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Iris
"Turn that frown into a smile, Iris."
I look up from the table and give a small smile. "Let me be sad and lonely, Tanner."
"You asked for me." He sits across me. "And if I remember properly, Tanner Hood isn't an item in the food menu."
Why?
Why everything just derails when you think it's perfect? But I should have known. Hope is a lie and Perfect is an illusion. And I was only human to give him the power to hurt me.
Knowing my friends and my parents, they would notice something soon and I don't want to trouble them with all my problems... like always. So, I had to get myself out.
"Iris?" Tanner calls me out and my attention comes back to him.
"Hey."
"Wow," He whistles. "Debbie Downer, much?"
I roll my eyes at him and I look around the restaurant. "Why's the restaurant empty?"
He blinks when I look back at him. "Because it is close."
"Wait, what?"
"Restaurant closes after lunch on Saturdays." He gives a playful smirk. "But guess what? You are the exception all because of me."
"Uh, uh, it was open when I entered." I point to the door. "Otherwise, I would have never entered."
He scrunches his nose. "Well, you came in just minutes before the closing and I knew you so I allowed it. Also, when I came to your table, you were in a daze or something—I asked you what do you want, senorita? You said Tanner."
"You called me senorita?" I raise an eyebrow.
"It was a bit cringy, wasn't it? Anyway," He puts his hand on the table. "was it my famous soup that brought you here?"
I sigh and lean back on the chair. "I just needed a distraction, Hood."
"I didn't know it was a booty call, Cooper."
"What? No!" I gape at him. "Booty calls are even worse than guy problems."
Tanner narrows his eyes and smiles, sheepishly. "I didn't know we had problems." I give him a dry look and he snickers. "Sorry, that was bad. So, what are these guy problems exactly?"
I purse my lips and look at him. "...umm, I like a guy and he lied to me about his relationship with this girl."
He slowly nods and says, "That broke your trust."
I sigh and start, "It isn't like anyone is totally honest about their relationship and all but you know, it just gave me hope that maybe I have a chance... Also, the guy has this extreme level of poker face, and... is it desperate that I think maybe what I saw isn't exactly what it is?"
"Depends on what exactly happened."
"Yesterday, she came and kissed him in front of him and called him baby."
"Ooh," He leans away, looking at me. "That's gotta hurt."
"No shit, Sherlock." I gesture to myself.
"Yeah, you are a mess." He nods. "But what if your tiny bit of hope is right?"
"What if it is not, Tanner?" I retort. "My last breakup was so horri—ugh, I just remembered another thing."
"What?"
"My ex told me he loved me."
"Thomas Scott said what?" He says, loudly. "What the fuck?"
"I know, right?" I point at him. "That exactly was my reaction internally—without the swear word. Like hello, if you loved me, why the hell—ugh. That's another mess for another day."
Tanner gives me a sad smile. "I know, Iris."
"You know about...?" I look at him, surprised.
"Thomas was more in Crescent High than in Seahome High and his friends aren't exactly who I will call ideal good friends. They did bets on sorts of stupid and troublesome things."
I just look at Tanner in shock. "...I didn't know he had friends there."
"You would be surprised who he is friends with."
One look is all it takes for me to understand what he means. Thomas never told me about his friends from Crescent High or about any of the bets. Wow, I really have bad luck in the love category.
"You know, for someone like you, it is surprising to see how much drama you are in," Tanner points out.
I groan, "Everyone is in some kind of drama. Aren't you, too?"
He laughs. "Nuh uh uh. I can never be in a drama."
"Because you are the drama?" I retort, smiling.
"Damn right, girl. I am." With that, he flexes his arms and I laugh. "Hey, I made you laugh for real this time."
I smile. "Thanks for distracting me."
Tanner tilts his head. "You're welcome and also, you should try my infamous chicken noodle soup. It can even calm your horny self."
"Oh god," I laugh. "You know, you must meet my friend—"
The alarm in my phone rings so suddenly that I almost jump out of my seat. Tanner laughs, looking at me, while I calm myself down.
I look at him, dead in the eye. "We are not going to talk about this little incident ever."
"You got it," He replies, still laughing. I roll my eyes at him and check the alarm.
"Oh, I forgot." I look back at Tanner as he has calmed down from all the laughing. "I have dance practice. Raincheck on that soup?"
"Dance is equal to important. So, go and don't worry about that soup. It isn't that famous, really."
As I get up from my seat, I wiggle my fingers. "Nuh-uh uh, it is infamous for me, and don't let anyone ruin that for you. Anyway, bye!"
"Iris?" He calls me and I turn towards him. "Noah never meant to hurt you."
***
Dance practice is really chaotic now. With Juliet gone, everyone is a mess. Julio has been so stressed that he has been drinking herbal tea now to soothe his senses. Justin is stressed eating. Keisuke is stressed screaming. I am... stressed quiet.
We literally have a month now and the plan right now should be practicing, not remaking the routine.
