Sun rays haven't even touched my eyes: but something woke me up from outside. I kept tapping the bed to search for my phone until I found it underneath Mom's pillow. It's only 5:59 in the morning, and there's already a fight happening in the neighborhood.
So well, I thought, I rose on the bed when Auntie's name was call.
I slipped on the slippers, and raced down the stairs, even feeling groggy. The front door was left open. I hid behind the door and saw Pete and Auntie outside, talking with Uncle Niko. Mom was also outside beside Auntie.
" Jesus, Nikolai, you're disturbing the neighborhood. Go home... I-I won't! I won't go home anymore!" Auntie said, with Uncle clasping her arms.
" Get lost! We don't want you here!" Pete shoved away, which made Uncle loosen his clasp.
I went outside when Auntie nearly kicked him when he tried to put down his knees while his two palms were touching and begging.
" Sue! Sue, you're here!" I stepped backward when he was coming on my way, "You're here. I'm so sorry about what happened the other day I was drunk. Please tell them to--"
" Get your hands off my daughter!"
" Get away from Susan! Get away from us! Get out!" he burst.
Auntie doesn't even have to give another word nor did any of us, when Pete took him away, escorting him to his car by his arm.
" Are you okay?" Mom asked. I nodded as an answer.
He even opened the door for him and pushed his shoulder inside. I used my hand to be a roof for my eyes while watching them talk over the car while Pete's arm leaned on the door.
" I'm getting her inside," Mom said.
After I watched them back inside, I looked back at Peter's.
Hatred.
It's what he looked, yet, tries to hide. I didn't hear any words talked about: but the door it's like it echoed through my ears and the whole neighborhood. He came back inside while holding a fist and had an upright gaze.
I followed him upstairs, and he spanked the door in my face: but I caught it before it reached its lock.
" Pete, hey."
" I'm not calming, Sue."
" I'm not asking..." I said: then sat beside him down on his bed.
He looked at me: when I settled his hand on my lap, " I'm here," I said, inserting my fingers into his.
We leaned back on the bed, and I could feel him panting every minute while I played on his hand. I carefully assist his head to rest on his shoulders when his body is slowly getting heavy, his eyes telling it's sleepy despite their emotions. Mom also came up into the room and told me that she was leaving, and I just gave her a thumbs up.
My hand caught his head before it finally fell on my shoulders. I left him in his bed like a baby: when I was about to stand up my feet froze in the air like I was doing a stork test when he moved to hug his pillow. I'm ready to lose my balance if I haven't skipped his leg.
" Going back to you later," I said in a whisper before shutting the door.
It felt like my butt was stuck on his bed since we nearly seat on the floor, and I'd been with him for like an hour. It was already my waking up time the last time I checked on the clock. I can't go back to sleep anymore unlike him, so unfair!
I just stretched my arms up in the air, releasing a blow of wind before picking up the towel at the back of the door. Also, I have to wake him up for our entrance exam. It sounds crazy: but we're getting ourselves to college.
" YOU READY?" I ASKED when I checked him in their room, he's kneeled on the floor, inserting something into his bag.
He nodded. I went back to our room to fetch a pair of socks and then proceeded downstairs: where I caught Pete and Auntie in the living room, talking.
" I can't believe you're going to college." she sounded like she was going to cry, and then showered him with kisses on the face, " Goodluck, be careful okay? Call me if you need me," and hugged him, maybe a rigid hug. He's turning purple from all this.
" Mom... Mom! I'm just going to take an entrance exam. I'm not going on to field trip."
That made me lose myself and catch all of their attention. I covered my mouth and started looking around.
" Are we going?" I asked, breaking the silence I made.
We stared at each other, and it was so awkward. Why do I even have to burst out laughing?
" We're going, Mom." I followed him to the front door, and he let me down the porch first," Bye." he said, and then shut the door.
We were already down the road, but I still can't forget what they talked about earlier.
" Be careful, okay?" I teased, mimicked his mother's voice, and burst out laughing non-stop this time. And he looked pissed off when he just walked away from me. But I used his mother's words against him until our ride.
