Vulcan

Setting: At the psychologist / present

Doctor: How are you feeling today, Pandora?

Pandora: Uhm, as usual. Nothing special, nothing too worrisome. Just an infinite amount of nothingness deep within my soul.

Doctor: Your hair looks different today.

Pandora: I changed my hairdresser.

Doctor: Has anything else occurred during this week we haven’t seen each other for?

Pandora: Yes. It did.

Doctor: It did?!

Pandora: I realized that if I didn’t plan to kill myself, I would have become much better psychologist than you. Then again, you never raised the bar too high.

Doctor: (‘I am so done with you’ look on Doctor’s face) I am eager to listen to your stories about how you became a bitch for everybody around you. And experiencing you first hand, it’s all believable.

Pandora: Chill, woman.

Doctor: You started it.

Pandora: You’re such a little kid.

Doctor: If I counted correctly, only three pillars were left. Walker, your brother Louis and your parents.

Pandora: Walker, Vulcan, doesn’t matter. What matters more is he was just a jerk.

Doctor: Oh? But it didn’t seem to me that way?

Pandora: Come closer, little girl, and I shall tell you a story.

Setting: Pandora’s flat / 9th December 2022

It is early in the morning and Pandora is talking to her parents in their living room.

Pandora: The car that is gonna pick me up will be here in any minute. It will drive me to the hospital from where the helicopter is gonna transfer me to the clinic abroad. The surgery will take place there. Do you have the money for me?

Father: Yes. (gives her an envelope) There is enough money to cover your potential costs. Also give something to the surgeon so that we make sure he will do the surgery properly.

Mother: Send a message when you land.

Pandora: Sure. Okay, I’ll wait for the car downstairs.

Mother and Father both hug Pandora, Father sheds a tear.

Mother: Take care, sweetie. May the surgery be a success…

Father: Good luck, I will be thinking of you tomorrow… Please come back to us healthy.

The dog comes to say goodbye too. He jumps at Pandora and starts licking her.

Pandora: Stop it, Lucky, haha. I will be missing you as well. Good boy (she pets him). Well. I’m off.

Pandora gets in the black luxurious car that is already waiting for her in front of the apartment building.

The Driver: Where are we going, miss?

Pandora: Here’s the address. (She hands him a note and calls Vulcan on the phone) Darling? I’ll be waiting in front of your house in about 10 minutes. Come outside and take just essential stuff, we’re going on a trip. Hihi.

Vulcan: (on the phone) What? But this is so sudden, what about school, and my father?

Pandora: 9 minutes~. Come. (She hangs up)

The car stops in front of Vulcan’s house. He is waiting there with a backpack. Pandora pulls the window down.

Pandora: Get in!

Vulcan reluctantly gets in the car and sits next to her. Pandora notices how he got into shape during the past few months she almost didn’t see him and so she stares at him and blushes.

Vulcan: Where’d you get this car?

Pandora: Mommy has a lot of money to spend during this weekend, eheheh. (she shows him the envelope full of money)

Vulcan: Where did you…??

Pandora: Don’t sweat it~. Just enjoy. We are going to a hotel on the other side of this country. There is a spa and all the good stuff, we will spend a quality weekend as two young lovers~.

Vulcan: Are we still lovers though…?

Pandora: Of course~! Oh, and what did you say about your father?

Vulcan: I tried to say that to you this week multiple times but you always hung up phone or changed topic. My father was in a car accident, he is now stabilized but they still keep him in the hospital.

Pandora: Oh, yeah, cool. Now you will at least forget about him a little bit and relax.

Vulcan: I won’t be able to relax…

Setting: Hotel & Spa / 9th December 2022

The car gets them off at the hotel. Pandora throws some money at the driver.

Pandora: Keep the change, buddy!

The Driver: Thank you very much, Miss. I wish you a good weekend with your lover.

They go inside and come to their room. The room is rather big and there is a heart-shaped decoration on the king size bed.

