Maricar went home with the question that's bugging her mind from the moment she left the two lovebirds in the café.
‘What could I possibly like from that man? He's not even an outstanding person to begin with. He's just a simple programmer!’
The young lady sighed and blurted out, “Ugh, thinking about this would just hurt my head.”
She took her keys in her purse and opened the gates, which was locked. It was already a suspicious thing that the gate was locked.
Did he forgot that Maricar was still outside? He would usually lock only the door and leave the gate closed yet unlocked.
As she unlock the door, Maricar was surprised enough to see him inside, sleeping on the couch with a book covering his face.
She crossed her arms and leaned her back on the doorframe. Mesmerizing the sleeping Pierre slowed the time. He was in a cute position. His feet were almost hanging from the end of the couch. His right hand was already on the ceramic floor. The hair was a little messy but made him charming.
Any girl at this point would feel pity. Maricar was not as heartless as the guy thought she was.
Silently closed the door, she went over to her bedroom and took a bright yellow blanket. After turning on the inverter aircon, she laid the blanket on Pierre's body.
Maricar was worried he might feel cold. The inverter was at 17 degrees, the way she likes the same in her room. She seldomly use the one in the living room.
Few minutes later, the room became cold already. From the hot environment of the school, she quickly became comfortable inside a very cold room.
Sitting on a single sofa, Maricar was using her phone, checking up on every social media out of boredom.
It was the start of the academic break yet she felt like it was just going to be boring if she's not outside. Young ladies would have themselves at the mall and spend their money. But Maricar can't invite the two again.
She put down her phone and looked at the curled up guy on the sofa. He had that blanket Maricar used to cover him, but it was about to fall.
The young lady tried to place back the blanket. Without standing up, she took the blanket and tried to cover Pierre back. However, the phone on her lap suddenly slipped. In panic, she tried to save it but fell in the process.
“Ahh!” she screamed.
Maricar accidentally grabbed the young man's sleeve, making the book covering his face fell and him waking up.
It was almost a chaotic scene. Luckily, she didn't hold onto the table, or the laptop and other stuff could have also been on the ground by now.
She grunted in pain as her waist was the first to hit on the floor. Pierre was startled a bit. Looking at the scene under made him surprised.
“W-What happened?” after helping Maricar and made her sit on the sofa, he quickly cleaned up the things on the floor and placed everything on the table before checking up on her.
He completely forgot about his feelings earlier. Right now, his mind is focused on Maricar's state.
“I'm fine. Don't touch, it hurts!” she threw away his hand that was on her arm.
“Do you need ice?”
“Be gone, okay? I'm really fine.” still the girl shoo-ed him away.
Pierre was already ignorant about what happened yet he wanted to know so bad to properly help.
“Why did you fall then? How did you even fall sitting on the single sofa?”
Maricar wasn't amused, especially with his tone. It looks like he was blaming her for her own carelessness.
“After trying to cover you up because you're shaking in coldness, you're blaming me?”
Again, Pierre was dumbfounded because of the same person. He wanted to help, however he suddenly remembered about what happened earlier. He kept his concern.
“You could've stayed in your room. I never asked you to turn it on.” his cold reply made Maricar raise her eyebrow.
‘How could you!’
Pierre was about to go to his room when Maricar shouted, “Hey! You're not gonna help me?!”
“Ask your man.”
And with those words, she was confused with what her housemate was trying to tell.
***
After the pain has dissipated the next day, Maricar took out her garbage and threw it away when she saw Pierre on the lawn, doing his laundry. It was early in the morning, making her curious.
From being so disconnected with him and his life, it was the first time seeing the young man doing such stuff. He was on his black shorts, slippers and was wearing a white tank top. Maricar saw his biceps that was moderately muscular.
‘He's not as thin as I thought he would be,’ Maricar thought.
She threw the garbage bag and slowly went up to his direction. Pierre was looking at the same direction, which is why he haven't notice the young lady.
“It's still early, why did you do your laundry when the sun wasn't shining?” she curiously asked. She went in front of him and sat on a small dry chair.
He was a little surprised but quickly took back his composition. The guy answered figuratively.
“Do I have to see that the sun is high up before doing it?”
His sarcasm made her pissed off.
“You could've done it in a laundry machine.”
“I grew up doing my own laundry in my province, okay? Will you please don't disturb me? Thank you.”
Maricar stood up and splashed him with water in annoyance. “What are you trying to say? Am I that spoiled, huh?! Oh, I'm sorry that I grew up with technology!”
“That's not what I meant!”
Once again, she splashed him with water. Not just once, or twice—thrice instead. Pierre let go the final string of his patience. He wanted to take a revenge. He suddenly took the hose and blasted the young woman with water.
