Turns out Mate was sent from another orphanage, and right now he's to live with us for as long as he will until he gets adopted. Which is something he said he's not in for.
Mate right now is planning on how to leave the system on his fifteenth birthday. He believes the outside world is far more better than the system.
I don't believe his words, but I don't tell him. I really don't need anything that'll make him really angry with me, and that alone will make me feel bad.
"Have a bite." Mate motion for me to open my mouth. A coconut flavoured chocolate in his hand. His mouth open as he showed me exactly what he means by his words.
"Where did you get this?" I refuse to open my mouth as I checked the chocolate out. This isn't the type that's usually given to us once every new week.
"I bought it. Open." He smiles brightly. " Now have a bite. "
With nothing else to ask, I open my mouth widely and took a bite from the chocolate.
"Yummy. " Smiling brightly, I wipe my mouth. I hate it when chocolate gums on my mouth. It's real sticky and disgusting.
" Wait..." Mate stops me.
"What?" I frown at him.
"You're not correctly wiping your mouth. Let me help you." With his tight thump, he wipe my mouth clean, his hand rubbing slowly on my lips.
I gaze at him. My breathe hitched. My entire focus on his blue eyes.
I feel really giddy and excited. My heart trying to lurch out of my chest.
"Perfect!" He cleans his thump with his hanker.
He might have broken the spell, but I refused to do so. My hand still lightly touching my lips. My gaze in a haze. I feel really far away.
"Lat?" He waves a hand in front of me to get my attention.
"Yes!" Blinking furiously, I tried to perfectly return my focus to my surroundings.
"What's that?"
"Nothing." I blushed deeply when i recalled earlier.
"It's not nothing if you're blushing," He smiles knowingly. "Tell me. I want to know."
"It's nothing!" I stand to my feet. My cheeks still hot pink. "You know what? Am leaving!" I turn and start running towards the orphanage. I really need to get away from him before he gets me to tell him exactly what happened.
"Wait for me!" He called out. I can hear his footsteps as he chased after me.
"I won't. " Laughing, I run into the orphanage.
*
THREE YEARS LATER
"Lat, you need to get up." Mate gently shake me.
"I need to have one more minute of sleep." I groaned like a person in pain.
"We'll be late for the exams, and not to mention the good we'll miss should we not go to the dinning on time."
"Food?" I hastily sat up in bed. At the mention of food, sleep perfectly let me go.
"I know that alone will wake you up glutton." He frowns.
" Are you jealous? "
" Get your butt off the bed, and go take a bath. We need to be in school before the first bell is rung. "
Without much talk, I walk to the general bathroom, and took my bath before I got ready for our finally exam before we change to the senior classes.
I really can't wait to be there. I've kinda gotten really tired of being in the junior classes.
"Let's go." Mate stands from my bed the moment I walk in from the bathroom.
Looking at my best friend of three years makes my heart skip beats. If I had thought him handsome those years ago, it's nothing compared to how he is now. Mate is by far more handsome than anyone I know of.
His blue eyes have gotten really brighter so bright it sparkles when he smiles. His black hair which is a bit longer than before is now always slicked back. His mouth, don't even get me started on that. It's so suc....
"Why are staring at me? Do I have something on my face?" He furiously rub his face. " Is it now out?"
" There's nothing on your face except over handsomeness." I smile cheekily.
" Bad boy." He playfully ruffle my hair. " Focus on your exams, and stop comparing yourself to me."
As if..
If only the feelings I have for him is the same a friend have for their fellow friends, it would have being better, but that's not the love I have for him.
It goes far beyond friendship bonds. I feel.l something really strong for him.
Back when I was thirteen, I never did know what all those feelings are now, bur now I know.
I think I've fallen for my best friend with the most beautiful eyes.
*
"I bought two of these. Hope you've not taken dinner already?" Mate sits on my bed.
Currently, my roommates aren't here. They normally go out to play football, but I stay on here reading one of my favourite novels of all time.
I really prefer staying in doors, and reading to my content than go out there to play football with them. I really find it a waste of time and energy.
As my friend, Mate doesn't go for that, he instead keeps me company.
"What are we celebrating?" Mate only buys cakes whenever we have something worth celebrating but right now, I can't think of anything that happened recently that's in need of a celebration.
"The completion of our junior year. When school reopens, we'll be seniors! " He lightly pinch my cheeks.
" Don't be too over confident. Are you even sure we passed the exams?"
" Don't being to pessimistic on life, you have to be optimistic. Live a little, and stop getting worried over little things."
" It doesn't hurt to think of the pros and cons. You need to do that most times." I frown at him.
I've never seen a person as carefree and fun loving as Mate. He's too carefree to be taken serious most times.
"That's why I have you love. With you by my side, there's nothing I want. Not even my worries can get to me."
Love?
He called me love?
I smile brightly at that. My heart feeling really elevated at his words.
Right now I don't care what he says. My heart is already warm.
.