Elke seconde telt // Every second counts (FanFiction)

Chapter 2

As I continue my exploration of the room, a book casually left on a book shelve catches my eye. "Yours?" I inquire, trying to strike up another conversation. "No, my father's. Definitely not my mother's. She didn't leave anything behind. Even all the cutlery she took with her," Anaïs responds with a tone that carries a hint of longing for understanding. I nod in empathy, expressing interest I say: "Cutlery? All the cutlery?". "We had to eat with Chinese chopsticks for a few days in the beginning," she reveals, and I can't help but burst into laughter. "I'm glad you can laugh about it," Anaïs remarks as I return to the couch beside her. Before we can delve deeper into the conversation, we are interrupted by her mobile phone with a sudden notification. Simultaneously, we hear kissing sounds emanating from the kitchen, and the atmosphere becomes increasingly awkward. I really can't handle this, so I decide to leave. "Bon, I'm really not in the mood for this. You'll think of an excuse?" I declare, standing up and indicating my readiness to leave. "What?" Anaïs asks, clearly shocked. "Or do you want to stay at this lovey-dovey party?" I add ironically. Anaïs tries to persuade me to stay, but I interrupt her and say, "There's no way those two are going to miss us. You'll think of something, ciao" and with that, I exit the room.

Sunday October 22, 15:21

As I walk along the banks of the Schelde on Linkeroever, I hear birds whistling and water flowing. This familiar environment brings me peace. After my father's death, he was scattered in the Schelde. Walking around here makes me feel close to him.

Lost in my thoughts, I light a joint. As I smoke it, I check my phone. I am shocked when I see nine missed calls from my mother. I press her phone number and expect to hear a raging voice. "Bobbie, where the hell are you? I've been calling you constantly! Why did you leave? That's rude huh! When are you going to learn to behave?", my mother answers the phone. And here we go again. My mother really doesn't trust me anymore since I screwed up a while ago. I take a deep breath and try to find the right words to explain my escape, "Mum, I needed some time alone. I'm at the Schelde, I'll be home soon," There is a moment of silence on the other end of the line. She probably realises now that I just couldn't handle seeing her and Samuel together. My mother's tone softens, "Oh, I understand. I only wish you had told me. We were worried to death," I hear guilt in her voice. "I'm sorry, Mum, don't worry, I'll come back right away," I say. Dropping off the phone, I finish smoking my joint and then leave for home.

Monday October 23, 10:13

I berate myself. Once again, my tendency to procrastinate has led me to neglect my homework. In a rush to save the situation, I struggle with the quadratic equations for my maths assignment on the playground.

In the midst of the calculations, my attention is distracted by the conversation of Hanne, Ada and Anaïs taking place a little further away. Judging by Anaïs' reaction, I know she is venting frustrations about me. A little later, when Finn walks past the group, I notice a suspicious exchange of glances between Finn and Anaïs. I feel a sense of disappointment and jealousy. I wish Anaïs looked at me that way, showing more interest.

Although I feel the need to find out if there is going on more between them, that investigation will have to wait for a little while. Right now, my primary focus is finishing my three-page homework assignment within the next two minutes.

Tuesday October 24, 9:11

As I walk the familiar path to school, I notice Mila crossing the street in my direction. "Hey, Bobbie!" Mila's enthusiastic greeting echoes through the air. I wait to continue walking until she reaches me. "How are you?" she asks. "Good, and you?" I reply. "Everything's fine! So, I came across your TikTok profile yesterday. Really cool what you're doing," Mila compliments me with a genuine smile. I blink in surprise, but feel a sense of honor. "Oh, really? Thanks," I reply, trying to keep a nonchalant tone. Mila continues, "By the way, I saw that you were the DJ at the party I went to with the gang last week. What a coincidence". I act clueless, as if I did not already know this information. "Really? You were there?" I ask. "'Yeah, it was really good. The new Charlotte de Witte, I would say," Mila adds, her expression reflecting her appreciation for the music. A broad smile spreads across my face. Mila's unexpected compliment brightened my morning. It feels good to have a supportive friend.