I rise from the bench when a 6-wheeler vehicle stopped beside the sidewalk. Among the crowd that walked out of the bus, I saw only the person I'd been waiting for.
" Pete!" I waved at him to notice me since he was just standing there and looking around, trying to find someone.
I didn't waste any minutes and ran towards him after he get noticed where am I, wrapping my arms around his chest and resting my head on him.
" That's so tight," you're able to hear his breath running out.
I didn't listen to him and even tighten my hug around him.
I could feel his arm embracing me back, like how a ball dance work, and a few minutes later, I let go of him.
" Sue!"
Before we could talk to each other, someone called me from behind. I turn my back on Pete to look for that person who called my name.
It was Mark.
He approaches us. I told him to go to his class already, why do all guys are stubborn enough to listen?
" What are you doing here?" I asked after slapping his chest.
" I found out we're in the same class, so I thought of waiting for you,"
Only the footsteps of the students that were walking around filled us when their eyes met. Pete's stare was all blank that you couldn't read him open, I don't know whether he's pissed or glad to see him. While Mark wants to introduce himself or say something.
" See you at dismissal today," he bid goodbye after hanging his bag properly on his shoulder.
My forehead creased on him, "That takes almost the day, Pete. Don't you want to roam around the campus? We still have time,"
" I can go with you," Mark interferes.
" He knows the school, actually they own the school," I explained. He told me recently after I asked him why he knows so much about the place.
" My family owns this school, " he corrected.
I gave a glare at him, will he let his mouth stay still for a minute? Maybe Pete will give punch his face anytime now. If he keeps his action.
I looked back at Pete, waiting for his answer with eyebrows rising. He slightly tilts his head and I slightly tipped over my toes on my stand out of excitement. I gave him my arm before we start walking, but instead, he piled up his arm on my shoulders.
Now, I'm in their midst.
The first thing we come across after making our way inside the gate was an intersection. As I remember, if you go straight, you would reach the office, and on our left was the whole campus, while on the right, looks like a garden. We enter our left and check the board standing beside the hallway.
" You're in Building Four,"
" That's on the right side of the campus,"
Crowds start flooding so we immediately escape the Board. I look like a celebrity with lots of paparazzi then Pete makes use of his arm as a shield. We walked on the sidewalk beside the field where there were fewer students than walking in the hallway. This looks like it circling the field and another shortcut but in a square shape.
" If you go left, that's the clinic," he pointed when we reached the middle of the sidewalk. Mark looks like our tour guide on the campus.
My eyes roamed around the campus while we were strolling down. They're rich in trees, every corner you look you'll find trees standing straight until we reached another building. Building Four.
And just in time, the sound of a bell shouted at the whole campus.
" The class will start," I said mixed with panic and excitement.
" This isn't high school, Sue,"
My forehead wrinkled down.
" No prof. nor teachers would attend the first day of classes, maybe on the third day or better fifth day,"
" Have you been to college?"
" Trust me," he gave me a wink.
" We should check it out,"
" Even the students in the third year aren't in their respective departments,"
So this is college, there's a lot of free time at first, but will make suffer you in the middle of the semester? Life.
" Then we should just go home,"
" I have papers to finish," Pete said on my right, so my attention turned to him.
" I'll go with you," I slightly raised my hand, representing myself to him.
" No need, it's a lot of stuff,"
" I have the whole day, and you look... Sick, you should take a day off for today," I said, touching his cheeks and checking his temperature.
" I'm fine, " he leaves a smile on his face before leaving me to Mark in the middle of the campus.
His lips are turning paper white. And the last time, I get to touch him was when I greeted him with a hug and I felt how steaming his body is.
" Do you really want to go home? I'll drive for you,"
I gave him a nod after going silent from Pete. My view stays on a figure walking out of my sight. I'm just worried about him, he really needs some rest. His sleeping routine isn't the same anymore because of his night shift work, he should learn to focus also to himself.
Until I got into Mark's car, my silence remains, and I can't control myself from staring out of nowhere.
" You can open the window," he said, snapping my senses back.
I nod at him and place my fingers on the button to roll down the window. But I kept thinking what if he's lying? What if he's at home? What if he's sick?
" Can you turn the wheel on the left?"
I KNOCK MY KNUCKLES on the glossy-looking mahogany door. It took me three knocks before Auntie's face showed on the door.
She opens wide the door after realizing it was me outside. She was holding a broom on her right with her hair in a messy bun, " Sue, what are you doing here?"
" Is Pete home?" I asked.
" He just got home. I haven't even continued my work after leaving it open the door,"
" Sorry to disturb you, Auntie,"
" He's in the room if you need him,"
" Thanks, Auntie,"
Auntie starts sweeping the floor of the vacant space while I leave a small slit when I opened the door. The first thing I saw was his back and he was seated on the mattress, so I let myself in.
It turns out that he's already hugging himself, holding the tremble he's showing. I didn't waste any minutes and wrapped him with a blanket and made him lay down on the bed.
" Sue," he called in a low tone.
"Papers to finish, huh?" I said, giving him a flick on his forehead.
