Chapter Sixteen

I woke up on a white leather couch. My body is slouching and I'm an inch away from completely sliding off. Despite that, I was covered with a soft blanket up to my legs.

I remembered a bit of details and how I got here.

~~

I should go," Karlene stood up from the sidewalk we were sitting on.

I copied her and stood on my feet as well, but not as steady. My yellow dress has some grass and dirt sticking on it's side, like I rolled over a hill or something.

I tripped on my own feet making Karlene hold my arm to guide me to my front door.

"Take it easy," she said, carefully supporting me up the little stairs on the porch.

"I'm sorry, I bothered you a lot today." I whispered on her ear. Her face was just so close, and I see her concern, I thought I might want to apologize. God knows what could've happened if she didn't see me outside earlier. I could've been dead on the road. Could've been a ghost by this time.

"You didn't."

I nodded as I leaned beside the door to open it. I twisted the door knob, but it was not budging. I turned it harder but it was locked the way it is.

Shit.

~~

I wiped my eyes and squinted at a digital clock sitting on a tiny coffee table. It says, 2:00 pm. I'm inside a house, that's not mine, and it's pass lunch time. My parents are gonna fucking kill me. I immediately thought to get out of here as fast as I could.

I removed the blanket and was surprised I'm no longer wearing my yellow dress. In fact, it was placed next to me, neatly folded at that. Now I had on a loose white shirt and short shorts but sadly I don't remember changing.

From what I can observe, I'm alone downstairs. I should take this as an opportunity to grab my ass and shit to bolt out of here and into my house. It's embarrassing to stay for too long, and my parents are probably sick worrying about where I am.

As my feet landed on a soft, fur-like carpet, a phone rang. It was beside my dress, ringing. It had the letter "J" as the name of the caller. They kept calling, even after I'm done fixing myself ready to go, it still rang.

What if it's an emergency? I thought. Half of my mind is insisting I go pick it up, and half says mind my own damn business. But what if I killed a person by not answering? Or sunk a fucking country or some ass shit like that. I don't know! The thought played and played, each time it did, it gets crazier, and now here I am... hesitantly picking it up with a hand. It wouldn't be bad if I answer and listen for a bit right??

I answered the call.

"Hey baby..." A deep, manly voice called. "Did you receive the flowers?"

Flowers? I peaked on the dining room and indeed, there is a bouquet of pink roses sitting on the table. But I know Karlene doesn't like flowers... Just who is this man calling her?

"You didn't show up last night. Thought you might still be mad about what happened..."

I heard a creaking sound outside as if someone is walking. The foot steps get  nearer and the phone is still on my hand.

"Hello? Karlene? Are you there-" I hanged up the phone on time, sliding it in my pocket, then the door creaked opened.

I stood up straight, as if a bolt of electricity has gone up my body. Fuck. Her phone is in my pocket how the fuck am I gonna explain this? She's gonna think I'm a fucking stalker. Why didn't I just threw it on the fucking floor? Or minded my own fucking business? She was so nice to me letting me stay in her house and this is what I'm doing? Fuck,  now she's squinting her eyes at me, she definitely thinks I'm suspicious.

"Ellie... What's up?" She asked walking pass me to go to her kitchen. She brought grocery bags with her, and she flopped it on the counter.

"I- umm...What did you bought?" I said, lifting the attention off of me.

Karlene scanned me from head to toes, still with the suspicions. "This? It's nothing, I just want to try something new..." She lifted her eyes off of me then goes on to explain a recipe she dreamed about last night. It's something about tarts and the way she talked about it instantly distracted her from questioning me further.

I nodded everytime she finishes a sentence and let her talk more.

"That sounds tasty... You should bring some over at our house, I-uh... I think my brother would love those," The phone in my pocket vibrates, the man is spamming her with text. "I should probably go."

"Oh, you're going home? I was hoping we could umm-" Karlene's words were cut short with a realization as she paused while looking at my eyes. Her shoulders dropped and was followed by a sigh, "Never mind."

Her mood suddenly changed. She's taking out what she bought from the grocery bags quietly but harshly.  Even dropped an item on the floor because she's acting too fast. Earlier she came in sweetly, but now I think she's a bit pissed.

I bent down to reach for the dented butter. Coincidentally, she reached for it too. I felt her hand touched mine but it was quick to escape like it touched a hot surface.

"Putain," she said under her breath and I didn't understand what she meant.

"Are you okay?" She's acting really weird since, I don't know, Just a moment ago?

She refused to look at me. Instead, she picked up the butter and stood up. "It's not you, it's me."

Karlene is not making any sense. And my situation is not going to help me find out what the hell is wrong in here. I watch her clumsy self screw up more. Should I be worried? I have never seen this side of her. She usually talks about herself but stops when she thinks she has shared too much. But despite her indirect words, you can tell it didn't matter because her actions tell it all.

"Was it because I said I was leaving?" I tried to push further, my nosiness getting ahead of me. Could it be that it was the reason? If not, then what else? I'm not that dumb, she was fine when she entered the front door. I see her tensed up in front of me as I slowly stood up behind her.

It took her a while to answer a short word, "No," Then she turned around, and I saw her furrowed eyebrows making me step back a little, "Ellie, don't you think this is weird?"  She whispered. Once again, I have no idea what she's pointing out.

What's weird for her? The only thing odd about this is the way she's acting so irritated by me.

"I'm your teacher... Doesn't that put you off?"

"I don't see anything wrong with that," I gulped.

She seems taken aback with what I said, "So you don't think a student hanging around her teacher's house is strange? What would you even call this? I shouldn't have let it get this far." She ran her hand on her short hair as she paced around the kitchen.

"What are you scared about?" I confronted. I actually thought that teacher and student thing didn't matter for both of us as long as we get along well. I don't really care about who she is, but I care about how she makes me feel, and when I'm with her, I feel heard.

"I'm not scared."

"Then what are you worrying about?"

I didn't realize I cornered her against the wall. She still had on a annoyed, furrowed eyebrow, but her eyes are looking else where. I wonder why she couldn't look at me straight in the face. Why does she have to beat around the bush when she could just tell me the problem directly? It's bothering me how she has to hide herself again when she finds herself open. Is she not comfortable with me like I am to her? But what about last night?

She opened her mouth to speak, but then the phone in my pocket rang. Her head searched for the sound as it landed on my shorts.

"That's my ring tone,"

"What?" I acted oblivious that her phone is on my pocket the whole time. I patted my shorts then pulled it out, "I- uh... Might've grabbed the wrong one." I handed it out to her and she picked it up skeptically on my hand.

I got a glimpse of the caller and it was the same man who called earlier.

The restlessness on Karlene's face stayed as she stared at her phone screen hesitating if she's going to answer it or not. She gave me an apologetic look then walked pass me to answer the call.

I guess that was the sign for me to leave.

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