The Meaning Games

11. Friends Vs. Enemies

It's harder for people in control to accept change, especially if it comes unexpected. 

Avarie Castelo checked her lips against nervously, making sure her gloss hadn't smudged. Picking up her bag from the foot well of the passenger side, Avarie dumped the forty-seen roses she'd received and pulled the keys out of the ignition. She grabbed her take away coffee and locked her car. Just as she went to walk up the stairs of the apartment building, the door swung open and a fairly tall gentleman with red-blonde hair stepped out, a bag of garbage in his hand. Instead of moving towards him and gaining his attention, Avarie kept her cool and watched as he chucked the garbage away. Avarie stared at him intensely as she sipped her coffee. His brow furrowed over his blue eyes, before they shot up in surprise as a cat wound itself between his legs. 

"Hey, little guy," Kiel said smoothly. "Are you lost?" He was oblivious to Avarie standing in front of him, by her large, expensive car. He stroked the cat behind the ear, kneeling down on the pavement. No longer in grey pants, a cardigan and a tie, Kiel Swede had changed into jogging bottoms and a thin, grey sweatshirt. Somehow, seeing Kiel in his loungewear stoking a cat on the pavement after chucking the trash made him seem... normal. Avarie almost forgot that this man was her teacher, and not just a cute boy on the street. Almost. Then the cat licked Kiel's hand and he yelped in surprise, standing up straight. Avarie couldn't contain herself anymore and let out a laugh. "Oh, my—" Kiel turned towards Avarie, finally noticing her. The car ran down the sidewalk at the sound of Avarie's laughing. 

"I'm sorry," she apologised, pushing herself away from her car. "I couldn't help myself."

Scratching he back of his head, Kiel cleared his throat. "How long have you been standing there?"

"A while," she replied. "I can't believe you didn't notice my car."

"I didn't hear it pull up."

Avarie shrugged. "I pulled up before you opened the door," she admitted. 

Kiel suddenly cracked a grin. "If you tell anyone I was talking to a cat, I'll fail you."

Avarie challenged him by raising an eyebrow. "Really now? Good job I was here to witness it then. It's entertaining."

Kiel raised his brow. "What are you here for? Have you come to see my handsome face?"

Avarie waved her hand vaguely. "Well... I wouldn't call it handsome."

Kiel looked offended. "I have some very dashing features."

"And I have some beautiful roses, that doesn't mean I always want to look at them."

Kiel moved, opening his door wide. He gestured for Avarie to go in. "Speaking of roses," he commented in an amused voice. "I received one today." 

Avarie moved into the hallway and dropped her belongings on the floor. She didn't turn to him just yet so she could hide her smile. "I saw. Aren't you lucky?"

"I didn't know you liked Tolstoy?" Kiel asked, offering Avarie to enter the living room.

"Well he's a famous Russian writer, isn't he? I knew you'd know a quote from him if you saw one. I looked through his work, and found one I liked. I don't care if you'd preferred Latin. I know you have a collection of books dedicated to Russian writers. 

Kiel moved around the room and crouched down next to a collection of books in one of the corners of the room. After kneeling down and searching through, he stood back up with a copy of Anna Karenina in Russian. "I learnt Russian because of my father. He had all of Tolstoy's creations."