Chapter FOURTEEN
I open my eyes slowly, looking around. It feels like there are tons of heavy materials in my head. My body feels so helpless too.
“Thank God you’re awake,” I hear grandma says.
My head turns to where I hear her voice. She looks so worried. “What’s wrong?”
“Why didn’t you tell me you’re sick? And then you let yourself get wet in the rain. What are you thinking?” she scolds but there is still a sign of worry in it.
I don’t remember getting sick. “I’m sick?” I ask, more to myself though. I feel okay yesterday.
Theo comes in in my room with a tray in hand. “Good morning, dear Reese. Here’s your breakfast and I made it especially for you,” he says, putting it down on my nightstand. I try sitting up but it hurts my head. “Let me help you.” He supports my back, arranging my pillows on the headboard.
“Thanks,” I mumble. I remember fighting with him and it’s so weird to talk to him like nothing has happened. If he can do it, I can’t. “You can go now,” I say now, not even looking at him.
“I’ll go,” grandma says. “I’ll be back later for your medicine, okay? Eat your breakfast so you’ll regain your energy again.” She kisses me on my forehead before leaving me and Theo in my room.
“You were boiling hot last night that grandma has to stay up late.” He sighs as he sits on the edge of my bed. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine, I guess,” I answer.
“Why did you even go out without bringing an umbrella or a raincoat or something? You were sick the other day,” he informs me. “I thought it was just your body heat, you know. I didn’t realize you were sick at that time already.”
“I’m not sick,” I say, snapping. “I don’t feel sick.”
“You don’t feel it but your body is almost giving up on you,” he says, his voice rising up a notch. “The day we watched a movie, that’s the day I’m telling you were sick. You should stop sleeping so late in the evening. It’s not healthy.”
“And who are you to say those things to me? You’re not even my friend.” We stare at each other. I can’t go on with this thing going on in me. I have to find a way to make Theo stay away from me.
“I know I’m nowhere near as an acquaintance to you but can you at least consider my feelings? I care about you and yet you’re pushing me away.” I’ve never seen him this angry before. He doesn’t really look angry but more frustrated. This is good. I only have to get more to his nerves and for sure he will stop everything that he is doing.
“You know my answer to that. I don’t need you. You are the only one who’s pushing yourself to me,” I shout at him. I am sick but he’s making me mad.
“Whatever you say, Reese. I won’t go away and I will still continue what I have started.” He stands up and heads for the door. Before getting out, he says, “I’ll still make you believe in love.”
I ruffle my hair, grumbling under my breath. Why can’t I make him go? My summer is turning on the other direction already. The direction where I’m not supposed to go. The direction that I’ve been avoiding.
All the things that happened yesterday come in my head like a flash of lighting. Cory kissed me. He didn’t confess anything but he kissed me. Is that something I have to worry about? I mean, the guy is okay and I have a crush on him before. But still. I hate guys and love now. I don’t want to get attached to any guy and have that feeling. I don’t want to feel anything that might involve love.
My gaze lands on the food that is on my nightstand. I’m sure that food tastes good. Theo is one great cook. I try to reach for it but my arms feel so weak. I have to keep in mind not to make people go away when I need anything. Now how am I supposed to eat that if I can’t even get it?
I reach for my phone and call Chloe instead. I want to know how’s my best friend doing. I haven’t called her these past few days. She doesn’t even send me any e-mails. Is she happy with Walter at this point? I sure hope so, because if that guy hurts her again, he’ll hear from me for the rest of his life.
Her phone is ringing but there’s no answer. I wait for few more rings but it reaches her voicemail. I sigh and put down the phone. I’m hungry now but I still can’t move my arms properly.
Should I call Theo? His room is just right next to mine. Grandma’s room is downstairs because she doesn’t want to walk up the stairs every now and then. I shut my eyes, gritting my teeth in irritation. I never thought that I will need him this way.
“Theo!” I call out. Within one second, he is already in my room. My eyes are wide open as he gets closer to me. “That’s fast.”
“I’m just outside your room,” he says, grinning. Why this guy is like this? I just shouted at him and told him that he’s not my friend but he can still give me that boyish grin. “I take it you need some help. Right?”
I look down, a little embarrass as I nod. I really don’t want his help but I’m hungry. “Yes. Can you place the tray on my lap?”
He chuckles but he doesn’t get the tray. He picks up the spoon and the soup. “Let me feed you, baby.”
I snort. “Don’t call me baby. And stop giving me nick names. I don’t like it.”
“Why?” he asks. “Open up, here’s the airplane. Eeng-Eeng.” He raises the spoon, going on in zigzag before it stops near my closed mouth. “Why aren’t you opening up?”
“Stop treating me like a baby!” I shout but open up nonetheless. “I want the other one.”
“What? The toast?”
“Yes. I don’t like soups.”
He gets the toast and hands it to me. “I like when you’re sick.”
I scowl at him. “This will be the last time I’ll be needing your help.”
“We’ll see about that. Baby, open up.”
