Elena
Throughout my drive home, I was thinking of him. His grey eyes, picturing the way his lips mouthed those words, and how he pronounced that I am stuck with him for the next ‘two weeks’.
Strangely, I continue to think about him even when I halt the car and slowly walk upstairs to my room. I find a hint of smile on my lips for no valid reason.
” Elen is that you?” Mom calls from downstairs. I’m just a step away from my room. Her voice storms me out of my crazy thoughts, I turn to see her she has baby Emerson in her arms.
” Yes, mom.” I let a smile spread out on my lips.
” Could you help me with your baby brother? I have some stuff to do in the kitchen.” She requests, tossing him to her right arm when it seems she was tired of holding him with her left.
” Yes mom, give him to me.” I smile, going down the staircase to take up baby Emerson.
” Hello, handsome.” I puke his nose a little and give his tiny finger a little kiss.
He laughs out and it’s so cute. ” I think he misses you,” Mom says, giving me his feeding bottle and turning back towards the kitchen.
I’m about to climb back upstairs when something flashes up in my mind. ” Hey, mom. Seen Ella?” I ask, and she turns to listen to me.
” I haven’t since she left for school. She probably is with her friends. You know she’s growing into an adult soon. You all actually.” She smiles. I take up what she says and nod.
” Well, she hasn’t spoken to me like the real Ella I know. Mom, do you think she’s changed?” A little doubt is growing in my mind.
” I don’t know, I don’t think so.” She answers from the kitchen.
” Not even a little?” I squint my eyes, biting down the lower side of my teeth.
” No Elen, maybe I haven’t noticed. I have been too occupied lately with Emerson, you know?” Her brow climbs up her face. That’s right, my bad for asking so much from her. She hasn’t had free time around, all her attention has been on this cutie in my arms.
” Well bye, I’m off to my room. Emerson is also saying bye.” I laugh kissing his chubby cheek before I finally climb up to my room.
I put baby Emmy on the bed, building an edge around him with my pillows, in case he tries to roll off. Since his crib is not in my room, using my pillow is the next option.
I give him his pacifier to play with it, while I go on to change my clothes and take a quick bath.
It’s a quick bath, I roll my hair into a ponytail then go to my closet to find a short and a crop top I could wear for the night.
I’m done wearing the clothes when baby Emerson’s laughter draws my attention. I stare at him but he seems to be laughing at me as his blue eyes shines.
It’s cute, I laugh along. Hoping on the bed as I throw him into my arms. I get a pillow to rest on, so I pull him up to my belly. He stares at me smiling and sucking on his pacifier. I guess this is enough beauty to make my night tonight.
I stroke his back and sing a soft lullaby for him until he finally falls asleep on my belly.
” Good night, Emerson.” I kiss his chubby cheek and lay him close to me. I turn off everything that might disturb our sleep, the lights and including my phone. Well, it has been silent since I was in the library and I haven’t bothered to check it.
I wouldn’t, I am too busy with Emerson in my arms and too tired to lay my hands on that phone.
Again, this dude’s words swirled in my head. I smile up to my ceiling as if I had been drunk on something. Something that makes you smile as though you are insane.
I shut my eyes close to letting myself sleep, and Emmy is already fast asleep.
..
I’m surprised that Emmy is awake before me. I woke up to meet his shiny blue eyes staring at me and of course smiling.
” Hey, good morning Emmy. Did you sleep at all?” I rise from the pillow underneath my head.
He doesn’t speak yet, he just laughs. Very cute laughter and the silly thing that comes to my mind was giving birth already! Babies are so cute, I’m craving to have my own. I know it sounds crazy at this age, but I just laughed at the silly thoughts.
I check what the time says and I’m fucking getting late for school already. Jumping abruptly off my bed as I slip Emmy into my arms and storm out of my room. ” Let’s take you to mom, Emmy. I need to prepare for school.” I kiss his soft cheek.
I knock on mom’s door and she comes to open it as I throw him into her arms and run off to my room without kissing him goodbye for the day.
I prepare for school, grab my backpack and begin to run downstairs. I hop into my car when my phone pings.
Since the message pops up on my screen there is no need for opening the message before I see the content. I just read it directly from the screen.
Tyson: It’s your first day of the two weeks. You wouldn’t want to be late, Elen. See you soon.
I bite down the bottom of my lips, he is sending me a reminder text? I say in my head and laugh. Reversing my car out of the parking lot.
I drive into the school park and stop my car. When I step out it was when I heard the second bell rings. I’m late, but is there any difference since I’m not attending class for the next two weeks?
