CRIMSON DONOVAN

We finish the remaining food in our picnic basket and lean our backs against the tree, inhaling the fragrance of the colourful flowers scattered across the park. Families were leaving the park, but some kids were playing around, the setting sun casting an orange glow across the horizon.

We had a drive around the town, getting to know each other, and sightseeing cute little cafes and hidden spots, before settling in a far corner of the park for a picnic. 

"Your brownies are the best," I give a pleased groan, craving more of the treat as I fail to find any more in the empty basket. Drexel puts his phone aside after taking a picture of us, and grins at me, satisfied with my praise. "All my cooking skills are wasted on making brownies though. I can't make anything else!"

I snicker at this statement before leaning my head on his shoulder. "This feels nice," I say softly, closing my eyes and the breeze greets me with a quick dance, hurrying its way over to the trees behind me. 

I feel the weight of Drexel's head on mine as he intertwines our fingers with each other. "Yeah," his deep voice echoes. "It's been a long time since I've done anything like this before. It is very relaxing."

I move closer to him, my heart afloat at the sensations I feel for the first time since I started going out with Drexel. I open my eyes and scan the park for any kids. The park was almost empty now, and the streetlights were beginning to flicker on one by one. 

"Hey, Drexel?" I call him, my hand fisting the hem of my top. Drexel hums in reply, his head shifting as I look up at him. "C-Can I kiss you?" I ask nervously because that was all I was thinking about ever since I saw him in his coveralls at The Garage today.

Drexel's hand tightens around mine for a fleeting moment before he glances at me like a startled deer. I hide half of my face behind his shoulder before he lets out a hearty laugh. 

"You seriously ask the most unexpected stuff at times!" 

I gather some confidence and plop my chin on his shoulder with a pout, "You look so handsome that I can't help myself." 

Drexel stares into my eyes in silence. He gets closer to my face and I suck in a breath.

He had the most beautiful eyes.

Hazel eyes portrayed a galaxy which held a plethora of golden stars that sucked me in, every time he gazed at me intensely. Like right now.

His voice drops into a whisper as his nose grazes mine with a feather-like touch that sends an involuntary shiver down my arms. "Then imagine how I am holding myself from doing the same to you when you look the most beautiful in my eyes every second." 

Before I take my next breath, his lips are crashing against mine in a toe-curling kiss that makes me clutch his jacket tightly. His hand cradles my neck as he brings us closer and I was left to wonder whether the warmth came from his arms or the orange glow that was cascading upon us from the street light beside. Our mouths clash, taking us deeper and deeper into a world which was known only to us, which inhabited only us. Drexel groans my name, his deep voice making my head lull in a trance that danced to his tune. We breathlessly pull away when we hear hoots and whistles thrown our way.

"'Mi-chin-nom!'" The Korean curse comes out as an angry growl before I can stop it, but the group of little boys has already disappeared after seeing my piercing eyes and frazzled hair. 

Drexel howls with laughter from beside me. He brings my body which was shaking with anger into his arms and smacks a wet kiss onto my cheek on purpose. "Aww, Scarlet. Were you angry they interrupted our kiss? We can continue though."

I scowl at him and grumble, "The mood's gone. Don't wanna."

Drexel laughs again, "By the way, what was that you said in Korean? What does it mean? It sounded so cool to say!"

I stiffen in his arms as he watches me expectantly. I didn't know why that curse came out of my mouth so easily, but I lie in panic, "It means 'Idiot'."

It was easy for me to curse in Korean rather than English. But now that I had lied, I couldn't find it in myself to say that it really meant 'crazy b*stard.' Oh well. What's done is done.

But Drexel didn't let me go until I taught him how to pronounce that word.

° ° °

"Mi-chin-nom, my buddy!" Drexel hoots as he jumps onto the back of Archer the next morning at school. 

I freeze in my tracks, watching as the pair falls to the ground. Drexel looks up from the coughing Archer and notices Zeke who is looking down at them blankly. "Mi-chin-nom number 2! How are you this morning?" Drexel greets with arms wide and docks Zeke in the head.

I quickly look around to see if any of the other students had understood the real meaning of what Drexel had said, but no one was paying them any attention. Drexel, happy and proud that he knew a word his friends didn't know the meaning of, lightens up when he sees Jed, who is taking his books out of his locker.

"Jed, my 'chingu'(friend), your hair is gray today!"

Jed kisses his teeth irritably, "It's Roman silver, not gray."

With a shake of my head at my boyfriend's goofiness, I open up my bag to take my lunch only to see my Dad's lunch sitting amongst my stuff. I give a deep sigh. "Guys, I'll have to skip lunch today. I've brought my Dad's lunch by mistake, I'll have to take it to him."

Drexel juts out his bottom lip in disappointment and ruffles my hair. "I'm going to miss you. Come back on time though. We have a date set after school ends."

