Chapter 3
In all fairness to the all the pressure, lateness and embarrassments, Monday actually went by smoothly. At the end of the day, I was whole (no pieces of me scattered anywhere), I got to finish my home works for Tuesday, and I even get to finish the History essay that Mr. Smith postponed the submission next week, and that’s thanks to our new classmate…Chris.
Chris: the best part of my day. After Brielle was picked up by her driver, Chris walked me home. Coincidentally, the twins that blocked my way to school this morning were his brothers. Since I promised the cute twins that I’d play with them when I got home from school, I did. (Not that I just wanted to enter CHRIS’s house…that’s just part of it. *evil laugh*)
“You came! You came!” was the twins’ greeting as soon they saw me. Awwww, they’re so cute!
They ran to me, pulled my hand, and hugged me. Awwww~ can I keep them? They’re so cute, chubby, and cute!! I gave their cheeks a light pinch then I noticed something in their eyes. They’re also Emerald Green, and…small? Wait…double check. They are! Not just small eyes, they’re really small as in Asian small eyes…like mine! Just curious, I looked up and stared at Chris…at his eyes. They’re the same as his brothers. Is he real? My ‘package combination’? Asian-small-eyes with British/Australian-accent guy?
“Do you, by any chance, have Chinese/Japanese/Korean blood?” slipped from my mouth before I could stop them.
Chris smiled at me, “We’re half Chinese. My mom’s Chinese.”
“Oh, really?” I smiled, I can’t think of anything else to say…I was ecstatic. But I can’t show it. Hiding my blush, I turned my attention to the twins.
“Now, who is who?” I asked them softly.
The twin with the longer black hair stood in-front his twin. Unlike their older brother, who was a blonde, the twins had darker hair than he does; not just darker, they’re actually black.
“I’m Fred!” he said, as the other twin stood beside him and said, “and I’m George!”
Awww, they’re twins and they’re named “Fred and George”? That’s cute!
Chris tackled the twins to the floor, “Been watching Harry Potter, huh?” he faced me, “They’re just being silly. Fred here is Jesse and George’s John.”
I laughed, it was actually funny.
“Come on, let’s play!” I didn’t notice when the twins were able to get away from the grip of their older brother and was already pulling me, ready to tackle me.
“Twins, it’s getting late. She needs to go home.”
“Awww” the twins frowned, and no!, I don’t want to go home yet…I promised them.
“No, it’s okay. I promised them this morning I’d play with them tonight, and I will. Right, Jesse and John?
They nodded and pulled me to their room, Chris trailing after us. We’re like a family here. With the thought, I blushed and tried to distract myself with the adorable twins.
I played with them for just an hour, thinking that I need to go home early and finish a lot of homework and study for quizzes.
“Stay for dinner.” Chris said just as I was just about to leave.
Sure.
“No, but thank you. Dad isn’t home, and I don’t want my Mom to eat alone.”
He smiled, “Maybe next time?”
“Next time will be…okay.” I smiled back, “See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll walk you home.”
“No, it’s okay. Don’t leave the twins alone.” I looked at the twins behind him, “Jesse, John…bye!”
“Are you going to play with us tomorrow?” John asked.
“We’ll see, okay?”
“Okay!” they both said and ran to their room as they shouted, “Bye-bye, Tiffany!”
“Good night, Chris”
“Good night.”
I went out and walked to our house, thankful that it’s just 4 houses away from Chris’s.
***
“Very dramatic.” Andrew rolled his eyes for the nth time since I started telling him the story about last night.
I frowned at him, but then smiled as his jealousy was obvious.
“Jealous.” I told him as he stood up to buy himself a juice, “Me too!” I shouted after him.
Our lunch table was quiet since it was just the two of us. Brielle was absent since she was sick. (Brielle’s definition of ‘sick is something synonymous to ‘I don’t want to take part in the PE practicum, particularly volleyball’.) Also, Chris wasn’t able to join us for lunch because he said he didn’t have the appetite and that he’ll be staying in the library, which was just okay.
