. . .

CHAPTER 3

I finished my first lesson and went to my second one. I sat in the seat where I always sat at and took out my books. We still had five minutes for the class to start so I started to draw. It’s been a long time since I didn’t.
“Nice one” -said someone next to me. “Thanks” -I said. I was so concentrated in finishing the drawing that I didn’t know that the lesson already started. Than I looked at the person who sat next to me. “Cole” -when did he come here? “Hello there, Lissa.” -he said smiling at me. “What are you doing here?” -I asked him. “I am in this class. I study here now. Why, is there any problem?” -He asked me. “No, no there isn’t. By the way, welcome.” -”Thank you. It’s nice to have you in most of my classes.” -what did he mean? “Sorry?” . “Well I’m studying business too.” . “Oh, okay.” -I didn’t know what to say anymore. I was going to be in the same class with him for one year. My last year.
“Okay class, open your books at page thirteen please” -and the lesson started.

It was lunch break and as always I decided to go at the library. I took some books and than ate my lunch. I was thinking about Cole. I still didn’t thank him about helping me that day. I was really thankful about him for helping me. After I finished my lunch I went at my next class. And that’s how my time at school went. I putted the books that I needed in my bag and decided to go and some grocery shopping. While I was walking someone stopped their car next to. “Come in.” -said Cole. “Why should I?” -I asked him. “I’m gonna give you a ride.” . “Thank you, but I’m going somewhere else first.” . “No problem. I don’t have what to do after all. I think that it’s better to spent my time with you. So, where to?” -he was waiting for my reply. “Grocery shop.” -I said to him after I hooped in. The ride wasn’t awkward as I thought it would be. As I was about to close my eyes for a little bit, my phone started vibrating. “Hello mom.” -I answered. “Hello sweetie. How are you?” -she asked me. “I’m fine. What about you? How’s dad? Did he wake up or did he made at least a move?” -I asked her. “Fine, thanks. No, he didn’t. After one hour the doctor will come to check him.” . “Oh, okay. How’s Ben and the girls doing?” . “They’re fine too. Ben is here, he wants to talk with you.” -I didn’t know what I was going to say at him. I didn’t find at least five minutes to see him before I went at the airport that day. What kind of a sister am I? “Okay, pass the phone at him.” -I told mom as I was getting ready to talk with him. “Lissa, is that you?” -Oh my, “Yeah buddy, it’s me. How are you? How’s school going?” -I could feel Cole’s eyes at me sometimes but I didn’t care about that at the moment. “It’s going fine.” -he told me, but I knew what his fine meant. “Are they still mocking you Ben?” -there were some children in his school who mock him. “They’re saying that my dad was angry at me and that he hates me. That’s why he got ill and if I don’t die than he will. Lissa, I don’t want to die but I don’t want dad to die too. Was it really my fault? Does he hate me?” -he started crying and even some of my tears came down my cheeks when he said that to me? How can they say things like that? “Ben, look at me. Don’t you ever, like ever don’t you think something like that. Okay? It isn’t your fault. Actually you are the reason why he is still breathing right now. You are the reason why he’s fighting right now. He is fighting with his life just so he can get up and see you smiling and telling him your stories. So don’t you even think about blaming yourself about anything. They’re just jealous about the relationship that you and dad have. Did you hear me?” -I told him after I opened the video call and saw his eyes full with tears. “Do you think that he will open his eyes if tell him my stories here?” -He asked me. “Even if he doesn’t open his eyes, you should know that still he listens at you. He can hear you telling him your stories.”
