Time flies by so quickly. I almost missed the fact that it was December. I scarcely noticed the passing of months because I had a lot of documentation to submit and also had to review for the end of the first semester.
As we proceeded down the corridor, I heard Lyka say, “Hey! Anna, where do you want to go now?”
Because we recently finished our last exam, there are a lot of kids distributed across the campus today. The dreaded “hell week” is finally gone. Despite the fact that we appear tired and sleep deprived, we have a wide range of smiles on our faces.
In contrast to last week”s circumstance, other kids were joking and laughing.
Because our concentration is concentrated on reviewing the lessons that may be on the exam, students barely speak to one another.
“Why, what is going on?” I inquire.
To make room for her, I decreased my pace. When I glanced around, I noticed she was staring at her phone. She was always tapping on his phone, which piqued my interest. Who is she conversing with?
I looked to see who she was because I was curious.
She was conversing with. When she saw I was reading her texts, her brow furrowed.
“What?” enquired Lyka, puzzled.
I tease her, “You are too busy there conversing, ah. Who is that? Maybe you are chatting with your guy.” Lyka”s brow furrowed in response to what I stated.
“I am not communicating with my boyfriend, foolish,” she explained, “I am conversing with Aiden in our group chat, and if you check the group chat of the three of us with Aiden, you will see what we are talking about.”
Group chat? We have group chat? Because I do not check my social media accounts very often, I was unaware that they were conversing with me.
She put down her phone and fixed her gaze on me.
“Tss,” she replied, rolling her eyes at me, “I am not as blessed as you to have someone like Alessandre Atlas Villareal.” My smile was turned into face wrinkle when I heard what she said.
It has been over two months since Cassy and I had our altercation.
After she insulted me and spoke harsh things to me, I sobbed a lot. She made me see how egotistical I had been in ending his relationship with Alessandre. That night, she also slapped me a couple times.
I locked myself in the comfort room after she had left. I am too embarrassed to go outside.
During those hours in the cubicle, I slept off. Alessandre”s enraged face greeted me when I awoke. He claimed that I was overly emotional and that I was causing people to be concerned.
I just did not say anything and took all of his comments in stride. I avoided talking to him and approaching him after that night.
We see each other at home, which is unavoidable now that he has back, but I act as if his presence has no effect on me. The wedding was still going on, but I informed Aunt Lila that I would no longer be engaged in selecting my gown or in planning the event.
As an excuse, I cited our approaching exam. Apart from choosing the gown, I have a lot of wedding planning to do with Alessandre, including meal tasting and ring selection, which I try to avoid because I do not want to be with him.
I realise something after hearing his talk with Cassy. I will never be accepted by him.
Even if I do everything I can to have him accept me, he will still dislike me. His intellect is already close to comprehending what I am saying. It is tough to convey to someone who refuses to listen or who refuses to believe even after listening.
“Hey! Are you listening? Earth to Anna, yoho!” Lyka gently shook me, and I returned to the present. My mind is racing once more. I smiled at her after shaking my head. She had just chastised me.
She cried happily, “So, I guess your marriage to Alessandre will continue.” I gave him a wry smile. Lyka had no idea what had occurred during the party. The truth is, no one else is aware of this.
I kept my mouth shut about what happened at the party. I am sure she will become enraged, and she will tell Aunt Lila and Uncle Sandro if I tell her. Another reason is that I don”t want her to pity me. I do not want her to have pity in her eyes when she looks at me.
“How was your blind date yesterday?” I asked, interrupting Lyka”s chat. She did not appear to mind that I didn”t answer her query.
“Oh, do not ask,” she replied with a grimace.
Her reaction made me giggle. Lyka”s blind date will undoubtedly be epic once more.
She had previously gone on a blind date set up by her mother, but the funny thing is that her date was already over forty years old. They appear to be a father and daughter bonding, according to Lyka. I am interested about the type of man she is dating right now.
I pose the question, “Why?” to her. She told me not to ask any more questions, but I could not help myself; I am stubborn like that.
“He asked me what my parents” jobs are, and he also inquired about our firm”s square meters, hmm. I almost think he has plans to invest in our company, eh,” she remarked, her brows wrinkled.
Her date, she added, seemed more interested in her father”s business than in her. She seemed to be furious with the man she dated last week.
We were only able to discuss it now because we were so preoccupied with studying for the exam. Her anecdote made me laugh out loud. I could not help but giggle as Lyka told the story in its entirety. She relates the story because what happened happened with action.
She claimed she had no idea where her mother obtained the man she had fixed up with her.
