Started with Goodbye

Chapter 3

After I had a talk with Asher at the cafe, I have decided to go on the nearest convenience store to buy some foods for our dinner. After all, I knew that she would not dare to buy or cook our food because of how lazy she was.

I have observed that these past few days, she did not do anything but to laze around our apartment, and to go on her work, and nothing else more than that. She always relies on me whenever we were talking about our groceries, foods, and the household chores in general.

I really wanted to choke her and tell her that I was also busy these past few days, but I guess that she really had too much to do so she intend to just lie around our home, doing nothing but to eat and sleep.

I shook my head because of that thought as soon as I finished buying some instant foods that we could easily cook for our dinner. Because it seems like my talk with Asher has became so long that we did not both notice that it was already so late and the night already approached.

I hurriedly went to the direction where our apartment was, right after I went to the store. I opened the door, but I frowned because of how dark our whole apartment is. It seems to me that no one was around, but I was sure that Aiden was already here. Also, it was weekend so I was sure that she does not have any work or whatever she had something to do.

As soon as I managed to open the light inside of our apartment, I got shock when I saw that Aiden was already standing in front of, wearing a very unsatisfied look on her face as if she wanted to eat me alive. I almost dropped the paper bag that I was holding because I got slightly frightened by her, appearing out of nowhere.

“Do you know what time is it, Ms. Adlair?” she asked me, as if she was my Mom who was very displeased because I went home pass my curfew hour that she had set to me.

I looked at my wristwatch, and I raised one of my eyebrows because I did not notice that I really came home this late. I hummed, then I turned to look at her with a sheepish smile on my face, saying that I did not really notice that it was already this late at night.

“It is already eight o‘clock in the evening,” I stated to her, still wearing that tight smile on my face, because I know that she was really unimpressed because of what I did. I even gave her a puppy eyes to tell her that I was sorry because I really did not notice that it was already this late.

Sadly, she shook her head at me as if saying that she was not easily swayed by my tactics, and she even told me, “Oh no, Hera, I will not get easily swayed by your puppy eyes and smiles.” I scratched the back of my neck because it seems like I knew where this talk would be going. “Stand straight, young lady. I am still not done giving you some lectures.”

I looked at her, bewildered, because of what she told me. “Seriously, Aiden?” I asked her in disbelief. “What are you? My Mom? My parents who wanted to tell what did I do wrong?” I started questioning her, because I knew that she would not stop ‘lecturing’ me if I did not.

But it looked like she really took this situation, seriously, because I saw her shook her head at me. “No, I am not,” she even answered my question that was suppose to be a sarcasm. “But I am your best friend, and I think that I have the right to give you lectures about the time that you should be already at home.”

I just rolled my eyes at her, as I did not bother to answer her anymore and I just went inside of our apartment to put down all the foods that I bought in the store earlier. I started to open the stove to cook the instant noodles that I bought, and I heated the fried chicken, that I also bought earlier, on our microwave oven.

I thought that Aiden was already done on acting like my Mom, but it seems like she was still not over it because she followed me inside of our kitchen, instead of waiting on the dining table just like she always did, and I even heard her let out a loud sigh as if she could not believe that I just turned my back at her.

I shook my head as soon as I heard her said, “Don’t you dare leave me like that, Hera Adlair!” I just let out a sigh because I could not seem to get why she was doing this kind of thing at this kind of hour. “Hera---”

I decided to cut her off on whatever she wanted to say to me, because, really, my ears could not seem to understand any single words that was coming right from her own mouth. “Aiden, we are just at the same age,” I told her in a serious tone, and I could see that she was taken aback because of the expression on my face. “Also, it is alright for you to go out at night when I am not allowed to go home at this kind of hour?” I pouted at her, and I could see that she got guilty because of what she did earlier. “I am hurt.”

I turned my back at her again, and I started to bring out the bowls that I could find in our cabinet, and a plate so that I could put the pre-heated fried chicken there. I did not bother to give her any more attention, and it seems like she did not want to say anything any longer.

I just felt her go near me, and I could see on my peripheral vision that she moved on my side, with a very guilty expression on her face. It seems like she already realized that what she did, talking at me and lecturing me like that, was really wrong and she crossed our invisible boundary.

“Hera...” she called my name, but I did not bother to pay any attention at her. I just continued to prepare our dinner without taking a peek at her. “Hera...” she said my name again, but I still did not give her any glance.

I just turned my back at her, and went to the dining table with the food that I have prepared. I put down the plate that had the fried chicken, and the two bowls of noodles that I cooked earlier. Aiden was still following me, and she was still calling my name, but still, I did not bother to look at her direction.

I went back to our kitchen again to get some water and a glass, and she was still following me around. Even though I already took a sit on on of the chairs on our dining area, she still kept on bugging me and it looks like she would not give up any time soon.

“Hera, are you really angry at me?” she asked, and for me, it was almost a whine.

