Chapter Four

Later in the afternoon, Callisto went outside again. He found an old, dark-green bench under the shade of a big mango tree on the side of the road. Its legs covered in lichen. He sat there and recalled what happened yesterday.

Staying at home with no one to talk to was so boring. Callisto didn't even have an internet connection. He couldn't watch his favorite action movies by Jason Statham. He lay down, and after a few minutes, he fell asleep.

Across the road, there were four girls who were fans of the Blackpink girl group. One of them was Linley, and they noticed Callisto, who was lying on the bench and sleeping soundly like a beggar.

"Look at that boy," Delilah said, pointing at the bench where Callisto was napping. "Do you think what I think?"

"Let's go, girls!" Adelaide exclaimed, leading the troop across the road where not even a single car passed by.

"He's so cute, isn't he?" Caroline asked.

Linley remembered the family who just arrived recently into the house rumored to be haunted. Although the house looked old and surrounded by tall grasses, she doesn't believe in ghosts. She also thought that perhaps this was the boy her friend Stalin talked about.

"Wait, what are you planning to do with him?" Linley asked.

"What do you think? I can flirt with him and be his girlfriend," Delilah replied without a hint of guilt or a little self-respect. "I'm pretty, and he's handsome. We're a perfect match, aren't we?"

"Are you out of your mind?" Linley asked.

"Yes, probably," Delilah replied. She was about to touch Callisto's face when Linley grabbed her hands.

"What are you doing? Let go of me! Are you trying to betray us?" Delilah asked.

"No, I'm not," Linley asserted. "I'm just trying to protect him."

"Protect him? From whom? From me?" Delilah chuckled. "Girls, tie this traitor!"

"Isn't that too cruel?" Adelaide asked. "I thought we were here to do our group project, not disturb others. The deadline is tomorrow, right?"

"Hmph!" Delilah let out a deep sigh. She didn't have time to flirt with cute guys because of their tight schedule, so she just left him alone.

The three girls left the spot, except for Linley, who stayed there like a guard. She watched Callisto in his sleep as she didn't want some stranger to make fun of him. She was confused why she was doing this either.

"What is this cute guy doing here? He looks like a napping polar bear," Linley murmured. She examined Callisto's face, not knowing that they were so close.

Callisto opened his eyes and saw a beautiful girl in front of him. He realized he had fallen asleep again. He just couldn't stop himself from napping anywhere because of the nice weather.

Callisto wondered why there was a girl beside him. Did he get into trouble again? He looked at her face and realized she was one of those pretty girls in town.

"You're finally awake. I thought you were going to make me watch over you till midnight," Linley said. She had immediately distanced herself when Callisto opened his eyes.

"Thanks for doing that," Callisto replied in a calm tone. Despite being deeply asleep, he heard what the girls talked about just a while ago.

"By the way, I have a friend named Stalin. She already told me something about you. You know, with black hair and brown eyes. I didn't believe her at first, but now I know she was telling the truth," Linley said.

"Oh, I thought she was crazy, but it seems like she has some friends. Do you know that she tried to get herself killed in the streets?" Callisto asked.

"What?!" Linley asked, surprised. "I've never thought she'd do that. I know her mother isn't treating her well; perhaps that's the reason why she wanted to end her life."

"That's so sad. How could a mother hurt her own child this way?" Callisto asked. "She can be jailed if we report this to the authorities."

"Maybe you're right, but it's better not to intervene. I know you care about her, but we'll only involve ourselves if we report this," Linley said.

Callisto inhaled deeply, thinking about what he should do to help Stalin from being treated badly by her own mother. He knew he couldn't just act impulsively without knowing the whole story.

"Anyway, I have to go now." Linley stood up. She looked at Callisto one last time. "May I know your name?"

"Just call me Callisto," Callisto replied.

"Linley." She smiled sweetly.

"So you're just here, flirting with a new guy. Did you know that I have been looking for you everywhere?" Lazaro asked. "And who is this boy?"

"Callisto, dude," Callisto said. He asked for a handshake, but Lazaro ignored him.

"You don't have to know who I am, and please, Linley, stop talking with strangers, and you boy must return to where you came from," Lazaro advised.

"What are you doing?" Linley asked. "Callisto is my friend, and you're not in the position to tell us what to do."

"Just follow me if you don't want to be beaten," Lazaro warned.

"You can beat a girl without any reason?" Callisto interrupted, clutching his fist. "Why won't you beat me instead?"

"Are you really looking for a fight, huh?" Lazaro asked, folding his sleeves, showing his big biceps.

Callisto didn't really care if this man was stronger or had more muscles than him. He was worried about how he treated Linley. He appeared so arrogant with the way he spoke and acted.

The clouds formed in the sky. The surroundings turned dark. Callisto knew it would rain heavily. His house was far, so he'd need a place where he could stay for the night.

