Mirror

III: Momentous

Winter
“So, you’ll be moving straight to Paris after High School?” I ask Quinn just as I took a small slice bite of the Mango Cheesecake. The cream tastes good, milky, smooth and cheesey at the same time with that soft feeling as I bite. The mango toppings and the frosting with the taste of that sour and sweet flavor of it mix well with its sponge. She gave me a nod. “Even if the prestigious school in Singapore offered me a great deal when it comes to both my academic and personal expenses,” Quinn sips at the tip of her cup of tea, she inhales just after the aroma, “...I’d still chase that Paris.” She didn't add anything more. Her soft eyes tell me about her own passion in fashion. I can't help but make her one of my inspirations. “So then,” I sip the tea. “...will you still run as a Vice-president again this school year?” Quinn's fingers paused just mid-air while still holding the handle of her teacup. She lifts her head to face me and smiles. I understood her immediately. “Yeah.” She said without anything more but a smile printed on her lips. It did not mind me much, yet, her eyes were looking at the reflection on the tea in her teacup. The way her eyes fell down, it was slow and gentle, tastes bitter and sweet at the same time, her eyes and the tea, I mean.

My heart beats slows down as the tea is hitting places in me to relax. Tongue clicked and my ears stood up at that hard and sharp sound, I looked up at Quinn and raised a question. “What?” In that sudden question, Quinn froze as she looked at me with dumbfounded eyes, she must have not realized herself. “Oh, nothing.” I wave my hand to deny.

“Anyways,” Quinn spoke, settling down her cup giving a ceramic click on her saucer. Her eyes bore to mine, the way her brown, no, Amber eyes sparked with the sun reflecting on it, it was beautiful and captivating all heart and romance. “How's auntie?” Her question repeated in my head. I was caught off guard and smiled at her. “Mom’s good, although she's a little bit worried about me since y’know, the Luna Academy has a lot of issues during her time…”  Quinn nodded at me, agreeing to what I was about to say. “Yeah, my cousin also said that on his father's side, his father's older brother also attended LA during his middle school.” She started telling an old story while drawing circles with her index finger. “There were some scary ones.” She continued. “Those were old cases, I’m pretty sure in today's current situation, there will be no one to dare.” I say with confidence and trust to the Academy's security. “And if there is someone to do that,” I say looking back at her as I sway my hand in gesture “... they're just making their doom flag.” Quinn left out a sigh, facing me with worried filled eyes. My heart shrank at just how I see her eyes filled with so much stress. “Quinn, please,” I softly whisper to her, “... it's time for you to trust the Academy.” I carry on with my whole attention to her.

I clap my hand to cut this negative atmosphere that's killing our fun after months of no contact. Quinn had followed my eyes and read my head so detailed and well in my attempt to change our topic. I gave her a soft, almost embarrassing smile and her eyes were filled with suspicion. Instead, I gave her a wide smile with no showing my teeth. “Quinn, can I ask you something?” She placed her hand and took the teacup, sips on it, swallowing her words that were about to ask me then she set it down back to the saucer before her eyes bore to mine. “Yeah?” She says with such attention to me. I paused to collect my words, to deliver them in an uncomplicated way. “It’s about Mom,” I mumble, I hold that teacup placed in front of me on that coffee table, I pick it up and let my thumb rub against the top of the holder of it. Cold and ceramic as my eyes followed the perfect clean gold accent of it on the top of the cup. “...it’s about her birthday.” Her eyes sparked and filled with much excitement, I could almost see her cat ears and tail wagging in such interest. Quinn's lips were grinning ear to ear and a blush of happiness was on her cheeks.