“Come on, you need to drink your medicine,” she told her brother Timothy as she tried to give it to him but he kept refusing. She sighed and looked down tiredly before standing up from her seat and handing the spoon to Philippe and gesturing him to their youngest brother.
The temperature of the city has been increasing and decreasing lately and the rapid changes are making her sick as well. Her brother is already having a hard time because he’s currently on medication for a while after their hospital visit the other day and she doesn’t want to be sick so she can work.
She stepped outside their house and sat down on the concrete floor as the wind blew her hair. She sighed and looked up at the cloudy sky before looking down at her feet.
“Such a lovely afternoon.” She looked up and saw William looking down at her while his hands were in his pocket. She stood up with a questioning look on her face. “Why are you here?” she asked and he shrugged.
“Is it bad to visit a friend?” He smirked and she shook her head. While they were standing outside, three more people came in their direction. She confusedly looked at Chris and his sister and Grian.
Both Chris and Grian are wearing polo shirts but Chris wore black while Grian wore white while they also matched pants. Nikki, on the other hand, is wearing a skirt and a green t-shirt.
“Uh? Why are you all here too?” she questioned and the three shrugged as well before Nikki went next to William. “Hi, you look cute,” she complimented and her brother hit her on the head. Will laughed and shook his head and Chris glared at him.
“I love the nails, by the way,” she continued and looked at his nails that were colored black.
“Didn’t we agree that you’ll check out Nikki’s dresses for the party?” Grian reminded and her mouth agape before she nodded.
“Where’s Phil?” Nikki asked and she pointed at their door. “Phil! Come out for a moment!” Fatima shouted and a couple of seconds later, Philippe went outside. Nikki waved at him happily and he awkwardly smiled. He looked around and found that everyone was there.
“What’s up?” he asked and Nikki went by his side and held his arm. “Come on, come to the party with me, pretty please?” she requested with puppy eyes and he removed her grasp on him. Everyone’s light bulb in their head lit up.
(So he was the one she wanted to go with,) they all thought except for William who had no idea what was going on.
“Come on, why don’t you want to go?” she asked like a kid and he sighed.
“I’m embarrassed, okay? I have nothing to wear. I’ll look like an idiot trying to belong there,” he whispered to her that no one else could hear. Her heart broke when she heard why he was so persistent in not going with them.
“Can we get Phil a suit too?” Nikki asked with both her eyebrows raised and with a slight smile.
THEY DROVE FOR two hours till they arrived at Nikki and Christopher’s parent’s house. Fatima’s heartbeat was going rapid as they pulled over at the parking space. She started hyperventilating and Grian wrapped his arms around her and asked, “Is everything okay?” She nodded and tried to catch her breath.
Memories from years ago started to haunt her. They tried calling her but their voices were muffled by her. “Fatima,” Phil called out and she tried to hold onto something.
“Can we go elsewhere?”
Christopher, who’s driving the car, drove them to Grian’s house instead. They let Fatima sit down for a minute before Christopher handed her water. He went on his knees and looked at her. “What happened, are you good?” She nodded and drank some water.
“I just, I don’t know. Panic attack,” she said and he looked up at the other three. William sat next to her and massaged her back. “Why don’t you and your sister go and grab the clothes for them?” he suggested and Chris wasn’t fond of the idea.
“I’m not leaving her here.”
“Give her space,” Will said as his jaw tightened.
“Come on, let’s just go,” Nikki said and pulled her brother. Christopher, Nikki, and Grian went outside the house and before the siblings got to their car, Grian stopped them to ask a question.
“Was there ever a bad memory at your house?” he asked while he had his hands in his pocket. Christopher stopped and turned to look at him.
[Flashback Start]
“I’m going home!” She screamed as he tried to stop her. They both stopped in front of his house as the sky became cloudy. He held her hand as she tried to get away from him.
“Please, Fatima. Let’s just go back inside, I’ll drive you home, okay?” He tried convincing his girlfriend but she kept refusing.
“Your mother was belittling me and you didn’t even do anything,” she said furiously and he clenched his jaw.
“I-I’m sorry. She’s my mother-“
“That doesn’t mean she can just belittle someone else like that! I may just be your girlfriend but I’m a person too! I couldn’t hold back my words because she couldn’t hold hers either!”
“Fatima..”
“Go inside, I’ll talk to you when I feel like it.”
[Flashback End]
“We’ll go now,” Chris said before he and his sister walked to his car. Grian went back inside and saw the boys and Fatima sitting next to each other and comforting her. He sat down across from the three and rested his head by leaning on the couch.
“I should avoid him,” Fatima whispered and sighed. Grian looked at her and raised an eyebrow.
“Chris?” he asked and she nodded.
“Uhm.. why don’t we talk about something else for now?” Philippe suggested and looked at Will and Grian while nodding profusely. Grian stood up and grabbed some juice from the kitchen and handed each of them a glass.
