What the hell time was it?
I pushed Donovan, throwing him onto the floor. I could hear a small whimper from him. “Yeah, give me a minute, I’m coming.”
I thanked my lucky stars that the light wasn’t on so Donovan couldn’t see me in all my naked glory. I threw him his shirt and pants. He was cursing while he dressed, and I quickly put on my dress.
“You have five seconds, girl.”
Alright, I knew my aunt would be angry about my absence from the house, I couldn’t blame her.
“Hide under the bed,” I ordered Donovan, but he wrinkled his nose and shook his head.
He was also mad, and so was I. Everyone was freaking mad!
“I’m not hiding under the freaking bed,” he whispered indignantly.
“Four,” my aunt continued.
“Alright, go to the bathroom,” I said irritated, grabbing his wrist and forcing him to follow me.
“This is absolutely unbelievable,” he murmured.
“Three,” I shoved Donovan inside and closed the door. “Two…”
“Come in,” I called, sitting at the desk and turning on the lamp that was in the corner.
She walked in wearing a robe, she had just woken up, not a speck of makeup on her. “What are you doing?”
“I came home an hour ago and decided to read,” I argued, praying that I didn’t smell like vodka anywhere on my body or hair.
The moment I remembered the alcohol, I realized how thirsty I was.
My aunt crossed her arms. “It’s seven in the morning, Celina, you haven’t been home in two days. It’s fine that you’re seventeen, but can’t you at least call? I left you hundreds of messages! And I found out you were at a party because I called Cris. Otherwise, I would have called the police.”
“I’m sorry, really, sometimes I forget that you need to know where I am and that…”
“Stop forgetting,” she interrupted firmly.
“Alright.”
“And… what about Cris? You’re always together,” she continued, her tone still firm, but I knew she was asking more as a friend than as a responsible adult.
“We’re friends.”
“Yeah, but…” my aunt narrowed her eyes right at my neck and my face. “Are you okay? Your cheeks are red, and so is your neck, did you take drugs?”
Damn my sensitive skin.
“No, we just had a few drinks, but I’m fine.”
She approached me and touched both sides of my face. “You’re burning up.”
Also, damn my hormones and my inner horny teenager.
“I’m fine,” I gritted my teeth, nervous about the person trapped just a few meters from us.
“And do you have any suitors? I quite liked this guy… Travis? I never heard from him again, how is he?”
“I haven’t talked to him in a long time.”
“Oh… You know, I have a friend who has a son your age, maybe I can introduce you?”
Donovan will laugh at this, I know it. “No, really, it’s not necessary, I’m fine alone.”
“And you like girls?”
That was it. Donovan hit his limit and burst out laughing.
He better start preparing for his funeral.
“Who’s in there?”
My aunt started walking towards the bathroom door and I stepped in her way. “Alright, auntie, alright, I have a boyfriend. I’m dating Cris and he’s in that non-visible room. Understand?”
“You guys were…?” she tried to finish. “Having sex?” I wanted to finish for her, but it would have been too much, the woman was almost stuttering.
“We were in the process,” I closed my eyes and shook my head, I couldn’t believe I was telling her this.
“In my house…?”
“You said to take advantage of my age, didn’t you?” I stood behind her and started practically pushing her towards the exit for fear she would snap out of her state of shock. “Don’t worry, we used protection.”
“But…” I slammed the door in her face before she could continue.
“Take care, we’ll talk later,” I yelled so she could hear me, and I heard her let out a muffled scream.
She’s out of shock. “Celina Brown, if you end up pregnant I’ll kill you!”
Donovan slowly came out of the bathroom. He raised the corner of his lip in amusement. “I knew your tastes were weird, but I didn’t think that being straight you’d like gays.”
“You’re an idiot,” I assured him, arranging the sheets that we had messed up with all our roughhousing and abrupt movements. “Did you have to laugh? Now she thinks I’m dating Cris.”
“You could have said any other name,” he shrugged it off, nearly making me throw my bedside lamp at him.
“The only reason my aunt didn’t storm into that bathroom to kick you out is because she thinks you’re Cris.”
“Listen…” He started to approach me, I knew he was going to touch me, and that it would drive me crazy.
“Don’t you dare touch me if you don’t want to lose a testicle.”
“Alright!” he said, raising both hands in surrender. “Are you mad at me?”
The concern in his voice did not go unnoticed. “No, I’m not mad, I just don’t want to finish what we started now, my aunt is on the prowl.”
“I didn’t plan on finishing what we started, I didn’t even want to start it in the first place, it’s… damn, you make everything so complicated.”
“Here we go again.”
“Can you stop saying that?” I couldn’t help the acidity that diffused in my voice.
“What?”
“‘You make everything so complicated, Celina.’ ‘You ruined everything, Celina.’ ‘I had plans, Celina.’ You’re getting tiresome. If you don’t want to do something, simply don’t do it, and if you’re here with me now, it’s because you want to be. It’s not nice to tell a girl all the time that she’s a mistake. If that’s how you’re trying to get my attention, you’re making the wrong choice.”
He laughs, but there’s not a shred of humor in his gesture. “You think I’m trying to get your attention?”
“I don’t know, are you?”
“You don’t have a freaking clue.”
“Enlighten me, tell me why I’m a mistake once and for all,” I asserted, sitting on the bed, waiting for him to give me a hint about his damn problem with being with me. I’m a high school student and I’m seventeen, what’s so dangerous about that? How much can it damage his future? I’m just an ordinary girl, for God’s sake.
Donovan said nothing, but started walking towards the window. I stepped in front of him before he could open it. “Are you leaving now? Seriously?”
“Yes,” he answered simply, without looking at me.
“You’re impossible, how long will this anger last? Two days? A week? Then you’ll be back saying how much you need me, that I drive you crazy, and maybe by then I won’t want to hear it.”
He ran his hands through his hair, exasperated and surprised by my stance, as if I had no right to make it. “What do you want from me?”
“Nothing, Donovan! I don’t want a damn thing from you! Get out! I’m doing you a favor, so you stop making mistakes.”
I moved to let him go, and when I was about to sit at the desk to watch his back as he left, he cornered me against it.
“Stop playing the victim,” he stated without hesitation, as if he truly believed it.
“Oh yeah, I’m playing the victim, Donovan, you’re so mean to me, please, stop breaking my sweet heart, oh, and by the way, go to hell! Send my regards to Alice and spend more time with her, you’re more concerned with your mistakes than with your mother,” I practically spat the last word in his face to make him feel guilty, which I achieved immediately by the expression that formed on his face.
“You’ve crossed a line,” he confirmed, I knew I had, but I didn’t back down. I hate being so stubborn sometimes.
“Notice how much I care, go,” I mumbled, watching as he opened the window and stepped onto a tree branch.
“Call me when you’ve calmed down,” he indicated.
“That’s the worst thing you can say to a woman who’s angry, Donovan.”
“I won’t,” I mumbled, watching as he opened the window and stepped onto a tree branch.
“Yes, sure.”