Chapter Thirty-Seven

I closed the front door once again. To go to school had always been a pain, but all I had left was 2 weeks to graduate... After that, I would want to move to my grandparent's, help them on their business, and they said one day I could take over it because no one in the family would want to continue, but I was willing to give it a shot. It was for my future so my dead body wouldn't end up inside a sack floating on a river somewhere. Asking money from my parents till I'm old kind of sounds pathetic isn't it?

So yeah... I had two weeks left before I leave. It's kinda sad, isn't it?

The breeze on the street this morning was warm, not like before when it was cold. And with that I realized that things normally come and go, it sucks that before they depart they leave a mark on you and by the time they're gone you had no choice but to miss it. I miss when it was cool and steady and when the days were often charming. The unexplainable feeling of warmth inside me despite the frigid weather. If things happened for a reason, what was all this for...? Change? I was feeling it slowly, but slowly was better than being stuck, right?

I arrived at school with a minute to spare so I rushed to my first class at 209. There wasn't a hassle to pass through the halls as it was almost empty. Most of the people were in class while I was still speeding my ass on the floor. This hall was just so fucking long.

I turned the doorknob open. Fortunately, I saw the teacher was scribbling something on the board so I took that chance to sneak my way to a vacant chair next to... It's kind of embarrassing to say but... I was sitting next to a friend. Yes, I made a friend and his name was...

"Art," I called out to him while he was busy drawing at the back of his notebook. He liked to hide it, but I saw the little anime girl winking on his paper.

"Don't talk I'm perfecting the other eye," He said as his eyebrows arched and his eyes fully focused on it.

I let him do his thing and I reached in my jean's pocket to take out two pieces of paper. It wasn't just a paper though, it was an expensive one. "I got us a free meal at a fine dining restaurant, you dork. Now, do you want it not?"

I got it from my parents, they said they were too busy to use it so they gave it to me. Dinner at the town's best restaurant was not too shabby...

He squinted his eyes as he contemplated. "Are you asking me out on a date? My my~"

"Yeah. So what do you think about sea food?" I asked, then gained a puking impression from him. "Well, I didn't know heterophobes were a thing."

He stopped drawing and kept his notebook in his backpack. The teacher in front turned around greeting us good morning.

"If you help me pick out an outfit that gets all the sugar daddies in that room, then yes maybe I'll go with you."

"Okay deal."

The class started. We pulled out our book and listened all while we chatted about random things. Art's a weird person, he talked just about anything he could without a filter at all. He mostly swear at people using his native language and in his defence, it didn't matter as long as they didn't understand him. I know, he's kind of crazy.

-

I looked at my full body in Art's bedroom mirror. Not too bad. I was wearing a long green sleeveless dress and a pair of black heels. Does it look too showy? It didn't look like I'm trying too hard right? It was simple, just right for dinner.

I let my hair down and curled the tip of it. And let me tell you, I look expensive~

"Hey look here," Art came out with a fit in both of his hands, "I'm not sure if I want to be feminine, or masculine, what do you think?"

I tilted my head looking at the fit carefully. If I was judging, I think he would look smoking hot in that second outfit, "That second one screams choke me, daddy! Ugh!"

"What the fuck was that Ellie Holmes?" Art chuckled at my randomness.

I shrugged. "What do you mean?" I asked awkwardly, going back to my usual self.

"Then the first outfit it is," He declared as he took it to his bathroom to change. I swear he doesn't take my advice. What did I even come here for? thought I was the one who was gonna pick his fit.

After half an hour of waiting, Art came out wearing the second outfit. He wore a white shirt underneath a copper-colored blazer. Khaki trousers and brown pointed shoes. What the hell happened to the first one that I heard he was gonna wear?

"You look like a grumpy grandpa," I stifled a laugh. "I-I meant it as a compliment since you know they get all the babes"

Art's face was terrified with what I said. He threw a damp towel on my shoulder and faked cried. God, I don't want to deal with this right now...

"I want a sugar daddy not a sugar baby!" He faked sniffed.

I tried to stroke his black slicked-back hair but he slapped it away playfully. I rolled my eyes. "I'll deal with them, that's for sure... So let's go! Dinner's at nine and if we miss it, I guess we'll just have to go to McDonald's."

So we left looking like a mom and her grandpa on their way to to church for a sunday mass. We rode at Art's Toyota. The resto was a bit far from his house so while we were on our way, we listened to band songs and headbanged our heads off. The particular band that- never mind, but it was a fun ride...

A guard dressed in a black suit welcomed us as we stepped on the restaurant's red carpet. It leads us to the entrance where another guard stood behind a small desk.

"You go first," I said to Art who was right next to me.

"No, you go first," he insisted.

"No, you go first."

"Nah... No, you."

We had a long staring contest. Both of us stood there in the middle of the red carpet not knowing what to do with our lives anymore now that we realized we're just a huge clump of useless cells incapable of making a simple decision like who was going to be the first one to come inside.

An idea struck my mind. "Wanna settle it down with rock, paper, and scissors?" I asked.

"The winner goes in first, the loser's ass follows behind."