I nod at him and wave my friends goodbye before dashing to the Police Station in my car. The Police Station at PineTree Hills Town was relatively bigger and was built seemingly in the middle of the town, with its white exterior walls ascending towards the sky but not higher than the pine trees that surrounded it. I cautiously weave through the hoard of police cars after I find a space to park my car and head into the building.

A hoard of police officers were huddled together, looking towards my Dad's closed office, talking in hushed whispers and faces etched with worry. Officer Joyce sees me first and he offers a me big smile. 

"Miss Donavan! What brings you here today?"

"Uhm," I trail off, all eyes on me as I glance back and forth between my Dad's office and the officers. "My Dad forgot his lunch, so I brought it back to him."

Officer Joyce brings his hand up, "I'm afraid Chief is a little occupied at the moment. I can bring this to him instead." 

I clutch the box tightly into my chest and shake my head, "It's fine. I can wait for him."

Inspector Charlton comes into my line of sight with a stern frown marring his features. "Miss Donovan, we kindly ask you to-" He is cut off when the door to my Dad's office opens, revealing the huge figure of my Dad accompanied by two other figures I recognized, almost making the lunch in my hands slip away.

It was Kash and his father, John Grater.

Kash locks his wide eyes with mine and I blink to ease away my confusion before looking up at my Dad. 

"Crimson? What are you doing here?" Dad asks just as he sees me. 

"Uh, hey Dad. Your lunch; it was in my bag by accident," I reply, handing it over to him and I feel the heavy gaze of John Grater in my veins. He was watching me with his usual emotionless eyes, but I knew that he was scrutinizing me, the same way he did that day when he came to Drexel's workplace for the first time. But what were they doing here? Now that I think about it, Kash wasn't there at school before lunch too.

"Ah, this is your daughter, I take it?" John Grater inquires and my Dad narrows his eyes at him but gives a single nod, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"I see," John Grater continues, and places a hand on Kash's shoulder, "Then I think you must know Kash."

Oh, he knows well enough that we know each other, especially since he saw us at that race that went down between Drexel and Kash. Damn, he knows that Drexel and I are together, doesn't he? What if he reveals that to my Dad?

I don't let my inner battle show but I give them a polite smile and avoid Kash's gaze.

John Grater doesn't let go of his son, except, his hold on Kash tightens. "I would love it if both of you could be friends and get along. Don't you think that is a good idea, son?" John inquires, his voice smoothening over the hunched body of Kash, who gives a little nod in return.

Dad clears his throat and with a tone of finality, he says, "Well, Mr. Grater. It was humble of you to come to introduce yourself. I hope you have a safe drive back home." 

John Grater turns to my Dad with a small condescending smile, before they both leave, but not before Kash says, "See you in school, Crimson." 

I don't reply, but the tension in the room doesn't dissipate until after they leave.

"Phew! I thought they were never going to leave!" wails Officer Joyce, wiping his forehead and conversing with the other officers about what just transpired. 

"John Grater was extremely close with our former chief," Inspector Charlton explains. "I'm surprised he took almost 9 months to introduce himself to you, Chief."

"So they were the Graters, huh? I've heard a lot about them. And I could sniff his intentions a mile away. I bet he was weighing his stakes with the new Chief in town, eh? I am no easy game as compared to the last Chief. He won't be able to get me to cover for his schemes very easily," Dad growls, grabbing the lunch from my hand and heading towards his office. "I know his kind. He is a sly fox, that man; trying to ease me up to him. We need to keep an eye on him and get any dirty details that are tied on him."

So, John Grater was hoping to get Dad on his side, huh? Did that mean that the former Chief of Police helped the Graters to some extent?

"Crimson, I hope you stay away from that Grater boy, you hear me?"

Oh, Dad, you didn't have to tell me twice.

° ° °

"Crimson, I'm so sorry but I can't make it to our date tonight," Drexel walks up to me solemnly after school to where I stood near the entrance of the parking lot with a troubled expression on his face. 

My heart dips a little but I lace our hands together in concern, "That's okay, Drex. Is everything alright?"

He tucks a stray red hair behind my ear and rubs his thumb on my cheek, "Hm? Uh, yeah. There is nothing to worry about, trust me. Just got called in by Boss Danny. I'm so sorry, Cris. I'll make it up to you, okay?"

He got me. I loved it when he called me Cris. He figured that he wanted to call me by a nickname other than Scarlet. 'Crim' didn't seem to work, so he just started calling me Cris, using the letters from my name. I loved it nevertheless.

"Don't worry, call me when you get home then?"

Drexel places his warm hand on my nape and brings our faces together. 

