Street Lights || Sim Jake

5 ¦ Socialize

"That's really social of you. So that's what you're doing," came from my best friend. I nodded silently and kicked a rock off the sidewalk.

"I do like to help out, don't I? Especially when it's for my best friends." Shrugging my shoulders, I looked at the brown-haired girl and briefly we hugged. "See you tomorrow." She smiled a big smile and then walked to her front door.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow." Towards the end, my voice got softer, but thankfully Melissa didn't hear it.

I really didn't want to do this to myself, but it was too late now. And I was clear that I wasn't going to let Heeseung down. Now I just had to drop myself and help him with this. I would survive that all right.

I turned into my street and spotted Abuela in the front yard. I began to smile as I watched her peacefully and contentedly watering the flowers and grinning proudly at the blooming sunflowers.

She heard my footsteps and lifted her gaze. "Estela? You didn't come on the tramway," she then stated and I nodded. "Got off early and didn't want to wait for the tramway."

Abuela nodded in understanding and reached an arm out to me. I understood and leaned against her. The love I felt for her was boundless. She had saved me. She had caught me. Without her I would have grown up in the children's home. They had almost locked me up there...

Only a few months after my birth, my parents had had enough of me. I was not planned and had ruined my parents' young, wild party life.

My mom was 16 when I was born and my dad was 17, so both pretty darn young and definitely not ready to have a child. I have no real attachment to them, so the whole thing didn't really hurt me either. They weren't parents to me. They were considered strangers to me.

My grandmother was what they both should have been. Abuela took over both roles and I am very grateful to her today. She herself had no contact with her daughter today, because she emigrated to Spain with her boyfriend, who wanted me to die on the street.

My mother is Spanish and my father is Italian, and I could feel that. However, it could be seen especially in my temperament.

"Is it okay if I go to Scorch Trails with Heeseung later?" Scorch Trails was just my term for the dirty, muddy place where the whole team trained and spent several evenings there.

"Just don't come home too late and take care of yourself." She pressed my body lightly against hers and tilted her head against mine. I closed my eyes and enjoyed her affection until my cell phone made a short sound. This forced me to separate from my grandma and with a played indifferent look I read Hee's message.

Take the 4:43 tramway? Okay?

I answered with an okay and then disappeared into the house. There I changed my clothes and put on something breezy. At the Scorch Trails it was always extremely hot and the sun shone down on you permanently most of the time.

Therefore, I took advantage of the time there to get a tan. I let my hair fall open over my shoulders and for a short time I plugged my phone into the charging cable so I could distract myself there without worrying about my phone crashing.

Engrossed in my thoughts, I squatted cross-legged on my bed and occasionally sipped from my water bottle. Few pieces of fruit were floating in it to add a fruity touch to the tasteless water.

I thought about the evening ahead of me. How would I have to behave? I mean... Most of the time I had my emotions pretty well under control, but ignoring the pain inside couldn't be healthy in the long run.