop and gave up from having him ruin my sketchbook. Suddenly the thug let go of me and noticed he was passed out. I looked at the other thug who was tearing my sketchbook and looked behind me. "Wh-what the...?" As I slowly turned back who was behind me, the person ran past me and beat up the thug. He dropped my remaining sketchbook and fell back from taking multiple hits.

The guy looked back and gathered my books and bag. I tried grabbing the other pages from my sketchbook and saw the only sketch I had of Bryan. It's ruined. The person came up to me and pulled me up.

"Sheesh you're still holding onto that sketchbook I gave you." he said. That voice. I know that voice. I looked up to see if it was him but he looked away.

"Bryan?" I asked to make certain. He didn't said anything and dropped my book, then ran the opposite direction. "WAIT!!! Bryan come back!!!" I called out to him. The only guy I wished was there to comfort me is moving farther and farther away from me again. I grabbed my bag and stood up as I head back home.

As I entered inside the house, I hear my parents yelling at me for not coming home on time but I blocked all their anger and headed to my room and lock the door. I laid down on my bed and stare at the ceiling recalling everything that happened today. I have to pretend to be Juliet, the girl Rick showed me looks like the same girl I hated, and Bryan came to save me once more. I covered my face with a pillow and screamed at it from all the frustration I put myself go through.

I gotta learn how to say no for once, but I didn't think I'd be pulled in this kind of situation. I opened my ruined sketchbook and crumpled up the torn up sketches I drew. I guess I have to buy a new one. The last sketchbook I held onto throughout high school, but it's time for a new one. I put away the sketchbook in my trunk filled with my manga collection and other sketches I worked and collaborated with. I took out my wallet and counted if I have enough money to buy a new sketchbook. Once again, I'm broke as any high school student would be with no job. I groaned as I swapped my wallet with my tablet and checked my messages. Most of them are questions from my followers who recently finished reading my series.

As I responded a few messages, I wondered myself what else am I supposed to learn as a high class woman. Not only that, since I'm accepting this deal I agreed on, what can I ask in return? I could say help pay for my college tuition. Or maybe he can find me a new place to live so I can be free under my parent's strict rules. The countless ideas of what he can do for me in return; however, it makes me feel disgusted getting them from someone I just met let alone played me as a toy. I rubbed my forehead in frustration and tried to put myself into a deep sleep.

Tomorrow's another day of weird events and another day that my life isn't as normal as I'd hoped it would be this year. Please let this day end already!!