"I will," he whispers before backing me up to the brick wall behind me and sliding his lips over mine for a desperate kiss that wrecked me more than his previous kisses. Shivers race through my skin as his hands tightened around my waist. With a final searing kiss, he parts away breathlessly, hugging me tightly to his chest. 

"See you tomorrow," his words caress my ear and I kiss his nose in return. He throws one of his charming smiles my way before he leaves, while I take a moment to compose myself. I bite my lip to keep my smile in and look around the students' parking lot, thankful that no one was there to witness our steamy display.

"Oh, I forgot to ask him if he has time for us tomorrow!" I hiss to myself when I remember, and I take my phone out to shoot him a text but my phone gives no sign of life. "Tsk. Battery's dead." Hoping that I can catch Drexel before he whisks away, I run across the lawn in search of his car.

Fortunately, I spot Drexel near his car, talking with Archer. I walk towards them when I hear Drexel say, "I didn't tell anyone where I was going. I didn't want to worry them."

I stop in my tracks and conceal myself behind some bushes. I could not see them, but I could hear their voices clearly.

"Seriously, what does that man want with you, Drexel?" Archer's scalding voice fills the air, making it known that he is extremely ravenous at the moment. 

"I don't know what Mr. Denver wants with me, Arch. I'm done searching for answers. Who knows why he wants me at his house, again? Maybe he is moving rooms like he did months ago. Remember? He called me and made me carry all his stuff from one room to another. That is how he is. He probably wants me to do some chores again," Drexel says with a grumble and my hands fist, my nails digging into my skin, almost drawing out blood.

Bloody Mr. Denver called Drexel to his house? 

Is that why Drexel had to cancel our date today? Teachers don't call in students like that, to their houses at least! And make them do their household chores?! Does this man have no shame in his body?

"Good thing you didn't tell your girl about it. She will bust a nerve if she hears that Mr. Denver is calling you to his house!" Archer says this with a low laugh and Drexel gives out a humorless chuckle. 

"If she heard this, she'd insist on coming with me to his house. She doesn't need to know this. I don't want to worry her pretty little head about it. Anyways, it's time to go. He said that he wanted me soon. Better get there and get over with it."

"Seriously though, Drex. Should we not at least inform the Principal again?

"Don't you think he'll say the same crap once more?! He dismissed me last time saying that punishments are allowed on students as long as they don't physically harm us. Mr. Denver has done nothing to harm me physically and that is reasonable enough to judge his actions it seems. He has never laid a finger on me. He is just too verbally unbearable." I hear Drexel's deep sigh next. "Don't worry, Arch. I'll keep you updated."

I don't hear what is said next as I hear his car door open. I plop down onto the grass as Drexel speeds past me, leaving me wondering what was going on between Mr. Denver and Drexel. What was he going to do at that Devil's house?

The questions didn't leave my head as I silently drove home. My legs never stopped bouncing in anxiety as I did my homework. Several times I caught my eyes and hands reaching for my phone, but I stopped myself, not wanting Drexel to think that I was being too troubled and I had no idea how to get him to confess about his true whereabouts and the reason for it.

I lie down in bed, my hands clammy and tightened around my phone as the hallowing sound of the wind filled my room. I bite at my nails in worry (it was something I rarely did no matter how anxious I was) and look at the time.

The sun has already set. I was thinking too much about this. Drexel had told Archer that this was not the first time Mr. Denver had called him, so there was nothing to worry about.

I stand up from my bed and go to the bathroom. I open the tap and splash my face with water before looking at the girl in the mirror. 

"Do-do you think he'll be okay? He will call me like he said, won't he?" 

I kept staring at the honey-brown eyes in the mirror before jolting in shock when the shrill sound of my phone ringing echoed in the room.

I clutch my speeding heart, breathing heavily, "Ssi-bal(f*ck), that gave me a heart attack!" With my hand still over my drumming heart, I quickly pick up my phone without even looking at the caller's name.

"Drex-"

"CRIMSON!" Ayla's voice booms through the speaker loudly and I feel my heart pinching in disappointment. But then I process her fast-paced, deep breaths down the line.

"Ayla," my voice fills the empty room. "Ayla, what happened?"

"Crimson, you won't ever believe-I can't, oh my God-" Ayla speaks fast, her words jumbled as if she was having a panic attack.

"AYLA!" I yell down the receiver, afraid that something was wrong with her. "Are you in danger?"

What she says next through breathless gasps has the phone in my hand dropping to the floor with a resounding thud.

"M-Mr. Denver is dead."

Hello lovely readers who came this far, I give you guys a big THANK YOU! Part 1 is over and I will publish the next chapter when my finals are done.(it will published in the same book if you are confused)

So, let me know what you thought of this chapter and your predictions so far. Do you think what just happened really did happen?

Big love and hugs for you! Stay tuned for the next update! Until then, stay safe and happy <3