It has been a few days since the small conflict with her mother.
The day after that incident, Karin was surprised to see Althea's swollen eyes and Althea explained shortly about what happened which made her cry a lot that night.
"How could she say that?" at that time, Karin hugged Althea and profusely rejected her mother's claim.
Althea is feeling better now, even though she still felt sad remembering her mother's words.
Every time her mother scold her, her mother would always say the worst thing. Like how much of a failure Althea is, how bad she is compared to her peers, how she didn't do anything to pay her parents back, etc.
Althea knew her mother has been having a hard time taking care of the housework and supervising the shop at the same time, but she wished her mother would appreciate her effort more.
"Thea, do you remember we will have a dance performance next week?" Karin said as soon as the break's bell rang.
"It's next week?" Althea widened her eyes.
"Yeah, sucks right. We will have our year-end meeting too, then the final exam afterward." Karin whined as she left their class with Althea following her.
"God, that would be so tiring." Althea shook her head.
The education system at her place is as such: there are various subjects to be learned which include basic math, science, art, and general knowledge throughout elementary to high school.
The difference is only that in high school, your subject will be more specified to either science of social. Still, there are art, two social subjects, two general knowledge, and a PE class.
Which exhausts the students every time.
The art class consisted of dancing and drawing which is taken in turn every semester.
Althea could still somehow do the drawings and whatnot, but she rarely joins any artistic performance in front of people. She's more talented in speaking, after all.
"Do we have to wear a costume?" Althea asked as she hesitated on what to choose from one of the canteen shops.
"Yeah, we do. We should ask our group of what to wear." Karin proposed as decided on a toast with strawberry jams and soda.
"Okay. I'll start coordinating the group after the break. How many people were we again?" Seeing the toast in Karin's hand, Althea took one for her own in chocolate flavor.
"7 people including us. If you can't search for the costume, I and some others can go to buy it." Karin took Althea's toast, put it on the cashier table and handed the money for it, to which Althea quickly shove her money on the cashier and said, "I'll pay separately."
"Thanks, then I would count on you. I don't think my mother's gonna let me go out." Althea smiled in satisfaction from the small exchange of who-pays-first and Karin shook her head.
"Sigh, talking about your mother will make even me sad." Karin sighed as the two walked down the corridor to their class.
"Don't be. It's just that my mother is too stressed."
'And maybe I'm too disappointing,' Althea added softly in her heart.
"Okay. So enough of your mother." Karin pointed to Althea's seat with her chin and waited for Althea to sit before settling down on her own.
"Tell me how your relationship with Ray is going. Is he still ignoring you?"
Althea looked at Karin's eyes and saw some concern in it. She had told Karin about how they're speaking less and less lately.
"Yeah... No, not really." Althea tapped on her desk. To say that she speaks less with Ray is not quite right. While they do text each other from time to time, Althea wished a more relaxed and casual conversation while seeing each other.
"Which is it?" Karin removed the toast's wrap and took a bite on it.
"I don't know, Karin. He's just busy with his studies. Pretty sure he's stressed out about it." Althea explained as she opened the wrap of her own toast, frowning on the slightly burned corner.
"And are you n34ot stressed?"
Karin's question made Althea turned wanna purse her lips but chose to bite her toast instead, "Maybe. But we need each other differently when we're in stress, I guess."
Karin shook her head disapprovingly, "You have been facing everything by yourself. I don't know if he is, too. But I know you two are supposed to strengthen each other and not leaving when it's difficult."
Althea finished her toast as she nodded, "You're right," then added with a mischievous tone, "Also with that much of wisdom, I think you should try to get a boyfriend of your own, mam."
"Seeing you makes me enjoy my freedom more." Karin mocked back and Althea pinched her arm.
She felt truly grateful that she still has Karin. She could share her difficulties with her friend and they can still chat by phone when Ray is unresponsive.
'Ray...' Althea took her phone and scrolled to read their chat.
These days Ray wouldn't let Althea speak when they're in a video call. He insisted that if there's nothing urgent then Althea shouldn't disturb his study. Even if they talk, she would only get a yes or no response.
This made Althea only ended up watching him study as she sadly drifted to her sleep. She wished to talk more, like what normal couples would do.
Simply sharing and asking how each other are doing, maybe some assuring that tomorrow would be better, that their hard work would be paid off, and maybe-- just maybe if she could wish for more, she wanna be spoiled and praised.
Well, even if a normal couple doesn't do that. She still wanted it.
It's her own yearnings.