I take my backpack out of my car, slamming the door close. I see students running to their classes while I just walk steadily heading to the library. I don’t expect to see Tyson there because he ought to be in his class.
He shouldn’t be in the library because he might get caught. You can’t be in the library during class period unless you are sent there, or it’s a library period for your entire class.
It is silent again as I walk inside, and slam the door shut behind me. Nobody is inside, I walk to the table and drop my bag on it. I take out the chair so I could settle down when I hear his voice…
” You took so long, Elen.” his voice bored again. I wonder where his voice is coming from, I didn’t see him in his previous position so I assumed he wasn’t around.
” You are here?” I ask, scanning around to find his face in the room.
” Maybe we don’t have to look too far when we are desperate to find something, sometimes it is closer than we think. I am beside your desk Elen, just take your eyes down.” He smiles, scrubbing his nose slightly as he tries to get up.
” What are you doing down there?” My eye widens, stuffing the laughter. It’s crazy and so funny finding him underneath the table.
” Not to get caught, so I can spend time with you here.” He stands up fully and wipes his hands free of dust.
” What took you so long, I’ve been waiting over two hours for you under the table,” he says sincerely, his enormous grey eyes meeting mine.
” Are you so serious about spending the two weeks with me?” I’m sure I felt the sparks flies in his words that aroused a soft spot suddenly for him in my heart.
” Yes, you might be too bored to be here all by yourself,” he says and grabs a seat opposite mine, dropping his hands on the same table I have my books on.
” What about you? You need to attend class, the exam is soon.” My eyes soften.
” Well, it wouldn’t be bad if I study with you here and do everything with you,” he says, before I say another word he drags up his bag from the floor and draws out his books from it, then places them on my table.
He is sure serious about spending these two weeks with me because now he came along with his books.
I don’t say anything anymore, I just gently sit on my seat and stare all through at him as if he was a poster plastered on my wall. ” Why are you staring? Come on start reading.” he smiles.
I smile too picking up my book, he brings a chocolate bar from his bag and hands me one, ” you might want some? It helps while reading.” I nod, taking it from his hands. His behaviour had me staring at him the whole time. I didn’t picture Tyson to be like this all this while, caring and serious-minded when he wants to be.
I’m curious, I feel like I would die if I don’t ask him. ” D-do you still smoke Tyson?” I ask him. He takes his eyes off his book, gives me a stare then grins.
” Can you stop breathing?” He asks. I shake my head trying to comprehend what he means by the question.
” So?” I furrow.
” Smoking is like breathing for me. I can’t stop it.” He says honestly. A frown unknowingly settles on my face, to show that aspect of his life, I’m not pleased with it.
” Sorry, I can see you are disappointed. You are wondering why I’m not smoking now?” He asks, just about to ask the same question so he beats me to it.
” Because of you. I don’t want you choking, so you can put it this way, I’m not breathing because I am with a pretty girl. I wouldn’t like to harm her lungs.” he smiles, always smiling since I started coming to the library. Or maybe I never noticed his smile. Let’s put it this way, ‘ the boy whose alluring smile was never noticed’ by Elena..
I hear footsteps all of a sudden.
” Hey, hey. I think you should go back to your hiding place. Someone is coming.” I whisper in alert to him and he suddenly gets up from the seat and runs back under the table where I saw him.
The steps are closer. Whoever it is, is already at the door pushing it open to reveal herself. It’s Miss Shepard.
I stands on my feet immediately after I saw her. ” Hi miss Shepard,” I say calmly.
She doesn’t respond but looks around making sure I’m alone. My chest tightens from the fear that Tyson will be caught and I will be left all alone here.
Honestly, his presence here has made me much better and deep down I wouldn’t want him to leave but this is something I can’t admit to him yet.
” Are you okay?” she notice my nervousness. I nod slowly that I am okay.
” Good then. I came to tell you about your assignment.” She says, anticipating what it is.
” I wouldn’t want to make it easy for you, so write a love essay. What does falling in love means?” she states and a big frown settles on my face. Where the heck did she find that from? I’m confused at first because I don’t know how love feels. I don’t think I have fallen in real love, despite I have mates. I don’t know what love is.
” What?” I exclaim.
” Do you mean me this much to give me such a hard task?” I think I raise my voice this time because I don’t know if giving detention isn’t enough punishment for me.
” I’m sorry, Elen. You just have to write the essay, if you don’t write it. Your two weeks’ detention might be extended. Bye for now.” She states and charges out of the room.
Anger wraps up my entire veins, I want to fucking scream out but I feel something invisible holding my neck tight not to scream because this place is deafening silence.
Too quiet to make a noise.