4.

2 Years Later.

Tired. That’s what I am right now. Tired.

After that day, people glare at me wherever I go in the estate, and less girls hook-up with me now, almost non-existent. I’m now known as the guy who broke sweet little Arianne’s heart. How is it my fault?! She was a gold-digger, so how as I supposed to react? I may have been a bit harsh, but in the end it was worth it. She left. Mom has refused to speak to me since then. The only form of communication we still have, are the disappointed glares she gives me every now and then, when she can even manage to look at me. The last words she told me were,

“When you find her and she forgives you, I will speak to you”

What was I supposed to do? It had been almost three years since she ran away, and she still haunts me in my head. Last time I heard, she had run away with Rich, but they weren’t on good terms anymore. Wasn’t that enough to show Mom that I’m not the problem?

I bet she grew up as a pampered little princess, with everything at her back and call. Servants to make her sandwiches, and maids to tie her shoe-laces. I only had 5 helpers. 5!

She was always so nice to the help, almost never using them, trying to be a better person than me. Witch.

Now, I was walking on the streets of Canada, trying not to attract attention, and get to Richard’s apartment quietly, and hopefully I wouldn’t run into her.

I finally saw the building, but I heard some weird sounds at in the spot beside it. It was already night outside, and my grip was already on the gun in my waist-band.

“Let go of me you insufferable brute!” A sweet voice yelled from that direction. I slowly walked to the dark alley, where a shady looking man was holding a woman. As I was about to take action, she did.

“Tried to warn you.” With a swift jab to his shin, the man stumbled back, and she twisted his arm around, forcing him onto the floor, then she started repeatedly punching him in the face. “I tried to be nice man,” She chuckled, almost psychotically. “You even made me drop my lip-balm.” She groaned, which made me chuckle softly.

Next thing I know, a whizzing noise is heard, and a dagger is dented into the small tree beside me.

When she turned around, she smiled, recognizing me, but I didn’t recognize her.Till the light shone properly on her face. The blue orbs that have haunted me to his day. Arianne Queen.

“Arianne…” I whispered softly, expecting her to smile, or give me a hug, or something like her usual bubbly self. Instead, she groaned.

“Ugh, it’s you.” She said, and got up.

“Arianne?” I asked, confused.  The Arianne I knew would have run up to hug me, blabbering about her new dress, or something.

“It’sAlexa now” She looked at me, bored. Bored?

“Why?” I asked daringly.

“You’ll find out.” She said, about to turn around when a curly haired guy ran up to her, waving bags in the air.

“Babe!” He yelled. Her stoic face immediately lit up as she turned to let him hug and lift her.

“You just saw me 20 minutes ago!” She laughed, and it was music to my ears. Wait…what?

“Longest 20 minutes ever!” The guy pouted like a kid.

“Did you get the burgers?” She asked him, as she started walking off, without introducing me. Rude much? I knew she was spoilt.

“Hey!” I called after her. “You didn’t introduce me.” I stuck out my hand for the guy to shake.

“Who is this babe?” He asked in her ear.

I smirked inwardly, knowing she must have talked his ear off, about me, on how she loves me, and the guy probably has insecurities.

“Just some jack-ass from my past.” She said nonchalantly.

What?! “Excuse me?” I said, then turned to the guy. “I’m Michael, you probably know me.”

“No, actually.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup.”

“She was hopelessly in love with me.” I smirked in triumph, when I saw her turn red. Little did I know, the red was a warning sign. “She wanted to marry me.” Shut up dude! “And have my children.”

She was shaking, and the guy was slowly backing away. What could little miss perfect do? Call the fashion police?

“Ari” He whispered. “Breathe. Killing him here will leave you with witnesses.” The guy said, glancing at the man passed out on the ground, and a few passer-byes.

“You’re right.” She beamed, making me scoff. What could she do?

That kids, is why my jaw is permanently dented on the right side. The plastic- surgeons said it was a lost cause.