"Just stop it!" Linley exclaimed. "Aren't you ashamed? You're not kids anymore to fight here in the road. Lazaro, please, just leave us alone."

"And where are you going? You'll hook up with this guy?" Lazaro asked.

"Shut up!" Linley hadn't controlled herself and slapped Lazaro's face. "If you can't respect the people around you, then it's better if we just break up!"

Break up? Callisto wondered if he heard it right. It seemed like he had involved himself in a couple's fight where he wasn't supposed to get himself in.

"Linley, I," Lazaro realized his behavior. "Did you really mean it? Are you really breaking up with me?"

Lazaro tried to touch Linley's arm, but she shunned his touch and said, "If you won't stop, then I'll do what I say!"

"Okay, I'll stop now, but please, don't break up with me," Lazaro pleaded.

"Just leave us alone. I'm tired of playing your games today," Linley said.

Lazaro felt like he didn't matter to Linley. He had trusted her with all his heart, but she could drive him away like that for a stranger? This is so unfair, he thought. He could never let this humiliation pass.

"Wow! You're so brave to stand up for yourself, Linley!" Callisto said, amazed by how Linley defended herself.

"Is that a compliment or what?" Linley asked. "Anyway, let's go now before the rain falls."

Callisto nodded. He followed Linley to her house, and they got wet along the way as heavy rain fell. A wide smile crept on Callisto's face as he remembered his childhood experiences. Those days when the boars chased him and the fences he struggled through.

"We're finally here," Linley said, stepping on the front porch of her house. She was soaked in the rain. The curves of her body were clearly visible in her flimsy clothes. "I'm sorry, I forgot to clean the house."

Callisto swallowed hard. He blushed, looking at Linley. He tried to hide it by looking somewhere else. "No, you don't have to say sorry. I must be the one to apologize for bothering you," he said.

"Okay, but I still want to say sorry for my boyfriend. I hope you didn't mind him. You know, Lazaro is just protecting me, as he didn't want my parents to scold him," Linley said.

"He loves you, and that must be the reason why he's so protective with you," Callisto replied.

"Well, sometimes love can be suffocating, isn't it? Anyway, let's get inside; it's dishonoring to talk here." Linley opened the door and stepped inside the living room. She dried her feet on the floor mat.

"May I use your bathroom?" Callisto asked.

"Yeah, just go straight to the left of the kitchen," Linley said. She walked towards the fireplace and lit it up. The burning wood crackled as the fire took hold, sending warmth inside the living room.

"Thanks!" Callisto smiled as he made his way to the bathroom. He stepped inside and locked the door. He turned on the shower. He blushed as the water poured over him, remembering Linley's body soaked in the rain.

"What am I thinking?" Callisto slapped the sides of his face, but the thoughts didn't leave his mind. After a few moments, he came out from the bathroom, a white towel wrapped around his waist.

"Are you done?" Linley asked. She blushed, staring at Callisto's body. She didn't expect that he actually had more muscles than her boyfriend.

"Can I borrow some spare clothes?" Callisto asked, approaching Linley.

"Please stop there!" Linley requested, her face and ears turned red. She hurriedly got inside her father's room and picked some of his clothes for Callisto.

"Use them!" Linley threw the clothes to Callisto from the door of her father's room. Then, she continued to the bathroom to have a shower. Her body was warm despite the weather.

A few moments later, they both have finally settled down. Callisto hung his wet clothes near the fireplace to get them dry quickly. He was relieved to have a reliable friend like Linley. He didn't know where he would stay without her.

"Are you alone here?" Callisto asked, looking around. There was a deep silence, indicating that no one else was here except for him and Linley. He hated his mind for thinking something dirty.

"Yeah, my parents won't come back this week. You know, they are always busy at work, especially during summer," Linley said. "Make yourself at home."

"Are you sure you'll let me stay here tonight?" Callisto asked. "Won't someone be mad?"

"Don't worry, nobody will be mad," Linley said.

"Do you trust me?" Callisto asked.

"I don't trust strangers, but I trust you. Besides, you already did something wrong if you have that intention, but you're here, talking with me like we've known each other for too long," Linley said.

"Well, I think that's enough reason to say, but you know, we don't really know people, who they are, the first time we meet them. It usually takes time to get to know a person completely," Callisto explained.

"It's okay. We still have time for that," Linley replied. "Do you want anything? Coffee? Water?"

"Water would be great. I haven't drunk since I left home," Callisto replied, his voice hoarse.

As Callisto sat down on the upholstered couch, Linley disappeared into their kitchen. She came back with two plastic bottles of distilled water. She threw one to Callisto, who also caught it, and sat down beside him.

"So, do you have a plan to go back?" Linley asked.

"Yeah, of course, I can't stay here forever. My parents will be worried. I just really need a place where I can sleep for tonight because of the heavy rain," Callisto replied. He knew how futile it was to use the weather as an alibi when he could really go home if he wanted.

"Don't worry, we're friends though," Linley said.