Complicated Love

It took me almost an hour to curl my hair and apply my make-up. My cheeks were bronzed and my eyes were heavily layered with black mascara and eyeliner. And once again, I stared in awe at the stunning dress auntie Morgan gave me when she returned home from her work. It was a rose pink colour, strapless and reached my knees. Auntie Morgan had lent me her black stiletto heels and a black laced clutch bag to wear with the dress.

Morgan was dressed in a black and stone grey skirt. The design was in rectangles; each rectangle was either black or grey; the skirt looked flouncy, like a skirt from the fifties. She wore a lovely black halter-top which she tucked into her skirt and open-toed high heels. She looked amazing.

It was Saturday night and Auntie Morgan had been invited to a house party which she liked to call a ‘dinner party’ and she had me invited. It was actually an engagement party but I guess they didn’t want to admit they were just looking for a reason to get drunk.

“Hi Morgan!” Was the greeting we received when we entered the Stacey’s home. It was from a very heavily pregnant woman with mink coloured hair, who hugged my aunt instantly.

“Evening Stacey." She hugged Stacey back, being careful with the bump. "This is my niece, Maria. And Maria, this is the lovely Stacey." She gestured to each of us.

"Welcome Maria." She paused.

I got the feeling that she wanted to say something else but didn't have the courage to do so.

Apparently Magenta and her children were invited to this ‘dinner party’, which meant the only thing I could think about was looking for the youngest sibling. After gawping around Stacey’s huge and I mean huge house for about half an hour, I still couldn't find him.

Why am I letting myself fall for him?

"Maria!" Somebody broke into my thoughts. I turned around and saw Stacey coming towards me, her long, loose, wavy, black dress flowing behind her. "Maria," She said again when she stopped in front of me and grinned, "I have somebody I want you to meet."

I looked past her and saw somebody I thought I recognized.

"This is Charlie, he's my soon-to-be step son." Stacey continued when a mohawked guy stood next to her. He had hazel eyes and his nose looked like it had been broken more than once.

I knew I’d seen him before but I just couldn’t think where I’d seen those eyes before… they looked similar to the guy who attacked…- oh my god!

‘Charlie’ seemed to recognize me too. He looked shocked at first, but then a smirk crossed his face.
Ohh god! Where is Ric when you need him?!

Stacey was talking but I wasn't really listening, "So..." she said as I started to listen again. "Charlie," She turned to him, "why don't you show Maria around?"

Is she trying to set us up?

He smirked and said to me, "Let’s go."

I looked at him in disgust, but he just ignored it. He took my arm and basically had to drag me, to make me go with him. I didn't want to be near him, let alone be alone with him.

"Let go of my arm!" I hissed when we were out of Stacey’s earshot.

He didn’t, but leaned closer to me and said, "Now I get to finish what I started… I'm so glad my mates aren't here, now I can get you all to myself. More for me."

"Think again." I punched him in the face as hard as I could with my right hand.

I hit him so hard I thought I broke my knuckle, and as I tried to get away, Charlie grabbed me and pushed me against hard the same wall and held me in place by my shoulders.

He hit my head off the wall, "And you know what? I'm also glad that that guy that saved you last time isn't here to do so again."

"Well he would've saved me from your breath." I said. He looked down, as if he would see his mouth. As he did that, I took the opportunity to head-butt him.

Oww! That really hurt! Ouch! I wish I hadn't done that! That was a stupid!

"What do you have to say?!" he asked loudly, he pushed me on the wall again, holding me back. He had his hand around my throat, chocking me.

I half chuckled at the sight of blood dropping from his nose, "I think I broke your nose."

He tightened his grip, and by this time, I could hardly breathe. "Is this how you plan to get your first ever girlfriend; try to frighten her to death so she'll go out with you? That's pathetic. You must be desperate." I choked out.

He tightened his grip, and scrunched his eyes at me.

“For god sake Charlie! Again, seriously?”

I beamed; I could recognize that voice anywhere but I was still fighting for my breath.

Charlie let go of my throat and turned round to see who it was. "What are you doing here?!" He spat.

I gasped for air.

"I was invited, your step-mum and mine are friends remember. Stacey should be glad she’s not biologically related to you. I wonder how she would feel is she knew what a perverted arsehole you are.”

I guessed Ric was hinting that he would tell Stacey what he was doing to me now and what he tried to do the other day.

“You wouldn’t…” The tone of Charlie’s voice hinted a threat rather than hesitance.

“Do you really want to take that chance?” Ric stood in the doorway and raised his eyebrow.

Charlie sighed, and then suspicion coated his voice. "What's she to you?"

That question made Ric hesitant, "She's a great friend."

Despite the frightening situation, I was more disappointed by Ric’s statement. That he thinks of me no more than a friend.

The expression on Charlie’s face as he stared at Ric confused me.

"More like you love her." Charlie said sarcastically but seriously at the same time.

I wasn't looking at Ric but what Charlie said made me do so. He looked uncomfortable and then I noticed he turned pink. Was he blushing?!

Was he right? Could the pervert be right about Ric’s possible feelings?

"That's it. Isn't it?" Charlie gave a dry laugh. "Man! I've had an easy escape. She's more trouble than she's worth." He commented.

As soon as Charlie said that, I kicked him between the legs. And because I had pointy shoes on, I can't imagine how much that hurt him, but he definitely disserved it. "Now that serves you right." I walked away, trying to hold myself up.

