Friday, April 10, 2009

99 Paper Cranes - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 – It’s Over Now



Two silent figure sat in front of the piano. The smaller figure stared at the ivory keys in front of her. “Now, he found out the truth about her lies…” she heard her say. The small figure looked up at her. “What would he do now?” she asked. The tall figure looked away at her, staring at the mirror in front of them. “I’ve always prayed for this day… for him to find out…” she said in a low voice. Then she looked at the girl beside her and smiled. “Am I selfish?” the girl shook her head. “She deserves it after all this time… the truth will come out eventually, and it just so happen that he have to find out about her lies this soon…” she said. Then, she turned her attention to the ivory keys of the piano again. “She does not deserve him…” she said, with a hint of anger in her voice. “We could not deny the fact that he loved her… Maybe, he’s still willing to give her a chance, if only she would tell him the truth this time…” the taller figure said. Then, she smiled at her. “I doubt if she will tell him the truth. She’s a good liar, after all…”

The girl pressed the key of the piano, making a loud music inside the room. “Should I tell him now? Do you think he will still find the real paper crane girl?” she asked. “Do you think this is the right time to let him know what you feel for him?” she asked. “Time is running out…”
“But, I don’t know how he would react if he found out…”
“Would you just let this moment pass?”
She paused. Then, she looked up at the girl beside her. “How about you? Would you let this moment pass?” she asked. “There’s a big difference between the two of us…” she answered. The girl beside her smiled and shook her head. “No, we’re in the same boat…”she said. “We are both secretly in love with the man we know we can never have…”

--

“I don’t know what to do…” Calvin said to Kit. “I love Trixie, but this relationship… its all lies. And I could not accept that…” he said in a low voice. Kit walked towards him and put her hand on his shoulder. “Calvin, if she did not tell you that she is the paper crane girl, would you give her a space in your heart?” she asked. Calvin looked up at her with confusion in his eyes. “I think it’s unfair for Trixie as well. She lied to get your attention. She did that because she loved you too much. I could understand why she did all of these, Cal…” she said to him. “But Trixie still lied to Calvin. It changes everything, Kit…” Danson said. Kit looked at Danson and smiled. “We all know that, Danson. Now that Calvin found out about her lies, Calvin got confused…” she said. Then, she looked at Calvin again. “But Calvin, I know in your heart, you love Trixie. Are you willing to throw your love for her just because of a paper crane? Are you willing to throw her love away just because of this?” she asked. “But she still lied to me…” Calvin said in a low voice. “I… I thought it was her all this time. I was in love with the girl I thought she was… but it was all just lies…” he said in a low voice.

Calvin could only sigh to himself. Just as the note says, it seems he ran out of reasons to fight for what he feels and believe in. How could he do that is the girl he loves have lied to him right from the start? “You should still give Trixie a chance to explain why she did this.” Kit said to him. But, could he accept it if she finally tells the truth? “What if it’s true? What if my feelings for her fade after she tells me the truth?” Calvin asked her. Kit looked at him into his eyes. “Then,” she said. “it means you were never in love with her all this time…”

--

The next day, another black paper crane was left on Calvin’s locker. He took it, and then immediately opened his locker to find another note.

“If the truth was told instead of a lie, then the pain would go away sooner and not hurt as much.”

Whoever it is that leaves these things in his locker, she is a great mind reader. This paper crane girl really knows what he is feeling inside. He is hurt about finding out Trixie’s lies, and it made him more confused about his feelings for her. It was then that he decided to confront Trixie about this. He would only be at ease if he finds out the truth straight from her. “Calvin?” he heard a familiar voice call him. He looked back and saw Trixie coming up to him. He immediately hid the paper crane and the note in his bag, but Trixie noticed it. “What’s that?” she asked. “Nothing…” he said as he closed the zipper of his bag. She didn’t know why, but she suddenly felt anxious.

“Trixie, it’s good that you’re here, I… I want to ask you something…” he said. She looked up him, and saw him smiling at her. “I… I just wonder, since I found you that you were the paper crane girl, how come I didn’t received any paper cranes from you anymore?” he asked. Trixie was caught off-guard with his question. Could it be that he found her secret? “Uhmmm… I…well…” she stuttered. She took a deep breath and smiled at him. “You see, I’m too busy to make paper cranes, baby. Why do you ask?” she said. “Well, it’s just that I’m wondering why you stopped giving me those paper cranes and notes. It always made my day, baby…”
“But don’t I make your day?”
“Of course you do, but… well… maybe I just miss receiving those things from you.”

