Chapter 10 - Cares About Me

“Done?”

We are at the backyard, sitting with our back on each others. I covered my face all the way here and plead to not look at me.

“I-I think I’m okay now” I sniffed.

“You are not. Take this” he hands over a brown handkerchief. “Should we head home now?” he asked. “Yes, we should” Ross stood up and stretches his pocket “I’ll figure things out once you tell me what happen” he shifted his bag and grabbed my hand to help me up. I throw my face away while standing up.

“Ya, ya, I’m blind. I can’t see you”

I tilted my head looking at him as he quirked his eyebrow, trying to figure things out “Just-just calm down okay? Go home and take a rest! Aishh”

At home in my bedroom.

Ross appeared holding a cup of hot sweet tea. He sat beside me, taking a deep sigh, “I’ll leave the tea beside you”

When he finally leaves, everything improved immediately. I could breathe again. I was free of so much dead weight. I was so, so happy to just not-have-him around. It was so much better, and I was okay on my own. Am I being uncomfortable with him by my side or it is just because I don’t want him to see me crying?

He suddenly came back and so I cover my face again, “Do you like chocolate that much?” he asked. Once I heard the word CHOCOLATE, I forget everything. I sit up with the biggest grin, even though my eyes are swollen.

“So..do-do you want to bake Chocolate Fudge Cake? Together?”

I nod my head excitedly, “Glad you finally turned back to the stupid you” he scoffed.

A very chocolatey, moist Chocolate Fudge Cake that is similar to chocolate mud cake, but not as dense. Made with both melted chocolate and cocoa, topped with chocolate ganache, this one is sure to satisfying my chocolate cravings! I’m so excited about this. I can’t stop smiling, I tilted my head watching Ross stirring the butter and chocolate with his cute pink apron on. While I’m in charge of cleaning, washing the cake tin.

After that, he asks me to stir the chocolate ganache until smooth. Refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours or until thickened to a spreadable consistency like peanut butter.

Ross leaned down to preheat oven to 150C/300F. After finish the cake batter, he pours them into the cake tin, at some time he tried to poke the cake with skewer, he said he need to insert the skewer into the centre of the cake until it comes out moist but clean during the heating process.

I sat on the floor watching the surface of the cake cracked and was shocked about it, “Hey! Ross!! Its broken!!” I screamed.

He quickly bend his knees to check the cake, “Aishhh... It’s normal, jinjja (really)” he clicked his tongue.

After an hour, Ross leaves the baked cake on a plate, leaving it for a while before applying the ganache.

“Hey, go and take a bath! We need to leave it for a while”

“Oh” so I quickly take a bath. I can’t wait to take a bite, no, 2 bites or three or.. the whole cake..?

After finish my bath, I came back to the kitchen to help or watch him continue the cake. Ross spreads the cold ganache over the cake - tops and sides. Use a teaspoon in a swirling motion to achieve the wavy textured surface.

“Soooooo prettyyy!!” I exclaimed, “May I?”

“Unbelievable,” Ross muttered to himself, then he threw his face away and sniffed a smile.

I glanced at the clock, but still enjoying the cake, the 3rd slice. Ross stood beside me “Alright, I suppose you can wait”

I cocked my head at him, raising an eyebrow “Wait for?”

Ross clicked his tongue, saying “You just glance the clock for dinner right?”

I shook my head at him, taking another cut to my mouth, “Oh”

“Oh?” he turned his head as he put on the apron. “What do you want to eat?”

I looked back at him “I love your cooking, so just cook anything”

I take a brief glance at him blushing, followed by my thumping heart. I looked down to my plate to finish the last cut. Why do I suddenly feel odd?

30 minutes later, another cooking served on the table.

“Thanks” I said.

Ross take a seat and begin eating, he clears his throat “Do you like Kendrick?”

And so I dropped my spoon on the table, my face start feeling hot and I lost my words “I-I-I-I”

“I heard he asked you out” he cut in, “Kendrick is a good guy.. as friend” he shrugged. “I don’t want to interfere to your personal life, but you have to think about it”

Sure, I crawled in to bed every night, feeling ready to collapse at the end of the day. Ross’ words keep echoing inside my head. What’s wrong with Kendrick? I never pay attention to him before, I heard nothing bad about him. What does Ross mean after all? I don’t understand.

I pulled my blanket until my neck. Does Kendrick not like me that way? Wait, am I really in love with him? But why? Is that because Kendrick is the first guy who ever talk to me?

A ray of light leaks through the blinds and assaults my eyelids. I turn my body, breaking the seal of my warm imprint on the bed. A looming glow invades the room, darkness turns to soft shadows. A low-level crisis begins. The day is about to break free.

