Sentiments

Chapter 16

Of all the days, we had to match today.

God knows what he told her about me.

“Yep.” I replied, “THE Grace,” I said and glared at Ethan as I muttered the last part. He chuckled.

“Why don't you sit over there, I'll bring you something to drink."

“Thank you but we just had our lunch. Don't bother,” I said.

She looked at me then at Ethan.

“You should've brought her here for lunch.”

He just smiled and I continued glaring at him.

“So Grace, I hope Ethan doesn't bother you too much. We know how bothersome he can be,” she said and laughed.

“Mom!” Ethan wailed and I laughed.

“I understand your pain,” I said and she grinned.

“Seriously?” Ethan said. I just winked.

“Would you like some coffee later?” she asked.

“Sure.”

“Let's go meet Em,” he said and I got up, thinking of what I should say to his mom but thinking that she must know how awkward I am, I just smiled at her and thanked heaven she returned it before following Ethan upstairs.

“Woah woah, wait. Wait!” I grabbed Ethan by the back of his shirt and made him stop.

“You should've told me they knew about me.”

“But that wasn't so bad, was it?”
“No, but a heads-on would have been nice!”

“Okay, Em knows everything about you except, of course, our personal problems. That good?”

My eyes went wide but I nodded.
I followed him and we stopped what I supposed was Emma's room.

Ethan knocked twice and entered. I followed behind to see her room, lavender painted walls with a bookshelf on one corner and  motivational posters all around.

I saw Emma, she was the opposites of Ethan when it came to their features; she had ash blonde hair and hazel eyes. But you could tell they were siblings because of the same face structures and other features.

“Hi Grace! So nice to finally meet you. I'm Emma,” she said, stumbling around to get to me and holding out her hand. I shook her hand and realized they had the same long hands with slender fingers as well. Upon seeing her wide smile, I added it to the similarities list too.

“Nice to meet you too. Ethan’s told me alot about you,” I said and looked at Ethan who seemed satisfied now that we finally met.

I sat on one of the chairs that Emma had brought closer to the bed where Ethan sat, and she sat cross legged on the rug.

“So, how's life?” she asked.

Omygod whatdoisaywhatdoisay-

“Life's umm,” I made a face trying to find the right word and she laughed.
Her social skills are way better than me.

“It's alright, I get it. Ethan has told me about your social skills that clearly suck so you can be comfortable with me,” she smiled.

I glared at Ethan.

“Yeah, Ethan, get out. It's girl's time.”
I gasped a little and begged Ethan with my eyes not to go but he made his way out, giving me a thumbs up and bending down to whisper in my ear, “Don't kill me later.”

After he shut the door, I decided I might as well try and talk since I clearly had no other option.

“So, Emma, tell me about you,” I said.

“Call me Em. Everyone calls me that,” she said and I nodded, “So I'm studying Architecture. Final year now.”

“Was that what you wanted to be?” I asked.

“No. I wanted to be a teacher when I was a kid because I thought I had it in me. But somehow, I ended up here. I like it though,” she said, playing with her long hair.

“That's nice,” I said. I hope I come to terms with me studying Linguistics as well. It's not that I hate it, but I don't love it either.

“Ethan told me you're painting is excellent. Why didn't you go to art school?”

“I didn't want to turn my hobby into profession then lose interest in it by feeling pressured,” I said.

“Let me guess, unsupportive parents?” she asked.

I nodded.

Did Ethan tell her that too?

“It doesn't take that much to figure it out. You love something but don't do it. It's obvious,” she said and I relaxed a bit.

“So, anyways, what else do you like to do?” she asked, “I like reading novels. Do you?”

Then started a discussion on the novels we had read.

Thank god for that.

I got comfortable talking to her, she just had that welcoming and understanding aura about her that makes you give in.

Her mom brought us some delicious  coffee and we sipped on it, talking eagerly.

After discussing novels, movies, dancing and stuff, Ethan came in at us laughing on a joke.

“Whoa. I see you're friends already,” he said sarcastically, looking at me.

“We're great friends. You should come here more often. God knows Ethan is boring.

“Yeah.” I said and she laughed.

“See! You are boring!” she said and I got up.

“I should be going now, bye Em,” I said and smiled. She gave me a good hug and said bye. I walked out and shut the door.

“So she can make you laugh in a few hours while it took me forever. I see.”

I punched him on his arm and said, “Show me your room.”

His room was with Em's, painted grey, a large bookshelf on one wall that had so many books and a computer table with it. It was a pretty simple room except for a poster of Avril Lavigne on the back of the door...

“Why'd you have to go and make things so complicated~” I sang.

“What? OH, I FORGOT TO TAKE IT OFF!” He said and sighed.

“It's okay. She's a great singer.”

“Yeah, that she is."

“She must have been your celebrity crush, huh?” I wiggled my eyebrows.

“Of course she was!” He said and we laughed.

“Who was your celebrity crush?” he asked.

“Do I have to tell only one? Because it's hard to choose.”

He deadpanned stared at me and I laughed.

“The list grows longer each day,” I said.

“Well, that's unexpected.”

“Duh! Haven't you learned anything from your sister?”

“I thought she was the only one..”

I rolled my eyes.

“Haven't you ever had a girlfriend before? Or a girl-friend?”

“Well, if you count those girls that are always following me, yes, but I don't even know their names..”

My jaw dropped. “So I'm your first girl-friend?”

“Well, you could say that. I had many friends in highschool but we don't really talk anymore except for when we meet in parties or such.”

“No wonder,” I said.

He stared at me, his eyes narrowed. I stared back, not giving in before my phone buzzed and I got a text from Heather.

“Gotta go now. Thanks for... everything,” I said aswe made our way down  he hailed a taxi for me.

“Don't thank me. Thank you for coming even though you were pretty much freaking out.”

I smiled and said, “Let's not get too formal now. Thanks buddy,” I said, punching fists with him and sat in the taxi, waving goodbye one last time.