Song attached: Runaway by We the Kings (this song is beautiful as heck. Wrote this chapter hearing this).

I didn't mean to insult Shakespeare in any way, yeah? The thing mentioned in the chapter is purely for entertainment purposes.

All the chapters of this book literally make no sense but why the hell am I so contented as I write them? I don't really know and that makes me even more frustrated. I'm sorry if this chapter makes no sense too.

Hope you enjoy reading this chapter.

Chapter 06

After my lesson at the daycare, I started being more thankful for the things I had in my life. No, suddenly I didn't start praying before and after a meal, cherish even a piece of crumbled paper or do stuff that would make even monks look like teenagers or something.

I simply stopped whining so much.

And Keira Wilson was the reason why I was starting to appreciate life as a whole.

During all these months, I tried to figure her out. To outer eyes, she is that girl with the wild hair and huge grin, eyes sparkling with life. But to me, she looks more than that. She has a smile that's too patient and too melancholic for her age. Her eyes when they aren't glowing always has this overcast of clouds over them. She wasn't all sunshine inside but somehow, she could easily deceive everyone into thinking like that.

Sometimes I wonder how she has an answer for everything. Other times I think her quirky character isn't that much of a facade. That, when she isn't sombre, she's actually the annoying ball of sunshine I first pegged her for.

I felt my lips tugging subconsciously and I frowned. Why was I even smiling?

Looking around to see if anybody had noticed, especially River, I continued to mop the floor.

"You missed a spot here," a high voice said.

I should have cringed. I should be cringing or wincing. I should. Because those were my reactions when Keira Wilson and her annoying sunny voice first came into my life. But I watched myself running the mop across the piece of floor her hands had pointed.

What was happening?

Wiping the trail of sweat that ran across my forehead, my eyes darted to where Keira was, wiping a crayon smudge off the wall. Her wild mane was tied up with a ribbon; dark purple, which irritatingly made her look attractive. And there was a small smile playing on her lips as she scrubbed the persistent smudge. I mean, who the heck smiles while doing chores?

Barbies and Disney princesses.

Work. Concentrate on that, punk.

I felt something spread across my gut, pulling my eyes back to her, noticing her hands as it worked on the wall, noticing the strand of hair that was tucked snugly behind her ear, noticing every tiny detail involving her.

In a bad way, I felt like Shakespeare.

Uthra. Think about her. Think about her. Think about her.

But no amount of chanting made me recoil with self pity or mourning like I used to do many, many days back. Maybe I shouldn't have ran away for a new start. Maybe I should have drowned myself in regret. Maybe—

"Danuj?"

"Y—yes?"

I hated myself for stuttering. I hated myself for sounding breathy. And I hated myself for making Keira look at me with worried eyes.

"You've a phone call. It's from your aunt."

She jerked a finger at the lone landline in the corner of the daycare's main room.

"Okay," I said, handing the mop to her. "Thanks."

This time, she looked really worried. Because I never thank her.

I felt Keira's eyes on me as I took the mouthpiece which had been inverted on the table.

"Hello?"

"Danuj?" My aunt sounded cautious and a sense of dread started swirling inside me.

What now?

*

*

*

Life was cruel.

And if Life was addressed using female terms, I would certainly call her a bitch even if Keira screams 'garlic!' into my ear.

It was true that comparing to many people's lives, my life wasn't a sobby, Oscar worthy drama film. But the fact that I had a hard life wasn't an exaggeration. In a way, having an almost nonexistent father, a late mother who was taken from me because of cancer, a fiancée ever since the age of seven, being the sole heir and messing up my happiness over a tiny thing as a flirty girl was something worthy of a story. But after coming to this town and after acquainting myself with the Wilson twins, I was okay with this boring, monotonous, quiet documentary like life. I was okay with sitting in one of the park's benches during afternoons, okay with climbing the trees like an amateur, okay with volunteering at the daycare, okay with having no social life and okay with quiet dinners in my aunt's warm house.

But like always, Life never lets anything last.

Because if she did, I wouldn't be sitting across my father, my aunt talking to him on my behalf, trying to point out all the reasons why I should stay here. She was failing miserably though.

Yes, Life was a real bitch. Bitchier than Karma.

"He has started school here." I heard my aunt start again but my father shushed her.

"It's a small town school. I can't let my son study in such a measly excuse of an educational institute."

My fists clenched.

