Housemates with Benefits

Chapter Three

We just finished a reporting from our social studies. I am very well aware that I did great from our presentation in addendum to the praises I have received from my fellow classmates as well as from my professor. I am actually not fond of explaining especially if it is about myself. I hated the fact that I have to explain every action and decision I should make, that if I ever fall in love with someone I want it to be someone who recognizes the reasons behind me, who understand the language I speak, and sees the unspoken words I evoke. The need to always explain is such an endless tiring life and I don’t want to live one. Or perhaps someone who doesn’t ask why could also be an ideal one. But then it’s just my preference rather my delusional fantasy.

Everybody is now settling down and I have noticed that despite my great performance, their elated conversations with me, I’m still alone. All of them went to their own circle, some are gathering to talk about their anxiety from presenting on the crowd, some went outside to probably eat snacks, some are playing with their phones of course with their friends, but here I am, alone in my seat.

Anyway, I don’t really know if I could classify myself as an introvert, but I have always been comfortable of being alone. But I am actually easy to get along with, I make jokes, I am not having a hard time to mingle during groupings, I am approachable as well, I even lend hands to my block mates, I just don’t have specific person to hang out with in my course. But it’s okay, I have never minded that. Because I have always been busy making an ends meet. I have to work to have an extra bucks, I cannot afford going to newly shops which almost cost a week of my allowance, I have to be thrifty and I have to study well. And if I write a book about myself, it would likely as boring as hell. My story would only revolves from studying, eating, working, sleeping and the cycle goes on.

I was about to pull out a book from my bag when I heard someone shouting my name, so loud that everybody freeze their eyes to me. I don’t even need to look who the culprit was, I gathered my things pushing to my bag and went to the door.

“You surely want attention right?” I plastered a fake smile to his nonchalant face.

“That’s actually for you, looks like no one wants to be your friend out there,” he set a deadpan face to me.

“This can’t get any worse. Can it?” someone grimaced from my side and it was Easton and beside him is the good looking president lister of the Engineering department, Raven. Although, I actually knew that the three of them belong to one circle. Now thinking about it, I feel giddy for such a forbidden thought.

I slowly snaked my hands to Keegan’s arm, encircling my arms to it then slightly squeezing it. His eyes dropped to my arms and his expression darkened, he looked away from me and I even saw him tilting his head.

Anyway, now that I’ve noticed it, they are all good looking human beings, such a blessings from heaven. Raven matched his raven straight hair, with his eyes like a hawk that people won’t ever think that he have a geek side of himself. He always have this aura on him like some untouchable beast that he no one could approach him that even girls wouldn’t be around him. However, his silence was perfect to how noisy this two cousins with him, I don’t even know how they became friends, to how they managed to let him follow and hang out with them, just can’t imagine. So let’s say they are my own kind of Powerpuff girls.

Easton have an angular cheekbones, a curly chocolate hair that girls would get hang up from raking their fingers along it on a lazy afternoon, matched with his kind eyes a perfect prince charming from all time fairy tales. I can’t deny that he could be every girls dream except that I actually know that he is a game addict. I don’t even know how they really call it, but he is always playing on his computer. I could only distinguish some characters kicking around the bush then some kind of lightnings that I don’t really give a s**t. I understand that it must be fun, but playing it to skip dinner, and facing their desktops until dawn is such a questionable thing for me. They are the same with his cousin.

This huge man beside me, that is probably a six footer whom towering on a 5’1 beautiful young lady, and that’s me. As we walk inside the cafeteria side by side, I can see his intense gaze roaming inside searching for a vacant table. I’ve noticed how his protruding jawbones made him look manly and how deceitful his appearance to his actual identity. He always have this authority from the way he walk, he talk even just him looking nonchalantly.

I nudge him so his gaze would shift to me and before I could open my mouth he slowly lowers his head, letting his ear face my face. My eyes widen at his sudden movement, my cheeks flushed from embarrassment, shallow breaths from suddenly having a mental block that I only came back from my senses when he mumbled, “what?”

“Don’t you find Raven hot?” I even stammered. “Coz I really think he’s such a hottie… and I really think you’re such a hottie,” I whispered into Keegan’s ear, singing a lyric from a music I heard on t****k.

He stand up straightly and looked at me like I’m not drinking my medicines again. “What the f ck?” he hissed then pulling me on a table where his friends are already seated.

