untitled and unknown-second installment

CHAPTER THREE: HAPPINESS AND PAIN COINCIDES

"somebody's in a good mood today!" ciara sing songed as she watched zach hums as he makes breakfast - for two. she glanced at ashley who sat, looking determined not to look at her, rather stiffly at the couch. she noticed the dark flush on her face and she just had to laugh. "you two are hopeless!" she exclaimed, waving at them as she went to the patio.

she really didnt feel like being in a bad mood today, although it feels like there is something tearing in her heart. she woke up this morning, a smile plastered in her face, as if daring the world to ruin her day. she quietely went out the room, careful not to wake mischa. then she smiled at herself, the whole world might be collapsing and still her bestfriend would have slept through it.

eli still hadnt called her and her smile faltered a bit. then she regained her composure. she's not the one who forgot. why should she feel guilty? she sipped on her coffee and tried to relax. breathing in her surroundings. it was really peaceful there. maybe she could take some of it inside of her.

"excuse me miss, but is this where...." she looked up at the sound of the voice that was a little familiar. what she saw shocked her. and apparently, also the person in front of her.

"hoooeeee!!!" was all she could do.

--------

mischa woke with a smile. she could feel kisses running down her neck and a comfortable weight on top of her. she smiled, keeping her eyes closed, basking in the moment. with all those years apart, she missed him so much. she missed him so much that she couldnt still get enough of him although they had spent almost every waking hour with each other. with eyes still closed, she wrapped her arms on the man's neck, pulling him closer to her.

"dont do that?" she looked at him, surprised by his tone of almost reprimanding her.

"do what?" she asked, sleepily at him, still smiling, and closed her eyes once more. she felt him settle in beside her and she moved nearer to him to be more comfortable, and buried her head on his chest.

"do this." he said, but held her closely still. "you didnt even open your eyes to see who it was. what if it was not me and you welcomed him."

she laughed at this, because she knew he was pouting. "okay." she said, suddenly standing up and seated herself on the chair on the far side of the room. he sat up, confused, as he ran his hand through his hair. "stay there." she said, when she noticed him starting to stand up.

she blushed when she saw him pout at her words. 'god, he looked so beautiful!' she thought.

"why?" he asked, with the puppy dog look of his that he knows mischa could never resist. he knows she was playing with him and he's enjoying every minute of it. he loved it when she blushes like that. it makes him want to tackle her down on her bed.

"you told me never to do that again." she said sweetly, fluttering her lashes.

he growled, lunging at her, covering her lips with his own, strangling her surprised cry. he couldnt stop himself from kissing her. she was simply irresistable.

she blushed at her sudden attack. she saw the look in his eyes before he pressed his lips to hers that made her go crimson. after a while, he was kissing her like a madman and that made her laugh. she was glad he wants her that much. and she knows she does, too.

"stop it, craig." she cried between giggles. "you're acting like a crazy person."

he looked up to her with all the love in his eyes and said, "all because of you."

she blushed again and gave him a small kiss. she forced herself to stand and she brought him along with her. he hugged her again and she giggled. "stop it. we had to go down, too, you know. the others might get suspicious."

he gave her again the sad puppy dog look again and said, "do we have to?"

she just laughed at him and pushed him out of the room.

-------

"what brought you here?"

"you knew each other?"

"when? how?"

"this is so great! its been so long since we last saw you. mischa would be very happy to see you!"

"who is it that i'll be very happy to see?" mischa came down the stairs with craig in tow when she heard ashley's and ciara's excited voices. she saw zach leaning at the kitchen door, clearly not amused with the person that ashley and ciara had been fusing about. she threw him a confused look but he just shrugged at her. her eyes fall on the man standing in the living room and her eyes went wide. then a big smile appeared on her face and she squeelled in delight, as she ran up to the person and gave him a hug. and the two other girls just laughed.

"dont look at me, i dont know a thing. ashley did the very same thing when he entered the door." zach said darkly when craig looked at him brows furrowed. zach sighed and turn his back, going back to the kitchen.

"hoee!!! john mark! what are you doing here?" she cried, finally releasing him from her hug. she looked at her two other friends and asked, "who found him? i thought i buried him well and good during high school."

the four laughed. craig looked at each of the person's faces, clearly not understanding a thing. his frown deepened as he watch his girlfriend clutch his hand like a school girl looking up at her crush. 'who the hell is this guy?' he fumed, the green monster starting to take over him. he just stood at the bottom of the stairs, smoke starting to come out of his ears, as minutes ticked by, him forgotten, and the voices of three amused, overly excited and giggling girls sounded across the room.

