Invisible

Chapter 9

We sat on the trimmed grass, a small pack of Sour Patch candies in front of us as we stargazed together. It's been a week since our arrival and I my body was finally set to Filipino time.

One thing that Darren and I both love is the stars at night. I don't know, I just find it relaxing to stare at the bright, twinkling materials above our heads. It looks like the sky was painted black and God just sprinkled glitters on the plain, pitch black painting He did.

I heard Darren bit the candies with his teeth, a thing that is so weird for him to do. Coz hey, biting or chewing candies for me is complete torture for my teeth and gums. After getting satisfied in the chewing that he was doing, he took another candy from the pack and started to melt it in his mouth.

I stared at him for a while, admiring how the moon's faint light kissed his face and how the stars seemed to be so useless compared to his small and cheeky eyes. I wish you would love me back. I thought in my mind. I love you.

"Do I... have some sort of dirt on my face or something?" he asked as he turned to me. "Nic?"

That seemed to snap me out of the staring trance that I got myself into. I managed to smile. "No," I said, "I was just... staring at your face."

He smiled. "Well, why are you staring then?"

"I was... admiring your face, and your eyes." the words slipped out of my mouth before I could stop them. "You look... cute."

He chuckled as he shook his head lightly. "Okay, well, thank you," he said. He went in closer to me and his arm snaked around my waist. "By the way, I have to tell you something."

"Shoot," I smiled as I continued to stare at the stars.

"Four days ago," he started, "There was a lady who talked to mom."

"Okay," I said, "What did the lady want?"

"She informed mom that there was this small singing contest 3 weeks from now," he narrated. "And mom joined me in it."

I smiled as I turned to look at him, only to find his face just poor inches away from mine. I cleared my throat as I tried to get rid of the redness that my face is gaining. I inched away from him. "Okay, well that's good!" I told him. "It's been a little while since you last joined contests."

"That's not just it." he said. "I also signed you in."

My eyes widened over the statement. Okay, I'm not scared of joining contests but it's been a little while since I last joined too. I was even planning never to join contests again and just focus on the gigs I keep on doing. So you could possibly imagine how taken aback I was when Darren told me about him, signing me up for the small contest he was referring to.

"Why did you do that?" my voice was surprisingly calm, despite my super panic state right now. "And without my permission, Darren, seriously?!"

His features seemed to drop a little but there was still a small smile on his lips, so I don't have to worry about him being upset yet. "I was just thinking it would be good for you!" he defended, "Look around you! We're in a matter of a province; there are no bars or clubs in here for you to have gigs."

Okay well that is a point. But still! "I notice that," I told him, "But why did you still do it, Ren?"

"I was just thinking that you might be good to share your talent in here." He said, looking at me in the eyes. I remembered when he said that he loved staring in my eyes because he found it amusing that my eyes were deep brown that it almost looked black. At least the thought eased me up from the nerves, "And besides... it's been a while since I last saw you in a stage singing for the audience in a matter of contest way."

Okay, so six years ago, Darren and I joined this small talent search for kids in Canada. But we both weren't that lucky enough to win so yeah, we lost. But ever since then, we still join small contests and get a little lucky to win it. When we reached fourteen years of age, we both decided to give it a little break and not to join contests for some time. And here we are now, debating with each other because he freaking joined me in the singing contest he was talking about.

"And besides," he spoke again, "We're going to enter this music college in London. Why not keep on training with singing contests and stuff right?"

I rolled my eyes. "Why on earth can't I win over you, Darren, why?" I asked him as I looked away from him and looked back at the dark sky with the twinkling stars as I ate another candy and savoured it in my mouth. "Fine," I sighed. "I'll join."

"Oh, oh," he started to sound like a kid right now, his face lit up when he heard that I would finally join in the contest. "How about we bet in this?"

My eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"Let's get a bet!" he said, sounding like a seven year old kid who wants to do something that can't wait. "Or I don't know... a deal, perhaps?"

"Shoot," I told him again. Okay, when you do a deal with Darren, he would really do the consequences once you win. He won't even complain over it, so dealing or betting with him is a fun.

"If you win against me in the contest, I would tell you a very, very big secret of mine." He said seriously that his voice was the usual deep timbre that it was. "And another thing," he added, "If you win against me, this would be your last contest by the means of me setting you up. That means that if you win, I would never sign you up in a singing contest ever again."

"Okay, well that is going to be a perk." I chuckled. "And wait, you have a secret? I thought you said that none of us should hide secrets from each other! You're unfair from our friendship!" I teased.

"The secret is... pretty special and delicate." He disclosed.

"Okay, well what if I lose against you?" I asked him. "What would be the consequence in that?"

"You'll continue to join contests like how I would." He said, "And you won't get the chance to know my secret."

"What?" I asked in disbelief. "That is so unfair."

"Nothing's unfair with that!" he defended. "So if you really wanted to know my secret," he said, getting another candy from the pack and eating it. "You better win against me."

I have to admit, my curiosity over things is overthrowing. And him, keeping secrets from me didn't help to ease up my curiosity. "Okay," I told him, "I just want to know, what is with your secret that you don't want to share it with me right now?"

"I told you, it's a very special and delicate secret." He said, looking at me, "If I tell it to you right now, you might don't want to see me ever again." he said, anxiety was etched in every word.

"That wouldn't happen." I told him. "You're my best friend; I would never hate you that much. I would always want to see you, you dummy."

His face lit up. "Okay," he said, "Fine, if you lose, I would still tell you my secret but you would still continue your singing in contests. That's my final say."

I smiled. "That's a better consequence, if you ask me."

"Great."

"Great." I second.

"So?" he looked back at me, the sound of his teeth grounding the candy in his mouth audible again. "Are we really pushing through the deal or bet as you want to call it?"

I smiled. "Okay, let's go do it." I told him, "At least I would still know your secret, no matter what it is."

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ooohhh. What do you think is Darren's secret? Suspense! Suspense!

Vote and Comment if you may. :* Loveya!