ROSES AND THORNS-BEING REAL

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT-REALITY

THE STORM

"Thanks Real." Taylor pulls me into a hug.

"Justice had to be served."

"That's my baby sister. I knew something was up." Tace says as he pats me at the back. Can't he pretend for once? Instead of apologizing to me.

"Next month I'm coming to the US." Stormie says putting her hands crossed onto her chest. She has always been like this and never says.

"Shall we?" Erica and Alejandro ask and I get into the taxi with them.

So, this is what really happened. After a lot of interrogations with Alejandro, he promised to help me out and I told him the entire story. He left for London which just made me and Lan even closer. Erica reached out to me ensuring full support and we registered to the supreme court. A month later we left for London and won the case and here we are now. Dad was charged with second degree murder and charged with fifteen years, though it wasn't as planned; it was better off.

We fly back to California and all go to the Valencia house as Misha claims to have prepared a big dinner for us all. We arrive and ring the bell and Misha opens the door. Milan comes downstairs and pulls me into a hug.

"Just glad you're back. What took you so long though?"

"Well, we're back, aren't we?"

"Of course."

Misha and Milan help us carry our stuff; we freshen up and go for dinner. Misha blesses the food and we start eating.

"How's basketball going?" Misha asks looking at Erica.

"Okay, only that there are a lot of challenges in the court."

"That's interesting." Misha says smiling.

"I think you should try playing with Milan. He plays too." Alejandro says.

"And he's never lost a game before." Misha adds.

"Is that a challenge then?" Erica asks Milan.

"Couldn't be more challenging." Milan replies.

After dinner; Erica and Lan have a face off and Milan wins.

"He's real good." Erica says shaking Milan's hand; almost out of breath.

"Told ya he was." I say smiling.

"Whose side you on sis?" she asks and we all burst out laughing.

"Both of y'alls." I say.

"What team do you play for?"

"Twilight; but I'm on a break due to some issues." He says with his arm around my shoulder and I look at him and smile.

"Can't wait to see you at the NBA." Erica says.

Erica suggests she takes me to stay with her because I'm kind of her only relative. The other are reluctant to agree; especially Misha and Milan. After a lot of persuasion, Misha agrees and Milan is left alone. I just need to persuade him, but he angrily storms out of the living room and I follow from behind. I start explaining to him and that I can't stay with his family forever.

"We can meet on holidays and during weekends." I Not tell him.

"I just feel like you're going far away from me." he says taking my hand.

"Not at all, it's just a thirty-minute drive. Besides, we'll meet quiet often, won't we?

"Promise?"

"I promise." I say as I wrap him into a warm hug.

Honestly, I'm also scared. I just hope it works out. I pack all my stuff and leave with Erica. We reach at her place and it's fairly huge as well. She shows me to my room and I just lay on my bed star at the ceiling, Erica asks me if she can come in and I let her in.

She starts telling me of how she never really had a mother growing up and how much it hurt her knowing that her biological was alive, but with the other kid and not us. I understand her, she has that right.

Days go by and Erica introduces me to her boyfriend Joey who just doesn't become like a brother to me, but my advisor and personal manager. I'm just thankful to Milan, every weekend we're together and just last weekend I was at his place. I auditioned for a lot of shows and movies and was just waiting for an acceptance or rejection email.

One day, I wake up to the lighting up of my skin, Disney has just accepted me and I'm really excited to go and be Snow White in the new movie. I run downstairs only to find Joey and Erica making breakfast.

"Erica! Erica! Erica!" Running out of breath, I spin her around.

"What's happening?" Erica asks looking back at Joey.

"What's going, Real?" Joey asks.

"Guess who's going to New York city?!" I say excitedly.

They both look at each confused.

"What are you talking about, Real?" Erica asks. I stretch out my hand to show her my phone with the email on it and start reading for her out loud too.

The two seem to be really proud of me and I'm excited too. I've always wanted to visit New York city ever since I was a kid and my music is currently blowing up like crazy, the numbers are multiplying each day and my bank account is changing like crazy. This is all I ever wanted; I blush my teeth and take a shower and set off to Milan's.

He hugs me upon seeing me at the door and invites me in and I get in. Both his parents are not around. I've decided to tell him later during the day. I really enjoy spending time with him; just wrapped in his warmth.

With my head positioned around his strong chest, he wraps his arm around me, making me feel safe. He's like the prince charming every girl dream of as a kid and more. I press my lips on his and give him a sweet gentle kiss. He looks me straight in the eye and kisses me back.

