Thursday, 09:19 AM.
Headache.
Waking up to headaches was completely a normal routine for me. It stormed against my head as soon as I fluttered my eye open. I forced myself to get up, but the throbbing pain worsened and I instinctively recoiled.
"Ugh... my head..." I groaned, clenching my teeth altogether. Checking around, I found myself sleeping on the cold floor instead of the bed. I must have accidentally fallen asleep while digging through the box, which was still there beside me. My hand was still holding onto the photo album, particularly about my former friends and I.
While so, I also noticed a blanket embraced around me, to which I didn't remember last night. Sigh... someone, either Mother, Lu or even Father, must have gotten in my room and saw me sleeping on the floor, with objects of my past surrounding me. Out of pity, they decided to cover me with it.
I feel so exasperated today... Despite the headaches I suffered, I tried my best to shrug it off. With little to no energy, I nonchalantly returned the album and the posters I had taken out into the box again, saving the DS for the last. Before I placed it back, I tried to turn the gadget on, but due to its low battery, it abruptly died.
Well, it's useless now... huh...? I sneered inwardly. It's not like I would play it anymore, though.
Pushing the box back into the closet and forcecully shutting its doors, I breathed heavily. I removed my hand from the handle as I stared hard at the floor, like in any minute, everything's going to collapse. The wavering pain inside my head still persisted, but my stomach felt so empty, devoid of anything. The only thing I could sense was its increase in acidity; a sign where I should have my breakfast as soon as possible.
Before I sprawled myself on the bed, I noticed something on the floor. It was the same Post-it note from yesterday, the one Sawyer had used to write his phone number. I thought I put it in the album... it must have slipped off the pages when I was tidying up my things.
I shouldn't be bothered about it, but... why... why was something urging me to call the number? I'm positive that this number isn't going to work, and if it does, I'm pretty sure he's not going to answer.
I slumped myself down on the chair, and placed the note on my table. I kept gazing down at Sawyer's faded handwriting, while I combatted with this one unknown force that had driven me to just call him.
That was when my stomach finally had enough of waiting. It growled, its loud sounds echoed across my room. Thankfully, there was no one around to listen, so it was only me that heard it all. I rolled my eye at my own hunger and quietly stood up. Maybe, I could use this as the time where I should buy some bread in Downtown.
It had been a while since I binged bread, and probably today, if my appetite was high enough, I could gobble up until ten loaves.
This is the way to cope with myself after all of that shit last night. After all, I shouldn't be torn down because of it.
Without much thought, I tucked the yellow piece of paper inside my drawer. I snatched my towel, before dismantling myself out of my clothes. I slowly entered the bathroom but before that, I made sure that my bedroom door was firmly shut, making sure that no one will enter. I stepped onto the shower and turned on the warm water to cleanse myself.
In the midst of scrubbing my hair, my mind quickly shifted to Rena, the girl who had always driven me crazy for months. Rubbing my hand against my cheek, I remembered clearly the spot where she had kissed me exactly days ago.
Yesterday, Rena and I only exchanged conversations through texts, finding out that she was hanging out with Alyssa and her other friends the whole day. I also had checked Facebook, and indeed, her best friend had posted a picture of them eating ice cream. Seeing her having ice cream remembered me of the day she brought popsicles, and my recent breakdown.
By doing so, Rena effortlessly added points to my affection. The attractive pull towards her was growing larger day by day as she bombarded me with more of her selflessness. With this increased burst of emotion, I have to deal with them more often than I should. Thanks, Rena.
I continued dousing myself in the shower until I felt that I was ready for the day.
After drying myself up, I wrapped my body with my towel. Stepping out of the bathroom, I quickly wore my new boxers and pants that I had prepared. Next, I pulled out a random hoodie from the closet, but I slowly realized that it was the silver hoodie Lynn gave me for my birthday. It was recognizable from the 'E' letter, engraved on the top right side of the clothing.
Yeah, this was my second last present from her before she... passed, followed by the teddy bear- Realizing that I had pondered too far, I mildly smacked my head. Ugh, I have no time remembering about that...
I put on the hoodie, and walked to the mirror to kempt up most parts of my hair. After grabbing my phone and wallet with me, I pulled the hood over my head and left my room without making any noise.
Placing my hands on pockets, I strolled through the hallway. Even though there was no one, I kept stealing glances around the area. The moment I peeked into Lu's room, she was not there. Not to mention, her bed was already tidied up, so she must have woken up.
Walking down the stairs and arriving to the living room, my nostrils sniffed the aroma of omelette, fresh from the pan. Almost immediately, the hunger I was holding down possessed the strength to take my mind over.
