The Last String

|05| Late nights

|05| Late nights

Never did I expect that my plan will eventually fall into the right places. I didn't actually moved a muscle for it to come to life. I guessed G really wants to help me with my bargain with Him.

"How's your day, Miss Finn?" Carl the chauffeur asked as soon as I climbed into the limousine that he dearly drives. He looks quite friendly despite of being too formal (wayyyyy too formal). 

"It's quite good. I saw some friends and have one of them in my class." I said and smiled a little. I plopped my bag to my side and sat comfortably. I knotted my head when he didn't maneuver the steering wheel. 

"Are we waiting for someone else?" I asked. That's only the possible reason on why we aren't going home by now. He nodded gently and looked at me through the mirror. 

"I'm so sorry to inform you but you are sharing the limo with three other students. I believe you and them were in the same year level. They should be here now." He said in an apologetic manner. Sharing the ride is okay for me. I could just ignore them and mind my own damn business. 

"It's okay." I said. I closed my eyes shut to rest. First day of school is exhausting. All the classes proceeded with their discussions on the first unlike other schools where the classes normalize after a week. It's totally different. A good different. 

"Like duh? Totally different, I'd say." A voice interrupted my solitude and it sounds so familiar. Way too familiar. 

"That's why I'm in love at first sight! Aaah, she's an ideal yeoja chingu!" 

"I'm practically shipping her with my cousin!"

"Dream on, Maria. I'm way better than Wraith." 

Heavens. Is this really what you want?

"We both know that I'm way better than you, V." Gavin said. I can hear them because they practically stood outside the limousine. 

"Hi Carl! It's nice to see you again!" Maria chirped as I saw her grabbed the limousine's door. 

"Nice to see you again, Maria. And oh! Be nice to your new service mate."

"New service mate? Don't tell me..." she grabbed the door open and shrieked as soon as she saw me. 

"Finn! Oh my God I can't believe this!" She hugged my and sat beside me. Of all the seats inside this big limo, she purposely chose the seat beside me. She's a clingy one, I might say.

"Crussssh!" Taehyung, the korean dude, engulfed me in a bear hug. Imagine being sandwiched in a limousine, that's the actual depiction of what I am experiencing right now. 

"Guys, stop it. Can't you see she can't breathe?" Gavin pulled Taehyung off me and sat beside me leaving the poor korean dude slumped on the floor with his mouth gaping at us. It looks like any moment from now he will cry his a*s out. 

He’s such a cutie but definitely not my type. 

“Thanks Gavin,” I mumbled and chuckled a little. Maria, who still clings at me like a cute koala, shrieked which made me a little jumpy in shock. 

“You guys are so cute! Oh em gee my ship is sailing!” Maria poked my sides and I wiggled as it tickles the hell out of me. Gosh! She’s so energetic! 

The limousine started to run with Taehyung still slumped on the floor with his lips tugged down in a sad pout. He’s such a kid! Maria and Taehyung will make a crazy couple if they end up together. 

“Sit on the couch, V.” Gavin said in a bored way. Still pouting, Taehyung sat on the couch adjacent to ours. 

“If his name is Taehyung then his English name must’ve start with V since you call him that.” I told Gavin as I’m curious on why he kept on calling Taehyung V. Gavin nodded with a smirk on his face. 

“His English name is Vincent but Maria and I call him V. Both Taehyung and Vincent is a long name.” I stared at him deadpanned. Long? They both have two syllables! Maria’s name, despite of having lesser letters, has three syllables which made it longer. 

“How about your name? Shall I call you Wraith instead?” I asked. Gavin then shook his head with his lips forming into a lopsided grin. 

“Call me Gavin,” he said. 

Confused, I asked why I should call him with his first name and surprisingly, I didn’t expect his answer.

“Call me Gavin so I’ll know it’s you.”

Fuck my heart. 

***

“So you’re telling me that you live alone in that enormous penthouse?” Maria asked as soon as I keyed in the password to my condo unit. With a small smile, I nodded my head.

