All About Blues

Chapter 03

"Azul" Piper, Azul's roommate calmly calls her and walked to peek over from the bathroom "This white shirt has been hanging there for days. Isn't this yours?" She asked, jolting Azul up after being laid in her bed.

"Oh" is what Azul could manage to say, hesitating to tell her roommate about Klay. "W-Well that's mine, I j-just forgot about it"

"I got to do my laundry tomorrow I can just put it together with mine" she suggested as she walks back inside the bathroom.

"Is it okay?"

"Of course!" She exclaimed "Do you have any more clothes so that I can also include it in?"

"I don't have anymore clothes to laundry, just that one"

"Okay" Piper just then respond.

Azul was enthusiastic and glad after learning that her first impression about her roommate was proven right. Piper's indeed a neat-conscious person. Albeit it's been just a week and 2 days of them being roommate Azul already concluded that, as for her, it was pretty obvious. She observed how Piper's been excessively organizing its bed and closet. She also subdivides her clothes base on its color and that she only has four colors in her closet. Gray, white, black and red. Even her shoes were only two colors, either White or Black. As well her bed, it's all white and that she immediately changes sheet if she finds even the smallest stain.

"Anyway" she again peeked over "I'll be attending a party later at seven. You want to come?" There's this sweet yet mischievous smile on the lady's face and that hinted Azul.

"I'm not into parties" she nonchalantly replied and Piper went out the bath and walked near Azul's bed.

"It's not a wild party, Azul. It's a formal one"

"Formal uh?" She chuckled

"I'm serious"

"I'm not into formal parties"

"You can just simply say you don't wanna come"

"Yeah I don't want to come" she droned over. She has her reasons, first is that she is not really into parties— wether formal or wild parties, second is that she don't trust her roommate that much, though Piper do indeed looks decent woman, Azul could not yet disregard the fact that she just knew her recently, and lastly— she couldn't frustrate herself mentally and physically. As much as she can, she refrain getting physically worn out.

"Look, I swear I would going to take care of you in that party. And I won't force you to drink alcohol or to socialize with other people there" she sounds pleading with her hasty manner as talking, somewhat making Azul confused. Not only by how she said it but also on what she said "I just really need someone to come with me"

"Why?"

"Well I'm not also that used in formal parties. Wild parties would do" Azul did not expected her latter remark but ended up chuckling about it "Also, I want to introduce you to someone"

"Okay, Miss Roommate I'm not up into blind dates!"

"No it's not like that! I'm just going to introduce you to the owner of the bookshop I'm working. Do you remember? I told you about me working as a cashier in that bookshop right?"

"Oh yeah. But why do you want to introduce me to her?"

"Because you're in the same page"

"What do you mean by that?"

"Like she experienced the same thing as you do" her features softened as she smiled awkwardly. Uncertain if what she spat sounds good. And just when she realized it, she nagged herself at the back of her mind for not thinking if that was an insensitive remark and might even make Azul upset.

And her guts even got worsen as Azul remained staring at her. She couldn't read Azul's expression or what her eyes were trying to convey. She's not bad at reading people, wether mind or expression— she's good at it. Perks of being a psych student, perhaps. Yet, she was always having a hard time reading Azul. The past days she has been with her somewhat frustrates her mind. As Piper kept on trying to read her, and was excessively wondering why she couldn't.

"H-how old is she?" Finally, Azul spoke making Piper smile. Azul has noticed it, the way Piper made that awkward yet soft feature on her face. She scrutinized that Piper might have been thinking that she might get upset about what she just said, and Azul was actually right but she isn't upset. Hence, in order to relieve Piper she asked that.

"Around late 20s. But sure you can get along"

"Is it her party?"

"Well, that was a party of her friend. So technically, she was just invited too. But don't worry about that she assured me that it's okay to bring anyone there. Besides, the one who owns the party was the one to even tell us that"

"A-are you sure?"

"Yes!" Enthusiastically, Piper exclaimed.

Piper couldn't help but to complement Azul's posture and how it perfectly supported the fitted drawstring puff sleeve dress that is all black emphasizing her pale skin. She did not expect Azul to dress that way as she just saw her in that oversized shirt and baggy pants. Also to sum up that commonly people in her state would most likely cover themselves up.

"Why are you dress like that?" Azul asked after noticing Piper's outfit. She scanned her from head to toe, and judgmentally get back to gaze at Piper's face.

"Like what?"

"Like we're going in a church?" Azul again scanned Piper whose wearing this, puff long sleeve dress, that travels down until her ankles. And it does not hugged her body tightly that it looks loose. She looks so covered up, that's what Azul thought at the back of her mind.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Piper scanned herself in the human sized mirror attached over the wall.

"Don't you think you're much covered up and loose?" Azul muttered releasing soft chuckles as if mocking her, earning glares from Piper.

"It doesn't look bad. Besides Azul it just rained earlier and the breeze is freezing cold and I couldn't afford revealing much skin!"