For some reason, when I woke up this morning…I wasn’t feeling excited to see Chris despite what happened last night. If I were normal, I would feel excited at the thought of him and what could happen today. But, well…I guess I’m not normal. I’m not even…missing him.
“Here” Andrew somewhat slammed the bottled juice in-front of me.
“Jealous?” I teased, I won’t be affected by his grumpiness, “Or you’re just missing Brielle?”
He grunted. Although best friends, Andrew and Brielle hated each other since they met. They would get along, talk, and do normal things friends do. But if one of them is out of their sight, they would be ecstatic—super ecstatic, actually.
“You are missing her.” I won’t stop until he admits he’s jealous.
“Tiffany Anne, let’s go.” he said, obviously irritated.
I’m ignoring that. “Where to?”
“Uh, to class?”
“30 minutes early? No, thank you, dear.”
He sighed, “So, that’s it?”
I frowned, “what’s it?”
“Last night, that’s all?”
“Uh, yea. Was there supposed to be something else?”
He shook his head, “No, nothing. I was just…I mean. That was boring.”
“What’s boring with playing with children?”
“Nothing. I mean you and Chris…”
I laughed, he is jealous. “No need to be jealous, Drew. I don’t even like Chris.” Woah, did that came from me? From my mouth? Double check. “Did I…Did I just say that?”
Andrew shrugged, but a faint pink was creeping in his cheeks, “What? That you don’t like Chris?”
I nodded, confirmed. And I felt it. Ha-ha. I don’t think I’m well these days. I think I’m sick…I think I should go visit a psychiatrist.
“You should.”
I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at Andrew. “Should what?”
“Go to a psychiatrist, you’re talking to yourself when you can just talk to me, you know.”
“Oh, I said that out loud? Haha. I guess I really am not well.”
“You are.”
Today’s a dull day—a very dull day. Though I hate to admit it, I miss Brielle’s irritating…sounds. Andrew is not in the mood and me…I don’t know. Ok, I’ll categorize me into ‘not in the mood’ too.
We went to an awkward silence until the bell rang. We went to class silently and early.
When we arrived at our classroom, Chris was already sitting at his seat and was reading his History book.
“Hi” I greeted as I took my seat beside him.
“Hello”, he said and smiled. But it didn’t look like his smile from yesterday. Something really is wrong today.
“Aren’t you hungry?” I asked, curious as he hadn’t had his lunch.
“I bought a sandwich before I went here.” He smiled, “How was your lunch?”
“Good. Quiet.”
He nodded, “Because Brielle isn’t around?”
I smiled, “That’s part of the silence.”
“Why is she absent?”
Thinking of how I should say it, the only word that came out of my mouth was “Sick”. I could’ve said “She’s sick” or something like that. But she isn’t, so I guess “Sick” was just alright--that word has a lot of definition.
He just nodded. Something really is off today.
For the first time in this lifetime, I thanked the heavens that Mr. Smith has arrived.
“Mind if I walk with you?”
I turned to my right to see Chris walking beside me. “I don’t.”
He smiled then we walked silently.
It was an awkward walk. We were both silent, looking straight and occasionally sighing.
“Uh, are you going to visit the twins tonight?” his question made me lose concentration on my walking and I tripped on a rock. Good thing it wasn’t that clumsy so I was able to not fall and he didn’t noticed it.
I cleared my throat, “Uh, yea. I promised them last night that I’ll be back tonight. Is it alright?”
He nodded, “Of course. You’re always welcome.”
I just smiled as we continued our silent walk to their house.
“Stay for dinner” Chris offered as he opened the front door to let me in first.
“I don’t…”
“Tiffany Anne!!!!!”
Before I could see who called my FULL first name, someone was already hugging me and through her shoulders, I can see my mom sitting in the living room. Wait, my mom’s at Chris’s house? Why?
The ‘hugger’ let go of me and looked at me intently…something’s familiar with her.
“My…you’re all grown up now! So pretty!”
Then it hit me…Aunt Mary.
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