Times Three

Chapter 11

Nana calls me for the second time and Aspire looks at my direction, I avoided his eyes and about to leave the room when he runs to my side, holding my hand and brings me to the kitchen counter to taste the cookies they bake.

“Taste it, this is the first cookies I bake.”

I smile at him and bite on the cookies he gave me. Surprisingly, it tastes good like he had been baking it for quite some time. It is soft and chewy, the chocolate melts in your mouth and it is not that sweet. I look at Aspire when he is happily sharing the cookies with others, then a memory flashes during the time when he first came to our house. Mother was just starting to learned to organized the business she inherited, talking to her potential clients here in our house and Aspire who suddenly snatched my toy. That was the first time we met.

I left the kitchen and sit on the living room, watches some random movies in it, when a news suddenly appears about the me and Aspire. The headlines say the current situation of Lady Ottenbourg and Mister Levefre worsen when a pack of media suddenly invade the hospital, they are also asking the status of their company when one of the biggest investors pulls out his shares from the company. To make it worse, my face is revealed to the public causing me to stand from fear and shock.

My hands start to shiver and my mind is clouded by different thoughts and idea. Suddenly a phone ringing bombarded in our home, my phone keeps vibrating and showing Annika’s name on the screen. I reach it with my mind started to get tangle with the thoughts of what Mister Levefre said in the hospital. How did my mother did that? What kind of persuasion did she use to made the client transfer from KID’s company?

My legs losses its strength making me fall to the ground still dazed at what just I watch. A rushing footstep came to me and Mr. Santy immediately look for the remote and turns off the television. Nana answers the call and from what I heard she is talking to my mother right now, while Aspire helps me to sit again and looks at me with his apologetic eyes. Once again, my phone rings and Annika’s name pops.

Aspire answers it unknowingly then goes to the front door, it is Annika. Who just got out of the hospital, KID’s not with him? That is good, I cannot think straight right now. Media’s power is surely invincible, they already found my house and demands about me. Annika’s visible anger made her calls her father for help, they own the hospital where Lady Ottenbourg is confine and wants him to ask for their statement.

After the phone call, Nana come closer to me with a worried face saying that mother and father are going home after the concert at Saint Louis Academy which is four days from now. Aspire hands grips mine and assure that he will do its best to let the media stay away from our family, without knowledge about what is really happening, I nod at him and smile a little to ensure him that I am okay.

Annika taps my shoulder and hugs me from behind, asking if what will I take in our senior year. I will be graduating next year but I still do not know what to take in our specialized subjects. That made me realize that after the concert is the last day of school, and we need to choose between Humanities and Science that can help us in our College degree. Though our professor will evaluate us and help us to decide which department to take, the final decision will be from our parents or ourself.

“Fash already said that the school will offer more departments next year, there will be Business Department and Arts department. What will you choose?”

“What do you think? Of course, in the field of Science since I am the only heir of that hospitals.”

Annika turns to me and asks whether to take Arts since mother is cultivating me to be a model or Business Department that my father wants. I sigh and lay on the couch; it is too early to be stress about that. I mean, I still did not know what will happen after the news is settle now that everyone knows my face. My family never allowed me to join any business party before and that is why their clients always in their office or in our house.

Anyway, the sun is still shining we decided to play Legends of Twin Towers but we lack a team member. Annika and Aspire brought their laptops, mouse and headphone, then they contact Fash who already starts chattering about our irresponsibility and not even helping other club members to assemble the booth. Aspire only say to that we will raid the Yao Clan and then ended the call before he could say anything again, how I wish there is a day that Fash will just be silent even for a day.

It only takes a minute and Fash already join our team, but we need a team to qualify for the raid. I told them through the microphone and Annika curse out of nowhere and Fash complaining that he is busy and we are just wasting time, we could just practice and spend something more productive other than this. I roll my eyes at what Fash says and shock when I see someone requesting a team to join our raid.

“Sean? Sean Cuesta? Tine, this guy is still alive?”

Even Fash is surprise of who is requesting but he is really back after two and half years, no wonder Annika curse. I look at her to see her reaction about this little comeback of an old friend whom we wish we never met, but her expression is the same as KID’s dead eye. I cannot read her; her face is blank and what I wish about Fash comes through. He becomes silent like we are all thinking of the past. Sean, is worse than Aspire in any aspect. He is a delinquent and offends everyone he thinks is threat to him. I do not know what is his deal to Annika but it seems like related to business.

We were in ninth grade when Sean’s mother is a patient in Annika’s hospital, his mother was diagnosed with a cancer and only few months left for her to live. I know what Annika said is beyond his limits but it is also Sean’s fault when he pushes her to the pool. It seems like a child’s fight but everyone is having their own problems that time, there feud grows until Annika reported him to the school for using cigarette in school property. When Sean is suspended, he told us with full of hatred that he will come for us, Annika and me. My involvement to the incident was when I persuaded Annika to tell the school about him. If he is really back, then a storm is coming for the both of us.

“Hey Annika and Celestine! How come you let Aspire come inside your house? Is your parent’s at home? Then I will come too. Do you want pizza or restaurant food?”

“Just stay at school and do your work. I am having a headache just being with Aspire already.”

Aspire only smirks at what I said, Annika stand up from her seat and runs towards my room. I am about to accompany her when Aspire stops me by holding my elbow. Saying what she needs right now is to be alone, I turn to him and asks him if he plans to sleep here but he leans to my face and whisper that if I want to, he can. I push him a little and fix myself to hide my face.

Other rooms are already occupied by staff and some of them are lock as mother forbids anyone to enter them, Annika has her own room beside mine and the other empty room is my parent’s room. Aspire has no other choice but to sleep in my room, but that is inappropriate and I cannot let a guest sleep in the living room. Come to think of it, if he will not sleep in the living room then I will? This is my house, why would I be sleeping in the living room?

“Do not worry, I can sleep in the living room and I cannot go home until those reporters leave my house. So, stop making that face.”

I look at him who is smirking with his arms cross in his chest and bumping me like a kid who wants to have a fight. I bit my lip when his eyes show mischievousness, and what is the matter with my expression?

“What face you are talking about.”

He leans again in my face until his lips reach my ears and whispers, sending chills to my body because of his boldness.

“That face like you are not afraid of what can I do, instead you are somewhat happy and excited.”

I close my eyes and covers my face with my palm. That is so embarrassing!