The Game of Love

The Game of Love Chapter 16

Sarah:

 

As I walked out the building, there stood Leon leaning on the hood of his car, waiting for me. It didn’t even take that long and already he’s done with his little errand. “How’d it go?” he asked.

“It’s finally over…” said I while sighing. Scratching the back of my head, thinking of a way to apologize, I say to Leon, “Look…you were right the whole time. I’m—uh—sorry I didn’t listen…”

Leon nodded as though he’s forgiven, but following, he put up a mischievous smirk on his face. Oh, shit. This can only mean one thing. “What did I tell you? Jeez, sometimes you’ve got to listen to your enemies. Sometimes they know more about certain things than you.” That’s when he pulls up a box, ripping out the strip of cardboard that closes it. “Now that you’ve finally learned your lesson, I think it’s time that I do some punishing, right?”

“Huh?” asked I, utterly confused, and slightly afraid of what the hell he’s going to do to me. “Hold on a minute”—

“No,” Leon said abruptly, cutting me off. “Maybe if you listened to me earlier, I wouldn’t have to do this, but since it took you this long, it’s time that you repay what you’ve done.”

Pulling me by the arm, me being completely resentful towards this, I asked, “Just what is it you’re going to do?”

Leon pulled out a chocolate covered stick as he answered, “We’re playing what a lot of people call, The Pocky Game.” Before asking what that means, he says in return, “It’s this game where while I bite one end of the Pocky, you’ll bite the other, continuing to eat away at it until our lips meet. Now where I heard of this game, you might ask? Well, being in different schools, I learned so many things.”

“There’s no way in hell I’m going to do this!” retorted I, revolted.

“Well if you don’t want to do that, then during school in front of everyone, I’ll be kissing you, and I’m not going to let you leave my side. As for this,” he places one end of the Pocky in his mouth, biting it as he continued, “this would be completely secret and no one will know about it.” Sighing in defeat, I nodded, agreeing to do this ridiculous game; this caused Leon to smile in utter satisfaction. “And I’m adding something extra: you can’t resist me for five minutes. If you stop short from munching the Pocky stick, or you resist, then you lose and I win; if that happens, then I’ll kiss you in front of everyone at school. Got it?”

Again, I sighed while nodding. Well my life sure sucks. Taking a deep breath, I bite the other end of the Pocky stick. That expression in his face, Leon having such pleasure from privately humiliating me, made me want to wring his neck. When my face was getting much closer to his, I was dying on the inside, praying for this to end right now. However, giving up now would only mean public humiliation.

Our lips finally touching, I braced myself for the five agonizing minutes I’ll have to endure. Feeling his hand slowly reaching and stroking my hair, following, Leon was practically pinning me to the hood of the car. Doing so, his arms wrapped tightly as if never wanting to let go. And since I have no choice, I don’t resist when his tongue enters my mouth. Seriously, Leon doing that again had made me want to resist, but I can’t.

With each passing second, I was starting to lose my breath, and just when I thought it was over when Leon’s lips lifted off mine, instead they brush down to my neck. Oh God damn it! Must shoot him in the head for he’s going just a little too far. That urge to push him off of me was killing me deeply, but I let him go on, even as his lips brushed back up to meet my lips again.

Finally, those five minutes were up, and his arms and lips released me from his grip. Standing on my two feet, I raise my arm when Leon warns me, “If you wipe that off, then I’ll humiliate you in front of everyone.” Lowering my arm, he smiled, and I got into the car without a word.

* * * *

When I’m finally home, it’s already quite late with the sun absent from the sky, leaving it completely black. Exiting Leon’s car, I hear him say from behind, “Oh, and early Merry Christmas.”

Turning back, realizing the date: December 20, I ask, “Can’t you let that wait until the actual day? Jeez. It’s only five more days.”

“Well…my family and I are going to be out of town,” he replied. Freak yes!  I thought with such happiness. As though being able to read my mind, Leon said quietly, “At least you get time away from me…” Honestly, that’s what I think he said, but it was so quiet, that’s what I was able to decipher to my utmost ability. Before asking for any clarity on that, he drove off.

By the time I turn and head towards the house, Seth’s already sitting right at the top step of the front porch, waiting for me. Looking to the driveway on the right, I notice that my parents still haven’t arrived home yet. “Hey…” I greeted in an awkward tone.

“Hey,” Seth greeted in return. “So…what happened?”

“As you already know, I wanted to settle things once and for all with Damien. Well, to be quite honest, all I did was say that we’re through after seeing him make out with some girl in the university,” I explained.

“Did Leon do anything to you?” I so did not want to lie in front of my best friend, but it’s not like it’ll be humiliating. Still…somehow I just didn’t want to talk about it. So when I say no, Seth raises his brows in suspicion. “I know when you’re lying,” he mutters. That’s when he lifts my chin and examines my neck. And just when I least expected it, Seth whispers in my ear, “He gave you a hickey, you know…”

Immediately I started to freak out, covering my neck with my hands. “That damn bastard…” I muttered, infuriated.

“What did he do to you?” Seth demanded crossly.

“Leon said that because I never listened about the things he said about Damien, he’d ‘punish’ me… He made me play this stupid game with him where I had to kiss him, and he added on a stupid fucking rule that I can’t resist what he does to me for five minutes…” At the memory, I gagged.

“What exactly did he do to you, Sarah?”

“He just kissed me…” I muttered revoltingly. “Thank God its winter break…otherwise I’d have to face so many questions.”

“Why did you play that game anyway?”

“If I didn’t, then I’d be publicly humiliated in front of everyone at school.”

Seth shook his head, and looking at the expression in his eyes, he sure as hell was pissed. “Just be glad he didn’t do anything more than that…if he had, then I’d probably die right now… Already, seeing he gave you, that kills me.”

Cocking my head to the side, I start to wonder, but Seth shakes his head, dismissing his words. Following, he stuns me by kissing me on the forehead before heading off the porch and back to his house.

Entering my house, I immediately made a run for the bathroom, looking at my neck in the mirror. Sure enough there was a reddish spot right there on my neck. I’m so revolted. Leon…that sick bastard… Why didn’t I expect this from him? Well let’s just say that I was too focused on the fact that if I didn’t play the game, he’d humiliate me. Ugh…what more does he want?!