Love, Poetry, & Coffee

~ 47 ~

After taking a detour back to my apartment to pick up the letter I'm supposed to send to my parents, we took the elevator down and begin our walk to the Café. Nothing exciting had happened between us, I just carefully watch over her to check up on her. I'm no doctor, but there are some signs that can be observable with only the eyes. That's what I've been doing from these passing minute of us walking together. It's spectacular that Constance haven't called me out for staring at her. That would be embarrassing.

"You've been checking me out the moment we've got out of your apartment." Crap, why must she say stuff that I've been assuming she won't? The correct assumption streak had fallen at this point. All because of her mind-reading skills or something. "What's wrong, Declan?" I was about to open my mouth to answer her question, but the power of her finger raised in front of me have stopped me from doing so. "Aileen had told you to watch me, hadn't she?" I just feel my head nod in response because what else could possibly say to worsen the situation? "Did she tell you something else?"

Did she mean about if you have some kind of chronic illness that I should be worried about? No, not at all. That's the thing I wanted to say, but I couldn't bring myself to sound that cold and disappointed. Instead, I clear up my throat that has suddenly contrite against my will. "She just asked me to keep an eye for you."

A sigh escapes from her mouth as she gazes down at the pavements. It is definitely a floor, Constance, no need to analyze it thoroughly. I want to say that so that she'll smile or even laugh a bit, but her mood seems to show me that joking ain't very appropriate right now. "Well, you can keep your eye to yourself because you can clearly see I'm fine."

There's no hint of anger or anything that resembles that in her voice, which is a great sign that she ain't feeling angry at how persistent I am to check up on her. I raise my hands out in surrender, "Okay, since you have been insisting on being fine, I'll believe you now. But for Aileen, I don't think she'll believe you that fast."

She crosses arms together and playfully scoff, "Care to help me to think of something that will make her believe?"

I quirk up an eyebrow and gaze at her in perplexity, "Are you insinuating that I should lie to a friend about you?" When she nods, a half-smile lifting off from her face, my mind immediately went running to find some kind of explanation. Lying ain't my strongest skills, but sugarcoating the truth is my specialty. It's not a lie if you hide some details into it, right? It's just like those novels that end in a cliffhanger. A person wouldn't say to an author of that novel a liar since they've intended to leave out some more detail about the whole story. I'll just think of it like that to avoid the feeling of guilt after lying to Aileen.

With a brave heart and a sigh of defeat, I open my mouth, not to protest, but to agree with Constance. "Fine, I'll do anything my mental capacity can to make Aileen believe that you're doing okay." Part of actually wants to break that vow and immediately message Aileen that I'll be lying to her and ask her to pretend that she bought it.

"Great!" She exclaims, clasping her hands together like some kind of little sister winning a bet from her older brother. "Better think of something while we're getting closer to the inevitable visit to the Café."

Speaking of Café, a plan immediately went in mind, and I bet all the dammed soul in hell that Constance won't like it one bit. "I have an idea," When she gazes at me curiously, I raise my guard up, hoping she'll take it nicely. "What if you wager your urge to clean the plates after you ate so that Aileen will agree to believe you're okay?"

She blinks at me as if I had grown a second head. Actually, judging by her silence, I think I have grown somewhere around 7 heads, like I'm some kind of human hydra. "You're kidding, right?" A chuckle seems to have forced its way out from her mouth as she continues to stare at me with those judging brown eye. "Please tell me you're kidding." I've only made my lips look flat, and she immediately looks offended, "Why would I do that? Since being best friends with Aileen, I have devoted to try to make her life easier."