"what the hell is happening here?" sam asked, going down the stairs, hands on her hips. she was trying to finish the book she had been reading on her room when the voices of the other girls interrupted her. they were so loud, she couldnt concentrate, so she decided to come down and make them turn their voices down. when she reached the bottom of the stairs, her eyebrows raised when she noticed the fuming craig, standing there, glaring at the living room. when she looked to the place he had been staring, she was shocked.

"what are you doing here?" the same lines mischa said in a different tone of voice. she sounded... irritated. the four looked at her and the man chuckled.

"i see you're still angry at me." he said, clearly amused.

she huffly went to him and punched him HARD on the shoulder. he just smirked at her and said, "i missed you, too, sam."

her frown deepened and she struggled not to smile. after a few moment of glaring at him, she couldnt help it, she flung her arms around his neck and said, "who said i missed you?!"

"still angry i ate the chocolates your first love gave you?" he asked her which made her blush.

"i'm never gonna forgive you for that." she smirked, releasing him from his embrace.

"this is really weird," ciara said, smiling her biggest smile for the last month. "who thought we all knew this baka over here."

then someone cleared his throat and mischa blushed slightly, and this made john mark look at her inquiringly. she detached her hand from his and went to the man who had went down the stairs with her, and intertwined her fingers with his. the man put an arm around her, as if saying, 'she's mine!'

mischa blushed. she was so overwhelmed by seeing her high school bestfriend that she had forgotten craig. she looked at him and saw his jaws clenched, clearly not liking the attention she had given the new man. when she reached him and held his hand, he placed an arm around her a little too strongly that she knew he was jealous. she smiled at him and gave him a little peck on the cheeks and whispered to his ear, "sorry bout that." his jaws unclenched, but his eyes still drew daggers at the new man.

mischa led him to the others and introduced each other. "craig, thats john mark, my bestfriend in high school." as she said that, his hand relaxed a little. "john mark, this is craig, my boyfriend."

the boys shook hands a little too tense, which made her raise an eyebrow. but she shrugged it off when the other girls started to talk again.

-------

"who gave them the permission to go out with that twerp?!" craig was fuming. he went out for a minute to buy some stuff for dinner, and when he got home, the girls are gone with none other than... john mark.

"dont bite our heads off. we dont like it any more than you do." zach was sitting on the couch, watching the television, trying to act indifferent, but his hands keep clenching and unclenching. "i just found a note on the fridge saying they've gone out. you can look at it yourself."

craig went to the kitchen and saw benjamin looking out the back door. he ignored him and went to the fridge.

just went out to catch up on some things. be back later. dont worry about us and dont wait up. promise we'll behave. :) mischa, sam, ashley and ciara.

"yeah right, 'dont wait up' huh?" craig muttered to himself and plopped himself on the couch next to zach. looking at the television but really unseeing.

-------

its now twelve midnight. the girls not yet in sight. craig is pacing the living room, zach is glaring at the television as he sat on the couch and benjamin is standing at the foot of the stairs, almost as if he was sleeping. then suddenly he looked up, then faced the door. the other two caught his movement and they, too, stared at the door.

"why are you three looking at me like you want to kill me?" eli asked them, unamused as he walked into the room. zach muttered something under his breath and resumed at his glaring at the tv. benjamin looked like sleeping again.

"what happened here?" eli asked, raising an eyebrow, looking at the three. and then he noticed the the environment of the house and noticed that it was quiet... too quiet. usually at this time people at the end of the block could still here the girls shrieking and giggling. but not tonight. what is more surprising is that the boys are complete. usually there is at least one of them missing, accompanied with another girl missing at the group of girls. he looked at craig, "and why arent you with mischa?"

"i should have been." craig fumed, forcing himself not to lash out on the others. "if only i could find her. or any of the other girls for that matter."

"what do you mean?" eli is confused.

"they're out. all of them. without us. and with john mark." zach answered, with clenched teeth.

"who the heck is john mark?" eli asked, frowning, confused at the boys' expression and a little frustrated not to find ciara in. he went back today hoping to clear things up with her. he now knew why ciara acted like that yesterday. he had forgotten their anniversary, and he was being eaten with guilt that he came back as soon as he can.

"john mark is back?" they hadnt noticed christopher walk into the room. he had went home the night of the party because he had forgotten something which he really needs. then there was an emergency at work that he had to report there first. that is why he just came back. he was hoping that kaye would forgive him for abandoning her and was looking forward to making up to her. good thing she was staying just at the end of the block. he was surprised to find the boys in the living room, either frowning or fuming and when he heard the name, he understood.

