Can we just call it a tie? Chapter 5

Look at me, listening to you guys.
Another chapter a day later!=)
Thank for commenting, more are appreciated.
Enjoy.

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"A match can light up a fire, a star can light up the sky, but you are the only one that can light up my heart."

Chapter 5

*Opal's POV*
I really need to buy a 'When do I shut up?' guide. I'm not easily scared, but never is a bit too much.
The park was dark, what a surprise, and we walked in silence.
'Quinn? Why did you want to take a walk?'
'The park calms me. No other people, just me and the stars.'
I looked up and gazed at the stars. Beautiful and so many...
'I...' I was silent when I realized that I was alone.
Great.
Opal, prepare yourself, the 'boo-I-was-hiding-behind-the-door' moment is close.
I looked around me, hoping to see a glimpse of Quinn. I saw nothing, it was pitch dark.
I approached the trees, maybe he was hiding behind one.
'Quinn? You can come back now!'
A twig cracked behind me. I turned, expecting a shadow, but still nothing. This is exactly the reason why I don't watch horror movies.
Suddenly two arms circled around my arms, leaving me powerless. I stiffened.
'Gotcha' someone whispered in my ear. Quinn. He being so close sent shivers across my skin.
Thank goodness I did not scream, that would've proven his point.
I was in no hurry to leave this position, but a challenge is a challenge.
'Catch me if you can' I whispered and with the element of surprise I managed to wiggle out of his arms and I ran like my life depended on it. I knew it was hopeless, I can sprint, but my stamina is pathetic.
And soon enough I heard the thuds of Quinn's footsteps behind me, getting closer.
This gave me a little boost, the cat and mouse game, but soon my pace slowed down and a few seconds later Quinn jumped to grab me, but our speed made us fall over in the grass.
Embraced by his arms, I waited for my breath to even out. I noticed that I was extremely comfortable and relaxed in this position. I knew him for two days, but he allowed me to be myself. He let me go, I was a bit disappointed. We didn't speak, we just laid in the grass and watched the stars.
Suddenly he spoke. 'Nathaly is not my mother.'
I watched him, too surprised too speak. He continued.
'My real mother died ten years ago. I was eight, but I hadn't seen her for three years. When I was five, she left me and my father.' He sounded bitter, so much sadness in his voice.
This time, I reacted to my first thought and hugged him. His arms encircled my waist again, while I rubbed his back. After a while, I gently tried to pull back, but his grip tightened.
'Why did you leave? Why? What did we do wrong?' He asked his invisible mother.
I made him look at me.
'Quinn, listen, it is not your fault she left. You did not do anything wrong, it was her decision. I know this is hard, but you have to understand that you couldn't do anything about it. I'm sure that she loved you with everything she had, but something else was wrong. She hurt your father, but look he how happy he is with you, Nathaly and Jade. Do not think bad of yourself because of your mother, it'll hurt forever.'
He nodded, lost in his thoughts. It was silent again.
Suddenly he let go of me and stood up again. He glanced at the stars for one last time, than looked down at me. He held out his hand, I grabbed it and he pulled me up. His beautiful eyes scanned my face for a moment and then he said 'Thanks' and bent down to kiss my cheek. The moment his lips touched my skin, I felt something click inside. He made me part of his world, his thoughts and that move linked us together. We trusted each other.

*Quinn's POV*
I don't know who's idea up there it was to sent this girl my way, but I'm grateful forever. I still don't understand why I told her about my mother, but I felt like it. I missed halve of the words she spoke to me, I could only watch her eyes. Within them glowed a green fire that wanted to convince me, to make me believe what she told me. And I did. It was as simple as that.
All those years I'd blamed myself, because of me my mother had left. But now, after her words of compassion, I could get this problem of my mind. It wouldn't be easy, but it was a start.
'Shall we watch Stardust?'
She smiled, with one dimple on her right cheek. 'Sure, you romantic soul'
We started to walk back to my place. We reached the exit of the park, where a group of guys hang around. They had obviously been drinking, the beer bottles where everywhere on the ground. When Opal and I passed them, one of them slapped her bottom.
'You're some nice peace of meat chick, wanna come and join our party?'
Opal froze on the spot. Me too, I was, and that's the understatement of the year, furious. I turned around to tell the guy to shove his bottle where the sun don't shine; but Opal was first.
With two quick paces she stood in front of the guy, who still had the guts to smirk, probably thinking she came to fulfill his request. This time I was sure he had drunk way too much, because the look on her face was a bit different. She glared at him with her eyebrows down, her mouth a grim line, her normally green eyes almost black and her nostrils flaring.
She spoke, softly, but very clear.
'You listen to me, you worthless drinking fool. I am not a peace of meat that you can inspect, you can not touch me like I'm yours. If you had any decency in your three brain cells, you would get out of here and make sure you'll never see me again. If you do this again, to any girl, I'll find you and smack you so hard that you can watch your own ass.'
The silence that followed these words of venom, was a surprised one. I was deeply impressed and the dudes were speechless.
The guy obviously believed her, thanks to the alcohol and walked backwards slowly. She didn't waste another breath on him, turned around, grabbed my hand and dragged me along, away from them.
She walked without looking left or right, crushing my hand with a force I didn't know she had.
'Opal' I said after a while. No reaction. 'Opal?'
She stopped. I grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. Her face was white, her eyes huge, fury and fear both visible on her face. I cupped her face with my hands.
'Opal, it's over. They're gone. You can relax now.'
That did it. The little color she had in her face disappeared and she fainted before my eyes. I saw it coming and caught her limp body.
Luckily, we were close to my house. I carried her inside, laid her on the couch and watched her. She was one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen. I'd liked other girls for their face and body, but with Opal, it was different. Her personality radiated from her and that made her beautiful. So maybe she couldn't be a model or something like it, but it didn't matter. She was confident, funny, caring and competitive. Not the most perfect face in the world could match that....
That were a lot of deep thoughts about someone I met two days ago. I didn't understand why, but Opal fascinated me.
She woke up. She blinked, looking confused. 'What happened...?'
I grinned. 'You fainted after you left the drunk guys completely flabbergasted. That was the best speech I've heard in ages.'
'I hate it when guys act like that.'
'Yeah, I noticed. I'm almost worried about myself.'
She looked shocked. 'I wouldn't talk to you like that! He was just a loser and you're...' She blushed 'you're not...'
I chuckled. She averted her eyes.
'Hey, we'd almost forget Stardust!'
'Good point.'
I inserted the DVD and sat next to her on the couch. After 'the happily ever after', I glanced to left, she was almost asleep. I caught a whim of her perfume. It was almost gone, but if my memory was correct, it was Ice Touch, Mexx. I gave it to one of my first girlfriends as a Christmas gift.
'I think I should go home...' She said. 'It was an...eventful night...'
'Without a doubt.' We were silent for a moment. 'Hey, do you want to hang out again this week?'
An slow grin crossed her face. 'Sure, at my place this time?'
'Okay, on Friday?'
'Deal.'