My aunt sighed. "He has friends here — real friends," she added when she saw my dad open his mouth. "Just let him finish school here and then you can make him study in any one of those stuck up colleges."

She didn't even try to hide her bitterness.

"He's my son. Be grateful that I'm respectfully asking you to take my son back!"

"Grateful? You should've thought how he was 'your son' when you pushed him off his limits and made him run away!"

"That's just teenage rebellion acting up."

"You really think your son is that shallow?"

"He might have just wanted a break from being the heir to an establishment!"

"Why are you so ignorant? Can't you see that he isn't happy?"

"I'm rich and capable of giving him happiness so stop sounding so sappy!"

I didn't know when I stood up or started walking away. Both the adults didn't notice me exiting the room, let alone the house. I didn't know if I was walking or running.

Money.

Why is it always about being rich?

Heir.

Is that all my dad can see me as? An heir? Just an heir?

What happened to being a son?

He hasn't changed at all. Not even to the slightest bit. My chest tightened as my head screamed how my runaway stunt had caused zero change in him. Caused zero effect. It was all useless.

I kept running, mindless of where I was going.

Keep running, Danuj.

I ran, and ran, and ran.

My muscles ached. My lungs felt like they were about to burst. My abdomen hurt and so did my feet. But I kept running. Everything around me was a blur because of the fast motion. In some twisted way, it was nice. Like I was sucked into some world where I was the only focus while everything was a blur. I was the center of attention. The kind of attention I didn't get from the one person who meant so much to me though I was always angry at him.

I raised my palm to my face and it appeared hazy with black spots lighting here and there. I sucked in a shaky breath.

Why?

Why can't such a world exist? Why do I appear blurred along with the surroundings though inside, I feel like a king? Why won't my father ever see me over money?

Become the home to someone.

How the hell will I ever become the home to someone when I'm just one of those blurry things that moves past you in a bus ride?

The black spots continued dancing in front of me, slowly engulfing every detail of the blurred world. The last thing I felt before the final black spot closed my vision of this world was stumbling and falling down.

And then, everything was black and the light in me burned down.

*

*

*

"Danuj," my mother whispered, a smile on her face. It wasn't my favourite smile though. It looked troubled. "Blow the candles."

"Daddy still isn't here."

She coughed. Her eyes rolled back and for a moment, she looked like she was in deep pain. Maybe she really was. I remembered her healthy tan skin which contrasted so bad with the pale, plastic skin she now had. The tubes stuck to various parts of her seemed like the only things that still kept her intact.

"Daddy will come soon. But he doesn't want the cake to get ruined before he comes. So he asked you to cut it before he comes."

I frowned. "Why didn't he tell me that himself?"

"He—" she stopped and swallowed, "he didn't want to disappoint you."

She gestured to a wrapped box in the table next to her bed. "That's his gift."

A smile lighted my face and I rushed to the table. Grabbing the box, I tore the wrapper carelessly. With trembling fingers and a heart that felt like it was about to combust of happiness, I opened the box to see a big teddy bear.

I <3 you

I heard my mother take another shaky breath. "Do you — do you like it?"

No. I hate teddy bears.

I tried to smile. "Yes."

"I'm happy you do." She smiled. She knew. She knew I didn't like it. She took my hand. "I'm sorry, Danuj," she whispered but I shook my head.

"I love it," I said. My eyes stung and I felt like all of a sudden, I got a bad cold. "I love it. Because — because it's from daddy."

My head hurt as I tried to open my eyes. It felt like suddenly, my eye muscles decided to stop responding to my commands since they remained glued shut.

Taking a breath, I tried to open them and this time, succeeded.

Darkness surrounded me, and I coughed as I straightened up. Something slipped from my body and I looked down to find a comfy blanket draped over me, tucked beneath my feet.

"I always wanted to have a sleepover here you know," a voice mused beside me. "You bet me to it."

Keira gave a smile and as if it was the most natural thing in the world, she ran a hand through my hair, smoothing the bedraggled curls. I looked around, to find where I was only to notice that we were sitting underneath the shade of our tree.

"What's the time?"

My voice sounded scratchy and I coughed.

"Almost nine pm."

"Fish, nine?"

She laughed. "Yep, you were lost in la la land for so long."

I cursed again as I got to my feet. Gripping Keira's upper arms, I pulled her to her feet too. I folded the blanket and draped it over her shoulders before we started walking out.

"You should've woken me up."

"You were sleeping peacefully."

