"You brought me here just to tell this?? You could have said it in the cafe!" Anger flared up in her golden eyes.

I was taken back by this fire in her eyes. It reminded me of the blazing sun of summers.

I couldn't judge the reason of this sudden outburst. What had I done wrong to make her so mad at me? When will I finally learn to do everything alright?! Ugh! I tried to calm her down by advancing towards her, putting up a soft demeanor.

"You want anything else, Miss Claire?" I had other ideas in my mind. Maybe I could pacify her through other ways possibly unknown to her as reflected by her innocence.

I could see a conflict playing in her eyes but she ended up backing me off. "No. Take me home." The reply was calculated yet I could sense a hesitation somewhere, as if she wanted something else. I tried to give her another chance.

Moving slowly towards her with all the love filling in my heart, I said, "Are you sure?" By then, I could feel her breath on my face and the proximity of our bodies was making my head reel with the excitement of the moment. Please deny it Hazel, please.

"Yeah..I-I'm sure." The words were broken in between but that was it. My whole system shut down in a moment.

"Let's go." I turned around and left the room.

This was the second time she had rejected me, there ought to be a reason for that! Nobody does anything without a stupid damn reason! Either that nut was her boyfriend or I was a nut not good enough for her! Pooh!
.
.
.
The ride back was quiet. I made a point of asking her address, I didn't want to make her suspicious. Halting the car to a stop in front of her house, I waited for her to say something.

"Thanks." Just that. No invitation. My heart sank.

"Never say thanks." And it was true..I didn't want her to say thanks to me. I could do anything for her by now. Only, she won't take anything from me.

She got off the car and having nothing to do then..I sped off.

***

Ladies' Club was a small club near the town. In contrast to my taste, it was dirty and low. I had always been to rich and sophisticated places with red liquids sloshing in delicate glasses. I couldn't figure out how in the world I had ended up in such a third class place after Mom's demise. I might have lost my senses back then for sure.

Parking the car in the parking lot, I entered the club with great distaste for the place. I had the money in cash with me as I wanted to get over with it at once. Opening the door, my throat constricted to the point of no breath so I struggled to inhale deeply and forget the rush of all the disgusting memories hitting my mind from my last experience over here.

I looked around. The world was oddly alive around me. I greatly felt lost in all the current and vibe. Looking here and there, I spotted the DJ at the back of the room. He was moving his arms swiftly, raising the roar of the crowd. He had headphones on his head and was moving aptly to the music. I knew that getting him out would be a big deal so I made my way to him on the stage. It was a huge effort since all the drunkards fell heavily here and there while they danced their minds out.

With supreme struggle, I managed to get up on the stage after fifteen minutes. Reaching out to him, I patted his shoulder. He was too much lost in all the singing and dancing that my pat was a breeze of light air for him so I squeezed his shoulder tightly until he gasped and turned around in annoyance. I knew I should have called him before my arrival but too late to know anyways. Locating me behind him, however, his face lightened up and he gestured towards his assistant for handling the equipment. Taking off his headphones, he awkwardly shook my hand and made way to a small room at the back of the club.

The room was small and it was all over enveloped in dim red light. My stomach somersaulted. It was the same room where I had played cards a month ago. I stopped him in the way and turned him around. He inquired what was wrong and I took out the cash.

"It's more than I owe you. Good luck, dude." I handed him the money and turned around quickly. He didn't stop me. I figured out that he himself was in a rush. I didn't look back and headed towards the bar where it was a bit less stuffed. I was on my way when I noticed something.

She sat there at the bar drinking water of all the things.

That girl. Her face felt oddly familiar to me. Where had I seen her? I pressed on my mind. That girl....

Finally I decided to go and talk to her. Walking up to her, I took a seat beside her and tried to appear as normal as a guy would in a bar full of drunkards. I didn't want her to think that I was looking for an opportunity of some kind.

"Care to share a drink?" I looked towards the drinks and asked her casually. I needed to know where I had seen her before.

Her reaction was shocked as she turned around and looked at me with wide eyes. "You..what are you doing here? I mean...why? Oh.." She spoke out broken sentences and nothing made sense.

"Do I know you?" I pressed.

"Yes. I mean no. You don't know me. But you know my friend. I'm Marrie Swans. Hazel's friend." She introduced herself in a calculated way and I could sense that she wasn't so glad to see me. At least now I knew that she was the girl from my school.

