Around the Corner (Discontinued)

Chapter 16

Phil's P.O.V.
I walk into the studio and sit by the piano. I needed to clear my mind and get this mound of feelings out. The best way to do that was through music.

I hear the door open and Jessie walks in. Her eyes searched the studio for me and I groan inwardly in frustration. All I needed some time to sort out myself, I would worry about her some other time.
She struts across the room and stares at me in a strange manner.
"Hey Phil." She says softly with a seductive air. She's no actress, and I wasn't any fool.
"Speak in a normal voice, if you will." I respond both annoyed and frustrated.
"Sorry, just trying to set the mood." She says sarcastically to what seemed like herself. She takes a seat beside me and I feel her hand rub against my knee lightly. She starts tracing imaginary lines on my knee, making her way up slowly as she did.
"You know..." She began to say. "I've been thinking..."

"What have you been thinking?" I ask, not really interested.
I feel her fingers trace my thigh lightly. Jessie scoots closer and some how fixes my arm around her shoulders. She flutters her eyelashes noticeably at me and looks back down at her fingers slowly making their way to my crotch.
"About...us." She says innocently.
She scoots even closer than before, which I didn't think was entirely possible until then. A small claustrophobic feeling began to kick in and I try to recover some of my personal space. After a few hasty attempts, I realized she had me stuck in this position.
"What about us?" I ask.
"Well, you know. You're a very kind guy Phil..." She says. She pauses for a moment and rubs her fingers uncomfortably close to my crotch. I pick up her hand and place them on her lap. She only moves her body even closer to me and places her hand on my chest.
"And guys like you are hard to find." She says seductively.
She was trying to come off as seductive and gentle, but right now I felt she was being creepy and desperate. Can't this bitch take a hint?

"Uh yea. Um that's nice." I say. I felt we were breathing the same air; in a way that she was taking up all of it.
"It is, isn't it?" She replies. "So, I was wondering..."

She looks at me fondly. "Do you want to, you know, go get a smoothie later? Or maybe-"
She's interrupted by the opening of a door. A confused Lucero and shocked Laila stand before us staring at the scene they are witnessing.

Jessie smirked smugly at them, but somehow her eyes appear be planted directly at Laila.
I slowly realize she planned this out. I already knew she wanted to be with me after the incident at the mall, but I loved Laila. I didn't care how much lust Jessie harbors for me, I knew exactly who I wanted.

Laila.

I look at Laila standing next to Lucero. She has her mouth slightly open and her eyes were no longer gleaming. I could see a faint river of hurt stirring inside them. Her face, however, showed no emotion.
A very strong feeling of regret began to form inside me.

*

My mind was spinning, but I tried to keep my emotions hidden. Jessie had a smirk splattered on her face, her eyes bright with satisfaction.
She was sitting on Phil, her hand placed on his chest and his arm fixed around her shoulders.

In my mind, I felt that Phil was someone I could trust with my problems. Some part of me felt betrayed, but another morsel of me denied it.

"We'll...umm...be going." Lucero said awkwardly. She sprinted to the door, and I had no trouble keeping up with her pace. We burst into the living room trying to get as far away from the studio as possible. June was sprawled on the couch watching television with a bag of potato chips on the floor nearby. She noticed our anxiety and flashed a confused look at Lucero and me.
Lucero shrugged. "Never mind."
June seemed curious, but didn't question is further.
The overcoming silence was quickly interrupted by the swift voice of Eminem's rap. Lucero pulled out a black iPhone and moved off to the side to answer. I glanced at June awkwardly.

"Hey, come watch this movie, it's really funny." She said with a girlie laugh. I took a seat beside June next to the couch and began to watch Clueless alongside her.

~

I opened my eyes wide and was swallowed by complete darkness. Black and blue spots flashed in my eyes distorting my vision. I sit up quietly and make out the objects nearby. I soon realize I was in Fernanda's living room in her so called 'apartment'. Little by little, the pieces of earlier events were assembled in my mind like a jigsaw puzzle. I was still on the same couch when I was watching T.V. with June earlier. Now, however, June was no longer beside me and the only light source came from the night sky glistening from the balcony outside.

Unaware of my actions, I walk over to the sliding door and entered the balcony. The light breeze of the summer night hits me almost instantaneous, the cool sensation refreshing my skin. I gaze up at the night sky shining brightly in it's majestic aura, stars illuminating the world below.

I stare up in wonder at the beautiful view. I place my arms on the rim of the rusting balcony and press myself against the rusty gate that kept me from falling off. I closed my eyes, breathing in the earthy scent of mid-June. I gave myself up to the faint buzz of crickets in my ears and the wind brushing against my cheeks and through my hair. I loved this moment, the sensation I felt and the joy it gave me.

"You like this, don't you?"

I turn to my right and observe him closely. He was wearing a sleeveless white tee and a pair of black shorts. His glasses were placed perfectly on his face. His gold, thin chain shimmered in the soft light against his skin. His dark brown eyes had the same kindhearted feeling, but this time they held a mixture of what seems like regret; almost guilt.

"What are you doing here Phil?" I ask. A part of me wanted for him to disappear, to never be spoken of again. Yet, this other piece of me wanted to jump into his arms and kiss his cheek softly the way mom would kiss dad's cheek when he came home from work.

I didn't understand why I felt this way or even what I was feeling.

"I saw you wake up," he replied in a raspy voice, "just wanted to check up on ya."

"Oh, okay." I answered quietly. His eyes meet mine, and I could tell he was thinking of something deeply.

"Laila..." He says softly, lingering on the a. He walks over toward me and places his right hand on the rim of the balcony near my hand. I gaze at him feeling somewhat docile and insignificant. His body reflected the light of the stars, making him look heavenly.
Nobody could compare to him.
"I just wanted to...let you know..or understand that the...thing or umm..." He whispered softly, his voice decreasing with each word until he was silent. He scratched the back of his head and his brown eyes shone guilt, but they refused to give away his true intentions.

He rubs his hand against my cheek, his fingers brushing against me causing a small spark inside me. His touch had me surprised, but completely invaded with this overwhelming sensation I felt for him. I look into his eyes deeply, looking for something I did not know.

"Jessie and I are nothing." He whispered gently, his voice nearly being carried away by the wind. "It wasn't what it seemed..."
"I know." I interrupted. He looks at me in surprise at my sudden statement. I didn't know what provoked me to, but I didn't want to be cross with him. At least, that's what I told myself to believe.

He opened his mouth to reply, but no words came out as we listened to the sliding door slam shut and lock close.