Rosa Lin’s POV
"You belong to me, in this life and the next. No matter where you go, no matter where you spawn at, I’m definitely coming for you. You are never going to escape me."
These were the words that escaped his lips as he held me down against what felt like rough grass. I struggled for my life, his hand clenching tightly against my throat, unwilling to let me go. I was panting hard. I couldn’t fight it.
"Please," I breathed, my breath hitching, cold sweat dripping down my forehead. His claws slowly dug into my skin.
Desperation overrode my sense of reasoning. I began to thrash against him, trying to use every ounce of my power to weight him off. I shook desperately until I felt myself pulled, like I was being dragged through a tunnel or a time loop.
I jerked upright in bed, panting hard, staring ahead of me with my eyes wide, my limbs and my entire body shaking with tremors. I looked at my hands that were shaking uncontrollably, blinking rapidly and wiping wet strands of hair that stuck to my face. My skin was slick with sweat.
Oh my God! I thought to myself, feeling the heavy thud of my heart against my chest, my whole nerves throbbing due to the intensity of my heart rate.
I closed my eyes and collapsed back against the bed, breathing hard with my hand on my chest.
"What the fuck was that?" I whispered to myself. I felt like I had a heart attack or something.
At that exact moment, I heard the doorbell ringing loudly, echoing all over the house, causing me to snap my eyes open once again. I frowned and tilted my head to see that the rays of the sun were shining brightly inside the room, and the realization hit me so fast, like a lightning bolt.
OMG! I gasped and sat up quickly on the bed, glancing at the clock.
Holy shit! It was literally a few minutes to 9:00 a.m. I woke up late!
I jerked up in bed, scrambling and putting on my robe before running down the stairs to rush towards the front entrance.
When I opened the door, the face I saw made me step backwards, and I grinned nervously.
"Hi, Mia," I said with my voice suddenly light with evident nervousness.
"Really?" she asked, her voice sharp, hands on her waist, her boot tapping impatiently against the floor. "Are you kidding me right now? Do you know how many times I have knocked and rang the doorbell? I have been here since 7, Rosa!!!" she said. "Are you aware of what the time is?" she snapped.
My eyes widened. Holy cow. Since 7? I am so doomed.
I chuckled nervously and scratched my neck. "I’m so sorry—"
"What were you doing last night?" she interrupted.
" I kind of slept early."
"Are you sure about that? Why are you waking up by this time?" she asked.
I breathed out. "Let’s just forget about it. Please come in," I said.
She was gazing at me like I had already grown hideous shapes on my head or something. She didn’t move so I dragged her inside.
She kept looking at me with disbelief, as I shut the door behind her.
"I’m so sorry. Just a few minutes, I’ll be done."
She watched me, her eyes wide, her jaw still hanging open, forming a circle, as I walked past her, feeling the shame clouding my face, which was already turning red. Oh my God, whatever that dream was, it must have overtaken me and made it impossibly hard to listen when my alarm bell rang. I totally didn’t hear it.
When I looked back at her, she looked like she was trying to restrain herself from exploding. The look on her face was so puffed up, it almost made me laugh, but I knew better, or else she was definitely going to stumble and rush at me too.
I moved with the speed of lightning, rushed into the bathroom, cleaned myself up, brushed my teeth, adjusted my hair, and then rushed back towards my room, thinking of any clothing to wear. I opened the wardrobe. Due to my laziness last night, I hadn’t even planned what clothes to wear. I picked up casual black denim shorts with a white singlet within and a crocheted jacket I usually wore, which wasn’t really too thick to absorb so much heat from the sun.
When I was done dressing, I rushed to the mirror, glanced at my hair, and groaned, realizing I hadn’t actually focused on my hair.
" This is all your fault, Rosa," I told myself. "If you had woken up early, you would have had enough time to take care of your hair."
I huffed and then took out my detangling comb, brushing it through strands of my hair and allowing it to fall all over my shoulders. I split the middle into two sections, packing it into double pigtails on either side of my hair. I looked at it for a while, dissatisfied. I pulled out a few strands, allowing them to fall over my face, and then I nodded my head, satisfied.
"Still okay," I said.
I picked up my backpack, stuffed in a few important books, and dashed downstairs just in time to see Mia seated on one of the sofas. Her fingers were laced together, a frown on her face, as her right foot tapped against the floor, expressing her displeasure and impatience. She looked up the moment I got down, and then she stood up instantly, folding her arms and glaring at me.
I chuckled nervously. "Please just forget it, okay? I agree, I’m stupid, I’m crazy, it’s my fault, okay. Let’s just let this go, please," I said, and I took her hand, ready to lead her out of the building. "We are already too late to start arguing," I said.
She froze. "Wait," she said, instantly forcing me to stop.
I turned around to look at her, observing her as she gazed at me, her eyes sizing me up and down.
"Why are you dressed like that?" she asked, her face scrunched.
I looked down at myself. "How am I dressed?" I asked.
She closed her eyes and breathed out, brushing her palm through her forehead. "What did I tell you yesterday about how you look?"
I scoffed. "Come on, Mia, we are late. This is not the time to argue about this."
"No, this is exactly the right time to argue about this. Didn’t we agree on a change in perspective and looks this semester?"
I ground my teeth. "Can we discuss that when we come back from class?"
