2| Traumatized First Love

Casey Bright

"You guys know each other?" David and my mom were a little surprised.

I turned to David, trying to explain. "I-"

"It's our first time meeting!" Malik interrupted my explanation.

I looked at him, and he didn't look at me. As if I wasn't there.

"He's right. This is our first meeting." Although I didn't know his goal, I also followed Malik's play by claiming we didn't know each other. There's no way he'd forget me.

I also returned Malik's hand. "Casey."

"Malik," replied the young man briefly and coldly.

I felt an icy stare and pierced him. He had given me the same look–full of hatred and disgust–two years ago in middle school.

Maybe our parents should have realized we had been to the same school, even for only three months.

I was only 14 years old when I transferred to Malik's school in Tuneca City. I can't possibly forget it.

It was winter. I studied there for three months. During that time, I had no friends. Suddenly in the second month, a group of girls from another class approached me and said they wanted to be my friend.

Because life moves too often, I was obsessed with wanting to have friends at that time. They asked me to chat and received me well. But their kindness is never heartfelt.

"Hey, Casey, do you want to be our friend?"

"Yes, of course." I was really excited at that time.

"Tell us, are there any students you have a crush on here?"

I can't tell them. Even though I only studied there for two months, I already fell in love with one of the students. Love at first sight.

"Nothing," I replied.

"Are you sure there isn't? We all really idolized Malik. Too bad he's so cold, mysterious, and hard to approach."

I'm also embarrassed. I felt relieved that I had lied to them. What happens if I tell the truth that I have a crush on Malik? Maybe they will laugh at me or even be hostile to me.

"Then you have passed the first condition to become our friend." They glance at each other. "But, there are challenges you must do to join our group. Are you able to do it?"

I was really innocent back then, or maybe stupid. I agree with the terms they put forward.

"If you want to be friends with us, then you have to be able to complete the challenges we give you. Tonight go to the entertainment district at midnight. Stand under a tree near the fork in the road…"

Stupidly, that night I actually went there. I put my hands in my coat pockets and wrapped my head in my mom's knitted scarf. It was a freezing night. My breath got steamy.

As they requested, I walked a long way until I arrived at an entertainment district area. There are many bars, cafes, karaoke places, and other nightspots. I'm still underage. If any cops caught me, I could be in trouble.

I stood under a tree near the fork in the road. They promised they would come and we would have fun that night. I think it's one of the juvenile delinquents I have experienced at least once.

I've been waiting a long time, and they haven't come. A message came to my cellphone.

"We're watching you from afar, Casey. You don't need to find out where we are. You only need to carry out one mission. If it works, we'll come there and accept you as a friend. Do you agree?"

With hands shaking from the cold, I texted back. "What mission should I do?"

A few minutes later, they replied to my message.

"You have to kiss the first guy who appears from the end of the street and passes you! It doesn't matter who he is–old or young–you must do it. No mercy!"

"WHAT?"

I immediately looked around for them but saw no one. Even so, I knew they were watching me from somewhere.

I can only grind my teeth against the cold and get annoyed with the challenges they give.

The street was utterly deserted, and it was almost one in the morning now. I could have gone home and forgotten everything, but they would be against me tomorrow at school.

I wished in my heart that I didn't meet an old or perverted man. I just crouched under a tree and looked straight at the end of the alley at the T-junction.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" I thought then.

I stood up, hugging my own arms. I'm going home already. Just then, I saw someone suddenly appear at the end of the street.

I really got goosebumps looking at him. It was a person I really didn't expect. A middle-aged man staggered in his crumpled work clothes.

"Jeez, should I kiss him? He's a drunk uncle. What if he misbehaves and perverts me?"

I closed my eyes tightly.

"But, if I run away, they will definitely…."

Like a fool, I stood in the middle of the road waiting for the man to approach me. There's no one else around me. There are only drunk men. He was getting closer to me.

I closed my eyes and cursed my own stupidity.

"Run!" I muttered. "Run!"

I still have a chance to stop this ridiculous game. Nothing forces me to continue.

But on the other hand, I say that I'm a coward. At that moment, I opened my eyes and decided to finish this challenge. I will show that I am worthy of being their friend.

I was ready to approach the drunken man. Five more steps, and we will meet.

Right at that moment, someone suddenly appeared from behind. He was a young man who covered his head with a hoodie and carried a large bag on his back.

He knocked the drunk man over to the terrace of the store. I'm not ready to dodge. After bumping into the drunk guy, he also bumped into me.

We both fell over.

The youth boiled my body. I'm really squeezed. I don't know what got into my mind. The drunken man is no longer my target but this young man. Because this young man was the first to arrive where I was waiting.