“Okay, than tomorrow when I come here I will bring my book too and read one or two stories to him. He will love it right?” . “Of course he will. You know what? When you get there call me too and I’ll listen to your stories too. Is it okay if I listen to them with dad?” . “Really? Yes, yes of course you can. Lissa, I’m going to tell mom to sent me at home cause I have to choose the stories and don’t worry I will call you and read them to you and dad.” . “Okay buddy. And don’t think about what the other children say to you. Not just dad but even me, mom, Eliza and Hazel love you. We all do.” . “I love all of you too, sis.” . “Okay then. Can you pass the phone to mom?” . “Wait. I’ll go and get here.” . “Okay, I’ll wait.” - I told him when I felt Cole’s hand in my shoulder. I looked at his direction and saw him already looking at me with a small smile. “Hello. Lissa? Can you hear me?” I was so lost looking at Cole that I forgot that I was going to talk at mom. “Yeah mom I can hear you. I just wanted for you to call me after the doctor finishes with dad.” I told her. “Okay. After all we still didn’t have a mother-daughter talk.” . “Hahah. Yeah, okay.” . “Okay sweetie, I’ll go now. I’ll call you later. Bye.” . “Bye mom. Love you.” -after I closed the phone I saw that we already had arrived. “I didn’t wan to interrupt your call so I didn’t say anything.” -Cole said to me. “Thank you. Should we go now? I’m hungry so we should be fast.” -I didn’t want to talk about what he just saw so went out of the car and went inside. 
I was taking what I needed while Cole was behind me in his phone. Men!! Really. They never couldn’t live without women. They’re just so stupid sometimes. Even when we go out with mom, dad will always be behind us in his phone. “Is anyone at yours tonight?” -he asked me. “No. I’ll be alone tonight. Why? If may I know.” -I asked him. “Is it a problem if I want to come for dinner tonight? I can even help you to make it?” -well it’s not a problem for me. “Yeah sure. Why not?” - I told him. I can use this chance to thank him for helping me. After I took what I needed we went to pay. As I was going to take out my purse and pay to the woman who worked there, Cole gave his card to her. “Cole, I can pay for myself you know? I don’t need you to pay for me.” -I said to him. “It’s not a big deal. I wanted to.” -he said smiling at me. What’s matter with him? He’s always smiling at me but when he turned at the woman his face changed like a stone. We took our stuffs, I thanked the woman and went at the car. The dorm wasn’t too far from here so we went there for five minutes. When we went at my floor and opened my rooms door we went inside and the first thing that I did was to open the window. I wasn’t here for most of the day so the room needed some fresh air. “For this dorm that you’re staying at your ‘room’ looks kinda fancy for a dormitory room.” -Cole said at me. “Yeah, when I came here they didn’t have any room left for me so they gave me this one.” -I told him. I really loved my room. “Now I have to start making the dinner if we don’t want to die from the hunger.” . “I’ll help you. Just tell me what should I do.” -a man in a kitchen? No, thanks I don’t want my kitchen to catch on fire. “There’s nothing you can help me with. If you want you can sit in the couch and find a movie so we can watch after the dinner if you want to.” - Really Lissa? Are you sure that you aren’t the one who wants him to stay here more with you? “Oh, okay.” -he didn’t even hesitate. I took out the ingredients that I needed and I put the others in their places. I was going to make some of my moms specialty and the I’ll make small cake.
After I finished with the dinner I started making the cake when Eva came into my mind. I took out my phone and called her. “Eva.” -I pulled the phone on speaker. “Hi Lissa. What are you doing?” . “Nothing, I just cooked the dinner then decided to ma a little cake. What about you?” -I asked her. “Nothing, just chillin. Why are you cooking by the way? Do you have visitors?” . “Yes actually, I do. Cole gave a ride and than decided to stay at me for dinner. I have to thank him for helping me.” -I told her while I took out some strawberries. “Really? When did two became so close?” . “To tell the truth Eva, I don’t know. There’s this voice inside me telling me to believe him. To stay with him. I don’t even know what I’m saying. It’s just, I feel so good when I am with him. I know it’s been just like, how much, three days since I met him but you know even in this short time he can make me forget about my problems.” -I can’t understand anything what I’m saying. “He sounds like a good guy.” -Eva told me. I was cutting the strawberries when accidentally I cut my finger. “Ouch!” -I put the knife down and rushed to the sink. “What happened?” . “Nothing, just a little cut.” -I said louder so Eva can hear me. “Are you okay?” -I heard Cole behind me. “Yeah, I’m good.” -I took my phone “Eva I have to go now. Talk to you later.” . “Okay, but we have to talk about this again.” . “Okay, bye.” -I told her and said to Cole to wait for one minute until I went to take the first aid box. After I finished I went in the kitchen and saw that Cole already finished cutting the strawberries. “You didn’t have to but thanks.: -I told him.  