My foot lands on the overgrown grass and I try to find the cobblestone walkway with the wilderness surrounding the cottage house. It is barely visible with the grass almost reaching my knees. When was the last time the lawn was tended to?
I take slow, hesitant steps towards the house knowing that with each step I get closer and closer to the inevitable. Once I am standing in front of the glass door, I pull my arm up painstakingly slow and enclose my hand making a fist to clop on the door but for some weird reason, my hand decides to just hover an inch above the door.
Shaking my head for being so silly, I give the door three loud knocks and step back. After a while has passed, I knock again. I think I hear a faint response on the other side of the door. With grimly pursed lips, I intertwine my fingers nervously and take a step back. The door slowly creaks open and the familiar smiling face of Savannah's grandmother flashes in front of me.
Unconsciously, I replicate her expression on my face as well. "Good afternoon, Mrs Okorie."
Before she can respond, I hear a loud bark coming from behind the door and a Golden Retriever squeezes himself past her. He immediately starts circling me whilst barking loudly. His wagging tail informs me that he is happy to see me. Honestly, that makes two of us. I cannot remember the last time was when I saw Wiggles.
Bending down, I run my hands through his fur vigorously and he shows his appreciation by hanging his tongue out of his mouth.
"Seong Jin," Mrs Okorie exclaims with a croak in her voice and I glance up in time to see the warm smile on her face widening more than I thought possible.
The dog barks for my attention and I immediately scratch him behind the ear, whilst still stretching my neck up at to look at Savannah's grandmother.
"How are you, sweetie? I feel like I haven't seen you in ages."
"Yeah, well... the thirteenth year is really doing me under."
"Right, of course. You are going to university this year. I remember Savannah once telling me that your mum has this vigorous schedule for you." She leans into the doorway, folding her arms over her chest. "Have you decided what tertiary institution you are going to?"
"Not yet. I have gotten letters of acceptance from Cambridge, King's College London and recently, I went to Oxford for an interview. I really hope I get accepted into Oxford so I can get to see another city other than Shoreditch. Mr Dillon is also offering some students at our a scholarship which I am also working towards."
"Well, you keep up your good grades and you are guaranteed that scholarship." An impressed look paints her face. "Those are all very prestigious schools. You're going big, huh?"
"Mm-hmm." I nod, a grin of pride stretching my lips transversely. "Uh... is Savannah perhaps home?"
"Yes. She's just upstairs doing some homework and revising. The exams are right around the corner, you know?" I nod to her question. She throws her head over her shoulder and loudly calls, "Savannah, your friend is here."
"Coming, Nana," I hear her yelling back somewhere in the house.
Then I hear the sound of her jogging downstairs. When I see her behind her grandmother, I quickly avert my gaze from her half-naked form. Why is she barely wearing any clothes? Awkwardly, I clear my throat and drill my toes into the veranda. Thankfully, I see a shirt dangling in her hand and once she has tugged her maroon shirt on, my eyes find her deep, dark brown ones again.
"What the hell are you doing here?" She narrows her eyes at me until her grandmother looks at her in confusion for her tone so she paints a smile on her face, grinning from ear to ear. "I mean, how you doing?"
"Good. You?"
"Tired." Then she slowly glances over at her grandmother with a pointed look which goes over her head at first, because she just stays there looking at us in interest. "Uh... Nana? Do you mind?"
Her face remains blank until realisation slaps her in the face and she nods vigorously. "Oh, this is the bit where I need to... insert an excuse here which is good enough to leave you kids all alone."
"Yeah."
I chuckle a little as my eyes follow her retreating form in amusement.
"Wiggles, get out of here," Savannah demands, annoyed at his presence.
"Leave the dog alone. He's not bothering anyone."
"He's bothering me." Wiggles decides that he has had enough of being unappreciated by her and struts back into the house. "What are you doing here?"
Nervously, I hug my arm across my stomach and after swallowing a gulp, I reluctantly state, "I don't know if Riley spoke to you before but I wanted to come and talk to you in person."
First her eyebrows furrow curiously and then a mischievous glint sparkles in her eyes. She haughtily folds her arms over her chest and leans sideways to rest on the doorway. "Go on..."
To hide the scowl that is inching onto the corner of my lips from the satisfied expression on her face, I bury my chin into my chest. I take a deep breath in preparation.
Ever since the incident where she purposefully spread rumours around about me, the two of us have been at odds with each other but today, I have to put that all aside because even though it hurts me to the fucking core, she does technically hold my future in her hands. To become the designated photographer for our graduation ceremony, I need her permission.
Knowing how much of a control freak she is, no doubt would she make things difficult for me.
"Savannah," I start, trying to keep my voice even and nervously, my fingers entangled, "I don't know if you know this but I need to do some extracurricular activity for my acceptance into university and so I came here to perhaps get your okay to—"
"Absolutely not," she cuts me off with a cool smirk curling onto her lips. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you be in charge of the photos at our graduation ceremony. I thought I made that pretty clear to Riley. You'll probably end up ruining everything as you do."
I could feel my frustration rising but I still managed to keep the polite smile on my face. "Savannah, this isn't about our rivalry. It's an official school role. Where are you going to find another photographer who won't be busy on that day?"
"I'll make a plan," she says and her confidence does not waver the slightest. "Who knows what kind of tricks you might try to pull to ruin my reputation."
I wince inwardly and clench my fists to prevent the outburst that wants to desperately escape me. When have I ever given her a reason to think that I want to tarnish her reputation?
Coming here, I did know that this was going to be an uphill battle. Savannah is as stubborn and prideful as it gets—and she knows exactly what to do to push my buttons. This is not enough to make me give up. Going to Oxford has been a lifelong dream of mind and I refuse to let her take that away from me. She has already ruined my life enough as it is.
"Savannah, please," dropping the confrontational tone, I try a more conciliatory approach. "I know we have our differences, but this is so much bigger than that. I have to do this to get accepted at Oxford and you know how much I want to go to that university. I have wanted this since I can remember."
She presses her lips stubbornly.
"I promise I will be nothing but professional the entire time. No tricks, no stunts. Just overall amazing photos. Please, let me do this." I resort to begging at the end, even intertwining my fingers in front of her.
She studies me for a long moment, her expression unreadable. Then, to my surprise, she rolls her eyes in defeat. "Quit grovelling. It's not an attractive look."
Dropping my hands in defeat, I let my head fall down into the crevice of my chest to hide the crestfallen look in my eyes and to prevent myself from crying, I swallow past the lump growing in my throat.
"Alright, fine. You can be the photographer for our graduation ceremony."
A smile breaks out across my face.
"But I will be watching you very closely, Seong Jin. One slip-up and you are out."
"Thank you, Vannah. I won't let you down, I swear."
While wrinkling her nose, she sternly says, "Don't call me Vannah."
"Yes, ma'am."
She looks me up and down with a critical eye. I feel self-conscious under her gaze, but before I can even open my mouth to speak, she spins on her heels and shuts the door in my face with a sharp click.
I stagger back stunned when my brain presents a picture of the glimpse of the small grin that was kissing her lips right before she closed the door. It was a look of amusement mixed with a hint of contempt and it leaves me blinking to myself in bemusement, wondering what just happened.