A Walk With Caileen (Chapter 9)

Chapter 9: Fallen Angel

It was mid December and Caileen moved on. She has not heard from Anthony for two months and she already accepted reality. “Caileen have you chosen what dress you will be wearing for the debutante’s ball?” Karen asked but Caileen just slouched on the couch as she continued reading the book Anthony gave her. “I don’t want to go. You can’t force me to go” she said and Karen walked to the living room and confronted her. “Why not? You have to go, it’s called socializing” Karen told her. “I don’t see the point in going? What is that for? So that the rich people can show off their fancy jewelry and designer clothes? To tell the world that their daughter is eighteen? Come on mom, why don’t they just post it in the newspaper or even broadcast it over television” Caileen said.

“You will go and that is final. Me and your father don’t want to but we have to blend in with his colleagues” Karen said and Caileen closed the book and looked at her mother. “Mom, I have read this book thrice and it seems that the protagonist here is really the author himself. I envy him for he found true love, how I wish I do find true love too” she said. “I thought you have found true love?” Karen teased her. Caileen pouted and crossed her arms as Panther jumped on her lap. “That stupid caveman broke my heart, he is rude, grumpy, and stupid, and he could have just said he was in love with another woman. I saw them kiss and oh I don’t want to talk about that good for nothing man!” she exclaimed and Karen laughed at her. “You still have his dog and you keep going to his house though” Karen added and Caileen pouted. “And I noticed something about this book, this autograph is similar to Anthony’s handwriting, he is a fake. He forged PA Kevins signature, and I fell for it! Change topic! I need a partner when I go to the ball; since I don’t have one then I am not going!” Caileen said. “Oh about that we have found you a partner, don’t worry about that since we know you will like him” Karen told her.

Two hours before the ball Caileen was already dressed but she ran towards the park with Panther and checked on her project. Caileen made a scarecrow beside the tree where she first met the caveman. The scarecrow wore leopard shorts and as she looked at it she thought something was missing. She walked around the park to gather some twigs and she went back to the scarecrow to give it some finishing touches. She patterned the twigs to represent facial hair; the face of the scarecrow now looked like the caveman she once knew. Caileen stood up and started laughing at her art work. She kept laughing and Panther started to bark, “Look Panther, does this scarecrow remind you of someone?” she said and still laughed and giggled.

“And who would that person be?” she heard a voice she recognized very well. She acted tough and she laughed louder, “Of course this looks like you!” she exclaimed as she turned around to look at Anthony. Caileen stopped laughing and her eyes could not believe what she was seeing. She shook her head and looked but the person in front of her did not change, the man who stood before her had short hair and was clean shaven. He actually looked like the person in the sketch she drew months back. “That does not look like me” Antony said and Caileen could not remove her gaze from his face. Panther kept barking so Anthony stooped down and picked him up, he embraced his fury dog and said, “I missed you buddy” he looked at Caileen and smiled at her. “Why are you here?” Caileen asked and Anthony walked over to the scarecrow and fixed some twigs. “Well I will be your escort for tonight” he said and Karen appeared calling the two. “Come on we are going to be late!” she shouted and Anthony waived at her. “Go on ahead, we will be taking my car!” he replied and Karen nodded.

An hour later Anthony and Caileen were waiting in line, each debutant had her escort and had to wait for their names to be announce in order for them to enter the main hall where people were waiting. A lot of girls were giggling and looking at Anthony while Caileen was quiet and looking away. “Why are you not talking to me?” Anthony asked. “I am mad at you” she told him. “You told me you will not get mad even if I go away for a long time” he said. “No, I saw you kissing another woman, so the day you left it was over between us” she said as she crossed her arms. “Ah I thought I saw you by your window that day, well that woman is married and they have a cute little daughter. I am not in a relationship with that woman” he explained. Caileen looked at him still not satisfied with his answer. “You kissed” she said as she raised her eyebrows. Anthony laughed and looked around, “Hey look at those two and tell me if what you saw that day was similar to what they are about to do” he said and Caileen looked over. A man approached a lady and the man kissed her on the cheek. “Yeah I think so” she said. “Well for your information that was just a kiss to the cheek, it’s considered a greeting” he explained.

Caileen was dumbfounded and she felt so embarrassed. “Now are you still mad at me?” Anthony asked and Caileen shrugged her shoulders and elbowed him since they were already the next ones to be introduced. As they stepped forward, Anthony held out his arm and Caileen hooked hers around it, as they waited for their names to be called she spotted her mother and father taking pictures of them.

“Next, we present to you the daughter of Doctors George and Karen Peterson, Miss Caileen Peterson!” the announcer said and the couple started to walk down the aisle. “Accompanying Caileen is…is this for real…excuse me” the announcer said as she looked towards Karen and she nodded. “Escorting Caileen is world known book author Paul Anthony Kevins!” said the announcer. Everyone stood up and looked at the couple walking down the aisle, loud murmurs were heard around the hall and Caileen suddenly stopped and looked at Anthony. Most parents rushed towards the aisle to have a closer look, “It’s really him!” one mother shouted and the ushers rushed and tried to clear the center and lots of people rushed to take pictures of them.

