Chapter Five.

Lauren.

I woke up the next morning to the sound of my alarm and I knew it was time to face the day ahead of me. I didn't know what to expect

of it but I just moved out. I found Tess already awake making coffee and she still stood by the coffee maker. Other than me, she looked rather hopeful and jocund. She greeted me good morning with hereyes still on her phone screen where I figured she was texting her boyfriend, Colton.

“Good morning, you look ammm happier than ever.”

"I have a reason to be, don't I?" she snapped back. We had coffee and headed to school as she jazzed me what plans Colton and her

had for the day. As usual, the packing lot was already full but one realization was that one car that normally packed in front of the only blue car was missing. Again I didn't need to notice but well I did. I swept it off my mind and continued for my first class, accounting. I pushed over to my seat where I normally sat next to Jess. She looked even more exhausted than I did but still managed to say her hellos. I sneaked my eyes around just to check for something obvious to me by now but the seat where Corrie normally sat by some dude called Josh was left vacant. Okay this was not what I expected. I had hoped to find him and maybe thank him for the other night and tell him I actually didn't have his number if he didn't mind, he could give it to me but now he was not in visual. My thoughts were interrupted as soon as the Account's lecturer voiced out a good morning to all. Jess on the other hand slept through out the whole lecture claiming shecouldn't help it which was rather obvious to me by the way she looked today. She wasn't her usual jocund self so I took down notes for the two of us which we normally did for each other in case it was necessary. The lecture went on for the next hour and then it was done so did my thoughts go back to the missing car and vacant seat. As we moved out of the lecture room, we found Carl who I guessed was waiting for us and he quickly lit up on sight of us. Jess who seemed to be out of the world just clung onto him as if getting support where they went on for their next lecture as I headed for mine. We each had two more lectures for the day till the fourth hour of the afternoon and then we met up for dinner at DWU.

Today we sat mostly just the two of us as it happens it was Carl's evening to work the diner with Trey as usual who worked all nights

so I guessed he was the major after the boss. So I didn't expect to see Corrie today but I just thought he would make it here to see the rest work their shift.

"Why didn't Corrie make it to school today?" I asked Jess before I could change my mind. She looked at me with a puzzled but euphoric face.

“I mean you're room mates and I guessed you knew about it.” I told her and just like that she was laughing so loud as though I had said something hilarious.

"He left a note before leaving today saying he was heading to his mum's." She said back smiling from ear to ear.

“Why the constant smiling?”

“It's just interesting to see you care about a dude's whereabouts again after you know who.”

I knew who exactly she meant so I winced at her and she was still smiling. But for Corrie to visit his mum on a school day meant something was up. Maybe I was being delusional and that only happened to me but I still couldn't bring myself not to think about it.

"How is your meal going without me?" Carl called out as he came to a stop two feet from the table with a quizzical grin on his face.

"Did I miss something?"

“No, it's just Lauren here asking about Corrie's whereabouts.” He just smiled and as if an idea had struck him, he pulled his phone out of his pocket.

"Speaking of that, I think I should check to see what's going on cause he didn't say much on the note he left."

He was now dialing where I guessed it was Corrie's number and his phone was now on his ear. He stepped out a bit since the diner was a bit noisier today than always. Why did you have to tell Carl that?

"Why not? Its not like he doesn't know everything already."

“You told him about my crush too.”

“No. He doesn't know about that. Don't worry I didn't confirm his suspicions. He just thinks you two like each other and don't want to admit to it.”

“Is it that obvious.”

“Not clearly but it is only to us who are closest to you.”

We were interrupted by Carl who looked at us with so much worry.

We both looked at him with inquisition waiting for him to say something. I just hoped Corrie was okay cause I knew it was him that Carl had just called unless he had made another phone call to someone else. Fear ran through me in ways I had never imagined. I thought I wasn't just thinking the worst but Jess had the same exact look.

"His dad just passed on this morning." Carl's words surprised me and left me with as if no energy to even say anything. I felt my eyes

start to water.

"He said it was because of depression and extremely high blood pressure where he had failed to respond to medication earlier." Carl added.

"Oh my God," I heard Jess say with remorse in her voice but Carl kept going.

