So my friend got robbed on his way back home and because of how he felt losing a couple of important things, I was in a bad mood (and I still am) when I wrote this, so, I apologize beforehand if this chapter sucks.

"Mom, stop whining like a two-year old. We'll be fine."

I removed an empty carton from the dining table in my house and set it on the floor, hoping to dispose it later.

"How could I possibly drive to work from here? It's too far..."

I groaned as mom started talking about the disadvantages of staying at my house.

We moved in yesterday and have been trying to set up a few things in place. Like the kitchen and the bedrooms we'd be staying in. Other furniture had white cloth draped over them, so there was no dust to wipe off. Mom's room was directly next to mine, unlike at her house where my room was far away from hers, but not enough to be oblivious of Tamara's and I's heated arguments almost every time.

I really should stop thinking about her if I'd recover. As if that's possible. I scoffed at my own thoughts

"Florence."

I glanced at mom. "Hmm?"

"You seemed so faraway, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine..." I moved to get the bottle of disinfectant from mom. "Allow me."

She stepped to the corner beside the gas cooker and watched me wipe down every single surface in the kitchen with disinfectant.

"If not for everything going on, I would have suggested we go get lunch." I looked back at mom who was peering into an empty cabinet, probably deciding what things could fit in there.

"Or we can just order."

I smiled and set the detergent spray and the rag on the counter before reaching for my phone on the kitchen table.

I made a phone call to a nearby chinese restaurant and they said someone would be here in five minutes. When I ended the call, mom was no longer in the kitchen.

I shrugged and resumed cleaning till the door bell rang.

I guess food's here.

After I had paid the delivery lady, I set some plates on the kitchen table for me and mom. We haven't really gone grocery shopping so I knew we'd live on takeouts for some time.

"Smells good..."

I looked back at mom who was smiling at the plates before her.

"I was wondering where you went off to."

Mom pulled out a chair and sat in it. "I had to speak with Mr Adam, you know work and stuff like that."

I gave her a look. "I haven't really seen you two together in awhile, all good?"

Mom nodded and pushed some strands of ramen noodles into her mouth with a pair of chopsticks. "Yeah. We good." She chewed slowly.

I nodded and then silence took over as we relished our food.

Philip stopped over later in the evening to check how we were faring. He said a couple of words to mom who was watching a TV show previously and motioned me to follow him upstairs. After I stood up to catch up with Philip, I looked back to see the smug smile on mom's face. I knew what she was thinking but it was totally the opposite of what Philip and I intended doing. We only wanted to have a conversation away from mom's ears and so to prevent her from getting suspicious, I let her think what she wanted.

I opened the door connecting my room to the balcony and tilted my head back in pleasure as the chill evening breeze embraced me.

"What a view you have here." Philip commented, looking at the expanse of grasses, trees and flowers beneath us.

"Yeah." I placed my hands on the metallic rails and hastily withdrew them when sudden cold shot up my spine. Philip didn't notice my sudden movement. He was busy admiring the scene.

"There used to be a tree there..." He pointed at a spot.

"Oh, that tree? I had it removed." I recounted how my dead sister shared my distaste for the tree.

"Why?"

I gave my boyfriend the are-you-kidding-me look. "The tree always scared me, like it harboured some scary monsters..."

Philip licked his lips. "It was really beautiful, I wonder why you decided to take it down."

"Didn't you hear anything I just said?" I asked.

"I don't think so..." Philip glanced at me and gave me a sweet smile.

How dare he?

I glared at him. "You sure do know how to irk a person."

"I know babe." He made for the chairs kept close to him. "Let's sit." Philip sat in one chair and let out a satisfactory 'ah' as he did so.

"I swear, if you don't stop annoying me, I'm gonna throw you off the balcony." I threatened and sat in another seat next to him.

"I never knew you had it in you..."

It just took another heated look from me to silence Philip.

"I think we might be employing Sebastian's help now."

At the mention of his best friend's name, my eyes met Philip's immediately.

"Why?" I asked.

Philip gave me an odd look. "Why not? He's the technology guy... does that ring a bell?"

I narrowed my eyes at him but he laughed it off. "What's the plan?

"Well, since you're technically still friends with Alice. You'll snoop around her phone for Peter's number."

"So, I'll be a snitch now huh?"

Philip shrugged. "Yup."