I groaned but still, a sort of warmth filled me up. Which was so wrong. Wrong in so many levels.

We continued walking towards my house, both our shoulders brushing now and then, each brush igniting something in me. Not something. I wasn't a fool. I knew what it was. But hell, I was scared. Affection brought commitment. Commitment brought faith. And faith always brought trust. Which I was known for breaking. Always.

But why was my hand moving towards her? Why was it looping itself with hers if I were so scared? And why was she gripping it back?

"How did you find me here?" I asked trying to act as if me, voluntarily, holding her hand was okay and something that had zero meaning behind it.

"Toe feeling."

I barked out a laugh. "Right."

Moonlight shone on us as Keira mildly swayed our linked arms.

"Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?"

She shook her head. A fierce wave of something, something to which I seriously couldn't put a name, washed over me and I felt myself halt, our looped hands making Keira stop with me.

"Why are you so nice to me?"

Keira was someone who's always composed, no matter the situation. She always had a knowing look on her face. But right that instant, she looked startled. Which was a first.

"I don't know," she said, releasing a breath, "the same toe feeling I guess."

I didn't know what I was expecting but disappointment crashed on me.

"Am I just a toe feeling?"

Why was I even sounding so vulnerable?

She sucked in a sharp breath. "I didn't mean it like that."

I cast my eyes down, trying to study the tar road beneath our feet. "Okay."

Warm fingers held my chin and lifted my head up, forcing me to look into equally warm brown eyes. Why am I forgetting Uthra so often? Why is Keira the only thing on my mind nowadays?

"Danuj," she whispered, "you already have so much going on your life. I don't want to burden you —"

"My dad," I started, interrupting her, "he wants me to go back with him."

For a good few minutes, she was silent.

"I don't know what I expected from him when I ran away. But when I saw that my absence hadn't changed anything in him . . . it hurts like hell."

Keira's grip on my hand tightened and her other hand made it's way behind me, patting my shoulders.

"I seriously don't know what to say," she said, "at first, I thought you were just sick of wealth. Then I thought losing Uthra made you like this. Now I don't really know. It's everything, isn't it? You want to change everything about your life, don't you?"

I felt the fight in me die and I slumped forward. Keira caught me. "Danuj." She sounded worried.

Why is that I always make everyone around me angry or worried? Why can't I be their solid anchor instead of them fussing over me? Why can't I be Keira's knight instead of the other way around?

I ran my hands around Keira's shoulders, pulling her into me, hugging her.

"I look like such a pathetic, whiny bastard, right?"

Keira didn't even stiffen under my touch. She readily hugged me back. In the middle of the road. When will she stop surprising me?

"No, Danuj. You just look human."

My hug tightened, pulling her as close to me as humanly possible, breathing the familiar scent of trees in. A bitter laugh echoed from deep within me. "Why is that you're always my Knight in shining armour? Why am I always the one in distress?"

Keira buried her head in the crook of my neck. "Because sometimes even the Knight needs a picking hand."

I scoffed. "I'm so embarrassed right now. I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever be a Knight in shining armour."

Keira laughed that calm, knowing laugh of hers as her palm patted my shoulder again. "Danuj, not everyone has to be a Knight in shining armour. Sometimes it's okay to be a Knight with no armour. And sometimes, it's okay for boys to break down too. Now go, go to your father and tell everything you've ever wanted to tell him. Go."

She pulled back and even shoved me a little towards my aunt's house. My hands went to grab her but she hastily took a step back and pointed towards the house's direction. "Go."

The small grin on my face morphed to a tight, straight line and with a curt nod, I turned and jogged to the place where my father might be waiting. And though I was only doing what Keira said, the growing distance between her and me disturbed me.

Because what if like all things, she was going to go away too?

~✩~✩✩~✩~

The chapter has so many 'why's and 'what's lol.

I'm loving Danuj so much that it's starting to worry me. I mean, that kid sounds so depressed that it isn't even funny anymore!

And again to people who think, again, that he's overreacting — have you guys ever been disappointed and bitter? His circle of affectionate people is small. His mother's gone as well as his best friends. His father, every child's hero, has been absent since he was yea big so of course he'd react like this. And again, crying isn't only for girls. Crying is for humans. Just because boys don't cry before a crowd doesn't mean that they don't cry at all. I've witnessed many guys cry and heck, they all sound so broke when they do that it always pains me. Like how Jeremy's sadness pains me :/

VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE. FOLLOW. LOVE.