Chapter Two

After having my last bite with the slice of pizza in my hand, I closed the box with two slices inside. I reached my towel and went to take a bath. As I have dressed myself with something comfy, I tied my hair into a bun; literally a messy bun. I opened the box and took a slice and went to the kitchen to prepare for supper.

When I reached the kitchen, Luke was there scanning our fridge. I leaned on the door frame waiting for him to notice me. A few minutes passed, he stepped back a little knowing that I was there. It really looked like I scared him a bit.

"couldn't you let me know if you're there?" he said touching his chest. I just walked passed him and scan the kitchen cabinet for something to cook.

"cooking?" he asked sitting at the table. I ignored him. I saw a cream and it made me remember that we had mushrooms in the fridge. So, its fix, I'm going to make a mushroom soup.

"how long are you going to stay here?" I asked without looking at him.

"I'm going to have my supper here."

"have you called your mom?"

He didn't respond instead I heard his phone rang. "hey mom, I'll be home late. I'm going to have supper at Beth's house. Bye mom, I love you." Then an end tone followed. "Done."

"Fine… what do you want for supper?"

"Anything?!" I glared at him. He knows I hate that word. "chicken?"

"how do you want it cooked?"

"Fried?"

"okay." I said and started cooking. I began by cooking rice; a Filipino thing. And everything went on.

"how was your day? Mine went well."

"I already answered that didn't I." I said focusing on breading the chicken. "it was great."

"really?"

"really." I faced him meeting him at the eye, it felt awkward to know that he was staring at me. I wonder how long he had been doing that. "a girl in my first class talked to me and it ended up well and not resulting with me hitting her with the book I was holding. Isn't it a progress?"

"did she talk a lot?" he questioned curiously.

"a one or two sentences. She was interrupted because the professor had already come in." after answering him, I continued cooking.

"oh! So, it meant you didn't really converse with her."

"if you're going to look for the meaning of conversation in the net, that would really defend me. I listened to her attentively and nodded when she needs proof that I was really listening. Isn't it enough for a starter?" I explained.

"fine. Improve yourself more." He ended the topic with that. "I'm getting hungry, are you not done yet?"

"if you want to complain then go home and ask your mom to cook for you." I'm starting to get tired talking to him. I looked at the wall clock and any time soon my sister would come home. "start preparing the table, I'm almost done."

"you're bossy." But he still did what I said.

Just after he put the last glass the doorbell rang. He tapped my shoulder to say that he's going open the door. When he came back, he was already with my sister.

"I didn't know Lucas was here?" my sister said smiling.

"me neither. He just barged in here like this was his own house."

"hey! Don't talk as if I'm not around." Saying with a cranky face. My sister laughed.

"I'm just going to put my things on my room. I'll be back right away." She said leaving. I served the foods and sat down waiting for my sister Elena to come back, he also did the same. When Elena came back, we started eating and chatted a bit as we eat.

"by the way, aren't your parents looking for you?" she asked Luke.

"I've called home." My sister nodded, satisfied with his words.

"why are you here anyway?"

"I was just checking for Beth, she came to school alone this day."

"Really? That's great!" she said looking at me with sparkling eyes.

"yeeeeeeyyy!" I said making it as cheerful as possible.

"you should keep it up. You should practice your social skills more it will be good for you. After you have surpassed this obstacle, maybe not too soon you'll be introducing a boy to me." She said excitedly.

"ha-ha. Could we stop talking about this."

"No! you're old enough to have a boyfriend, I know you know what's wrong from right, so I won't disagree with you about that. Right Lucas?" Luke didn't answer, we caught him in daze. Elena tugged his arms. "right?"

"yea… yeah! Right." He said, stuttering.

"see!" my sister emphasized.

"I will, when I want to." I said reaching the rice. "rice?" offering them.

"yes please." My sister responded, Luke waved his hand as a no.

We continued eating, sometimes my sister would open a topic. Mostly it ends them criticizing my lonely life. Couldn't they just understand that I'm alone, but it doesn't mean I'm lonely. They just don't understand that. Because both of this people have bright personalities which makes them have a lot of friends.

"by the way, Blake called this morning just after you have left the house." Elena sounded weird, so I looked up at her and saw her felt a little unsettled with her words.

"hmmm, and then?" I asked while chewing my food.

"who's Blake?" Luke asked.