"you know him?" craig asked him.

"hard not to, especially if your sister cant stop talking about him in grade school." christopher sighed, rolling his eyes over the thought. he noticed benjamin slightly tense at his words.

"who's he?" eli asked.

"hey, dont kill me. i have no idea how ciara nor mischa new him. all i knew is that he's the 'nice and sweet boy'" again he rolled his eyes. "as my dear sister put it, that she and ashley spend all their time with him their last years in grade school."

"mischa said that he's her bestfriend in high school." craig said.

"makes sense, after graduating in grade school, he got transferred, leaving my sister and ashley devastated."

"how come i dont know him?" zach asked.

christopher shrugged. "we're already in high school at the time. and hearing about it at home is enough to be talking about it at school, too." then he stopped, a thought struck him. he looked at his watch. "they're out with him? right now? and they're still not home? and my sister is with them?!"

zach sighed while eli rolled his eyes. "just realized, huh?" craig said, pacing around the room again.

-------

"hoooooeeeeeee!!!" mischa was laughing at the conversation they were having when she glanced at her watch to see it was already five o'clock, in the morning.

"you okay?" john mark asked her, concern in his voice.

she chuckled. "i just realized how fast time flies. to see that we had only been talking this whole time."

sure enough, when they left the rest house the day before, they went to a restaurant to eat. thank god that it is open twenty-four hours and they werent kicked out yet. mischa, ciara, ashley and sam were having such a great time that they havent realized the time and they forgot to call home.

"now, i'm not surprised how you spent two days with this guy." sam said to ashley, in between laughs. "he never shuts up!"

he gave her a small punch on the head. "as if you dont talk non stop, too. you have not changed."

"so do you." sam replied.

"craig is going to kill me." mischa sighed, a small smile on her face as she imagined the look on her boyfriend's face when she walk into the house later. "same thing that benjamin would do to you, sam and eli to you ciara and zach to you ashley." she laughed as she pointed to each of her friends.

sam laughed. "i'd be more than happy to get that reaction from him!"

"you have a point." mischa sighed, rolling her eyes.

"we dont even know if he's there yet." ciara pouted.

"and zach's not my boyfriend!" ashley exclaimed.

"who said that he is?" mischa said to her, raising an eyebrow. "you're so defensive." ashley blushed. mischa sighed again, smile still on her face. "well, seems like i'm the only one who'll be doomed."

"dont worry, i'll take of you." john mark said huskily as he placed an arm around mischa's shoulders. she blushed a little and laughed with the other girls.

"i see that you still hasnt changed, play boy." she told him, good naturedly, slapping his arms away. nobody noticed a shadow pass through his face. he forced a laugh with them.

"so you're all taken, i suppose." john mark asked, a twinkle in his eyes. then he pouted. "i was hoping that i could date at least one of you."

the girls laughed again. he had been their crush at one point in their life - sam and ashley in their elementary years, ciara and mischa in high school. actually, mischa and him dated for a few months in their third year of high school.

"you're really such a playboy!" ashley exclaimed.

"hey!" sam turned to her bestfriend, slapping her playfully on the shoulders. "you didnt deny it?! that was a first! what happened last night, huh? and i thought i was your bestfriend!"

ashley blushed, not knowing how to go on. "well... i... i... kinda told him... i love him...' she whispered.

"hooooeeee!!!!" the girls shrieked, and john mark laughed at the look on their faces.

"what did he say?"

"what did you do?"

"what happened?!"

"hey one at a time." ashley laughed, shyly. her blush deepened. "well... he... he was the one who first said he likes me... and... and... he... kissed me..."

john mark laughed again at the renewed shrieks that a few decibels louder. mischa, ciara and sam stood up to hug ashley.

"at last!"

"finally!"

"i'm so happy for you!"

"why did you just tell us now?!"

"girls, girls, calm down." john mark said, still laughing. he noticed the glares the employees of the restaurant are giving them. "or else we'll be kicked out of here."

"tell us every single detail." sam said, as they resumed their seats and looked expectantly at the blushing ashley.

-------

the sun had fully risen because its well before noon when they reached the rest house. they had been talking for a little over twenty-four hours now and their throats are soar with all the shrieking and they are also sleepy and tired, being up for a day and a half now. they stood for a moment at the front of the house, kinda scared at what lies inside.

"here goes nothing." mischa sighed opening the door. the girls gaped when they found the house empty. they imagined the boys to be waiting in the living room, waiting to pounce them when they return.

