Left Unexplained

Chapter 11~

Saturday came and went. I met up with Hanna at the coffee shop like we had planned. As agreed, we didn't talk about anything other than calculus and didn't stay there anymore than necessary. We didn't bring up the past and most importantly, we were good with each other, almost civilised. 

Almost.

She still had her spunk with her, and witty retorts were one of the things she didn't leave behind before coming.

But I was impressed with her skills. She accomplished the concepts that took me days in just a few short hours.

The next few meetings were the same: meet at the coffee shop, open books, study, go home.

It seemed like that's how it was going to be all the time, until-

Due to renovations, we will be closed for two weeks. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The big white board with bold black letters glared in the sunlight. All the windows and doors were covered with newspapers.

'For two weeks? But Hanna's test is tomorrow and we had plans of cramming newer concepts today!' I panicked.

"Oh hell no!" I heard her approaching from behind me. "Out of all days, they chose to renovate today?!"

I sighed. "We're gonna have to find a new place." I looked at her expectantly, knowing she wouldn't ever walk into my place unless a gun was pointed at her head.

But she shook her head. "We can't. They're home."

So her place is out of the question. I remembered her telling me earlier that she was allowed to be out for as she needed for her studies. That had to be one of her first privileges.

"Is...my place fine?" I cautiously asked. I didn't want to step over the line, especially not after how much the two of us had progressed since last week. We could actually hold a conversation without snapping at each other or showing hatred...well, the second one applied to Hanna.

'Friends' was too strong a word to describe us. Maybe acquaintances?

"We have no other choice. Alright."

Woah! She just agreed?! Maybe she thinks we are a little more than acquaintances?

'Get a hold of yourself Grace! It's only because she has no other options,' I scolded myself. 'And plus, you're not trying to be friends. All you are doing is waiting for the perfect moment to end this with the overdue apology.'

When I saw the black Mazda 2 sedan parked in the open garage, I knew mom was home. With Hanna tailing behind me, I opened the front door and dropped my bag on the couch, gesturing for Hanna to do the same.

"Gracie! Help me out with the dinner tonight! I've got a project due soon and I haven't even come up with the design yet. If you can, make a casserole because they-" mom stopped abruptly as she saw Hanna behind me. We had entered her study. She sat behind a burgundy wood desk that had many stacks of papers and some loose ones lying around. She was wearing her reading glasses, implying that she had been working since she never wore them for any reason other than that.

Her eyes widened as she took in Hanna. Mom knew about our feud and how dad forced us apart. That only added fuel to the hatred she sported towards him, claiming he took away her 'daughter'. Apparently, she used to think of Hanna as her own child.

"Hanna," she breathed as her hands were frozen midair while holding some papers.

A brief glance towards me gave me enough time to tell her through my eyes to not question anything. Things were still raw, and until they became a little more stable, I didn't want anything from our past to be mentioned.