Redo, Rewind, Replay
"Serena Claire? Is that you, sweetheart?" he asked when I quietly shut the door.
He was sitting on the bed, unaware of the darkness around him and the tiny stream of light that was flowing in through the window. I stayed silently, still debating on whether or not I should impersonate my twin. The smile that had suddenly appeared on his lips convinced me otherwise; he was not expecting me. He wanted to see her.
"Sorry I'm late," I said. "Are you alright? I heard the news from the doctor."
"It's only for a few weeks," he responded, touching the bandage that covered his eyes, "You can be my eyes until then."
I laughed nervously: "If you trust me that much."
"Of course I do, sweetheart. You're my light!" He smiled in my direction.
I almost melted, thinking that those words were for me. Letting out a soft chuckle, I approached him, touching the bandages wrapped around his eyes softly until he reached up, touching my hand with his bandage covered ones, and pulled me close to him. I jumped, following his lead while hoping that he wouldn't recognize my stiffness. Serena is always so comfortable with these things. I touched his hands as well, quite glad that for once, he is not able to feel my callused fingers.
"William." I swallowed. "Are you sure you're alright? What happened?"
"I wasn't paying attention. The driver stopped in time, I only ended up with temporary blindness... and this," he laughed, poking at his binded leg.
William Drak, the daredevil. It wouldn't have been surprising to hear that he walked onto the street on purpose while the car was coming by. While Serena always thought it stupid that he'd pretend to risk his life to prove his love, I thought otherwise. The man who would smile so brightly as he slowly walked across the street full of passing cars. Even stupidity could be a charm.
"So how's Selena doing?" he suddenly asked. "I haven't heard from her lately."
I froze. I never thought of what to say if he had asked about me. How was I doing? Hearing the news that he had walked himself into an incident that had gotten him blind brought me straight to the hospital with no time to warn my sister, who was enjoying lunch with her friends. Even on the way here, my stomach was sinking deeper and deeper, making me sicker by the second. The nurses had even offered me a place to rest when I insisted to see him.
And when I did..
"You should rest some,” I told him, pushing his forehead back.
The smile disappeared from his lips when he suddenly grabbed my hands, quickly examining my fingers from the strange sensation he had earlier felt. When I struggled to pull from his hands, he asked: "Sweetheart, what's wrong with your hands? Why are they so rough?"
From archery practice. "Selena's been so busy with school lately that I've been having to help my father teach his classes."
It was true, technically. Serena was the one who was busy, though she's never touched a bow before. She usually carried the drinks to the disciples, who would gladly abandon Selena's lessons to get drinks from the prettier and nicer twin. Now that she's busier than ever, I had to take up the job after teaching as well.
"You should be careful,” he teased.
"I should get going now. So you can rest..." I lied. "I'll get you your homework materials for next time. I have a lot of homework tonight too."
He was sitting on the bed, unaware of the darkness around him and the tiny stream of light that was flowing in through the window. I stayed silently, still debating on whether or not I should impersonate my twin. The smile that had suddenly appeared on his lips convinced me otherwise; he was not expecting me. He wanted to see her.
"Sorry I'm late," I said. "Are you alright? I heard the news from the doctor."
"It's only for a few weeks," he responded, touching the bandage that covered his eyes, "You can be my eyes until then."
I laughed nervously: "If you trust me that much."
"Of course I do, sweetheart. You're my light!" He smiled in my direction.
I almost melted, thinking that those words were for me. Letting out a soft chuckle, I approached him, touching the bandages wrapped around his eyes softly until he reached up, touching my hand with his bandage covered ones, and pulled me close to him. I jumped, following his lead while hoping that he wouldn't recognize my stiffness. Serena is always so comfortable with these things. I touched his hands as well, quite glad that for once, he is not able to feel my callused fingers.
"William." I swallowed. "Are you sure you're alright? What happened?"
"I wasn't paying attention. The driver stopped in time, I only ended up with temporary blindness... and this," he laughed, poking at his binded leg.
William Drak, the daredevil. It wouldn't have been surprising to hear that he walked onto the street on purpose while the car was coming by. While Serena always thought it stupid that he'd pretend to risk his life to prove his love, I thought otherwise. The man who would smile so brightly as he slowly walked across the street full of passing cars. Even stupidity could be a charm.
"So how's Selena doing?" he suddenly asked. "I haven't heard from her lately."
I froze. I never thought of what to say if he had asked about me. How was I doing? Hearing the news that he had walked himself into an incident that had gotten him blind brought me straight to the hospital with no time to warn my sister, who was enjoying lunch with her friends. Even on the way here, my stomach was sinking deeper and deeper, making me sicker by the second. The nurses had even offered me a place to rest when I insisted to see him.
