Chapter 22

Chamille took a deep breath and walked around the little bit.  Whatever she was going to say was apparently juicy.  She continued to walk for a minute, then stopped a good distance away from me.

"Look, I don't know how you're going to take this, and I think I've prepped you as much as possible...whatever you do, just...don't think the worst, because the worst isn't true."

For a second she stopped talking, and then I was blinking and her voice was changing tones..I opened my eyes to see what was wrong with my ears, but I was stunned at what I saw.

I looked at Chamille and I rubbed my eyes.  Before me stood a man-not Chamille.  Where did she go, was my first thought.  But then I realized that she started to talk again.

"I'm sorry that I haven't told you earlier, Jezabelle.  But my name is not Chamille...I'm not even a girl.  My real name is Ian.  I'm sorry that I didn't tell you before...I would have...but..."

I was staring at him wondering why he had been hiding this from me all this time!  This isn't something that you hide from a person for this long.  'Oh, by the way, I'm actually a guy' doesn't cut it.

At first, I decided I was just going to be amazed by him actually being a guy.  He probably noticed my expression so decided for me to think through this weird thing.  

But then, I started to get angry.  So then, if you're a guy, you must be lying!  You could've taken me out of my virtual reality world, but you just decided not to!  You're here for your own advantage-what do you want from me?  You probably want me to be your servant or something.  Why else would you be doing this for me?!

After a while of my thinking, he decided to break the silence.  "I'm so sorry I couldn't have told you earlier Jez.  You know that I couldn't-oh Jezabelle, oh Jezabelle...I mean you no harm.  Everything I've said was true..."

But then I started walking away from him.  I just couldn't take this!  The one person in the world who I thought I could count of decieved me from the very beginning.  This person is a guy with all the wrong intentions!  I just couldn't be in the same room as him.  

"Wait Jezabelle!  Please, let me explain!"

I quickened my speed.  I wasn't even thinking about where I'd go, but anywhere away from 'Ian' would be good.

But while I was waiting for the elevator to open, he touched my hand, and as ghosts we traveled.

Then, in just a second, we were back at his house.  I looked down at my hand and I noticed that his was still brushing against mine.

Quickly, I took it away and held my hand.  I brushed it on my jeans.

"Oh, so this is why you've been touching me, huh?  You didn't actually want to teleport, it was just an excuse to touch my hand."

"No!  Jezabelle.  You've got it all wrong.  Come on, listen to yourself!  You're not thinking straight."

"Oh, I'm thinking straight all right."

I back away from him quickly, happy to be away from his polluted air.

"You're lucky that I have no where else to go, Ian, or I probably would be gone already.  But of course, you probably just want me gone anyway.  Why would you want me here?"

Ian was looking at me rather calmly and way too nicely for this situation.  "Jezabelle, I don't want you to leave.  Please stay.  I understand why you're mad-but remember.  You had the best of the best treatment from Leonora-which just really means the worst of the worst.  I know this doesn't make sense, I know.  I'm so sorry, I wish I could repay you in some way."

He blinked hard.  "Yes, you can repay me.  Repay me by being Chamille without ever having been Ian.  But oh, you say that's not possible? Then I guess there's nothing you can do.  How about you leave me alone while I'm in my room.  M'kay?  Alright, see you never again."

I was acting like a teenager-but I really wasn't caring.

"But-but...Jezabelle..."

I went into my room and stomped to the chair.

I thought and thought for a long time.

How could Ian do this to me?  How could he be a guy and not a girl?  So obviously everything he has done for me has been a lie.  What scheme is he up to now?  Does he want me to get over it so he can just woo me, and later dump me again?  No, my heart isn't a reusable piece of scrap!

Pretending that you were a girl was a pretty good way to get me to like you.  But-news flash-you were just acting.  Acting!  That wasn't really you.  I don't even know who you are, Ian!  If that really is your name!  Are you really from the future, is all of this some intricate joke?  Well, it's not funny!

While I was thinking many thoughts, I was looking around the room.

Oh, disgusting.  Ian, why haven't you made the bed and picked up my clothes?  Gosh, and you call yourself a host!  Who do you think you are?  Really, I'd like to know.

