CHAPTER 14: I UNDERSTAND NOTHING

I woke up late today, 9 a.m. and Allen was already gone. But there was breakfast on my kitchen counter. I washed up, ate the breakfast Allen got me, and opened my laptop to work on the pictures I’ve taken in Kintara. Allen came by a little before eleven to drop off the fencing team’s uniform and my lunch. He left quickly to help the decoration crew and I was getting a little bored.

Well, a lot bored, actually. I’ve finished sewing all 23 uniforms a little after three and I got back editing the basketball team’s pictures while listening to Metallica’s albums. I tapped my fingers on the keyboard, bored out of my mind. I turned on Skype and decide to have a conference call with Marsha and Chuck.

None of them picked up. I pouted and then just decided to finally take a long warm bath. I took out the bath salt Marsha got me that have been sitting, collecting dust in my drawer.

I cleaned myself then hop into the bathtub, closing my eyes, enjoying the warm and relaxing water. I haven’t stayed in there for long before I heard a ringing tone from my Skype account. I quickly got up and put a towel around my waist and ran outside the bathroom.

“Hey!” I answered the call carefully as Marsha and Chuck’s face popped up on my screen. She was still in London and Chuck was still back home.

“What the hell?! Put on some fucking clothes first you dumbass!” Chuck shouted at me when he saw me only in my towel while Marsha just giggled. I grinned apologetically and rushed to my closet to put on some decent clothes.

“‘Sup? It’s rare for you to be back in your room this early,” Chuck asked, frowning at me when I finally sat in front of my laptop.

“Are you sick?” Marsha asked immediately, whereas, I immediately regretted the choice of calling them.

“No,” I snorted, “I was just tired. I went to Kintara on Saturday, and well, maybe, just, tired,” I tried to speak as convincingly as possible. I mean, I didn’t totally lie, right?

“And you’re staying in? How obedient of you,” Chuck mocked me.

“What about your jobs?” Marsha asked. “And your meals?”

I scratched my head, feeling nervous. I didn’t really get why, though. “Well, Allen is helping me with them…” I said slowly. The both of them blinked.

“How… exactly… is he helping you?” Chuck asked.

“Well… he’s doing some of the stuff I have to do then he brings me food.” I told them as fast as I can.

“Do you realize that he’s the sole heir of the biggest retail company in this country?” Chuck laughed at me, mocking me. So did Marsha, though less mocks from her.

“Well, he offers! Quite stubbornly too, if I may add!” I defended myself.

I felt bad about it too, you know. I mean, not only he was like, super rich, but he was also very kind and considerate. I felt like a jerk who used him.

“Where is he now?” Marsha asked. I looked at the clock on the wall. It was currently a little after five.

“Basketball practice,” I told them. “Oh! By the way!” I suddenly exclaimed in excitement when I remembered another reason for calling them. “Liam’s opening a bar on King’s Road in a few days,” I told them excitedly. They also became very excited when hearing the news.

“Really? A bar?” Marsha asked.

“Yeah. He invited us to come to the opening party. Haven’t heard the details yet, though. I’ll ask Jimmy later,” I said.

“If it’s in a few days, I can’t come then,” Marsha said a little sadly.

“When are you coming back anyway?” Chuck asked her.

“In a week or so,” She told him.

“How’s Kenneth by the way?” Chuck asked her again.

“He’s doing great!” Marsha’s face lit up, I couldn’t help but smile myself. “He’ll start his residency next year so he has to be extra strict with his study. But I’m confident he’ll be just fine,” She talked so excitedly, I could see that she was very proud of her boyfriend.

We were also very confident that Kenneth would be able to graduate the top of his class and become a great doctor. That guy was like crazy smart.

“Where’s he now?” I asked.

“He has an appointment with his professor. I’ll be meeting him later,” She says.”What about you Chuck? How are things back home?” she asked Chuck this time.

“Boring. Without you two,” he shrugged and Marsha and I rolled our eyes. “No. seriously. I’ve nothing to do here. I went out with the boys a few times. Went to Sha’s house a few times too. Went to Lee’s house a couple of times and that’s about all. I’m bored out of my fucking mind but my mom won’t let me go back,” he complained. “Oh, by the way, your little monsters send their loves,” he said to me. I smiled gratefully at him. The three of us were silent after the mention of my family. I lowered my head, knowing what’s coming.

“Aren’t you going to ask how they are doing?” Marsha asked flatly, breaking the silence. I couldn’t help but flinched at the sound of her voice.

“They’re fine. If they’re not, Chuck would’ve said something, right?” I said, directing the last word to Chuck.

“They’re fine,” Chuck said. I raised my eyebrows cockily at Marsha.

“See?” I said to her.

“But they miss you,” Chuck added silently.

“Hmmm…” was all I can manage to say.

“Just go back home, Lee,” Marsha said. “It’s been almost three years. You haven’t been home since you move here. Not even once.”

Like I needed to be reminded.

“Not that I don’t want to, Sha. I can’t. I’m busy.”

Now I’m making excuses.

“Lee…” Marsha was about to lecture me, I was sure of that, so I cut her before she could.

