The car stopped right by the roadside, Mona told Ben to wait patiently for her but then she changed her mind and told him to go, she'd find her way home. She silently followed her exhilarated friend to the restaurant. 'Bell-liy hmm' the name seems to amaze people and that might be the source of their expanded customers. Mona glued herself to her friend as they searched for Derick.
Soon, he was found sitting behind the table where tea was served. Gina waved at him and approached him first but the boy's gaze was mainly on the unhappy minded black girl who was reluctantly walking up to him.
"Hi Derick," she offered her greeting with that unhappy face but she did her best to hide it.
Derick looked confused with Gina joining them. "You brought Gina?" He wasn't in acceptance of that.
"It wasn't a date Derick."
"I know but when you know Gina could follow you why ask me to come?" His displeasure exposed itself.
Mona lowered her head and didn't reply. Handling Gina's anger was enough, she couldn't take another. She decided to stay quiet and the boy spoke again.
"It's okay, there isn't any harm in having a company," he announced. Mona raised her gaze and glanced at Gina to see how she glared at her secretly.
"I'll leave soon don't worry," she whispered.
They were sitting on a circular table with three chairs surrounding it and they occupied all seats.
Gina raised a conversation with Derick while Mona listened quietly, she waited for the right time to leave the two of them alone. When the conversation Gina and Derick were sharing became lively, she excused herself giving Derick the thought that she was going to use the restroom but she departed from the restaurant.
Mona looked around her surroundings to see the sun going down, the tall building brought that Amber view to that side of the street. She looked at the restaurant and let down her shoulders before leading herself to the bus station.
There she met Mr Ken but didn't view him, she was buried in her thoughts that she noticed not Mr Ken, she settled at the back and covered her ears with the earphones she had and closed her eyes.
Mr Ken could view her mood and hear her thoughts, he uttered no word and looked through the window, why should he bother himself about some students? She wasn't even the only student on the bus.
"Mona is taking too long," Derick uttered after the food they ordered reached their table.
"Yeah, she texted me that she had something to do, so she left," Gina told him, the boy instantly dropped his cutleries and stared right at Gina.
"Why would she leave me here?" He pouted at Gina.
"That's the way Mona is, she always thinks of herself, without caring for others or their opinion but still she's my friend." Gina sounded sarcastic about it.
Derick wasn't minding her words. "I only dropped by this restaurant to be with her."
"Don't you get it?" She sounded like she was scolding him.
"Gina," he called her name in a pleading and frustrating tone.
"I'm sorry for what she did," Gina apologize only to get Mona out of their discussion but the boy didn't stop to harp about how disappointed he was.
"Seriously Gina, I didn't come for the food or to get stuck with you. I came here because Mona would be around me, she'd look at me for once." He stated only to rise the hatred Gina was already planting in her heart for her best friend. She didn't even think of the time they've shared, the sacrifices, the commission, the love they shared. She wasted all that because her feelings took the better of her.
"Should we continue or we find our way home? Mona left then accept it, you can confront her tomorrow."
Derick was hit hard by her response but he realized his own side of the matter. "I'm sorry Gina, I was carried away," he sat comfortably and decide to continue his meal.
"I'm sorry too but you made it sound like I'm some kind of. . .I don't know, weed. Unwanted plants," she shrugged one of her shoulders. "Like I'm not human, I can replace Mona for today. You should even thank me for sparing my time to keep you company for what Mona did," she eyed him.
"I said I'm sorry Gina so what were you saying about Mr Godfrey?" The smile on his face showed up again and she blushed before taking a deep breath, with that. They started a new conversation.
The bus stopped at the bus station in Daliy Hills, Mona was the last to step out as her mood was rotten, she removed the earphones. While Mr Ken found his way to a shop to buy dinner. He had not received his pay so he had no food items at home. He couldn't remember the last time he cooked for himself but it was okay as all this was to avoid his existence from being known to his part of the world.
He followed Mona from behind and the girl walked slower than usual, he wondered what must have made her this boring and sad. She'd have noticed someone was behind her but now she didn't even turn to see who it was, either she was reluctant to look behind her or she didn't care because the happy part of her heart had shut down.
Soon, he reached his house as it wasn't so far from the bus station but her house was far from his house. "Mona!" He decided to seek her attention and know what was wrong.
That sudden call of her name by the voice she had learnt to know jerked her out of her being lost in her unhappy world, she turned around to behold Mr Ken approaching her with that concerned look. He was her teacher anyway, he should know what was going on with her.
Mona lowered her gaze. What was wrong with her? She was always happy to see Mr Ken, she was always full of energy to bug him but now she just wanted to bury herself into her bedsheets and get lost in her never-tiring imagination.
"Yes, Mr Ken," her low voice replied, selling her feelings out.
"Are you okay?"
She nodded her head and looked up at him. "I didn't know you were behind me."
"That's my point, Mona, you are not okay."
"I am fine as long as she's happy," Mona uttered.
"Who?"
"You don't need to know, good night Mr Ken," she turned away and left his sight.
Mr Ken stood by the roadside staring at her figure as she slowly climbed the hill. He admitted to himself that in the little period he had spent with her, she was always happy, stubborn, audacious, and childish in a funny way and he liked that side of Mona but this boring and sad girl wasn't the type of Mona he liked. Should he do something about it?