My mouth was bleeding, and my jaw hurt, way too much. The taste of copper filled my senses, and the last thing I remember, is her whispering to me.

Game on Michael.

I don’t even remember how the heck I got home, well, Richard’s house, but I woke up to something cold against my cheek. Ice. Richard was on the other side of the couch, watching some fashion show on the T.V, and I groaned. Richard immediately got up and handed me a bottle of beer from the mini fridge beside him.

“Oh God, thank God you’re okay man,” He said. “The receptionist called that there was a bleeding man on my floor.

Richard was pretty well of, so while many people only had one apartment, Richard had the whole floor to himself. I guess modeling really did him good.

“Yeah.” I said, wincing at how painful it was to talk. Grabbing the beer, I opened it and took a swig.

“Arianne?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

My mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of water. How did he know? Why wasn’t Arianne here anyway? “How’d you know” I asked him.

“She’s the only one that packs a punch like that.” He said, chuckling softly. “God I miss her.” He sighed, running his palm over his face.

“She doesn’t live with me anymore?” I asked, secretly hoping to see her again.

“Nah.” He said, frowning slightly, so that his eyebrow were furrowed.

“Why?” I asked. He visibly tensed at the question, before he broke the silence with his answer.

“I messed up man” He said softly. “I called her some...names.” He grunted.

“Names?” I scoffed, shaking my head at his ridiculous statement. “It’s Arianne” I said, smiling at my stupid friend. “All you have to do is smile and she’ll forgive you in a heartbeat.

“I wish” He scoffed. “I hired a helicopter to make out the words ‘I’m sorry Arianne’ in the air, but she didn’t budge.”

“Arianne?” I asked. “Arianne Queen?”

“She goes by Alexa Queen now” he said, still frowning. “It’s literally been 2 years man, who holds a grudge for that long?”

“I’m sure she’s forgiven you.” I said, still not believing him. “Are you going for the dance show tomorrow?”

“Yeah.” I said. “You going?”

“Yeah.”

“Who’s dancing, by the way?”

“You don’t know?” His eyes widened in shock. “Oh this is gonna be fun.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

***

The next morning, more like afternoon, I had woken up by 2 in the afternoon. Getting punched really tires a guy. When I checked my phone, I had 4 messages from my mother, 2 from my ‘girlfriend’ and 3 from my P.A.

MOM

Have you found her?

Has she found you?

Does she have a boyfriend?

Is she coming home?

Wow, not even a ‘did you land safely?’ or ‘are you home?’. I guess that’s what you get for making her favourite child away from her.

From when I met Arianne, I knew she was nothing but trouble. I was ten, and she was eight. I know it’s not a reasonable time for me to have started hating her, but I did. Mom started caring for her, and she stopped doing my homework. It sounds vain, I know, but it is what it is. She would spend thousands of dollars on Arianne, and teach her like a princess. Less than a year after she came, Arianne already had the estate wrapped around her tiny little finger, over and over again. She would spend hours in her room, claiming she was studying, but I was sure she was plotting against us, planning to steal our money. Yeah, she was eight, but evil is not determined by age

My hatred for her grew past the constant glares, and occasional shoves and insults. I hated her, with all of me. I’d poisoned

her food, one time, yet it still wasn’t enough for me. I wanted her dead. One time, I told her to meet me at the pool, and the foolish girl came in, with a one-piece swim suit and a towel. I swiftly tied her legs, while Joshua gagged her, and we pushed her into the pool. Unfortunately for us, she had survival instincts and swam like a mermaid, managing to free herself. She never told Mom though, the servants did, and mom nearly killed me. I had to apologise to her. I mean, that was enough to give me a stroke.

Shaking my head to rid all thoughts, I noticed that the glass of water I had was gone, then I saw the water on the couch, and my throbbing hand. I guess a part of me still hates that privileged whore.