" EARTH TO PETER?" I said, waving at his face.
He shook his head and turned all his attention to me, " You're spacing out. Chill, we're going to pass,"
" Hundred percent sure?"
" Nah-uh... maybe 50?" I raise an eyebrow at him. I know how quiet he is but not like this. It's his next level of silence which as far as I know, he's thinking or wandering. I only attained the honor below him, so he shouldn't be worried. I know he'll pass he already slapped me with that fact so many times.
He evades his look at me and turns outside, watching the wet drops flowing down the window.
" Look, I'm not a wizard or something to tell we passed. Let's just be... hopeful. Jeez, once in your life, will you?"
" I don't like jumping to conclusions, Sue. But I'm trying to be hopeful, by the way."
" Oh really? Didn't see that coming," I said in the last sentence almost a bug could only hear.
I slide away from him, sitting beside the other window. Since we were the only people here in the back of the bus, we got all the seats reserved for us. I watched the droplets on the window, just like what he's doing ever since we got a ride.
When the bus stopped, people started coming. I watched them march inside and find their selves a sit. A man was about to land beside me: but Pete took his seat, and leaned his back.
" I thought you like windows seat,"
We almost fight a while ago just because of a seat. A simple seat. But so lucky, Pete came ahead and got the seat. Then he left it now we got what we wanted.
" You thought?" he sounded mocking while his eyes are touching the other end, and hugged his bag.
I sighed, and lay my elbow on the window to make a stand for my cheek while watching the rain outside. I start humming the notes of my favorite song along with the raindrops spattering on the windows of the bus.
" Nothing,"
I turn around to see him, taking my hair into a ponytail. I resumed thrumming down the song when he talked.
"Nothing, is that what you're singing?"
"What are you saying?"
" Track suit and red wine..." he started singing after he finished.
I didn't hesitate to thump his arm as people, around our seats, gaped and turned to us. It's like I'm turning red because of a simple question that's... shameful to share. He chuckled at me.
" I hate you!"
I secured my bag in my hand as I stood up from my seat, waiting for the bus to stop when it reached the next stop.
" Hey, where are you going?"
" Home. Goodluck."
I didn't listen to him, it's almost my stop so dropped the bus when it stopped. I hurry under the waiting shed. I searched for an umbrella somewhere in my bag: but I couldn't find it. I was sure I throw it in here before I left. But since his staring eyes seemed to look right through, I kept myself busy. He's going to be late if he come down that bus.
I let a heavy air release from my mouth. Should I just wait for the rain to subside so I can go home? This is stupid.
It was as if I was going for a battle, and was preparing myself to face the rain. I was about to run when someone placed an umbrella above my head. I looked back and thought it was Pete instead, it was Mark.
" Ma-Mark?"
" You'll get sick, you know that, right?"
" Ye-yeah, but what are you doing here?"
" Let's talk while walking, shall we?" he invited.
I immediately agreed with him, and together we walked down the flooded sidewalk. I had to get closer to him since his umbrella could only cover a single person.
" I left my car for a carwash and was about to go home when I saw you," he started, " If only I knew, I shouldn't have left my car."
" No, it's fine. Your umbrella is enough,"
" Anyways, are you up to the entrance exam?"
" Yeah, you too?"
He nodded. It's like there's electricity flowing down my system that got me excited and made me talk even more. We shared thoughts and laughter on our way home. In short, I seemed to be comfortable talking with him. I got to know him even more in our simple talks. Just like what I feel when I'm around Pete but much more intense with Pete. I could beat or kick him anytime I wanted.
" How can you take it home? There's no bus stop around our neighborhood," I asked when we reached the porch of our house.
" It's fine, I could walk back to the waiting shed," he chuckles a bit.
" That's stupid," I said without hesitation, " Sorry... I'll book you a ride home. Wait-"
" Sue is swearing already?" you could hear him teasing.
" Like that?" I teased back while busy on my phone.
The time allotted a while was too short for us, and we shared another minute down the stairs of the porch while waiting for the ride I booked for him.
