The End of Era

Eraleah

Chapter 11: Eraleah

~ Era ~

Then

"By the way, you play it so smoothly," I said as we are walking side by side. The road is slightly dim because it's already 7 in the evening. Honestly, I didn't assume that the practice would take more than an hour. I thought 30 minutes will do. I guess I have never really been knowledgeable enough about sports or any extracurricular activities.

Well, this dance festival is different. Because this is going to be my first time participating.

Loki did a lot in the gym while I was sitting pretty on one of the bleachers.

It's not boring especially when I can vaguely see him sweating while looking so good at the same time.

"What?" He asked perplexed. I shook my head and laughed. What is he thinking? I'm talking about his practice game. I take a glimpse of him.

Since we are walking side by side, I can smell his sweat. But it's not pungent. His smell is very masculine like a mix of something rusty and musky. I suddenly wonder what shower gel he used to smell like that.

"I mean, the ball game practice," I said looking forward to the side road we are walking.

I heard him laugh and mimicked the word ball game practice.

"Well, that's because I badly wanted to play basketball." He said it like he already memorized this statement and said it for the one-hundredth time. Though I saw him smiled after he said that. Still inspired huh.

"Do you usually walk home every day after school?" I asked him to change the topic. I mean, c'mon if I were him, I would rather wait for a bus than walk after having a game ball practice.

The stars are shining as I look up into the dark sky. It's a full moon. How lovely to see the moon at night like this? It was captivatingly aesthetic.

I smiled.

I heard him fake a cough. So, I look up at him, but he looked away.

"Yeah, I really like walking. I heard that it kind of makes you intelligent." He said it confidently and manage to smile at me showing his perfect white teeth.

I chuckled.

He sounds and looks hilarious. Suddenly, he frowned looking ahead of us. I saw how his thick brows moved. Maybe, he never thought that I would laugh and made fun of him after saying that. Well, what should I do? He really sounded like a fanboy. I shook my head at that thought. I know I shouldn't laugh at that. I get it. He is serious.

"Really? Where did you hear that from?" I asked again to show my interest.

My uniform still looks good on me. I wonder what I would look after our practice. Probably, I'm soaking wet from sweat. I wish I wouldn't look stingy.

I heard him sigh as he answered.

"Albert Einstein." His voice is deep. I nod even when he's still looking straight ahead of us.

His hair was a bit damp. I saw it clearly as we passed a generic drug store where it has all the blinding lights.

"You're kidding me." I look at him as we walk slowly.

"No, It's true." He glances at me assuring me that he did not tell a lie.

"So, you want to appear intelligent? Is that it?" I asked him. I sounded more like I'm taunting him than being pious to the topic.

Cars are passing. People are walking. The city lights are highlighting the night making it look honorable.

I smell the cold and wet nights of December. How inspiring.

Unexpectedly, I remembered the quote from a book I have read before. It says let city lights guide you home. Now, it's happening. I can feel how alive nights can be, how colorful and bright, and makes you homesick.

"What do you mean appear? Am I not intelligent for you?" He said it casually. My appreciation for the city lights was paused because I laugh so hard at his comment. He laughed too. Probably he's just joking. Our movements became slow and shallow because of our moments of laughing.

It has been a minute before he started the conversation again.

"I never saw you laugh so hard before. You look better when you're happy." He said while observing my expression. I show him a small smile, feeling a little bit uncomfortable after. I guess, he knew that I would feel uncomfortable from what he said that's why he added, "Most of the people do".

I look around the people who are walking silently, mindless of all the strangers walking past them.

I take a moment to think of my answer.

"You mean I don't look pretty?" I asked joking around. I don't want to say a lot. I want to keep things casual as much as possible.

"No! of course not." He said defensively. I glance at him, and he looks taken aback by my question like he never expected me to ask him that.

"I was just calling you out, silly." I stifle a laugh.

I heard him say oh.

There's a stoplight. And so, we stop walking and let the cars drive through the pedestrian lane.

"I never thought you can talk and be like this, you know, going with the flow. I mean, you're more sensible than I thought you are." His gaze at me is overwhelming as he said that.

Currently, we are facing each other under a traffic light. I can hear how active nights can be like tonight. But I can't deny the fact that my body is acting weird over this guy's gaze.

His eyes are deeply looking at me. Good thing, I managed to blink and take a breath.

"Uhm, you mean, I always look dumb? And lame? And stupid?" I tried to think of a more fascinating answer to that, but I found none. Those are the only words that escaped from my mouth.

I tightly closed my eyes after I said that. Purely embarrassed. I answered it like a kid, a juvenile behavior.

I opened my eyes and he's still looking at me, puzzled.

"Forgive me, I shouldn't have said that." I opened my mouth to say something, but the people start walking to the pedestrian lane which means the stoplight changed to green.

I couldn't say more. We started to walk again.

