"Whew..."
I leaned my back against the cold and hard wall. I've been sewing all by myself for five consecutive hours. You see, even though I love sewing and embroidery, without the machine is exhausting. Just getting the thread into the needle's hole already takes a lot of my time.. and here I still have 10 more to go. Why does Zeandro wanted me to bring all of the costumes at school and sew them by hand? If only he lets me finish these at home with the help of other classmates, they would be done in no time. But no, this guy wanted to see me prick my finger and do all of them before the school festival. Zeandro is a devil.
"You okay?" Deither pops from the back, his elbows rested on the windowsill as he brought his head down.
"Yeah.. just taking a short break from the sewing. You need me?"
Deither climbs in from the window and crouched down beside me. "I'm currently distributing drinks to the whole class. What would you like?"
Scanning the cold drinks he has in the plastic, I grabbed the orange juice. I smiled, "This. Thank you."
"Why don't you join the others? You've been seated over here for hours, can you still even feel your legs?"
I laughed sarcastically. "Zeandro would beat the life out of me if I leave these," I replied.
"Come on.. Zeandro doesn't have a say on this anymore, I bribed him remember?"
I raised an eyebrow to the fellow in front of me with a blank face. "Is that why you're giving drinks to everyone?"
Deither gave me a smile; he thinks it looks innocent but if anything, it's annoying. He took me by the hand as we joined one circle— the ones in charge of the food. Although Deither bribed him, Zeandro remains in charge of the kitchen.
Everyone is so busy, yet excited for the upcoming school festival. Besides of the fact that we have no classes for the whole week in preparation for the event, to see people coming in and out of our café with satisfaction on their faces, would be something we can be proud of and celebrate afterwards.
"Are you happy now?"
"Eh?" I jumped to see Zeandro beside me. His first button is loose and sleeves are rolled up to the elbow. If I say that he is not a good-looker, I would be lying. He might be the most quiet student but he is the most charming among the class.
"Deither threatened me. If I don't keep quiet, I would fail his class."
"I'm sorry for putting you into such trouble.."
I heard him scoff as he crossed his arms on his chest. "Good to hear you're feeling sorry, because it was true. Why a teacher though? Aren't you scared of the consequences?"
"I am," I replied shortly. "Seven and I met at the kindergarten that I worked for before. It was just recently that he left from there and decided to teach high school students."
"So you've liked him for long?"
I smiled, looking up to the blue eyed man in front of me as he waited for my answer. "Maybe I do.. and I only realized it today."
**********************************************
It is eight in the evening, and yet Seven still has not returned from school. The twins and I have already eaten dinner without him, although I very much wanted us to eat altogether like family. Work sure keeps him very busy, as before, he never stays out pass 7 PM until he began teaching in my high school. I guess it is very different compare to kindergarten.. especially now that he needs to meet deadlines and such unlike before, where Seven has much more time to play with children rather than simplifying each lesson to make his students understand every little detail. But anyway, I'm really happy for him. Although this might mean that the distance we already have could go even wider, this is what Seven wants to do. I want to support him in every step of the way.
"Sana, do you think mom and dad are happy?"
I nearly jump when I heard Sav from my back. I have finished doing the dishes, and I thought that she was already asleep, because I checked on her earlier. But here she is.. asking about our deceased parents.. she must have dreamt of something again related to the both of them.
Wiping my wet hands, I crouched down to her level as I say, "Was it a good dream or a bad dream?"
Savannah looks into my eyes; I know that look.
"I saw you.." my little sister softly whispered, tugging on the end of her sleepwear and tried her best to fight back her tears. "And Sylvester.. and me.. dining together with mommy and daddy.."
She and Yves were only a few weeks old when our parents died. They never got the chance to meet them, nor hug and talk to the both of them. If I were in their shoes, I would hate the world for being so cruel.
"Were you having fun?"
"We all were.." Sav replied with a gentle smile across her face. "That I almost wished to never wake up.."
My eyebrows creased, as I grabbed my sister close to me and gave her a comforting hug. In times like this, I really have no idea what I should do to make the twins feel better. I know how sad they are; I saw it. They never go to their school's family events even though my aunt and her husband were more than willing to attend for them, also in school field trips. I feel so guilty.. as I have got to experience what it was like to have your parents care for you. The twins grew up depending on no one but themselves. Which sometimes lets me wonder, if I have never left the home of my aunt and stayed with them, would things be different?
"You okay?"
I quickly sit up straight as I heard a husky voice echoing around the empty room. Savannah has gone back to bed after telling me about her happy dream, while I am left in the living area, pondering. Looking over the entrance door, I noticed Seven standing there with a plastic bag in his hand.
"How long have you been there?" I asked, running towards him and snatching his stuffs. "I'm sorry.. I did not see you."
Seven gave me a warm smile, followed by a soft pat on my head as he plopped himself on the sofa. He heaved a sigh of relief.
"What were you thinking about?"
I froze when he asked me that. "Nothing important.. random stuff, like what is really the shape of the earth?"
Seven laughed. "That is a lie. It should be important, after all.. you were looking so serious."
I already have given him enough trouble, and I don't want to add up more to that. If I tell him my concerns, it would definitely worry him. That's just how he is.
"I shouldn't have asked." He suddenly stood up from the couch, with hands in the pockets and carefully leans over the counter. "It was something personal, right?"
"I--"
"Have you eaten?"
"Eh?"
The plastic was then snatched away from me as he aggressively took out two cups of instant ramen noodles. Seven marched towards the stove to boil some water and pour it into the cup, putting back on the lid as we wait for a few minutes before digging in.
"Is work hard?" I blurted; it was so awkward that I only thought of that to break the ice between us. "I mean, you've been arriving home late these days.."
"Oh," he gave out a light chuckle before blowing his food. "I had to meet somebody, that's why."
Huh? It's not his job that is keeping him busy, but a person? Moreover, it is a "somebody" to him. As much as I wanted to ask what they talked about, I know it is not something that Seven can tell me about.
"This person must be really important to you, to actually meet them after work. Even though it is really not like you to be out late in the evening," I giggled.
Seven smiles down to his food before bringing his head back up to look at me.
"She is."
I froze. It is a 'she'. Seven had been meeting with a girl- no, with a woman. As he is not the type who would date just any girl.. whoever she is, I am betting that she is a wonderful person. This man wouldn't have fallen in love with her if she was not..
"Shall we rest?" The happy man in front of me suggested while he set the now empty cups in the sink as I hear the water glasses clink. "I suppose you're very tired, preparing for the upcoming festival.."
"Not really.. but I think that it is you that needs rest. I will just do the dishes and then head to bed."
Seven waves his hands in front of my face as he yelled, "You can do them tomorrow!"
I shook my head and started pushing him out of the kitchen. "Let me do it! Now you go to your room and have a good night sleep!"
His laughter echoed all around the house. It was meant to give me butterflies, as it sounds beautiful and pleasant to the ears. But not tonight.. his voice hurts me. And I don't really want to see him as of the moment.
"Alright.." the giant man spins around to face me one more time while I glare at him. Seven suddenly gave me a loving smile, hands on his hips as he messed up my hair and never breaking the eye contact with me.
"Good night, Sanara."
The door to his room was shut closed but the fast beating of my heart is getting near to the point of giving me a heart attack. I kicked the wooden door in frustration, immediately regretting it because he could have heard that, but thank God he did not. Why did he have to give me that?! After letting me know that he had been meeting with a woman behind my back!
We don't have any special relationship, yet why do I feel so betrayed?