damage || (𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘦 × 𝘰𝘤!𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘦𝘶𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘭)

viii

19th November 2018

"Yeup, you're welcome," a smile crept up as if he was satisfied with himself and a chuckle escaped. 

_____

Thanksgiving rolled around the corner, I thought as I crossed another day, and the space between the crossed number and November 2018 is getting tighter. I put down the marker, placing it back to the holder, along with its other friend. Rejoiced once more, they thanked me as I returned their fellow comrade again. My eyes laid back at the one last final upload that I need to make for the day, and for the week. Dave and I were dreading, literally drooling over that holiday,  I thought as I made my bed for the week.

That means, a week to get away from my shit college, once more did I thought of it and grasped the luggage, dragging it to the car where I was supposed to meet Dave. I eyed the clock that was showing 4.00 pm. I put all the luggage in the trunk. I took all my strength to cramp it down to that small place, it feels more physically laboring than cramping 14 deadlines in one day. PSA kids! Never do that.

Suddenly, that familiar figure came closer to me. He stood there, confused. And here I am, spinning the keys around my finger, leaning back on the car door. My backpack was leaning against my foot, hunched graciously for my hand to snatch it from the ground. He opened his mouth and his fingers almost pointing at the car. Taken aback, he kept his mouth shut. But, confusion finally led him to ask;

"What?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"Where?"

"In the parking lot."

"Whose?"

"Ted."

"How?"

"He still owes me that book thing but I just asked him to lend me his car. He agreed. That broke ass."

"Why?"

"Road trip!"

"Why?"

"I don't have enough money to buy airplane tickets, I don't have my monthly allowance from my sugar daddy yet. Besides, a road trip sounds more fun." Puzzled, he felt as if he was trapped in a maze, he stood still.

"Are you seriously going to be a 10th-grade kid that asks 5W+1H to their teacher and just stand there? or do you want to come with me to San Diego and visit the old vending machine with that one Smarties candy stuck to it for over 5 years?"

"Is it still stuck?"

"Rumors said that is still there," I threw my hands to the air to give him a sense of wonder. He quickly went to the back to put his luggage. I then opened the door for that lovely gentleman and pretend as if I was the chauffeur for a down-to-earth multi-millionaire. He was, definitely, taken aback in chivalry. Later on, when he completely entered the vehicle, I closed the door and go behind the back to go to the driver's seat.

What he didn't know is that I have taken the liberty to decorate the horrid place with fictional adornments such as he previously did to me with the wonders I saw underneath the blanket fort. He scoffed, of course, then later said that I am slowly turning into a master like him and that he was proud of his one and only student. Disheveling my once tamed hair, he cackled mellifluously to my reaction. If you don't know what I had made, I did as following;

The first thing you would notice when you entered the car, which wasn't even my car, to begin with, was the scent of jasmine with a hint of vanilla. Its scent was a warm feeling, rather a frank embrace that you feel if you huddled yourself within the confinements of a hand-quilted blanket your grandmother made. As you shifted closer, you began to take notice of the scent of freshly picked chrysanthemum, not enough to subjugate the reign of the jasmine, but it would be there to greet you once you are comfortable with the jasmines.