“I said stop calling me nick names!”
“Why? I think it’s cute,” he says, shrugging.
“It’s a sign of affection.”
“I like you, so it’s okay.”
“But I don’t like you!” I shout again. How can I get well if he’s making my head hurt? “Just shut up. You’re making my head hurt again.”
He puts down the soup and surprised me with a kiss on the forehead. “I hope that makes you feel better.”
I slide down my bed and pull the cover over my head. So much for showing affection to me.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, pulling the cover down. He is also chuckling. I can’t believe he’s making fun of me.
“Go away! I want to be alone,” I say. The odd feeling is back again.
“No, I won’t go. Tell me what’s wrong.” He is strong. He is able to pull down the cover out of me. Leaning in forward with a smirk, he says, “Now tell me, or I’ll kiss you.”
Now that is something I don’t expect him say. He has stolen two kisses from me already and I’m not allowing him to steal another one. But my stupid eyes—I don’t know what am I thinking—land on his lips.
“So?” His voice calls me back to my senses.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Come on, Reese. Don’t tell me you’re already thinking about kissing me!” he says, a smug look on his face.
“NO!”
“I said mom wants you to visit her again. She sent me a text earlier but I said you’re sick.”
“I’ll go,” I say. I want to make her mom happy. Joan deserves that. I want her to be able to talk again so I’m going to visit her if that will help.
“No, you’re still sick,” he says, shaking his head.
“And who are you to say no? I want to be there for your mom. Whether you like it or not.” I hold my ground. No one can make me not go out if I want to go out. “Theodore, your mom needs support and I’m going to be there for her because she wants me to be there,” I add, suppressing my laugh at his expression.
“I hate you for calling me Theodore,” he says, shaking his head.
“You can hate me for all reasons too, you know. I’m okay with it.”
“Oh, baby. I’m not going to hate you for anything. Just that.” And the moment I don’t want to happen, happened. He steals another kiss before jumping out of my bed and runs to the door.
“THEODORE!”
* * *
If Theo thinks that I have forgotten what he did, he thought wrong. I am not about to let him get away like that. Stealing three kisses is illegal, especially if I don’t allow it.
I am on my way to Joan’s and I decide to leave Theo behind. Of course I don’t mention anything about leaving while he is around so when he was in the bathroom and singing some song I can’t recognize, I sneak out. And now, I’m laughing my ass off because he maybe assuming that I’m still in my room, dressing up.
I already thought of something to do while I’m at Joan’s. She’s a mom so for sure she knows how to cook. Of course she knows how to cook; she’s the one who cooked the food before when I first met her. That’s a good bonding time for me and her. Girl bonding!
That is usually what my mom and I whenever we don’t have anything else to do in the house. Basically, we goof around and talk about non-sense things. I just don’t let her talk about boys and me getting a boyfriend. But other than that, we’re good.
I arrive at Joan’s sometime around two, I think. I am feeling much better now since I get to rest and eat properly. I have to admit, Theo’s cooking is really amazing. So I guess that helps in my recovery as well. But that doesn’t mean I like him. Nope.
I’m about to knock but my hand stops mid-way when the door opens. Joan greets me with a smile. “Joan, hi.” I say, coming inside.
She only smiles at me, of course. I think Uncle Lucas is out. The house is really quiet. How can they leave her alone like this? It’s a good thing that I come and not let Theo get in the way. Joan gestures me to follow her in the kitchen. We have the same mind. I guess she also thought of cooking as our bonding time.
“Wow. Joan, you are prepared, aren’t you?” I say, amazed as I see the ingredients in making cupcakes. I walk to the other side of the counter and smiles at her. “So, what kind of cupcake are we doing?” I ask. But of course she just smiles at me. How we’ll be able to have communication if she won’t talk?
“I knew you would run from me,” I hear a very familiar voice by the kitchen door’s threshold. Theo crosses his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. “So, Reese Nicholson. Care to explain?”
I grin innocently. “You were singing!” I say as a matter of fact, giving him a one shrug shoulder.
He shakes his head. “Hi, mom.” Her mom smiles at her. “What are you going to do?”
“We’re supposed to be hanging out. The two of us only. Not including you!” I point out to him.
Joan is smiling, which is something I’m so happy about but I can tell that it is because of me and Theo bickering. If she can talk right now at this moment, she is probably teasing us. I think there’s a good thing about her being a mute because she won’t be able to tease us. But of course I’m not wishing for it. I will still do everything I can just to make her talk again.
Theo smirks at me, leaning down at my face. I move back because he might, yet again, steal another kiss—the fourth stolen kiss. “What if I won’t go?” he asks as his smirk grows bigger.
I push him away. “Then don’t,” is the only thing I say to him. I can ignore him all throughout the day anyway. I turn to Joan with a smile. “So, I think we should start making cupcakes now?”
She nods, going over to the end of the counter where the aprons are. That’s when I also notice a recipe sitting on top of the apron. She gets it and hands it to me before giving me the apron that I will be using.