"weird." ciara said, looking around the room. there was no note or anything.

"guess they went out for a little boy time alone and to get back at us." ashley said, stiffling a yawn. "i'll worry about this later. really had to sleep." then she went to her room.

"me, too." ciara said. sam and mischa followed them, too tired to think.

then mischa suddenly stopped, making the others look at her. "uhmmm..." she started, looking at her feet. "can we stay in a room? im kinda scared when i wake up and go down by myself."

ashley smiled. "sure. i'm kinda scared myself. we all go down together later?"

they all smiled their consent and went to ashley and sam's room.

-------

when mischa woke up, the first thing she did was look at her watch. "hooooeeee!!!" she exclaimed, her eyes snapping wide. she had been asleep for fifteen hours.

"what's going?" ashley said, groggily, sitting up, eyes still closed.

mischa looked around the room and looked at ciara, who was sitting by the dresser, looking scared. she found sam leaning by the door, listening to something.

"they're back." ciara whispered. ciara woke up through the sound of a door banging shut and loud voices. she looked at sam who also sat up at the sound.

ashley fully awake now, catching words of the shouting that was happening downstairs.

"they're still looking for us." sam whispered as she continued to listen to the door. "shit! christopher is back." then she looked at ciara, "and so is eli."

ashley sighed. "they're gonna kill us."

-------

"what do you think you're doing?!"

"you almost killed us with worry!"

"you should have at least called!"

"we almost called the police to look for you!"

"are you insane?!"

"what were you thinking?!"

"and you didnt even leave a note saying that you're already here?!"

"do you have any idea how worried we were?!"

the minute the girls walked down the stairs, sheepish looks on their faces as they looked at their shoes, the boys hounded on them, not permitting them to walk any further. they were stuck in the middle of the stairs, being scolded by five men who are almost ready to take their head off, well four, benjamin was just standing at the side, staring at sam.

"sorry..." the girls chorused, still looking at their feet. then a stomach growled, which made them look at each other on alarm. when they realized what it was, they laughed.

"WHAT - IS - SO - FUNNY?!" craig demanded.

the laughter died, but the smiles were left on their faces as they looked at their shoes again. "we're hungry." they chorused.

christopher and eli sweat dropped but immediately recovered and was now pointing to the girls... "you....!!!" veins are sticking out of craig's and zach's throats, and benjamin is still staring at sam with his unreadable face.

suddenly, benjamin moved from his spot and walked to sam. for a moment he just stood there, looking at sam, sam not being able to meet his gaze continued to look at her feet. the other boys are gaping at them and the other girls tried to hide their smiles. then, benjamin wrapped his arms around her, giving her a hug. sam hugged him back, whispering, "sorry..." he released her and started to lead her to the kitchen. the other girls immediately followed, hiding behind the two from the glares they were receiving.

-------

the girls were chomping down their food as the boys were gaping at them. dumbstruck at how fast they are eating. a table to seat ten that was literally full of food two minutes ago is now half empty.

"what did you do the past forty-eight hours that left you this hungry?" christopher asked, awed by what he's seeing. four women with perfect figures, forgetting all manners and now are eating to their heart's content.

"we've been sleeping for fifteen hours." sam replied, between mouth fulls. "havent eaten for twenty..."

"you've been here for half a day already and you didnt even tell us?!" craig shouted. making them jump to their seats, but after a second, they resumed their eating.

"sorry. we were sleeping." mischa replied.

"why didnt i see you in your room?" eli demamded.

"we slept at ashley and sam's room." ciara replied. eli looked at her curiously, hinting indifference in her voice.

"what have you been doing all those time?" zach asked.

"talking with john mark at a restaurant outside the village." ashley answered, giving him a small shy smile. he blushed a little and turned away.

"we're done!" mischa said, happily, standing up. sure enough, all the food is gone. as if it was never there the first place, which again stunned the men. she walked up to craig, who has his face stubbornly turned away from her. she tried to make him look with her hands on the sides of his face, but he wouldnt move. she sighed, rolling her eyes. she suddenly dragged him out the house through the back door, her sudden movement catching him off guard, making him follow her. "dont disturb us there, girls. find your own spot." she called back at the other girls who smiled or giggled their acknowledgement. they understand that she need the place more than they do.

"i'm going to sleep again. still tired." ciara said, walking up the stairs, giving them a wave without looking back.

