Taming The Dragon

||Kiotni||
[[Few Days Later]]
I laid my head on Ayana’s lap and closed my eyes, “I feel stupid…” I muttered.
She chuckled, “Why?”
“I let my guard down on some creep, then gave my number to a stranger,”
“Well I’m sure the same would happen if we went to a club or bar,” then she paused, “Well minus the old guy incident,”
“What do I do if he calls or text me?”
She rolled her eyes ay my behavior, “Respond of course,”
I huffed, “Thank you captain obvious,”
“Stop acting like a little kid and be mature about this,”
“I AM mature… it’s just it’s been so long since I’ve contacted with a decent guy,”
“Well remember that one guy back in high school?” Ayana noted, “I forgot his name…he was like Asian or whatever, pretty popular with the ladies.”
I sat up to think, “The only Asian I could think of that fits that description was that one guy who always had a different girlfriend,” I shrugged my shoulders after giving up on trying to remember his name. “What does all this have to do with him?” I finally asked.
Ayana gave a side smirked, “Didn’t you like have a huge crush on him?”
I parted my lips open into a small O, “Ohh….THAT guy,” then I looked away with a faint blush, “Maybe I did like him—a lot,” I admitted, “We had a slight encounter…But he was a player, he would only hurt my feelings,”
“Well ya know…Some guys use the whole ‘Player’ act to hide their true feelings to a girl they may like,”
I rolled my eyes, she always tried to be philosophical but in a way she was right.
45% of the time at least.
“So all your Ex-boyfriends must have hid their feelings from you huh?” I smirked at her.
She playfully shoved me, “No, those were just MISTAKES,”
As I was about to say something I felt my phone vibrate, I looked at the screen a saw that Hyun was calling me.
“Don’t stare, answer it!” Ayana rushed.
I put the cell to my ear, “Hello~?”
“Hey what’s up,” spoke his smooth deep voice over line.
“Just at home chillin’ ‘sup with you?”
“Bored to honest,” he chuckled, “But I was calling wondering if you wanted to meet down my Sunlit Park?”
A smile sneaked across my face, “Sure, I don’t mind,”
I could feel he smiled over the line, “Cool, see ya round 4 30,”
I pushed the end button and laughed at myself. I looked up at Ayana who was staring at me expectantly.
“What~?”
“Her eyes widened, “Sooooo?” she asked eagerly, “Is this a date or what?!”
I waved her off, “No wayyy,” I said, “Just simply meeting up with him to hang at the park. That’s all.”
She pursed her lips, “sure if ya say sooo~” she rolled her eyes, “Well I’ll leave you to ya lil ‘Friend-Date’. I have a lil date of my own tonight,” she winked.
“Another guy from the club?” I asked with a strained face.
“Maybee, but he seems cool!” she proclaimed, “I swear, we had a connection!”
I rolled my eyes, here we go again! Another man she done met at some lewd club or bar and thinking that he is “The one”. Ayana was a very pretty chick, but she just kept attracting the wrong type of men. All of them usually ended up being fresh out of prison, cheaters, or being confronted by pregnant baby mamas.
I just shook my head and smiled, “I wish the best for you then,”
She grinned, “No need to wish,” she said, “Fate already destined us!”
I rolled my eyes, sometimes I just wanted to punch some common sense into her sweet little noggin.
_______________
||T.O.P||
I stood behind the trunk of my car in the parking lot of Sunlit Park waiting for Kiotni to meet up with me. I stood there thinking hoping she didn’t think of me as some creep. But she seemed pretty cool with the idea when I called her. I just hope everything goes well because I seriously didn’t put any thought into this met up.
“You look like a loner just standing around like that,” teased a familiar voice.
I turned around to see a smiling Kiotni; I gave a pleasant smile when I saw her.
“And a hello to you to,” I smirked.
She giggled and walked up to me, “You look like you need good company,”
“hmp, are you trying to say I can’t have quiet places to think to myself.” I pestered back.
She shrugged a shoulder with a side smile, “Nothing wrong with that I guess,”
“Well, shall we start on our stroll?”
We started off down the trail walking past the various planted plants; it was a pretty day today as well. The sky was a bright blue decorated with large scattered clouds.
“So how old are you?” she asked suddenly.
“24,”
She nodded her head, “So you got me by one year, big deal,”
“Yeah, but you can still fool anybody,” I told her, “You seriously do not look your age,”
She gave a fake tone of offence, “Well you look older than your age,” she shot back.
I shrugged my shoulder, “I don’t mind that,”
“Ok….Old Man,” she said slyly.
