The Way I Need You

Chapter 7

KAO

"Uhh, I think you're a little over dressed." Pete just step out of his car. Clad in a black polo shirt, gray cotton pants and white pair of shoes. He was giving a casual laid-back look, but I don't think it was suitable for painting the outside of the house.

"You didn't tell me what we will do, so I just pick a casual outfit." I visibly flinch. I totally forgot to tell Pete what we're going to do today.

"We are going to repair the roof and repaint the outside of the house." Feeling embarrassed, I bit my lower lips as I saw Pete looked up and closed his eyes, looking a little frustrated.

"I have my slides. I'll just change my shoes to that." Pete says as he points back to his car.

"Hmmm, I think we're just about the same size. I'll let you borrow some t-shirt and joggers." Looking a little less exasperated, Pete nodded before opening the back of his car and changing his white shoes to black slides.

"Kao, is he your friend?" Lester is suddenly beside me, curious eyes trained to Pete. I nodded my head to answer. "I haven't seen him before." Hands now tagging the hem of my shirt.

"Pete please meet Lester. Lester this is Pete, he also studies in DBU." I introduced Lester to Pete after he was done changing his shoes. Pete then crouch down, his face is now leveled to Lester.

"Hi. Nice to meet you Lester, how old are you?" A sweet smile is etched on Pete's face.

"Six!" Lester lift up his hands, one hand wide open while the other only the pinky finger is up.

"You're already a big boy then." Lester eagerly nodded his head.

"Are you also engineer?" Pete ruffled the kid's hair before getting up.

"No, I'm taking Business Management, and it's much more awesome than Engineering." I rolled my eyes at Pete.

"Really, Kao?" Lester looked up to me questioningly.

"Anything you choose when you grow up will be awesome." I say patting his head for reassurance. "Come on, let's go inside first." I ushered the two of them to start walking.

"You can actually be charming if you want to, I thought the only expressions you know is disinterest and annoyed." I teased Pete as we were walking behind Lester. It was just a short distance from where Pete parked and where a one-story structure with a typical design of orphanages, which I call home, is situated. Nearing the house, I can see some of the kids where peeking at the door curiously looking to the guy walking beside me.

"Kids are nice. Adults, hmm, very debatable." He reasoned out and shrugged his shoulders for added effects.

"Hey everyone, this is Pete my friend from school. He will be helping us today." I introduced Pete to everyone.

"Hello!" Everyone greeted Pete at the same time. After that I let the kids go and start the tasks' I assigned to them for the day.

"Pete, this is Papa Ed. The head, father and pillar of this orphanage." When the kids were gone, I pulled Pete near the two other adults at the orphanage.

"Kao is just exaggerating, I just take care of the kids here." Papa Ed laughed at my introduction.

"This is Pat, she's a social worker that help us here during the weekends." As I said before, Maria goes home to her family during weekends, and during that times Pat or Lea will cover for her, today it is Pat.

Pete greeted them both and shook their hands before we went to the room where I sleep with four other kids to get him a change of clothes.

"You live here?" Pete ask as I opened the closet assigned to me, to get the clothes for him.