'she doesnt sound like one.' eli though, his brows wrinkling in confusion. he stepped out of his daze and quietly followed her.

christopher disappeared a few minutes later, seeing that his sister was safe. 'i'll scold her later.' he thought, walking to the house at the end of the block. 'some thing i need to do first.' a smile went to his lips.

ashley and zach were looking at each other, a light flush on their cheeks. they are so absorbed with each other that they havent notice the people disappear around them. only when ashley looked around, her eyebrows raised their confusion that they realized they are the only ones left at the kitchen.

she looked back at zach, who suddenly looked away. "i'm still angry at you." he pouted, his arms crossed.

she smiled. 'he looks so cute!' she thought. ignoring her instinct to pinch his cheeks which she loves to do on cute little kids and that what he looks like now. a big, goofy kid.

he wasnt really angry. he was angry when he didnt know where she was. he was so worried that he had this urge to beat the hell out of john mark the second time he saw him. he wasnt angry only because that he kept his special someone (he's not yet sure whether or not he could already call her his girl) for almost twenty four hours, but also because of their overly closeness with each other. the latter was a bit unfair for he knew later on that the other three did exactly the same thing when they saw the guy, but still, the green monster bit his heart. but when he saw her come down the stairs, relief washed over him. when she smiled at him earlier, it was hard to continue to be angry. especially after what she said to him the other night.

she took his hand in hers and it made him look at her. she gave him a quick kiss on the lips and blushed furiously, looking down. "sorry i worried you... again." she whispered.

he was stunned when she kissed him. 'does this mean.... does this mean we're really...' his stunned look was immediately replaced with a big smile. he suddenly hugged her, and it was her turn to be shocked. she was so confused at his sudden change of mood. she laughed inwardly. 'he really is a kid.' she thought, amused. but when he kissed her, longer and with more passion, she lost the ability to think.

-------

eli was standing outside mischa and ciara's room a few minutes before he decided to turn the nob and enter. the whimpers suddenly disappeared and was replaced by an uncomfortable silence. she didnt move. she didnt acknowledge his presence, which she only does when she's really pissed off or really sad.

"dont pretend you're asleep. i know you're not." eli said quietly as he sat on her bed.

but she continued to pretend, wishing he would take the hint and leave. she doesnt want to talk to him right now, especially at her state.

he hugged her from behind, as he laid beside her at the bed. he rested his head at the side of her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair. he felt her shiver as she tried to suppress the fresh tears that threatened to fall.

"i'm sorry i forgot." he said, softly, burrying his face on the saide of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

"eli, i'm tired." she said, quietly, her voice pained. he knew what she means, her tiredness is more of the emotional than the physical. his heart ache, for he feels the same thing. they had been together for so long, they had years of happiness, compared to weeks where they had been suffering. life is indeed cruel. all the laughters can be washed away by a little pain. everything you had worked for for years can be gone in an instant.

"i know, hun... i know..." he whispered. he also knew what she did when he left that day. he knew how he hurt her and how he almost hurt herself. "but i love you so very much that i know i'd die without you. i never want to give you up. please let us make this work. you're my only sanity." she turned so that she could face him and buried her face in his chest. after a while he could feel the wetness of his shirt, and he knew that she was crying again. she's scared. she's scared of the possibility that he might not be in her future. he's scared, too, not knowing if could be able to make it work. they both got a lot in their hands and they're new in this area. its hard to keep communication open. but he knows and she knows that they'll do anything and sacrifice a whole lot just to be together.

"i love you..."

"i love you, too..."

-------

mischa dragged craig, literally, to the lake, ignoring the cold considering it is already two o'clock in the morning, and the pain at her side. she knew she shouldnt push herself especially after eating but desperate times need desperate measures. craig is still fuming and if she dont do anything soon, he might do something stupid or break john mark's neck.

but when they reached the edge of the lake, she couldnt take it anymore. she released his hand and went to her knees, clutching her sides. she closed her eyes, willing the pain to go away.

"are you okay?" craig asked her. she opened her eyes to smile at him. then she stood to reassure him that she's okay. but the pain struck her that she almost doubled over. craig caught her in time and embraced her, gently sitting her down on the ground.

"thanks." she smiled weakly at him as the pain numbed a little. it was still there, pricking her side, but now she could handle it.

"what happened?" he asked, concern in his voice.

she laughed lightly. "stupidity. in my hurry to make up to you, i forgot i shouldnt push myself after eating. especially after a whole truckload that i managed to fit in my stomach." she laughed again.

"that wasnt funny." he said, frowning at her. yes, he was still angry at her but everytime she hurts herself on his account, he cant help but be angry at himself more. he hated himself when he couldnt tell her how he feel about her back in college and all that he did was tease her. he hated himself when he had to leave her just when she had told him that she feels the same way. now, he hated himself because she had to push herself so that she could just make up to him. she shivered uncontrollably when a gust of wind past them and involuntarily, he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, holding her close, trying to keep her warm.

