Perfect II: The Art Of Living

Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Ethan woke up exasperated and rubbed his head as if he suffered a nightmare. He sighed and put his thick rimmed glasses onto his face, preparing him for his first day in The Japanese Pride.

              It was a couple of hours away from his shift. Turning his laptop on and having an internet video chat with Enid were not really burdens to carry. He took the lethargy off and successfully stood up. The walls absorbed his yawn. His smile condensed the room into compact excitement. He stared at the full length mirror on the edge of his small but convenient room and stared at it for a moment.

              A few months ago, the man who was frowning before him was a phony little nerd lurking through the halls of NYAAS. Now, he was a phony little nerd sifting through the papers on a Literary Writer’s desk. Ethan inhaled; trying to manifest that bewilderment could be replaced by air. He smiled but quickly grimaced. He looked like a total pig.

              Trying to arrange his polychromatic ties, Ethan found the speakers of his laptop singing a song he and William recorded. He was silent for a moment until tears oozed from his eyes. He quickly recoiled from them and wiped the trails on his face. Ethan went approached his laptop and turned it off. He forgot he set it as a blog background music. That, he realized how long he had not visited the world of social interaction. He grimaced and the full-length mirror reflected that unhappy curve. He sobbed, I miss you. His voice trailed off into faded longing. Ethan sniffed and closed his blog. Upon welcoming him to his desktop, his cursor scampered to the Skype icon and clicked it.

              He sighed.

“I think you should enjoy.” Enid tried her not-so-cheerful powers to deliver Ethan some bliss. Thinking she sent some, she smiled but Ethan’s face came audaciously stern rather than enigmatically conceited to tease her of her failure to make him smile.

              She sighed and said, “Why? What’s the matter, Ethan?”

              “How is he?” Ethan quickly threw with his static voice echoing in the nearly empty apartment.

              “Who he? William?”

              Ethan did not move. His eyes said, yes but his lips twitched which tried to avoid the answer. Enid relieved her heavy breath and lied, “He is fine.” It sounded ethereal. Those words came from nowhere she knew. She feigned a smile and sent him a smiley. However, Ethan’s face frankly convulsed into a forlorn look.

              “He is not showing up in school, is he?” Ethan concerned.

              Enid sighed. One cannot escape the inquisitiveness of Mr Colchester. “No. I have not seen him. Sorry, Ethan.”

              He sighed and his breath was delivered like an explosion form the speakers of the computer. Enid inhaled and lashed a smile out of her face. It was contagious, she could say. Ethan was smiling too. A tired smile with a trace of disappointment.

              “How are you?” he asked, directing toward another subject.

              Enid tried not to smirk but she felt helpless. “You need to work out on your socially endeavoring conversational skills, Ethan.” She giggled and he did reciprocate.

              “No, really. How are you, lass under her collection of Barbie turtlenecks and pleated skirts?”

              Enid giggled. How am I? She frowned but regained the poignant curve on her lips. Maybe good. I hope. She whispered to herself. Still avaricious of all the burdens. She joked and slightly chuckled.