MILO THREW THE BALL AND IT BOUNCED OFF THE RIM OF THE HOOP.
For once, the sun was out in the sky. Everyone seemed to take advantage of the rarity of the situation by sitting outside and trying their best to tan their pale skin. Sunglasses and a hat donned my face, however, and Milo kept sniggering when he glanced over at me. I rolled my eyes in response to his childish reaction and flashed him my middle finger.
"Keep laughing," I shouted over, "You won't be laughing when you miss your fifth shot in a row."
Beads of sweat were pouring off of his skin, glistening in the warmth of the sun and it wasn't any surprise that a few girls were pretending to linger close to the court to get a closer view at Milo. He wasn't someone who enjoyed being tied down to a relationship, which most people were aware of, but even still there were the few girls that always tried to grab his attention long enough to change his mind. It was an amusing sight to watch play out but I knew he loved basking in the attention they were not-so-secretly giving him. It didn't matter that he was barely shooting a single shot in - it was his face and body that they were focused more on.
"Shut up!" he groaned and tried another lay-up. I stifled my laugh when it rebounded off the plastic backboard and bounced away. Milo rolled his eyes and ran after the ball, tucking it under his arm before making his way over to me. My nose crinkled at the stench of sweat that radiated off him and pushed him away with a stick on the ground beside me.
"You stink," I complained, "Get away from me."
"The girls seem to like it," he flashed me a wolfish smile.
"Do I look like a girl?" I deadpanned, "Go over to them and get them to sniff you if they like it that much."
"Okay, ew," Milo choked, "I'd rather not do that. I like my personal space and don't really fancy the idea of their noses. . . on me."
"Hey, I'm just saying man," I raised my hands in defence, "That was quite the show earlier."
A smirk played on Milo's lips and he stretched his hands over his head and leaned back against the wooden bench.
"Gotta keep them entertained, you know?"
"Yeah, yeah," I rolled my eyes, his comment irritating me but I sealed my lips tight. Instead, I pulled out my phone and smiled when I noticed a text from Lou. While I was typing out a response, Milo leaned over my shoulder to peer at what I was doing.
"Lou?" he echoed and I shot him a glare and turned my phone away from him. He didn't have a lot of sense of privacy and oftentimes thought it was okay to peek into others' personal belongings. It was one of the things that bugged me about Milo, but I let it go more often than not as to not cause an argument.
"Is she coming over?" he probed despite the annoyed expression on my face, "Text her and tell her to come out. She's probably on campus somewhere anyway. We can all hang out and grab some ice-cream too."
"I don't know. . ." I trailed off and scratched the back of my head, "She said she was kind of tired today. She'll probably just want to go home after her classes."
Milo nudged my shoulder, "I'm telling you, ice-cream always works as a charm with her. Go on, text her or wait, maybe I will."
Just as he went to fish his phone out of his pocket, I quickly held up my hands and shook my head.
"No, no, it's okay. I'll just text her now."
14.28 ÉTIENNE: hey, milo was asking if you'd be up for some ice-cream. u can say no if you're tired. i'll come up with some excuse for you.
14.30 LOUELLA: you're with him?
14.31 ÉTIENNE: yeah. he was just shooting some hoops in the court and wanted company.
14.33 LOUELLA: k i'll be there in a few :) just leaving harrison's lecture.
"She's on her way," I said to Milo and flicked my screen off. His face relaxed into a lazy smile and he shut his eyes when the sun began to shine harder down on us.
"Great. It'll be just like the old times, huh?"
"I guess," I shrugged.
However, I had wanted for Louella to head home. We passed each other briefly in the morning and I hated how she constantly appeared exhausted, as though she never got any sleep. Friday's were the days she finished relatively early and she needed rest. Assignments and exams were piling up and I knew Louella was someone who got extremely affected by stress. She preferred getting tasks done early on in the semester, rather than leaving it to the week before.
"She has a lot of work to do," I mumbled, "You know what she gets like."