"i'm still angry at you, though," he murmured, as she leaned on to him.

he felt her smile and he sighed. he cant stay mad at her, no matter what she does or how crazy she is. he cant stay angry at her although he almost died in worry when she didnt come back home after spending almost a whole day with someone that can be considered as practically a stranger. and a MAN. but now that she is here with him, his anger slowly fades away and just a smile in her face makes him forget all the lectures he was suppossed to give her.

"i'm sorry." she said quietly. she sat there, leaning on his shoulder, looking across the lake when she said those words. "its just that we were really excited when we saw john mark again and we were having such a great time that we lost track of the time, and when we noticed that it is already dawn, ashley just remembered to tell us that she and zach shared their first kiss." she laughed lighlty, her voice were kind of like a child whining when she explained. he rolled his eyes at the last bit of information.

'so that's why he was so cranky.' he thought. he knew zach was attracted to ashley even before he had to go abroad, maybe even before he realized it. he saw the glint in his eyes everytime he talks about the girl, even just to say how annoying she is. he knew that ashley is interested, too. he could feel it everytime the girls huddle together, could see it in the way she treats him. and now that he and ashley was finally able to admit to themselves and to each other their feelings, he had to witness her embrace excitedly another man. 'i'd wrung his neck if i was him.' he thought darkly, remembering how close he felt in doing just that when mischa gave him her own enthusiastic embrace.

"... but you guys werent home when we came back and we were so tired that we decided to sleep than wait for you." he directed his attention back to her ramblings of the events of the day.

"tell me more about that john mark." he said, once she quieted down. he dont know why he felt something tug at his heart when she says his name, and it doesnt help when he felt her tense up. everytime she speaks of him, her voice was laced with happiness and excitement - that was understandable. but he felt that there was something else. was it... sadness?

"oh." she exclaimed, unsure how to proceed. then, she slowly told him how they met and how they bacame friends. she laughed a few times as she recalled some times she shared with him and ciara. then he found the trace again. he couldnt see her eyes, but he knows it was slowly starting to cloud over. she paused for a while and sighed. she continued tentatively and he found out the reason for his uneasiness.

he had been her first love. he supported her when he mom died and he never let her cry on her own. he washed away her sadness and found a way to make her smile everyday. craig sensed her tense some more and found the sadness again, more pronounced this time, but now it was with something else. something he couldnt put a finger to. regret, perhaps? what happened to them? why did he leave? were they... together?

she stopped speaking. she didnt tell him what happened after. but he didnt push her. either he was afraid of what she was going to say or because she had gone sentimental that now is not the time to interrogate her. he knew her enough by now. to push her when she's sad would only make her draw back. he'll never find his answer. he settled for this reason, dying out the voice in his head that is saying otherwise.

she suddenly turned to him and looked into his eyes lovingly and his doubts was completely washed away. "its all in the past now." she said, holding his face in both of hers. "im with you now. i love you." he quieted his overly working mind and closed his eyes, letting himself drown in her kiss.



CHAPTER FOUR: THE ENEMY WITHIN

"lunch girls!" came a disgruntled voice from the kitchen. mischa sighed. 'here we go again.' she thought, hastily standing up.

its been a week since that moment by the lake. a memory of the time popped into her mind and she smiled. her face turned crimson as she remembered what happened - or to put it more bluntly, what ALMOST happened. she pulled herself from her thoughts, afraid that someone might read the expression on her face and followed the others to the dining room. john mark was with them again and she stiffled a laugh. she knew the reason for craig's grumpiness, simply because it shows only when john mark is within a five-meter radius of her.

she remembered the time john mark first showed up at their doorstep after the girls' 'disappearing act' and she laughed inwardly. the girls had to literally enclose him on a human barricade to protect him from the hounding of the men. she remembered his reaction back then, and she laughed. he was so scared that he looks like he's going to wet his pants.

"what are you laughing about?' john mark asked, walking beside her, ruffling her hair.