“Aren’t you lonely?” Taehyung asked me as I open the door wide. Without second thoughts, I shook my head and gestured them to come inside.

“I’m used to being alone so it doesn’t bother me anymore. Besides, I learned to like my solitude.” I said and laid my backpack at the nearby couch at the living room. 

“If that’s the case then let’s have our dinner at our unit tonight!” Maria said exciting lunch. 

The condo unit where the three of them stays at is the one next door meaning they are my neighbors and we basically own the floor to ourselves. Maybe having them as my neighbor isn’t bad at all. 

The three of them bid goodbyes and told me that I should come over once I’m done changing. Since this will be my first time coming over to someone’s house, I feel bad going there without a food in my hand so I had to whip something out to bring some foods over. 

Thankfully, I know a thing or two about cooking but I don’t know if they’ll like it because it’s a Filipino dish called Pork Adobo or braised pork in soy sauce. It’s a dish every Filipino household knows and it’s basically one of the trademark Filipino dishes. 

I hope they’ll like it. 

After all the cooking, I washed up and clad myself in sweatpants and tank top with my hoodie on.

With a tray in my left hand, I pushed the door bell and patiently wait for it to open. 

Seconds later, a freshly showered Gavin welcomed me with his scent lingering in the air intoxicating the hell out of me. He smells so good. 

“Hey, Sera.” He grabbed the tray from me and ushered me to come inside their unit. Well, the structure is not much different from mine but the color scheme of their interior is pretty cool almost like a bachelor’s pad maybe because there are two guys living here and Maria doesn’t mind the decors that much. 

“Nice home,” I commented. He smirked at me and led the way towards their dining area where I found Taehyung and Maria setting up the table with lots of foods on the table. 

“Oh, you’re here!” Maria squealed excitedly. She threw her apron to Taehyung who’s seriously setting the table up and the latter groaned in annoyance. 

“Maria Smith!” He shouted in frustration. Maria only sticks her tongue out to annoy Taehyung more. They are so cute. 

“I’ve brought food.” I said and pointed at the tray Gavin was holding and now placing the large bowl on the dining table. “It’s nothing much just a Filipino food.” 

“C’mon guys let’s eat I’m starving to death!” Taehyung dramatically said and gave Maria and I a desperate look. I laughed at his antics and Maria grabbed my arm and made me sit beside Gavin with her sitting on the adjacent seat. 

“Eat a lot, Finn. Wraith only cooks once in a blue moon so I’ll suggest that you should eat a lot tonight.” Maria said obviously teasing her cousin who looks so smug yet shy beside me. Gavin gave me lots of foods on my plate including the steak that he grilled and the gimbap and bibimbap that Taehyung made. 

Our dinner went well with all the teasing Maria gave me and the banters that Taehyung and her created with Gavin adding the fuel to their raging soul to get into each other’s nerves. Watching them made me happy and it’s a good kind of happiness. 

“So you’re saying that you’ve gone like to every school in New Jersey?” Taehyung gaped at me with his mouth hung wide open. “You can’t really judge a book with its cover!” 

“They don’t like me so I give them back the same energy.” I shrugged like it’s nothing. 

“I didn’t peg you for that kind of girl but I like you as you are anyway.” Maria said and it kind of warmed my heart. No one has ever told me that they like me as I am. I’ve always been Finn Gray, the rich kid they should befriend with. 

Finn Gray, the lonely b***h. 

Finn Gray, the girl who doesn’t make friends. 

Finn Gray, the rude girl. 

My qualities are not likeable and I am very much aware of that and having Maria who knows me only for a span of two weeks and telling me that she likes me as I am made me realize that having friends is a good thing. That friendship is not about how long or short we have met but the relationship inside those times. 

With beers, chicken, and stories, we’ve spent our late nights together with lots of bickering, banters and laughters. With a smile, I crossed out my second and third bargain in my mind and silently thanked God for making me this happy. 

#

end of chapter five