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"Condition? What condition?!" I asked him.

"Umm.... let me think...... okay, if you want to see my paintings you have to answer my questions!" He said.

"Questions?" I asked, shocked. I'm not going to answer his questions!

"Yup! Questions. Ummm.... 5 questions!" He declared.

"No! Sorry! I'm not answering any of your questions. Nope!" I shook my head and crossed my hands over my chest as I tried to glare at him.

Never, ever!

"Okay, then I won't show you my paintings...." He shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets as he started to walk ahead of me.

Blackmail?!

"Yeah, so.... bye! I'm not that interested anyways!" I told him as I turned towards the door.

Lie! Lie! Total lie!

I must tell Mary that I'm leaving! Okay where is Mary? Might be in the-

"Sparkle, wait!" Carter sounded from behind me, making me turn around.

"Hmm?"

"What about 4 questions?" His tone felt more requesting then demanding this time but I was determined not to accept his request. One, he wasn't my best friend. Two, he could use the information negatively and I don't want to take a risk. You remember he was my bully? Three, who knows what kind of questions he might ask.

"No. Not 5. Not 4. Not at all!" I replied.

"Don't you want to see my paintings?" He sounded desperate.

He really needs to ask me those four questions. Why?

"Maybe, you can change your condition?" I spoke.

"Okay, then. You've got three deals." He said cheekily.

Deals?! Is he serious?

"One, answer three questions. Two, answer one question and come to support me in my match. Three, answer two questions now, two later."

The second one was awesome.... of course. I'm being sarcastic if you were wondering. "Not interested!" These were the most nonsensical deals ever. "You didn't like any of them? Any of them?"

"No, none of them! And leave it Carter. I don't want to see your painting now, anyways." He nodded and looked down. I saw hurt shining in his dark, brown eyes. But what could I do?! Thinking this, I made my way towards the door but Carter stopped me. "How about only two questions?"

"Okay!" I replied, tired of refusing him.

"Okay?" He confirmed, his tense expression replaced with a shocked one.

"Yeah, but I have a condition too. One question now and one after you get good marks in Maths." I told him.

"That means you'll answer one question only. Because I know I won't get good marks in the test." He said.

"Who says? I know you will. You'll do great! Because then only you can continue playing right? For that you have to get good grades." I told him, patting his shoulder playfully but he grabbed my waist and pulled me closer to him.

What the hell?

"W-wwhat are you ddd-" He ignored me and kept staring. What's wrong with him?!

"You believe in me?"

Now, I no more have believe in him. He is so unpredictable, nobody can know what he's up to.

"I dd-don't know. Cc-can you pp-please mm-maintain your dd-da-distance?"

He did not reply. "Do you or do you not, have trust in me Sparky?"

"Cc-Carter! leave me! What are yo-you doing?" I yelled as I tried and pushed him back and he immediately removed his hands from my waist and pulled away.

Thank god!

"Sparkle, sss-sorry! Umm.....forget what just happened. Just forget it. Let's go to see the paintings." He started walking towards his room and I followed back a moment later.

He walked to the spare room, I asked about earlier and opened it to reveal a mind blowing and amazingly beautiful collection of paintings. "If you are planning to laugh or tell others about it tell me earlier so that I can kill you before you do any of that." I rolled my eyes at him.

"Carter, it's so awesome! You are really good at it. And that one with the moon and the reflection, it's superb. Can I.... buy it? Only if you want to sell it. I understand what they would mean to you and it's-"

"Stop Sparky! You want to buy it? Are you crazy. I guess you have a lot of money to waste?" He said and I walked towards the other wall admiring his paintings.

"Yeah that I have, but I'm not wasting it, okay? Your paintings are great!" I told him running a hand over an abstract canvas. He chuckled. "I know that! My paintings are awesome! I was just saying that for fun."

I laughed at that. Idiot! My eyes moved around the room looking at his attractive paintings one by one when he suddenly went and picked a canvas up in his hands. He went out of the room with it in his hands and came back a minute later. "Why did you removed that painting? I didn't even see it." I told him.

"Great! You weren't supposed to see it." He grinned.