And when I did..
"You should rest some,” I told him, pushing his forehead back.
The smile disappeared from his lips when he suddenly grabbed my hands, quickly examining my fingers from the strange sensation he had earlier felt. When I struggled to pull from his hands, he asked: "Sweetheart, what's wrong with your hands? Why are they so rough?"
From archery practice. "Selena's been so busy with school lately that I've been having to help my father teach his classes."
It was true, technically. Serena was the one who was busy, though she's never touched a bow before. She usually carried the drinks to the disciples, who would gladly abandon Selena's lessons to get drinks from the prettier and nicer twin. Now that she's busier than ever, I had to take up the job after teaching as well.
"You should be careful,” he teased.
"I should get going now. So you can rest..." I lied. "I'll get you your homework materials for next time. I have a lot of homework tonight too."
"Did you get to go see him today, Selena?" Serena asked, looking at me curiously while I finished packing the rest of the laundry.
"Yea. He seems fine." Another lie. I didn't really want her to come visit him.
"Really? That's good. I was worried for a second."
"He was looking for you." What am I doing? Why am I--
"I'm too busy to see him right now." Her response was brisk and cold.
"Serena, did something happen?" I asked, unable to believe what I was hearing.
She turned to me, smiling sadly as she replied: "Yes."
"Yea. He seems fine." Another lie. I didn't really want her to come visit him.
"Really? That's good. I was worried for a second."
"He was looking for you." What am I doing? Why am I--
"I'm too busy to see him right now." Her response was brisk and cold.
"Serena, did something happen?" I asked, unable to believe what I was hearing.
She turned to me, smiling sadly as she replied: "Yes."
Breathing lightly, I entered the room once more, shaking.
This time, he was sitting towards the window, with his back facing me. The light from the window filled the room this time, for the curtains were pulled back for the sun. Because of the glare, I saw nothing but his back's silhouette. When I shut the door, he didn't turn around, instead, said: "Is that you, sweetheart?"
"Sorry, I'm late."
"You took a while to come back. I was beginning to think that you ditched me, Selena," said William.
"When did you know?" I asked, bewildered.
"Serena doesn't like it when I call her sweetheart," he chuckled and explained “And you'd wonder about how a girl who constantly uses lotion could get calluses in a matter of a few hours... I was talking to her that day, before she broke up with me. She told me everything."
"...everything?"
"About how you were the one who made the lunch she brought me everyday. Even that scarf she gave to me on Christmas. If I didn't know any better, Selena, I'd say you love me."
He turned around, revealing un-bandaged eyes. The clear blue eyes gazed at me, challenging me to deny his claim. "So pray tell, Selena, do you think I know any better?"
"I... don't know." I replied.
He approached me this time, walking towards me until he closed the distance between us. "I daresay this is quite the unrequited love. Do you think I'm too forward?"
I couldn't answer properly. He has never been this close to me before. Even last time, it was because he thought I was Serena. And now...
"William.."
"Give me a chance, Selena. You're already found out anyways. No use hiding behind your sister's back and giving me things all the time. I want them directly from you."
"How could you say that after my sister? Didn't she matter?" I didn't know what I was saying. It was as though I was practically yelling at him to get back at her. "After all my efforts to get you two together, you're gonna go and--"
He was too brash. His lips were too rough. He was too forward. His hands were too strong. He was too forceful. His embrace was too possessive. I melted under his touch, feeling my legs become jelly before he held me, supporting me.
"You really don't think that I'd believe for a second that Serena knit an entire scarf in one night, do you?"
I became silent, remembering Serena's words. She told me to go for it. I couldn't. I wouldn't. There's no way I could do that to her.
"Do you know why she broke up with me?"
"I have an idea."
"Care to hear my side?"
"If you care to share."
"She said that you loved me."
I stared at him curiously. He continued: "She told me to look at the right corner of the scarf that you made, and since I was blind, I asked one of the nurses. She said there was a heart there. Care to confirm?"
"A signature." I lied.
"Sweetheart, you can get pretty stubborn."
"Maybe you should give up."
"Not until you give me a chance."
I stared at his puppy eyes. Perhaps it would be a promising decision. I had wanted this from the beginning, and now he wants it. What more could happen? A lot. The inevitable end that would come as soon as our feelings falter. I don't want that to come. I--
"Hi there, my name is William Drak. Since you're not going to answer, I'm going to assume that you're giving me a chance." He smiled brightly, holding his hand out.
I laughed, taking it: "Sure, why not? My name is Selena Claire."
"That's a pretty name, Selena Claire. Will you go out with me?"