No One Will Hate You Like I Do

Pandora sighed with a heavy head, she looked down at the book in her lap. She thought her father had fallen asleep but was surprised when she looked over at his pale, skeletal fame to see his dark glazed eyes looking back at her from under a hard brow.

"What's bothering you, dear?" He asked in a soft tone, Pandora tried to smile at the father she loved very much, but the haunting shadow in the back of her mind caused the smile to turn into a line. She didn't want him to get stressed over her problems and worries. She still hadn't had the heart to tell him that soon they might be homeless. However, it was Ville who was really on her mind. She couldn't get the annoying bastard off her brain. It seemed like she could feel him thinking about her and worse, the hopefulness she felt. She should be worried that he liked her, not hopping. She hated him for making her feel so weak. 'Oh that look in his eyes earlier when he was watching you fold his clothes.…'

"Dear, are you alright?" Pandora snapped out of her daze.

"Yes, sorry…I' just stressed. My new boss…he's…" She stopped, 'The best looking man you've ever seen'

"Tell me about him, how has it been going for you?" Pandora reached her hand out and patted her father's shriveled cold hand.

"The job is fine, it's good pay for the time but…oh god Daddy, I think I have a crush on my boss! The worse part is I think he knows it and I think he likes playing with me." Her father's face hardened, his eyes chilled black.

"Has he tried to touch you?!?" he demanded, Pandora rolled her eyes.

"No Dad, he has not. He's been nice...mostly…I'm just confused and I'm scared."

"If he's nice than why are you scared? Why don't you ask him if he likes you too?" Pandora's eyes widened. Her father was always surprising her, he was the coolest dad ever she always thought.

"Well, I'm not ten anymore, it's more complex than that…he's kind of famous and he has money and he's really attractive and well dressed…I'm just being realistic. A guy like him would only use me for a booty call."

"Dear, you are beautiful, smart, charming, funny, creative and talented woman. Any man who can't see that is a fool and doesn't deserve to even lick your boot." Pandora chuckled at her father's passionate 'proud dad' rant. "What I'm saying is, if he's worth your time he'll be a gentlemen but if he's distant, over evolved with you or tries to be, than he still likes you but you need to make either a clear comment or a clear act. Men are blind when it comes to reading if a lady likes him or not but men themselves are simple creatures when it comes to showing inertest." Pandora smiled and closed the book before getting up to put it on the self and help her dad lay flat on the bed and tugged in his blanket.

"Thanks Dad, I'll keep that in mind."

"Okay, dear, I love you and hope you have fun tomorrow."

"Thanks dad,"

Pandora sat down at her desk she had set up by her window to get in some of her reading. She was studying to get an English degree and she had little idea of what to do with it when she had it. She just knew she loved English and reading so why not? She loved writing too but she hardly had the time between Dad and school work. She opened her English book and started reading the next chapter, she took many notes so she'd be well studied before the test next Monday. As she read the story, her mind wandered to Ville, to what he might be doing. Maybe sitting on his bed bare foot and shirtless, hair pulled back in a messy pony tail, his long bangs in his face, strumming a guitar on his lap, those deep emerald eyes determined and passionate.

'Oh no, stop it! Not again! Get out of my head you silly man! Why must you be so dreamy?' Get a grip, Pandora, he is a difficult confusing person, you don't need to get any more evolved with him than you already are.' She reasoned with herself, but not a half hour later were her eye lids growing heavy, her neck lowering closer to the desk, darkness slowly slipping over her as she yawned and placed her head in her arms.

"So, how long have you been alone?" Ville asked, Pandora blinked, looking at his black top hat that was bigger than the one she owned, with a fancy silk band as well. She noticed his cape, and rainbow gloves and saw they were both sitting in the woods around a table filled with tea cups, pots, sugar, cookies and cream. It was very much like Alice In Wonderland, (one of her favorite books). Pandora was so enraptured by the amazing colors and strange setting that she didn't hear Ville repeating her name until he shook her shoulder. She looked over at him puzzled. The fact it was a dream had not entered her mind, she was quite confused as to why she was here but the logic that it was impossible had not yet dawned on her.

"I said, how long have you been alone?" Pandora picked up a purple tea cup decorated in black bats. She sniffed the tea, it was mint, she slipped it, it was declivous.

"I don't understand," Pandora wondered what he meant, she still had dad, didn't she? Ville leaned forward and grabbed a black spider shaped cookie.

"It's an easy question, when was the last time you felt safe, loved and content?" Pandora thought for a moment, her face went blank and a coolness shivered through her. Her chest tightened in depression.

"I…can't remember…" Ville kissed her cheek, she blushed, his lips made her face warm and her cheek tingle.

"Don't remember than, just drink your tea." He slipped from his own orange jack-o-lantern cup. Pandora shrugged and drank from her cup again, this time it was cinnamon tea.

"Why has the tea changed flavor?" She asked, Ville jumped up from his chair and sat on the edge of the table, he was wearing matching rainbow socks.

"Um, it hasn't changed, your mood has. It's mood tea. It changes to whatever flavor suites your emotion." Pandora nibbled on a spider cookie, it tasted like chocolate and it was moist and warm in her mouth.

"So, what is this…a tea party in Halloween town?" Ville laughed,

"Sort of, cool place, isn’t it?" Pandora narrowed her eyes at him as she took another slip of her tea, it was lemon this time. Than it hit her, "oh, this is a dream, isn’t it?" Ville clapped,

"Yay! Very good sweetheart!"

"Shut up!" Pandora growled.

"Who are you telling to shut up?" 'What's dad's disembodied voice doing in my crazy dream? Oh wait…'

Pandora woke up with her homework stuck to her forehead. Dad was leaning against the door way. Pandora yawned and glanced at the clock, it was almost eleven.

"Dad, what are you doing up and about? You should be in bed," She sat up and stretched. Her father chuckled.

"I heard you talking in your sleep, it sounded like a entertaining dream, I didn't mean to wake you."

"It’s okay, it was a weird one though." She helped him back to bed and fell into her own not moments later. She was back asleep in no time, back in the woods at Halloween themed tea party.