Tripping| Van McCann

12. Immaturity

Van's P.O.V.

I woke up bade by the sunlight. I felt the long sleep deprivation that I was tagged along with finally got its hands off me. I had slept for a rare 12 hours, luckily it was summertime and I wouldn't have to face the darkening sky soon after I got up from the bed.

I took a quick rinse and brushed my teeth in the room, idly put on some simplistic black-coloured shirts. I looked at the mirror to see my pale face gaining a bit of freshness from a nice dream. Perhaps let's wear something different today. I randomly picked up a logoed T-shirt from my belongings that spattered from place to place around the room. I was sure Bondy would get mad when he looked at the messy room I had made his into.

I put on my black jacket again, headed off downstairs and saw them chattering with each other joyously in distance. My heart felt at peace with that, seeing how well she had got along with my mates. My world always revolved around these few people, and I was too much in delight in letting her enter my own little world. Even that we'd be away from each other and perhaps not to see each other again in our lifetime. Still, there's nothing to lose and I wouldn't regret on anything.

She spotted me from afar and they stopped and waved at me like we were long-missed mates. My thoughts darted back to when I first met her, when she was just little like around fourteen and I was already a adult. She hid her face behind her mother when her mum came to our house and invited us over for dinner. My parents did said yes, and I sat across her while the grownups talked about politics and anything that wasn't of my concern. She was quiet and I was too. We'd only looked at each other and exchanged glances throughout the years. And we'd probably just seen each other for a few times. Until now, I was starting to know more about her and built a mutual understanding with each other. I felt like through the unspoken words and silence, she knew what's on my mind and I knew what's on hers. Did they call it this sort of connections soulmates? I suppose that should be the word that I'd describe my feelings with her. But sometimes the reality could be dreadfully unpleasant. And sometimes it was just us who wouldn't want to open up ourselves and expose our flaws to each other.

I approached them at the kitchen table, where plates of breakfast were made (or let's call it brunch), I looked at the bowl of rigatoni in front of me. The sweetness and sourness of the tomato embedded the tip of my tongue badly. And in few minutes' due time I gobbled up the dish, surprised on my empty stomach which could be somewhat powerful.

"You're starving," she spotted. "Or is the food so delicious that makes you gobble'em up like that?" she smiled suavely at me, warmth of women, motherlike.

"It happens to be both," I wiped my mouth clean with the handkerchief and beamed at her. I saw a glimpse of blush flashed across her face, making me smirked in delight secretly to myself.

"So I'll take it as a compliment," she leaned back from the table, while Bondy was standing next to the sink, busily filling himself a cup of water. Then he turned to face us, sipping his water like it's too hot. And I stood up and made some tea instead. I was well familiar with where the things were at in his house.

"Fancy a tea?" I asked Sammy as I poured the milk into the mugs after filling the cups with teabags and hot water. I stirred and mixed the liquids well, adding some bits of sugar in it. I passed her one cup as she nodded, mouthing me a "thanks".

"Bond, you want one or nah?" I asked him, amused at the thought that he wouldn't go for a tea but water.

"Nah, I'm afraid I somehow hurt me tongue," he muttered, gritting his teeth.

"Really, Bond?" Sammy shot me a few looks as we rolled into laughter, we knew Bondy wouldn't mind us laughing at him.

"Simmer down, it's no big deal except it hurts," he said calmly.