Ups & Downs

Ups & Downs- 5

Day-5

I press my passcode on the keypad and click the door open. I've been living in this apartment since the start of my university life but it feels as hollow as it was before I moved in.

I motion Trev to follow inside. My apartment is large, I admit it. It's very large for just a single person but it is as bare as it is large. And the location is very prestigious as well, just like how my mother fancies.

"I'm impressed," Trev says while looking around.

"Don't be. This was not purchased with my effort. My parents paid for it."

The apartment as I mentioned is bare. I have no pictures and other personal trinkets lying around. The furniture is all set up of course, as per my grandma's request.

"I don't have much to take," I inform Trevor.

"I can see that," he says. "But you do have many books," he remarks while scanning the books I have on my bookshelf.

"Yes," I admit while laughing. "I do have more books than I have other things. But I don't think it'll be convenient to bring all of my collections back to Challenges."

"Why not? You can bring them all over if you want."

"Really?" I ask, my face lighting up.

Trevor nods.

Trevor and I have come to collect my belongings from my apartment as the café is closed for the day. Mag and Dave have some place to be at and as the two of us wouldn't be able to manage the shop by ourselves, we all decided to close it today. I'm sure a lot of our customers will be disappointed but it is necessary.

I walk over to the store room to bring out the large cardboard boxes and hand two of them over to Trev so he can help me with the books.

It doesn't take me long to put all my belongings and by the time it is noon, the apartment has been wiped cleaned of any traces of me. Trevor and I scan over the room, satisfied with our handiwork.

"That's it, I guess," he says.

"Yep," I reply.

Afterwards we descend down the elevator with the boxes. The security guard looks at me oddly when we walk pass him with boxes in both of our hands. I know he is going to inform my parents about this but I'll have to deal with it later.

After loading up Trevor's van with the boxes, we go up again to fetch the leftover ones.

When we finish loading up everything, it is already one in the evening and my stomach has started to growl. Trev drives us up to a restaurant nearby to get some food.

I order just a plate of chicken salad and that gets me an awkward look from Trevor.

"What," I ask him.

"Just salad?" he answers my question with a question.

"I'm just feeling salad," I reply, hoping that my answer in some way makes sense.

"Okay then," he tells me and orders a portion of medium rare steak to the waiter. For beverages, I order some tea and Trevor just goes with sparkling water.

"I didn't know you come from that kind of family," Trevor says after the waiter collected our orders.

"I don't look like it do I?" I ask him with a laugh.

"You most definitely don't. You have managed to surprise me twice now, Miss Rina," Trevor ays with a smile.

"Is it a good thing or a bad thing?" I ask him.

"What do you think?"

I shrug. "I don't know."

Suddenly my phone rings. I've expected it to ring. I excuse myself from the meal and go out to answer it.

"Yes, mama," I answer.

"I've heard something from the security. Why did you move out?" she asks, instantly getting to the point.

"I've found a better place to live," I give her the answer as directly as she asked me.

"Carina, your father and I scoured the place for you to stay. The apartment is the best place that town has to offer. There's no place better than it," she patronises me.

"It may be the best place for you but not for me. I didn't like the apartment and I never will. And, I'll just add this in now, I've secured myself a job," I tell her, knowing that she would freak out.

"A job? What do you need it for?" She asks me with an exasperated voice. "Do you need extra money? We can provide you with it."

"Yes, a job. But no, I'm not working because I need extra money. I've enough to use on myself."

"I thought it was a good idea to get you out of town after that incident but-."

I cut her off. " Stop it mama. I have to go. Tell papa I said hello," I tell her quickly and hang up.

If I let her continue with her babbling, it'll just open up the floodgates of my memories that I've tried so hard to conceal. I will never forget them but the best I can do is turn a blind eye on them.

Talking on the phone with my mother has drained all my good moods and the hunger I had before has also dissipated. Deflated, I walk back towards our booth.

"Everything okay?" he asks when he sees my expression.

I give him a weak smile. "No."

I don't want to keep lying and tell him everything is okay when in fact, everything is not. Lies just make everything harder even when you know it's the best choice.

I'm glad he doesn't pry and ask what's wrong. Because I know I won't be able to keep my tears in check if he does so.

A/N: It'd be awesome to vote for this story if you liked it. It'll keep me motivated.

Tell me what you think about Carina's mother. (Don't be reluctant to comment!)

xxVic