Chapter 4
1894 Words
Chapter 4
Janna
The car stopped. Patricia was being deaf by the silence.
"Patricia," Yahir called her name with a monotonous and authoritative voice.
As expected, she needed to ready herself.
"Yes, Yahir?" Trying her best to shift into a good girl's tone even though she is nervous.
"Never do that again."
"Do what?"
"Walking alone late." Then he gave Patricia a piercing look before he pulled the handle of the car door and creaked open as he went outside.
She unfastened her seatbelt and was supposed to tell him not to worry. But she suddenly remembered the drunk men so she went speechless.
Her door opened from the outside where Yahir was already there waiting for her. "Is there something happened back there?"
She slowly stepped down the car with the assistance of Yahir's hands, "N-nothing."
"You're really bad at lying."
Patricia just scratched her nape. But Yahir cannot be deceived by her childish acting.
"Tell me what happened and who are you with," he asked seriously.
She was surprised by the question. Who is she with? How did he know? Is he a stalker? Does he have cameras around the town?
"W-what? Who am I with?"
"Go answer the first question first."
"What first question?" She forgot.
"I'm asking two questions, but it seems you are guilty of the second one that's why you have forgotten the first one." He said with disappointment and started to move his feet into the house.
Patricia was still frozen as her heart thumps rapidly. It is Jax who she with. They are just... not even closer to friends because they were still strangers that had just met. Then why all of a sudden Yahir suspects her?
"Patricia, aren't you going inside your own home?"
She came back to her senses. "Oh, sorry." And she went inside.
"Patricia! I've been worried much!" Her mother, whose height is smaller than her, wearing a duster, greeted her with a hug.
"Mom, you have nothing to worry about," she replied with a warm embrace.
After a few seconds, her mother detached from her. "Come on let's eat."
Her eyebrows furrowed, "Wait, what? You haven't eaten yet, Mom?"
"Yes, I had waited for you."
She appreciated it, "I'm sorry."
"No time for an apology, I'm hungry!"
She forced herself to giggle, even though she really felt cringy of the scene. Her mother is overprotective because she is the only daughter and the last child of the family. That is why she was still being treated like a baby at the age of twenty-seven. Yes, twenty-seven and has no boyfriend yet. But she once had an ex.
"I gotta go."
His remarks stole the two women's attention.
"No, no, no, please join our dinner."
Yahir slipped his phone into his pocket. "I'm sorry, Aunty, they need me in the office."
"But it's already late?"
"It's very important." He said seriously before he was gone.
After, her phone suddenly rang--it was Janna.
["Patricia, are you home?"]
"Yes, your brother--"
["I'm so sorry! He was so persistent and I can't lie! I really am sorry!"]
"Actually, he saved me," she smiled, sweetly "And thanks to you, Janna."
["You went in trouble? It's really my fault! I should just wait for you!]
"Stop being such a cry baby, it's no one's fault. And if there is someone to blame, it's only me." Her smile widened.
["Oh! Yahir is calling, I have to end this call, adios!"]
"Goodbye."
After she hung up, her eyebrows crossed to each other by confusion when she saw Courtney's name next to Janna's call. She was wondering if her client called her or she called her client. But the symbol says she was the caller. And it is the same time when she was about to call the young lady at the Jax's car.
The day had passed into the weekend. The three had an agenda for their bonding. And as Janna always requested, they went to the mall for the cinema, food trip, and shopping.
Various noises are buzzing inside the second-floor building. A huge tree at the center inside gives attraction to most of the customers, which was being shone by the sunshine that penetrates the translucent curved glass ceiling. Mixed with airconditioned air, it was relaxing to sit on a random table around the food court while sipping their favorite drinks.
"It's not fair!" Janna complained.
Yahir raised one of his eyebrows, "Fair, what?"
"You two enjoying a milk tea while I'm just having a mango shake."
He picked up his wallet from his pocket "Just go bought some," and lent a bill to Janna.
"That's not my point. You should have told me so I don't look different in the picture," she pouted, neglecting the money.
"Stop being childish, what was that for?"
Janna looked at him with piercing eyes. "You always kill my jokes."
"What is your problem!" He yelled, crumpled the bill and threw it on the floor.
Both girls were shocked, even the customers at their surrounding.
"What is your problem, too!" She yelled back with cracking of voice.
Patricia felt that she needs to do something to make them calm, "Uhm... guys? I think this is not the time to fight? I guess?"
Janna stood up and wore her shoulder bag, "You've changed," she walked out.
"Janna!" she called and looked at Yahir, "Please wait for us," then followed her.
They stopped at the edge of the internal balcony where they can see the view on the first floor.
"Janna..."
"He changed since we moved to this town!" Trying to prevent her tears from letting out, she didn't bothered to look at her friend.
Patricia's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"
"He never had time for me. Then he is always hot-headed." Her friend pouted.
