Truths and Stars

Chapter 8*

THALISA

When Thalisa woke up, her head was aching from crying last night. This is the reason why she never wanted to cry again aside from the reason that she doesn't want to feel weak. So Tina forced her to rest for the whole morning. Before drifting back to sleep, she heard the car engine from the outside and she figured that she must be off to buy medicine. She thinks she's causing her couin trouble again. When she got down at lunchtime, Tina still hasn't come back and she waited two hours more at the veranda near the lake before she heard the car pull up at the front porch.

"Thal, you're up," Tina sat down in front of her and placed a glass of water and a tablet pack on the table, "I'm sorry I took so long. It's just that a front tire was flat and I had to have it changed. Drink this; it will alleviate your headache."

She looked at the tablet pack, "You shouldn't have taken the bother to-,"

Tina cut her off, "No, Thalisa. I'm not bothered at all. You're not causing me any trouble if that's what you're thinking. You know I'm leaving for abroad to study the next week and so I have to leave this place tomorrow. I won't be able to spend more time with you until I come back and I don't know when that is. Being with you and caring about you is not trouble at all. Please, believe me."

"I'm sorry," was all Thalisa could say. While she was listening to her, she held back the tears that were threatening to fall and her head was aching again.

Tina stood up from her seat and embraced Thalisa from behind, "Don't say you're sorry. You didn't do anything wrong."

Her warmth was all she felt at the moment and the tears dried up in her eyes. She forgot the last moment she felt this- she thinks it was with her mother who has some same characteristics with Tina. They are both kind and warm-hearted. This feeling suddenly made her realize how comforting her presence was every time she's with her especially after her parents' death, and yet she was being rude to her. She held on to this feeling until she found herself smiling; an expression of her warmth reaching her heart, making her feel glad that her cousin stayed with her.

She whispered 'thank you' and she think Tina heard her, alright.

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DAREN

Today is the last day of their stay in Jasper but Chris stayed behind with his family so now it's only Luke and Daren who will travel back to the city- that's what they thought at first because after seeing Terry in the town center carrying a large bag and they both guessed that she's heading back to the city, too, Luke parked the car around the corner and waved at her. She didn't notice them until Luke had to call her name and the one standing beside her had to poke her shoulder.

"Where you headed?" Luke asked, with excitement, Daren guessed. Seeing him get excited is really new to him.

"Home," she answered simply, "How about you?"

"To El Flint?"

She nodded and his smile widened. Daren coughed.

"Why isn't Chris with you?" she asked. They've been on the road for 30 minutes now.

"He stayed with his family there at Jasper," Luke answered.

Seeing her again reminded Daren of something embarrassing, "You know what," he turned his upper body towards the backseat where she's sitting, "every time I see you I remember the humiliation you got me involved in."

"You're still mad about it? But it has been over a month! And I'd already apologized. I had said I'm sorry."

He went back to his original position facing the road, "I wasn't mad. I was just slightly annoyed."