"Why? What was in that?" I asked, curiosity killing me.

What could he be hiding from me??

"Something I can't show you! And besides, it wasn't complete." He answered, irritated.

"Oh!" I didn't want to push this subject. "If you can paint this well, there's nothing in world that you can't do." I smiled at him.

"Thanks-sorry, thank you." He chuckled.

"Thanks was fine too." I told him.

"No, now when I know you don't like it why should I say it in front of you?" He argued.

"Who said I don't like it? It's just that 'thank you' looks sophisticated and 'thanks' looks very.........casual. I myself say thanks sometimes."

"Okay, so I wanted to be sophisticated and not casual." I couldn't stop looking at his paintings. "Carter, just asking, will you.....you know tea-

never mind." Why was I asking this, even I don't know.

I'm crazy!

"Tell me what were you saying?" Carter pressed.

"It's nothing...." I smiled at him trying to convince it wasn't anything important.

"Sophia, what was it?"

"I just wanted to ask that, that, that-that-" I could say it.

"That?" He questioned.

"That, will you teach me to paint? But I was just crazy to ask that. Leave it! Forget it. I was just being stupid-"

"I would love to teach you." He said cutting me.

"What?"

"I would love to teach you painting." He smiled at me. I blinked.

Once......

Twice......

Thrice......

Is this a dream? Carter Reece will teach me how to paint. "Really? Thank you so much!" I tried not to sound too excited. I wasn't excited because Carter was teaching me but because the subject he was teaching me, was my favourite.

"So, now it's my turn to ask you a question...." he said as we were coming out of his art room making me swallow all of my saliva.

What's he going to ask?

Okay, Sophie.....calm down! Take deep breaths. Inhale and exhale.......

"Can I?" He raised his eyebrows at me. "No!" My voice sounded like a pleading cry. "But still I will." He laughed. Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead.

He grabbed my wrist and pulled my sleeve upward unveiling the now-almost-about-to-heal wound. This time I didn't know I did it very deep and the son of a bitch wasn't healing. I made an effort to pull my hand but it went fruitless due to his tight grip.

Please don't ask about it.

Please don't ask about it.

I tried to convey this message to him from my eyes. My eyes begged for him not to ask about it but his eyes looked determined. He ignored me and asked, "How did this happen?"

I couldn't say anything.

"How Sparky? How did this happen?"

I remained quiet.

"Sparkle, I want to know! How did this happen?"

"I-I I can't t-tell you Carter."

"Why? Why can't you tell me?" He asked, his eyes fixed on my scar.

Because I don't trust you!

"I want to know Sparkle. Please....." he pleaded.

A sob escaped my mouth as tears started to form in my eyes. "Okay, okay. Don't cry please. I'm not asking okay? Please don't cry." He said wiping my tears. "You need water?" He asked.

"No." I managed to say.

"You know I'm crap at this consoling thing." He said, giving me a tissue and a small smile played on my lips. "Let's go home, okay?"

I snuffled and nodded as we went to his car. He started driving towards my home. "I'm so idiotic and brainless. I shouldn't have asked you that question. I don't know what I was thinking. It's not like you trust me so much to tell me everything." He chuckled humourlessly as he moved his gear.

"It's okay." I tried to act unaffected but his words effected me. It was unknown to me but I had started trusting him the day he saved me from fire. "Thanks. It's so sad I wasted one question. I can ask one tomorrow after test right?"

"No, you can't. You can, once you get your result."

"Okay, teacher." He chuckled.

"So, you won't tell me?" He asked a minute later.

"Tell you what?"

"That, how did it happen." He referred to my wound. Oh god he is asking again?

"You promise you won't make fun of me?" I whispered.

"Oh god, why will I do that?" He asked, shocked.

"You always did. It's nothing surprising."

"Sophia, please. You think I'll do that?" He stopped the car at the corner of the road.

Okay, now it's very scary. Why did he stop the car?

"Ww-why did you stop?!" I started to panic. "I want to listen attentively. That's why." He said, turning his body to look at me. "You can trust me." He assured me.

And I spilled everything to him, like the idiot I am. "I did it." I pulled the sleeves of my shirt upwards to show him the cut. He gasped. "You, did it? Why?!"