“It’s orange juice,” he said before drinking from his glass.
“So, what party are you guys going to?” William asked and Grian handed him a card regarding the party and he nodded. “I’m going there as well,” he said, raising questions in Grian’s head.
“Who are you with?” He took a sip from his glass.
“A man, just my type,” William answered and he almost choked on his drink. He took a look at Will before gulping. “Problem?” Will asked and he shook his head.
“I just... didn’t think you’re into men,” he said. William looks like the type of guy that can steal your girlfriend but in reality, he can steal both girlfriends and boyfriends.
“If you want to have fun, hit me up,” he teasingly said to Grian and winked at him seductively. Grian blinked a couple of times before shaking his head profusely as he tried getting the idea out of his head. He stood up from his seat and drank more orange juice, making both Fatima and Philippe laugh.
After Fatima calmed down and got her composure again, she and Grian stepped out of the house while the other two watched a movie on his big television. “Your house is huge,” she commented and he chuckled.
(That’s not the only thing that’s huge,) he joked to himself but decided not to tell Fatima.
“Yeah, I saved up a lot of money for it,” he answered before putting his hands in his pocket. Fatima smiled and looked up at his three-story house. From the outside, the house already looks sophisticated and once you enter, it’s even more impressive.
“One day, I’ll be able to save up,” she said and wrinkled her nose.
“I believe you can,” he said.
The pair stood outside in silence before he handed her a small box. She stared at the black box before looking at him. “Are you proposing?” she joked and he chuckled and shook his head.
“It’ll be fancier if I was,” he murmured before she grabbed the box and opened it. His eyebrows raised as he waited for a reaction. “The heck? This is expensive! Don’t tell me you’re giving this to me?” she questioned with widened eyes and he shrugged. She looked at the gold necklace with a heart pendant to what seemed to have a gemstone inside.
“All yours,” he said and smiled.
“Grian...” she said as she stared at his gift.
“I want you to wear it to the party,” he said and she wrinkled her nose as she looked at him. He grabbed the box and took the necklace out of it. “Let me put it on you,” he said and she turned around and gulped. He leaned forward and put the necklace around her and her heart started to beat fast. The time seemed to slow down as he fixed it on the back. She breathed heavily as she waited for him to finish.
After he put the necklace on, she turned around, revealing the sparkling necklace. “Looks perfect,” he said and charmingly smiled. She stared at him as she held the pendant of the necklace and her heart beating fast.
“Make sure to wear that to the party,” he said and winked.
CHRISTOPHER AND NIKKI were about to pull up next to Grian’s house when he saw him putting something on around Fatima’s neck. He stopped his car and stared at the two and his jaw clenched. He stared at them with mixed emotions in his eyes.
He took a deep breath before he continued driving and pulled over near his house. He exited the car and grabbed the clothes from the back and walked to the house with no emotions in his eyes. Nikki followed behind him and called Fatima and Grian to go inside as well.
“So I’m not really sure what will look better on you and what would fit so I brought a lot of dresses,” Nikki explained as Fatima looked at the mountain of clothes. “You think?” she asked sarcastically.
“Let’s step out for a minute?” Christopher asked Grian while not looking at him. Grian furrowed his eyebrows as he watched his friend exit this house and he confusedly followed behind. He put his hand in his pocket as they went near the garden.
“What’s up?”
“Do you like her?” he asked right away.
“I’m unsure, but I do feel like I’m starting to. Again.” Christopher sighed and closed his eyes and stretched his arm.
“Why?” he asked Grian.
“I thought I just missed her because she’s an old friend but I’m starting to feel something else again,” he explained.
After the two had a long chat outside, once they went back inside, they both saw Fatima wearing a sparkling red dress that’s tight around her waist but flows perfectly on the waist down. Fatima twirled around as she looked at herself in the mirror and Nikki clapped happily. “So pretty!” she exclaimed.
“That looks great, Fatima,” Chris said and she looked at him and smiled a little before looking at the mirror again.
“You should definitely wear that. I didn’t realize we almost have the same exact size,” Nikki said and chuckled.
“I didn’t know you can be pretty,” William teased and she rolled her eyes. She looks at Grian who wasn’t talking at all, waiting to see if he has any reactions but there was none.
“Dumbfounded?” Phil asked as he appeared wearing a suit and Nikki looked at him in awe and wrapped her arms around him as he tried getting away from her.
Grian walked to Fatima and Chris only watched as he did so. He stood in front of the mirror and looked at their reflection and smiled. “This reminds me of years ago,” he said and chuckled and she raised an eyebrow.
“Prom,” he said and she nodded.
“I miss the old times,” she said.
“I do as well, but I’d like to think this is our new beginning. Starting over from zero again. Getting to know each other once more, catching up on the years lost.” Grian said and looked at her eyes in the mirror.