Pandora: Woah~, this is amazing!! Let’s go to the inside pool right now!

She takes off her dress and is revealed to wear her bikini.

Vulcan: P-Pandora, you already have a swimsuit? But I didn’t bring any!

Pandora: Guess you need to go naked then, hihihi.

Vulcan: (blushes) No! I’ll go buy it downstairs, I saw a small shop by the reception! (he rushes outside)

Vulcan comes back with a new swimsuit. Pandora is lying on the bed.

Pandora: Come here~.

Vulcan approaches her slowly but she grabs him by his t-shirt and pulls him onto herself. He blushes even more. Pandora gently whispers to his ear.

Pandora: It’s gonna happen tonight~. (Vulcan’s eye pupils shrink)

Vulcan: P-Pandora, when did you start being so aggressive?

Pandora: Oh you haven’t seen anything yet. (She kisses him on the lips and moves her hand down his body)

Vulcan: W-wait, not there!! (She bites him gently to his neck and makes another move with her hand)

Pandora: Don’t give me orders, you’re just my bitch now. (She whispers again)

Vulcan: B-b-b-bitch??

Pandora: Okay! (She stops at once and jumps from the bed) Let’s go to the pool!

Vulcan: Huh?? But I can’t walk right now! I can’t be seen by people like this!

Pandora: I’m waiting~.

Pandora gets into the water in the inside pool, Vulcan follows her soon after. They relax in the pool and then go to the sauna where Pandora teases him with having her towel show her thighs. After they are done, they go to a dinner. At the restaurant, they finish their food. The waiter comes with a bill.

Pandora: The dinner is not actually included, so could you please take the bill?

Vulcan: Uh? Yeah, of course. (He looks at the total) What? But I don’t have that kind of money on me!

Pandora: Ehh? But you’re my boyfriend, who’s gonna take care of me?

Vulcan: But I didn’t know we would end up here…

Pandora: Heheh, don’t worry, I know you’re just a poor boy, I’ll take care of the bill as always. I do come from a better family. But it is so embarrassing in front of this waiter that I as a woman have to pay again… Welp, nothing we can do about it. Here you go, buddy. (She pays the bill) Keep the change. (She winks at him and he takes the finished plates)

Vulcan: Thank you, sir. (the waiter leaves) Pandora, I feel really miserable… let’s go home, I don’t want you to spend all your money on me.

Pandora: No darling, it’s paid till Sunday, so we’re gonna stay here till Sunday.

Vulcan: But I-

Pandora: Shhhh... it’s almost time. Finish your drink and come to our room. I will be waiting for you, prepared. (winks)

Vulcan blushes and watches her leave. The way she walks is unmatched by any other lady. Once she gets out of the sight, Vulcan finishes his drink in one swoop and hurries after her. But he stops midway and holds his belly. He starts rushing the other way to the toilets. After a while, Vulcan comes back to their room.

Vulcan: What was that…Eh, hopefully just a one time thing. Pandora?

Pandora sleeps on the bed.

Vulcan: Pandora? Are you awake?

Pandora still sleeps and as he calls her name, she makes a snoring sound.

Vulcan: Dammit! She got me hyped up for no reason! I should have known she was just teasing me… (Vulcan lies next to her and sleeps, Pandora smirks with her closed eyes.)

Setting: Hotel & Spa / 10th December 2022

Vulcan and Pandora are relaxing in the inside pool again. This time, they are alone.

Vulcan: Pandora… I won’t let you change the topic. We finally have a proper opportunity to talk. No more lies, please.

Pandora: What are you talking about~?

Vulcan: There has been just too much going on with you lately… Your family moved because you apparently got a terminal illness. But you say it’s not true, why would your Mother lie to me? During the summer, we didn’t go on a date once. Your Grandpa died and you called him ‘old geezer’ and your family ‘stupid’. After that, we have seen each other only rarely. You are not friends with Alyssa anymore. And on top of that, you ignore me during your birthday and go on a dinner with a shady old man… I can’t take this anymore, Pandora. What did I do wrong? Do you not love me anymore?