All I want at this moment is to binge watch my dreams and sleep for more hours. But then I hear tiny footsteps against the wooden floor, then a soft knock means I have to get ready soon. I’ve been living inside the same house with this man for almost a month. He’s not that bad after all, even though sometimes he is annoying. He owns that angelic face, while actually there’s an evil inside him. Moreover when he never put on his uniform properly. Why in the world with that black sweatshirt? But, I start to not hate him that much.

At school.

TING TONG TENG TONG

It’s the same high school life, the same things keep happening everyday, just a little different while Ross walking beside me. I want to talk to my mom, I really want to move school even I have only 1,5 years left to graduate. But, I don’t think I can survive in such situation. Should I really talk to my mom? But no Irene, you are strong. Hmm, I’m just trying to be strong, I’m just pretending. I just don’t want to stress mom.

“Hey” a poke on my shoulder. I tilted my head to a guy standing over me, it’s Kendrick. He dragged a chair to sit across me, “What are you thinking?”

“Oh” I gave him a smile, a thin smile, “No, just… thinking…about things” I smile again. It becomes so awkward.

I twisted my body to take my book from my bag, then I found Ross staring at me. After all, he is my brother, and so I think he’s trying to protect me from a guy. Ross immediately throw his eyes away from me.

I turn back to Kendrick.

“So… how about Sunday?” he asked.

“Oh” I just remember he asked me out yesterday. “Ummm” I hummed.

“S-s-sure” my heart beats rapidly, more nervous while talking to him.

He is really asking me out. “Okay, then” Kendrick stood up “See you!” and winked at me before he drags the chair back to its desk. Jimmy hands over a box of cigarette to Kendrick in front of the class, oh I just remember they smoke.

It doesn’t mean I hate smoker, I just hate the smell after they finish smoking. I first found them smoking last year, I met 3 of them at the backyard of the school, talking while also smoking with the other guys from the class next door and some seniors because there are no CCTV at the backyard.

Freya came to sit in front of me, “Hoi” rummaging her bag of chips “So…. I bet that guy just asked you out”

I nod my head, laying my head on the desk, “Yes.. what should I wear?”

Freya clicked her tongue, “What’s so hard to find something to wear. Take your best outfit and ask Ross what does he think”.

I moaned, “Well… I just feel nervous”.

Freya continue eating her chips, crunching her puffy chips as she offered me some.

I shook my head, “No…” Right now I don’t have the mood.

“Don’t be so stressful about it, after all you are still lucky.. Anyway.. how is your extracurricular? Is everything fine?”

Ah, I haven’t told Freya about yesterday. My school life has getting worse

“I don’t want to join anymore” I stated.

“Hah? Why?!” Freya shocked as she slammed the table with her open palm, “Are they…”

I cut her off, I’m just not ready to talk sh*t about it, it’s too pathetic “I don’t want to talk about it anymore… just talk about yours”

“Um.. okay” she muttered, “I don’t think I am really in trouble. But, I took the same extracurricular with Sierra, I don’t know how many extracurricular she joins, but yea.. still my enemy”

I sit up straight, “I still don’t get it, what happened between you two?”

“Cause you are now my friend, then I’ll tell you the whole story”

Freya and Sierra were in the same school since 1st grade.Means they are childhood friends.

At first they are pretty close because they have the same hobby. They joined singing club together, they even promised to create a girl group when they grew up. But everything changed ever since Freya took a first step forward her, cause she is always the 1st champion and Sierra got the 2nd. That’s why Sierra learn dancing too, she wants to be a better singer than Freya. So basically they are rivals because of their hobbies.

“Interesting”

“Yes.. that’s why she hates me, so I hate her too. I do not expect we are also in the same high school. Sometimes I hate the fate God put me in. Anyway she is famous since the first grade. Cause she is pretty since born, I guess” she said with a shrug.

“But…”

Freya pats my shoulder, “Sierra won’t hurt you brutally, she just put pranks on someone she doesn’t like”

“Oh..” So I don’t have to worry too much about Sierra.

“But..” Freya added

“Just be careful of the dorks next door. The Dennis guy, you know about it, right?”

I just remember, Jasmine, the one who tricked me into the backyard and almost beat me to death is from the Dennis guy group -The King of Bully.

A plastic of bread dropped to my table, I looked up and found Ross towering over me, “For you” he said before he walks away.

Freya grins at me, “What a good bro” she whispered.

“SST!”

“Gah! I’m not talking too loud, am I?”

But still, sometimes I feel kinda weird, a guy in my age cares a lot about me. Is this how it feels to have a brother? He is actually a very warm and calming person. I haven’t told him about the extracurricular incident yesterday, he knows when to talk and how to act. Should I talk to him about it? Or it is better for me to keep it for myself? I am confused….

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