You're Blooming the Wrong Way

Chapter Twenty-Seven

"It's just the two of us again, Lucy."

That's the first thing Lars said when we saw each other in the living room the next day. He was quietly seated on his wheelchair with a cup of coffee in his hand. When I looked around, I noticed that some stuff was missing from the house, particularly my Mom's.

"Did she leave?" I asked him, referring to our mother.

"Yes, she did. Mom told me she needed some space for now." He shrugged. "She promised to return after a few days."

I'm already used to not having my parents at home, but I have a soft spot for Mom. We were never in good terms, but I always wanted to fix our relationship. I hope she's not mad at me for accidentally punching her last night.

I blinked twice when Lars stared at me with a small smile. I froze at the sight of the gentle expression on his face. It was the same look that my brother had long ago, before the accident.

"You punched him real hard, huh?" I gaped at his rhetorical question. Is it just me, or he looks extremely proud?

"Aren't you mad? I caused a ruckus last night." I remarked.

"Nope." He wrinkled his nose. "Why would I be mad? You stood up for me. When I couldn't speak out, my sister voiced out everything that I wanted to say. Thank you, Lucy." My lips parted at his words.

I made an attempt to speak, but no word came out from my mouth. Napayuko na lang ako at hindi ko na napigilan ang pagtulo ng mga luha ko. I was expecting them to scold me for acting rashly last night. What is he thanking me for? I'm not prepared for this.

I started whimpering when Lars reached for my head when he approached me. It was such a comforting gesture. I badly needed it now. I badly needed my twin brother right now.

"You know, that punch was so satisfying to watch." He laughed as he spoke. "For the first time, I appreciated your violent nature. If I could stand up, I would've punched him as well, you know."

"You can't even kill a fly." bulong ko at pinunasan ang mga luha ko.

He only smiled to me. It was a good start. It was the first morning that Lars didn't argue with me. I left the house with a huge smile plastered on my face. I have a feeling that today will be a great day.

"Good morning." Someone greeted me from behind when I was walking in the hallway. Napalingon ako sa likuran at napangiti ako nang madatnan ko si Hana. He looks wimpy as usual.

"Morning." I greeted him back.

"Kamusta?" kaswal niyang tanong sa akin.

Nag-unat ako. "Ayos lang. Magaan ang pakiramdam ko ngayon."

He nodded. "Good to hear that. Anyway, my brother is already in the classroom. Can you check on him for me? He was quite in a bad shape when he left the house this morning." Hana told me, concern evident on his face.

Hindi ko naman naiwasang mag-alala. May sakit si Haru? He rarely gets sick. I don't even remember him catching a cold before!

Mabilis na akong nagpaalam kay Hana at nagmadali na ako papunta sa klase. When I arrived at our classroom, the teacher wasn't there yet. I saw my boyfriend sleeping soundly on his desk. Nang lapitan ko si Haru, napansin ko ang pagod sa kanyang mukha. Mukhang hindi nga maganda ang pakiramdam niya.

"Haru?" I checked his temperature by placing the back of my hand on his forehead. May sinat siya. Naalimpungatan naman siya at nag-angat siya ng tingin sa akin. "Wake up, Haru."

"Lucy?"

"Do you wanna go to the infirmary to rest for a bit?"

He silently nodded to me. I carried his bag for him and we quietly made our way outside. "You should've stayed at home if you weren't feeling well. What happens if your fever gets worse?" I clicked my tongue in disapproval.