PANIC ROOM • KENJI KON

BONUS CHAPTER 1.4

"For Being A Dickhead, What Else?"

~~~

Sunday morning, Jacqueline sat down with Darius and Eva to rewatch and finish The Velociraptor. She found the movie unbearable and downright inappropriate in some places, but Darius and Eva were laughing too hard to heed her warnings.

Around noon, she got up to make the three of them lunch, leaving Darius and Eva in the living room together. Eva kicked back, taking up the entirety of the love seat as she began scrolling through Instagram on her phone.

"What do you think the budget of that movie was?" He asked, also pulling out his phone.

"Not enough. Oh my god, could you imagine if a film crew went to Isla Nublar to film a dinosaur movie? They wouldn't have to pay for CGI if they brought out the real things. Would have been hilarious to run into that situation."

Darius snickered. "Being rescued by a film crew would definitely be one way to get off the island."

"Yeah, but one of the directors would definitely be evil, knowing our luck."

"H-hey Eva?" Darius asked nervously.

She groaned, her fingers stopping scrolling, her head bouncing back against the arm rest. He sounded the way she sounds before presenting in class. Nervous, anxious. "Oh god, what did I do now?"

His eyebrows furrowed, and he quickly backtracked. "Nothing. I just have a question..."

"Am I gonna like the question?"

"Probably not."

On one hand, Eva wanted to run. On the other, curiosity was definitely killing the cat. She hesitantly nodded, urging the younger boy to continue.

"So, you're in love with—"

"O-o-o-okay, we don't have to talk about this," she quickly cut him off.

"But you said it yourself! You're in love with Kenji!"

"Oh my god."

"This is great news!"

"Oh, my god." She sat up, pinching the bridge of her nose, her phone forgotten on the couch beside her. "How exactly is being in love with someone whose heart I broke a good thing?"

"Because," he faltered, holding his tongue.

"Wow, thank you. Awesome. Love the vote of confidence."

"Because it just is?" He said, like a question. Darius scratched his knee, looking for the right words. Finally, he asked, "Well, how are you gonna tell him?"

"Easy. I'm not gonna."

Darius's jaw dropped, and he quickly stood to his feet. He threw out his hands and shouted, "But you have to!"

Eva mimicked his actions in a mocking manner. "No, I don't!"

"Eva."

"Darius."

"Can't you trust me on this? It's Kenji we're talking about. It'll totally be worth it in the end."

Eva deflated back onto the couch. "Exactly..." she sighed. She laced her fingers together on top of her chest, leaning back against the couch cushions. "It's Kenji we're talking about. I can't afford to hurt him again. I don't want to hurt him again."