After five days of their audition and practice, it was a unanimous decision that Rabi Singh, a sophomore, must take the place of Juliet.
I have known the guy since he 'accidentally lost his way and entered the dance studio in school. The guy is a dancer and an amazing one, alright. Justin also gets along with him. So, all is good... for now.
"Okay, guys, that's it for tonight. Y'all can go home," Keisuke says, "Justin and Rabi, wait."
Justin and Rabi walk over to us while the dance room starts emptying out. Juliet has been visiting often to help with the routine but since she can't stay for much longer than an hour, she had to leave before the end of practice.
Justin asks, "What's up?" I raise an eyebrow and Keisuke gives him a dry look. Justin holds up his hands and says, "Just trying to loosen you both."
"Not the time, Justin." Keisuke sighs. "So, I hope you both have some good news."
Justin grins and pats Rabi. "He picks up fast. So, ya, it was good."
Rabi says, "Also, Justin and I have done some modifications to the routine but I think the theme should be the same. Why change it?"
"You both still wanna do the romance theme routine?" Keisuke asks them, surprised. "Juliet and you created it for yourselves."
The routine was explicitly created by Justin and Juliet for Justin and Juliet. So, definitely not surprised by the level of passion and love in the routine.
"Juliet is okay with it." Justin nudges Rabi. "And Rabi has no problem romancing me."
Rabi smiles. "I am good at romanticizing anything."
I hum and nod. "I see no point changing the theme, though you both need to be careful with the lifts. Do not do a lift if you can't pick each other up for a certain amount of time. Also, I don't need to remind you that we don't have much time."
"You don't need to," Justin looks at the wall at the back of Julio's studio. "The banner Julio made does enough."
Yes, Julio made a huge countdown banner and put it up in the studio as if we don't know the days left.
"Alright, then, it was a nice practice but Julio will check it tomorrow. So, be prepared for constructive criticism and just practice more. Mkay?" I say, looking at them.
After Justin and Rabi leave, I turn to Kei almost the same moment as he asks me, "Do you think Rabi is single?"
I narrow my eyes. "I thought you had decided not to date anyone in the dance team."
"Dating sucks." He pauses. "I wanna bing bong bang that guy."
"And I am grossed out." I groan, moving away from him.
"You can do bartending?" Keisuke tells me after he locks the studio.
Since Julio lives near Kei's place, he has given him the keys of the studio. Julio had gone off to somewhere urgently. Juliet is definitely going to pry into our teacher's life without any shame—all others will just support her.
"Why?" I ask him, holding up my dance-related bag on my shoulder. I had told him that I need to think about my plan B and he keeps on suggesting to me things that both of us know I can't do.
"Because..." He turns to me, starting to walk backward. "...you have good knowledge about alcohols and make a very good punch."
"That was Daisy, two years ago, dumbass," I say, rolling my eyes. "I think... I should study physics."
"What? No." Keisuke gives me a look. "Dude, I think practicing at night is making you go all nuts."
"What practicing at nigh—I think for you, it is true."
Keisuke gasps. "How dare you?"
"Shut up, Kei. I think if I don't dance, I would like to study physics and space. I mean I am pretty good at it."
"Oh. Oh. I have an idea. Click my picture." He gives me his phone, unlocking it, while, looking between his phone and him, I give him an incredulous look. "Just click my pictures until I tell you to stop."
Rolling my eyes, I take his phone. "Some friends I have."
We are standing on a pathway, beside the road. It is a bit dark, right now, as all the lamp posts lighten up the area. Keisuke poses, standing near a lamppost, and I almost let out a laugh, before stopping myself.
"Click it," He says and I start taking his pictures.
Seven minutes and eighteen seconds later, he takes his phone and looks through it. "Is it the 'gram post? Or is this the one? Or this? Or—"
"I know you are suggesting me to be a photographer but, no. That's Nick forte and he is amazing in that," I tell him and he sighs, rolling his eyes.
"Fine."
"Exactly."
"What about singing?" Kei asks me.
I laugh. "No. I suck at that on all Do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti."
"Damn, right, you do."
I turn towards my right and see Caleb and Colt, leaning against Caleb's car.
Colt sighs and mouths to me, 'I am sorry for this.'
Only then do I notice Caleb has his overprotective brother stance and is glaring right at me.
***
"You can't keep me in here, forever!"
Caleb laughs. "Do I hear a challenge?"
"This is kidnapping!"
"But you know this place and us," Colt says, coolly.
"And to answer your previous statement, yes. Yes, we can," Caleb tells me, after.
I sit on the floor, beside the bed, while the guys are on the other side of the door. I am locked inside Caleb's room because my best friend and my brother don't want me in the outer world – their words, not mine. All because of my stupid nosy classmates in physics class.
Little do they know, the rumor mill is literally the least of my problems.
I groan. "Where's Aunt Stevie? She wouldn't lock me in her ho—"
"Uh, what's happening, here?" I hear Aunt Stevie.