" What happened to this?" he asked, pointing out my the scar on above my wrist.
" This is a childhood scars, I have a lot around my left arm," I rolled out the sleeves to show him the rest, " The black spots I got it from the kitchen while frying, this one..." I showed him the other scar on the side of my wrist and it's somehow a struggle because it's barely visible, " ... I accidentally slice my arm on a chair,"
He nods at me, " Clumsy,"
I could feel his eyes on me while I was looking straight. Thank goodness, a car started beeping on us. It's uneasy for someone looking at me like that, especially him.
" Thank you!" I shouted at him while he was running down to the car. I saw him waving at me inside the car before it drove away.
" Sue, you're home. I heard you shouting,"
I felt like I jumped in surprise when I heard Auntie in the back.
" Yes, Auntie," I said, calming down my heart.
I stood up from the stairs to give her a peck kiss on both cheeks. It feels like I've been to school, and Auntie greeted me outside our house or even waited for me to come home.
She took my bag from me and dropped it on the couch, " I cooked some snacks for you. Did Peter get to the interview?"
" You know that, Auntie?"
" I heard him talking about that,"
I sat down on the couch beside her while I carry the plate of the snacks Auntie prepared, " I think so, Auntie. I left him on the bus-Wait, I'll check on him,"
I raised my body forward to get my phone in the pocket behind my pants. I opened our conversation using one hand.
[Sue: Are you there already?]
[Sue: How was it?]
[Sue: You should tell me what happened when you got home, okie?]
I stared at the plain white flashed on my screen with our latest chats together, waiting for his reply.
" I think he's doing the interview, Auntie," I answered and placed my phone on the couch. He doesn't even have to reply, I know he's doing his best right now, so I shouldn't disturb him.
I focused my attention on the tv and watched with Auntie. I didn't bother to change clothes even though I got damped over my shoulders a while ago. I guess I'll wait for Pete to come home, I'm so excited about the news he's going to share.
The sun is getting low, and the sky's starting to turn orange, but Pete isn't home. So, Auntie and I decided to start cooking dinner. This time it's Auntie's recipe, I'll just help her cook.
" Slice it into 4, Sue," she requested while stirring the pot on the stove.
I did what she said and sliced the potato into 4 pieces. While slicing, someone's clacking on our front door. I didn't realize I was already cutting my finger because I was busy looking who it was. Auntie didn't know it since I bit my lips to keep them from reacting and went immediately to the sink to wash my finger while she went to assist Pete in coming in.
" How was it?"
I sipped the remaining fluid lose on my finger. I placed the potato on the pot just like what Auntie ordered a while ago. I covered it and left it for minutes before turning off the fire.
I go off our room after fetching the first aid kit from the cabinet. I hid in our room to wrap the wound.
I was already dressing the cut when Auntie knocked and came, " He bought-What happened?" she came rushing to me in the bed where I was sitting on the edge.
I snatched my fingers away from her when he took it and checked on it, " Nothing, Auntie. Just an accident in the kitchen,"
" You should be careful next time," she said and locked the band-aid around.
" What is that?" I asked, pointing out the bag.
She raised the paper bag she hid between us, " Pete bought this for you, he asked me if I could give this to you. That young man," she said, moving slowly her head from side to side.
" Thanks, Auntie. I'll talk with him,"
" He's in the room!" I heard her even when I was already knocking on the other room.
" Hey,"
I walked towards the table where he was. Is he doing his resume again? For how many times would he edit that. His hair is also damped as if he showered under the rain a while ago, but I guess he took a bath after coming home.
" Why didn't you give this personally?" I asked, raising the plastic of crinkles.
" I just want to... rest," he answered without looking at me because he's busy clicking on the keyboard.
" Why did you buy me this? I didn't-"
" -While walking down the hallway at school, you keep blabbering about crinkles." he explained," That's all from me... for now," I didn't hear his last words because he almost said them in a whisper, but I was frustrated about his first sentence.
" You're so annoying!" I said, and I think that made him laugh when I noticed his shoulders moved from being all focused on his screen a while ago. I can't help but laugh with him also.