For The Eternals

You smelled like a strawberry

I woke up like usual, at 5 am. Even I didn’t have to go to work, but I like it that way. I didn’t have any OCD or something, but I liked to build my routine.

I stretched my muscle. The bed was incredibly comfy, made my bones and muscle shocked after years of sleeping on the almost flat surface of bed.

After that, I just sat on the bed, looking around my new room. It was very beautiful. The bed was huge with pillows in various size, and a cupboard beside it with cute lamp on it. There’s a soft bench near the window. Beside the windows, there were shelves that could be for books or some small decors. There’s also a comfy sofa with a coffee table. I also got a studying table with computer on it.

I didn’t know if I could use it or not, but I would ask Alex later.

I still didn’t know whether it’s appropriate or not calling him Alex. But I like to call him that way. It felt more intimate and familiar. I was also told that the rest of them wanted me to call them by their first name. They said they wanted to let loose at the home and nobody called them as their title.

Only Lucifer and Theo were the students. The others were the teachers. Maybe I would met them in the class someday.

I wanted to make first impressive step to make them not feeling regret to accept me in their house. So, I wanted to make breakfast. I’m not very good at cooking, but I’d worked in a café before.

They served breakfast every morning. Even I wasn’t paid to cook, I always stepped up when they need extra hands on cooking.

I prepared my self, brushing my teeth, combed my light blonde hair, and dress in sweatpants and a tank top, then went down stairs.

But my plan was ruined. Henry was in the kitchen wearing aprons and flipping pancakes. He had a high stack of pancakes on the kitchen island. Beside it, there’s also a fruit bowl full of various fruits, bottles of syrup, and a can of whipped cream.

“You’re looked very good in aprons”

Henry turned his head to me.

“Good morning, Amy” He smiled to me.

“Good morning too.” I answered him while sitting on the stool.

“You smell like strawberry.” Henry said turning his head to me.

I smiled to him, “it’s because my shampoo and soap have strawberry scents.”

I could see he was nodding his head while taking the pancake off the pan.

“I woke up early, so I could make some breakfast. But it seems I’m too late.” I picked one of the strawberries and put it into my mouth, chewing it.

He put another pancake to the stack on the plate and sat opposite me in the kitchen island.

Seeing me chewing the strawberry, he smiled sweetly.

“you do like strawberry, don’t you?”

I nodded my head. My hand was looking for another strawberry while my eyes didn't leave his eyes.

“No need to do that, strawberry. I love cooking. I always make breakfast at this house.”

He picked one of the strawberries and point it to my mouth.

I looked at his hand, but my body like had its own mind. I leaned a little and opened my mouth. I took the strawberry while looking at him. My tongue accidentally touched the tip of his finger.

I couldn’t read his face. It had many emotions on it. But I wasn’t good at reading expression either. I didn’t know what he was thinking.

“The others will join us soon.” He stood and turned his back.

“Is there something I can help?” I also stood and moved further into the kitchen.

“Could you prepare the table? The silverware was there.”

He pointed one of the drawers and I looked into it. I saw some silverware and took some of them. I brought to the dining room and set the table for eight. Then Henry showed up with the stack of pancakes, and the bottles of syrup. I wanted to go to the kitchen to take fruit bowl but crashed someone’s body instead.

“oopss.. Sorry” I held my nose with my hand. Damn! This guy had a hard body like a rock wall.

“Are you okay, baby?” It’s Edward.

Yeah.. He had a really built body. He touched my nose with his hand, the one that not holding a jar of jam.

“Yeah.. I’m okay. “

I stopped, aware that he was touching my nose and looking directly at me surprisingly close. I could see his brown eyes and felt his breath. Once again, there’s a numbing sensation at my skin where he touched.

I stood up straight and controlled my self.

“I will take the fruit bowl.” I made a run to the kitchen, but this time, I bumped into another body.

“Sorry, princess. Are you okay?” It was Alex. He steadied my self with his hand. He was holding the fruit bowl with his right hand and holding me with another.

“I’m okay.” I smiled nervously. The numbing sensation spread from his hand to my body. I didn’t know how it’s happened, but silently I kinda liked it.

“We should go to the table.” I nodded to his suggestion.

We walked to the dining room. Alex sat on the chair at the head of the table. There’s one seat left beside William and Edward, and I took it.

Henry gave me my pancakes. I took a can of whipped cream and spread it generously on my pancakes, then I put some strawberries, bananas, and blueberries.

After satisfied with how good was my food looked, I sat on the chair and enjoyed it. After the first bite, I realized that everyone was looking at me. Was there something wrong? Was there any whipped cream on my face? I took a napkin and wiped my mouth.

Then everyone was backed to their plates. That’s awkward actually. But since nobody said anything about it, I continued eating. With better manner this time.

“What’s your plan for today, Amy? “ Edward asked.

I finished the leftover pancakes in my mouth, “Nothing actually. I just want to arranged my things in the room. It’s still messy.”