A few minutes later Anthony and Caileen was seated, beside them were Karen and George who were all smiles as almost everyone was looking their way. Caileen could not still believe it; her eyes were just focused on the man beside, too many surprises made her doubt if everything was real. Caileen reached out her hand towards Anthony’s chest and she poked him. Karen laughed and said “Caileen you are not dreaming” and her daughter sat still but gazed upon Anthony’s eyes. “You really are PA Kevins?” she asked and he simply smiled at her. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she said and Anthony laughed, “Well you didn’t ask me. I told you if you ask the right questions then you would get the right answers. I told you I would never lie to you” he said and she wanted to smile but everything was still not right on her mind.

All the couples were already dancing after dinner except for Caileen and Anthony. Caileen’s mind was still in disarray and to make matters worse Mindy came over to their table. “Hi, remember me?” she said as she was looking at Anthony. He looked at her and smiled, “Yes, but I don’t remember your name, I think it starts with a letter B” he said. Mindy laughed and as Caileen looked away evidently irked by her presence. “It’s me Mindy silly; we met at your house last summer. Since you two are not dancing, you want to dance?” she asked. Anthony stood up and fixed his suit, “Well yes I would like to dance” he answered and Caileen looked at him in shock. Anthony took the hand of Caileen and said “Come on Caileen lets go dance” he said and Mindy was surprised and had her mouth open. Caileen looked at Mindy and she was happy to see the embarrassment on her face, she looked at Anthony and smiled at him as she took his hand and stood up.

They walked towards the center and they looked around and saw each couple having their bodies close to each other. “Oh boy, I really don’t know how to dance” Anthony whispered and Caileen pulled his hands and placed them on her waist. “Your hands should be here, it’s a slow dance so you just have to follow what the others are doing” she told him. Caileen placed her hands on Anthony’s shoulders and they started to sway slowly to the beat of the music. “I really like what you did back there, I loved the embarrassment on her face. I’m just wondering why you forgot her name when you used to call me Mindy before” she said. “Oh I knew her name, I wanted to say B as in bitch but I held back. You know I have to mind my manners” he said. Caileen laughed and moved her body closer to him. “Why did you come back?” she suddenly asked and Anthony looked at her. “I promised you I would be back remember?” he said.

“What for?” Caileen added and Anthony moved his face closer to hers. “You told me cavemen cannot fall in love with angels. You left without saying goodbye. Now you are back again and making me revive the feelings I have for you. Aren’t you being selfish?” she told him. “You mean to say you lost your feelings for me? It’s okay I understand and it’s my fault. But you know what I have not lost my feelings towards you” he softly whispered. “Cavemen cannot fall in love with angels” Caileen repeated and Anthony nodded. “Yes, because angels are mythical creatures, if a caveman falls in love with an angel then that would be a fairy tale and I don’t believe in fairy tales. But if that angel would fall down from the sky and decide to become a princess and the caveman falls in love with her then that is reality” he explained and she smiled at him. “I always wanted to become a princess” Caileen said. “Will you become my princess?” he asked her and their faces drew closer to each other, everyone on the hall stopped dancing and they simply looked at them waiting for something magical to happen.

“I am not sure about what you are asking me to be, I am confused, the way you act towards me I feel that you…but I am not sure. Maybe you are playing tricks on me or maybe I am misinterpreting things. I want to believe that you feel the same way as I do towards you and…” she didn’t finish what she was saying as Anthony kissed her. As their lips untangled she bowed her head for she felt those sharp jealous stares from the other ladies around them. “Everyone is staring at us” she softly whispered as she slowly looked at Anthony. “Other people? I don’t see anyone else here, I can only see you” he said. Caileen understood what he was trying to say, “You stole my first kiss” she told him. “Because you talk too much” Anthony joked her. “So I should keep talking then” she replied. “Then I would have to kiss you again” he told her, Caileen smiled and she could feel her heart beating faster and faster.

“They are still staring at us” Caileen said and Anthony looked around to see a lot of people staring at them. “Are you bothered?” he asked her. “Yes…not really…more of jealous I think since a lot of girls are staring at you. When we were in line a lot of girls were already looking at you and I could hear their murmurs. I wish you didn’t shave so they won’t be acting that way” she related and Anthony laughed. “You would not be embarrassed dancing with a dirty looking old man is that what you are saying?” he asked her. “Yes, so that they would not be staring at us often, maybe for little bit since it would look odd and they would say bad things but I would not care since I love you. I love you for who you are and not what you look like” Caileen explained. “Do you know why I kissed you in front of them all? It’s to show them that you are the one I…well you know what I mean. The kiss should have said it all you know” he said and Caileen laughed. “Why can’t you say it? I want to hear it from you. The kiss said it all? Sorry but I didn’t quite get what that kiss meant” she teased him. “Oh? Then let me say it clearly then” he told her.

“I…” Anthony started to say and Caileen had her eyes fixed on his as she waited for the words she had been dying to hear from him. He once again kissed her but this time more passionately, Caileen wanted to hear the words from him but to her this meant a lot already. She closed her eyes and held on him tightly, the angel has fallen from the sky and straight in the arms of the caveman.