The Game of Love

The Game of Love Chapter 14

Sarah:

 

Damien hasn’t been answering any of my calls, which brings up my suspicions. After about two weeks, I really start to believe that maybe our relationship was never…real… Don’t I feel like a fool? Surely I must be pestering him now that I look at my call history, so many outgoing calls to my “boyfriend.” I still have yet to settle this, and I know that leaving a message won’t do much good. It’s like Seth said: I have to tell him this in person.

As I sit on my bed, legs crossed, and I’m eating Greek yogurt, I hear the doorbell ring. Getting downstairs, I find Damien right there at my front porch. As I opened the door, before I could speak, he pulls me in for a big hug. My face buried in his chest, I could hardly breathe nor talk; I all I could do was listen.

“I’m so sorry I haven’t answered your calls,” he said remorsefully. “I’ve been too caught up in work and school that I can’t focus on anything but that.” Sure, I thought doubtfully. “I know you’re planning on breaking up with me, but I’ll make it up to you.” But you can’t, I thought.

Just as he pushes away from me, he hands me a Coke. “But”—

Before I could attempt to speak again, he tells me, “Just drink. I know it cools you off.”

I still held a doubtful look, not believing that a bottle of Coke could let him off the hook. When he encouraged me to drink, I took a big gulp of Coke. It was strange though, and the taste was slightly altered, and for some reason, the images in my eyes were getting distorted. All of a sudden, I’m feeling woozy, and I can’t stop myself from drinking.

The bottle three fourths empty, I turn my attention to him; however my focus and thoughts are completely warped. When he asked, “Do you forgive me?” I wasn’t able to control my words, so unwillingly I answered:

“Yes.”

Leon:

 

As I’m walking around Sarah’s neighborhood, thinking I should pay a visit, I figure that maybe she’s already broke it off with Damien before things get out of hand. However, when I’m just a house from hers, I see Damien getting in his car, and I could see that satisfaction on his face. This can’t be good. Before I could run to him and question what he’s done, he backs out of the driveway and off he went.

Panic began to settle in as I barged into an unlocked front door. Right then, I noticed Sarah sitting on the stairs, drinking a bottle of Coke. Noticing me, she smiled, giggling as she waved. Sitting beside her warily, I watched as she kept drinking the bottle. What’s with her?

“Oh…ish tha youuu Leeoon?” she asked, as though in a daze.

When she took another gulp of Coke, I just had to say, “My God, Sarah, you’re drinking that think like vodka!” That’s when it hit me. Now that I think about it, obviously she’s drunk. Snatching the bottle away from her, she reached for it, trying to fight back and take it from my hands.

“Wha are you doooiiing?” she asked. Standing up, pacing a few feet away from her so I’m out of reach, I take a small sample to test it out. Yep. It’s vodka. And I know that Damien’s the one that did this so he could get away with no breakup.

Just as she’s running to me all woozily, she starts to collapse. Just before her head had hit the floor, I caught her in my arms. God, she’s so drunk! Carrying her to her room, I lay her on the bed and head out to get some answers out of my brother.

* * * *

Damien’s car was still in the driveway, so when I enter the house—parents at work—I come up to him and punch him across the face, causing him to stagger. “What was that for?!” he asked angrily.

“You know damn well what that was for!” I retorted. “You’ve drunken Sarah just so you wouldn’t have to face her breaking up with you!” He shrugged. “What does it matter anyway? You’re going to break her heart anyway!”

“I do the breakups. There’s no way I’m going to let her break up with me. It doesn’t seem right that way. Besides, this isn’t any of your business.”

“Yes it is!” I argued.

“Why?”

“Because I love her!” I answered, exasperated. “You don’t know anything about love! Hell, you don’t even know how to stay committed to a relationship! Anyway, don’t you have a girlfriend at college? I bet you don’t love her either.”

Again, Damien shrugged, which only added fuel to the fire. Just before I could go any further, he looks down on me, grabs my collar, and mutters harshly, “At least I know how to treat women that I like, unlike you. You can’t treat the girl you love properly. While you’re more faithful than me, understand that I can treat her much better. At least I don’t bully her is what I mean.” That’s when he pushes me to a wall hard and heads out and into his car.

Sarah:

 

As I woke up, it felt like I had a major hangover, seriously. Slipping out of the bed, I tried to recollect my memories, but nothing would happen. All I could remember was Damien at my front porch. Still, is it over between us? I don’t remember. And how did I end up here?

When I got downstairs, I was surprised to see Leon at the bottom step. Hearing me coming down, he turned to me, straight-faced. I didn’t have to energy to get all fired up like usual, so I ask calmly as I rubbed my head, “What’re you doing here?”

“I came to check up on you,” he replied.

“Why?” I asked.

“You don’t remember? Well, that’s natural to happen since you got drunk from drinking vodka.”

I was drinking vodka? I was drunk? “Great…that explains my hangover. So what happened between Damien and me, other than he had me drink vodka?”

“Nothing much, he just gave it to you so that when you’re in your drunken state, you’d forgive him,” he replied.

“That’s bull…” I muttered. Leon nodded in agreement as he got up on his feet and headed for the door.

“Knowing you, you’d want me gone, so bye.” Before I could ask where Damien is, he already shut the door. But I already figured that he must’ve left since I’d start to question him when I see him again. That damn bastard.