"he was just asking how we are doing, and I said were perfectly fine." She added awkwardly.

"good. What's wrong?" I decided to ask her. She really seems so uncomfortable. "it's okay, just say it."

"I don't think it's the right time to talk about Blake especially that Luke is here. I'm sorry I forgot." She stands up. And mouthed sorry.

"What's wrong with talking about Blake in front of Luke?" I really wonder.

"please don't make me say it." We may have a huge age gap with my sister, but we have this conversation that we talk with each other like were just at the same age. Though the respect should always be there, no cursing or else she's going to drag me down the stairs grasping my hair. I finished eating and so was Blake.

"it's okay. Go on." Blake took my plate and said he's going to wash the dishes.

"God! Why do I have such a simple-minded sister?!" she exclaimed. "it is an unspoken rule not to mention your ex-boyfriend in front of your present boyfriend. Trust me, it would create a disastrous mess."

"woooooowww, you had a boyfriend before?" he looked shocked.

"yeah!" I raised my eyebrow. He's reaction really hit me bad. "Sissy, red alert! Luke isn't my boyfriend. He's just my boy-friend, with space in between. Don't get the wrong idea. And one more thing, Blake and I are done. I've moved on and so as him. So, there shouldn't be an issue at all." I cleared up.

"oh- okay." She raised her hands up and slowly backed out. I heard her footsteps at the stairs going to her room. I sighed. How did she come up with the idea that Lucas and I have a relationship. It's ridiculous.

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend. We've known each other for almost ten years. How come I didn't know about this." He sounded gloomy while putting the last plate at the rack.

"yeah I did." Do I really need to explain?

"when? How? What happen? How long?" he asked without a blink. He leaned on the sink which is a sign that we need to talk so I sat on the chair near the table.

"Blake's parents and my parents are close friends. We've known each other before both of us could speak. They always visit every time someone in the family have their birthday and vice versa. A few days after my sixteenth birthday he said he liked me and with some sweet words he asked if I could be his girlfriend, I said yes just like any teen would do, and our parents didn't disagree. Dating him was fun especially when it's a legal relationship. We lasted for more than a year before we broke up. I cut off all our communications, we stopped calling each other even if it's a habit of ours since we're still kids. When he visits together with his family, it is either I lock myself inside my room or hang out at your place. When it's our turn to visit them, I occupy myself with a lot of things so that he could not get near me." I explained.

"why did you break up?" he followed up. I sighed.

"he's starting to control me. It felt like he's choking me that I can't breathe." I smiled. Confusion was on his face. "talking about him now doesn't irritate me anymore, actually it is even funny thinking how immature that relationship was."

"okay, so how come I don't about his existence."

"I didn't know you don't know him. You have already met each other a couple of times."

"enough with the part that I don't know about him. Why didn't you tell me about this relationship status that you had?"

"I also thought that you know, and you were just avoiding that topic out. Remember when Shane became your girlfriend? We always talk about your two's progress. And when you start to get possessive or acting stupid, I always tell you 'I hate when my boyfriend does that', remember?"

"I thought you were talking about your future boyfriend." He sighed. I rolled my eyes.

"Is Blake's case close? Am I forgiven?" I raised every word of my sentences.

"fine! Meeting adjourned." I laughed. "feeling better?"

"yeah, it was nice knowing that." He looked at his phone. "I have to go."

"okay." As I was to lead him the way he stopped me before I could open the door.

"you don't have to go out."

"why would I go out?"

"won't you supposed to send me out?"

"yes, I'm sending you out but just until here, I'm already in my pajamas. Who are you; a VIP?" I teased.

He squeezed my bun. "yeah you don't need to send me out. Afterall we don't want the neighbors knowing that you smelled like fried chicken, they might think you're using a used cooking oil for your hair." He fired back. I removed his hand from my head and pushed him passed the door and then locked it.

After making sure all the doors are locked. I went upstairs. Before reaching my room, I saw my sister going out of her room already on her pajamas.

"do I smell like fried chicken?" she sniffed my head.

"no, you're not. You smell sweet like peppermint. Why?"

"nothing, I just wondered since I've caught all the vapor from cooking." I reasoned out.

"don't worry, you smelled good." She hugged me. "good night. Sleep well." She kissed me on the cheeks before letting me go. She went back in and so as I did.

When I get in my room, I combed my hair before lying on my bed and sleep.