Open Heart: Second Year {On Halt}

Chapter 23- Rapture

"Remind me again, why do we need dragon fruit and lotus stem and romanesco?" I scowled at the list.

Elijah looked over his shoulder where he was sorting the shelves for different flavors of nachos. Jackie's favorite, "Ask Sienna why she wants to feed us those abnormal objects."

The manager beside us glared at him and I threw a smile before putting those three in my trolley. Turned out my earlier promise to help my friend was totally misused. So...there was whipped cream, heavy-cream, sour cream, dressing cream, apple cream and mixed cream.

Not enough? Hear this: thirteen freaking types of cheese!

I sighed empathically and began putting in the trolley with the handler giving me a slant raise of brows. Next went zillion kilograms of veggies and fruits, a lot...like a lot of dressings and seasonings, salmon and tuna to my distraught, buns, rolls, croissants, pita bread-this bread-that bread and more bread, chicken to my delight and by the time I turned to snacks aisle, my trolley was brimming and gaining curious glances from patrons.

"This wasn't part of our deal!" I hauled everything in front of Elijah, "Guard this. I am getting my high."

Phoebe's eyes twinkled at my non sequitur and Elijah duly informed her, "Her high means hundreds of coca-cola cans, relax. She's the little fish in our group."

Sweeeeet. Now I am related to tuna and salmon.

Phoebe gave me an absent smile and fiddled with something on rack, mind definitely away from everything. I knew there was something between both of them which was strangely being kept hush-hush. Last night, I heard Elijah and her arguing. By the time Elijah returned late at night, his face was creased with worry, eyes red. So unlike the charismatic personality reigned into him. Among all of four girls, he was the only guy living in our space. I regarded him as a brother figure, and seriously felt neglecting him. And the recent argument made me bring them together here so that they could whisk around for some time alone. But it appeared to not work as planned. I decided it was time to corner our girl next door for some gal-talk.

"Phoebe?" I asked in a quiet, subdued voice, "Can you help me over with these uh-condiments?"

Dark eyes gave me a disquisitive look, "Sure?"

Elijah made a face, "Only Charlotte would use the term 'condiment'."

Leaving him alone with our two carts, Phoebe and I scuffed to the aisles where my heaven was calling me with siren lullaby. I grabbed two cans of cheery coke and rushed to the counter, "Hey, can you bill these two? I like need them right now."

"Sure."

After billing, I went back with a beaming face to where Phoebe stood. I took a sip before saying, "How have you been? We don't see each other around."

"I am good. I mean...as good I can be given Farley raised my rent." She replied, "I have two bedrooms and another empty one waiting for an occupant who just never arrives to share the liege with me."

"Would it have been awkward if you would've moved in with us?"

"Very." She grimaced, "I can't practically stay in a different room where my boyfriend lives and I can't just stay without paying the rent. Plus...seriously, I hope you don't mind but apart from you and Sienna, I really don't know Jackie and...uh, Aurora?"

I couldn't blame her here. At first, Jackie and Aurora were intimidating to me even, especially Jackie who was like a hardcore no-nonsense woman, taking everything up the stick. Aurora on the other hand already made herself my nemesis aided by our similar brought up in 'medical-aristocratic' families. But after being friends...they no longer felt strangers.