Melina's POV
Toys are objects. Humans are apparently also objects to some. Especially to Theodore Frost. Mere objects to entertain himself by annoying them or playing with their feelings.
I hate how wicked the man in front of me is—the one I never thought would get involved, not when I first saw him with his seven other chipmunks. Is that a disgrace to the chipmunk community? It definitely is.
Clutching the gathered pages which were once scattered on impact of our Big Bang Crash, I look at this infamous chipmunk, imagining weird ways of how to unalive him in my mind. Can't he just leave me to mind my own business?
"Leave her alone! You can't play with her like you do every other person!"
The voice was Zara's. Yes, girl! Tell him!
I shifted my gaze from a fuming Zara Frost to Theodore Frost. I don't know what's going on in that mind of his while he is looking at me. Actually—looking at me is an understatement. He is staring holes into me.
Subconsciously, I raised the notes I'm holding to my chest. Even then, his gaze didn't flicker, didn't waver. It is still on me. Powerful.
Uh-uh. Nope. I am not looking at his eyes. I can't.
"Eyes on me, motherf*cker." Typical Zara.
"Zara! Language! His mother is your mother!!" Typical Dove.
Zara took my hand and dragged me away through the long corridor hall, which resulted in my shoulder grazing against his chest. Dove quickly jogged to catch up with us.
Soon enough, the three of us were walking together along the corridor.
Again, the urge to turn around and look at him reappeared like a little demon revolving around my head.
And I gave in. I turned my head back to look at him, hoping he was looking at me.
But what I saw was Theo leaning towards the person in front of him—none other than Ellie.
Ellie quickly kissed his lips. The faint smile I had instantly dropped, and I quickly looked away from them, resuming my walk to class with Zara and Dove. I didn't look at his face.
Involuntarily, my head—without my permission—looked up at the ceiling with a sigh, shoulders dropping.
I never wanted to do that. My body betrayed me. And Zara and Dove didn't leave it unnoticed, because I felt an arm circling around my shoulder in assurance from my left and a pat followed by a rub on my back from my right.
"He can be a handful, I know… I'll make sure he won't annoy you again," Zara said, reassuring me. She probably thought the reason for my overwhelming disappointment was because Theodore was always annoying me whenever he got the chance.
But I know that isn't the reason.Not even close to what Zara thought.don't know how to voice the real reason either. It's a troubled situation.
"Yeah, Mel, he's always been like that to everyone. Bullying others, annoying others. He is very, very bad news. So stay away from him as much as you can." That was Dove, voicing her worry. I am really starting to feel nervous about the conflicting emotions I feel for this bad chipmunk.
"Being his own sister, I can't deny that. Not only Theodore. That Damon too," said Zara.
"You are obsessed with Damon, ma'am. Are you aware?" Dove said, pursing her lips into a thin line.
What's her beef with Damon? I am brilliant enough not to ask her about that, because at Dove's statement, Zara is seemingly mad and is looking at Dove like a bull looking at the red flag.
"ARGH! DON'T KILL ME!!" Dove screamed for help, running away.
Followed by Zara yelling, "You are dead meat!"
Soon enough, the dramatic session turned into a laughing Dove running away—from jumping from corridor to the garden and running around the fountain, laughing with her heart out. Zara chasing her, her mad face turning into laughter.
I love these girls. I found myself making friends with them, smiling at their laughs. The few years with them here will be great. We will probably stop being friends after college, but the time I have with them will be great, my heart says.
My smile grew pleasingly wider. Then they stopped running around and looked straight at me with faces oh-so-terrifying.
Oh no. What are they plotting?!
"It's your turn to get attacked, Mel!!!"
They screamed.
They quickly ran towards me in unison. I couldn't help but let out a laugh, running away for my dear life—knowing very well they won't harm me.
My feet paced after each other along the corridor hall, followed by Dove and Zara.
I turned my track to God knows where, and we ended up near the pool.
Zara and Dove devilishly looked at each other and then at me.
Girls, please no!!
Because a few feet beside the pool, on the stone benches under the tree, the seven chipmunks and Ellie and seated.
Great.
THUD. SPLASH.
Next thing i know is, i am in the pool.
"How can you both push me?!" I floated with the help of my hands, now drenched in the pool.
I looked at Zara and Dove's confused faces. On revisiting the events, I realized I slipped on my own.
Yeah, a burst of laughs. Obviously from Ellie and the seven dwarfs. Except they're not dwarfs.
Embarrassment engulfs my body as strong as the chillness of the pool water.
But, surprising me, Theo walked towards the pool, leaning down by the swimming pool, holding out a hand for me to grab.
I blinked. Twice. But took his hand extended for me to grab. I grabbed it, and he grabbed my forearm with both hands to pull me up. But I had plans.
I pulled him into the pool, but on the impact I fell backwards into the pool, following him—on top of me.
We both are underwater. The clear blue water making his eyes more pretty, small bubbles aligning to his lashes and brows.
Comparatively bigger bubbles of his breath coming out of his and my mouth, and both bubbles combining into one as they floated up.
Both Theo's and Mine gaze followed the Bubbles then shifting back to Each other eyes.
His palm is holding my head, as in protecting it from hitting on the impact of falling, and his other hand -- same one he had offered to help me with— holding my arm, which became my loophole to pull him in.
He is more majestic underwater than he is under sunlight. What am I even thinking?
Well, I learned two lessons from this:
1. I can't stay underwater more than 20 seconds, because its been almost 20 seconds and it is starting to suffocate my lungs.
2. I can't think straight underwater—especially about Theo.
We both took a deep gasp, inhaling oxygen as we came up to the surface, parting away from each other.
I am faced by a confused Zara, Dove with a mischievous-expression , and a fuming Ellie. I forced myself out of the pool, Zara and Dove helping me stand up.
Again the urge to turn to look at him—it's coming. But I swallowed it while Zara and Dove took me away to change my wet clothes.
The air around me still had his presence. The eyes looking at me under the blue water of the pool… the hand holding my head…
It all keeps coming back without my permission, and my lips smiled on their own.
After meeting Theo, my body and my mind don't correlate.
Ellie is probably drying his wet hair right now…
I shut my eyes tight, shaking this unnecessary thoughts away.
You are hopeless, Melina. Too hopeless.
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To be continued