Trixie turned her eyes away from Calvin. She could feel her heart beating faster and faster. “Did you know why I fell in love with you?” Calvin asked. Trixie looked at him in his eyes. A smile formed in his lips as she looked at him. “It’s because it felt as if you knew me… the way I feel. It seems you feel my heart, what’s inside it… you see through me, and you see the things I hide from everyone else. When I received the very first paper crane from you, I knew that you are the one for me.” Calvin said. Trixie was unable to speak. Somehow, she felt guilty for lying to him, but she couldn’t tell him the truth either. She know Calvin would be furious if he found out that she lied to him. She smiled nervously at him and nodded her head. “I… I know…” she said. “Do you still remember what’s written on the very first note you gave to me together with the paper crane?” he asked.

Trixie was caught off-guard again with his question. How would she know what’s written on it? She should’ve gone through his things when she got a chance, so that she wouldn’t look like a fool in front of him now. “You said something about doing my best…” Calvin said. She looked at him, and saw him scratching his chin, trying to remember what’s on that note. “Oh… yes… I remember…” Trixie said. “I… I wrote there that you should do your best and God will do the rest.” She answered. Calvin looked at her, the smile on his face disappeared. He clenched his fist as he stared into her eyes. He looked at her for a long time, and Trixie could see the anger written in his eyes. “You lied to me…” he said to her. Trixie was shocked at what he said. “Calvin…” she said in a low voice. “You’re not the real paper crane girl.”

He turned hi back on her, and stormed away from her. He was mad at her lying to him. Trixie’s eyes were already filled with tears, but she still followed him. “Calvin, let me explain… please…” she cried as she followed him. Calvin paused, and then looked back at her. “Why did you lie to me? This whole thing... it’s not a joke. Why?” he shouted angrily at her. “I love you! Is that enough reason for me to lie to you?” she shouted back at him. She buried her face onto her palms as she cried. “If I didn’t do those things, if I didn’t lie to you, would you give me a chance? If I didn’t do such things, would you love me back?” she asked him. Calvin turned his gaze away from her, not answering her question. “I thought it’s the only that I could get your attention, Calvin. I was successful because I finally got the boy of my dreams. If I hadn’t lied to you, I wouldn’t be this happy… did you know how much this means to me too?” she told him. Calvin looked up at her again, this time, the anger has disappeared. “If you love me, you shouldn’t have lied to me, Trixie…” he said in a low voice. Then, he turned his back to leave her.

--

Kit opened the door of his room, and saw Calvin sitting on his bed and in his deep thoughts. “Cal?” she called as he entered his room. Calvin threw a glance at her, and then turned away from him. “Kit, leave me alone for a while, I need to think…” he said. “That’s why I’m here, I’ll help you think.” She said as she sat beside him. “You broke up with Trixie?” she asked. Calvin shook his head. “Let’s just say I don’t want to see her for a while.” He said. “She lied to me…” he said as he looked at her. “She’s not the paper crane girl…”
“So, now that you found out she’s not the paper crane girl, what are your plans now? You’ll break up with her? Does that mean that because she’s not the one you were looking for, you will not love her anymore?”
“I don’t know… I… I’m confused…”

Kit held his hand, and then smiled at him. “I know how much you love her, and I know how much she means to you, Calvin…” she said. “She may have lied to you, but can’t you forgive her for that? She only did that because she loves you. Give her another chance, Cal…” she said. “How can I give her another chance if I don’t trust her anymore?” he said. “It’s not as if she cheated on you. She just lied. I know it will take some time before you could rebuild your trust on her, but give Trixie another chance. She still deserves it after all…” she said to him.

Just then, Kit’s mobile phone rang. She took it from her pocket, and answered it. “Hello?”
“Kit, this is Mike…”
Calvin saw the shock on Kit’s face as she answered her phone. She stood up from his bed, and then went to one corner as she talked on the phone. He saw her nodding her head as she listened carefully to the caller. “OK, I’ll meet you there. Bye.” She said, ending the call. Then, Kit turned to Calvin. “Hey, I have to go. Just holler at me if you need anything, OK?” she said, walking up to the door. “Wait! Where are you going?” he asked. Kit paused, then looked at him again. “I.. uh… I’m meeting Hannah.” She said. Then, she went out of his room.

After she is gone, Calvin took his phone and called Hannah. “Hello, Hannah? Are you meeting Kit today?” he asked as soon as Hannah answered his call. “No… I’m with Joy today. We were looking for her as well, do you know where she is?” Hannah asked. After hearing what Hannah said, Calvin began to suspect something. Kit is hiding something from him, and he have to find out what it is.