I closed my eyes as I laughed, “You just placed irony on yourself,”
She gave an awkward grin realizing what she just said, “Ok fine, you look decent for your age,”
We continued to walk some more and even took the time to feed a couple ducks by the lake. Kiotni threw a few crumbs at the birds.
“But in all seriousness,” she said softly, and then she turned to me, “I appreciate you saving me that day. And I owe you one,”
I looked at her with the same expression, “it’s fine,” I told her.
She smiled a little, “I just wanted to be able to repay you, that’s why I asked for your number,” she admitted, “And to hopefully be friends with you,”
I don’t know why but I felt like I was in some cheesy romantic K-Drama.
Not that I watched them that is.
“I don’t mind being a friend,” I said.
Her smile brightened, “Good, cause I didn’t want to look like some idiot,”
“Heh, well let’s head on back before it gets to dark,”
We walked back to the trail and Kiotni sided up next to me matching my pace. I kept my daze on the trail not really paying attention to anything.
We went by a slight opening on the side of the trail that caught her attention.
“This looks like a shortcut,” she observed.
I put a hand out, “Wait, I don’t think—“
I gave an annoyed sigh when she started walking to the hidden trail.
I thought only white people went out to observe dangerous, shady places?! What kind of black girl was she?
“AHHHHHH!!!!!!!” she shrieked.
God damn it.
I ran over to see if she was ok. She had fallen into a pretty deep ditch that was at least 6 feet deep.
“Shit,” I said under my breath when I saw how deep the hole was.
This girl was a magnate for disaster.
“You ok down there?” I asked.
She gripped onto her ankle, “Just sprained my ankle…” she cried out.
I got on my knees and extended my arm out, “Grab my hand,” I told her.
She reached out and gripped her hand onto mines; I flexed my arm to pull her up back to the surface. I tried to help her up to her feet but only got a piercing scream from her.
I jumped back a little, “W-What’s wrong?!” I asked panicky.
She was holding onto her wrist with her head hung low sobbing tears.
“Don’t hurt me Donte…” she whimpered. “Don’t hurt me… I didn’t do anything…”
She kept repeating the same thing.
Donte don’t. Don’t hurt me. Donte No!
I awkwardly stood there not sure what to do, I didn’t want to touch her or she would freak out again.
“Kiotni,” I said softly.
Her eyes shot up at me in fear, “Please, I’ll obey whatever you say!” she wailed.
I put my palms up in protest, “Whoa,” I told her, “I’m not going to hurt you,” I said softly. I started to put a hand on her shoulder but pulled back.
So much for having a good day.
After a few soft weeps Kiotni looked up at me, “I’m sorry,” she breathed out, “I-I just had a flashback and…I freaked out…”
This girl really does have a dark past.
“It’s alright,” I gently put my hand on her shoulder, “Let me walk you back to your car… on the SAFE trail this time,”
She gave a weak laugh, “I feel so lame now,”
“Heh, it’s ok. At least you learned a lesson.”
When we got to her car, I opened her door for her.
“It was nice hanging with you,” I told her, “Even with the lil fall you had,”
She grinned a little, “I did to,” she said, “Maybe we can hang some more…” then she paused, “Where there isn’t anything dangerous,”
I closed her door, “Good. I’ll see you another time.”
_________________________________________________________________________________
“So…how was your cheesy date?” Jiyong asked teasingly when I walked through the door.
“It wasn’t a date,” I corrected, “We were just hanging out is all,”
I decided to not tell him about her fall and freaking out part because I knew Ji would make some stupid comment about it.
He gave that cheeky grin of his, “that’s how they all start off, and then you’ll be screwing her brains out the next!”
I rolled my eyes; I swear he thought more with his dick more than his own brain. Sad part is that he’s a seriously smart guy. He just doesn’t want to show it.
I walked into the living room and sat on the couch, “She’s a really cool girl though,”
“Hmm, I still would like to meet this chick,”
I raised an eyebrow realizing something, “Now that I think about it Ji, she reminds me of that girl from high school,”
He scoffed, “WHICH one?”
I sighed; I forgot that Jiyong was a play head all through his school years, “The black one I guess,”
He looked up narrowing his eyes, “I think I came across 3 black girls,” he said, “But I never got far with them because they believed in that stupid ‘ASIAN STEREOTYPE’” he said in a dramatically mocking voice.
“For some reason, I feel she wouldn’t be any of those three you’re thinking of,”
He stared back at me cocking his head to the side, “What’s her name again?”
“Kiotni,”
“Hmmm… Ki…ot...ni,” he carefully pronounced, “Kiotni…” then gave an annoyed sigh giving up, “I’m bad with names!”
As if that was a surprise.

Notes