"She has all night to get a head-start on all that," Milo flapped his hand in the air, dismissing me, "Seriously, Ét, you worry too much about everything."
"I'm just saying. . . I mean, have you seen her lately?" I defended, "She looks exhausted, man. She should probably be at home."
Milo's face suddenly lit up and I turned my head to see Louella making her way over to us.
"I think she can decide that for herself, no?" he jabbed before staggering to his feet.
Her shoulders were hunched over as though she was trying to curl into herself and hide from the world. As Milo walked over to her, I watched through narrowed eyes as every small noise seemed to make her jump a little and her eyes flickered around to scan her environment. Standing next to Milo made her appear even smaller and her gaze locked on mine over his shoulder. I didn't hold back the soft smile that graced my lips and her eyes twinkled in response, lighting my heart on fire once more. Even though Milo's mouth was moving at a rapid pace, she didn't seem to be concentrating on what he was saying - rather, she was gazing at me. Her face was twisted into a slightly uncomfortable expression and whether she was aware of it or not, I didn't know. Finally pushing myself to my feet, I stumbled over to my two friends.
"Lou," I greeted loudly and Milo turned around, a twinge of irritation on his face but it disappeared so quickly that I wondered if I had imagined it.
"Hey Étienne," she murmured in a soft voice.
"I was just telling Lou about track this year," Milo hummed, "The next competition is in a few months and they're really pushing us hard to train."
"Oh yeah, I remember you mentioning that a while ago," I blinked, "Are you sure you'll be ready? It's triple the distance you're used to."
Milo's jaw clenched a little and his eyes narrowed an inch before he smiled.
"You don't think I can do it?"
I reeled back and shook my head with a frown. Milo's face turned into a defensive stare with a twinge of annoyance lighting up his eyes. Louella glanced between the two us in uncertainty and remained silent while I struggled to speak.
"What? No, I'm just saying I hope you're prepared. It's thirty kilometers which you've struggled with last year," I defended, "I know you've been training hard though and obviously, we'll be there to cheer you on."
That seemed to be the right words to say as the dark cloud lifted from his face. He patted me back and slung an arm around my shoulder – as though nothing had happened. Louella peeked a glance at me but quickly averted her eyes when Milo turned to her.
"To celebrate Lou finally being out with us, ice-creams on me, okay?" he cheered, "Get anything you want, guys."
"Generous," I commented with raised brows, "Not that I'm complaining."
We walked in a brief silence and I watched the trees, how they swayed in a warming breeze. Under the summer sun I felt the warmth of the rays and relished in the comforting sensation. Spindles of plants shot through the sidewalk cracks and green leaves burst from blackened buds. The winds moved the deepening foliage, creating an ever-changing mosaic of light and shade. My gaze then slid to the right. Louella glowed; her aura happier on these summer days. She let her eyes close in a way that appeared restful, as if inviting anyone to imagine her dreams.
"So, Lou," Milo chatted while we began walking across the crowded campus, "How's college going? You glad to be back after the break?"
"I guess," she mumbled, "It's nice to get back into the routine. Staying at home is kind of boring."
She fiddled with the ends of her sleeves and it was then I noticed her attire. Even in the blistering sun, she was wearing longer sleeves and long jeans and I wondered how she wasn't sweating underneath all of that. I was wearing a pair of shorts and tank-top and sweat was piling up all over my skin.
"You could have called us over to keep you entertained," he suggested, "You know we would have helped in any way we would."
"Étienne wasn't here," she replied with a shrug.
Although her words were said innocently, there was an underlying intonation that she wouldn't want him over unless I was there. Perhaps I was picking up on it wrong, but judging by the souring expression on Milo's face, I didn't think I had.
I coughed to ease the tense atmosphere, "Hey, guys – look! Ice-cream."