My heart stopped. If this girl was here then was there a possibility that Hazel was somewhere around too? This low and dirty place..my Hazel..

Panic started to build up in my chest.

"Where's she?" I managed to choke out the words.

She looked around worriedly.

"Oh, I don't know..she was around here a few moments ago.." Her words came out slowly from her trembling lips as her eyes scanned the bodies around. My heart sank to the pits of despair.

"Do you come here often?" I asked the most dreadful question of all.

"No. It was our first time and...she's nowhere now..oh my.." She answered distractedly as her eyes searched for the center of my universe. My breath came out raspy and broken. Gradually, my mind was coming to a horrible conclusion. I got up and tightly took hold of her by her shoulders.

"Why are you here??!" I could feel panic rolling in my voice. God forbid me if the answer had something related to myself. Oh my God..I had destroyed her. I knew I had done it. I was doomed!

"She was insisting so much, I swear I tried to stop her but she won't listen. All she knew was You! It's all your fault. She's lost now." She started crying to my surprise. I relaxed my hold on her arms and made her sit down.

"Don't panic, please. I'll find her. Just stay here. I need you to help me with her later on. Okay?" I tried to sound responsible where as deep in my heart, I was all shattered and wounded by her words. It was really my fault. Hazel had heard me talking to the DJ in the morning and instead of asking her the reason of her anger, I had tried to seduce her. I was a jerk who had misunderstood everything without having a real conversation with her for once even!

The girl..Marrie..nodded quietly as I left her sitting by the bar to look for Hazel. I shuddered at the thought of her presence in this third class area. What was she thinking? I swear, I had never seen such a mad girl before in my life.

My eyes searched worriedly for her amidst the mass of swaying people around me in the dark. Where would she be right now? All the worst possibilities came rushing to my mind as I shook them off in horror. My heart was beating at an impossible rate as Zayn's voice blared from loud speakers around me.

~You're lookin' in the wrong place,
For my love..
Don't think because you're with me,
This is real..~

And I saw her.

Hazel Claire.

In all her glory and grandeur, swaying around like an apt dancer...ignorant of the world around...unaware of the people praising and admiring the ethereal attire of her existence...lost in her madness...Hazel Claire.

My theory of precession came back rushing its way through my mind. She was the lake and I was having the experience of looking at a precession in her. This was it? NO. For she was the tornado in a wild sea and I was the little rocking boat left to its cursed fate in the middle of it. She had shaken every inch of my body with this chaos of hers and I had no choice than to give in to it. Chaos; it looked beautiful on her.

My heart took a million leaps before finding its way back to beating again. I never knew she could dance this well. In her short black dress, she was killing the night and I couldn't understand whether I was stunned by her beauty or I was shocked by her confidence. I couldn't decide whether I was glad to see her in her full magnificence or I was mad at her for exposing herself off to the dirt of the town. I couldn't decide...until I saw him.

He was an ugly drunkard who came out of nowhere and placed his hand cruelly on her waist. She was in the process of fighting him off feebly, her strength reduced due to drinking, when I reached her. I didn't know what took hold of me. I couldn't hear anything. My whole self was fuming with the sight in front of me so I got hold of that nut and punched him right in the face!

"I'll kill you, bast**d!" I roared with all my might. He fell off his feet to the ground in front of me and I saw a trickle of blood near his lower lip. I turned around in time to hold Hazel as she lost her balance and fell into my arms.

I was more than glad to have her in the safety of my presence finally. I had spoiled her enough and I understood that I had to make it all right or else, I won't be able to forgive myself ever.

I knew she was going to faint. After all, that's what girls like her did when they drank for the first time in their lives.

I looked down at her innocent face shaded by her long eyelashes and knew that she held all the madness of the universe in her heart which was hidden up til now but I had triggered it tonight. So, I bent down and placed my lips on her ear for the second time as she stood on the verge of unconsciousness and whispered loud enough for her to hear clearly,

"You're a mad, mad girl, Miss Claire."

Author's Note

6K. I saw it today. All I want to say. Thanksay! ♡

Wow..that rhymed! Hehehe. :D

Well..I'm so haPpie and grateful to all the readers for bringing this book to 6K. I'm so proud of us, Imaginators! We wouldn't have made it without your support and motivation! :') Sorrie for this disastrous update but I was so eager to thank you all. *-* Gracias! ♥

P.S The song for this chapter is "Steal my girl" by One Direction. ;)

Much Love, ♥♡
Hazel ^-^