"You came just in time!" Mamma hugs Laikyn and kisses her on both of her cheeks.
"We're actually a bit late because I have to fetch my friend at the park," Laikyn explains as she excuses herself past Mamma towards me. "Callie!" She screams on top of her lungs while walking in my direction with her arms spread wide before her. "Sorry I didn't tell you about this thing. But it's okay because I actually wanted to surprise you with these newly released movies!"
"Ahuh. I'm really surprised." I say, not showing any emotion on my face, and not moving a single nerve while I remain sitting. "And wow, movies? I don't watch those. I'm really excited. Tonight's going to be extremely fun for you and extremely boring for me," I sigh.
"Your life is boring already." She jumps on the couch and sits next to me. "Anyways, your mom is very friendly. Look, they are having a good talk by the doorway," she goes, pointing to Mamma and the guy he talks with. A portion of his straight and shiny hair is the only thing I see because Mamma is blocking the way, which makes it hard for me to see his face.
"Who's with you?" I wonder.
Laikyn is looking down at the compact discs on her lap. She raises her head when she hears me ask. "Oh. That's BJ."
"BJ?"
I turn my head left when I feel Mamma and the guy walks in. She is before him, so I have to wait for her to pass by the couch so I could see the guy behind her clearly.
I stretch my neck backwards and lean it on the back of the sofa. Mamma breaks the short silence before I even get my sentence out. "Your friends are now here, so I leave the rest to you. Have fun and enjoy the night," she say and keeps walking until she reaches the entrance of the kitchen. I follow her with my eyes as she opens the fridge and sounds out when she sees something inside. "By the way, we still have a bottle of champagne in here. You can drink this if you wish."
"Champagne! Let me get it!" Laikyn couldn't hold her excitement when she hears champagne. Eyes widening, and grin almost reaching her ears, she stands off the couch and goes like lightning into the kitchen.
"Careful, darling," Mamma warns her in pulling the bottle out of the fridge. She exits the kitchen and heads to the direction of her room. "I'm going to bed now, Callie."
"Buona notte, Mamma."
I am recovering myself so I'll face the television when I notice someone standing few meters away from the door, just right next to the end of the sofa.
He wears an unpatterned white tank top matching his white sweat shorts, and holds a familiar grey beanie hat on his right hand. I look up to see him clearly, and a familiar visage reveals before my eyes. His dimples blossom beside his broad smile as he stares back to me.
"You're Benjamin, right?" I ask, lifting a brow up.
He shakes his head up and down, and widens the genuine smile on his face. "Laikyn inv-invited me to-to go here," he stutters.
"I can tell that," I shoot back, surrendering a heavy sigh. I thought it's someone I don't know. Thank goodness it's just him. "What are you standing there? Come, have a seat." I slap a vacant space on the couch a few times lightly.
"Thanks."
Laikyn gets back from the kitchen with a bottle of champagne and three wine glasses. She hands them to Benjamin, and pulls the tea table from the corner at the left side of the television cabinet onto the carpet in front of the couch where we are sitting. When she's done, she takes the bottle and the glasses from Benjamin and transfers it on top of the tea table.
"So, what are we going to watch?" Her hands on her waist, waiting for us to pick a movie from the four compact discs between me and Benjamin.
"Let's see. What do we have here?" Benjamin says, scrutinizing the titles of the movies. "Midnight Sun, The Space Between us, Five Feet Apart, Words on Bathroom Walls. So, these are all love stories?" He looks up to Laikyn.
"Obviously."
"Cool!" He says.
"Boring." I whisper.
It doesn't take any longer when they finally pick a movie to watch. Laikyn plays it on the DVD, and jumps to the vacant seat between me and Benjamin.
"I'll go get the popcorn," I say, leaving them on the couch as they open the bottle of champagne to pour it in their glasses.
When I reach the kitchen, I grab two large bowls and place it on the table. I fill them with popcorns and add flavorings to it. One bowl for sour cream onion, and one bowl for cheddar cheese. I return back to the living area when I'm done mixing them.
