0 6 | b a b y d o l l

🎶 abcdefu - GAYLE🎶

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"No,"  "I don't. "

I still play it over and over in my head. Did he really mean that? If he did, why did he do what he did to me?

It's been a week since what happened at Asher's house. Emily had been sending her thanks through my mom.

I had no problem at all with babysitting her daughter. Honestly I loved doing it. It kept me occupied. But funny enough, I was doing it for a other reason as well-Asher Mendez-when practically, everything I did I was to avoid him. I am just not making sense especially when I wasn't so sure if my feelings for him were right.

I guessed he was doing the same. So I didn't get to worry much. It was disappointing but I was playing it cool.

Dos sent my salary today, which was a Saturday. I was glad to see 35000 dollars just for babysitting, every week. Most times, Arlee would just fall asleep or we play games together.

I was glancing through my phone, while watching Twilight with Arlee-because it was not available on any TV station at the moment- when I got a notification.

I knew it was a message.

I half expected it to be from Ethan because we hadn't spoken ever since the day he took me out and I refused to kiss him on the lips.

I sent numerous messages, apologizing, but he never replied any. He always does that whenever he was mad over something.

We don't usually talk things out, until I start to pester him about it and my mom notices. He then, either blames me or tells my mom things.

Sometimes I hate it when he does it but then I'll miss him and we'll get back together.

This time again, something made him mad. I wondered what. Maybe I didn't kiss him?

I held my breath as I read the message.

Please come up, baby doll.

I release the breath sharply because I knew only one person could've sent that message.

My eyes darted upstairs on their own accord.

He was not at home when I came. Arlee was even the one who opened the door for me and I started to keep her company. We even decided to go to the park sometime tomorrow.

I noticed him come in and he never said a word. All he did was hug Arlee, ask her how her day was, ignore me as if I never existed and head into his room.

It hurt because I still remembered what he said last time.

I always knew he hated me but he said he didn't.

My mind went back ten years ago when I was the subject of ridicule. Though we shared some insignificant moments after it, all I did was hate him. Even when he showed the slightest act of kindness towards me.

It kind of hurt to learn he was no longer coming to school. He was said to have travelled to somewhere no one knew much of anything of. It shocked me that even Liza doesn't know it all.

I remembered it was the next week after the both of us had another encounter in the last year.

He was in my literature class and the teacher asked us to form a series of questions about the text: Wuthering Heights.

We were then instructed to write them down in a sheet of paper anonymously.

"Do you think Heathcliff is the protagonist or an antagonist in his own story?"

The teacher pointed to him to answer it. No one expected what he said next.

"If I were you sir,I'd rather be interested in the answer given by the best student in the class."

I was forced to answer the question. And the fact that I formed the said question gave me an upper hand to answering it. For the past couple of weeks, I'd been obsessed with finding out why Heathcliff should be labeled the protagonist, if in reality, he was getting revenge based on discontorted truths.

Little did I know Asher Mendez was up for an argument against me. He claimed Heathcliff was the protagonist because he was a misunderstood victim of circumstances and was only trying to earn his place in the world.

The answer painted him a chauvinist in my eye. We ended up arguing back and forth, it almost escalated into a fight.

Mr. Jekyll had to call it a day.

I gave Asher a venomous final glance to which he smirked. I wasn't expecting him to stop me in my tracks when I was passing by his seat.

He said only three words. Three words that had a great impact on me.

"Cute little thing"

The most ridiculous thing about it was that I was never sure he even said something like that because soon he was grabbing his notes with his classic serious face and marching out of the class like he owned the place.

I was still hung on those words despite all the odds. I wanted to confront him about it.

And then, poof-- I never heard of him again because the next day, he didn't show up. And the next days too.

I was only hearing from rumours that Asher Mendez left.

"Um, Jiji. I'm sleepy. Mom asked me to rest between five to six if I feel sick. " Arlee said, in a faint voice. It amused me how a six year old girl could speak so fluently.

I smiled and kissed her temple. I almost forgot she was here with me holding my phone to her face. She mustn't know it's her brother's number I saved with Dickhead.

Yeah, I saved his number after the shit that happened-since the time he came up to my room.

While my mind wandered back to why Arlee was always sleeping, I tucked her under the blanket hanging by the couch's arm.

My phone tinged again and with eagerness, I glanced at it.

Baby doll.

A smile came up on my face at same time my eyebrows raised. What's with the new nickname? Was he toying with my feelings again?

Though a part of me felt hopeful but I had to remind myself that I still hated Asher Mendez for what he did.

I always tried to forget it and move on but I couldn't! The stares, mockery, bullying, humiliation and degradation I faced then, was something I couldn't forget. I still had nightmares from it and only one person was behind it.

Again my phone tinged. I just glanced at it. Less anxious but panicky.

Baby doll?

Finally getting the courage to face him, I stood up and started to go upstairs.