Ric started to laugh hysterically at Charlie but when we walked out of the small study; leaving Charlie in there, he stopped laughing when I fell to the floor trying to take normal, deep breaths.

Ric knelt beside me and placed his hand on my back and began to rub gently, "Maria, I know this is a stupid question,"

I had my hand on my chest, as I tried to breathe normally, "Then don't ask it then."

"Ok... Maria," I lifted my head to look at him. "About what you heard in there-"

"Is it true?" I cut him off, looking at him hopefully.

He looked at me as if I should have known the answer. I did, but I wasn't going to let him say nothing. He then nodded, "Yes."

I felt like I was about to faint. "I love you too. But..."

Ric looked at me, his eyes full of concern and love.

"I don't know how to say this, but... We can't... be together. You know that as well as I do." I whispered, hoping he would hear me so I wouldn't need to say it again, because if I did, I knew I would feel like my heart had been ripped out.

"What? Why?" He asked.

I took a shuddering breath, I felt the heavy tears in my eyes, and they were ready to fall. "Because I am leaving tomorrow, I'm going back home, to Dundee."

Ric thought about my words for a moment or so, "I can't help how I feel about you, Maria. The day I met you, I knew I liked you, even though you practically accused me going to attack you."

I thought about the day we met and smiled at my own stupidity for thinking he was going to attack me when he was in fact the one who saved me for my attackers.

"And the day, when you almost broke my legs with that stupid hockey stick. I was furious at you but I didn't hate you and when you caught me watching cartoons, it made me like you more. But I can’t pinpoint when I just knew."

"Knew what?" I asked.

"That I loved you." He put his arms round me and helped me to my feet, I hadn't realized I was still sitting on the carpet.

I felt a single tear fall to my cheek. Ric raised his hand to wipe it away but I stepped back.

"Ric, this was going to be hard enough for me leaving; knowing that I love you but now... I know you that you love me back..." I paused, "When I was avoiding you yesterday, it was because I knew, I loved you and was convinced that you didn't feel the same about me. I can't go home feeling like this.” I have to stop it.

"Maria." Ric reached for my cheek and stepped towards me.

"No!" I said firmly, I turned to walk away but Ric grabbed my arm. I shrugged his hand away but he tried to stop me again, I turned and slapped his check.

He let go at once and I hurried away from him; upset, irritated and confused and hoping to god he wouldn't fallow me.

I rushed into the downstairs bathroom and hid away in the peace for a little while. My make-up wasn't smudged but I did have a very sore head. But I still put my best smile on and walked out holding my head up high.

I went into the busy living room to try and find somebody I knew. I spotted Raven and tried to walk up to her as confidently as I could manage.

"Hey smexy!" She said and kissed my cheek.

Raven was drunk and it wasn't even half past nine and the dinner hadn’t even been served yet. Her make-up was badly smudged and her hair was a mess, like she had gone out the night before and this was what her hangover hair looked like.

Raven started dancing when a different song started to play, she moved slowly at first but faster and faster as the song played. As the song finished, Raven spun round, landed on -and broke- a small wooden table and lay drunkenly giggling on the floor.

"Come on." I said, bending down, trying to lift Raven into a sitting position.

I wasn't even sure if it the dress she was wearing was actually a dress or not, it was thin black material but it left practically nothing to the imagination. One of her gold shoes had fallen off too.

She picked it up, "Shome stupit idiot has lost her shooe!" She then looked at her feet and noticed she only had one on. "Look! Shomebodee has bumped me shooe!"

I rolled my eyes and shook my head; she obviously didn't realize it was her own silly shoe.

The next thing I knew, Tony was lifting Raven up in a bridal carry. "Come on my smashed lil sis." He said, carrying her out the room.

The last thing I heard her say was, "Oh look! This sshoe I founded looks exactly like the one I'm wearing! I wonder if it's the shame shize.”

God, she's so out of it.

"I can't believe she's drunk already!" I heard Magenta say from behind me.

I turned to face her; she was wearing a beautiful crimson dress, it came down to her knees and had a bare back. She also had black, toe-less, high heels on which set the outfit into action. Her hair cute, red and black, bob was curved into her face shape. Once again she looked so much younger than her actual age.

"Hi, Magenta." I smiled, "That dress looks gorgeous on you."

She grinned and Tony came over to us, "Where did you put her?" Magenta asked.

"In a bedroom, she fell asleep straight away." He said.

The dinner was rather boring, and I wasn’t introduced to anyone new and was sitting between my aunt and Magenta who constantly talked over me. Tony and Ric sat on Magenta’s other side talking between themselves but I caught Ric stealing glances at me.

Stacey had hired butlers to serve our food and a photographer for the evening. I had successfully avoided being caught on the camera the photographer was carrying around like a little baby until I was about to leave, he came up to auntie Morgan and I and told us to stand together and snapped. And before I knew it, Ric came up to me and put his arms around me, giving the photographer the opportunity to take a snap of us.

Ric was standing on my left; he had held me like he was cuddling me, over the shoulders and his hands holding the bottom of my back. My hands were holding his shoulder blades, from underneath his firm arms. My head was resting on his chest and his chin was resting on my head.

The funny thing was that we were both smiling as if our lifelong wishes had just come true.

Ric helped me put my jacket on whilst Morgan said goodbye to her friends. He lent in to my neck, which caused my blood to boil.

He leant close to my ear, "I never had a chance to say earlier."

I held my breath.

"You look beautiful." He kissed my cheek gently and walked away.

I felt my cheeks go pink and I smiled shyly. He noticed.