"No, we cannot," she countered. "You are going back upstairs and you are changing your clothes."
"Mia, I’m not listening to you."
"Go and change your clothes," she ordered with her eyes wide.
I saw the look in her eyes. She was serious. Oh my God. I face-palmed myself in frustration, looked at her with displeasure, and then allowed my bags to drop from my shoulder, dropping them against the sofa.
"You’re a piece of work," I said.
She chuckled. "I agree. In fact, I’m coming with you. Let’s go," she said, placing her hand behind my shoulder and pushing me toward the stairs.
This was maximum stress. We spent literally another 15 to almost 30 minutes trying to sort out perfectly looking clothes. God, I hated my life right now. I missed the time when I could wear free clothing that wouldn’t make me feel too congested or tightened.
I told her what I wanted but she didn’t seem to care. Her choice was her choice. She changed my dressing into casual designer skin tight jeans that flayed slightly at the end. This would definitely reveal my shape. I groaned.
I had gotten it once, at a time, only for special occasions. Never really thought about as a school outfit. But then again, it was Mia. She wasn’t giving me a choice.
"Mia..."
"No arguement. Take this as well."
She tossed a classic ladies’ shirt that was off-shouldered, revealing way too much skin from my shoulders to the tiny little slit of my cleavage. I tried pulling it up but she pulled it down back and glared at me from the corner of her eyes.
Great.
"Never knew you had nice clothing such as this? You just left them in your closet for what? For decoration? Come on. Show off that sexy body." she asked.
I sighed and rolled my eyes.
She chose casual sneakers for me. "Good, looks smart, looking like the wonderful classic lady you are supposed to be," she said, and then she looked up at my hair. Her face squeezed. "Yep, we need to do justice to that."
She didn’t let me off the hook. I allowed myself to become her personal project, gazing at the mirror with a wry smile on my face.
She chuckled at it. "Stop being so dramatic. If you can’t take care of yourself, allow me the pleasure to do so," she said.
She loosened the double pigtails I did and then brushed strands of my hair, picking up the curling iron and taking her time to curl the strands into wavy silks, allowing them to fall casually on either side of my shoulders. She spread the frontal layer of my hair, the tiny strands, arranging them into the normal bangs style I had styled my hair.
"See, you didn’t get those bangs for nothing, young lady. Use them," she said.
I rolled my eyes.
She looked at my face.
"Oh. And then you could use a little bit of makeup."
I quickly shook my head. "Okay, that’s enough, Mia. Let’s go."
"No, no, no. Are you kidding me? Your face looks dry," she said.
She forced me to sit back down, and I groaned aloud, rolling my eyes up at the ceiling as she chuckled.
An extra 15 minutes later, we were done, and then we found ourselves rushing out of the villa. I ensured the door was locked before stumbling into her luxurious vehicle and shutting the door immediately after. When I was settled, I turned to look at her. She was smiling at me.
"Oh my God, my baby looks so cute today. Trust me, all those boys who bullied you in the school forum are going to change their minds when they see you," she said.
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right. You’re doing a great job calming down my nervousness," I said, tapping my fingers together.
She chuckled. "Relax, girl. Nobody’s going to hurt you. You’ll be fine," she said. Then she started the vehicle. "You should also start off getting your own car, because very soon I might not be coming over here to pick you up."
I quickly turned my head to look at her with a frown. "I’m sorry, what? That is not in my budget right now."
She chuckled. "Oh yeah, we shall see how that’s going to work for you when you don’t see me coming up to pick you every morning."
I ground my teeth. What the hell was it with her and her spending lifestyle? Just because the money came easy for her didn’t mean it was like that for me.
I just chuckled and shook my head. I rested my hand against the edge of the window and looked outside. She snickered beside me, but drove out of the estate.
On the way, I narrated the dream to her—the dream that had made me so unconscious through the morning. She scoffed and swatted it away as probably just my imagination playing wild games on me because of the terror of the stranger from the previous day, I accepted it the way it was, but my mind didn’t mentally prepare me for the horror that instantly struck my nerves at school.
We parked the vehicle in the school parking lot with countless students everywhere, going about their various activities. My palms were clutched together, sweaty, and I could feel my veins throbbing within them.
She placed her hand against mine and said, "You’re going to be good."
I exhaled.
Yeah, right.
But I slightly nodded my head.
She opened her car door and stepped out. I couldn’t step out. I closed my eyes and breathed out, my heart thudding in my chest. I am so going to be screwed, I thought to myself.
I swallowed hard just as I heard my own door clicking open. I turned to see Mia standing by it, smiling at me, stretching out her hand.
"Come on. As long as I’m here, nobody’s going to touch you," she said.
I ground my teeth together, breathed out for the final time, and then picked up my backpack. I took her hand and stepped out, and she smiled, pulling me out like I was her bride or something.
I frowned.
She chuckled, "Don’t you look so cute? Give me a little twirl," she said, teasingly.
I glared at her. "Don’t push it," I muttered under my breath, and she laughed. Then she shut the door.
The moment the door closed, I heard the whispers surrounding the courtyard became so harsh and intense. I could feel it: a hundred eyes fixated on me, and they were not looking so good. They were filled with hatred, evil, like they literally wanted to throw me into a dumpster.
Oh my God, I am so not going to survive this day. From the look of things, they definitely still remembered me.