A bell rang in my head. Wasn't Peter his brother? He should have his number.

"Peter's your brother, don't you have his number or something?"

"He switched lines." Philip replied gruffly. Clearly, he wasn't pleased when I referred to Peter as his brother.

"OK... That's it then?"

"Yes, I'll handle the rest..."

"...alongside Seb?"

Philip stared pointedly at me. What had I said?

"What?" I demanded, uncomfortable with the way he watched me like I was a murderer. I had assumed he had sorted things out with Sebastian after their fight at the beach.

"So, you're on nickname basis with him, huh?"

I guess not.

"What's with you? Why are you acting all up?" I asked, trying to conceal my irritation.

"What do you expect me to say. How do you expect me to feel when you ran off to the beach with him."

"Seriously now? That's it? That was a long time ago." I argued.

Philip frowned and moved in his seat. "That does not justify what you did."

I don't believe we're having this conversation now, at a crucial moment like this.

My breathing rate rose. "How can you justify your fight with Peter then?"

Philip didn't say anything else after that. He just stared at something behind me.

"I'm going back in." I hurried back inside my room wishing I could reverse the time to a few hours ago.

What a dead end. There was no turning back now.

Mom was still seated before the television, but it was turned off, and instead, her phone was in her hands. She looked up from whatever she was doing.

"Are you guys done?" She grinned evilly.

I sighed. "Stop mom."

Mom tapped the space beside her, indicating I should sit.

She scooted away as I bent my waist to sit. "You look bothered, what happened in there?"

I leaned back against the backrest of the chair. "We had a little fight."

Feeling a pair of eyes staring into my soul, I gazed at mom.

"Over what?"

"Over Sebastian."

The room was silent till sixty seconds passed. From mom's bewildered look, I could determine what was dancing through her mind. Well she didn't know much about Sebastian other than he normally spent a great deal of his time at our place starting from the beach incident. Mom didn't know Sebastian and Philip are close friends, well, they used to be. So that explains why she was shocked.

"Why? How?"

Before I could offer a reply, Philip entered the wide space I called my living room.

What took him so long?

"Mrs Steele, I have to be on my way now. Take care...and you too, Florence."

With one last glance at me, Philip disappeared into the hallway that led to the main door.

"Now that was one hell of a fight you guys had." Mom observed. With much sadness, I looked away from where Philip was a couple of seconds ago and stared down at my legs splayed before me.

Mom rested her fingers on my shoulders. "You can actually tell me what happened...or not."

I lifted my head. "It's all complicated."

Mom raised a brow at me, encouraging me to dive right into the main gist. And I did more than diving. I spewed out everything, from meeting Sebastian to hanging out with him at the beach and finally ending with the kiss. Mom totally left her mouth wide open at the last part.

"I'd advice you allow him to cool off before you talk things through with him."

Talk things through? There was no way in hell I would do that, not even the devil himself could make me.

"No mom, I ain't doing that. Must I be the one apologizing, this isn't my fault mom, he started it?"

Mom watched me peacefully. "He started it, yes, but you finished it off by kissing his best friend."

That part silenced me. Thinking of it now, I couldn't remember how I felt at the touch of Sebastian's lips on mine. Did I even enjoy the kiss?

Of course you did.

Get thee behind me Satan.

"Mom..." I started.

"I believe you didn't even tell Philip about it."

Mom's words stung me like a bee. I felt like a hypocrite right now. There was no denying the fact that I was at fault too and there was no need to point a finger at Philip anymore because I had an equal if not more load of the blame to bear.

Despite all the guilt I felt, during the late hours of the night just before my beauty sleep, all I thought about was how I'd get Peter's contact from Alice without her suspecting a thing.

So with my earphones still plugged into my ears emitting music from my favorite band, I typed.

📤📤📤
Hey Alice, could we hang out tomorrow at the Starbucks closer to my mom's house? Come with Tanya if you can. Pretty please😊

After hitting the send button, I pulled out the earphones from my ears and turned off the music playing from my phone. I placed my phone in its usual spot at night (on my bedside table) and went straight to sleep.

...

Look who I found! Vanessa Hudgens and her real mom! 😂

So, I plan to round things up in two chapters or so. I'm not sure but maybe I'll start a spin-off , that solely depends on my mood though.

So, what are your thoughts about this chapter? 😊