Bitter yet Sweet

Chapter two

M A R K

Mom did invite the family of the caretakers. And they had a sixteen year old daughter which was so annoying because she kept on staring at me. I could feel it. She was boring holes on my handsome face! I really hate being watched especially when I am eating. I glared at her and she winked at me. I wanted to puke! f**k! I hate her guts!

I was the one who finished eating first and went up to my room. I kinda like my room there. It was spacious and my bed was bigger compared to my bed on our city house. What I only hate there was the cold air during the night.

I jumped to my bed. We were traveling for forty five minutes straight and the whole day, we unpacked our bags, rearranged the furniture, and I cleaned my room even though it was already clean, moved the big closet and the bed. I felt so tired that the moment I blinked my eyes darkness consumed me.

***

I was woken up with my mom's voice.

"Sleepy butt head, wake up! We're gonna greet the neighbors!" She sound excited.

I felt like I just blinked and it suddenly became morning but I still did my morning routine despite feeling like I never had an inch of sleep and dressed decently before I went to the kitchen. Mom baked some waffles. I grabbed a chair and took a seat. Mom gave me a plate full of waffles and a glass of fresh milk. I don't drink coffee. No to coffee and yes to fresh milk.

"Did you just called me butt head?" I said chewing.

"So?"

"Then you're a butt head too! They say I looked like you." She raised her eyebrow.

"What.E.Ver. Wash your dish after you're done." She said and walked out.

"Butt head," I said and drank my milk.

***

T H O M A S

I was woken up by a loud bang on my door again. I went to the bathroom to wash my face and emptied my bladder. After I flushed, I brushed (that rhymed lol!) my teeth and went to the kitchen. I saw mom cooking scrambled eggs.

"Morning, mom." I said and sat on a chair, grabbed the whole bread and sliced it and placed it on a plate when Emily popped out on the kitchen entrance rubbing her sleepy eyes and sat beside me.

"Morning sleepy head," I rubbed her messy hair.

"Good morning, Tom. Good morning, mom." She said grinning.

"Morning, baby," mom said placing a plate of scrambled egg on the table. Then the door bell rung. I stood and opened the door and walked on the dirt path that leads to the gate. I saw a girl the same age as my mother, I think, and a good looking man. They kinda look the same though. They smiled at me and I shyly smiled back.

"We're your new neighbor two houses away. I'm Tiffany Foxwayler and this is my son, Mark." She said introducing herself and pointed the good looking man beside her who was scanning me. "I brought goods for your family," she lift a brown paper bag.

"I'm Thomas Pulliseli and please do come in," I opened the gate. "I'm gonna call mom." I ran inside the house, to the kitchen. "Someone's outside. The new neighbor." She stood together with Emily and walked outside to meet the Foxwayler.

I covered the foods on the table before I went outside the kitchen. The visitors were already in the living room sitting at the regular size sofa and on their side was a settee where mom sat and on her lap was Emily.

"We're currently residing on the city and we came to spend our summer vacation here." Mrs. Foxwayler said. "Last year, this house used to be empty and colliding but I was surprised when my son saw this house was renovated, nicely."

"We bought this house already fully furnished and we just migrated here last three days." Mom said and saw me listening. "Do you want some drinks Tiffany?"

"Just water," Mrs. Foxwayler said and mom looked at me.

"You heard them," she said and I turned my heels and went to the kitchen to get two glasses of water. I handed it to Mrs. Foxwayler and to his son. Our fingers brushed and it seemed like electricity flows on my fingers. My hand loosen the hold of the glass and fortunately, he was already holding it but some of the water still splashed to his clothes. He yelped in surprised.

"What did you do!?" I heard mom exclaimed and Mrs. Foxwayler chuckled.

"I'm so sorry. I'll go get some tissue," I ran to the kitchen and pulled a lot of tissue from the tissue box and turned to ran back to the living room when I bumped into something solid. It was him and I looked like a kid with his height. I think he was more or less six feet and I was only five seven. He had the most beautiful dark blue eyes that looked like a black orb and a perfect pointed chiseled nose and he had natural pinkish lips and a slightly tanned skin.

"I'm sorry," I handed him the tissue.

"No, it's okay. Not a big deal." He said looking directly on my eyes that made me feel weird. "You're new here in this place."

"Yeah, we're from the north side of the country." He grabbed a chair.

"May I?" I nodded before he sat on the chair. Lol. And I leaned my back at the counter facing him. "So what's the reason why you transfer house?" He said while wiping his wet shirt with the tissue.

I felt myself tensed at his question as I remembered what my step-father did to me which was the reason why we transferred house. I struggled to breathe for seconds but I fought the memories that slowly consuming my life.

"Are you okay?" I snapped back to reality and saw Mark standing in front of me both his warm hands were on my cheeks. I shivered from his touch. He looked at me with worried dark blue eyes and I slowly nodded.

"What's going on?" I heard mom's voice and we both looked at her. I saw disgust registered on her face then I just figured out our awkward position. I pushed Mark away from me while looking at the floor.

***

"What was that!?" Mom asked. I was folding my clothes when she opened the door of my room without notice.

"What?" I said confused.

"Were you flirting with the son of our neighbor?" She said angry and I was like what the f!

"No! I'm not, mom." I stopped what I was doing and looked at her, clenching the bed sheet and I felt my heart twisted in pain.

"You can't fool me, Tho—" She stopped before she could finished my name and I felt the pain again. She stared at me coldly. "Don't make anything to embarrass me. . . again," she shut the door closed before I could muster a word.

Tears fell down from my eyes as I sobbed silently. I bit my lower lip so hard so that I wouldn't make a sound. My tears were like an endless falls flowing and I couldn't control it anymore. She won't ever call my name again. I clenched my shirt where my chest was. It hurts. I had enough of that very sad feeling. I'd rather die than continue to feel this feelings.

***