Someone laid his arm on my shoulder while we were having the talk. When I looked at that individual calmly, he greeted me with a broad smile.
He has an uncanny ability to place his hand on my shoulder. I just let him do it because I am already used to it.
He asked, sounding like one of our teachers, “How was your exam? Did you answer everything correctly?”
Lyka and I turned our backs on him and resumed our previously interrupted talk. Aiden had stopped bothering Lyka and me. He just sat there and listened to our chat, occasionally laughing at Lyka”s anecdote.
We eventually decided to eat because it was past noon and we had not had anything to eat.
We had just finished our meal at the cafeteria. Aiden was the only one in line to get our dinner, as was customary. Lyka and I simply sat at the table we had chosen.
Aiden also did not take long to purchase our meal. Lyka and I were taken aback because there were so many people in line, but he returned shortly. When we asked why he returned so quickly, he just shrugged his shoulders.
“Guys, let us throw a party. Let us celebrate the fact that we made it through the first semester,” Lyka stated as she ate her food.
For lunch, I ordered fried chicken and sinigang with two cups of rice. For dessert, I ordered spaghetti, burgers, and fries.
The delicacies I ordered astounded Aiden. Just a shrug of the shoulders from me. I did not have breakfast because I was in a rush to get to school because I was running late.
Aiden replied, “I am willing to do that. Where do you want to go? I am free today.”
We considered what we could do. I could not think of anything, so I left it up to them to figure out what we could do this afternoon. I simply focused all of my attention on the food.
Lyka offered, “Let us go to your house A.” Aiden”s brow wrinkled in response to her idea.
He inquires, “What are we going to do at my house?”
“Why don”t we just have a picnic with you?” I suggested as I bit into my fried chicken. “Let us just have a party at your house. Let us buy foods and cook them at your house.” I ate the chicken skin after dipping it in the gravy.
I was taken aback when I realized they were both staring at me.
“What are you staring at?” I inquire, taking another bite of my fried chicken. I served it with rice as a side dish. At the same time, they both shook their heads. I have an odd look on my face when I see them.
Aiden smiled and added, “You eat a lot, yet you are not becoming fat. You are still slim.” I simply pointed my tongue in his way.
“A, being healthy is not the same as being big,” I responded, rolling my eyes at him.
“However, you are neither fat nor healthy,” he smirked. I simply ignore what he says and keep eating.
“Anyway, if that is what you two want, we can come to my place and get ingredients for samgyupsal,” he added.
Lyka praised him for his words. She was the most enthusiastic of the three of us. She is the one who enjoys planning our outings with our pals.
“All right, let us do it,” she murmured, nodding her head.
“Wait,” she replied, a nasty grin on her lips, “may we also get alcoholic drinks?”
What she said made me squirm. When I turned to Aiden, I noticed that he, too, had furrowed his brow in response to Lyka”s words.
“I mean, we are all of legal drinking age again; we will not go drunk, just a little wine will do,” she defended. As she glanced at Aiden and me, she even clasped her hands together.
“You will not drink an alcoholic drink unless your parents allow it,” he said, shaking his head. “I am afraid Uncle will scold me if they find out that I allowed you two to drink.” Lyka”s brow furrowed.
“How about we ask for their permission?” Lyka suggested, her face bright with anticipation. She really wants to force you to drink wine, do not you think?
“As long as they let you, that is fine with me,” he said dismissively, “but I will not let you if your parents do not agree.” It appears that he has made his final decision.
Aiden resembles our older brother in appearance. He is not the type of pal who will put up with your pranks. He does not mind our wacky ideas, but if it is something he knows is not good for us and will absolutely damage us, he will not allow us do it.
He always said that he did not want to lose Lyka”s and my Uncle”s trust in him. As a result, it is possible that”s why Lyka clashes with him so frequently.
Aiden is the disciplinarian, while Lyka is the one who gets into the most trouble. She was insistent then, as she is now, that we drink wine because we were not allowed to drink then because we were young.
Lyka took out her phone, and I noticed she dialed her father”s number. She even showed us what she was calling with a smile.
As Uncle answered his phone, she replied, “Hello, Dad. What are you doing?”
“Oh, so, Daddy, we are planning on celebrating the end of the first semester, and I kind of recommended that we drink wine because, you know, what is a celebration without wine, right?” she asked, smiling.
Her eyes glowed, and I could see how happy she was. Her and her father appear to be having a pleasant talk.
“Hi, Uncle Sandro! Can Anna drink as well? Aiden said he would not allow us drink unless we asked your permission,” she replied, a mischievous smirk on her face.