"Ian, pick up this shit in my room.  It's not sightly!  My bed hasn't been made, there are clothes on the floor.  It's disgusting."

I was surprised when I heard a reply back.  He was downstairs, judging by the tone of his voice.

"I'll be up there in a minute Jezabelle!  I'm sorry that I haven't picked anything up!"

I smiled, happy that he finally understood the meaning of 'host.'

In just a minute, Ian was in my room.

"I'm sorry that I haven't picked up your room, Jezabelle.  My bad.  I should be cleaning up after you-I don't know what I was thinking!"

Ian started picking up my clothes then made my bed.

I wasn't really sure how I felt with him being in there with me.  Sure he was doing what I wanted, but still he was within my sight.  Maybe I should just go out of the room until he's gone?

But by the time I was thinking about going, Ian was leaving.

"If you need anything else, go ahead and ask."  ...yeah, so then I'll just melt into your hands so I'll do whatever I want!  I'm never going to fall for it again.

After a while, I was bored of sitting on the chair.  It was just so hard and uncomfortable-and I mean, come on, stripes are so last century.  There's another thing that Ian sucks at: interior decorating.  Not only are stripes tacky, but it's even worse when you add it to a swirly bed spread.

So I moved my position from the chair to the bed.  I stared at my toes for a while and imagined them never being touched by anyone again.  This is because I'll never get close enough to anyone again-so no one will ever touch my feet!

Oh Ian, you nor no one ever again will ever touch my hands or feet..or anything!  It's not because I don't mind anyone to touch me-at least not a girl, but now I can't really know if they truly are a girl again!  What if they're actually a guy?  No, guys will never use me again in any form!

In the middle of my thoughts, I noticed Ian suddenly appear before me.

Why are you still teleporting when I'm not there for you to hold my hand?  Oh gosh, well that's never going to happen again, so...Even if it was cool!  I'm not going to do it if it involves touching your hands.

"Jezabelle, are you ready to listen?  I think I deserve to explain myself.  You know I wouldn't just hide this from you..."

"No, I'm not going to listen to you.  I mean, look at you!  Of course you would hide this from me, you're a guy!  That's what your kind do."

"It's no use with you.  See you in a few hours."

Ian left as quickly as he came, teleporting somewhere.  I don't even care where he teleported at all!

When he left, I decided to head into the bathroom attached to my room.

I checked my hair and my outfit, and I looked great.  Yeah, I bet that my whole new look is why Ian decided to reveal who he really was to me.  He realized that he actually...actually...oh my gosh, it's so despicable I don't even want to think about it!

I looked at the toilet and made a gross face.  Ew, it's so gross!  Of course Ian wouldn't clean it, it's not 

his, not really so why should he care?

Then I looked at the bathtub and noticed a duckie.  Oh, so what are you, Ian?  Five?  Really, do you seriously think I'd want a duckie?  I'm a twenty something year old woman-I don't do duckies.

Then I decided that I should take a bubble bath.  I took down my hair for the day, and I dipped my toes in and sighed deeply.  Suddenly, I was in the mood. I could feel my anger seeping out of my vains.

Ah, this water feels so good...

Then I noticed that the duckie fell into the water.  Oh, come on.  Why did the duckie have to fall into the water!

Suddenly I felt angry again, and I wasn't quite sure why.  Was it the duckie?  Not exactly, but somehow it triggered it.

When I got out of the bathtub, I toppled back onto my bed, dwelling in my anger.

Oh, what will I do?  It's like I need you, Ian, even though I hate you.  I don't know what to do.  I don't have a job-I don't know anyone...I have nothing.  Nothing!  I hate just being in a place I hate with a passion....and it's all your fault!

Then, after a minute, I saw Ian, and he knelt by me near the bed.  He looked at me intently, and asked me a question.

I had just started to settle down, and I even smiled lightly, just because I was getting tired.  But then I was starting to get angry again-why is he in here with me?

"Jezabelle, how are you feeling?"

"Llama, Ian.  I hate your guts.  I hate you!  If I could, I would leave."

Ian nodded to himself, and suddenly he was gone.