Maricar was shocked. She couldn't believe he did that. “Pierre Wolfram!” She tried stealing from him the hose yet he quickly raise it up.
It was a very happy scene. The water suddenly became rain above their heads. A small rainbow formed. The fence and gate were high enough to cover their doings on the lawn.
Both were already wet from their games. It was very childish, however none of them seemed to care about their age.
It came to an end when Pierre stopped to take a break but Maricar wasn't aware. She crashed onto him, making them land on the grass.
Maricar's hand was on his lean the abdomen. Her eyes were glued on Pierre's face who still had his eyes closed. As he opened, the two locked onto each other's gaze.
Pierre felt a sucking gravity towards the girl's face. His eyes traveled slowly to her nose, then to her lips. He gulped.
‘My heart is beating fast. Should I…’
He went back to reality and looked away.
Pierre stood up, Maricar also did the same. She was frozen in shock. She was also thinking the same.
‘Why is his lips attracting me?’
But both turned away.
Pierre cleared his throat. “You should go back inside and dry yourself. Someone might feel jealous if he sees us together.”
Yet the slip on his words made the woman became confused even more.
“What did you say?! Who's getting jealous?!”
Pierre didn't reply to Maricar, he just went back to his laundry and left her with an unanswered question.
Now, the young lady was more curious about his actions. Why is he acting like she was in a relationship? Maricar was single ever since her last relationship and currently is single. Does he know something she doesn't know? But it's not possible!
Maricar didn't waste her time onto it and went inside to dry herself up.
“The next time I hear him talking about that stuff, I'll not gonna let him go away with it! He's being a gossiper these days!” she mumbled.
Meanwhile the guy who tried to finish his laundry was now unable to do so. He was chained up with the thought of Maricar's relationship with the guy on the phone.
“Why would I get jealous? Snap out of it!” he sighed and looked at his wet self. He felt the warmth of the lady's hand on his abdomen. However he suddenly sneezed, wearing off the thought and tried again to finish his work.
***
It was the third and last day of academic break. Pierre caught a fever and was struck on his bed. He checked on his temperature earlier and it was 37 degrees.
Maricar was outside the living room watching TV and was trying to catch the guy on the next door. She haven't sleep soundly because of thinking about the Pierre's actions. She wanted to clear everything out or else he would be distant from her again.
But isn't it her who wanted him to be out of her world? Now she's having problems with her own rules. Maricar cared less about those rules as of today, all she cares is to know the answer from the guy.
It wasn't her fault that they would drew closer to each other as they live together. It was not on her agenda; the opposite, in fact, was on her mind.
It was already ten o'clock in the morning, Pierre haven't open the door yet. Maricar was getting more and more suspicious about him.
‘He was still bothered about what happened yesterday?’
Why would he? Could it be that he already had a crush on her?
Maricar couldn't wait any longer. She stood up and took herself in front of the door.
She knocked on the door and called his name.
“Pierre Wolfram. Go out.”
No response.
She tried to pry in and turned the knob. It was, surprisingly, not locked.
‘Why would he stay the door unlocked? Is he…’
It must be his trap. To make her go inside and do what he could to seduce her. But this was all in her fictitious mind.
Turns out Pierre was already sick when he got into his room that night after his programming work, he was so tired to lock his room.
“Pierre?” Maricar called him once again.
“Mmm?” a weak groan made her hasten up her walk.
‘He really is sick,’ she thought.
Maricar went to the side of Pierre's bed. The room was spotless and neat. His things were organized and not a single dirty clothes was in her sight even in low light as the curtain was still blocking the sunlight.
“Go out. I can handle myself.”
“Am I really that unreliable to you?” she retorted.
“Do you know how to cook then?”
By that, she couldn't answer yes.
“Whatever you say.”
She was about to turn around when he still spoke. This time, it caught her attention.
“Go, your boyfriend might get jealous.”
‘Boyfriend?’
After hearing it from him, confirming his thoughts, Maricar suddenly remembered about Ryan laughing at the café. He sent a text message.
‘Did Ryan replied but deleted the message right after?’
Thinking about it, only one word was in Maricar's mind.
Stupid.
“You're so stupid, you know that?! What boyfriend!? Do I look like I have one? Why? Are you jealous if I'm taken?! Are you jealous?”
The barrage of questions made Pierre realized that he was wrong. He wrongly accused her of having a boyfriend.
But the question was left unanswered. Was he jealous? It was on his mind, still no answer.
Yet how can someone answer it when he still has a fever?
Maricar reiterated her question as the guy was still speechless.
“Let me ask you again. Are you jealous? Or let me ask another one for you… do you like me?”
She was eager to wait for it. But it was so strange to herself to expect that he would answer yes.
Is it because she liked the idea that someone is chasing her? Could be.
Or it might be that she has also fallen for the young man.