--

Mike sat at the bench as he looked at his watch. He still have five minutes before Kit would come. He looked at the CD he was holding, and smiled to himself. He just hope that Kit would believe him this time. “Mike!” he heard someone call. He looked back, and he saw Kit walking up to him. Mike stood up and smiled at her. “I’m glad you came…” he said. “What proof do you have to drag Trixie to what you’ve done to me?” she asked him. Mike looked at her, and then handed him a CD.
What Kit didn’t know was that Calvin followed her. He saw Kit talking to Mike, and then he began to panic again. He rushed towards Kit’s side, and then pulled her away from him. “Calvin!” she shouted at him. Calvin glared at Mike, and then looked at Kit. “Why did you met up with this pervert? Aren’t you scared that he would molest you again?! You can’t trust this guy!” he shouted at Kit. Kit gave Calvin a confused look. “Calvin? Calm down, will you?” she told him. Calvin glared at Mike again. “What do you want from her?” he shouted at him. Mike remained unmoved by his anger. He just smirked at him, and then shove the CD in his chest. “Watch that, and you’ll find out.” He said to him. Then, Mike looked at Hannah and smiled. “Take care, Kit. This will be the last time you’ll see me. Thank you for the friendship.” He told her. He turned his back on them, and started to walk away. Half-way through, Mike paused, and then looked back at Kit. “Kit… I hope after this you would be able to forgive me. I never want to harm you, because I love you.” He said.

Calvin looked at the CD that Mike gave him, wondering what’s their content. “What is this?” he asked. Kit looked at the CD, and then took it from him. “Mike said it’s his proof…” she said. Calvin gave Kit a confused look. “Proof ?” he asked. Kit looked up at him. “He said… the things he did to me on the night of the party, he planned it with Trixie.”

--

“Should… should we really watch this?” Calvin asked Kit. They were at Kit’s room that time, after they met up with Mike at the park. Kit gave him an assuring smile and nodded her head. “There’s no risk in trying, right?” she said. Calvin smiled and then nodded his head. Kit put the CD inside the CD-ROM drive of her computer. She clicked on the play button, and the scene they saw on the screen shocked the two of them.

The first scene they saw is Mike and Trixie making out in Mike’s car, and then having sex. Kit was both shocked and worried for Calvin. She looked up at him, and saw him gets weak as he watched it. He stepped back, until he sat on Kit’s bed. That scene broke his heart. All this time, he thought that Trixie was faithful to him, but he was wrong. How could she betray him like this? He loved Trixie too much, but she chose to have an affair with Mike He. Watching his girlfriend being touched by another man is tearing him apart. It made him like the most useless man in the world.

“Calvin…” Kit said. She walked towards him, and hugged him tight. Calvin buried his face on her shoulder, and then he heard his soft sobs. She could also feel his heart breaking as well, and it hurts her, more than it hurts him. She couldn’t bear seeing her best friend hurt like this. “It’s going to be OK… I’m just here…” she whispered to him. She hugged him tight, hoping she could take away all the hurt he is feeling right now.

Kit slowly looked up at the screen, as she heard the conversation between Mike and Trixie,

“About the plan...”
“You're a very impatient boy, Mike He...”
“And you're such an evil princess, Trixie Yan. I can't believe you'll cheat on your boyfriend like this.”
“Serves him right...”
“Didn't you wait a long time to be with him? I thought you were going to be a good girl now that you have him.”
“How can I be a good girl if that bitch always gets in the way.”
“You really hate her that much...”
“So, the plan... the very evil plan…”
“I’m listening.”
“Find an opportunity to have her alone… drug her drink, and then you can do whatever it is that you want from her.”
“You mean, like I should rape her?”
“You got it. Then, she’s all yours…”
“That’s a very dangerous plan… what do I get in return.”
“I’ll be yours. Ultimately.”


--

As she saw Trixie, Kit stormed towards her. “Can we talk?” she told him, interrupting her happy chat with her friends. Trixie just looked at her. “What is there to talk about?” she asked. “It’s either you come with me so that we can talk in private, or let your friends know about you deep, dark secret…” Kit said. Trixie took a deep breath, and then she said goodbye to her friends and followed Kit to an empty room. As soon as they were alone, Kit faced Trixie. The latter could see the anger registering in her face. Kit walked towards her, and with all her might, she slapped her on the cheek. “How could you do this to him?!” Kit shouted at him. Trixie composed himself, and then looked at Kit, confused at what she was saying. “You promised me! You promised me that you will never break his heart, but what did you do? Why did you have to do this to him?” Hit shouted at him again. Trixie stared into her eyes trying to fight the tears from falling. “I… I didn’t mean to…” she said in a low voice. Kit glared at her as she shook her head. “Didn’t mean to? You didn’t mean to cheat on Calvin?” she said.