My eyes widened as I listened to what she had to say. She is chatting to Uncle Sandro, what the hell!
I hiss at her, “Hey! Who are you talking to?”
She simply rolled her eyes at me to silence me. What she was saying made me nervous. Oh no, I am scared Uncle will chastise me. If Uncle chastised me, Lyka would be doomed.
“Oh really, Uncle?” she exclaimed, smiling broadly. “Yes, Aiden is with us.”
Aiden and I exchanged glances due of her actions. When Lyka handed me her phone, I was taken aback.
I chuckle at her befuddlement. I have no idea what is going on in Lyka”s head. Her acts simply astounded me.
“Uncle Sandro wants to speak with you,” she added, an ugly grin on her face. As I took the phone she was offering me, I bit my lower lip.
I answered the phone and said, “Yes, Uncle? This is Anna.” As she ate the food she had ordered, I could see Lyka”s grin widen. When I see her almost choke, I roll my eyes at her. Aiden offered her a glass of water.
“Honey, concerning what Lyka told me, you are permitted to drink now that you are of legal age, but drink responsibly, okay?” Uncle Sandro stated over the phone.
What he said made me squirm. Lyka is the only one who enjoys drinking, eh? That is something I have never considered.
“Thank you, Uncle,” I said. “I will be home early, too, and we will go to Aiden”s by the way.”
Every time I go out with Lyka, I sound like this. Before departing, I always made sure to notify them. Uncle does not mind if I have a good time as long as I notify him when I am leaving. Normally, I notify and obtain permission from Aunt Lila first, and then Auntie instructs me to seek approval from Uncle Sandro.
“OK, honey. Do not commute home, okay? I will just have our driver pick you up. Text me when you are done, okay?” Uncle advised. “It is dangerous if you go home alone drunk.” Even if he does not see me, I nodded in agreement with what he said.
“All right, Uncle,” I said as I hung up the phone and handed it back to Lyka, who was grinning from ear to ear.
She exclaimed happily, “See? We can take a drink!”
Aiden shook his head at her, which I noticed. When he looks at her naughty daughter, he appears to be a difficult father. I had a good laugh at him. He then shifted his focus to me. Aiden”s eyes were wide with curiosity as he looked at me. In answer, I simply shook my head at him.
We were soon went out of our University since we have nothing left to do there.
Because our exam is over, we will not have school this afternoon. We will be off for a week during the semester. It is time for those with a lack of student outputs to turn to our professors to fill in the blanks. We do not have any problems with the school because all three of us have already submitted our paperwork.
Aiden”s car was our mode of transportation. We rode with him because he was the only one having a car for the three of us. We will start by going to the supermarket to get the supplies we will need for our upcoming celebration. We will go shopping for ingredients to make samgyupsal and other dishes.
“Hey, do you know how to cook?” Aiden inquires as he sorts through the vegetables we will need. Lyka was taken aback by what she had heard.
Lyka said, “I can cook!”
People were staring at us. Out of embarrassment, I immediately covered my face with the cabbage I was carrying. This woman”s mouth is truly unstoppable. She must have overlooked the fact that we were in a crowded environment.
She murmured softly, “I am just not sure if it is delicious.”
What she said made me squirm. This is not the first time Lyka and I have prepared a meal together. We enjoy picnics and cook on occasion.
Because we looked up what we wanted to make on the internet, I am still convinced that the picnic will be wonderful. Lyka stated she could cook, so I left the cooking to her.
That proves to be the worst decision I have ever made. The pig barbeque ultimately turned to charcoal, and I could not tell if the french fries were indeed french fries or a tree limb. She also cooked spaghetti at the time, however the pasta was scorched.
That memory made me shudder. I strongly disagreed with Lyka”s statement. I will never again make the mistake of entrusting any kitchen equipment to Lyka.
What I had previously experienced had swept me away. The stuff she cooks is not really food; it is more accurate to say that it is poison, because eating what she cooks will undoubtedly make your stomach hurt.
I screamed at Aiden, “No! We cannot let her cook!” I even gave a disapproving shake of my head. When I realized my voice had become too loud and others were gazing at us again, it was too late.
Aiden laugh loudly at what I said. My entire face flushed with humiliation. We were able to leave the location quickly because we had completed our shopping. Aiden and Lyka continued to make fun of me until we were in Aiden”s car.
I just stood there and let them laugh. We rushed over to Aiden”s house. We were able to contact his parents there. Her mother is wonderful and pleased to meet us. She welcomed us and told us to come to their house more often.