Moonlight Flower

Chapter 18 - Send-Off Party

"Do you want to come to Lance's birthday party and send-off?" Clarence, from the living room, asked Claire who was eating a vegetable salad in the dining table.

"Hm? Send off?" she asked.

"He didn't tell you?"

She shook her head, with a wondering look on her face.

"It's because you're not replying to him at all. Anyway, he's leaving next week to study abroad. His birthday is still 10 days from now, but they will be celebrating it as well. Do you want to go?"

She put down the fork and stared at the table.

Clarence glanced at her and saw she was a little shocked. He chuckled inside thinking that finally she might be affected by him now. But he was also a bit sad for them since they will be separated now.

He said, "The celebration will be four days from now. 7PM at a restaurant on the 6th street. The four of us are invited. We need to confirm today."

"No, I'm not coming," she said.

"Why?"

She remembered again the scene on the night of the Flower Festival, where she saw him kissing someone. She impatiently shook her said as if to shake that thought as well. "Why does that keep on popping out of my head? And why does my heart feel like something is stabbing it?" she thought, a bit irritated inside.

She grabbed the fork and started eating again. "You know that we can't make any more contact with normal humans except for the few people we now have. But if you want to, you three can go."

"But you already met his father and other relatives, didn't you?"

Then she remembered that was true. It was when they had that cooking showdown for him to date her if he won. And he did win and the rest was history, but if seemed like yesterday.

She just remained silent. She didn't say anything.

"Okay, I'll tell him we're not coming," he said while typing on his phone. "Sent."

Claire looked at him. "But I said you can go without me."

"Don't worry. I've told him we can set a separate celebration with him, the five of us."

"What?!"

A message tone rang from his phone. "Good. He said he's okay with that, the next day after their celebration. We're set. I'll tell Sora and Musica now."

She remained quiet until he asked her something, "Don't you want to say goodbye to your 'younger brother'?"

She let out a resigning sigh. "Okay. We'll throw him a party."

>>><<<

Lance arrived at the siblings' place by 6:00 PM. They just ate and had few talks. After that, Musica excused himself as he would call someone. Sora also went outside. Clarence also followed, saying he needed to buy a cold dessert. That happened so fast, leaving Claire and Lance alone at the dining table. They were sitting across each other.

Lance looked like his usual self, but Claire felt different, which she didn't even know.

Lance smiled at her, "I'm glad you're okay now."

Looking at him, she suddenly felt calm. She was back to her normal self. She smiled a little and nodded. "Sorry for making you worry. By the way, congratulations on that opportunity."

"Ah, thanks. I'm really honored to be chosen to study in the main branch for a year."

"You will graduate there, right?"