It was an opportunity for me. I grabbed his head and kissed him quickly.

"Hey!" shouted the young man. "What are you doing?" He was trying to get away from me.

As soon as I opened my eyes, I saw the tips of his brown hair dangling from behind the hood. Our eyes met.

Malik? God, what fate is this? I kissed Malik?

Malik also quickly got up.

I was too shocked and still stunned. I'm still sitting on the pavement. My eyes are still on Malik's handsome face. He ran away from me.

A few minutes later, girls appeared out of nowhere. They are very angry with me.

"Bitch!" shouted one of the girls while slapping me.

"Why? What did I do wrong?" I stood confused.

The five of them surrounded me until I was cornered against the shuttered shutters of one of the shops.

"You ... dare to kiss Malik?"

"I-I didn't know it was him–"

Slap!

"Damn, girl!"

They started beating and kicking me.

I can't fight. That's what Mama always told me. If I fight, then things will get more complicated. I'm just trying to protect my body as hard as possible.

My whole body hurts. They left me battered. I fell back onto the pavement. I sat there kneeling like an idiot and watched the girls leave me alone.

It was then that I realized that the game had just begun.

The next day at school, everyone looked at me with disgust and hatred. They don't even hesitate to throw trash in my face. I still don't know what causes it.

I arrived at the school lobby. All the students gathered in front of the notice board. That's when I knew what had happened.

Pictures of me kissing Malik on the street in the entertainment district were there in abundance. Under the photo, there is an inscription. LITTLE SLUT!

I am so ashamed and angry. I pulled out all the photos and captions full of ridicule from every place I could reach.

The female students started hating me, while the male students started harassing me, both verbally and physically. Some don't hesitate to say they want to make love to me.

It all happened just because I accidentally kissed Malik.

"This is a misunderstanding!" I screamed at everyone, but no one cared.

During the following month, I continued to receive terror and hostility. Moreover, Malik never appeared at school after the incident.

I feel so bad for Malik. I went looking for him to apologize and clear up this misunderstanding.

One of Malik's friends told me to go to a place in the entertainment district on a Wednesday night.

I'm in an underground illegal club. Every Wednesday night, there is live music there. I didn't know there was such a place. There are even a lot of middle and high school students who come there.

A gothic girl standing chewing gum in front of the club entrance. She held out her hand to me.

"You have to buy a ticket if you want to enter!"

"Actually, I came to look for someone."

"Here is not a social institution!" she replied curtly.

"If I buy a ticket, will you tell me?"

The girl chewed her gum faster and glared at me. "Buy a ticket three times the normal price, then I will answer your question!"

I reached into my trouser pocket and handed her a few dollar bills.

The girl was shocked and burst her gum. "You really paid triple? Who do you want to find?"

"A young man with brown hair. He's this tall." I raised my hand a few inches above my head. "He has a slender body and a handsome face. His name is Malik. I don't know his surname."

"Malik? I don't know Malik."

The girl asked me to pull over while serving other visitors who wanted to buy tickets.

"But I know someone with the features you mentioned. You're not the first girl to look for him. Almost every day, beautiful girls always come looking for him. But I don't think you're one of them."

I am offended. "So you're saying I'm not pretty?"

I don't care. I do have freckles on my face. My hair is also red. I never complain about what I have.

"Tell me, where can I meet him? Is he a regular visitor here?"

“Dash?” The girl raised an eyebrow. "So you really don't know who Dash is?"

I shook my head.

"Wow, which innocent girl is he playing with now?" The girl muttered.

"I don't have time. Can you hurry up, please? Show me where he is!"

"Yeah, you look really rushed. You can enter through the back. He's usually backstage."

I turned towards the side door that the ticket girl was pointing at.

Does Malik work in this club? Is he young enough to work in a place like this?

I walked down the narrow alley leading me to the music club's back. I noticed many musical instruments in one corner, some clothes, and makeup tools. This is the back of the stage where the musicians are getting ready to perform.

As I was about to turn into a room whose door was open, I saw Malik's reflection in the mirror. I stopped when I saw him with a girl.

"I miss you so much, Dash. You never answer my calls.”

Also, I could see the girl suddenly embracing Malik so possessively from the mirror. She even planted a kiss on Malik's lips. I closed my eyes and turned away.

"What am I doing here?" Suddenly my tears fell. I rubbed it quickly and then left the place. I was worried that they would catch me.

"So… he really is that kind of young man? It seemed he was used to kissing girls. Then why did I bother coming here to clear up the misunderstanding about that night's kiss? I'm being ridiculous."

Bruh!

My foot tripped on one of the tables piled in the corner. I cursed softly. As I was about to leave, someone grabbed my arm from behind.

"You're stalking me?"