Enchanted

Chapter 9

Sabrina

"Sabrina!" I quickly ran down the flight of stairs when I heard her yell my name from below.

My aunt was standing in the living room, crossed arms to her chest. Beside her were a piece of luggage and her handbag sitting on top.

"Where are you going?" I asked out of curiosity. "I'll be on a business trip to Colorado for 2 weeks and I want you to do the chores listed here while I'm not around." She handed with a piece of paper with messy handwriting.

Vacuum the house, do the dishes, do the laundry, water the plants...

I don't even need to glimpse the paper to know what I need to be doing for the next two weeks. That's because I have been doing them every week regardless my aunt will be flying out.

The frequency of the chores was also written down to ensure her house does not turn into an aftermath of a hurricane and her plants will be well-maintained and flourish.

"I also left 100 dollars on the dining table for you. I hope you can understand how lenient I am to you," she continued. I nodded, showing no expression but my heart was beating fast after hearing the amount of money I just earned.

My aunt called a cab which sent her to the airport and I was left in an empty space. Alone. Again.

I observed the surrounding I was standing. Neatly organised discs in the transparent cabinet under the television that no one watched, red velvet leather sofa with pillows placed vertically, a rectangular glass table in the centre with a vase of polyester fabric light colour peonies and a stack of magazines.

A house that looks merely like a showroom. A house that fails to bring me the comfort of a home.

I took two steps at a time up the stairs and returned to my room, leaving my thoughts hanging in the silence of the first floor.

I laid on my back, watching the fan spun in a circular motion until the sound got louder and louder, drowning me in my thoughts.

Two years ago, life was at its peak. Parties, dates, almost everything was my first experience.

Nicolette, Jake and I would study together at the local library and accidentally laugh too loud, earning a scowl or even a death stare from the old librarian lady. Jake would pull me out of my chair, to the back of the library where they keep all those ancient literature that people do not even care to walk past or look at and kiss my lips. Passionate and wild. A few minutes later, we will return to our seats and Nicolette gives us a suspicious look but we always just shrug as if nothing had ever happened.

During weekends, I would lie to my aunt that I will be going over to my friend's to do some revision. Instead, I meet up with Jake who waits for me at the end of the street on his motorcycle and text Nicolette to be my alibi in case my aunt decides to do some investigation over my peculiar action. I throw my arms around his waist as he takes me through the winding street down to the Saturday carnival.

I remember that one time, Jake bought me a cowboy hat at a musical festival. We danced all night to country songs and drank weird flavours of juices. I was too afraid to try the margaritas because I might get drunk and sick, even worst grounded for the rest of high school. We also played shooting at the game booths and tried old West cowboy food. I can still taste the heavenly savoury flavour of tortilla chips with guacamole and salsa and buffalo wings which are different compared to the ones I ate before. It was a night when the moon was full and infinite stars shone brightly in the sky.

When I'm in school, Jake Carney would hold my hands tightly in his and whisper something like 'You look beautiful, love' in my ear. I would blush until my cheeks turn rosy red and keep my head down so he does not notice. Our relationship was a secret we share and no one in the school would care about us.