30.8.08

Chapter 16

Your brother ! My mind was screaming. I eyed a baseball bat Ryan left the night before when he came back from his game. I picked it up and Ryan saw me in the corner of his eyes and pushed Dylan off. I stood there, with the bat in my hand and looked from one man to another.

“Honey, you wanna hit me? After all we been through?” Ryan put on a sad puppy face.

“Lisa, put down the bat” Dylan tried to coax me.

“Lisa, how can you just run away with this man? Has he been there for you like I did? Where was he during the accident?” Ryan pointed a finger accusingly at Dylan.

“You hid her away from us. What right do you have to do so?” Dylan was so angry, I could see his face turning red.

“The fact that I love her and she deserves to be with me “

“You have no right to say anything like that. The bottom line is, she’s my sister. You love her? You were too busy shoving your tongue downs a whore’s throat! ” Dylan raised his voice.

What is he talking about? Holy crap, here comes the headache again. I see myself crying, Ryan with another girl, Dylan punching Ryan. These thoughts all swirled in my head and I dropped the bat to clutch my head. Make the pain stop!!

“Sis, what’s wrong?” Dylan came to me.

Before I could answer him, I saw Ryan picked up the bat and aimed for Dylan. Without a single thought, I threw myself over Dylan’s back before he realized it himself , then I heard a thud. There was no pain, surprisingly until I turned and saw Jay Chou passed out on the floor. I gasped and looked at Ryan whom looked shocked, then when I found my voice, I screamed.

“Oh my God.. oh man .. “ I started crying with hands trembling as my brother took out his cell phone.

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“When I asked for your help, I didn’t expect you to do this” I gestured to his head.

Jay smiled a little. “My head is a tough nut, Lis” he joked.

“Yeah but if Ryan hit you so hard, then you will not remember how to make beautiful music anymore and everyone would abandon you then your career could have gone down the drain”

I sounded like a broken tape but I was really worried about him. Well, now less worried since he’s in the hospital with a bandage around his head.

“You are really dumb, Lis” he laughed.

I looked at him with disbelief. What? I’m dumb??

“You shouldn’t have covered yourself over your brother like that”

I blushed. Look at me, trying to act all heroine trying to protect my brother.

“But you’re cool” he smiled.

“You’re dumb too. Jumping on me like that. You could get hurt .. and I mean serious injury”

“You’re my friend Lis. Of course I will try to protect you”

We smiled at each other and I sighed. So this is where I belong then. Ryan was just lying to me. Just then, the door opened and an old woman with Tom and Dylan walked in.

“Jie Lun, are you okay or not ?” she rushed to his side.

I guessed this is his mother, the one I saw in the photo back home in my bedroom, then I looked up at Tom and our eyes just locked in place for a moment.

“What happened actually?” he looked away and diverted his attention back to Jay.

“I called him .. “ I tried to explain but Jay cut me halfway.

“I just slipped and fell down the stairs” he smiled goofily.

“Isn’t it best if I tell the truth?” I looked at him.

Before I could tell the truth, Dylan grabbed my arm and gently pulled me aside and he revealed the whole truth, from the beginning of my accident. After that several minutes, the old lady’s jaws had dropped to the floor and Tom’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out from the socket. It was like as if time stood still as the old woman came to me and held my hands.

“Honey , I have no idea. I thought you don’t want to be our friends anymore”

Tom stepped forward a little too “Lisa, can I see you outside for a while?”

I nodded and walked out as he held the door open for me. Once we were outside, we stood across each other like strangers who never had any kind of intimacy before. I studied him. This is my boyfriend yet I’m studying him. Big hands, long arms, strong legs, built body and well, he’s actually quite handsome. He has the big brown soft eyes that make you want to hug him.

“ Lisa, did you hear what I just said?”

What? What did he just said?

“I’m sorry, I’m just trying to place you in my memory” I smiled apologetically.

He looked at me with a smile. A warm smile, not those creepy old pervert smiles who sat next to you in the bus. Oh . dimple ..

