Avril's POV
I wake up only to find myself on Derrick's chest. What the hell? Did I seriously just sleep on my boss's chest? How could I let this happen? I mean where's my dignity?
Oh gawd can this day get any worse? To my surprise he is also sleeping. How did he end up sleeping?
At least it has stopped raining, but I'm still wet because I had stayed way to long on the rain.
"Sir wake up," I try to wake him up.
He wakes up and then goes like "oh Lord did I fall asleep too?"
"Seems like it," I say "sorry for causing you all the trouble."
"It's okay. There's no shame in being there for a person who's hurt." He says and I can't help but think of how kind he is.
"Thank you," I tell him
"It's my pleasure," he says
"Weren't you supposed to go for work?" I ask finally realizing that I might have held him back.
"Oh crap you are right," he says looking at his watch "oh actually I still have an hour to go. You should probably get inside to change your clothes and drink some tea you might catch a cold."
"Alright thank you sir,"
"Why do you address me as sir?" He suddenly asks and I can't help but think he's been meaning to ask me this for quite a long time
I raise a brow "what do you mean. Is it wrong for me to address you like that?"
"No it's not, it's just that you're the only one who address me in that manner and I've been feeling kinda weird." He explains
"Oh sorry I didn't realize that I was making you feel uncomfortable. It's just that I've been addressing most of my superiors as ma'am or sir, for almost my whole life," I tell him
"Oh, but it's been making me feel like I'm some old man," he tells me and I can't help but laugh at this
"Really?" I ask the laugh still on my throat "I'm really sorry for making you feel like an old man. So how shall I address you then?"
"I don't know something that won't make me feel weird," he says making a sad face
"Oh, how about Mr Derrick? Mmmm no. Yes I'll be calling you Doc. Is that okay with you?" I try out the names
"Doc," he tries out the name "I like the sound of that. I think it's okay with me."
"Okay then Doc it shall be," I say smiling and standing up from the bench "you should probably go and start preparing yourself for work or you'll be late."
"Yeah sure. one more question please?" He asks just as I'm about to head inside the house. I nod.
"Why is it that Mary always calls you Avril?" He asks
"It's my French name and I prefer be addressed by it,"
"What does it mean?"
"April,"
"I think it's a pretty name. Sorry but I think I have another question for you? Sorry if I'm being nosey and all." He says worried that he might piss me off
"Oh no it's fine you can ask." I tell him
"Is... Is" he stummers "is Jonathan the reason you ran away from your wedding,"
Okay that question might have caught me off guard.
"Not really," I find myself saying "he was only one of the reasons. The main reason is because I want to be independent so that I can take my little sister to med school. Because my father won't."
"And why won't your father do it?" He asks surprised
"Well he and his family believe that girls don't need to further their studies. They only need to get married and that's all."
"That's really not cool though. How old is your sister and what grade is she doing?"
"She's twelve and she's in her ninth grade?"
"Wait what? Isn't she too young to be in ninth grade?"
"Well she's skipped a few grades. She's practically very smart. "
"Oh wow, she'll finish school at a young age. Does she also have a French name?"
"Yes. Rose meaning pink."
"Oh and here I was thinking Rose is English. Why do you have French names anyway?"
"Because my mom was half French and half Zambian. Her dad was French and mother Zambian. So my dad gave us our Zambian names and our mom gave gave us French names."
"Wow, that's really something. Anyways talk to you later I think I'll be late for work."
"Yeah I think you will."
**********
"Avril, what happened to you?" Mary asks me as she enters my room and finds me drying my hair "why were you crying?"
"It's nothing Mary." I tell her
" Oh, okay. So you decided to tell young master but you leave me out in the dark. Avril I thought we were friends. I thought you could trust me enough to let me know what's going on in your life." Mary bursts out
Oh crap I think I hurt her emotions. You know what she's kinda right. I mean she's been there for me ever since I came into this house and she's been listening to my stories and giving me advice.
Well doesn't that make her my friend? I think it does. Maybe she might even be my best friend. Not that I've had friends before her. Maybe this is why didn't realize that she was my friend after all.
"Look Mary," I say hoping she'll forgive me "I'm sorry okay, I didn't mean to hurt you. It's just that I'm not used to having friends. And I don't really know what it is like to have friends."
"That's still no reason for you to snap at me like you did outside," she says pouting
"I'm really sorry about that. Really, I am. I hope you'll forgive me. Also I'm ready to tell you what really happened."
"Oh no it's fine even if you don't tell me. I'm not trying to push you into telling me what you don't want to tell me." She says
"Oh no I'll tell you." I say sitting down on the bed
"Come sit," I say patting the bed so she'd sit next me.
She sits down and asks "what really happened? I was really worried about you."
"I'm sorry about that, really. But what happened was that when I went to Jonathan's apartment today I found him kissing another girl." I say
"What!" She says furiously "that son of a bitch!"
"Hey watch your language girl." I say
"Sorry, but I couldn't control myself. Really girl that bustard had no right to do that. Did he even feel sorry about it?"
"No he plainly told me he didn't like me at all." I tell her
"He's really stupid. I'm sorry he had to do that to you."
"It's okay."
"Yeah it is I'm pretty sure you'll get through this," she says
"Yeah and I promise I won't hide anything from you."
"Yeah I also won't starting from today. I have something to tell you too."
"What is it?" I ask her standing from the bed so that I'd go get a change of clothes in the closet.
I'm grabbing a dress from the closet when Mary says "well I'm.... I'm please don't be uncomfortable around me when I tell you. Well it's just that I'm gay."
I stick my head out of the closet and I ask "what!"
"I said I'm gay. You know, like I'm attracted to girls." She explains as if I don't understand what being gay is.
"Mary, I know what being gay is you don't need to explain it to me." I say walking out of the closet "honestly speaking I have no reason to be uncomfortable around you. It's not like I can judge you or anything. You're my friend and all I need to do is support you."
"Thanks for understanding." She says "I haven't told my mom yet. I think she'd be against it."
"Oh, yeah parents are always the barrier to our love lives. But I'm pretty sure you'll figure this out sooner or later."
"I guess you're right."
Just to be honest I really didn't expect that but what can I do. She clearly told me that because she trusts me and all I have to do is support her, right?