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Chapter 6

Anna

This day should be my day off. Where in, I have all the time for myself and yet, Josh and James are here at our house and none of my parents know anything about it. I didn’t even planned this and yet I’m stuck with these two. What irritates me the most is the fact that Josh invited a guy over that at first, I don’t even know and it turns out that he’s our next door neighbor who makes my head boil every time I see him.

“You know each other?” Josh glances at the both of us. Curiosity was evident on his face.

James entered our house without even waiting for the both of us to tell him to enter. He was a bit of a stubborn. No, actually he is really a stubborn guy. He take a sit on our couch and just sit there comfortably.

“Actually, we already met but we don’t know each other that well.” He smiled and glance at Josh. He offered Josh for him to sit down and he looks at me, patting the empty space at the middle.

I don’t know what to say or what to react. It is because I want to kept my cool since Josh is here and we haven’t been talking or even hanging out because he always have a practice because of their upcoming game. I just have to deal with it even if James is getting on my nerves.

James opened his big mouth and said, “Mean girls? Pathetic. You should spend your weekends watching some action movie or better yet, a horror movie.” He leans his back against our couch and slowly stretch his arms, placing it around my shoulder.

I kept my cool and let out a heavy breath. I calmed myself down before I face him and said, “Sorry but I don’t watch those stuffs.” I pointed his arms that are placed around my shoulder and added, “Can you please take your arms away from my shoulder?” I said calmly.

He showed me his signature smirk and wink back at me, “Sure thing sweetheart but I’ll do that if you let us change the movie.”

“Anna, not that I’m complaining but can we watch a different movie? Guys don’t watch this stuff.” He followed with a sigh.

“Okay. Two against one. Let’s go watch some horror movie. Exorcist are kind of fun to watch.” He teases me and went towards the dvd player and inserted the tape that he have on his pocket.

The truth is, I don’t watch these stuffs. It’s because I have some kind of trauma or something that you can call it like that. I’m afraid of things that are related to that and sometimes, I get a panic attack. But that was when I was still a kid, as of now, I don’t usually get a panic attack and are just afraid to watch them. My mother told me to do something about it so that I can overcome my fears and I did try but well, it didn’t turn out well.

“Fine.” I replied with just one word. I don’t want to but I don’t want to get scared always. I wanted to overcome this trauma and fear of mine.

James hurriedly went to sit down at my side and toss the remote to Josh. He played it and James whispered something with my ear, “You scared? Tell me if you don’t watch this because I’m welcome to take it back and tease you as much as I want.”

Now he just gone overboard, “I’m not scared! You want to make a bet out of it because I’m sure that I can beat you.” I defended myself with this so called bet.

He just gone overboard and I can’t help but to get mad at him because of it. I want to show him that he can’t just tease someone and mocks me because it was obvious that I was afraid of something that are related to these things because of the incident last night. I want him to stop teasing me and show some respect. I mean, we just met and he doesn’t even know me that well.

Josh hits the pause button and entered our conversation, “Wait, hold on. That is just insane Anna. You have a phasmopobia and yet you want to make a bet out of this? I’m sorry but I’ll change the tape. I don’t think that this is suited for you. I remember when you and Amy had a bet on this thing and it didn’t turned out well.”

Yes, I do have a phasmopobia and it has something to do with fear of ghost and other supernatural stuffs. We did have a bet a while back with Amy and I lost. But I’m sure that I’ll win this bet no matter what. It’s just a movie, it’s not real.

“Don’t Josh. I’m going to show this guy who’s the boss.” I look at James with a determined look and all he does was show me his irritating smirk.

“Is that so? A bet. So what’s the condition if you won?” He crosses his arms against his chest and waited for my reply.

“If I win, you will stop teasing me, making fun of me, you’ll respect me and you’ll stop calling me nicknames that isn’t pleasant to hear like sweetheart!” I said in a high tone of voice.

He chuckled for seconds and said, “Sure thing sweetheart, but if I win.” He moves his head towards me and lift my chin with the use of his index finger and said in a soft tone of voice, “I’ll take you out on a date next week.”

“What?!” I retorted. “That’s insane!” This guy is unbelievable. He should’ve pick something that is worth it not a date that I don’t think is appropriate for the two of us. I just met him and I don’t even know him that well and he started to want a date.

“It’s just a bet sweetheart. If you’re so determined in winning, you don’t have to worry about it.” He said.

He have a point though. He’s just playing with me and I know that I will win, “Deal!”

--

When Josh played the movie, he hasn’t been talking and just stared at the screen. I don’t know what’s the matter with him but I have the feeling that he was just afraid for me. He knows that I have a phobia and he just cares for me. He doesn’t have to think about it though, I’m going to win this bet no matter what.

I glance at Josh and he was just staring at the movie. He was silent and I don’t even know what to say,

We’re at the mid part of the movie and I think I will totally win this. Just a half part more and I’ll win but like what other usually says, the fun part is usually at the middle part of the movie.

“Focus your eyes on the screen sweetheart.” James whispered on my ear.

I sigh and focused my eyes back on the film that we’re watching. I don’t know what’s happening to me but I’m feeling kind of uneasy and as if my hands are sweating. The scene was where some kind of exorcism was being held and I felt my hands shaking.

My phobia started when I was a little kid. It was because of cousin, they locked me out of my closet that time and my parents were not home, when they opened the closet, one of my cousins scared me by doing an exorcism act. I was crying nonstop. That is why I’m scared of the dark, exorcism and other things related to it.

I don’t care about the bet anymore. I lean my head against James chest and closed my eyes. I feel like I can’t breathe. My hands are still shaking and in the same time it was sweating. Not that I know of, there are tears escaping from my eyes.

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