Dear Reese Cupcake.
I raise an eyebrow at the name of the cupcake. “Is this for real?” I ask no one in particular, but of course I’m expecting Theo to answer me since her mom is nowhere near in talking.
“The what?” He walks behind me. “Oh, that. Yeah. I don’t know where did the recipe came from though,” he says, rubbing his chin.
I don’t believe him. Who will believe a guy like him? Not me. “Is that so?” The recipe is handwritten and is obviously freshly written. You can notice the smudge of the ink. “I guess I don’t have to question the name of this cupcake recipe. Let’s start.”
Theo and his mom are very close to each other. You can tell it by how much they communicate even though Joan is not saying anything. The affection of a mother is so obvious from her that it makes me smile all throughout the preparation of the cupcake.
“So, Reese, how are you feeling?” Theo asks out of nowhere as he pours the cupcake mixture in each container.
“What?” I ask, confuse.
“How are you feeling? We still have that agreement, you know. Even though I’m not reminding you about it everyday, it’s still in my mind. I have to make sure that everytime we hang out like this, there’s an improvement to what you are feeling,” he explains, putting down the empty bowl now. He gets the tray and puts it inside the over, setting it on.
It is not in my mind anymore. I thought he has already forgotten about it. He should have because it’s getting in nowhere. “The same,” I say, confirming my mind. But my heart is saying something. The odd feeling is giving this little push in my mind that something has changed. I’m not going to admit that because I know it’s not real and it will pass.
“Mom, why don’t you get change?” he says to his mom who has a lot of chocolate syrups in her shirt. Theo accidentally squirted the bottle of chocolate syrup earlier. Joan got most of it because the snout of the bottle was directed to her.
Joan gives me a smile that has something written about it before walking out of the kitchen. My eyes follow her until I feel a hand to my shoulder, making me turn around.
“I don’t believe you, Reese. It’s been two and half weeks already. Come on! Just say that you’re feeling something already. That’s not hard to say, you know,” he says.
No, Reese. Don’t give in. I know there’s nothing inside me. That is for sure.
“Believe whatever you want to believe,” I say. I frown a little. It feels like I’m telling that to myself rather than to Theo. I shake the thought out of my head. I’m thinking about it way too much.
“Reese—”
“Theo…dore,” I say, grinning.
He shakes his head. “Fine. Keep on denying the obvious.” I am so not denying the obvious. “How are you feeling now? Are you really okay now? You still look pale.”
“I’m fine now.” The food you made gave me the energy to be okay again. But I didn’t say that one to him, just in my head. He might think of that as some sign.
Joan comes back again with a warm smile on her face. “Hey, Joan. You know what? I think the cupcakes are almost done. What do you say, uh, let’s…” I can’t really think of anything else beside to talk about stuffs. But she doesn’t want to talk. Maybe I should start cheering her to talk again.
I pull her to the living room, both of us sitting on the couch side by side. I give her a smile. What is the best thing to talk about at times like this? If I’m doing this to my mom, we will talk about our favorite things to do—music.
But I don’t know how I will start. I don’t have the slightest idea what might happen if I force her to talk. “Joan, why aren’t you not talking?” I ask the only question I can think of. It’s better to just ask away this question anyway.
She gives me a one shrug shoulder, a sad smile on her face.
I put a hand on her shoulder to tell her it’s okay. “I know I don’t have the right to intrude but I want to help you. Let me help you.”
She averts her gaze from me, blinking.
“You can’t make her, Reese,” Uncle Lucas’ voice echoes in the room. I look at the front door and he is just entering. He smiles at me. “Hello, Reese. Joan, she’s… I’ve tried. Theo and I tried are very best to help her. We consulted her to the doctors as well but they say, no matter how many times she undergoes a medication, it is still up to her if she will talk again or not. I guess, she just doesn’t want to anymore,” he explains, sitting beside her. They look at each other. I can feel the love and passion they have for each other. Although, Joan’s smile seems sad and so foreign. I mean, when someone looks in the eyes of the love of their love, shouldn’t they be happy? I don’t see that to Joan at all. Not that I’m judging. Who am I to say that anyway when I don’t know anything about love, right?
Theo emerges with the cupcakes in a plate. “Here you go, everyone. Dear Reese Cupcakes are ready.” He places the plate down.
Uncle Lucas raises an eyebrow at him and he just answers it with a shrug. “Let’s eat,” Uncle Lucas’ says, picking up one cupcake from the plate.
I knew there’s something fishy about that cupcake’s name. “Let’s,” I say, picking up a cupcake as well. Joan looks at me and there is something written in her eyes that I want to find out… and soon.
---
This is like a filler chapter. And it's a long one too! :) VOTE, COMMENT and FAN if you haven't. Let me know your thoughts about this one. Nanowrimo is coming in less than 24 hours now (here in my place). I'm excited. and also I'll be starting on my work this monday (nov 4), so updates will be done every 3-5 days. Depends on my schedule. So, that's all.
By the way, you're amazing! ;)
x jules_