Tearing Paper

In the Flat

"Brr! I didn't know you were this naughty," Gifta couldn't keep her eyes off the charming young man standing beside Dianne. Dianne laughed.

"No, Auntie, geez-he's just staying for a while to do some editing," she convinced the landlady by pointing at Nate's open laptop at the corner of the room. "It's-umm, hard for us to meet anywhere else, as you know, so I thought..."

"I know, Honey, don't worry. He seems really nice," Gifta smiled at Nate. "And I trust both of you. Just make sure not to-disturb the other neighbors, okay?"

"That's a really creepy euphemism," Nate said as Gifta left. "Is she always like that?"

"I told you you'll like her. She just likes hanging out with younger people. I guess that's how she comforts herself for not having a family," Dianne murmured quietly, helping Nate tidy his stuff. Neither of them knew how long Nate would be staying there-although deep inside their hearts, they hoped the book would take forever to copy that they wouldn't have to say another goodbye. Dianne hummed as she went to the mini kitchen.

"Oh-I hope you don't mind going vegan for a while. Aunt Gifta shares her groceries with me so I get whatever she feels like cooking," Dianne knew men were less concerned about their health and preferred eating meat. Nate laughed. "It's fine. I'm just a guest here, aren't I? Besides, red beans are always my favorite."

"Really?" Dianne looked impressed. Nate followed her into the cramped space that could be defined as a kitchen and helped her to sort through some vegetables.

-

"Eat it, it's good for you."

"No, Ella! I'm not a kid," Nate leaned away from Ella, who tried to bring a spoonful of baby spinaches into his mouth.

"If you insist on eating junk food, you'll die faster than me, and we both know I can't have that happen," Ella said in a tone much too serious for a joke like that. Well, at least Nate thought she was joking, until she stared at him with her deep hazel eyes. "Eat. I cooked for you."

"Okay," Nate gave up and opened his mouth. "Are you happy now? We're so gonna be late for our Physics quiz!"

"Well, run!" Ella got up as soon as she realized it was a quarter past seven. They raced one another to the front yard where they parked their scooters and sped with the morning wind, carrying them to yet another day in high school.

-

"Sorry-I... are girls always like this? You know my girlfriend was the one who forced me into liking veggies in the first place," Nate noticed that Dianne was waiting for an answer.

Dianne was significantly taken aback by this. "Your-"

"I mean, my ex-girlfriend," Nate fixed his sentence quickly. "Technically my best friend, since she was still my best friend when she went crazy about food and stuff-but then she became my girlfriend, and-"

"Oh."

"We broke up," Nate ended his sentence with a thin smile as he stood close to Dianne, getting a chopping board and cutting up some spring onions. "I wouldn't be here if I had a girlfriend, okay?"

"You're the loyal type," Dianne replied softly as she started boiling some water. Nate hated how fast she moved away from him, but he got hold of himself and continued what seemingly had become his task for that afternoon. "How did you break up?"

"I'm sorry?"

"How did you break up? I never see you as somebody harsh enough to break up with a girl," Dianne asked friendlily while putting the peeled red beans into the pot of water.

"I..." Nate was amazed at how simply being with this girl made him forgot about everything else. "It's a long story."