Despite it being so difficult, I managed to resist to the temptations of its delicacy. I peered into the dining room, where Katherine and Lu sat, enjoying their food. Mother set one omelette, mine, beside Lu, before she set down to eat also. Myla was relishing its meal on the corner of the room, devouring every food that was provided on her plate.
"I was just chilling in Times Square with my friends," I heard Katherine's voice as soon as I was about to leave the room. I decided to take the time to eavesdrop, "but then I heard a loud scream. I was curious, so I run to check, and I saw a woman whose bag got stolen!"
"Hmm..." Lu stirred on her drink with her straw, "Then what did you do next? Did you manage to get the culprit before he got away?"
"Haha, bruh yes, I did." Katherine grinned, crossing her arms. "Actually, I chased him down with some people helping, but then there's this dude, I think his name was Damian, he literally drop-kick that dude right in the ass!"
"That's awesome." Lu looked up from her apple juice, as her brown eye flashed. "Must be a guy from a wrestling club or something."
"Dunno, but he's super cool and all, like he managed to land on the ground perfectly! Geez, I was like standing there like an idiot the whole time!" Katherine exclaimed, placing her blonde hair behind her ear. She resumed reciting the story of her vacation in New York, to which I found myself losing interest. I was about to leave for the front door, and...
"Ed, you're going out? Aren't you gonna eat your breakfast?" The chilling voice of Mother instantly glued me on my place. I didn't dare to turn around, but I could feel three gazes shooting lasers on my back. My muscles tensed up, and with my hands inside my pockets, I clenched them tight.
"N-no, it's fine. I'm going to eat soon." I forced myself to answer, and as a result, I slightly stuttered. "Sorry about that."
"Where are you going, exactly?" She further asked.
"I'm eating out with a friend." I lied. Lu should have known I wasn't telling the truth, but she didn't comment anything.
"Ah, but I made an omelette for you." She muttered. "You should have tell me sooner, Ed."
Shit... what am I gonna do? If I eat that omelette I couldn't eat as much bread as I wanted, but if I didn't, guilt would crash me like a colliding truck.
"I will eat it." Lu, in the end, saved my ass by volunteering to be the one finishing my supposed breakfast. When I glanced over my shoulder to see the girls, Lu gave me a bat of her eyebrow. "In that way, the food's not gonna be wasted, right?"
"...Yeah, I agree." I nodded in agreement, casting Lu some sort of a grateful signal. Thanks Lu, I owe you some bread.
"Alright, then." Mother threw a soft sigh, taking the omelette from my place to the hungry redhead, who had finished hers since forever. "Just be careful on the way."
That was when I was able to exit my house without any more questions. Adjusting my hood so that it covered most of my head, I quietly sauntered to the bus station, which was unsurprisingly empty. I slouched myself on the bench and leaned against the board. My body groaned in starvation once more, but I tried my best to ignore it. You'll be getting bread soon, just hold on.
While waiting for the bus to come, I pulled out my phone from my pocket to spend the time. A notification popup was shown on the screen, telling me that I have two new texts. Opening the message board, I partly expected it to be her, the one who had made me into a blushing mess, however, she never talked like this:
I just saved ur ass didn't I?
;)
It was just my redhead sister, but I felt my heart softening. Regardless of what happened yesterday, I was relieved Lu still kept her typical attitude. A tiny smile crossed my lips as I typed in my reply, and while so, I subconsciously stood up when my ears picked up the rumbling of the arriving bus. I took a quick glance, making sure that it was the one heading for Downtown, before I boarded.
Yeah, you did.
Thanks.
After paying, I decided to sit far back, avoiding any contact with the people around. I stuck my face on my phone and continued texting Lu while the bus started moving to the streets.
Geez that was nothing xD
Anyway, you still owe me some bread :p
I gave you some before, so its your turn
I will buy it later, don't worry. What would you like?
I love every kinds of bread so buy whatever you think is the best lol
Okay.
PS if you meet Serena say hi to her from me and whenever it gets too intense don't forget to use protection 😏
My jaw tightened up at the text, and I felt a twinge of annoyance inside my veins. Her lewd jokes had gone too far, probably the result of spending her time with her male friends again. Without thinking too much about my response, my fingers punched out a retort.
Take your mind out of the gutter and fuck off.
I was pretty sure she was laughing her ass off right now as she read my answer. I simply rolled my eye and stayed silent the whole ride. Come to think of it, Lu and I chatted like we always did, as if yesterday's events had been forgotten. I, for the fact, couldn't help but to imagine back her genuine, serious look she cast me before she left.