Seriously is his house too far? My feet are aching now, wanted to be at rest.

I knew we should have taken a bus. And if we did, we would never get to that conversation, I would not have sounded like a brat complaining.

"Is your house still a block away?" I asked.

He stooped and looked at me.

"No, we are here." He said and showed a small smile.

I look around their house. It looks sophisticated. It has a white picket fence, and I can see an organized Chinese bamboo on its front lawn. The house is not so big, it's cute.

I smiled at him and he motioned me to enter their house from the picket fence.

"Wow, your house looks very serene."

"Wait for me I'll just change then we can talk about the bolero you are talking about." He said as he put his bag on one of the seats on their sofa. "Take a seat please." He said before walking upstairs. The inside of their house is very refreshing and clean. It is a two-story building that's very classy. I take a seat on the sofa and glance at the picture frames displayed on the wall.

It's a picture of Loki in a boy scout attire. Beside it, is a picture of a beautiful woman. I think it's his mother. Their features look the same aside from the color of their eyes.

I look around the pictures to have a look at his father, but I found none.

He never known his father or maybe his father died? But if it is, there should still be a picture of him, right?

I stopped thinking when I heard a clinking sound from the doorway. Oh no. It must be Loki's mom.

I saw her heading toward the living room. She has thick black straight hair that looks perfectly on what she's wearing. She's wearing corporate attire, slacks, and a stylish tuxedo for women. She looks professional.

all of a sudden I'm lost. And found myself standing nervously as I greeted her. She's now standing without her heels but she's still a lot taller than me. "Good evening Mrs. Manchester," I said politely but I saw her flinch when I said her surname.

Her right arm is holding her red velvet shoulder bag.

She smiled at me. And oh, she's gorgeous.

"Hi, are you Loki's friend?" She asked as she put her bag down on the other sofa.

I'm contemplating the thought of a friend. Are we friends now? It feels weird and new to identify a person as a friend. Well, I guess we are friends now. I wanted to.

"Yes, he is my partner for the upcoming dance festival for this month." I don't know how I look now because I haven't look in the mirror since the last time we left the school, and we take a walk.

I'm sure I look not so good by this time. The wind brushes my hair, my feet are aching and I'm still standing. It hurts like hell especially because I was wearing a stiletto.

"Take a seat. Don't be shy." She stifles a warm laugh.

I take her command and sit. She then takes a seat on the other sofa.

"What's your name?" She asked still wearing that warm smile.

Does she really want to chit-chat with me?

I gave back a smile but I'm not sure if it's as warm as hers.

"It's Eraleah." I proudly said my name. My father told me that my name holds a very special place in his heart. Someone he deeply loved that passed away. Sometimes, I wonder how. Because my mother's name is Amanda Elle. I don't get how it connects. But I guess, he truly loved my mother who passed away, and maybe for them, my name is something that only two people who love each other know.

"Come again?" Her smile faded when she said that. Suddenly, my heart started racing. Nervousness got me. I can see how she fully made eyebrows raised in an arch. Her forehead creased. Her facial expression seems to be weird.

"My name is Eraleah Hart," I said my full name just to make it clear. She might not get it when I said it for the first time.

I know my name is unique. And special.

I have never had a classmate before who has the same name as mine. Thanks to my father for giving me this name. I'm proud of it.

"I think you should leave."

“What do you mean?” I asked with a bewildered expression. I don’t know how I should react to her response. She sounded mean. Suddenly there’s a tension between us, I just don’t know why.

“Mom?” I heard Loki running down the stairs. The lump that formed from my throat vanished. I inhaled a long deep breath. I see how her expression change after Loki moved forward and gestured to kiss her in the cheeks. She blinked and smiled at Loki.

“Hey, son. You never mentioned Eraleah before.”

She then faced me. When our gaze met her lips is pressed flatly. Her eyes are cold and deadly.

“Oh, she’s Era my partner for the dance festival. I’m sorry, I forgot to tell you that we need to practice today.” Loki who is now wearing a white t-shirt, grey jogger pants, and a flip flop said. It seems like he is close to his mother. I feel envious looking at their reaction to each other. Though, deep inside me I still feel that brief discomfort from Mrs. Manchester.

I know I didn’t do anything wrong, in fact, I’m sure that I never met her. So, why is she acting like a b***h to me?

“But it’s already in the evening, what if her parents are worried about her?” She asked while having a glimpse of me looking above Loki’s shoulder. Loki is slightly blocking me from his mother’s gaze.

I slightly move from where I’m standing. I don’t want to put too much pressure on my already sore feet. Plus, I don’t want to see her sharp glances at me. She didn’t even try to hide her annoyance for me.

I lifted my gaze to the crystals around the chandelier which is hanging in the middle part of their ceiling. I’m trying to withdraw from their mumbling, afraid I might hear their private conversation.

Until I can’t take it anymore.