"Aunt! Your son has locked me in his room!" I say, loudly.
"We are protecting her!" Caleb defends himself, lamely. "From the world!"
"But I want to see the world, Caleb." I hold back my yawn.
"Then, get yourself an Aladdin on a magic carpet!"
I make a face at Caleb—uh, I mean the door. But still say, "I will if you open the door!"
"Now, I, definitely, don't want to open the door."
"Uhm, Colt?" Aunt Stevie asks Colt.
"I am with Caleb, here. She needs to be away from, well, a lot of people," Colt replies as a matter of fact.
"Well, Iris, what about the window?" Aunt Stevie suggests and I grunt as Colt and Caleb laugh.
Caleb starts, "Mom, you are so... cute – I mean cute, seriously." I hear a smack and an 'ow'.
"She wouldn't jump, the window doesn't lead to grass – it leads to granite and there are no ladders near, too," Colt states.
Now, Aunt Stevie speaks, sighing, "Iris, I don't think I am of any help."
"But—"
Caleb cuts me off. "Geez, Mom, don't you have a dinner shift at the restaurant."
"Oh ya, sorry, Iry!"
As she goes away, I murmur to myself, "Everyone is just sorry to me."
Colt knocks on the door and asks, "Did you say something?"
"I hate you," I grumble. "Just out of curiosity, whose plan was this?"
There is a long pause. "Mine," Colt says.
I do not know whether I want to kill him leaving me with my thoughts alone or be thankful for leaving me sad and lonely.
"Colt?" I say, taken aback. "This was your plan?"
"Iry," Colt starts. "This is just to clear your mind."
"My mind?" I scoff. "My mind is clear as hell. It is the idiotic heart."
"Um, what?"
I huff out, not replying to anything. I pull my knees to my chest, keeping my head down. I feel tired and sleepy after a long day but knowing it is Caleb's room and he and his girl-friends do stuff here is making me uncomfortable.
"I am going to beat that fucker so bad that he will never—"
And Caleb is back to his overprotective big brother personality. I roll my eyes but do not stop listening to their conversation.
Colt interrupts him, "Caleb, no."
"Why not, Colt?" Caleb says back. I can hear his footsteps pacing around the hall. "Iris should have left the—"
"Leave her favorite subject class?" Colt questions back and I can hear his irritation literally. "And for what reason, Caleb? Because her asshole of an ex is in that class?"
Caleb scoffs. "It is so obvious that he took AP physics because it is only class Iris doesn't have with any one of us and we aren't there for him to tie his intestine around his neck."
"Cristo," Colt murmurs. "Do you think Iris is so weak that she cannot handle some ex?"
Caleb sighs, loudly. "It is not—"
"Do not lie to me—you do think Iris is weak." Colt grunts. "I miss the guy you were, Caleb. This overprotective brother personality of yours is nothing but trouble."
There is a long silence between them.
"May I remind you, Colt, you were the one who made Thomas meet Iris for the first time?" Caleb says back, tightly. "Whatever, I will be in the kitchen."
I remain still as Caleb's steps fade away from the room. I am sitting on the bed when Colt unlocks the door and comes in.
For a solid moment, we just stare at each other. Until Colt says, "You are a terrible actor."
"What? I wasn't—"
"Cut the crap, Iris." He holds up his hand. "You and I both know you are upset and it isn't because of Thomas."
I sigh and look away from him. "I don't wanna talk about it."
He leans on the door frame. "Then, we will talk about Thomas. Why didn't you slap that idiot when he tried to kiss you?"
I groan, frustrated. "I don't want to talk about that, either."
"This so-called kidnapping isn't for saving you from the outer world but for giving you a perspective on things, Iris." He crosses his arms on his chest. "And we cannot do that if we don't talk."
"Look, I am just tired and want to sleep. I don't want to... do this therapy sess with you."
"You rather talk to Caleb?"
I glare at him. "Do not include me in your fight."
"Iry, I didn't say anything wrong, okay?" He says back, "He needs to know, Iris, how irrational he is—all that 'my sister will not date until she is 30' crap is literally crap. It is like he doesn't trust you but will make decisions and I hate that. It has been going on for a few years and it is frustrating as fuck."
"Actually, I am concerned about him more," I say to him and he looks confused. "Caleb wasn't exactly the type to just hook up with anyone but for the last few months, that is what he is doing. Isn't it weird?"
Colt sighs. "You are making me regret my words."
"That was the whole point." I give him a small smile, "So, the kidnapping time is over?"
"When did it even start?" Colt starts laughing but I can only muster up a smile. He notices that and says to me, "But in all seriousness, Iris, you need to tell Caleb about your feelings for—"
"It is just a crush, Colt," I murmur. "And crushes always end soon. This will too."
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- a u t h o r ' s n o t e -
just putting this here:
until next chapter,
bye-bye,
inerys