Chapter 22
viLelouch's POV
"Oh my God. Are you that desperate?" Mei gasped with bulging eyes.
"Stop it," Erika groaned.
"You're in a 55" LED TV."
"Can you imagine how big your eyeballs are in here?"
Mei pouted and retreated enough to fit half of her body on the screen. Erika was just telling her that day's happenings.
"Bold move , I would say," Mei said.
Erika sighed, "It's nothing like that. I just asked her without thinking."
"So? What did she say?" her cousin inquired.
"I don't know. I think she said yes?"
"What?" Mei lifted up her voice a little louder.
Erika hugged her pillow, "Ugh, I said I don't know."
"I was so embarrassed that I didn't get to hear the answer properly."
Mei huffed, "What a loser you are—"
"Just call Andy already."
Erika gave her cousin a piercing look, "And what for?"
Mei washed up her face with her hand, "Oh my God."
"If love will make me this DUMB then I don't want to fall in love anymore,"she murmured.
"What are you talking about?" Erika asked annoyed.
"Just call her and confirm your trip," Mei firmly stated.
"Ugh—" Erika just squeezed herself with the pillow.
Then her phone rang. She lazily picked it up and examine who's calling.
'KAILEEN ANDY LEWIS'
'shit'
Her heart skip a beat, then another beat, followed by another until she felt like it's going to come out of her chest.
She signaled Mei to keep quiet.
"Hello?" She greeted huskily as though she's on her way to sleep.
"Hey," Andy noticed it. "Did I disturb you somehow?"
"Oh, not really. I'm just getting ready to bed," Erika feigned.
There was long pause, a moment of awkward silence.
"About our trip to my grandpa," Andy started. "Is it okay if we stay there for five days?"
"Yeah, I don't have anything to do anyway," Erika answered without a sexond thought.
She bit her nails of thinking she sounded desperate with that.
"Hmmm, have you been to Green City before?" Andy asked, shyness was evedent in her voice.
"No, it would be my first," Erika answered, still biting her nail.
She could tell Andy nodding on the other side.
"The trip would take eight hours by land so— I'm just saying to prepare yourself for the long ride."
"Right, I will."
There was another long pause.
"Anything else?" Erika asked when Andy seemed not there anymore.
"Oh, yeah. Nothing."
"Hmmmm, I'm hanging up."
"Goodnight Erika."
Erika smiled, "Right, goodnight."
Erika rolled over the bed as soon as the call ended while still hugging her pillow not realizing that her cousin has been observing her the whole time.
"I really don't want to fall in love," Mei interrupted.
"You're becoming an idiot," she added.
Erika threw the pillow on her iPad connected to the monitor as if throwing it to her cousins's face.
"I forgot you're still there," the girl uttered grumpily.
"Again, I think I don't want to fall in love if it would make me forgetful," Mei was grinning.
"Stop it!" Erika whined.
"Will you?" she sat down, still hugging her pillow feeling annoyed.
Mei laughed then became suddenly serious.
"I'll arrange my schedule and come see you."
"I want to meet that Andy of yours."
"What?" Erika exclaimed.
Mei smiled—
That kind of smile one cannot define wether happy or worried.
"I think you hit it hard this time. So I want to confirm it personally."
Erika just gaped there. Unable to speak a word.
'seriously'
Chapter 23
viLelouch's POV
Lewis' Villa
"So, does your Grandpa know you're bringing your friend over?" Kate Lewis asked.
They were eating dinner, Andy visited home.
"Yeah, he's okay with it," the girl answered after swallowing her food.
"I'm surprised you're letting someone in—I mean, into your 'personal' life," Mr. Lewis stressed the word personal.
"Nah, I'm just comfortable with her," Andy shrugged.
"Well, I'm surprised too," Kevin joined in. "I only knew Donna as your friend."
Andy groaned, "I have a lot of friends. I'm even friends with everyone in school."
Kate Lewis held her daughter's hand, "Dear, acquaintances and friends are two different matters."
Andy smiled. She can't argue with that.
"We're just glad to know you've got another friend you can lean on other than Donna," Mr. Lewis said while wiping his mouth.
He has those eyes who stared at her daughter showing how genuinely he meant every word.
Erika smiled, "Thanks Dad."
[*******]
"Hey, you don't really have to buy all that," Andy pointed to the shopping bags Erika was carrying.
Erika invited the girl to go shopping with her. Well, she said to buy some necessities for tomorrow's trip but it seems not just necessities to Andy.
She's buying a lot.
'hahaha'
"Why? I think I need them," Erika insisted.
Andy sighed, "Erika—"
'god'
'Don't call me that by ny name'
'Hearing your voice call my name sends chills down my spine' Erika complained in her thoughts.
"We are going to another city, a CITY not some remote area," Andy stressed out the word CITY.
"We can easily buy that," she added while pointing again to the bags only to caught Erika rolling her eyes.
They ate dinner before calling it a day dropping Andy to her apartment.
While unbuckling the seatbelt, Andy remembered something.
"Right, we're using my car tomorrow so give me your address."
Erika lifted up her brow, "I didn't see you ride one."
"Well, my apartment is just a walking distance from school so I don't see the need to use it," Andy explained.
Erika nodded, "Can I just take a cab and meet you here?"
Andy's brow met, "Is it too much for me to know where you live?"
Erika was taken aback with that, Andy sounded hurt.
"No, I mean I'll—"
Andy cut her off, "It's okay. See you tomorrow then," and got out of the car.
'ugh'
Erika rested her head on the steering wheel for a while before driving home.
[************]
Author's Note:
"Those who laugh with you when you laugh are acquaintances, those who cry with you when you cry are companions, and those who do both are friends."
- Matshona Dhliwayo