I finally took a path and had breakfast, wearing only a dark blue top and black jeans. Soon enough, it was 6’oclock in the evening, and time for the dance show. Rich said he’d meet me there, so I called me driver, and soon enough, we were off. I was so eager to see this dance group because of the things I’d heard about them. Their net worth was 128 million dollars, and in less than 2 years. I never actually watched any of them, I didn’t want to ruin it for myself, without experiencing it in the flesh.

When we pulled up at the theatre, I gave Paul a 50 dollar just for the heck of it. Immediately I entered the theatre, bracing myself for the noise, instead I was met with silence. A second later, a spotlight was formed. The group’s movement was completely synchronized, form the beginning to the end, but one thing that gave me the shock of my life was when someone did 5 back-flips, non-stop, then turned. Her brown hair was matted to her fore-head as it glistened with sweat, and her hips moved swiftly. The group was ‘frozen’ behind her, then a guy came to the front and they danced together, like it was air for them. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his neck, before falling back, and letting her long hair, sweep the floor. After a few twirls, she abruptly sat up, till she was straddling his neck, and she stood on his shoulders then fell back. The crowd gasped, even I did, hoping she wasn’t hurt, but at the last second her legs hooked his neck. Then the song ended, and the whole place went pitch black.

Everyone was clapping, and the girl and the guy came out holding hands as they bowed. There was another round of applause, and flowers were thrown, cash was thrown, even wallets. The girl ran up to where I was, as the guy tickled her, then wrapped his arms around her. He wrapped his arms around MY Arianne.

Wait…where the hell did that come from?

Her laughter bounced around the walls and people looked at her in adoration. The guy was now hugging her from behind as he put his chin on her shoulder, telling her something, but probably tickling her with his breath, making her smile again. She nodded her head and he kissed her forehead, quickly walking away with a smile on his face. Doofus. There was this dim light in her eyes that I had never seen when she lived with us. Not that I looked at her eyes, or anything, I hated her, but the day that she left with Richard, there was a fading in the light, like it was flickering, trying to find power, but then it stopped. Her eyes were dark and scary, even as a business man, I’d never seen anything quite like it.

Her eyes remained soft as she scanned the crowd with a smile, then the emotionlessness in her eyes came back when she saw me. Her body visibly tensed and the guy came walked through the doors, his smile falling when he looked at her. Her body started shaking with anger, and I noticed that she was clenching her fists. Why was she acting like this now? She saw me yesterday, why is she acting like this? She looked like she was vibrating and I could literally feel the hatred rolling off of her. The guy ran towards her, making everyone look at him, then he grabbed he by the waist and kissed her. She visibly calmed down and raked her hands through his hair, probably feeling like the whore she was. Next thing I know they were hugging and she lifted her up making her wrap her legs around his waist.H e put his arms under her but and then they left the room, making everyone look at them in wonder.

I followed them out of the room, to see their shadows entering into another room. There was a big fridge so I just hid there, able to see and hear what was going on.

“Thanks.” She croaked.

“It’s okay” He said to her. She was sitting on the counter, and he was in between her thighs, and she laid her head on his chin.

“I really am sorry for ruining you night Wee.” I stifled a laugh. Wee?

“Anything for you babe.” She lifted her head and they just stared at each other, till Wee started leaning in,. She leaned in too, biting her lips, then she released it, then he crashed his lips against hers in urgency, making her freeze in shock.

He kissed her like she was frigging oxygen, and she tangled her fingers in his hair, as he smiled when she finally gave in. 5 minutes had passed and they hadn’t come up for air. Damn, were they swimmers? He held her waist protectively and cupped her cheek, making me feel horrible deep down. If only I’d been nicer, that would have been the both of us. We’d have been together by now, drowning in a pool of our own love-but we weren’t. She had nicked my jaw, and now almost killed me with her eyes, but here I was, pining over someone that hated me.

Was this how Arianne felt?