“He said he wouldn't be back soon but we should expect him in about a week's time.”

I felt the strong urge to be there with him and comfort him but I rethought it was a bad idea cause we barely even knew each other.

He was going to be away for a week. I found it selfish of me to want him all to myself other than with his family whom I even didn't know about but I just couldn't help it. It even made me think how large his family was. This was just so unfortunate. By this time I felt I had even lost my mind. I think I was so deep in thought that I didn't even realise night had fallen. As usual Carl and Jess dropped me off but we spent the whole journey in total grave silence whereI figured every one was still in shock. I reached my room and didn't even notice the apartment was empty until fifteen minutes later when the door swung open and Tess called out to me asking if I were back. She stopped at the door and I guessed all her excitement varnished as soon as she spotted my wet cheeks.

"What happened?" She asked as she moved closer to sit beside me on the bed. I told her all that had happened and since she knew

about my crush as well, she told me she understood what I felt clearly. She hugged me and comforted me into taking a shower and helped me to bed where I don't think I got any sleep until the next morning which was a Saturday and thank God I had no class. I just

slept in till the afternoon when Jess came by.

Corrie.

It was now two hours since I had ended my call with Carl. He had called me asking if everything was okay where I wished I could have said yes but all in vain. My mum and sister had not been able to stop crying their eyes out and I couldn't blame them. What kept me stable was the feeling of having to be strong for my family. After the doctor had told us everything about my dad, I had called my mum's uncle who I thought could help us out. I didn't know exactlywhat I was supposed to do but he talked me through all the steps for my dad's burial where we decided it had to happen the next day.

I had driven my mum and sister home to rest and eat something as I went back to pick up my dad's car that my mum had used to take

him to the hospital. It was so unexpected how I thought my day would go was the total opposite. I had thought of talking to Lauren

and at least trying to know each other more. I don't know why at this point all I wanted was to see her and be in her embrace but I couldn't help it. My mum's uncle had convinced me into staying home with my family that he would take care of all the preparations and that all I had to do was drive them to my dad's hometown. I checked on them and found out they had finally slept off on each other in my mum's room. I decided I was going to stay a while till my mum and sister were livelier again of which judging by the way they looked seemed a little further away from today. I went back to my old room where I slept when I still schooled here and it still looked the same. I had some clothes I had left here from the time I had visited before going back to school so I guessed I was sorted out in that matter. The night seemed quieter today but I guessed it was just what I wanted it to be like and that's how I was seeing it. I took a bath and headed for bed and then noticed I hadturned off my phone. I then switched it on and found so many incoming messages from my old friends back here saying they were sorry for what had transpired and two from Josh, my seatmate in accounting and Trey, my work mate where I knew Carl may have told those whom he thought needed to know. Could he have told Lauren? I couldn't help wondering about that then I thought if she would be worried about me but I remembered we were not even yet friends. The thoughts went on with me referring them all to Lauren until I think I finally slept off cause I woke up early the next morning with both my mum and sister waiting in the living room.

Surprisingly, the worried look that was always on my mum's face was not there where I thought she was always worried my dad would be no more sooner than later. At least I was now relieved she wasn't going to worry about dad and trying so hard to make so much money for his treatment. And perhaps I thought my dad was now in a better and more peaceful place and didn't have to worry about his issues. He wasn't living in so much pain any longer. They were done with breakfast which I could tell by the dirty cups in the

dishwasher. I took up my own cup and took coffee so I was set for the long day ahead. My sister, Catie was no longer crying but still looked sad and I guessed she would start again as soon as wereached the burial. We drove for two hours where we found quite a number of people we didn't even expect which comprised some of Catie's classmates and their parents, some of my childhood friends and classmates which I thought was rather very thoughtful of them. My mum's uncle was talking to some people and also my parents' relatives were present. We greeted everyone and everyone gave their condolences. The service went on till later that afternoon until my dad was finally laid to rest. Everyone was gone by evening which only left my uncle, my mum's uncle, their wives and us. We cleared up everything and headed home to continue with life with my dad just in memories and pictorials. It was so hard to believe he was gone just like that.

Just Like That ©2020 by Laurie Lae.