The next day...
*Opal's POV*
'He did not!' Thera was jaw dropped. I'd just told her about the drunk guy. I continued to tell the story...
'So he stopped me and suddenly I fainted. I woke up at his place, on the couch.'
'Oooooh he carried you home.' She sighed.
'I know, I wondered how he did that, it's not like I'm miss-petite-frame.'
'Opal! You have such an unromantic soul! Thinking about how he managed to lift you is the last thing you should worry about! Where did I go wrong with your romantic education?' She exclaimed. 'We'll start again. You have to know the basics of swooning, if you're in a romantic roller coaster ride with that angelic faced guy.'
'But Thera, I don't want...' She interrupted me.
'No! I know how stubborn you are, but not this time.'
'Fine.' I huffed.
And Thera walked around in her room like a real teacher, talking about subtle flirting, watching romantic comedies because you can imagine it's you, secretly glancing at his face, adoring the curls in his hair and so on.
'Well. That was about it. Oh! I almost forgot. You have to notice when he's about to kiss you.'
'Why? Like he wants that. Like I want that.' Opal, you liar.
'Oh shut up, I know you're lying. And besides, it might be handy when someone unwanted tries to do that. Okay, first thing; he'll probably look at your lips.'
I didn't want this, this caused me to imagine it.
'And after that he'll look at you again, intently, by then you will probably be able to cut the tension with a knife. Then he'll came closer, maybe touch your hair or cheek or something...'
Oooh not good. The eye of my imagination went into overdrive and saw Quinn, his eyes resting on my lips and after that his burning gaze directed at me, him coming closer, his hand cupping my cheek, still coming closer and...
'You're drooling.' My beautiful daydream disappeared and I looked at a triumphantly grinning Thera.
'I'm not!'
'Not really, but your eyes were staring into nowhere and you had a happy smile on your face. You imagined he kissed you!'
'I didn't...Okay, I did. But I can't help myself, he does that to me.'
'Oh you're so cute.'
'I'm not cute. I just like him more than is possible in three days.'
'Are you in love?'
I had asked that myself and I didn't know.
'Dunno, I think not...but this isn't normal friendship either...'
'I'm so jealous.' Thera sighed.
'Why? Guys are sticking to you like bees to honey, what's the problem?'
'It's not the lack of attention. They're great guys, but they're not special, I don't have a connection, like you and Quinn have. You've just met him, you discover something new about him every second you spend with him, you wonder if you're in love, your fantasy goes nuts, every touch makes you shiver and all the other things I didn't mention. This in a unique experience, different with every guy you meet. The last time I had that, was with Ron.'
I flinched. Ron. Her last boyfriend, two years ago. The dude meant trouble, I'd known it from the first moment I met him, from his ugly earrings to his fuzzy past. After a while, it showed I was right (one of the few times I wasn't happy with it): next to Thera, he also had another girlfriend. Thera wouldn't believe me, she loved him too much.
But she was confronted with the truth when she found in bed with that other girl, when she arrived at his home to surprise him.
Her heart was broken and she decided to block her true feelings for guys. She would have fun. A relationship is for other people. I tried to talk it out of her, but she wouldn't budge, until now. Her words showed that her armor was cracked. I hoped that somebody could break that armor and make her trust again.
'Don't worry honey, the person you're looking for will be there for you when you expect him the least. Now, let's watch one of your films for romantic souls like yourself, that'll cheer you up.'
Thera smiled. 'Don't forget to add yourself to the list of romantic souls.'
I thought about that for a moment. 'I guess you're right. I'm the newest member of the romantic fools club and I'm proud!'
We turned the music on and danced until we were tired.