I hope you look forward to it.
Look forward to what?
Look forward to the stuff he's going to do to make me feel uncomfortable. Because I was clearly uncomfortable after that, so much that even Pierce noted the look on my face.
"So Qian how's school?"
I glanced at my mother before continuing to chow down my food. I felt her eyes on me and like always my knees buckle up on them. My mother had always had this strict and stern look on her that makes me rethink twice of what I should say.
"Good"
I settled. I let out a breath as her next words rang through the dinner table.
"Make sure to get high grades so you can apply as a dean's lister next semester. At the very least help me lessen your tuition fees and other expenses."
"Yes mom"
I saw my brother grimacing beside me. If there's one thing that our parents are concerned about especially my mom, It's our academic and financial standing.
"How many more months 'till you finish ROTC"
"Until the end of the school year"
"Finish it up early and get that certificate then start searching for a part time job. It's getting harder to provide for the four of us."
All I can do is to purse my lips when deep inside all I want to do is shout.
It has always been like this. Nothing has changed, ever since I was a kid, they have not thought of anything besides school and money. Not even bothering to ask anything personal about me.
But I still love them, as I said, they're all I got. And as frustrating as it can be, there are days that I am happy.
I finished my food and went straight to bed. I opened my phone and saw three messages. Two from Pierce, one from Leonel.
I opened the one from Pierce
Guess what?
I'll give you a clue. N E W.
I replied immediately.
What? New Girlfriend?
After I had sent my reply I opened Leonel's message. My brows furrowed, his message was a voice clip. I searched for my earphones, just to be sure. Nowadays, it's a trend to send voice clips of women moaning, apparently, many people find that funny.
But instead of those voice clip pranks what I heard was him singing. I continued listening to his own version of Somebody to You by the Vamps. His voice isn't that great but it has a soothing effect. When the song finished I typed him a message.
Was that your voice? Or are you trying to catfish someone?
Of course, I knew it was his voice, I hear him every time we have training and it's not the kind of voice you can easily forget.
I opened Pierce's message, this time it was a picture of what looked like a transfer sheet.
New school. Mom is pushing me to transfer to another school. I'll leave in a week.
I was stunned for a second but after a while, I managed to send a reply to him.
Really? Good for you, good luck.
Was that the right response? In cases like this I still don't know how to react.
We've been together since grade school and it's not like he'll move to the province and we'll stop contacting each other.
A second later Pierce and Leonel replied at the same time. I opened Leonel's reply first.
I was trying to catfish a smile from you.
I chuckled silently, a smile clearly crossing from my face.
How would you even know if I'm smiling or not?
I then opened Pierce's message.
I still have a week. Let's eat outside tomorrow my treat.
I replied with a single ok and put my phone away.
I might have replied like that but I cannot deny the blooming anxiety inside of me, something I cannot understand. What am I so anxious about anyway? It's just Pierce going to another school, aside from that, only little will change in my daily life.
"Ate, can you wash the dishes tonight? I have homework"
"Yea sure"
I was about to get up when I heard my phone ring.
You tell me. Did my voice make you smile or not?
I do not know if it's confidence or arrogance but I chuckled at his message.
Maybe you can edit your voice to a much softer tone then I'd be able to smile.
Of course that was a lie, his voice was already quite nice to hear. And it was just the right set of voice that I liked hearing, soft, calming and soothing.
Denying are we, Qian Harriett. Well, I'll make sure to see that smile again. Goodnight Qian.
Wow, so this is what he meant to look forward to.
I chuckled slightly and shook my head. This guy is impossible. He has only known me for more than a week and yet he has the audacity to tell me these things.
Well, if there is one thing that he succeeded in doing. It's making me forget about the fact that my best friend will be moving to another university, and apparently making me smile. But of course, I'll never tell him that, I feel like he's the type of person to smile arrogantly whenever he feel like it.
And I would never give him the satisfaction for it.