Eleven Favours I Owe Him (Kismet-on hold)

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

"Sweetie, I'll be home late tonight, so don't wait up." Mom mumbles as she zips through the house gathering the items she need to get to work. When I look at the plastic clock hanging on the wall, it says that it's almost eight-thirty in the morning.

Mom had gotten a part time job doing data entry for the small family owned grocery store, Buck's. It's only for four hours every night but they pay her good money. Seems to me the owners, the Fredericks took a liking on her when she helped an old lady pay for her groceries. When Matilda Frederick asked if she wanted anything for her altruistic actions, mom flatly refused. However, Matilda would not take no for an answer, so Mom thought of something they could not possibly give-a part time job. But as it turns out, they had an open position for data entry. Having difficulties finding a part time job that earns more than minimum wage, mom graciously accepted the offer.

"Okay," I mutter absentmindedly already absorbed by the medical-mystery Dr. House picked for his team. I'm still on my pajamas, buried inside the thick layer of blanket savouring one more episode before my day starts.

"There's kimchi fried rice sitting on the table when you get hungry. Okay, I love you! Lock the doors," Mom sends me flying kisses, she straps on her leather boots, and black peacoat and bolts out the door. I hear metallic clicks, and mom's sharp footfalls as she scurries off to her car. From a distant, I hear the car engine drive off.

I scoop a handful of popcorn-yes popcorn for breakfast- and shove if in my mouth, the buttery goodness makes me moan in satisfaction. However it almost makes me choke when Dr. Robert Chase appears in his neatly ironed dark suit. This season of the show he sort of appears as gruff, his hair was cut short, stubble growing-sort of a dark look surrounding him but he's handsomely as ever. He sort of reminds me of Zane in that way.

Zane left shortly after we finished our ice creams which was quarter to twelve. He bids me goodbye and we parted ways. However, before that, he tells me-orders, is more appropriate I guess-to meet him in the public library to help him with pre-cal. I can only nod, seeing the lengths he's gone through to comfort me yet again.

Speaking of which, these actions bother me so much.

Weeks ago, we were strangers-he was just another familiar face in the crowd whom declared I owed him favours. His cold, apathetic attitude, and wayward thinking irritated the hell out of me. But it seems underneath all of it, he has a soft side to him, and in the light of recent events, I will need to re-evaluate my opinion of him after the things he has done for me.

The alarm I set last night sets off, indicating that it's time for me to get ready. With a loud groan and much reluctance, I pause the show, and drag my lazy self out of the warm sanctuary, and make my way to the washroom.

Unceremoniously, I go through the routine. The warm water wakes me up, my senses drowns in my favourite strawberry-vanilla scented body wash, and lathering my hair with the shampoo that smells exactly the same. It relaxes me, and as much as I wanted to stay under the warmth, I need to dry off to meet with Zane. The steam clouds up the room but I manage to safely navigate cracking the door open slightly to let the cool air in.

Wiping the fogged up mirror off, my tired reflection stares back at me. Under my eyes are unflattering big bags, that I hated the most. I run my fingers around them then to my sickly colored cheeks. The usual rosy color has become pallid. A bitter scoff errupts from my mouth as I remember last night's events.

The swirling steam around the room grabs a hold of the mirror yet again, causing it to have a cloudy mist over it. I just let it. The self-loathing is just too much right now to even look at my own image.