"a distant memory." she teased him, with a knowing look on her face. he blushed a little and glared at her, before sticking out his tongue, making her laugh more.

aside from that, the week had been uneventful, but not exactly dull either. it was amusing to see the glares the men had been giving everytime the girls giggle at john mark's remarks. her eyes rested at her long lost friend that sat across her at the table. he was talking animatedly with the other three girls, who are laughing their heads off. she missed him, the thought just occurred to her. he made her laugh during that time. what happened after was not all that pleasant but still, she'd rather dwell on the good times than the bad. she's happy they're still friends. she was reminiscing about the past when she felt the hand on her shoulder stiffen, and she blushed. she forgot he was there, looking at her at the corner of his eyes. she looked up at craig who had his nose defiantly in the air.'he's so cute when he's jealous.' she thought, smiling sweetly at him. she squeezed his hand reassuringly and she felt him loosen up a little. 'i'll show him that later.' she thought, a mischievous grin on her face.

-------

somehow, zach and ashley ended up walking in the park, hand in hand. zach unusually quiet and ashley frowning up at him every once in a while. she rolled her eyes, although she knews he hates it when she does that - he's too preoccupied to notice anyway.

she blushed as she caught sight of their hands intertwined. she dont know where or how they started holding hands.they just did. like how they ended up there in the park, in the dead of the night, just walking. felt weird, but it feels perfect - if only he'd look at her every now and then.

john mark had left a little late that afternoon, telling them that he might be interrupting them already. she laughed at that. she knew he was enjoying himself teasing the boys. she remembered the amused smile on his face when eli exclaimed 'finally!' and ciara slapped him in the arm, telling the guy to shut up. he was enjoying so much that he took an awfully long time to say goodbye and walk out the door. zach almost threw him out of the front door if ashley hadnt caught his arm. he blushed a little, looking away, but he didnt move afterwards.

john mark had been spending a whole lot of time at their house lately. she couldnt understand why. she's sure he had came to this place with his friends. come to think of it, he hadnt mentioned that before. he also hadnt told him yet why he came back or where he disappeared to after high school. he was particularly close to mischa, much to the anger of craig, who would take it out on anyone who annoys him but mischa. their closeness really isnt a problem; she knew that they were best friends back then. because she keeps on seeing something in his eyes everytime he looks at mischa or talks to or about her. she frowned at that. she couldnt put a word to it, but it felt... weird.

she sighed. she shouldnt be worrying about that, she had a lot to worry about as it is. on top of her list was her so-called date for the evening who hadnt as much as looked at her since he nervously asked her out for a walk. obviously, she agreed. she's beat, but she agreed, wanting to spend time with him. now, thinking about it, she's seriously thinking that she should have gone to bed.

"hey!" she tugged on his arm, making him face her. she fought the urge to roll her eyes at his look of complete daze. "when you said you wanted to walk, i never thought you meant that literally." she sighed. "i'm really beat. can we go home now?"

he blinked a few times, as if remembering why he was there in the first place. she now rolled her eyes at him, exasperated at his lack of response. she pulled her hand away from his grasp and walked away, looking forward to sleeping the whole day tomorrow.

it took another full minute for zach to gain control of his senses and was able to rush after ashley. its been more than a week since she had confessed her love for him but he still wasnt sure of where they stand. sure, they held hands and kissed a few times since then but he wanted to hear it from her. he blushed as the memories of their first kiss lingered in his mind. he wants her and he wants her bad. and most importantly, he wants the whole world to know that. he was never keen on sharing, and he definitely is not going to share her with anybody. but he doesnt want her to commit to him because he wanted her to; he wants her to want to be with him as much as he does, and he has to know.

he asked her to walk with him so that he could know what she really feels about this relationship thing, if he could call it such. that is why he was so spaced out. sure, she had confessed her love for him, but so many things - ie. a certain person who decided to waltzed back into her life who bears the name john mark - had happened since then and maybe she had already changed her mind. he had to know where they stand, but he couldnt quite know how to say it. he didnt want her to think that he was just doing it because of her confession. he wanted to make it special for her, memorable, so that if everything goes well, they'll have this memory to cherish until the end of time.

he also wanted to prove to himself and to her that he had moved on. that he is no longer afraid and is willing to take a risk with her.

he chuckled as he ran after her. since when had he became a romantic fool? well, he knew the answer to that all too well. since ashley walked into his life.

he caught her before she was able to step out of the park. he caught her arm to make her face him. the moon was casting a glow to her features that she was almost breathtaking to his eyes. a blush crept up her cheeks as she noticed the look he was giving her. his hand automatically pushed a lock of hair out of her face, his finger lingering on as he caressed her cheeks and lips. this was perfect, she was perfect. and he knew, no amount of NON-practice will ever screw this up. he had let his heart took over his body, guiding him fo what he must do.

