We Were Strangers| Completed

part 4

Friday was finally here. I was glad to know the weekend was close and all I had to get through was just one day. I stood in the cafeteria, which meant after this I'd only have one more class until I could finally get my mind off of school. I grabbed some lunch and sat at the usual table with Enzo and his friends. I looked around for a second, fully expecting to see Nico, but two empty seats belonged to Jade and Nico.

It made lunch a little easier knowing I wouldn't have to see Nico after insulting him and slamming the door shut on him. I finished my lunch, which was a grilled sandwich. I finished on time, shortly after the bell rang. I followed Enzo out of the cafeteria, and we headed in the same direction. I arrived at class expecting Nico to show up, but after the late bell rang and more than 20 minutes had passed, I realized he had skipped class. I'd seen him earlier in the morning when Wendy dropped me off at school, but he'd vanished. I didn't mind because it meant I wouldn't have to deal with his piercing stare like the last time he was in class.

After doing nothing for the class period, it was time to head home. I made it to the exit and began walking back to my house. It was times like this, when I was exhausted and didn't want to walk, that I wished I had my car. I had figured out how to get home without using my map app, but now there was another obstacle to getting home. I had to endure the pouring rain, and it didn't help that I was dressed in a thin hoodie and was now completely drenched in the cold rain. To make matters worse, blisters formed on the soles of each foot. It made me regret wearing these vans this morning. Each step I took hurt, and all I wanted was to get home.

When I arrived in the neighborhood, I felt a wave of relief wash over me, which grew stronger the moment I walked into the house and kicked my shoes off. I collapsed onto the couch, allowing my feet to breathe from the restraints of these tight shoes. I stayed like this for a while until I mustered the strength to go upstairs. For the rest of the day, I stayed in my room until it was time for dinner.

Always on the dot Dan and Wendy ate dinner at 6:00 p.m. When they called my name, I walked slowly down the stairs to the dining table. Looking at the plate in front of me, I realized it was my first home meal since arriving here, with the previous day's food being delivered. I realized why when I looked over at the stack of pots and pans. I pulled my chair out and took a seat. I grabbed the fork that had been placed near my plate and bit into some of the grilled chicken.

I felt like spitting it out the moment I chewed; it was as if salt or seasoning didn't exist in this house. I turned to look at the other people's expressions when I noticed Dan and Alex devouring the meal and Wendy with a big, proud smile on her face. When I realized it wasn't a prank, I tried not to be rude and took several more bites. I was still hungry, so I finished the salad that had been served on the side. With the fork, I moved around the grilled chicken and made it seem like I had eaten a bit of it. At that moment, I felt a bit homesick. I missed my mom's cooking. Nothing compared to her homemade food, and most of all, I missed her.

"Mila." Wendy began by saying my name. I lifted my head from my plate, expecting her to say something about why I hadn't touched my food or even why I hadn't been here yesterday, but I was relieved when she didn't mention it.

"How was your day?" Wendy asked.

"I'm good," I replied, giving her a half-smile. There was always one thing that stood out about Wendy, and that was that she tried. It was one thing Dan never attempted.

"Mine was amazing. Today I received two gold stars from my teacher for behaving. " Alex spoke up in excitement. I looked at him and saw how his smile grew big, and he was ecstatic.

"Good job, buddy." "Keep up the good work!" Dan praised Alex as he patted him on the back and smiled warmly at his son.

It hurt to know that I never received that kind of love and admiration, that I'd never come close to it, and it wasn't because he couldn't, but because he simply chose not to. I tried not to be affected by it because I had gone 17 years without him. Why do I need him now? All I needed was to survive four months, and I'd never have to deal with him again.