five times five • m. espinosa (short story)

0.4

song of the chapter: i'll be there by us the duo

a picture of little dawn at the side, you'll encounter her in this chapter.

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Matt and i reached my house at about two in the morning, after the endless chats and stories we were telling each at the cafe in the airport. it was then i realized that we had missed out on so many things and that his stay with me was going to make up for it.

he had informed me that he didn't know when he was going back to australia, and that he had nowhere else to stay. so me, being the caring friend i was, offered him to stay with me until when he goes back- although, i prayed he wouldn't soon.

he also told me that he was going to attend one semester, which was the last one at the moment, at my school. i thought it was ridiculous but decided later that it was better than just leaving him at home half of the day. at least now i had company at lunch.

and since we slept at around four in the morning, mom arrived when we were both sprawled on the couches. it was then when i realized that it was a saturday, considering the fact that i wasn't yelled at or that a bucket of water wasn't poured on me.

i woke up with a dizzy head, hearing noises in the background. i rolled around the couch as the noises got louder and louder.

if they aren't going to shut up, i'm going to have to make them.

as if heaven wasn't doing me a favor, the laughter and chatters from the kitchen grew louder until i mustered all the strength i had to stand up and trudge to the kitchen.

"ya know, it's too early to be fucking loud on a saturday morning." i said, rubbing my eyes and walking aimlessly to sit on one of the kitchen stools.

"and it's too early for your profanities, Mikayla." mom sternly said with her eyes baring into my own.

i came to the conclusion that she and Matt were also catching up, knowing that both of our mothers were best friends.

"and correction," Matt fixed the hair in front of my face. "it's already two in the afternoon."

i smiled sarcastically, "life goal, checked."

he rolled his eyes and chuckled at my remark. he knew it wasn't true, i did too. i mostly had fourteen hours of sleep on weekends.

don't judge.

mom handed me a plate of sandwiches- yes, plural form- and said in a low voice on we can hear, "you can spend this day with him. trust me, you'll need today."

her eyes were showing amusement and mischief. "but you promised-"

"i know what i said," she gently pushed me to the living room. "but i know that you would rather spend time with him. it's okay, MJ, it really is. i'm on my day off, anyway. and besides, maybe your feelings may... you know."

my cheeks blushed again, "i though t we were never going to talk about it again."

she knew everything about my feelings with matt, since obviously she was my mother. but she understood what i felt and told me to wait for the right time.

i didn't know how long my feelings hid, but then and there i knew they were about to come out again; it's something dangerous, with me still holding on to Angelo.

well, today's just full of surprises.

//

by nine pm, Matt and i decided to hang out at the backyard and lay down on the grass. the only sound that was heard were the crickets' faint cricketing.