Never had I been gladder to see the small shop located in the middle of the campus. Usually, it was where most students went when on a budget and wanted to buy anything cheap to eat and drink – the three of us being frequent visitors. Milo pursed his lips in a hard line but I couldn't help but feel as though something was a little off with him. Never had I seen him react in such open ways and I wondered if there was something going on that he wasn't telling us. Before, him and Louella acted like brother and sister – constant teasing and mock-insulting. It was always a funny sight to watch and brought a smile to my face in the early mornings. However, even I began to squirm at the disturbing expression that took over his face.
"What do you guys want to get?" I asked, peering into the mini-freezer with a frown, "I'm thinking maybe a Calypso? Or should I get a Twister? Lou – you want your usual white chocolate magnum?"
Louella smiled when I called out her favourite type, "You remember?"
"Of course," I rolled my eyes, "Don't tell me you're forgetting about the time you woke me up at three in the morning to buy five boxes of it from the market."
She immediately blushed at the memory and my cheeks ached a little from how hard I was trying not to let loose my chesire grin.
"I was hoping you had forgotten that," she admitted and tinkled a laugh without seeming to be aware of it. I beamed at how much livelier she appeared now and wished she always looked like that.
"You guys give them to me and I'll head in to pay," Milo said and I leaned into the freezer to pick out the two ice-creams to hand them over to him. Milo brushed past me and plucked a random one for himself before pushing into the store to pay. Louella and I stood side by side outside and I peered over at her to see her looking down at the ground with a secret smile.
"What are you thinking about?"
"Hm?" she blinked and shook her head with a light laugh, "Nothing, just that one time when we were in accommodation and you broke the handle off the door."
Louella and I didn't share accommodation since the university separated the girls and boys living areas. There were a few rooms that were co-ed, but they were all booked out since it was cheaper for some reason. Milo and I lived together for the first year, however and it was pretty fun. He wasn't around much – always going out to some party or other but in the few times he was home (and not drunk), we always had fun.
Except for the one night where he took both my key and his with him without telling me. After coming back from visiting my parents, I had no way of getting in when he had said he would be home. With the offices closed and no-way of paying for another taxi back home, I spent over and hour breaking the door handle off and letting myself in. Of course, I ended up having to pay for the damages and getting a replacement.
"Jesus," I flushed, "Why are you remembering that now?"
Louella shrugged, "It just popped into my head. God, no wonder the office people hated us. We were such a nuisance."
"I had to get in and Milo disappeared with my key to some party," I defended, "What was I supposed to do – sit outside for the night?"
"You could have rung me," she rolled her eyes, "You were only two minutes over from the girls place."
"I thought you were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you," I replied, "I know how much you value your sleep."
Louella blushed once more and covered her mouth with her hand when she chuckled a laugh. We both turned when the bang of the shop door caught our attention and Milo returned with our ice-creams in his hand with a smile.
"Here you guys go," he handed them to us, his hand brushing over Louella's for a lingering moment, "Sorry for taking so long. There's a small queue in there."
"It's okay," she choked out and quickly bit down on her food – despite wincing when she seemed to get a brain-freeze.
"What were you guys talking about?" he hummed while we aimlessly walked around the yard, "Anything interesting?"
"Not really," I said, "Just remembering the old days of accommodation."
Milo's face lit up and I blinked when released an exaggerated laugh and pointed at me with his index finger. My eyes widened an inch in confusion but didn't comment. Louella shuffled an inch closer to my side and I didn't miss the way she kept widening the distance between her and Milo.
"Right, right, I remember," he nudged me with his elbow, "God, those were days weren't they? Pity you had to move out though. Would have been nice to stay another year."
"Yeah," I swallowed down the lump in my throat and nibbled at the corners of my ice-cream, "It was a pity but it was getting too expensive anyway so it's better that I'm staying at home and saving until I graduate."
"Nothing beats the freedom, man," Milo snickered, "No parents to tell you what to do or what chores need to be done."
Although living with Milo had its fun moments, he wasn't the cleanest person to be around and definitely left the house in a messed-up state every single day. After a while, it got frustrating having to wash his dishes, clothes and pretty much everything after him but trying to bring it up was a lot more awkward than I had imagined it to be. In those times I wished I wasn't sharing with a friend and rather a stranger where we could work out a routine that was fair on the two of us living there.
