Lights, Camera and Love

Prisoner

Having myself being treated like a princess is not very comfortable. Erin insisted I stay home for the rest of the winter break. I feel like I am getting fat from all his cooking. All I do is eat and then sleep all day.

"I want to go out." I pouted acting like a child as we both watched television together. I was lying on his lap while he sat on the couch. His presence is very comforting. "It feels like I'm grounded, and you're not my parent. Mia's been bugging me this week to go out with her to the mall."

"Okay. You can go, but I'll come with you guys," he said not looking at me.

"What? Erin, I don't need a babysitter. I'm almost seventeen."

He laughed. "You're not an adult yet."

"You're the same age as me so we're in the same book here. You're so unfair. I'm going crazy just being in this apartment. Erin, please."

"Do you not want me here?" He placed his hands on my cheek and pinched it lightly.

"You know that's not what I meant. I just don't like being holed up in here like a trapped bird in a cage," I said defensively. "Plus, I need to go out or I'll get fat from all the food you're feeding me all the time."

"If it's exercise you need I can give it to you." My heat started beating faster as he said these words. His smirk remained fixed on his face as he looked at me. I lay frozen on his lap.

"Breathe, Liz!" He laughed. "I won't do anything to you unless you say so."

This made me remember that day he fought. "What if I wanted you to?" I said it in whisper. He seemed to have heard it.

"Do you want to?"

I didn't say anything. I'm having second thoughts about it. To be honest, I don't know how I should handle this relationship.

A knock on the door had me take my mind off the topic. I was surprised to see Mia standing at the front door smiling widely.

"I came because your boyfriend won't even let you out of this apartment," she said as shot an 'I don't like how you treat her' look at Erin. "I bought a DVD for us to watch."

Erin left us alone and made snacks. Mia kept asking why he's keeping me here at the house and insisted that I should go out and enjoy the break.

"I don't even know why. Ever since I went with Alex he's been like that."

"The way he 'protects' you is creepy. You should learn how to say 'no'. You haven't told me what happened to your meeting."

I told her everything. "I don't even know how he found me."

"I think that might have been my fault. We ran into each other at the convenience store before I had my shift. I told him you were with that dude and suddenly ran leaving the things he was just about to buy."

So that explains it. Here I was thinking that he might have tracked my phone just like Alex did. Erin made us snacks. He said he had somewhere to go for a bit so he left us alone.

Mia and I watched the movie but our thoughts were somewhere else. We had a couple of discussions about Alex. Mia said that he felt like he was dangerous and told me that I should be careful of him.

"But Alex isn't the only one you should be worried about. Sherry is spreading this nasty rumor about you and everyone's believing it."

"What? What rumor?"

"She said that she broke up with Ryan because she saw you two sleeping together. She's also telling everyone that you go to different bars every night and screw with every guy you go with."

Sherry's really a pain. I knew she was going to do something like this. I wonder how I should face everyone at school after break is over.

"Let's not talk about that. What are your plans on Christmas?" she asked me.

I forgot that it's going to be Christmas in two days. I was so preoccupied with unnecessary things that I forgot all about it.

"I haven't thought about it. My aunt's actually been calling me from Japan saying that I should stay there for a week. She's bored since she doesn't have any child nor a husband."

My aunt, Ayaka Mirano is my mother's distant cousin, but they were very close. She is actually my god-mother. She has offered me to live with her many times and study abroad but I have always refused her. She checks on me form time to time to make sure I'm okay.

"Wow. Japan sounds like fun. Why don't you go? I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

"Because Erin said he'll come with me if I go."

"So? She'll get to meet your future husband."

I playfully hit on her thigh Mia and she laughed.

"Maybe I'll go to Japan during summer vacation. What I fear is that she might not let me come back when I get there."

She stayed there until midnight. Erin came home around seven but he kept his distance and left us alone to talk. Mia is the only person I talk a lot to because she doesn't judge. She listens to me as if she is very interested in every word I say.

"Both of you got close in such a short time. She's a good friend. I can tell. Unlike that Sherry girl you used to hang out with." Erin and I decided to stay in the living room and watch random movies. I was at my usual spot on this lap as he played with my hair.

"Sherry's spreading nasty rumors about me."

"Yeah, I heard. Someone informed me about it and I told that it was all a lie. I also told them that we are going out."

I sat up unexpectedly. "Wait, why?"

"Is it something we should hide?"

"No. Sherry likes you. And she'll give me hell if she finds out."

"I'll protect you," he said as he hugged me.