"It's up to you, Ed. You have your own rights." She had told me that, and now it was stamped in my head. Maybe she was aware about it, but in the end, she decided to shrug it off like it was made of dust. Maybe, behind her comedic attitude, lay her hopelessness towards me, and how she was worried that I would break apart.
I slipped my phone back into my pocket and simply watched the scene outside the window. The skies wasn't that bright today, as there were humongous clouds covering up the sun. For some people, it might be no fun, but for me, it matched my present mood: gray, dark and hollow.
I just want the weather to stay this way.
Regardless, I should be fast. I could see that rain will pour down soon, and I didn't even bring my umbrella with me. I could use my hoodie, though, but Mother would be mad when I went home completely drenched and moist.
Once I reached Downtown, I quickly made for the exit and hopped out of the bus. I fixed my hood and strode for the bakery, which was just five buildings ahead. My stare low at the concrete ground, sidestepping every person that passed by me. There, I wholly appreciated the comfiness of hoodies, as they always masked me from any unwanted attention.
I'm so obsessed with it just like I'm obsessed with bread.
I also passed by Gelato Cafe, where I worked and where all of my friends loved to visit. When I took a look from behind the glass, the cafe was crowded, as usual. There were also... some people I wouldn't love to meet, so I quickly turned away and resumed with my journey until I reached the bakery.
Pushing the door open, the bell above me loudly rattled, signalling my presence. As I got further in, I saw a woman extracting a tray of hot, golden bread from the oven, which was sprinkled with something I couldn't recognize. I could even smell its freshness from this far. My mouth instantly salivated, and the urge to attack all of them was so overwhelming.
My gaze was fixed at the food, and I until someone interrupted my thoughts.
"You're always drooling at every bread you see, just like your sister."
The woman, Mrs. Carrington, teased and chuckled, showing me her welcoming grin. Despite her thinning, white hair and being in her sixties, she was still shining bright like she was on her youth. Same went to Mr. Carrington, who was also helping his wife preparing the bread.
After all, they were the kindest elderly couple I met.
"Yeah... They looked really delicious." I mumbled, removing my hood from my head, then scratched it.
"Of course they are." Mr. Carrington butted in, revealing me his crooked smile. "We won't be selling our pastries if they ain't that good, kid."
For some reason, they always reminded me of my grandparents. After all, my family had come here so often that they already knew a lot about our background and preferences. My parents also loved talking and hanging out with them. In fact, we always consider the couple to be a part of our family too.
"I guess so." I answered, trying to put my best smiling expression.
"Well, it's the same as usual, Edward?" Mrs. Carrington asked, as she showed me a goodie bag, that was probably filled with bread and muffin.
"Yes," I nodded, "and please do include some for my sister too."
"Absolutely, dear."
She stuffed in some more bread and added some croissant. She bestowed me the bag, and in return, I paid her 25 bucks in total. Before I could say my gratefulness, Mrs. Carrington passed me two loaves of bread she recently baked. They were wrapped up with plastic, so they weren't hot for me to touch.
"I want you and your sister to try this one out." She announced. "Tell us what you think when you come back."
"...What kind of bread is this?" I asked, gazing down at the food.
"It's some kind of a rosemary bread, but I made the recipe all by myself. This is my first time making them, so you're the first one to try." She explained, and stopped me when my hand reached the wallet inside my trousers. "You don't need to pay them, Edward. It's completely free of charge."
"Oh... alright." I said. "I will let you know as soon as possible."
"Take your time, kid." Mr. Carrington said between his guffaws. "After all, my wife still had a lot of new recipes for you to try and to die for!"
I smiled thinly at them as Mrs. Carrington followed in his laughter, and gently slapped her husband in the shoulder. I tried to make it genuine and definitely not ended up being a creep. I wished that I could be like them too, as in having fun and such, but with my friends.
I wished I could join them too, but... my laughter always sounded too forced and dripped with sarcasm. People probably won't believe that I was actually laughing, thinking I was being an asshole and such. Consequently, I just stayed quiet and simply expressed my feelings.
I wished them the best or luck and said my farewell before I left the store. Looking at the skies, I remembered about the fact that it was going to rain, so I hurried to the bus station by increasing my pace.
Sometimes, though, I have to expect for the unexpected.
I stopped at my tracks when I noticed a familiar girl exiting out of Gelato Cafe, with a book in hand, raised in the air. The curls of her wavy hair bounced as she strode by, her green eyes were so focused on something that she was completely oblivious of me just right beside her. The black, star-shaped clip on the left side of her head was a dead giveaway.
Alyssa.