"What chores did you ever do?" I jabbed with a roll of my eyes, "You practically employed me as a maid."
"Come on Ét, you always used to use the excuse of 'cleaning' so you wouldn't have to come out," Milo replied, "You missed out on some good times. At least Lou used to be up for some parties."
Louella blinked back to reality at the sound of her name and peeked up at Milo with a slight confused gaze. My teeth ground together for a moment – knowing I used to hate the nights where the two would leave and not return until sometimes the following evening. It felt as though I was the father of the group but I knew Louella didn't exactly enjoy parties. Maybe one every few months to let loose, but like me, she also preferred more laid-back activities. Milo was the one who went crazy at them and trying to stop him from doing anything was mission impossible. For years, I had been his right-wing man and accompanied him to every single one but after a while, it became tiring to basically be his babysitter and make sure he didn't get into trouble or do anything serious to hurt himself. After that, his own 'party-friends' took my role – although they didn't do the best job.
"Whatever you're into," I shrugged, "To each their own."
My phone buzzed in my pocket and I fished it out to see ten missed calls from my mother. Cursing under my breath, I swiped across the screen and skimmed over the tonne of messages my parents had both sent me.
15.10 MOTHER: Étienne, where are you? Aunt Meryl is here - today is the fundraiser and you promised her you would help. It starts at five so be sure to get here before then.
15.18 FATHER: Come home.
"Shit, I need to run," I groaned and Louella's head jerked up to look at me with wide eyes. Her hand froze mid-air and she lowered her ice-cream to her side - unaware of how it started to drip down the wooden stick.
"Huh?" she blinked, "Where?"
"You've met Aunt Meryl, right?" I asked her and she bobbed her head up and down, "Anyway, she wanted to do a fundraiser and donate money to a charity of choice by the town. I told her I would help out and participate but I completely forgot so I need to dash."
"What's the fundraiser?" Milo questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"A bake sale or something like that," I gave a loose shrug of my shoulders, "They've got most of it set up I think but I'll just be around to help out with anything they need."
Our house was surrounded by a huge yard and it was logical at the time to decide to set everything up there. A advertisement was posted in the local paper and Aunt Meryl had informed her closest friends and the word spread like wildfire.
"I'll come with," Louella blurted suddenly and Milo and I turned to look at her with confused stares.
"Are you sure?" I frowned at her, "You don't have to. Don't you have a lot of work to get done?"
"I'm sure," she nodded, "The least I can do is donate a little bit. Besides, it'll be nice to see your parents again. It's been a while."
"If you're sure. . ." I trailed off in uncertainty and focused my gaze on Milo.
"I guess I'll see you tomorrow then," I leaned over to pull him into a quick hug and patted him on the back. Milo's face was devoid of any emotion or expression and I couldn't read what he was feeling but I was glad that the tenseness in the air was dissipating. Louella didn't move to hug him goodbye and I stepped back beside her - our shoulders brushing off each other lightly.
"Yeah, for sure," he strained, "Thanks for coming over today. I'll see you later too, Lou."
"No problem," I smiled, "See ya, Milo!"
Louella lifted her hand in a small wave and turned around without a smile. Milo shot me a confused gaze and raised his brow in her direction but I simply shrugged and shook my head in response. Milo rolled his eyes and offered me one last wave before turning around and dumping his half-eaten ice-cream in the trash and walking away. I blinked after him, wondering why he threw it out since he used to have an extremely sweet tooth. His hunched form exuded an animosity as he stalked across the campus. Ripping my eyes away from him, I turned to see Louella a few steps ahead of me - waiting. I slipped my hands into my short pockets and staggered over to her with a friendly grin.
"You ready?" I asked her, "Seriously, though. You don't' have to come if you don't want to."
"No, no," she shook her head, "I want to. Really."
"Come on then," I gestured with my head and stepped in line with her. Her light hair blew in the autumn breeze, her youthful face turned toward the sun.
"Let's go."
****