Eleven Favours I Owe Him (Kismet-on hold)

Chapter 19

AN: Not edited.

Chapter 19

The car light illuminates the massive iron wrought gate in front of Alvin and I. The intricate details are as beautiful as I remember it floral, coated with black paint and accentuated with gold-a lovely piece commisioned by the Farsingers from a renowned French metal sculptor. While I admire the gate, Alvin's eyes zooms everywhere, distracted, unaccustomed to the unusual size and design of the mansion. He gapes making me chuckle a little.

Finally, after a few moment, the gate groans open welcoming us to the vast estate. I see Tricia running in the drive way a bright smile on her face, halfway she stops, her feet stomping excitedly like a child. She looks comfortable in a loose cream woolen long sleeves and ripped jeans while her feet covered with dark blue flats.

Kim and Jake follows her behind her, in a more subdued manner, but with equally wide smile-my mouth mimics theirs. Kim wears a light brown coat over a light blue-gray chiffon top and a brown scallop skirt. Her black hair laid down in loose curls. Jake sports a dark gray cardigan and white shirt underneath his well toned torso, his long legs fitted with a pair of black jeans.

As we near Tricia we stop. Alvin's nervousness is tangible that I didn't have to look to see his slightly tanned complexion pale, and his eyes bug out. I hear his hands fumbling to pull out the key out of the ignition. As we were about to exit the car, the doors fly open, two of the Farsingers house helpers offers pleasant greetings. They both wear a formal shirt and black vest, both bear deep set wrinkles from their faces. I recognize them, but cannot remember my names. Instead I respond with a quip smile.

"Mr. Maze, Ms. Harris, Good evening," the man helping me out of the car states. A flicker of recognition crosses his face briefly, a smile automatically appearing. "Edgar," he motions to himself, "...and Jack, at your service tonight."

"Hello," Al and I mutter in unison.

"Mr. Maze, may we have the keys, so we can attend to your belongings?" the other man close to Al inquires in a scartchy voice. Dumbfounded, Alvin just hands the key. The two scuttles about as we leave them

"Thank you Edgar, Jack," Tricia chirps as she trots towards us her smile only brightened. Tricia hugs me tight and I melt in her arms, the comforting scent of cinnamon washes me. "Oh, Emily, how I missed you." She mutters, rubbing my back up and down.

"I, too," I breathe in her strawberry scent.

"My turn," Jake grumbles, and Tricia lets me go greatfully to tend to Alvin. On the corner of my eye I see her hug him tightly, and give him a peck on the cheek before I am enveloped by muscular arms. "Hi, Em," Jake starts with his deep voice.

"Hi, Jake. I've missed you," I smile taking in the equally comforting light musky scent. Jake breaks off from the hug, ans I pat his head lightly. "I see, you've grown taller." Jake responds with and wide grin.

"Yes, ma'am. 6'2 now." He responds puffing his chest proudly.

"We can only wish that your marks for calculus has the same trend as your height, but it's looking bleak," Kim jabs at Jake. But before Jake could make a come back, the brown  eyed girl comes up go me and pulls me into a hug. She was quiet as per usual but her tight grasp lets me feel her unspoken words.

"Well, your height is as bad as my calculus mark," Jake spits hotly. Kim snaps her head towards Jake, her height has always been a sore spot. Her glare penetrating but she just lets it go.

"Fine, I guess I deserved that." Kim says, displeased. She focuses back to me, her face slightly scruches as she runs her fingers down my cheecks.

I've lost weight, not having much appetite for anything the past week from the stress of taking the midterm exams and my recent heart break. Of course they know about it. We are all best friends after all and thank God for the unspoken need for privacy that they haven't bombarded me with questions that are hard to answer.

"I'm fine, just a little stressed out from school," I lie, but it seems to lighten out Kim's burdened look.

"We'll stuff you right up, don't you worry. We will party until the end of the long weekend." Trish cheers, dragging us to the house.

***
The Farsinger manor is as how I remembered it. It is architecturally old, a French country house with 10 rooms and 10 baths. The vast expanse of the the home, laden with dark hardwood floors, complemented with its stark white walls ornated with art from far and wide both exotic and extravagant. The mixture produces an odd harmony. The furnitures mostly cream coloured, and carefully picked.

I'm still very much amazed of how well maintained the home is despite its old age. Of course some renovations have been made which is clearly evident in the room we sit somberly in. The theater room is not part of the original plans but because of a fire that charred, and destroyed the entirity of this room, Trish's parents decided to turn it into a theater room.

The room is similar to the vast rooms in the manor filled with comfortable leather chairs that recline. Trish put on finding Nemo-one of her all time favourites. I sit in between Kim and Jake. Tricia, and Alvin sits in front of us. Alvin's arms wrapped around Tricia.

"Arg. I'm so full," Trish manages to say in between burps as we lounge into their theater room after dinner. Her parents would have chastised her, but they are gone for the next three days to tend to the Halloween Gala, and Adam, hanging out with his girlfriend.

Alvin laughs, it's as if her burps are melodic to his ears.

"Tricia Marie Farsinger, " Jake starts a clear scowl on his face. "Manners, please."

"Look who's talking! You ate a friggin turkey leg with your bare hands, and you spilled gravy everywhere. EVERYWHERE.  It looked like you bathe in it. You looked like heathen; a savage of its ugliest form," Trisha hisses, earning laughs from the rest of us.

"You're no lady, either," Jake mutters under his breath, making me giggle quietly.

"What was that?" Trish intimidates. No good thing comes out of antagonizing this woman. Alvin should take note.

"Nothing," Jake responds in a sullen tone, turning his attention on his phone.

"Didn't think so," Trish replies, I can almost hear the smirk in her voice.

Beside me, Kim sighs deeply. The light from the movie and her phone illuminates her scrunched up face. When I look down, I notice that she was online shopping. "Stress shopping." She briefly explained, and I understood. Kim has been practicing tirelessly for her lead role on the coming ballet recital the Nut Cracker in addition to keeping up with school. Sometimes her zen cracks, and she resorts to pampering herself via materialistic things which she always regrets later.

"Have you talked to Grey recently? Jake asks, his voice sounds worried, although I think is going for nonchalant.

A familiar dull ache starts on my chest. It's getting better. But it's still there.

"Last time I talked to him was Saturday," I start. "He asked me if it's okay if he starts seeing someone," I shrug, my voice even.

"WTF," Kim's hands drop on her side, her eyes widen in blatant shock.

"Oooh, that boy is gonna git it," Tricia grits her teeth together while cracking her knuckles dramatically.

Jake just doesn't say anything. His face says it all. Regret, for asking the question, and a hint of anger for my heartbreak.

"I'm okay," I state. It's not a total lie because the pain in my chest feels better compared to the first night I talked to Grey. I'm slowly accepting the fact that I also need to move on with my life. "I loved him. But I have to let him go, now."

Kim wraps her arms around and sniffles, after a few moments I hear Tricia cry as well.