She let out a sigh, "attention-seeking", she thought. They are just a siblings, not husband and wife. They should respect each other privacy now.
"Janna, we are growing--"
"I know, I know... but..."
"It's just that we were not used to be like this."
"No, you can't understand," Janna said calmly.
She knew that Janna isn't a shallow person like this, but a submissive to emotion, particularly every her menstrual period.
"How about let's watch a romantic comedy movie!" She changed the topic.
Her friend is a little bit confused, "I thought you wanted tragedy?"
"Yes, but I still wanted to laugh sometimes, duh?" she lied.
"How could a bitter person like you will watch romance?" Janna teased while starting to form a smile on her lips.
Sitting inside the dark cinema, Patricia grabbed her phone,
"20 minutes more?" she murmured, "Ugh."
"I'll always love you," sweet seductive feminine voice from the speaker system.
"No, I'll love you more... forever." replied by the masculine bass voice.
Patricia felt a sudden cold breeze shiver in her arousing hair skin. Cringy.
"Patricia, look! They're about to kiss!" Janna exclaimed, wrapped in her arm, and rest the chin on her shoulder. Crunches of popcorn bothered her as it was chewing only a centimeter away from her ears.
She just rolled her eyes, "Oh my gosh, I felt electricity running through my veins," she said sarcastically.
As she avoided her eyes from the screen, she accidentally turned to Yahir.
He was staring at her... deeply... steadily on her eyes piercing through her soul. She felt a sudden heat on her face and lingering voltage through her veins. Her eyes widened and quickly turned back to the screen.
It can't be. It is not what she was thinking. Psychologists can have mistake too in reading people's behavior.
"Best romantic movie ever!" Janna exclaimed as they have gone outside. "Patricia, did you realized to find a boyfie?"
"Why should I bother?"
Janna looked at her with suspicion, "Why should you bother? WHY SHOULD YOU BOTHER??" she over acted.
She just nodded. Yeah, why should she bother? Then she suddenly remembered Yahir's deep stares at her.
"Patricia, are you out of your mind!?"
"Stop overacting, you're drawing attention," Yahir murmured.
"Wait, are you blushing?" Janna asked Patricia.
"Gucci Dark Teal shoulder bag with crocodile pattern and gold button."
"Gucci, what--" Then she turned to the direction Patricia is looking. "Wow!" She ran to the store.
They followed her.
"Yahir, I want this so badly!
"Do you have money?" Her brother asked.
Janna stopped for a moment, "No?"
"How about a job?"
"Hmm... no?"
"They how would you afford that?"
"How could I afford a drink and cinema ticket? Because I have the number one sponsor--you, Brotha!" She acted cheerfully.
"Hey, it's not free, you need to pay it soon. I have a list," he withdrew a small notebook from behind his blue jacket.
Janna had no choice but to gulp.
"Come on, let's go home."
"What? No way! I want this bag!"
"Wait, we're half a year in this town, how could you not found a job yet?"
An excited face turned to frustration. "I-I can't find an expensive hotel around the town."
"How about a restaurant?"
"I'll try it tomorrow."
When silence began to embrace the atmosphere, Patricia started a topic.
"How about a grocery shopping? That's the only thing I could afford to treat you, Janna."
Janna turned to Patricia with big eyes and a wide smile, "Really?" she exclaimed.
"Yes," she replied, trying to hide her worries from Janna.
The two girls are strolling inside the grocery store of the mall while Yahir was left outside due he has a phone call from his office.
"Patricia, can you reach that box of graham above?"
She didn't lose her grip on the pushcart, because obviously, it's too high for them. Then suddenly, a tall sales lady came.
"How can I help you?"
"Oh, thank gosh, I need to reach that box."
The sales lady looked up what Janna is pertaining to. She was near to 6' ft. tall but is not enough to reach the object.
"Wait, I'll just look for a ladder."
She came back after a minute and did what Janna requested.
"Here." she lent the box of biscuits to Janna.
"Thank you--" Janna tried to find her name tag, "Uhm, I can't find your name... what should I call you?"
The sales lady's eyebrows furrowed as she was tapping her whole body trying to find her name tag in her chest. Unfortunately, it was gone. And she needed to respond to the customers immediately.
"You can just call me Gretchen." Then she tried to smile, hiding her worries about where did it go? When and how it was detached?
They finally lined up to the cashier after. Yahir still leaning on the wall, watching the surrounding while waiting for them. He has nothing need to buy so what's the point of following them.
Janna saw him and waved her hands. He just nodded and about to near them to help them carry the purchases when his phone suddenly rang again.
"Partner, the family of the victim went to our office."
"What did the Boss said?"
"Three months. He's giving us only 3 months or we'll be fired."
Yahir sighed.
"Please, I can't be fired, I can't afford to lose my protection from the law."
"I'll do everything I could here."
"Please, I can't leave my family."
"Me, either."
***
]mvcabusas[
- Writer