“We used to go out”

“Used to?” I cringed a little.

Is he breaking up with me?

“I dunno if you still wanna go out with me” he glanced down at the floor.

I could see from the corner of my eyes, he was turning red like he just asked a girl out and unsure of her feelings. Maybe it was that boyish charm that made me fell for him.

“I didn’t say I don't want to” whoa.. where did that came from?

He looked up at me and I could see hope in his eyes.

“Can I take you out sometime soon?” he smiled

I nodded with a smile. “I would love that”

I really want to know this guy again. Somehow one way or another, he must have meant a lot to me by the way everyone is talking about him. Wow, what a life I must have led eh. I know a celebrity and I have a gorgeous boyfriend.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked timidly.

After getting the approval nod, I asked him about our history.

“That will be quite a story. Care for dinner tomorrow night?”

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“ He has seen you in those gigantic t shirt with no make up and auntie hair”

Gail had told me when I asked her how ugly had I looked in front of Tom.

“And he still like me? “ I laughed nervously.

“Tom is not that shallow. Come on, get ready for your dinner”

To be honest, I was nervous. Its like I’m trying to impress Tom all over again, like a job interview or something. What does he like me to wear? Wait, what am I doing? He has seen me in my worst state and he’s still asking me out. That must count as something right? I was putting on my necklace while smoothing my blue dress out of wrinkles. This necklace has a little key hung on it. It looked odd but it looked quite expensive.. except the clasp is kind of hard to grasp.

Before I could handled it myself, Tom had slipped out of nowhere and took matters into his own hands, holding the clasp and putting it on me.

“I should have gotten the one with the bigger clasp”

So this was a present from him. I turned to him and he was smiling, genuinely happy that I was wearing his present. I shouldn’t spoil it by telling him I don’t remember he was the one who gave me this. He looked adorable with a collar opened shirt, just the way I like.

“You look cute” he stepped forward and kissed my forehead.

By the end of dinner, I had almost understand why I had been going out with Tom. He had a background of a kid on the street, parents who don’t want him and most importantly, a plan for the future. At the same time, he talks passionately about Madam Ye, animals and cooking.

“I never told you how much I like to cook” he laughed.

“Why not?”

“I think it’s a little feminine” he looked at me.

I felt like I have to say something. I couldn’t keep letting him on. He is my boyfriend and I need to find my feelings fast. Unfortunely I can’t seem to be attracted to him. We do have certain chemistry but the spark is not there.

“Tom” I stopped walking.

We were taking a slow walk before going back home in his Lamborghini.

“I know what you are going to say Lis. You’re gonna tell me you don’t remember who am I and you don’t have any feelings for me” he shrugged while he kept walking.

I walked behind him slowly. I could see his shoulder sagged a little and I didn’t want to approach him that way. That tone he just used sounded so hurt and disappointed.

“If it helps, I really don’t want to feel this way. I really want to know why I got together with you. I’m frustrated with this memory loss”

He turned around and walked back to me.

“I think this accident is frustrating to me too. I lost my girlfriend and when I got her back, she doesn’t remember me. It frustrates me that I thought something happen to her after her commercial shoot and when I saw her again, she was in the arms of her ex boyfriend, the bastard. Do you know how does it feel to see someone you like in the arms of another man?”

That sounded very accusing.

“Do you think this is fun for me? To wake up and dunno anything about yourself, then to be lead on by a man who lies to me and been torn apart from my family. The man who tells me that I have no one else in my life except him. Do you know how happy I was when I found Dylan? This is not a bed of roses for me Tom. I woke up as a woman who has no job and it terrifies me. The only good thing going on in my life now is I get up with the knowledge that somewhere someone out there needs me and cares for me. I’m 24 and jobless. It scares the shit out of me. It scares me when I dunno which is reality. Am I leading a double life? Am I a nutcase? ”

I practically broke down. I really didn’t want to. I want to be strong and confident but I’m so confused and it scared me that I have no feelings for Tom. The man who is now holding me as I spilled my tears on the sidewalk of the restaurant.

