Chapter 3 - This Is A Disaster

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The rambunctious blaring of the alarm jarred me out of my peaceful sleep and I jolted up, smashing the snooze button from the screen as hard as I possibly could. I turn my body, looking up to the ceiling of my room where I can see a moon shaped lamp was hanging. I hate school.

I sit up and brush my hair, then I put my Peppa Pig slippers on, walking lazily to my wardrobe. I hate school uniforms.

I clicked the door open, at the same time I saw a tall white man doing the same in the opposite way.

ROSS?

I was startled by a man in the house. No, two men. I almost forgot Mr.Park and his son moved in.

Mom is preparing our breakfast inside the lunch box. Mr.Park is talking on his phone. I sit on the couch playing with my phone while Ross is busy looking for his car key.

“Irene?”

“Yes mom?” as my eyes still looking at my phone.

“Get ready! You are going to school with Ross”

My eyes popped up wide looking at my mom, “Mom? You used to..”

“Yes, but you are going with Ross starting from today”

I am beyond speechless. “Mom” I pouted.

Mom pulls my arm and dragged me to the front door while Ross busy checking his tires with bag shifted on his shoulder.

“But mom...”

Mom ignores me, “Ross! Irene is ready”.

Ross turned around, waving at my mom.

“Quick! You gotta be late” she implied.

This is so f*cking awkward, Ross turned his car on. “SEATBELT” he said as his eyes busy looking for the surroundings, switching gears and step on the gas pedal. I do as what he said, again, without music or radio on. I gaze through the window, watching the neighborhood and trees passing. I can’t believe I go to school with the famous dork at school. I don’t want people find out about my mom and his dad’s relationship, but what is the other better reason for us?

We walk separately starting from the parking lot, taking the different direction. Inside the school, along the hallways, I could feel everyone’s eyes are on me. Especially girls, some of them staring me with disgust, I can hear a few people murmuring as their eyes are on me.

Then outside the classroom, a girl blocked my way. I lifted my head and saw her looking at me fiercely, she isn’t alone, there are two girls standing between her –Yaya and Cate. The fierce looking girl in the middle is Sierra, the queen bee, the most beautiful student in this school, they say. She has long and wavy hair, her eyes are big and pretty, she has a pointed nose complete with her full sexy lips. She is a cheerleader, dancer, the barbie of the school.

And now she seems like messing up with me.

“Are you Irene?”

How does she know my name?

I really don’t want to get in trouble. She wants me to follow her but then Ross stopped right in front of me. Everyone is watching, gasping, shocked and start talking to their friends again as their eyes are still on me, Ross and Sierra. I think I am really in a big trouble.

“Ross?” Sierra smiles, a beautiful smile, I guess she is trying her best but then Ross was distracted by Kendrick, who was suddenly appeared from the classroom.

“Is this the girl you are dating?” he teased.

My eyes popped up wide, I feel like sinking in the sea. I lifted my head looking at Ross, but he doesn’t react to Kendrick’s nonsense.

The girl next class, Sierra and her friends jaws hanging open. Ross wrapped his arm around my shoulder and walk me to the class, ignoring the three girls outside the classroom. At some time I peek behind as Sierra is giving me the deadliest glare. Yes, I am really in a big trouble, my very first enemy is the high school barbie.

Since then, I didn’t ask or talk about what Ross did earlier. The school turns out creepier for me, eyes are always on me, girls are glaring at me. Wherever I go, whatever I do, they are watching. A week passed, I became hate school more and more. Sierra and her friends never skipped a glare when I walk past them, every single day. My classmates finally know my name, and so the other classes too. Going to school with Ross makes me famous.

The restroom is deserted, it used to be so crowded during break time. I wash my hands then pull the tissue to dry up my hands. When I push the restroom entrance once I’ve done, the door feels heavier all of sudden. Am I locked inside? DAMN! My heart is hammering inside my chest. I want them to slow down a bit so I can breathe but they won't. I feel like I will black out. I keep on clicking the handle, I want to get out from here, the panic begin like a cluster of spark plugs in my abdomen.

“WAIT!!” someone yelled behind the door, her voice is soft and tuneful “I SAW SOMEONE PUT A PRANK ON YOU” she added, then I heard a full heavy bucket fell off hardly, splashing on the floor.

“Now open the door” she said.

I pushed the door hardly. I almost fell of slippery, the floor became disgusting. This is a kitchen waste. I tilted my head and found a girl, a short haired girl, pale and cute but unfamiliar. She lifted her head a little bit to catch my eyes since she is shorter than me. Her sharp and small eyes gazing me without a single smile, then she quirked her eyebrow. She has the aura that will make you goosebumps. I am hesitate to call cute or creepy.

“Hey, Ummm.. Thank you..” I said to the girl.

I don’t know her name so at least I have to ask her in the proper way, this is the very first time my own, without a kindergarden teacher besides me, persuade me to shake my classmate’s hand and introduce myself. I extend my hand and smile nervously, hands trembling don’t know why but I can’t control it shaking.