What is she doing...?
Why is she in the cafe?
Where is she running-
"Florence, wait up! You left your novel!"
She shouted, which quickly drew my entire attention. I spun my heels around, realizing that Alyssa was pursuing after the green-haired girl with a side ponytail, who was walking off rather fast, as her tote bag hung over her shoulder. I pulled my hood on and trailed behind after Alyssa, who got to catch up with the girl.
She turned herself around, and when her blue eyes caught up with Alyssa's, they quickly narrowed into slits. Florence glowered at her for a while, before she suddenly snatched the novel from Alyssa's hands, and casually dropped it into her bag.
"It would be better if you leave it there." She retorted, breaking her gaze away from Alyssa. "It's better to lose it rather than getting it contaminated by a two-faced girl."
Two-faced?
Florence shook her head and reverted back to where she was going. From Alyssa's clenched fists and her tensed body, I knew she wasn't going to back down from the insult Florence had thrown at her. Alyssa was always strong-headed, a bit bossy and never want to lose to her competitor.
"What do you mean?! Are you referring to me?!" she burst out, and proceeded to storm towards Florence's direction. She then blocked her path, preventing her from going further. In other words, Alyssa was confronting her frontally, to which I was expecting. I could see the protruding anger that was engraved on her red face.
"You should be grateful I wasted my time returning your crap. Instead, you're treating me like I'm some animal?!" Alyssa snarled, gritting her teeth, gradually drawing some attention from the bypassers.
"I never asked you to return it for me," Florence answered bluntly, and attempted to slip away, but Alyssa stepped forward, and literally, they were inches away from each other. My instincts told me to break them apart, especially when some people stopped on their paths to stare at them.
"I got a good suggestion for you, Your Highness. Stop being a bitch for once." Alyssa spat. Even if she was shorter than her, Florence wasn't at all intimidated. She was completely collected and reserved. "If there aren't people here, I would have smacked you already."
"You think I'm scared of you?" Florence snorted, placing her hand on her hips. "Now that you're here, let me tell you something you might want to consider."
I couldn't hear what she had uttered. She leaned forward and faintly whispered her words right in Alyssa's ear. Nevertheless, I knew that it must be something harsh and judgemental, because the ferocity on her face shattered like a fragile glass. Her eyes dilated, and her lips were slightly opened in some sort of shock. She was completely still, as if she was a mannequin.
A few seconds later, however, Alyssa's flabbergasted expression was consumed by rage. Her cheeks were much redder than before, and her body began to shake. I could see that she had reached her breaking point, as she raised her hand as to slap Florence, but her actions stopped mid-air.
I found myself clenching my jaw for no reason, even if I wasn't supposed to be involved. Florence's 'insults' might be factual, but she should really know how to speak it in a proper way. Blatantly calling a person off was like a stabbing knife through their heart.
Beneath all the layers of her wrath, Alyssa's forehead contorted and the corner of her lips twitched in a jolty manner. Albeit so, she bared her teeth towards Florence. Instead of continuing with her action, she let her down then backed away.
"It's true, but you just don't want to admit it. The poor Serena doesn't know what's going on." Florence huffed. "You're pitiful just like Sebby."
"Don't you ever compare me to him." Alyssa grunted, lowering her head.
Rena?
Seb?
What the hell is she talking about?
What does Rena not know?
What makes Seb pitiful?
Lots of unanswered question loaded my mind. I might as well step in and interrogate the shit out of her, but for no reason, I felt that this wasn't the proper time to.
"Bye then." Florence flipped her green hair and proceeded to move out of the scene. Alyssa didn't bother stopping her anymore, as she was drowning on her own emotions. The bystanders that were watching finally resumed with their businesses, not even minding her. She slammed both of her shivering hands upon her face, and struggled with her breaths.
Idiots.
I took a deep breath, before silently approaching her. I rummaged through the goodie bag and took out a random bread; the one completely covered in dark chocolate. Giving her something sweet might balance the severe sourness she had received.
"Alyssa." I called out, and she wasted no time snapping her gaze at me. A lone tear trailed down her cheek, which urged me to speak more. With no opposition, I lent her the sugary pastry. "... Here, eat this. It will help you calm down a bit."
"Ed..." She whimpered.
***
A/N: Sorry for the long delay! Now that I'm feeling better, I was able to post this chapter longer than usual. The conflict between Alyssa and Florence was quite tense though... but what do you think will happen next? Find out in the new chapter next week!
I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please don't forget to leave some comments, vote and your thoughts as always!
Question
1. What did Florence whisper to Alyssa, according to your thoughts?
- Tara