I spent a good 10 minutes in bed smiling like a fool.
Yeah, I know. Everything's happening too fast. We barely even know each other. But whenever I'm with her, I feel like I finally found where I belong.
My alarm rang again, I guess it snoozed on its own when I couldn't turn it off. Its already 8 am. I grabbed my phone and looked at the notifications.
'hey asshole don't hang up on me you dipshit!'
'what the fuck was that for?'
'you've got to be kidding me are you seriously ignoring me rn?'
'what do you mean by you need to sleep? the world's not ending.'
After that I've received 20 more messages from him. Yup, he's being dramatic again. I opened my inbox and messaged Leo.
'stop treating me like a kid dumbass'
I hit send and went straight to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and there's only water in it. Maybe I should go grocery shopping? But do I even have time for that? I barely even eat?
I sat down the couch to contemplate whether I should buy groceries or not when my phone suddenly chimed. It's Leo.
'can't help it if you're acting like one!'
I scoffed. Seriously, how did we end up being bestfriends? I can't believe I'm tolerating his tantrums for 12 years now. I didn't reply to his message and just locked my phone. But as soon as I did, it chimed again.
I impatiently opened it again and saw Leo's message.
'anw, i called last night cause your mom's been asking me about you.'
I stared at my phone. She's at it again.
'she said its important and i should persuade you to talk to her.'
Important? Huh. She just needs me for money how is that important? Oh, right. Its probably important for her and her husband. I bet dad's even frustrated at her in heaven.
"Of all the things you could pass down to me, why is it your talent in painting?" I asked as I rest my head on top of the couch and look up, acting like I'm talking to him.
My dad used to be a painter, a great one at that. He was also a great father. Every time he paints, he lets me sit on his lap so he could teach me how to do it. It was the best 10 years of my life.
But it all went down the drain when he caught my so called mom cheating with some useless bastard. He got drunk every single night and started coming home late. He was still loving to me, that's for sure, but it just felt different. His once colorful aura began to change into a dark one.
I saw how broken he was but I couldn't understand why, given that I was young. My mom was barely at home too. I remember my dad screaming and throwing everything that his hand touches while he was arguing with mom on the phone. He would still clean it up after his head cooled down and he'll quietly enter my room to sleep with me.
He would whisper apologies to me as he hugs me tight. I'm not quite sure if he knew that I was awake everytime he did that but he did that every single day. It went on for days. Then days turned into weeks.
My mom decided to leave home and live with her new partner after that. While my dad and I tried our best to live a normal life. Sure, we were both hurting but we managed to keep living.
Unfortunately, one night he bumped into a few thugs and that's when he died. He was only a few steps away from our house and I couldn't even do anything but call the police when I heard him scream
"Aziel lock the doors and hide!"
I couldn't look out of the window. I just listened to my dad's pleading. He kept telling them to leave me out of it and that he could take any beating for me. I was crying so hard that when the police came, they immediately brought me to the ambulance. I couldn't breathe at all.
During the funeral my mom told me all the things my dad tried to hide. Her affair. I couldn't bring myself to live with her. So I ran away from home and lived with my dad's father. That's where I met Leo, he was my grandfather's neighbor.
After a few weeks, they encouraged me to join contests so my talent would be recognized. Luckily, it only took a few months before I became popular in our district. They wanted to buy my work so we decided to put up a small shop that was solely for selling my art.
It did well and it reached the newspapers. Eventually, it reached my mom too. So she started visiting me quite often. She tried her best to persuade me to come with her but I got too tired of it that I just suggested to give her money every now and then.
We came to an agreement and it went on for years. When my grandfather died, she didn't even come to visit. All she asked was
'After the funeral, will you still send me money?'
I remember being disgusted by my own mother. I couldn't forgive her even up to this day.
I still sent her money that day though, because I wanted to do my best to stop her from talking to me. I was 18 when it all happened so she couldn't take me with her since I have every right to decide for my own.
Three years have passed before I got into the car accident, and for a year, I couldn't send her money. She doesn't know where I live now but she still contact Leo and I to ask for money. My life's a damn mess, I know.
My train of thoughts were cut off by my phone, its Leo calling.
"Block my mom." I said
"Hello to you too." He sarcastically said.
"Just block her, Leo. Okay?"
I brushed my hair with my hand as I let out a frustrated sigh. He stayed silent for a while.
"If that's what you want." He said.
I thanked him and we didn't speak after that.
"I know you're in a bad mood but fuck you for hanging up on me last night. What the hell was that for?"
I know he's just trying to lift the mood by changing the subject, and somehow, I feel relieved.
"I told you I needed to sleep." I said nonchalantly.
"Who the fuck do you think you are? Aurora?"
His response made me laugh.
"Oh come on, Leo. I was just trying to sleep early. I've been planning to rest more."
Well, technically, I'm not lying. I really want to rest more, but only to meet Galene.
"Rest more my ass." He said.
I heard him close his car door and start it's engine.
"Drive safe, you don't have insurance." I jokingly said
He ended the call without saying anything else. After 2 minutes my phone chimed again.
'how does that feel?'
He added a few unpleasant emojis to emphasize his annoyance. I just shook my head. What a headache.
I got up the couch and went straight to the bathroom to take a bath. I've decided to buy groceries, maybe Leo's tantrums made me hungry.
I wore my gray sweatpants paired with a green oversized shirt. I chose my all white shoes and went straight out to the mall.
--
My groceries only filled 1/4 of the cart since I don't plan on buying a lot. I was going to go to the line when someone bumped into my cart.
"Oh I'm so- Aziel?" She said
I looked at her and was surprised to see that it was Keila. She was wearing a beige cargo pants with a black fitted crop top and black highcut shoes. Her hair was tied up into a ponytail.
"That's three places now." She said while leaning towards my cart."You must be stalking me."
Her confidence made me scoff.
"Don't you think it's the other way around?" I asked and leaned towards her.
She laughed and pushed my face.
"Too close, buddy." She said and walked away.
She looked back and saluted at me as if she was bidding me goodbye. After that she walked away again with one hand in her pocket.
Is she really a woman? My Galene's better.
Wait did I just say 'my Galene'?? I must be delusional.
I hurriedly paid for my groceries and went home. As I was clearing up the plastic bags from the market I kept thinking about how I'm acting crazy. I mean after one kiss I'm head over heels for her? That's not right, I'm not that easy.
--
That's what I said this morning, but now I'm not really sure. Because I'm painting another place for us to go to.