"I should be the to consider that knowing my state of health" she grinned as of realizing and she again received glares from Piper "Look nothing's really wrong with your outfit, but would you mind tightening it up much more. Like tighten up the laces around your torso so it would fit your slender figure?" Piper sighed, rolling her eyes away and yet did what Azul suggested. She also thought that would look better.

"Great!"

After finishing up they decided to leave. The lady-guard in the entrance reminded them about the curfew. The dorm building would be close at exactly 12 so they better get back earlier that hour. They end up grinning after realizing that they seems to have Cinderella's time. They were fetched by a car that drove them to the venue. As when they got near the place, Piper called her boss to tell her they were arriving. And as they did, Piper just then sought her— in the entrance. Wearing a black satin backless dress beneath her see-through cardigan. The both cloth was black, as well it's laced stilettos.

"Miss Consuelo!" Piper gleefully greeted Consuelo Montreal, the owner of the bookshop where she was working since High School. They proceeded on a beso before shouldering each other.

"How many times I told you to quit calling me Miss!" Consuelo nagged her and Piper just chuckled then they both turned to face Azul. "Is it her?" Consuelo glanced at Piper who nodded before Consuelo could even get back to Azul. "Hi I am Consuelo Montreal" she extended her arms.

"Azul Matarazzo" and they clasped and took off after some moments.

"Nice meeting you Azul" Consuelo gracefully smiled and Azul responded an awkward one. "Let's head inside, it's cold" she escorted them inside where there were unfamiliar faces of people wearing dresses and tuxedos.

The venue just indicates how grand yet simple the event was. There were less decorations, a sort of minimalist style with surely expensive attachments. There is a bar area, in certain corners there was billiard and casino tables that could be seen. There were different ages of people that they encounter. There were some older adults, early adults, youths, teens even children's and few toddlers.

They were led into a gazebo in the backyard where there were less people and all of them are mostly aged already. The outside was illuminated by garden lights, and the gazebo they were currently occupying was roofed by a translucent glass, which Azul has found it better with transparent one. There were dimmed patio lights that was hanged surrounding the gazebo, and a couch then a table in the middle.

"I've been staying here alone since god knows how long" Consuelo frustratingly exhaled as she leaned her back. "So Azul, you have—"

"I'm sick" Azul cuts her off, not wanting to hear that word. She exactly do not know how did her roommate finds out about her sickness, in the first three days Azul noticed how Piper tries to act oblivious about it— yet her tongue frequently slips away. In the 4th day she confronted her. But Piper really did not made it clear and was entirely anxious as explaining. She mentioned about the medicines she found on one of Azul's stuffs, that she heard about it, and someone told her so.

Azul don't want to make a big deal about it hence she decided to just calm Piper down by assuring her she wasn't upset nor offended about it. Though somehow, she was. At first she also dislike how Piper shared such stuff to other people, and yet she adjusted.

"Oh, I understand" Consuelo understandingly nodded. She just perceives how the young lady wasn't so comfortable talking about it, and she could relate. She was like that for long years since she learned about her heart disease. She couldn't accept the fact that she was unable to do numerous stuffs and she was pretty upset how her illness seems depriving her at living a life. Yet as she got older, in her early 20s, she learned how to live with it while still relishing every stuffs she do. And she ends up realizing that even she's only able to perform limited activities, that still isn't a hindrance to be happy. There were wholesome stuffs she learnt, and ends up loving them.

"How about you? Would you mind?" Asked Azul. Albeit disliking talking about illness and diseases, she still don't want to make Consuelo to bother thinking wether she's upset or not and ends up being anxious like how Piper always do.

"I won't" Consuelo smiled at Azul while shaking her head in slow manner. "Well, I learnt about my illness when I was around 8 or 9– maybe not learned but perceived. I know there's already something wrong with me when I am waking up in a room with white surroundings, daily. I spent my whole childhood in the hospital" Consuelo began, and she continued with furthermore details about how she survived 28 years of having heart illness.

And she tells it all so calm, so plain that it seems she's indeed comfortable talking about it. Making Azul all envious, and as she scrutinized that emotion she learned that something's wrong with her as she felt envious instead of motivated.

Realizing how pure Consuelo's soul and heart was. She admits and she's well aware that she was a total contrary of Consuelo. As when Consuelo's thanking her God for letting her woke up for another day, Azul would rather complain why she has still to wake up— why is it that she has to live everyday to suffer with her limitations than just to end it right away. And she'd blame herself for not having the courage of doing it to herself.

As when Consuelo excused herself and went inside, Piper also happens to have the call of nature and followed Consuelo inside the hall leaving Piper alone in the gazebo. But being left somewhat relieves her. No one's near her making her more comfortable. The people outside the gazebo as well don't seem noticing her.

"I am quite surprise to see you around here" and with that masculine voice of a certain someone, she has her head lifted frontward only to found a familiar guy walking towards her direction. Wearing a silk black long sleeve that was folded up to his elbow and tucked in his black slacks.

The guy halted not so distant.

"Klay"