Trixie looked at her, shocked and confused. She thought that Kit was talking about the lie she made about being the paper crane girl. “I… I can’t understand…” she said as she shook her head. Kit crossed her arms and smiled bitterly at her. “Does ‘You liked being pleasure by this slut’ rings a bell?” she told him. Trixie was taken aback by what she said. “What… what do you mean?” she asked again. “Your affair with Mike He. We knew about it. And we also know that it was you who told Mike to rape me on Rainie’s party, didn’t you?” Kit said to him. “How… how did you found out?” Trixie asked nervously. “It doesn’t matter how Calvin and I found out about your little tryst with Mike. Now tell me why? Why did you betray him? Isn’t he enough for you, huh?”

Trixie wiped the tear from her eye. “He isn’t…” she answered. “And you know why? Because of you!” Trixie shouted at her. She walked towards her, while Kit turned her gaze from her. “He is my boyfriend, but you will always be his priority. It has always been you. You always steal him from me. He always worries about you, but me, he can’t even ask if I’m happy or not. I feel like you are more of his girlfriend than I am… and it hurts me, Kit. It breaks my heart…” she said. Trixie took a deep breath and then faced her again. “So don’t blame me if I cheated on him. It’s all your fault, Kit. If only you’re not getting in my way then-“
“Then you won’t cheat on him, won’t you? Why can’t you understand that I will always be part of his life?”
“Because I am selfish. I want Calvin by myself, and you are a threat to me. I feel like anytime, you will be taking him from me…”

Kit lowered her head. She didn’t mean to make her think that she would be stealing Calvin from her. When they got together, Kit have always thought that Trixie would steal Calvin from her, she never thought that Trixie would feel the same way as her. “I will never do that…” she said in a low voice. “Calvin loves you too much…” then, she looked up at her. “But you chose to break his heart.”

--

Calvin opened the door of the room and saw Kit and Trixie inside. He saw Kit looked up at her, then looked at Trixie. “If you love Calvin, don’t hurt him. If you are not happy anymore, then let him go. Look at him. Look how broken he is…” Kit said to Trixie. Then, Kit turned to Trixie again. “I trust that you are mature enough to know what to do. I’ll leave the two of you to talk for a while.” She walked towards the door, and before she leaves, she looked up at Calvin and smiled.

Calvin entered the room and walked towards Trixie. “I will not ask anything from you, Trixie. Just talk. Let me know what I have to know.” He said to her. “Do you know why I fell in love with you?” Trixie asked him. Calvin shook his head. “Because of how you treat Kit. I see that you love making her smile. You always worry about her. You care for her more than anything else in this world. I said to myself that I wanted to have that kind of love that this boy is giving to this girl, so I decided to chase you. I decided to fall for you. But, you always push me away. It’s like I’m a plague that you’re avoiding, and it hurts me as well, Calvin…” she looked up at him. Teary-eyes, she smiled at him. “That’s why I lied as your paper crane. I got you for a while, and I was happy. But Kit… she always gets your attention. And I hated her for that. That’s why I threatened her, asked her to stay away from you, until that point that I ruined the two of you. When I found out that you two are in good terms again, I decided to get back at her. I was scared she will steal you from me, and I cannot live without you… not now…”

Calvin remained unmoved by her tears. “Then, why did you cheat on me? Why did you put Kit in danger? Is it because you love me too much?” he asked. Trixie shook her head. “No… I admit, I was wrong… I was carried away by my hatred that’s why I did all those things… and I’m sorry for what I have done. The only wrong thing I did in this life is to love you so much…” she said in tears. “You should know very well that I could never forgive you… from your lies, to your betrayal. It hurts here in my heart.. and I could only wish that you have killed me instead.” He said to her. Trixie lowered her head, letting the tears fall from her eyes. “I know… I know…” she said in a low voice. Then, she looked up at him. “And I can’t bear to hurt you anymore, because it’s hurting me as well…” Calvin looked into her eyes, and he could see the sadness in it. “I’m letting you go…” she whispered to him. “It’s over…” he said. She reached up to him, and kissed him on the lips for the last time.

Labels: 99 Paper Cranes, fan fic