She was about to say something, and it looks like she was ready to apologize to me, but she stopped when I looked at her direction with a serious, almost irritated, look on my face. She was still standing beside me, and it looked like she did not plan to take a sit, not until I already paid attention to her.

She was almost taken aback because of my sudden turn at her as I asked her, “Are you planning to stand there all night long?” I asked her as I glared at her, and I heard her gulped because of nervousness that she felt. “Aren’t you going to eat?” I saw her looked at the food that was already on our table before she turned to look at me again. “Because if you do not, then might as well eat it all by myself.”

She immediately shook her head, almost aggressively even, as she hurriedly went on the chair that was across mine. She started eating, so I just continued on finishing mine, silently. None of us dared to break the silence between us.

Until I already finished my food, she was still quiet and was just glancing at me from time to time, as if she was checking if I was still mad at her or not. She was even trying to act like she was focus on eating her food, even though I knew that she was getting uncomfortable because of the silence.

I was about to stand up and wash the utensils that I used, but she stopped me from doing so as she grabbed my wrist that made me look at her with a frown on my face. I saw her pout at me as if she wanted to look so pitiful.

“I am sorry, alright?” she asked me with a hint of guilt on her voice. “I was just really worried for you, because I was not accustomed to wait for you at this kind of hour. I know you as a person who was always going home on time,” she explained to me as she pouted even more.

I took a sit on my chair again as I shook my head at her. “I am not mad at you,” I told her, honestly, because really, I am not really mad at her. “I was just slightly irritated, maybe?” I tilted my head as if I was thinking about it. “Because I really think that it was unfair for me that you are treating me like a kid, when it was just alright for me to let you go out of our apartment at this kind of hour.”

I saw Aiden raised both of her hands as if saying that she already surrendered, as I heard her say, “Alright, alright. I will not question you if something like this had happened again.” I heard her sigh, and I know that this issue is not yet settled. “But...”

“But?” I asked her, as I urged her to continue what she was about to say.

I even raised both of my eyebrows as I saw her bit her lips as if she did not want to continue what she was about to say. She even looked at me, skeptically, as if she did not want to continue what she was about to say, but in the end, I heard her sigh.

She looked straight into my eyes, as she told me, “You have to tell me why you got home so late today.” She even had this tone as if saying that I did not have any choice but to answer her, or else, she would not allow me to go home at this kind of hour.

I was left thinking because of what she said. I was contemplating if I should tell her or not, or I should just leave this day as a mystery and just let her get curious until forever, but I know better than keeping a secret from her.

Aiden is Aiden after all. She would not stop bugging me if I will keep what happened this day as a secret on her. I would live a life without any peace, because I knew that she would not let me go, not until she would be able to find out what did really happened.

I knew that it may sound so unbelievable, but I know my best friend than anyone else. She was bound to not stop bugging someone, especially me, until she could get what she wanted. And this time, she wanted to know why the h*ck did I got home late.

I sighed because of that thought and looked at Aiden. “I met that guy again,” I started my story with that very cliche statement, because I really do not know where to start my little story about my second encounter with that Mr. Grocery Guy who was named Asher.

I saw how she frowned, confused on who I was talking about. “That guy?” she even asked me as she tried as hard as she could to figure out the ‘guy’ I was talking about.

She even stopped moving as she was thinking on who that guy is, but she still could not seem to figure out anything. I just let out a sigh and shook my head at her.

I sat down with the chin on the palm of my hand as I sighed again, and looked at nothing in particular. “That guy from grocery store,” I told her, still not paying attention at her, but I could imagine that she has this eyes wide open in shock, her mouth gaped, and her hands covering her mouth as if she was stopping herself from squealing, which I note that she was failing miserably.

I looked at her and sighed as I saw that kind of smirk on her face. A smirk that I never thought that she could do, but I guess that she can because she was doing it right now. She was even raising her eyebrows up and down as if what she heard is a very important ‘gossip.’

I looked away at her again as I sighed and said, “If you wanted to shout, and if it will make you feel better right now, do it.” I looked at her again with a frown on my face because she looked like she was planning something so evil with that kind of smile on her face. “You really looks like a psychopath right now.”

Aiden, who was thinking literally sometimes, if she want to that is, really did squealed out of delight and she even hugged me so tight that it made me lose my breath for the mean time. She did not stop, and I got shock when I even heard her sobbed.

I looked up at her, and I was taken aback when I saw her wiping her tears with a smile on her face, even though she really did not have one. She just has this watery eyes, as she was looking up as if she was thanking God out of something I really could not figure out.

“Finally,” she even said as she choke back her unshed tears. She hugged me tighter that made me realize that she still did not went away from me, so I pushed her away, but she did not even budge. “Finally, my best friend had manage to get out of her shell and interact with other people, other than me.” She even clasped her hands, while still clinging at me like a child as she said, “And I think that if the fate is in your side, the two of you might end up together.”

I stopped pushing her away as I frowned because of what she said. It seems like I could not figure out what she said, and it seems so absurd at me, that’s why all I could say is, “What?”