Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
“How do you feel about him, really?” Rainie had asked earlier.
Ariel hadn’t replied because she didn’t know herself. What did she feel for Mike? Ariel got up from her bed and wandered over to the shelf where she had several memory boxes, filled with random items which would mean nothing at all to other people but meant the world to Ariel.
She picked the first box, the oldest box. It was almost falling apart and was decorated with pink candy kisses. She had started collecting knick knacks when she was in grade one. She opened the box and the first thing she saw was the skeleton of a daisy.
Mike had wanted to give it to Leila. But Ariel had stolen it from him when he went to look at Joe’s new pencil case.
And the valentine she had received from him in grade 6.
White paper cut in a heart shape. On it was written:
“The teacher said we had to do this and give it to some girl. And you are my friend so I am giving this to you. The teacher made me do it. Happy Valentine’s Day.
P.S. Can you bring the cookies your mom makes tomorrow?”
Other boxes were opened and other memories spilled out.
Grade 8 Costume Dance. Ariel had wanted to Cleopatra and no one wanted to be her Anthony. So she had blackmailed Mike. In exchange for not telling their friends that he had peed in his bed till he was in grade 3, Mike got to be Anthony. He had complained all night long about wearing a toga. He had spilt orange punch on his previously pristine toga but at the end of the night, when he had put his arms around Ariel and they had posed for a picture, his face had a smile that belied all his whining.
When they were fifteen, Ariel had tried smoking and Mike had been furious. He had caught her and Rainie with a bad group of girls behind the school shed and dragged them away from there. He had given them such a tongue lashing that Ariel, years later, years older, still cringed at the memory of it.
“Tell Joe I’m sorry.” The crumpled note reminded her of the day Mike and Joe had their first real argument. Mike had fallen for a girl, the same girl Joe had fallen for. Leila. Then Mike had given her up and he had come to Ariel, angry, hurt and they’d gone to the fair, riding the roller coasters until they both threw up.
The script of Love Contract fell out of one the boxes. Ariel picked it up and hugged it. The first time she had kissed Mike she had been in character. But they had both had forgotten that they were not Xiao Feng and Ah Ken. It seemed natural to have his hands holding hers, to have her hands touch him, to feel the smoothness of his skin, to know the tenor of his voice, to recognize his scent.
That night he had confessed to her…that night after the scene in love contract where Xiao Feng finally confesses to Ah Ken the reason she wanted to break up, the reason she felt like half a woman, the reason she felt she didn’t deserve him. It had been an emotional scene. It had taken a toll on Ariel and afterwards she had strolled down to the beach which was not far from the set. Mike had followed her.
“Ariel.” He had said, whispering in the darkness.
She had turned, a smile paying homage to her lips.
“I have something to say.” His tone, serious, wary, hopeful, scared.
Ariel had been fascinated by the range of emotions in his simple sentence.
“I’m listening.” And she had been.
“I love you.” He had said. The sounds of the night had faded at the moment, as though the silence had drowned it out. He hadn’t said anything else. Just one more look, one soul shattering look. And he had turned and walked away.
Ariel had returned home in a daze. She had felt…something fragile and happy awaken in her. Did she dare hope that this could be real, this could actually exist? She had opened the door to her house, carefully, quietly, not wanting to wake her mother. But as she crept past her mom’s bedroom, she heard her speaking to someone on the phone.
“Money?” Her mother had said in a shocked tone.
“You want money from me to keep quiet about being Ariel’s father? Shame on you. I wish I had never married you, I wish I had never met you. I wish you didn’t exist.” Mrs. Lin had slammed the phone down. And in the next instant, Ariel heard her mother cry, dry sobs, snatched from the very depths of her soul. The ragged sounds had made Ariel face reality about love, about illusions, about dreams and about Mike.