Pandora: Of course I do.

Vulcan: Then what’s this all about? You do all that stuff and then you take me on an expensive trip like this, start teasing me and… and… I mean, I am really confused.

Pandora: You’re just thinking too much into this, Vulcan.

Vulcan: What about your illness then?

Pandora: My parents are not paying attention to me at all. So I wanted to get them notice me.

Vulcan: You would lie to your family like this just because of the lack of attention? That’s just too cruel!

Pandora: And what would you know about it? When your father didn’t work, he was home all the time, of course you got all the attention you deserved!

Vulcan: But that’s not it… It’s like… it’s like… I’m sorry to say this but… it’s like you’re not a good person anymore.

Pandora: And was I ever a good person?

Vulcan: You were one of the sweetest and most angelic beings I have ever met…

Pandora: If you think I am not a good person, then just leave. I don’t need you here.

Vulcan: Pandora, don’t…

Pandora: See? You loooveee me~. You can’t let me be.

Vulcan: But this is not about just love anymore.

Vulcan receives a phone call. His mobile phone is on a table near the pool. He goes out of the water to pick it up. Somebody tells him in the phone something. As Pandora watches his face, he goes pale. The phone falls down from his hand on the floor.

Pandora: What’s going on?

Vulcan: My dad… they just called me from the hospital. They said he succumbed to the injuries in the end. He… passed away.

Pandora: Hmm… don’t be so sad, love. At least you’re gonna inherit the house.

In a fantasy, the last pillar is revealed and instead of getting a regular crack, it receives a hole in the middle. The statue connected to it looks like a bride with a veil, holding a bouquet.

Vulcan: Did you seriously just say that…? … I have no strength left. I gotta go to the hospital, I don’t believe my dad would die like that!

Vulcan leaves in a hurry, forgetting about his phone he dropped. Pandora goes find the waiter from yesterday’s dinner. She takes out some cash and gives it to him.

Pandora: Thanks for the cooperation with the laxatives in that drink yesterday. You can forget about the other stuff for today, my boyfriend left. (inner monologue) I am so sorry my love. It hurt me inside when I saw how crushed you were after that phone call… I know what it means to lose a loved one, your father was very close to you… Please just forget about me already. I promise, you will find somebody much better, you deserve better.

Setting: At the psychologist / present

Doctor: Oh my gosh, poor boy. What was this even all about?

Pandora: I had different plans for him, this was just to annoy him as much as possible to not feel comfortable with our relationship so that he could start questioning the meaning of it.

Doctor: What about his father?

Pandora: He had a terrible car accident and, unfortunately, he really did die that day...

Setting: Pandora’s flat / 11th December 2022

Pandora comes back home from the hotel, while her family thinks she had a surgery. The family wants to hug her but Pandora stops them with a hand gesture.

Father: Pandora!! You’re back, so???

Mother, Father and Leon all have been eagerly waiting.

Pandora: I feel a little dizzy, doctors said to take it easy, so I will be in my room. Unfortunately, the surgery didn’t go as planned, there will be another one needed. They said they cracked it a little but still… And another payment will have to be made as well…

Father: Not a problem, we will do everything in our power!

Setting: Pandora’s flat / 12th December 2022

Pandora lies down on a bed in her room and receives a phone call from an unknown number. She picks it up and a familiar voice is heard.

Vulcan: Pandora, it’s me. I am calling from Iris’ phone.

Pandora: Iris’?!

Vulcan: Imma be real. She was with me whenever I needed her. She gave me the level of comfort you stopped giving me. She was always there for me. I am sorry. I cheated on you with her. Let’s break up.

Pandora raises eyebrows and blinks twice astonished.

CHAPTER 19: END