“I mean where both interested with guys, like what is really your type?” he can hint the insinuating in my voice as I tried continuing the conversation but instead of answering he went into ordering our food with Raven completely ignoring me. Seems like he’s done with it.

“Don’t you think there’s something going on with Keegan and Raven?” I tried fishing same ideas from Easton who’s sitting across the table from me and he just narrowed his eyes confused with my question before showing me his perfect teeth. He throw his head back and even clap his hands, is there a dolphin show?

“You’re really funny, Adelaide.” he’s laughing loudly that I know for sure people near our table are watching the clown of him. When he’s laughing died he shrugged. “I don’t know, you figure it out. Although, I’m sure everybody knows except for you.”

Before I could ask what does he mean by it, they already came with the trays on their hand. “Here strawberry cake, I heard you did well on your presentation.” He told me before sitting down beside me. The two guys across the table are watching us as they settle down their food. Cakes are actually my favorite food, my comfort food. A huge smile formed across my face that I almost hug him. “You know that I love you right?” I told him emotionally almost hyperventilating and went straight to devour it.

I saw the corner of his lips raising before they talk about some video games again, and yeah even Raven is an addict.

I was walking in the hallway, it isn’t packed by students because classes are dismissed twenty minutes ago. I just came from the school library just finished my duty. I also earn some keeps through the help of the principal by having a scholarship and doing some little work by helping the school librarians.

As I was walking my phone rings, I fished it out from my pocket and saw that it was my mother.

“Hello mom, I miss you!” I exclaimed, “I miss you too, darling.” she answered.

“How are you, are my sisters already home? Tell them I miss them so much too mom.” I exhaled deeply. I suddenly missed home.

“I will, I will,” she shortly answered.

“I’m currently on my way to work. Do you need to say something, mom?” I love my mom but she rarely calls me. She only calls when she have a news.

“Adelaide darling, I’m really sorry. I tried finding solutions about it, maybe alternatives but I failed. Now we’re in a mess. I’m so sorry.” I could hear frustrations and stress lingering on my mother’s voice but I can’t understand a thing. “Tell me on the language I speak, mom. What do you mean? Explain it clearly.”

But instead of telling me she gave me a bomb, “I can’t give you allowance for next months or probably more coming months.” I responded immediately, “Why? What happened?”

“Don’t worry I won’t dump you the baggage. Just know that I love you and I’m sorry for this. But I believe on you, and I know that you could handle yourself there. Take care, darling.” she said softly hanging up the call before I could even answer.

She could at least tell me the reason, good thing, I have save enough money but won’t be enough for the next few months. I hate being poor so much. It have always been tiring. Walking slowly while hanging my head low, I sigh deeply and loudly. If next life do really exist, I hope I would be born on a wealthy family and not the eldest among my siblings. I have enough sacrifices and struggles in this life, please give me a better days.

And because of my own misery, I bump into another dilemma. Someone drop his butt of cigarette exactly in front of me, rather in front of my shoes. We both glance into each other, looking straightly into the eye of one another. He have a messy hair, with chains on his neck, are students allowed to wear those in school? There’s even a piercing on his ears and his nose, he’s wearing a black big shirt and his ash gray hair is very noticeable. He smirked at me, lowering his gaze from my eyes down to my shoes then going back again to my head. Is he checking me out?

What a weird guy.

Before I could even leave him the school dean came toward us pointing the cigarette butt in between us.

“Both of you, give me your ID’s!” he shouted and I suddenly remember what Easton said. ‘This day can’t get worse, can it?’

“I could explain, sir.” I tried calming him down but the fuel was added by the loud laughters of this i***t.

“Come on, you’re just going to betray me? You’re such a bad friend,” the corner of his mouth raising.

“I don’t even know you, like what are you talking about?” I snorted but interrupted again.

“Enough! Both of you come to my office now! How dare you smoke in the school grounds and have the courage to still stay even after the school hours. You guys think no one would catch you? You think this is awesome and will make you a cool kid, no!”

We’re not even kids anymore. I have no choice but to follow him into his office. I will not get a record just because of this guy. I look beside me, and saw his expression darkened while his hands are on his pockets. When he finally noticed that I’m looking back on him he shook his head smirking and now walking faster than me. I heard him said in a low voice although I do not know if I have heard him clearly but he said…

“I have been looking for you just to meet you in such a ridiculous situation. Is this what they call serendipity?”