Chapter 4: Love Or Obsession?

Hazel, along with her friends, went to a white-coated bungalow. She knocked on the door.

“You are in your boyfriend’s house; you don’t have to knock on the door.” Alice spat and pushed her away from the door. Kicking it open at once. The guys rushed to them, welcoming them in.

Alice gave her boyfriend, Adam. A 6ft, olive-toned skin guy a welcome hug. Same as Hazel and Felix. Felix has blond curly hair, forest green eyes and he’s 6 ft 4. After the hug, he swept her off her feet and Hazel clung to him like a lifebuoy.

“Drop me down, please!” She cried like a child.

Noah and Jane are very close friends, too. The boys had simple t-shirts, singles, and shorts on. Blue timidly sat on the couch. Roman, who had an eye for her, sat right next to her. They were all tattooed except for him. Roman handed her a red plastic cup, and she held unto it.

“What can I offer you?” Adam asked Alice, bushing a finger through his thick, black hair behind his ear. He had a glint of excitement in his honey-brown eyes.

“Hazel mum’s birthday is today.” Alice blurted out, pulling the curvy body away from him. “I’m so satisfied. I just need to rest.”

“Stay with me a little. You just got here.” He gave Alice a puppyish look, but she pushed him away.

“I’ll be in the room.”

Adam joined the others, seated in a row on the white couch. They painted the house white, both the interior and the exterior. The four boys, Noah, Felix, Roman and Adam, live together.

“What’s up Hazel? Adam faced her. So today is your mum’s birthday, and you didn’t invite me?”

“When I haven’t even introduced Noah to her? It’s not as if you’re my boyfriend.” She rolled her eyes at him, drinking from a red plastic cup.

“Her mum gave us $1000 each!” Jane interrupted, making the boys gnaw at themselves.

“Where is mine?” Adam twitched his fingers at her. “Because I know Alice won’t share hers with me.”

“Have you ever bought me anything?” Hazel hissed. “When last did you check on me?”

Adam went quiet and a glass shattering sound made the seven of them glare at the room.

“Who the fuck are you? Get out if this house, bitch!” It was Alice. She met a girl on Adam’s bed and kicked her like a piece of shit.

“Who are you to send me out?!” the girl, who was already in tears, asked defensively and a hit slap whizzed across her face. Alice dug her long fingernails like eagle claws into the girl’s Hazel-brown hair, dragging her along like a dog.

In shock, Adam rushed towards the room and burst in on them, astounded.

Dazed as a frog about to be swallowed by a snake, the girl rushed towards Adam, hiding behind his back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Adam’s honey-brown eyes flashed at hers for answers. Darker than it was earlier.

“You really disappointed me!” Alice snapped at him. “I know how often you cheat on me, but this is the limit! So this is what you do when I’m not around, right? You invite your slut... You think I don’t know her? A first-year student disrespected me. Are you freaking crazy? Who does that?!”

Adam turned to his friends, and they were all shocked to the bones. Their tongues were tasteless, like the taste of coffee when one expects tea, including Hazel.

“I know you’ll apologize to me as usual, but I won’t forgive you this time, trust me! I’ll make sure you dump this slut!” Alice turned her burning gaze to the girl. “I’ll make sure how in love Adam is with me, you pig!”

“Ally, Ally...” Adam called calmly, to get her attention.

“Yes, what is it?!” Alice barked at him, unable to ignore the stab of jealousy in her.

“This is Amelia, my niece, you so wanted to meet.”

Her eyes dropped at others, and a feeling of guilt filled her.

“They’re blood related, okay?” Roman pointed out, with a piece of pizza at hand.

“Babe, I’m sorry. I thought she was one of your sluts.”

“Sluts? Amelia isn’t even up to 17! I can’t believe you beat her up my niece just because...” He stopped, unable to complete the sentence.

“I’m sorry.” Her voice came as a plea.

“Fuck!” He hissed and helped Amelia back into his room.

“I’m sorry.” Alice whined at Adam like a child.

Others in the room were still speechless by her attitude. It was unbelievable how she just acted.

“Why are you a staring at me as if I’m mad?” She pouted her lips with tears welling up in her doe-like eyes.

“But you’re mad!” Blue replied. She was 22 and the eldest among the four. “You can’t be okay and perform what you just did now.”

“But Adam is my boyfriend.” Her voice softened while her glance lingered at her fingers, caressing a fingernail that just broke. “I love him with my whole soul.”

“In your boyfriend’s house! Who does that?!”

“Blue, she’s not mad.” Jane intervened. “She’s in love.”

“Please don’t mistake love for obsession. That’s not love, that’s obsession, and it makes no sense.” Hazel snapped.

“They both work together like two sides of a coin. Don’t blame her.” Jane concluded and advised. “Find what you love. Don’t let it kill you.”

“Hmmm... You would understand better because you’re in a relationship with Noah. But Blue, we’ve been friends for the past six years.” Jane implied. “She hasn’t been in a relationship before, and can understand none of this.”

With sour faces, they all turned away. Jane’s words pissed blue, but she kept calm.

“Love is passion, obsession, someone you can’t live without. If you don’t start with that, what are you going to end up with? Guys, just help me beg, my love.” Alice told his friends. A faint, slightly cynical smirk curved on their lips.

“You acted terrible. Too bad.” Felix observed.

“It was out of love, trust me. I didn’t beat her like that.” Alice lied, defending herself. It wasn’t their first fight. She always had a reason not to let go.

Seated right next to Roman, Blue clasped her hands together, and he noticed her calmness. Offering her a piece of pizza, she raised a hand, signalling ‘no’ without words. He kept on stealing glances at her while Jane scarfed the pizza.