 Things become intense and steamy with my hands positioned on his neck and him on top of me with his hands gently positioned on my waist. I hold his shirt to take it off and he helps taking it off and we just continue kissing as I touch his shirtless body, until I pull away.

"I have to tell you something." Looking him straight in the eye.

"What, are you pregnant?"

"What, you want me to be?" I ask.

"It was just a casual question." He says as he goes back to kissing me.

"I'm moving to New York!" I blurt out and Milan suddenly stops everything to look at me.

"What?!" he asks, confused and I'm really getting scared right now.

"Yes." I tell him.

"You're kidding, right?" Milan asks, smiling.

"No, I actually got a role in a movie." I tell him.

"Oh no, you're not leaving me, are you?" Milan presses his hands to his chest.

"That's just what I said and it would be better if you just accepted this."

There's dead silence and it scares me. Milan puts his shirt back on.

"What if I give you all the money you want?"

"You don't get what this is about, do?"

I get up, get in my shoes walk downstairs and Milan follows me.

"Real please listen to me, I get it. that's why I don't want you to go." Milan says and I stop in my tracks and turn to him.

"Please Lan, it's my dream." I desperately tell him.

"And what about mine. Will you call me every day?" Milan asks looking at me intensely and I take some time to respond.

"I-I don't know…if I'll not be busy or if they'll even allow."

"Fuck it all then!" Milan yells.

"No, Lan. I need to go!" I tell him.

As I'm walking towards the door, I hear the sound of glasses shuttering. I turn to look at the broken vase on the ground and Lan's hand bleeding. This freaks me out, what if he threw it at me and hurt me?

"You're such a selfish bitch, why don't you get it Real! I fuckin' love you! Fuck you Real! Fuck you! you've never even said you fuckin' love me back! Maybe I'm in this alone!

All I can hear are a lot of I love yous and fuck you's and I'm really terrified right now. I just freeze and tears just start coming down. Then he suddenly notices my tears.

"Fuck, Real, I'm really-"

Before he could come any closer, I move backwards. I can't stand him like this. He's associating in violence, which my father and siblings did. I turn and quickly reach out for the door.

"Real please, don't leave me here alone. I'll die!" Milan says with desperation in his voice. I can't turn back now. He has terrified me so much. So, I walk out the door and leave. At home, I cry myself to sleep and even skip the meal.

I wake up feeling weak and thinking of yesterday's incident. I really shouldn't have left him in that condition, we all know he never jokes around. I then notice Erica in the room with a cup of coffee as she seats on the couch with one leg crossing the other.

"Coffee?"

"Sure."

I get remove the duvet from my legs and lift my feet to touch the soft carpet in my room. I quickly go and wash my face then come back and seat on the bed next to Erica and get one of the cups of coffee and wrap it with my fingers to make them kind of warm.

"Hey, do you really wanna go to New York?"

"Maybe." I say taking another sip. 

"What about that dude, Milan, dude clearly loves you and you do too. You kept saying his name in your sleep."

Right now, I just wanna take out my phone and call him and tell him how much I love him. I'm just scared because I've never loved a guy so much like him. I suddenly feel nauseated. I try to hold my mouth; but the edge becomes more intense and I just run to the bathroom to throw up and brush my teeth and wash my face again. My head is really spinning a lot right now and Erica then comes in.

"Real, are you okay?" Erica puts her hand on my shoulder.

"Of course." I push my hair backwards.

"Must be something I ate yesterday."

The tone of my phone fill the room and I leave the towel in my hands on the hanger and go back to my room to check the phone. It's Lan, I smile and swipe to answer.

"Hello, Lan."

"Actually, it's Misha, Milan's mom. I wanted to tell you that Milan is in the hospital; he tried to take his own life last night."

I swear I almost faint and my heart starts pounding faster. It's all my fault, Milan never jokes around.

"What?!" tears just start falling like the Niagara Falls.

"I'll-I'll be right there."

"Real, what's going on?"

"Milan's in the hospital." I say sobbing and Erica wraps me into a hug.

"What's happened to him?"

"I'll tell you when I'm back. Lend me your keys." I hold out my hand to her and as soon as she gives me the keys; I run out to the car without even changing.

I'm in my two-line tracksuit trouser, a white spaghetti crop blouse and some slides. I carry a scarf and get into the car. As I'm driving, tears are just rolling down my cheeks and whenever I wipe them, the more they are coming out.