Our Mirrored World

Chapter Twenty - Boyfriend

“Oi! Human! Something’s ringing and vibrating on your dining table!” Luther exclaimed while Zarina was still making dinner.

She furrowed her eyebrows, she couldn’t even hear it from here, “How did you know that?” Zarina gazed at her phone and her eyes widened when it was her dad on the caller’s ID.

Zarina was so surprised because her dad never calls her, she thought he was afraid of calling her without her mom doing it.

“I don’t know, I could just hear it, it’s loud enough,” Luther claimed, so Zarina just shook her head before answering the call.

“Dad? Is this you? Why did you call?” Zarina felt warm and fuzzy on the inside while waiting for someone to answer the call on the other line.

[U-Um, hello? Zarina sweetheart?] Barnus was to be heard talking on the other line, so Zarina almost beamed because she missed her father so badly despite the fact that she left because of her parent’s clinginess.

“Yes, dad? It’s me, is there something wrong?” Zarina worriedly asked as she heard a deep sigh on the other line.

[No! Nothing’s wrong sweetheart, I called because--Barnus I swear! If you tell our daughter I’ll kill you!] She heard her mother cut her father off on the other line and she knew these two were arguing about albums and scrapbooks again for her pictures.

“Are you two arguing again because one of you ordered an album or a scrapbook and didn’t inform anyone about it?” Zarina sighed while massaging her forehead.

There was a long pause on the other line until someone answered her, [I-It’s not what you think sweetheart, your mother is just, ahh! Jane! I’m talking to our daughter!]

[Stop lying to her, Barnus! You know she hates it when we lie!] Jane complained on the other line.

[Fine! Yes we’re arguing because your mother bought an album and scrapbook without asking for my opinion!] Barnus exclaimed on the other line as Zarina bit her lower lip.

“Dad, would you put me on speaker? I’d like to speak with you both,” Zarina coldly requested, so Barnus was silent on the other line before replying.

[You’re on speaker now sweetheart, what is it that you would like to say?] Barnus softly asked, so Zarina reviewed in her mind what she’s about to say to them about buying albums and scrapbook for her pictures again.

“Mom, Dad, didn’t we talk about this? What did I say about you guys collecting albums or freaking scrapbooks for my pictures?” Zarina raised her eyebrows while placing her hand on her waist.

[You hated it sweetheart, one of the reasons why you moved away here, right?] Jane answered on the other line.

“Right and what are you guys doing again? What’s with this calling me because you’re arguing about some album? And don’t lie! I know you guys are using it for my pictures,” Zarina scolded them, so Luther wondered while listening.

There was a long pause on the other line again as she heard both of them sighing, [We’re so sorry sweetheart, we just wanted to collect as many pictures as possible, every moment that we’re with you or not is precious,]

Zarina felt touched at what her father has said, but sometimes they’re just getting too much and she feels uncomfortable about it.

“And I’m getting older mom and dad, you can’t always take pictures of me and record my voice on the call,” Zarina claimed, and even if she couldn’t see them right now, she knows that they flinched at what she said.

[B-But what if it’s your wedding day already? We should take a lot of pictures of it!] Jane almost cried on the other line, so Zarina just blushed.

“M-Mom! I don’t even have a boyfriend yet to get married!” She bit her lip while pacing back and forth, “I haven’t even thought about that!” 

[Sweetheart, you’re 22 and the next thing you’ll know is that you’re almost 30 so you have to get married!] Jane exclaimed on the other line, so Barnus complained.

[No way! She’s still too young to think about marriage or even that boyfriend thing!] Barnus complained furiously. Her mom and dad started arguing on the other line again as she massaged her forehead.

“Mom, Dad, would you please stop? I would never have a boyfriend!” Zarina frustratedly exclaimed, so Luther got bothered about it for a moment.

“What? Then how about me? Aren’t I, your boyfriend, Zarina?” Luther confusingly asked, so her eyes widened as she ran into her bathroom to shush him up. She forgot to tell him not to speak and she’s doomed!

[What the? Who is that sweetheart? Is there a man inside of your apartment?!] Barnus exclaimed as Zarina swiftly ended the call.

“L-Luther! Why did you speak?! I was talking to my parents!” Zarina looks horrified.

“What? I’m sorry, I didn’t know it’s your parents, is it that bad that I spoke? You could just reason out that I’m a friend that visited by,” Luther tried to calculate the reasons that Zarina could tell, but she shook her head exaggeratedly.

“My parents are the worst overthinkers every child could have! They’ll probably think we’re married or something because you spoke the boyfriend thingy!” She panicked while pacing back and forth.

“Crap! They’re calling again! What should I do?!” Zarina gazed at her ringing phone intently and it’s the first time Luther saw her in distress.

“Calm down, let’s analyze this situation quickly, what's so bad when I spoke about myself as your boyfriend? Aren’t I the only boy that’s your friend?” Luther claimed while raising his eyebrows.

“Luther! No! It's completely different here, we call them boyfriends and girlfriends as individuals who are in love and are in a committed relationship!” Zarina exclaimed and Luther immediately grasped the situation.

“W-What? But we call relationships here soulmates or red strings,” Luther scratched the back of his head, “Holy wizards, I’m sorry human,” 

“My parents probably thought we’re in a relationship because you claim yourself as my boyfriend!” Zarina looked furious before trying to think of a reason.

“Just answer it and reason about it’s your neighbor or something,” Luther suggested, but Zarina just gazed at her phone.

“They wouldn’t stop bugging me if I tell them there’s a man on my neighbor,” Zarina just sighed while pacing back and forth.

