Saturday, June 11, 2011

I woke up grinning after a loud noise blared in my ears.

"AHA! I KNEW YOU WOULD COME TO YOUR SENSES MARLENE. I KNEW YOU LOVED HIM FROM THE START!"

All of a sudden I heard a woman's voice coming out of nowhere. It sounded a lot like the psychotic woman who talked to me earlier, but just to make sure I tried to look for this person around the dark room.  However, it was hard to make out if anybody else was in there with me besides Owen.

"Who said that? Show me your face!" I declared.

"MARLENE, MARLENE! DON'T YOU ALREADY KNOW MY VOICE BY NOW? ... LOOK UP, AND YOU WILL SEE THE SMALL CAMERAS AND SPEAKER PHONES."

Just then the reflective lights from the camera lens turned on, and I could clearly see the cameras eavesdropping on us.

It freaked me out. It's an invasion of privacy! Why would they do this? It's like a scene I once saw in a horror movie that came to life!

I also wondered why she considered herself a Dark Queen, until I remembered the high school episode where she lost her money to a dealer in a Blackjack card game.

That was Gretel's addiction. Gambling - one where she lost control!

That scenario took place after Paige came running back to me in our second year of high school.

Apparently, that sophomore year Gretel showed her 'true colors' as she left Paige for the popular clique in high school.

Paige told me how she went with Gretel to the nearby casino in the summer, only to lose all of the allowance that was given to them. Gretel was able to get fake ID's in order to get in.

Paige knew it was quite risky since they were both underage ... 14 to be exact! ... , but couldn't back out, since Gretel gave her an ultimatum- go with her or she'll tell her parents, Robin and the whole school about this alleged crime. Of course, my friend couldn't refuse the offer, for having her family involved in this situation spelled trouble, and it was something she didn't want to deal with.

How the security in the casino didn't see past the girls 'disguises' was beyond me; but knew Paige must have been very nervous that day if they were caught.

I also learned that Gretel had some ties with corrupt people due to dealing with her mother's bad associates, which could only mean why Gretel was a menace to society.
But no one knew about that until her mother was jailed for embezzlement. 

It appeared that woman just used Paige as a guinea pig in order to become well-known. I knew from the start that Gretel was fake and the fake friendship would land into disaster.

Like mother, like daughter. I conclude that what parents do when children are quite young already sets an example for the next generation. 

But despite my complaints, no one would listen to my warning for I'm no one, just suspicious Marlene. One of these days, people will bite those words and I'd say don't tell me I told you so!

Thus, Paige apologized for being rude to me that day, and promised me that no one would ever come between our friendship again.

***************

"Okay Gretel, why are you interrogating me like I'm some kind of convict? And another thing ... didn't you use to stutter?" I inquired.

She laughed at that question over the speaker.

"GOOD QUESTION MARLENE! FIRST I ALWAYS WANTED TO PLAY MIND GAMES WITH YOU AND YOUR LOVER. I FRENCH KISSED HIM IN OUR SENIOR PROM BECAUSE I WANTED TO SEE YOUR REACTION! BUT HE DIDN'T RETURN THE KISS, SO I BECAME ANGRY AND GAVE HIM A BLACK EYE. HE NEVER LOVED YOUR SISTER WHY HE REALLY WENT OUT WITH HER AS YOU MAY HAVE THOUGHT. HE ACTUALLY PAID HER TO GO OUT WITH HIM!"

I stopped caressing Owen as I heard this statement and face palmed myself. I opened my mouth to retaliate, but there weren't any decent words coming out of it.

I wanted to punch Owen in the back for what he did with Moira, but then I remembered one thing. The dark queen's goal was to get me infuriated, so I shouldn't do anything  or else she'd get her wish. So, I decided to calm down, before a horrible outburst would take over my emotions.

BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT.

"Gretel, I know what you are doing here and am trying not to do something I might regret afterwards, because I'm already pissed at you. So, answer my last question. Or are you too chicken to tell me?"

I looked directly at the camera scornfully, ready to stick out my tongue in heated vengeance.

"I NEVER HAD A STUTTERING PROBLEM MARLENE. I JUST FOOLED YOU AND THE REST OF YOUR GANG, BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO TAKE PITY ON ME. WHEN THE SCHOOL ASKED ME TO GO TO A SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, SHE SAW RIGHT THROUGH ME AND TOLD MY MOM. WHEN MY MOTHER FOUND OUT, SHE GAVE ME MY ULTIMATE PUNISHMENT WITH A BEATING.
MY BROTHER CAME TO THE RESCUE AND CALLED THE POLICE ON HER. WE WERE THEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE SINCE FELIX LEFT US."

I was so shocked! I started feeling empathy for poor Gretel and Bryan, even though they kidnapped me and Owen. I never knew she was in foster care, and guess her psychotic mom gave them a hostile upbringing.

"MARLENE, DON'T START FEELING SORRY FOR ME OR BRYAN. YOU ARE SEVERAL YEARS TOO LATE FOR FAMILY APOLOGIES!"

In all honesty, I did not even know what was going on behind 'closed doors' in my family ... we were just like a 'family portrait' ever since I could remember. External relatives who pretended that everything was A-Okay! I didn't know what happened to Uncle Felix and didn't know my distant cousins suffered so much and wanted money.

If they just asked politely, we could have given our fair share.

***************

Her weeping stopped, so I guess she calmed down. However, Gretel wanted to traumatize me even more with another past episode I have not forgotten.

"DO YOU KNOW WHEN MY BIRTHDAY IS?"