We agreed to play. Three rounds and no bullshit. We shook our fists as we chanted rock paper scissors shoot. The fight was legendary. It was a nerve-wracking, jaw-dropping, eye-bulging, ass-sweating, face-twitching competition with both us of end up looking like we were on crack.

"Imma do scissors next," I said to confuse him.

"Why the fuck would you say that?"

I dropped my hand and played as paper. Art lost a point cause he chose to play rock.

"Ha, Got cha!" I shouted a little too loud.

One of the guards that were standing before a desk coughed stealing our attention. She wore a bitter expression as she looked at us from a distance. Rude, we were just having fun could she not see? Or did she just wanted to join? I don't think a threesome rock paper and scissors would work though...

"Ma'am, Sir, there's a line behind you," she said.

Art and I turned our heads to look and indeed there was a line of old angry businessmen waiting to get in. All of them had their arms crossed and lips pouted.

Art and I pushed each other to the guard and handed our coupons. The guard took it from our fingers with a raised brow.

"Mr. and Mrs. Holmes?" She asked.

I reached for Art's thin shoulder to pretend that we were indeed a couple. "Yeah." We forced out a smile.

"You may go in. A table is already reserved for you."

---

I couldn't believe we shifted from eating cheap soggy school lunches to expensive ass piece of meat I couldn't even pronounce. The cooking process took a while and they came back with just a hand full of food on a plate. It wasn't enough to satisfy us both, so we just took advantage of the free refill champagne we had on the coupon.

"Target locked," Art said in a robotic tone. He squinted his eyes at the person behind me.

I turned my head around and saw an old man, probably in his 80s. Wow, didn't know he was into Gilfs.

"So the plan is, we're gonna pretend to go to the restroom, then when we're right next to his table, you will shove me into him and you act like it was an accident. Boom!" He slammed his hand on the table. "That's how I'm going to start a convo."

"Why are your targets all old?" I whispered.

He rolled his eyes and tried to explain it to me again for the hundredth time. "I need money so yeah... any one would do, but old peeps are just more gentle you know? They're slow paced- easy to convince."

"Oh. Well, good for you."

"Very good for me indeed." He aimed a wink at the old man and smirked. "I'm gonna go to the restroom for a bit, when you see me coming back, be in your position."

It was like I was working as a spy. So exciting and at the same time I was also nervous. What if I pushed too hard? Or what if I pushed the wrong person? What if I pushed myself? Shit, I already wanted to quit the moment Art disappeared out of my sight.

I played with my fingers while he was gone. Scanned my eyes around the restaurant and saw random people having dinner, mostly couples and men on meetings, not that special. The orange lights surrounding the room were dimmed, it made the candle-like-bulbs on the middle of the tables standout. There were rose arrangements that designed the tables too...All of the characteristics of these restaurant was romantic, and I couldn't help but to feel left out. Like this was a place I didn't belong, and sitting all alone at this moment only made the uncomfortable feeling worse.

I knew that I finally had my life back together and my future planned, but what was it that was still missing that I couldn't explain? A hole was starting to open up inside of my chest again, but not for so long as a familiar scent passed my side. I quickly turned my head behind to follow it but I failed to spot it. I'm probably tipsy... I returned to my sit to calm myself down.

Art finally came out of the restroom. He signaled me stand up and so I did.

I fixed my hair while I was walking up to him acting like he was just a stranger.

When he was close enough, I closed my eyes so I won't bust out laughing to what I was suppose to do. I reached for him and shoved him onto the old man with little to no remorse.

Next thing I knew, a voice of girl cried aloud.

"Ellie, oh my god what did you do...?" Art's terrified voice was in front of me that made me look up immediately. He was shocked of what he was seeing from behind me.

"Miss gurl...you pushed the wrong person," he said. He held a hand up covering his opened mouth.

Horror flashed on my face. This is what I was fucking imagining when he was gone... Shit.

Art grabbed me by my arm and dragged me away from the scene. I didn't had the chance to face the girl I just pushed, but I did get a glimpse of her long yellow dress covered in spaghetti sauce before Art and I disappeared at the restaurant without a trace.

Mission failed.

Art tried to talk as we ran towards the parking lot. He was breathing heavily, sweat forming all over his face. "What the fuck was that? You were suppose to push me, not a random bimbo in the resto!"

I picked up my breath when we came to a halt in front of his Toyota. "Fuck! You think I knew? You should've pushed her forward and let me shove you instead!"

Ridiculous, all of this sounded ridiculous, from the start of the plan and to the end, it just sounded silly. Who would pick up a sugar daddy in the middle of their dinner?

"Do you think I should go back and apologize?" I stuttered. Morality getting ahead of me.

"Yeah, maybe you should Mother Theresa..." he rolled his eyes. "And come back with assault charges too, that would really be great!"

Was he being serious? Should I really apologize? Art unlocked his car and we both got in. I waited until it was cool inside to speak. Now I was stunned when I realized a face so familiar rose from that scene earlier, maybe it explained why the guilt came late, because rather than guilt showing up when I pushed the lady, excitement already overwhelmed me.

"It was Maltesers," I muttered to Art and we exchanged looks.

"What- she's Malt- Oh my God..." He held up his hand on his mouth.

"Shit... Who would've knew I'll find her there?"