“Woops then good luck, I’m just going to continue reading here and be silent,” Luther reassured her, so she just shook her head and answered the call, it’s now or never.

“Dad sorry I hung up and there’s no man here inside of my apartment if that’s what you’re going to ask again,” Zarina tried to sound calm as much as possible while glaring at Luther.

[Sweetheart, I heard someone talking just a while ago, are you sure you’re telling me the truth?] Barnus firmly asked.

“Yes dad, a-a rat appeared and played the movie I was playing on my laptop,” Zarina bit her lip as Luther shook his head inside of the bathroom.

He knows he called her name a while ago so there’s no way they would buy that reason, [Sweetheart, we heard him say your name! How could we be sure that it’s just a movie!] Her father exclaimed.

“Dad, calm down, I swear I was telling the truth, my team and I were working on some um...short video to advertise the book that we’re about to release,” Zarina heaved a deep sigh after she said those words.

[Really? Are you sure sweetheart?] Her dad sounded like he was trying to haunt her daughter down as she heard lots of rummaging on the other line.

[Say no more Barnus, stop terrorizing your daughter!] Her mother was to be heard scolding her father on the other line, [Sweetheart, we don’t mind you have one so you don’t have to lie,] Jane reassured while smiling brightly on the other side.

Jane has been waiting for this all her life and she couldn’t believe that it’s happening now, “Mom I swear, there’s no one,” Zarina answered.

[Alright, if that’s the case, we believe you, I’ll talk to your father about this okay? Take care, we love you!] Jane immediately ended the call, so Zarina was stunned for a moment.

“Did she just end the call? I thought I was going to explain for several hours,” Zarina sighed in relief while leaning on the cold-painted walls behind her back.

“That’s good for you, I'm truly sorry about that, I forgot that humans will not take things lightly if they saw me or something,” Luther sincerely apologized, so Zarina glared at him.

“What now? Sheesh! Stop looking at me like that,” Luther shook the shivers he felt that ran down to his spine.

“I just have this feeling that they wouldn’t let it go, whatever, I’ll just finish making dinner,” After she said those words, she left the bathroom.

***

“Jane! Call her again! I could tell that she was lying!” Barnus complained while trying to snatch the phone from his wife.

Though she looks dedicated to keeping it from her husband, “Jane come on! I’m just worried about her! Who knows what that man will do to her?” Barnus frustratedly claimed.

“No you are not calling her, let her be on her own! This is why she never tells us things, we always do this,” Jane pouted while gazing at the voice message that they recorded.

“So you’re saying that let’s just let her be? I can’t believe that she already has one, this is why I didn't like her to be in the city!” Barnus almost cried, so Jane just sighed in disbelief because she thought her husband was being overly dramatic.

“She said it was from her work! You should at least believe her,” Jane suggested while shaking her head disappointedly at her husband.

“If you truly believe her, why are you calling her friend Kirstin?” Barnus sniggered, so Jane blushed while glaring at her husband and hid that phone.

“I just wanted to make sure, okay?! Don't question what I do!” Jane rolled her eyes, so Barnus raised his hands in defeat.

[Hello good evening Mrs. Taylor? Why did you call?] Kirstin was to be heard on the other line, so Jane was already in high spirits.

“Hello there dear! How are you doing?” Jane greeted happily, so Kirstin just smiled on the other line because she thought Zarina is the opposite of her parents.

[I’m doing great, thank you for asking, is there something wrong?] She worriedly asked because the last time Jane called her involved Zarina’s safety.

“Oh nothing’s wrong dear, sorry to bother you, are you busy? There’s just something I would like to ask,” Jane requested.

[Of course, I’m not busy as of this moment so you can shoot everything, Mrs. Taylor,] Kirstin politely replied as Jane inaudibly cheered while Barnus was listening to their conversation.

“Is um, my sweetheart Zarina seeing someone lately?” She directly asked to the point, so Kirstin furrowed her eyebrows.

[You mean like seeing someone at work or someone in a relationship?] Kirstin wondered while typing something from her laptop.

“No the second one,” Jane mumbled nervously as she heard Kirstin laughing out loud on the other line.

[Sorry, but I heard you were saying that Zarina was in a relationship?] Kirstin tried to calm herself down.

“Y-Yes, that’s what I would like to ask,” Jane pouted while gazing at her husband who looked curious about their conversation, so she put it on speaker.

[Hahaha! I would like to see that happen, but I don’t think she’s seeing someone at the moment, she doesn’t even talk to anyone aside from me,] Kirstin informed before gasping.

[W-Well um, she did go to our day off the outing with our workmates, she did talk to someone, but mostly they’re just trying to get to know her, and if she did was seeing someone, I would probably know,] Kirstin smirked playfully, so Barnus sighed in relief.

“See! I told you she was telling the truth Barnus!” Jane stuck out her tongue to her husband as he gasped at her.

“You’re the one who made sure by calling her friend! And now you tell me that you weren’t doubting it?” They almost start arguing again until Kirstin chuckled.

[Why did you call about the relationships of ice--err Zarina? Did something happen?] Kirstin curiously asked, so Jane started narrating how they assumed there was since they heard a man’s voice while they were on call with her.

[For real? You actually heard some man’s voice inside of her apartment?] Kirstin stopped typing from her laptop after she heard the story.

“And she said it was from a movie she was watching and then an ad that you guys were making for the book you’re going to publish at work,” Jane added, so Kirstin burst out into laughter on the other side.

It was the lamest excuse that she heard, but she couldn’t think about Zarina being in a relationship, it’s not in her vibe.

To be continued…