"i'm sorry to keep you up this late. but there was something i had to know." he tilted her chin up to him as his thumb continued to caress his cheeks. "i love you, i have loved you for a very long time though i find an awfully hard time showing it. i'm sorry. its just that you know what i went through and it just became involuntary for me to drive women away, not that i'm justifying it or anything. i'm glad that didnt work on you, though." he chuckled lighly, and his heart skipped a beat as her cheeks blushed even more. "i want you and i want to be with you every single minute of every day. i hope you feel the same way. ashley, would you be my girl?" (a/n this sucks i know... i dunno how to make it more romatic, though... seeing that i havent felt what it is like to be proposed to yet... *sigh sigh and sigh* darn... why are my characters have better life than i do??? life...)

she chuckled, catching him off guard. that was not the reaction he was expecting at all. was she.... was she making fun of him? the beginnings of a glare crept up to him face until she pressed a hand to his cheeks, her laughter fading softly. "idiot. why do you think i'm letting you hold my hand if i dont?" he was about to retort something but she silenced him with a soft kiss on the lips. "of course, silly. i love you."

-------

"answer the goddamn phone!" sam exclaimed, pacing through the park. she heard the voice mail click and she hung up, redialling the number afterwards, hearing the rings again, but still, no one picked up.

she woke up that morning to find that benjamin went missing again, and her instinct told her that that is not good. she was scared. he was disappearing more often now, and when he comes back, its worse every time. she dialled the number again, trying to quench the fear and the agony that was building within her.

suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, but the flicker of hope that it might be benjamin died as she looked up at the man. she winced at the his painful grip.

"stay away from benjamin." he said menacingly. his grip on her tightened. "if you love him, you'd stay away. or i'll kill you before it gets any worse."

"who are you? what are you talking about?" she choked back the tears. she knew what its all about, she even knew the man. it was the same man she saw benjamin talking to that day, many months ago. was it really going worse? are they going to kill benjamin?

"it doesnt matter who i am!" he barked. "you dont deserve him so stay away! i wont let you hurt him anymore!"

"i'm not hurting him!" she exclaimed, trying to release herself from his grip, but he was too strong. "i dont understand what you're talking about!"

"just stay away-"

suddenly, he had released her and she had fallen on the ground. he heard the man cry in pain and then a couple of strong arms had held her.

"are you okay?" she looked up and saw benjamin with concern in his eyes. she tried to smile despite her tears.

"what are you doing?!" the man exclaimed, holding his bloody nose that benjamin had punched. "why are you still with her?! look at the mess you are! dont you even care for yourself?!"

benjamin stood, taking sam along with him. his usually expressionless face is now filled with rage that the man reeled in fear, but he decided to stand his ground.

"look at yourself! you'd die if you continue this up!" the man continued.

"you will not touch her again." benjamin stated quietly, emphasizing each word, making sure that the man in front of his will catch every single one of it. his voice deadly calm but frightening. sam looked at his face, scared at the tone of his voice and even more at the look of fury in his eyes.

"BUT - "

"leave! before i change my mind!" benjamin snapped, turning to sam and hugging her.

with a last glare at sam, the man left, not wanting to be on the receiving end of benjamin's temper. he knew him enough to be scared at what might happen to him if he didnt. he knew he got to the girl, anyway. he just hope she would do the right thing before something bad happens to either one of them.

-------

ciara is trying VERY hard not to laugh, considering that they are so not in a situation where in its a laughing matter. but she's having an awfully hard time keeping a straight face.

she and eli were fighting. about what? she had no idea. she just forgot about it, halfway into their argument, when she realized how crazy they look. if only she had her camera, she'd be filming THEM. so kawaii!!!

eli glared at her as he watched her face. she was trying very hard not to laugh and it made him more angry. was she making fun of him? of them? he was about to walk out on her when she started laughing hysterically as if he had just told her his funiest joke. but she held him back, clutching his arm, so all he could do was glare at her with all the hatred that he can muster as she tried to control herself.

"sorry." she said, apologetically, though still smiling wildly. "i didnt mean to laugh. i mean, you were just so funny!" he glared at her some more, and she shook her head, chuckling a little. "i mean, we are funny. we sound like teenagers, for crying out loud! to think we own two of the largest companies in this country and yet, we cant even compromise in this little thing we were arguing about. whatever it is. sorry, i forgot about it already." she added, sheepishly.

he was frowning at her, thinking of what the heck she was saying, and that made her laugh again. though he didnt want to, his anger seems to lift just because of it. come to think of it, their situation IS funny. two ceo's fighting over where to eat. all the same, her laughter is infectious, and the next thing he knew, he was laughing his head off beside her.