Knightly in Shining Armor

Lukas

           

The following week was quite boring. I was essentially under house arrest. Lourdes went to class and work and the soup kitchen. I went with her to the last one, and I don't plan on going back. The place is downright depressing. I pretty much sat and read and watched television. I did find Lourdes's piano and video games, so I made myself familiar. Unfortunately, I couldn't beat any of her game scores. It was quite annoying.

          On Thursday, I was helping Lourdes cook in the kitchen. Cooking was one of my favorite pastimes, to be quite honest. We were talking about different things when her phone rang. Her face lit up as she answered.

          "Magandang araw, mama!" She exclaimed. "How are you?"

          I shook my head. I was starting to get used to her switching languages all the time. She was even teaching me a few basic words. For example, magandang araw was 'beautiful day', which is a traditional greeting in Tagalog.

          I busied myself with the recipe. Lourdes was teaching me how to make traditional dishes from Mexico and the Philippines. It was actually really interesting to me. Plus, it all tasted good.

          Lourdes chattered on, blending Tagalog and English as she spoke with her mother. "Okay, sure. See you then!" She hung up with a grin.

          "What was that about?" I asked, dusting salt from my hands.

          "We're going to my mum's tomorrow for dinner," She replied. "My parents would like to see you."

          I froze, suddenly nervous. Why was I nervous? I'd met them before, but now it felt different. Now, I was meeting them as Lourdes's parents rather than my parents' employees. As if it was that big of a difference.

          "Earth to Lukas," Lourdes waved a hand in front of my face. "Everything okay?" I shook myself out of my thoughts.

          "Yeah, I'm fine," I replied, mentally smacking myself. I had no reason to be worried about anything. Lourdes raised a brow at me but continued with her cooking. We finished the dish just after.

          Later that evening, I was reading a Spanish phrasebook Lourdes had given me, mouthing the words to myself. I had to admit, it was a pretty cool language. I had never given learning languages much thought, but this was quite enjoyable. Lourdes was typing away on her laptop across from me. It was a decently calm atmosphere.

          "Why'd you freak out earlier?" Lourdes suddenly spoke up. I furrowed my brow as I looked up at her. "I mean, when I mentioned your parents you went all weird. Everything okay?"

          "Yeah, I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" I asked with a shrug. She raised a brow.

          "Okay..." She dragged out.

          She shut her laptop and walked up to the loft. My eyes followed her as she disappeared upstairs. She was so weird. I saw the lights turn off, followed by flickering light and sound from a screen. I set my book on the coffee table and walked up the stairs. Lourdes was now in loose sweatpants and a baggy hoodie. She was munching on some crisps and watching a film on her computer.

          I hurried down the stairs to put on comfier clothes and grab my own snacks. I went back up the stairs and flopped next to her to watch the film with her. We shared snacks and watched movies late into the night.

          The next evening, Lourdes was rushing me to get ready. I threw on a nice pair of jeans and a button-down with a sweater over top. Lourdes was wearing a grey sweater and black pants with heels. I pulled on a pair of brown shoes.