“I didn’t realize how hard it was for you” he said softly.

One last try. I need to know how much I had meant to him.

“I’m sorry I don’t have feelings for you” I blurted out.

A pained look shadowed his face for a while but it passed.

“Can I at least be your friend?” he asked painfully.

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I woke up with my phone ringing near my ear. Groaning and cursing , I shut it off. Alarm. Pfft .. why did I set an alarm anyways? It’s not like I need to go to work. Wait, I did not set up my alarm. As i struggled to sit up, the phone rang again. That phone call made me smile the whole day.

“Ge!!” I threw my phone on my bed and ran out of the door to knock on my brother’s door.

He was stirring up as I threw myself on his bed.

“What is it? It’s not even 8 am yet” he glanced at his alarm clock.

“I don’t care. Mr Chen called”

It took him a moment or two to recall who is Mr Chen.

“The fella who got you the Loreal commercial?”

I nodded repeatedly like a broken toy bunny.

“I’m getting my paycheck and he landed me in another commercial for orange juice!”

Dylan smiled. “Wow, I never seen you so happy for quite some time now”

“I know! I’m gonna go tell Gail then I’m going to the hospital to tell Jay “

I rushed to the door when Dylan called me.

“Tell Tom too ok?”

I nodded obediently.

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I was stunned when I saw three ladies standing in the room with Jay.

“Hey, are you allowed in here?” the one with the short hair cut glanced at me.

“It’s ok. She’s a friend” Jay raised a hand up.

One of them had long hair and dressed in a stunning silver dress approached me. She approached me! A nobody!

“Wait. I met you before at Jay’s house. You’re that girl .. Lina right?”

“Lisa, actually. You know me? You’re Selina SHE right?”

I couldn’t believe it. Who else do I know? Do I know any other celebrity? Do I know Oprah?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you are a friend of Jay’s”

How could I be mad at Ella? She’s like the coolest Tomboy I ever known. Hebe was smiling at the corner but she was pretty. I liked her better with longer hair but oh well .. she still look gorgeous.

“Lisa did a commercial in Loreal” Selina explained.

Wow, she even knows this. It’s like as though we are close friends and she knows this stuff about me. I don’t think that’s possible but hey no one judge a girl for dreaming of her prince charming right? So no one should judge me for dreaming of being best friends with a celebrity.

“I have another offer to be in another commercial” I smiled shyly.

Jay smiled and gosh, dimple. Why am I always surrounded by dimple guys?

“Oh, which commercial?” Hebe asked.

Good, now she seems to be interested in me. I could tell by the big eyes of hers

“Just a small orange juice part” I brushed it off like nothing but deep inside, I was doing a little dance. I just can’t look too star struck. These people probably had done thousands of commercials.

We just sat at Jay’s hospital bed and started talking. Surprisingly I blended in well with them. Ella seems a bit tough and on the edge, Selina was prim and proper and Hebe was just shy and interesting. Wow, I’m actually chatting with SHE.

“Oh, we gotta go. We have our new album to record” Hebe got up.

“Already? That was fast” I was a bit disappointed.

Ella smiled amusingly “It’s been an hour Lisa”

I blushed and they excused themselves

“I should leave too. I been bugging you for so long. I just wanted to come down here to tell you about the commercial gig that was offered to me” I stood up.

“Lisa, have you told Tom?” Jay asked me.

I shook my head “ I was thinking of telling him later”

“I’m really happy for you. You do know that right? I know this is a big deal for you. I could see you were trying to suppress your excitement so that you don’t look like a fan girl in front of us but we were once human before we were superstar, Lis. We .. at least I understand”

“Thank you Jay” I reached his hand for a shake.

Instead I was surprised when he held my hand and pulled me towards him and gently placed a kiss on my cheek with his hand pushing my hair to the back of my ear. For a moment, I forgot to breathe.