"Because I wanted to die!" I cried. "Because I was tired of living in this hell!" I let my tears fall. He kept staring at me.

"Oh god Sparky! Everyone's life is difficult! Killing ourself is not the solution." He told me.

"You don't know Carter! You don't understand! You don't know how my life is. You won't ever know and that is why I wasn't telling you! I knew you'd say this." I yelled at him.

"My parents, they don't listen to me. My father even forgot he had a daughter. I'm not allowed to call my mother 'Mom'. I can't live with my brother. I'm such a cursed child they want me out of there lives completely. And on top of that people like you don't let me live. You didn't spared a single chance to bully me. That jerk of your friend isn't any good. Whom could I share all of this with? It seems so little to you but it's not! I'm like a piece of shit occupying a space in this planet that could be used up by others and this shit isn't doing any good to anyone. I did this because nobody needed me. I'm the most unlucky person on this planet. I did that for freedom!"

He was staring at me intently.

"The first time was when I was in grade 7. Remember the day you had 'fun with' chilli powder. I didn't had the courage to face everyone so I tried cutting myself but Rebecca had to see me. She ruined everything."

"Jack! Do you have some chilli powder?!" Carter shouted.

"No! No! Don't do this! Teacher! Teacher! Anybody help!" I tried to free myself from the grip of Carter's friends who held me firmly. I couldn't stand properly because of how much they've punched me earlier. So much that I was coughing blood.

"Shut up! And open your mouth!" Carter demanded. "No! I won't-" I tried to speak but he pushed the spoon of chilli powder inside my mouth. "You want more?!"

I started coughing loudly because it was poking my insides. After a minute my coughs turned into high pitched screams and shouting. My mouth was on fire. I couldn't breath properly. Tears started to come out of my eyes and even something started to come out from my nose. "Aaah! Water! Pleahz! Wahteh! Shombhodyh!"

God, stop this please.

As I raised my head particles of chilli powder entered my eyes making me shriek.

"You know Ms Rose told us, it burns a lot if chilli goes to your eyes. I thought why don't we try? Is it burning?!"

"God, Carter! It's burning like hell. Please leave me! Please." Blood continued to come out of my nose but they didn't see it.

They laughed at my reaction. "Carter, man! Her nose is bleeding. She might even die!"

Die! I'm going to die today. Oh god forgive me if I've done something wrong. Don't be too harsh on me when-

"Run! Someone is coming!" I heard one of his friends say and then I was left to die alone in the backyard of the school. I fell down on the floor still weeping and crying for water. I began rubbing my tongue with my scarf.

Water, I needed water.

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"Hey, wait Sparkle!" Carter's voice made me stop on my tracks. "How was your paper? Why am I asking even? It must have been awesome right?"

I nodded and continued to walk. "You didn't ask how was mine?" He said.

"Should I?"

"Yes obviously! Aren't you worried of me result?"

"No, I'm not worried. How was it?"

"I answered every question. Now let's see if I get them correct or not. We had to use the 5th property in question number 4 right?" He asked.

I felt happy that all of my efforts paid. His words brought a smile on my face. "Yeah, 5th property."

"Hope for the best. And I asked Mr Miller. He said he probably will check till tomorrow."

"Yeah. He said." I nodded. He grabbed my wrist and twisted me around. "What is the matter with you? Why aren't you acting like usual. What's wrong?"

"What is the matter with you?! Why don't you leave me and make me invisible like before?" I told him my voice cracking. "What did I do Sparkle?!"

"Nothing! You did nothing. That's what's eating me. Why did you not do anything when you know my biggest secret. Why didn't you spread it like you would do?" I yanked my hand away from his grip.

"Because........I've changed. Is that something so bad?"

"No, its something so unrealistic and unbelievable! I was scared and that's why I decided to stay away from you and your friends but the whole day had passed and you haven't done anything. I can't accept it."

"Oh, it's just this! I thought I did something. Stupid." He side hugged me. "You know what?"

"What?"

"You are crazy!" He smacked my head and chuckled. "Now, do you or do you not want to go to history?" He asked.

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