“They’ll understand,” I cut her a little too harshly, even I cringed myself. But I continued anyway. “I have to make money, and save money, for them. I can’t just leisurely come back for a vacation. I have stuff to do. Jobs to do. It’s on me whether they’re going to school or not. I’m just making sure they do. They’ll understand,” I repeated the same excuse I gave them every time they urged me to come back home.

“Your grandparents…” Chuck startted and I cut him too.

“They’re old. They no longer work and they only rely on their pensions. I can’t let them use it for my siblings. They’ve no responsibilities for it,” I said. “Now, since we’ve established that I am not going home this year either, can we talk about something else?” I ask edand they immediately agreed.

They always agreed to anything when I was like this. I mean, I get that they were concern and everything, and I couldn’t really help it if I became this way where my family was concern. I felt bad. But I was glad Chuck and Marsha understood me so well as we started to chat about something else entirely.

Well, we mostly talked about the upcoming Summer Festival. It was in a month and everybody on campus was running around like crazy. Chuck and Marsha were definitely going to come back before the festival to help with their own events. We were laughing and reminiscing about the past festivals.

Just then, Allen’s face appeared suddenly on the screen and the three of us literally jumped out of our seats and cursed him (well, not Marsha, ‘coz she’s decent like that). Allen laughed, of course.

“What the hell, man?” I smacked his laughing face.

“Where the fuck did you came from?” Chuck asked, holding his hand on his chest, just like Marsha. “You almost gave me a freakin’ heart attack!”

“Hahaha sorry guys. Well, I did knock and everything…” he shrugged. “Lee didn’t answer so I just let myself in,” he said holding out a set of keys.

“Since when did you have a key to Lee’s room?” Chuck asked, frowning.

“Since whatever,” I told Chuck, rolling my eyes.

“I’ve been staying here a lot lately, so Lee figured it will be easier if I have a key. He also has one to mine,” Allen explained.

“I see…” Chuck said but still frowning.

“Well, since the acting baby-sitter is here, I have to go meet Kenneth,” Marsha said, “Thanks Allen, for keeping an eye on him for us,” She said, smiling gratefully. I rolled my eyes at her.

“Yeah. I gotta go too,” Chuck said flatly.

“Love you both,” the three of us said at the same time before we all hung up. I sighed and turned to Allen who was still standing behind me. I pouted and kicked his shin.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” he groaned.

“I thought my heart is going to stop you asshole!” I kicked him again.

“Ow ow ow sorry! It’s not my fault! You didn’t hear me!” I still pouted at him. “C’mon. Don’t be like that. Here. Food,” Allen grinned at me, dangling a big plastic back in front of me. Bribery? Hmmm… He knew what works on me. Heh heh heh Good boy.

“What is it? It smells amazing,” I said sniffing the bag shamelessly. Allen chuckled and headed to the kitchen.

“Pig trotters in gravy. Ginger rice. Pickled radish and cucumber. And Nutella brownies with black sesame ice cream for dessert,” he told me and I jumped happily to the living room table, waiting for him to serve me my delicacies. Those were the things that I especially liked. “What were you talking about anyway?” Allen asked, sitting in front of me.

“Just the festival,” I said. “Marsha’s going to come back before the festival and Chuck’s probably will be here for Liam’s party,” I told him.

“The friend that’s opening a bar?” he asked, setting the food down. My mouth was already watering.

“Yep,” I nodded. “Hey, you should come too. And Joy!” I said excitedly.

“I don’t know about Joy, but I’ll definitely come. Since you asked,” he smiled while my own smile was disappearing.

“Have you talked to Joy today?” I asked carefully.

“Hmm? Yea. I’ll be staying at her place tonight,” he said. “If that’s okay with you,” he added.

“Huh? Why wouldn’t I be?” I asked back, confused.

“Nothing. Eat,” Allen said, smiling as he puts a piece of meat on my plate.

Yep. Sometimes I felt like I still hadn’t been able to figure him out yet. Well, we’ve only been friends for so long so it was only natural that there were still so many things that I didn’t know about him. Even with Marsha and Chuck, I sometimes still couldn’t understand some of the things they did or said.

But I think it was normal. I mean, you couldn’t really know everything there is to know about someone, or something, it was just not possible. Take me for an example. No matter how much I exposed myself, baring myself to Marsha and Chuck and no matter how much I trusted them with everything I was, there were still things that I would keep to myself. Those things were the ones that made me, me. So I totally get it when people were being private, or just simply closed off. That was also the reason why I was friends with so many kinds of people. Normal ones. Popular ones. Weird ones. I just took them for whatever they wanted to give me, and it was very cool with me. I was also not the type to ask many questions, and that was also probably why most people tolerated me. Because I just let them be.

Does any of what I said made sense to you? Well, anyhow, Allen sometimes mumbled stuff like that and he sometimes got lost in his own thoughts. Other times, he would be messing with me. Joking and laughing with me. He seemed a little confused most of the time. But since he didn’t tell me, I wouldn’t ask, and just be there for him. Just how Marsha and Chuck always here for me.

And I hope that was enough.