Trip

Day Two

DAY TWO. I woke up the next day; anxiety was the first one to greet me as soon as I was aware of my life. And along with the uneasiness was a plea—a plea that if ever they would still spend this day here, I would be able to live through it without any interaction with any of them. I figured that was my only chance at survival.

                I hoped I had made it crystal clear to Luke last night that I did not want anything to do with him anymore. I wished he would just stay away and let me live peacefully in my old and boring yet bearable world. I did not desire for complications of any kind. And so far all he ever brought was complications of all possible kinds. I hoped it had come to his senses now.

                I reached for my mobile phone on top of the bedside table—a usual habit in the morning. With squinting eyes, I unlocked it and saw a message from Claire.

If you really want to dodge my friends, go to the mall. That’s the only escape I can offer. Either you take it or you don’t. It’s up to you.

                My decision came faster even before I took my next breath. I did not have to think it through. I knew I would be spending that day at the mall. And not knowing what I’d do the whole day did not bother me at all. I was staunch with my choice. I’d rather round the mall up twice or ten times or even a hundred, if that’s what it would take me to evade them. I’d do it so willingly.

                I had managed to live through the morning. I was sipping my drink excessively slow, trying to extend the activity for even just a quarter of the afternoon. A portion of my head was working on other strategies to do for the rest of the day. Honestly, I was coming up short with interesting ideas. Not to mention, my money was thinning in my pocket, and I rounded the mall thrice already. What was still there for me to do to burn this incredibly long day?

                In the middle of my scheming, the phone in my pocket vibrated. Another message from Claire.

                We’re at the mall. Where are you hanging out? So I can avoid it.

I immediately informed her of my hiding place, a café we usually visited not just because they offered the most delicious drinks in town but also because they came at reasonable prices.

If that was the case, I was saved from another round of an aimless stroll around the mall. Perhaps I would just buy myself another drink and sit my butt out. I was safe here. I would not want to take the risk.

After five minutes or so, the door to the restaurant opened, making a dull sound that suggested a customer had arrived. My eyes instantly flew at the door. While I was there, an activity had interested me: whenever customers came in, I watched them took their seats and waited for what they would order, or whether they would order at all. To be honest, it was really wasting time. Well, when you ran out of sensible things to do, the trivial things would suddenly become pretty interesting.

I watched. It was like my sight was framed with streaks of fiery orange.

How obtuse and dense could a person really be? Despite having my reprobation as conspicuous as I could muster, he still appeared unfazed by it.

Luke easily spotted me. I knew I was the only one in the place with a riled up expression. Others watched him with reverence as he walked in. I wasn’t so hard to see.

He took the vacant seat in front of me with the imperturbable, wide smile that was galling me to bits whenever I would see it. He was a sore to my eyes… especially when he showed up with that smile on his face.

“Hello there,” he greeted. His eyes and teeth were bright, almost blinding.

“Come on, Luke. What part of ‘stay away from me’ did you not really understand?” I told him.