Gravity

Chapter 8 : Report making

We were standing in front of our house on a Saturday morning.

Me and my groupmates. How did we end up here?

Flashback.

 ”Its true, we really cannot finish the report if we just rely on breaks and after dismissal work.. its two weeks left only.. plus, after that we have our exams! Geez.. what’s wrong with schools? Straining our.... youthfulness..” my girl groupmate sighed.

           

The guy who is always smiling suddenly sighed. “So we really have to do it on weekends,”he finalized and looked at my two groupmates and then to me. I just nodded. That’s what they needed... as if my vote really counts.

            “alright, so which house are we going to?”he finally asked.

           

They all looked troubled, from what I can see from their faces. What should I do then? “I really can’t offer you our house, its quite messy there because of my siblings,” the girl next to me said and showed us a photo of her four siblings on her phone.

           

The guy who always smiles looked at the guy next to the girl. “Don’t look at me, I can’t let you in,” he said and looked away. Now I really heard him sigh again. “I am just renting and its just a small room, four people to sit down there is almost impossible,”

           

His room is that small? Then.. how is he sleeping? How... does he eat? Or take a bath? Or..

           

I just felt someone tapped my shoulder. I don’t know why but it gave me the chills. “Hey, Miki, how about we go to your place?”

End of Flashback.

           

And so here we are at our home. What should I tell them?

                       

This is our house, welcome guests. Enjoy your stay. Wait. That sounds like very formal.

                       

Uh... this is our little house, let’s go inside.

           

I am.. completely running out of words.           

           

And then the girl beside me suddenly tapped my head. “why are you so quiet? Lets go inside now,”she said and pulled me. “Miki, sorry for her, she really doesn’t have much shyness in her frame,” my other guy groupmate said.

           

And so we went inside our house. They were literally looking around. My mother went to greet them. “My, what a beautiful mother,” my girl groupmate said. “How sweet of you to say that, come on, I prepared some snacks for you, would you like introducing yourselves? Miki, hasn’t mentioned your names yet when she asked for permission,”Mama smiled.

The guy who always smiles and the other two looked at me, as if I am a criminal. But I really cannot remember their names.

            “So...”

“Anyway ‘mama’, My name is Aya, her new friend and groupmate, this is my boyfriend Jun and that guy... that guy... is Rin, please do not forget his name, it might be useful in the future,” she winked.

I do not understand what happened but my Mama giggled and Rin’s face looked somewhat flustered.

           

Ah.. Mama didn’t switch the air conditioner on. That’s why.

My dog Hachi came to greet us. He jumped to me, “Treats?”I asked. He barked loudly... and cutely. “Oh my.. what a cute dogtag with hachi’s name on it!” the girl groupmate said and hugged Hachi. I gave her the dog and she started to play with him.

“I believe you’re all here for the project, you can do it in the living room, good luck,” Mama smiled and left. “I guess.. we should start,” the guy groupmate told us. We all sat down and started to do our work.

           

Hachi was all over us while we’re doing our work. My girl groupmate fondles him every minute. The guy groupmate also joins every half a minute. The guy who always smiles sighs every quarter of a minute.

 We cannot finish if this continues.

            “Hachi, out.” I said sternly.

Hachi, looked down and left. “Miki... you were cold to her..”the girl groupmate cling to me. “You were all over Hachi that’s why,”the guy who always smile said. The two sighed and continued.

           

It was already late in the afternoon when we finished doing the report. “Wow, we really did it!” the girl groupmate said and stretched her arms.  “We only need to the conclusion part, we can do it next Saturday, at the City library,”the guy who always smile said.

           

“I heard there are thousands of books there, even really old ones,”the guy groupmate said. “Everyone knows that,” the girl groupmate smirked and pinched his nose. “H.. hey, that was just to lighten things up,”he laughed and touched her forehead.

They resemble Mama and Papa with their actions. 

           

They looked happy. I wonder what does it feel doing that.

I looked at the guy who always smiles. He... was looking at me? I quickly glance away at my notebook. 

           

Got it. The Paper is still there.

"....What... is it Rin?” I asked him. “uh.. nothing,” he said and looked away.

           

This is getting uncomfortable. Did he see I glanced at the notebook?

 

He’s suspicious.... why I don’t call them their names.

 

Is that it?

This is terrible.

I must do something.