We made the cake together and then I put it in the refrigerator. We put everything in the table and started to eat. I was so hungry that if Cole wouldn’t be here I would eat all of the food. Lissa, where are your manners? I asked myself. “I hope that you liked the food.” -I told Cole feeling nervous about his answer. “To tell the truth this is the best homemade food that I’ve eaten for a long time. Thank you. I really loved it.” -I was so happy from his answer. “Thank you.” -I did the dishes while Cole cut the cake and took out some cokes and then we sat in the couch and started to talk. The movie long forgotten. “I was really surprised when you didn’t say no for me to come here.” . “That’s because, actually I’ve been thinking about how to thank you for the other day when you helped me. And I thought that I can do this as a thank you gesture.” -I told him. “I was surprised about some thing too. But I don’t know hos to say it” . “Feel free to say anything you want.” -Okay, here goes nothing. “Why did you decide to help me? I think you know what I meant.” -I asked him. “Because I know how it is do be in the middle of two roads where you don’t know which one to choose. I know how it feels when you know that you have a lot of things to do but you don’t know how. And I do know how it is like to feel insecure.” -what he just told me, everything that he said to me. It was just, so…, I now knew why he helped me. And I’m more thankful that he was the one who helped me. “I actually don’t talk much. I don’t like talking and I also don’t like to have a work with other people expect business.” -I understood what he meant, I really did. “You know Cole? I hope that it isn’t a problem if I talk casually with you.” . “Yeah, no problem.” . “Okay. Actually you are the first person after Eva, that helped me without wanting something. That’s why I wanted to thank you.” . “I would do it again if it matters.” -I had this warm feeling from what he said. “But still I don’t understand something. How did yo know my name? I mean we didn’t a conversation before for you to know.” . “You are the one who didn’t have a free seat in the plane right? And then they told you to sit in the business class ones. Am I wrong? ” -he asked me. “How did you know?” . “Well let’s just say that I knew the pilot and the people who worked there.” No. Don’t tell me he’s saying what I think that he is. “It’s exactly what you’re thinking.” . “But how?” . “Now, we don’t want to rush now do we.” . “Yeah, sorry. Then, I think that I should thank you about that too.” -how many times should I? “No problem. I’m glad that I could help. After all you didn’t seem that happy with the things that were going on with you.” . “Well yeah. After all we always have different exams that we should pass. Let’s just say that right now I have one damn hard exam, but I will do everything to pass it. So it’s not a big deal. I can do it.” -We can do it. Okay dad? We will pass this exam together and be stronger about the others. “You really manage to surprise me Miss Lissa.” . “Flattered, Mr. Cole?” -i asked him and then we started laughing. We talked a little bit more. And  we learned more about each other. I just hope that I didn’t do a mistake for believing him.
“Thank you for the dinner. I hope that I will try some of your other dishes again.” -I laughed at that.
“We will see about that.” -I told him. “Okay then. See you tomorrow at school?” -he asked me.
“See you tomorrow at school.” -I answered him. He smiled at me when he heard my answer and went at his car. We said bye at each other and then he went.
I went inside my room and as I was going to call Eva but mom called first.
“Hi mom. Did the doctor finish the check up?” . “Yeah, he did.” . :So, what did he say?” . “He is good for the moment. We don’t need to worry about anything.” -I was glad to hear that. Dad has a long way to do but at least his situation didn’t get worse. “I’m happy to hear that mom.” . “So, how’s the first week going? This is your last year by the way.” . “It’s going fine so far. I’m just glad that I can use the same room.” -I told her. “You’re lucky to have that room, you know right?” . “I do know. I think that it will be the hardest to leave it after I finish school.” . “Hahah, don’t worry. You can take an apartment that’s going to be better then your room.” . “I’m going to. I will. I will find a job and help you and dad. Then you will not need to worry about the girls and Ben, cause I’ll help you.” . “I know that you will.” - mom told me. “And we’ll always be there for you.” . “Thanks mom.” -After I finished the call with mom, I just wore my pajamas and went to sleep. I don’t know why but I was really tired, that as I went at my bed sleep came and I fell asleep.