"Here's the popcorn," I say, handing it down on the tea table.
"I requested for this!" Laikyn dives her hand into the bowl with barbecue flavor. She scoops a handful and recovers back to her position.
We stay on the couch, calm and peaceful, as we focus all our attention in the movie flashing on the screen. Midnight Sun, interesting. I haven't anticipated this movie to be so captivating, but here I am, getting more attached to the story of Katie and Charlie, especially to the sound track that adds more emotion and makes the movie more heartbreaking.
A quarter of an hour had passed, and I assume we're in the climax of the story already. Laikyn seems very devoted to the bowl of popcorn that she's on the point where her bowl is empty and the only choice left for her is to suck her fingertips to savour another satisfying flavor. It's very gross, especially when she sucks them really hard while looking at Benjamin who's taking all the remaining champagne into his glass.
The movie ends in a way that most tragic movies should be. Sad. Mournful. Heart-rending. It's depressing to see how it ends in the most unexpected way. A protagonist allergic to sunlight spends her final moments with her lover, takes all the risk to face her fear, and dies thereafter. That's bravery. I suddenly remember when Laikyn said, "Life is not about how long or how far you spend it. It's about how you spend it with your love ones." That ending shows no regrets, only satisfaction.
The show stops, and the deafening silence takes over. We remain quiet and steady. I'm biting my lips, trying hard not to shed a single tear. It lasts about ten minutes of looking at the blank screen while doing nothing.
I am ready to spill out my words and start a conversation when something sounds before me. Sniffing. Weeping. Sobbing.
I look to my left, straight to the eyes of Laikyn who's fingers are still stuck on her mouth. She stares back at me and we shrug in a perfect timing.
I bend forward to locate where the weeping sound comes from. "Benjamin, something's wrong?"
He puts the empty glass down the table. Laikyn and I can both tell he's on waterworks. I poke her on her arms and point my mouth to his direction, signaling her to hush him before he shed his bitter tears all at once.
"Why are you crying, Bj?" She places her arm on his back and rubs it.
"Nothing. I just remember my friend," he mewls, ringing the blues.
"What's with your friend?" Laikyn asks while wiping her fingers to her shirt.
"I'm just worried where he is by now. I'm not sure if he's safe, if he's alright. I don't know if he has shelter, if he eats complete meals each day. I don't know if he's still drinking his medicines." He slouches and rubs his wet face with his palms. His nose mantles when he expresses more. "I will lose my cool if something bad happens to him."
"Refrain from thinking that way. I'm sure he's safe," I fling back.
"I'm getting you a glass of water." Laikyn takes his wine glass and heads to the kitchen to get him a drink.
We are left alone in the couch. I feel the blues tickling my everything when I see how the dewdrops of emotion juice slides down to his cheeks. I move closer to him, only an inch or two apart.
I'm in tight corners of talking to him or sitting still and do nothing. It's hard to see him crying, but it's even harder to just look at him while not knowing what to do. I feel guilty to myself for not doing anything.
"May I know the reason of his disappearance?" I ask, voice at its coldest. I admit it's a stupid question, but it's the only way I know to escape the silence.
"I don't know where to start. It's a long story. I used to visit him every weekends and sometimes on random nights to check if he's okay. He used to be okay. In the past years, he always thought of giving up, but then one day he turned hopeful. He was hopeful until the day before he disappeared," he explains, eyes are empty while staring nowhere.
"I assume you don't have any misunderstandings with him. Or something that drove him mad or angry. "
"No. Not at all. Actually, we were so good. We talked about the person he fell in love with almost the entire day before he disappeared. But the next day, he was gone. How he managed to get out of the hospital without being caught by the securities and nurses remains a mystery until now. He left with no traces. Only a piece of note on his bed." He looks at me with his eyes still on waters.
"What does the note says?" I ask, more on cracks and airs.
He takes a heavy breath, pauses for about five seconds, and drifts his face closer to mine. "It says, SOMETIMES, LIFE IS WORTH RISKING FOR."