" Aw," he said, still with a smile.
My glare remains in him and he made it even worse. I also pack him the jacket tied at my waist after turning off the electric fan. I checked his temperature and his body's boiling.
I stood up from their bed after I made sure he was well dressed but I felt his hand holding my wrist.
" Please, don't tell Mom," he shakes his head.
" Yeah, like what I did last year?"
I remove the grip on his hand and leave him alone in the room. I caught Auntie with a bag hanging on half of her body.
" You're leaving, Auntie?"
" Sue," she stopped right at the door after she heard me from behind, " Yes, there's just something important that I have to do, and you can stay here if you want," she almost drops the keys due to in a hurry so I let her go with a nod.
I was still thinking about excuses that I could use to sneak in some medicines and a towel, but he's so lucky for today. I went to their kitchen and open every cabinet there, but I only found a piece of towel, and a bowl and filled it with water. But there's no single capsule found in their kitchen.
And I flew back to their room. I damped the towel on the water first before placing it on his forehead.
" You don't have any medicine in your house. What if an emergency--"
" In my bag," he pointed out.
I leave a sigh before searching his bag. The papers inside are what conceal the plastic of medicine underneath. He seemed to have preceded me in studying in the amount of paper in his bag.
" You still have the strength to go to a pharmacy?"
I grab the bottle of water in my bag that I haven't touched yet to make him drink the medicine. I helped him to sit down on the bed and he kept shaking his head so I find it hard to make him drink the capsule in my palm.
" Pete, just one,"
He shakes his head again. No matter how hard I tried to let the capsule inside his mouth, he just keeps sealing his mouth. I give another sigh and smashed it into pieces using my bare hands. I pour the powdered capsule into his mouth and swallowed it with water. I would never place being a Doctor as a choice.
" What are you going to explain to Auntie when she got home?" I asked, laying my body beside him.
" She left?"
" Didn't she tell you where is she going?"
He gave me another shake of his head. I was playing with my hair while my eyes are on the dirty-looking-white ceiling with sun rays flashing to us outside the window down our feet.
" Do you want something to eat?"
He quaked his head. That's why I turn myself facing him, while I make use of my hand as a stand for my head.
" I can also cook other than baking, come on, what do you want?"
" I want to rest," then he covered himself with a blanket over our faces are looking at each other, " My head hurts," he said while his eyes are shut.
" Told you, you're just so stubborn, " I bring my head back to the mattress and stay my eyes on the ceiling in the meantime until I decided to cook them dinner.
" Where are you going?" he asked after I reached the door.
" I'm cooking dinner,"
He stopped me again after I swing open the door.
" We still don't have any stock in the ref,"
" I'll buy--"
" Take my wallet--,"
" I have money--"
" It's your allowance, just take--"
He was stubborn and so was I. I didn't let him finish and escape their room, shutting it close. When I was in Mark's car a while ago, I saw a market nearby their apartment. And even if I don't or know they have stock in their ref, I know it wouldn't be enough for the food I'll be cooking for our dinner.
Using my money, mixed with last year's allowance I used to buy some ingredients and also a few stocks for them. Since I only know a few things about cooking than baking, I'll just fry some fried chicken for dinner.
I went back to the apartment after I'd gone by to the market. I squinted my eyes where Pete is to check on him and he was sleeping with a blanket that covers everything except for his head.
I start unpacking everything I bought and some of them, I place it inside the ref to start cooking.
It felt like a war has begun while I'm frying the chicken. The oil kept splattering especially on my arm, I have another collection of black spots on my right this time. I'm also one in cooking some rice during my war to the chicken. So when I'm arranging the dining table, everything was set.
Just in time, I hear a clank of keys outside the house and it reveals Auntie carrying a plastic with her.
" I thought you were just on the break a while ago, where is Pete?" she asked while placing her bag on the kitchen counter.
" He's asleep in the room, Auntie," I said after placing the bowl full of rice on the table.
" What time is it? I thought he was going to work," Her forehead creased while placing the plastic on the table.
I should have thought of excuses while I was cooking a while ago. I didn't know a Q and A will happen.
" He... Dozed off and told me... He filed for one day left... To help you sort... The apartment and we don't have any classes today, right, Pete?"
I asked him when I caught him already on his feet from their room behind Auntie's back. He was scratching his eyes and still look sleepy, but immediately got confused with his mouth hanging open. When Auntie turns her back on me, I widened my eyes at him and gestured to just say 'Yes'.
" Ye-yeah? Yeah, we don't have any class today," he sounded like he was reading a script from afar and couldn't read it properly.
" And you filed for a leave? I told you I can manage alone in the house,"
He went silent for minutes with Auntie's words so I moved my head up and down at him to agree with eyes still wide open. My chest felt relief when Auntie gave a nod at us. I did it almost every time, why can't I just get used to it?
" Let's eat?" I invited them. I went to the sink unexpectedly with Pete beside me.
" That was a nice excuse," he said while rubbing his two palms together under the water from the faucet.
" Just be thankful and don't forget about my burger you promised," I whispered back while rubbing the soap gently between my fingers.