"Do you want to come to Lance's birthday party and send-off?" Clarence, from the living room, asked Claire who was eating a vegetable salad in the dining table.
"Hm? Send off?" she asked.
"He didn't tell you?"
She shook her head, with a wondering look on her face.
"It's because you're not replying to him at all. Anyway, he's leaving next week to study abroad. His birthday is still 10 days from now, but they will be celebrating it as well. Do you want to go?"
She put down the fork and stared at the table.
Clarence glanced at her and saw she was a little shocked. He chuckled inside thinking that finally she might be affected by him now. But he was also a bit sad for them since they will be separated now.
He said, "The celebration will be four days from now. 7PM at a restaurant on the 6th street. The four of us are invited. We need to confirm today."
"No, I'm not coming," she said.
"Why?"
She remembered again the scene on the night of the Flower Festival, where she saw him kissing someone. She impatiently shook her said as if to shake that thought as well. "Why does that keep on popping out of my head? And why does my heart feel like something is stabbing it?" she thought, a bit irritated inside.
She grabbed the fork and started eating again. "You know that we can't make any more contact with normal humans except for the few people we now have. But if you want to, you three can go."
"But you already met his father and other relatives, didn't you?"
Then she remembered that was true. It was when they had that cooking showdown for him to date her if he won. And he did win and the rest was history, but if seemed like yesterday.
She just remained silent. She didn't say anything.
"Okay, I'll tell him we're not coming," he said while typing on his phone. "Sent."
Claire looked at him. "But I said you can go without me."
"Don't worry. I've told him we can set a separate celebration with him, the five of us."
"What?!"
A message tone rang from his phone. "Good. He said he's okay with that, the next day after their celebration. We're set. I'll tell Sora and Musica now."
She remained quiet until he asked her something, "Don't you want to say goodbye to your 'younger brother'?"
She let out a resigning sigh. "Okay. We'll throw him a party."
>>><<<
Lance arrived at the siblings' place by 6:00 PM. They just ate and had few talks. After that, Musica excused himself as he would call someone. Sora also went outside. Clarence also followed, saying he needed to buy a cold dessert. That happened so fast, leaving Claire and Lance alone at the dining table. They were sitting across each other.
Lance looked like his usual self, but Claire felt different, which she didn't even know.
Lance smiled at her, "I'm glad you're okay now."
Looking at him, she suddenly felt calm. She was back to her normal self. She smiled a little and nodded. "Sorry for making you worry. By the way, congratulations on that opportunity."
"Ah, thanks. I'm really honored to be chosen to study in the main branch for a year."
"You will graduate there, right?"
"Yup. Hopefully, haha."
"I'm sure you can."
"Wow, rooting for me? That's not like you!" Lance teased.
She raised an eyebrow at him but she was not angry. "Then, I'm taking it back."
Then they both laughed.
"Anyway, have you already prepared everything you need?" Claire asked.
He suddenly looked grim and exhausted. "Not yet. I still have to pack my clothes. I only have until tomorrow, since my flight is two days from now."
"Is it your birthday next week?"
"Yup. I'm actually a bit sad too since I won't be celebrating it with my family and friends. But we already advanced it yesterday."
He then looked at his watch. "Oh. It's already this time. I need to go now, but they're not yet back."
"I'll just tell them that you left already."
He shook his head. "Ah, no. That's rude of me, since you all prepared this for me. I can wait till they're back." He stood up. "Maybe I can just help cleaning up."
"No need," she immediately refused. "You're our guest."
He started putting the empty plates and glass together to the sink. "It's the least that I can do."
"If you insist," she said as put some leftover foods to the fridge.
The two of them kept cleaning quietly until the three came back together.
For the last time, they took a photo together. Musica was obviously pulling Lance on the middle beside Claire. He even initiated that the two of them have a picture together, and after that shot he shouted, "Group hug!" and tugged them closer.
"Thank you, guys! I had so much fun." Lance said to them as he was preparing to leave. "Will surely miss you all."
"Yes, yes. You will miss us, or only her...?" Musica was obviously teasing him, lowering his voice when saying 'her'.
Lance just grinned.
"Take care, man," Sora said, shaking his hands with him.
"Lance, behave there, okay?" Clarence said.
"What's that supposed to mean?!" Lance exclaimed and he shook hands with him.
Claire waved a hand at him. "Go get that diploma!" she cheered at him with a smile. "And advance happy birthday!"
Lance couldn't help his heart skipping a beat by the smile she showed, but he also felt sad. He just smiled back as happy as he could and nodded.
"See you all next year!"
>>>>><<<<<
The plane already took off and Lance looked down through the window, gazing blankly at the view getting smaller and wider. His eyes looked teary as he remembered his conversation with this dad.
It was the same day when he was given the offer to study abroad. He told his dad that he already had his decision and he could already tell the Director the next day, even if his three days was not yet up. He would actually deny the offer and would just continue his study here. But his dad insisted him to say yes, though he actually didn't want to force his son.
"Why don't you want to grab it?" Dad asked. "You have told me before you want to study abroad."
"That was when I was in first year. I'm already fine here. Plus I don't want adjustment."
"Is that so?" His dad's voice as firm, it is as if he was a little angry.
Lance looked resolutely at him. "Yes, Dad."
"Or is it because 'someone' is stopping you?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"That girl whom you liked before. Claire is her name, right?"
Lance didn't respond.
"You mentioned you also met her when visiting your Aunt Terese. It's too much of a coincidence." He took a deep breath before continuing. "Don't be involved with her anymore."
He was shocked when he heard that but he remained quiet.
Dad's hands trembled as he gripped his mug. "I saw her brother the other day. I couldn't believe what I saw. He's not normal. He turned into a wolf. So she must also be. That's why you should stop hanging out with them. Stop your connection with her, son."
Lance's eyes grew big that hearing that. It's true that Clarence told them that he can turn into wolf because it was kind of a curse, but he actually didn't see it with own eyes. But he also said that Claire does not, but she surely is not a normal human as well.
He wanted to say to his dad that he already knew it, but seeing how frightened he was, he just kept quiet and told him he would reconsider the offer.
And after three days, he made his decision to take it.
The night that he came to their sendoff party for him, he wanted to make an excuse to his father, but in respect to him, he told him the truth, with the reason of saying goodbye to them for good, and to see her one last time.