Dusk & Dawn

6- banters

"You're just a sophomore. That's expensive coming from you," I answered her.

"Seniors don't usually stick around with freshmen for long; you're just a phase," she told me.

"You should save yourself the embarrassment and step aside," I advised her.

Chloe scoffed out loud as she stomped away from the counter and left for the door. I heaved a sigh from frustration, hating myself for stooping so low to her level.

By evening, tiredness had already permeated my body. My back ached from sitting on a stool and throwing prolonged smiles at strangers for so long. I packed my bags and bade Mr. Graham goodbye when my shift ended.

As Ezra walked into the door with his duffel bag strapped to his shoulder, he approached me with a smile, brushing his wet hair to the back as he did. He had just finished his tennis practice in the tracksuit that he wore.

"Hi Raine, how'd your day go?" He asked me as he held the door and let me walk out.

"I was fine until your girlfriend dropped by the diner to give me a warning," I responded with a playful eye roll.

"Last time I checked, I was single, and my profile didn't say otherwise," he answered me with a frown on his face.

"Oh really? Because she seemed pretty convinced you two were an item," I answered with a sigh.

"I am genuinely curious," he laughed.

We stopped by an ice cream truck and got two cones of ice cream. That was because Ezra was surprised to learn of my indifference toward his best flavor of ice cream; chocolate and vanilla.

"It's not that bad," I shrugged as I finished the rest of it.

"It is simply the classic!" he argued.

"Agree to disagree," I told him, and he nodded in approval. By the time I looked ahead, our dormitory was now in view. I found myself randomly wanting to still wait and share lighthearted banters with Ezra.

It felt like we had known each other for years. He understood my sense of humor, and there was nothing better than that.

"Raine," I heard a very familiar voice yell my name. I looked ahead again and found Gianna running from a familiar black car towards me. As I looked behind her, I found my mom in her hospital scrubs, stressed out as she folded her arms across her chest, her grey hair falling across her shoulder.

I pulled into Gianna's hug and left her as she greeted Ezra as well before I walked towards mom.

"Hi mom, what are you doing here?" I asked her.

"No calls, no texts—do you realize how worried I was? Naomi told me what happened; you should be in bed resting!" She scolded me, her entire body shaking in fear.

"I am doing perfectly fine! Why wouldn't she understand?" I threw out my hands in frustration.

"I do not care! Pack a bag; you're coming with me right now," my mom replied with a stern look on her face. It was an expression that I was very used to; there was no convincing her.

Gianna looked scared as she watched the exchange while Ezra looked confused as hell, his gaze finding mine before I turned around and walked into our apartment.

I stomped my way to my room, ignoring Cleo's and Harper's questioning glances.

I hurriedly dumped some of my things into a bag I had picked out; my entire body shook in anger as tears pricked my eyeballs. Why couldn't they understand? That I was trying to own my life while I still could.

As Naomi walked into my room, she threw me an apologetic expression. A part of me knew that she was right, but no, I couldn't look past the fact that she did it on her own.

"You do realize that I am not a child, right?" I started without sparing her a glance. "I am perfectly capable of handling my own issues."

"I know Raine, but seeing you like that was scary. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she answered me.

"What do you know? You're just one of those rich people who get everything they want every time," I screamed at her in fury.

"That's what you think of me?" She asked, her voice quivering in what sounded like betrayal. "Fine, suit yourself." She shook her head as she walked out of my room.

By the time I went outside, my mom already kept the door open waiting for me to enter. Gianna was already in the car while Ezra stood at the door waiting as well.

"Raine, what's going on? Are you okay?" He asked me.

"I'll see you later, Ezra." I only nodded to him as I went into my Mom's car.

Nov 11th