“I am ...I -Irene..” I am such an embarrassing awkward stuttering mess.

She looked at me like I’m a criminal, in 2 seconds she finally says “I know, and...... ” then she quirked her eyebrow “I am your classmate by the way but.. ” she finally shook my almost rotting hand “I am Freya”. Ah, my bad. I feel bad all of sudden. But...

“Who dares to prank me?” I feel enough and I want revenge.

“That wicked b*tch” Freya points her finger to the hallway and I can see 3 girls including Sierra stomping her feet to the floor as she pouted. The school is stressing me a lot nowadays. But this girl is tough, how can I not recognize her?

She tilted her head staring at me, like reading my mind.

“Don’t mind me, I am the same invisible as you” with a shrug. At least, I was lucky enough to meet Freya. I must have poured by a dirty kitchen waste if she didn’t help me out. She seems sarcastic, but she is actually kind.

ping ping ping

Mom: Baby

Me: Yes, mom.

Mom: You home?

Me: Of course, mom. It’s late 7

Mom: I have a date night with Ken, so Ross is going to cook for you

What? Come on mom, we don’t even know how Ross’ cooking is

ping

Mom: He told me to not worry about it and he can handle it.

What a shameless guy, he will feed me instant noodle instead. How dare he assures my mom.

I click my bedroom door open, curious of how the instant noodle will look like. I can smell butter from the hallways and onions?

There stood Ross, with pink apron on. Even mom never wear that while cooking. He turned his head checking on me, without saying anything he turned back to the kitchen. I walk towards him, watching him doing his job.

Ross clicked the stove on, he picked up the chopping knife and cut the vegetables into perfect matchsticks in the time it took most people just peel the carrots. Every motion was precise from intense repetition and he prided himself on the machine -like perfection of his shapes then he picked up the basil and looked at each leaf like an art appraiser, sniffing a ripped leaf before chewing it. This is the first time he looks so charismatic to me. I was in daze, then he stop chopping, “Can you just sit down and let me do my job?” again with a cold stare. I was wrong, he is no charismatic at all.

I took a step backward, insist to look. “What are you cooking?” I asked, since I was curious. His eyes are on the sliced salmons, busy seasoning it in a transparent bowl, “What for? You won’t know either”

I have no words for him, I was trying to be nice but he never gives me a space to breath. I clicked my tongue, glaring at him. “Then, call me when you done” heading to my bedroom.

“Sit on the table, almost done” he implied shortly before I got to walk further from his sight. I paused and turned back with an eyebrow lifted, “I said I almost done” he sounds a little pissed. He clicked the oven and pulled something out, something looks like a bread, but smells so good. I quickly take a look, damn it. This looks delicious!

Ross gives me a cold stare, “I bet you don’t know what is this too”.

I shook my head. He clicked his tongue as he busy cutting the bread, “Beef Cutlet Stuffed Garlic Bread”

“Oh” I replied.

“Now sit down. I don’t have much time to call over you”

I do as what he said. Those bread looks too delicious to waste.

Dinner served 10 minutes later, he finally took off that ridiculous apron. It is just the two of us here, dinner without talking. I don’t want to lie but he is really a good cook, he is so talented. We don’t talk since we start eating, it is only silence and I feel awkward since I get used to chew loudly. But he doesn’t say anything.

He clears his throat “How are the girls?”

All of sudden and I was shocked, he did talk to me for the first time in a proper way, asking about my school life like a mom.

“You mean school?”

“Yes”

“You mean Sierra?”

“Yes”

“I can handle it”

He doesn’t nod or answer me, he stood up and put his plate at the stack of dirty dishes, “Oh” he said, like forgetting something. I tilted my head.

“Mom said I cook and you clean the mess” he pointed right to the dirty kitchen. Then he leaves the kitchen.

What is wrong with this man?

I ended up cleaning the mess, brushing the oily pan, the messy vegetable waste, rubbish, cleaning the table, the countertop, and the dishes. ALL ALONE. I never wash the dishes ever, mom is the one that cook and clean it herself!

“Clean this” he appeared suddenly beside me but I was lucky cause I get used to every jumpscare –both in movie and real life.

“This is still oily” he took the pan from the rack and put it back on the dishes. “Wash it properly” like a boss. I turned into my scary looking but he ignores me again, he opened the fridge and says “And the strawberry milks are mine”.

Then he took a carton of milk and leaves the kitchen again.

“Oh” he paused.

“What?” I groaned, without looking at him.

“Turn off the lamp after you finish” he added, then he really disappeared from the kitchen.

I wash the dishes until my hands turned wrinkly, he is really torturing me. I turned my head to the digital clock on the bedside table glowing in 21:09. Mom hasn’t come home yet, never come home early since they moved in. She has to wait for Mr.Park to pick her up, sometimes for a date night. I threw myself to the squishy bed, I was the grateful spoiled kid before I have step sibling. I miss being spoiled.

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