He nodded, “just call me if you need anything. You see I have some muscle, right?” and continued eating.

I smiled to him, “you sure do, Edward”

The others tried to make simple conversations too like discussed the weather, the school stuff, or just complimented Henry’s cooking skill. They made sure that I took apart in every conversation.

I felt happy about that. I spent my life almost alone. Even when my parents were still alive, I didn’t really talked to them.

About a few moments later, we’d finished eating. I got back to my room. I still need to arrange things in it, like my books and pictures.

I closed the door of my new room. I went to the scattered boxes near my bed. I opened all of them and arranged the things inside.

First I took the toiletries and brought the rest that I didn't take to the bathroom this morning to the bathroom. Not plenty, but enough to clean my body.

Since I loved strawberry too much, all of the things had strawberry smells in it.

Next up was the cosmetics. I just had lip balm, foundation, powder and eyeliner. My mom used to own every pieces of sophisticated make up things in her bathroom. I remembered she was always beautiful with on point make up and fancy dress. When she was going to a date night with my dad, she was even more beautiful. I grew up hoping I could be a beautiful lady like her. That’s why I always copied how she walked, how she ate, how she talked, even how she stood with perfect posture.

I smile sadly. Now I couldn’t do that again. I hope she was in a better place now.

I put the cosmetics on the dressers. Next I took out some books and put them on the shelves. There were kinds of books, magazines, encyclopedia, fictions, etcetera.

I looked for the box with the pictures in it. It was under the dressers.

I took out an album. It’s the pictures from my childhood. I could see me in baby, toddler times, in little girl and when I graduated mid school. I was very happy and looked innocent.

Then I spotted a picture of my family. There were my dad, my mom, 7 years old me, and my uncle. That’s the most happiest time in my life. My dad was still worked as a manager in a company, my mom was a nail artist. She work in a salon that owned by her friend. And my uncle, he was still a student in a high school.

My life’s changed when my dad got a promotion. He was busier and rarely went home on time. It’s hard to have a chat with him. My mom was also getting busier. She opened her own salon and became the main nail artist there. She sometimes went home at midnight. My uncle who used to babysat me also got busy with his school life and rarely went home. I spent my time mostly alone at home after school.

The nightmare was happened before I celebrated my 12th birthday.

It was an usual night. My dad was still at work, my mom was still at her salon, and my uncle hadn’t back home for four days. I was in my room, watching YouTube when I heard the front door opened. I thought it was my family. So I went out of my room to welcomed them.

When I touched the last stair, I was shocked to see it wasn’t my family. There were two people with black masks and black attires. They were looked like looking for something because they were rummaging every save places like the shelves, and cupboards, even took down a few pictures on the walls.

Did they know there’s a safe behind one of the pictures?

Startled by me, they stopped what they’re doing and started to come to me. I ran a few steps before the front door was opened and my dad entered the house. He yelled at them and took the bat in umbrellas holder near the door. He wanted to hit them, but didn’t see that they had a gun. A few shots and my dad was collapsed in front of my eyes. I was beyond shock. I couldn’t move a thing, just staring at him.

In that moment, I heard a scream from the door. It was my mom. Her scream stopped after I saw blood leaked from her chest.

I didn’t know what to do and just stuck at my place. When they started to walked toward me, suddenly I gained my consciousness back and ran to my room. I locked it and put any things I could grabbed to blocked it. Then I took my phone and called 911. Looked like I still could used my brain in desperate time after all.

The voice was heard in the other side of the line, I directly told my address and went into my closet. He kept the conversation going while I was very afraid listening to the hard and loud voices from the outside of my room.

Then the sirens could be heard. A few minutes later, the officers opened my closet and brought me to the ambulance. Before entered, I could see the bodies of my mom and dad. I screamed my lungs out running and calling their names again and again, until I collapsed.

When I woke up, I saw my uncle’s face in front of me. He was so close that I could see the mole under his left eye. I didn’t know why he held a pillow in front of his face. Maybe he just wanted to take some nap. I just realized that I was in a hospital room. He must be the one who took care of me.

Long story short, we buried my parents. Many condolences were addressed to me. But I barely heard it. I felt like I was in a space and looking at the people walked in and out of my sight. Every touch they did was nothing to me. It felt numb.

I closed my eyes, tried to hold the tears back. I still felt the hollow in my chest. Nothing I could do to fill it. Believe me, I’d tried.

I exhaled hard and continued taking the pictures out and put some on the shelf.

When I took the next picture, it was my uncle’s picture, when we was celebrating his 21st birthday. He hold me closely while my parents hug him from the left and right side.

He was very lovely back then. His blue eyes were always bright. His blonde hair that looked almost like mine swayed when he swing me in his arms. He and I shared many similar features and also moments. I loved him so much, and he was always be there for me, listening to what I told, holding me when I was sad even brought me to the amusement park when I felt upset.

But I guessed every beautiful things would found its end. My lovely uncle was the reason I survived with the small amount of money I earn myself, not the inheritance from my parents.