A nervous meeting

"Here I go," Yvette took a long breath, before entering the cafe right outside of her college. Summer had already called her half an hour ago, saying she would be keeping a seat for her, so Yvette can finish her classes without any worries. "I feel so guilty about making her wait for so long, when I am planning to do such a nasty thing to her."

"Hey Girl!" Yvette got off from her train of thoughts by Summer's loud enthusiastic voice. When she looked around, she found her waving her hands at her.

"Sorry for making you wait for so long, Summer," Yvette quickly approached her friend, and took a seat across.

"It's okay. I was the one who came early." Summer put her handbag to her right from the table top, making her view clear. "But, girl, why do you look so worn out! You haven't been eating well, right?"

"No! I am eating just fine. You know how cautious I am on those things. Because…

"No matter whatever you have to cry, never stay on hunger strike!" Both of the girls voiced out together loud, gaining some weird glances from the other customers in there. But they couldn't care less, as they both burst into laughter. This has always been Yvette's motto, and that was how she coped with anything bad happening in her life. Binging on tasty food, so that she can forget anything, or at least forget the proper timing to cry about that.

"That's the best thing I love about you, you don't let the pain get to you no matter how huge that is. Please always stay like this, smiling, Yve," Summer had a warm look, as she said to Yvette all those with a smile. Yvette was someone who had always been by her side no matter what. In happiness, or in trouble, every time. That's why, seeing Yvette smiling from the core of her heart is something Summer can pray for all the time.

"Enough about me. Tell me about yourself. What's the good news you wanted to tell me?" Yvette leaned in closer, showing that she was really excited about the news.

"Nuh-uh, babe. Things like this need to be relayed over a perfect thing. Without a perfect blend, nope." Summer refused to say anything more, as she turned her eyes away from Yvette.

"Ah, so it's like that huh…," Yvette leaned back to her chair. Then all of a sudden, she called out for the young waiter boy in the cafe. "Rick!"

"Oh." The boy looked behind him immediately after being called out by his name. He was surprised, wondering how come any customer knows him by his name here, but as soon as he turned around, he was clear of his confusion. He quickly finished taking the order from the table he was standing beside, handed the sheet of paper in the serve table, and came rushing towards the table Yvette and Summer took.

"Miss Summer! Teacher! How are you two? Long time no see," that boy Rick seemed beaming with joy, as he had the brightest smile on his face ever.

"Yes yes, it's been so long. We are doing great, Rick. How are you?" Yvette asked, while pushing out the empty chair right beside hers. "Take a seat, and let's have a small chat, okay?"

"Yes, teacher!" Rick turned his head, shouting towards the old lady behind the cashier to let her know, and took the seat he was offered. "How come you are here after so many days! Finally miss this poor student of yours?"

"Oya! Look at this brat acting all cheeky eh," Summer pulled Rick by his cheeks, to which he winced in pain.

"Ah, Miss Summer! I am not a baby, why do you always do that!" Rick whined a little in response, scooting his face away from her.

"Indeed, Summer. Don't forget, our boy is a high schooler now." Yvette gave a warning look to Summer, while playfully ruffling Rick's hair. "I can't believe my student who was such a baby not long ago, started high school this year."

And giving a totally different reaction, Rick had a grin on his face while getting pampered like a kid by Yvette, instead of snapping out as he did to Summer. "A-anyway! Teacher, you have come after so long, what do you wanna eat? I'll make sure to prepare that myself. I learned how to cook the dishes on the menu, and the owner lady praises my cooking a lot, you know?" Rick looked excited while he was reporting all those, about how he improved, and how he learned more and more things. Yvette couldn't help but feel happy to see the bright smile on his face.

"Really? Then anything you want to feed your sisters here. And…"

"That chocolate ice cream dipped with condensed milk? You got it," Rick struck a thumbs up to her, while walking away happily towards the kitchen behind the serving counter.

"Phew. Rick still loves you a lot, huh." Summer remarked, looking at the way Rick just went by.

"Somehow, yeah. He does. Though I feel so overwhelmed yet guilty about it, he loves me way more than I deserve," Yvette looked back at her friend. She still remembers how hard it was to approach a short-spoken introverted kid like Rick. And those days, Yvette took it as a challenge to be a house tutor for the first-year middle schooler Rick. Since she needed the money badly, and since she somehow took a liking to this boy. From then, she was slowly able to bring out the potentials from him, and Rick slowly started to feel free to talk about his difficulties and his worries, and share them with Yvette.

"He surely thinks of you as an older sister, Yve. And why he shouldn't? You were there for him when he was struggling with his introverted nature." Summer rested her chin on her propped up hands. And while looking at Yvette, she kept talking. "You are such a good soul to everyone. I really hope you get all the happiness in your life, Yvette."

Yvette looked back at her, while her hands were frozen by her words. She felt so bad to listen to her well wishes, that she lost all the confidence and courage she was trying to gather up to come here today.

Yvette wished she didn't have to break Summer's heart the second she wished well for her.