I don't even know why she even changed the subject to her birthday. What does she want - a celebration? What does she want as a present – two victims kidnapped for ransom? And besides when is this stupid tramp's birthday anyway?

I shouted no to her because it didn't really matter to me..

"IT'S FEBRUARY 14, MARLENE, YOU OF ALL PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW THAT."

Huh? How should I know that. Why should I care? I never liked V-day anyway.

"VALENTINE'S DAY MARLENE! AND YOU KNOW WHY YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT? THAT'S THE DAY IN HIGH SCHOOL I PASSED THE RUMOR THAT YOU WERE SELFISH AND HAD OWEN ALL TO YOURSELF, SO NO ONE GAVE YOU ANY CANDY THAT SOPHOMORE YEAR."

Oh my word! ... I forgot all about that! I spent almost all my allowance buying candy for classmates including Mr. Knucklehead behind me, while I got nothing in return.

I felt so alone that day!

~~

Sophomore Year of Glaston H.S

"Candy Grams! Get your Candy Grams here for that special someone or just to cheer up your friend for Valentine's Day!"

The Glee club of Glaston held a fundraiser for my sophomore year and sold miniature candy grams to students and faculty.

One small bag consisted of 10 candy items, which included Hearts and Hershey's Kisses. They sold that for 5 dollars. And if you wanted to buy the larger bag which consisted of 20 pieces of candy, they would charge you 15 dollars. And to attract more customers to purchase product or as I call it ... 'being too showy' with their gifts; they would add a teddy bear, flowers and a singing telegram with the candy for 40 dollars,

Well, in short, I fell in their trap. I bought five of the candy grams. Just the small bags and well one of the extravagant ones for Owen.

I was so excited to pour out my heart to him. The letters we used to exchange in class and the jokes he made, made me go gaga over him. But of course he still had that wandering 'eye' when he looked at other girls. It made me jealous, but I couldn't resist that feeling.

The day I introduced Moira to Owen, was quite a shocker. I didn't even consider the fact that they actually knew each other in another point of time.

At that time, I really didn't think anything bad would happen too. But when I saw my sister kissing him, it really tore my heart apart.

I remember that day vividly; I was walking through the school's hallway, when Owen and Moira came out laughing. They then kissed each other, before they saw that I was staring at them. I couldn't say anything to them, so I just smiled and walked as fast as I could. I knew people were looking at me, but I kept my face down. Tears were about to explode and once I arrived to the girl's bathroom, I cried.

But I was happy for Moira ... really I was ... but ever since my sister took him away from him – Valentine's Day sucks!!!

I figure I'll remain single till fate tells me what will occur in my future. If the good Lord finds me someone special to hold onto – I'll never let go.

To mend my broken heart that day, I decided to give chocolates to my friends and hopefully they would give me some too to ease the pain.

So V-Day came along, and I waited patiently for any ... ANY ... rolls of candies to come my way. But I got nothing in return. Nada! Zilch. Ninguno. "0".

I felt so miserable, felt that no one cared. Its like my money just went down the drain and felt so unwanted.

But then I realized it's better to give than receive, right? Well, sometimes it doesn't always work that way.

It felt like cupid stuck an arrow in me but failed to make it red. Instead I got the blues ... the horrible sticken' Blues!

~~

Present time

"YOU KNOW GRETEL YOU ARE ONE SICK PUPPY, AND YOUR BROTHER IS THE DAMAGING BULLDOG! WON'T EVEN GO TO WHAT YOU DID TO CHINO. YOU GUYS ARE LIKE THE CARDS KNOWN AS THE KING, QUEEN AND JESTER OF ALL TRADES!"

She laughed like a hysterical hyena through the speaker phones.

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST SHOW YOUR IMPRUDENT FACE TO ME! FOR GOODNESS SAKE, I THINK YOU'D RATHER WATCH A SOAP OPERA OF ME AND THIS ... OWEN RATHER THAN HIRE A HIT MAN TO GET RID OF US. I HATE YOU! EVER SINCE THE DAY YOU STEPPED INTO MY LIFE IN HIGH SCHOOL!"

Total silence occurred... not a single word was spoken through the speaker phones.

I think my yelling got to her, and so I went on to continue soothing Owen's body. But all that rage in my system built up, so I didn't pay attention to the fact that I was pounding the guy instead.

"Ow! That hurt's Mae. I thought you're no longer mad at me!"

Ladies and Gentleman ... he finally speaks!!! I'm so proud of him!

~~

But an uproar from above quickly interrupted our conversation, and produced an irritating sound that entered my earlobes.

It was that irritating sound you hear when a microphone is out of sync.

SHHHHHHH...EHHHHH

Some mumbling in the process occurred.

'The Boss' aka Christopher came on.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY TO MY SISTER MARLENE??? SHE'S NOW MURMURING WORDS IN HER LITTLE MIND THAT'S MAKING ME NUTS! I DON'T WANT TO COME DOWN THERE AND BEAT THE TWO OF YOU AGAIN!"

Would he do that? I don't think he would have the initiative.

But I refused to stay still to an ogre that wasn't like the adorable character known as"Shrek".

So, despite my fear I dared him to face me again up close and personal. I didn't really think he'd have the guts to punch a girl; I think someone else did that for him.

My assumptions were correct, since Chino came in instead.

Knew the boss didn't have the initiative to come down.

But, Chino was so dumbfounded when he came in, because the guy accidentally hit the off switch button the cameras and the lights ... allowing us to escape!