Sunkissed

chapter two

Margo got home to their apartment building by around midnight. She could see the dim lights through the green curtains on the windows of their unit on the second floor, near the patio. She unlocked the door with her spare key; inside she was greeted by her roommate Lyn who was watching the late night news, while tucked up in blankets on the sofa. 

“Where you’ve been? Come here.” Lyn made room for Margo to sit beside her.

“Please tell me you didn’t go on with your plan. Lyn made air-quotations on the word “plan”

 Margo took a second to make a response; she was looking away from her eyes most of that moment. “I

 was at Benny’s place.” 

Margo became uneasy (more than she already was) as if she felt that Lyn already saw through her. 

“Good” Lyn gave an assuring smile. Margo thought that Lyn might have bought her excuse and smiled back. 

“As a matter of fact, I called your friends, including Benny, who’s with his gay friends doing gay things and probably blowing each other—I don’t’ care. The point is: you weren’t there. So, where were you?!” 

Margo became quite and drifted her focus towards anything in the room but Lyn and her question. For Lyn the silence was enough for an answer.

“Look, I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get into more trouble. Did you do it? Did you get caught?”

“No. I chickened out.” Margo responded. 

Lyn started to talk about how Margo’s failing grade would be nothing compared if she got caught changing her records, how it would not only lead to her dismissal but also it could affect her application to other colleges and more importantly to her parents. Margo did not mind Lyn’s lectures; in fact she likes them, for her Lyn has this motherly quality, but only a few shares the same sentiments about Lyn. As Margo was being drifted to one of Lyn’s lecturing once more she gave her attention to the television set. It was on the re-run of the weather forecast earlier.

“A super-typhoon with the international name of “Hyacinth” that had just devastated Hawaii, leaving thousands of dollars’ worth of damage and resulted to casualties on unprecedented numbers is now moving at a speed of its winds of sixty-eight kilometers per hour and with the radius of 543 kilometers. Approximately it will enter the island’s area of responsibility in fourteen days. To this date will be the strongest typhoon that will hit our little island, I pray everyone keeps safe and stay vigilant. God bless the maiden’s island.”