It was a relief when I arrived around my shift at the booth.

It was a relief that my friends and I had started prepping the dishes earlier.

I hoped the day went well, but I didn't expect that I would be late in the first place. Our booth was bustling with the crowds, mostly because the majority of the crowd wanted to watch the performances on stage and our booth was quite near it.

We sold almost everything during noon time, my shift ended and I handed my apron towards Katarin. I grabbed my phone and headed to the stage, preparing to take some pictures and clips of Isis. She was performing with her guitar and everyone clapped in delight when her turn was over. Her beaming smile won over the flashing sunlight, with hundreds of encouraging words surrounding her. Then Zen was up on the stage, the crowd roaring like tigers with their fierce yelling. I spotted Isis' rolled eyes and proceeded to join me as she walked to me.

A hand tapped my shoulder and I turned around to see the mysterious person. Hoping it was Cassian, but it was a guy with his phone in his hand. He was quite good-looking, but my mind kept returning to Cassian. He offered me his phone number, and anyone who was interested in flirtings and boys would accept. But I had better things to do right now than giving him false feelings. I shook my head and a crooked smile appeared on my face and he left with an awkward smile. I looked upon the stage, averting my gaze on Zen. He was playing a solo electric guitar, which was cool but poor Isis didn't want to admit it. She gazed Zen like a star in her eyes, yet scrunched up her eyebrows and made a trembling, disgusting sound.

I didn't realize that our festival would be coming to an end soon. All of our hard work and busy times were pouring on this day, so our class decided to celebrate it in a nearby fast food chain. We bought our own meal set and I sat across Isis with Zen on her side, munching his burger ravishingly. Isis became annoyed when his patty flew on her cheese fries, she gave him all of it and muttered 'pig' to him.

Zen just... laughed. Weird. People around us would think that he was whipped. Isis ignored him and she took a bite on her beef burger. I ordered a meal set with rice and fried chicken inside, it was a big deal and I wouldn't want to be starving on my way home. Katarin and Genevieve were busy with other classmates, Genevieve was joking with her boyfriend, Augustine and Katarin was drinking her soda. Eugene kept yelling that Isis should have won her solo performance because she deserved it, nonetheless it was Zen who won the first place. Everyone was proud, but they knew Isis worked hard on it. Zen gave out a smile and hung the medal on Isis' neck. A surprised look washed over her face, her wavering eyes almost plucked out a tear yet she held on it and we all laughed together to prevent her tears coming out.

It was late and Isis offered to walk me home, but I refused because my house was nearby. I waved all of my classmates goodbye and we parted ways as soon as the sky turned pitch black. I passed by a minimarket and noticed a familiar gray jacket.

"Cassian?" I called.

The so-called person turned and raised his eyebrow.

"After-festival party, huh?" He asked, walking to a small table in front of the minimarket. He was holding a beer can and cigarettes he bought earlier. Beer and cigarettes late at night? Nuh-uh.

"Don't touch them, I'll be back." I ran to the minimarket and grabbed a milk tea. The clerk reminded me to pay before I went out, so I paid. I offered Cassian a milk tea and he gladly accepted it.

"Milk tea is better than beer." I stated. I sat across Cassian and he gulped down the milk tea like he was thirsty for days. After that, he started scratching his face repeatedly. I didn't want to offend him, so I asked a question regarding the contract.

I cleared my throat, "So, can I ask the first question?" I let my head lay on my arms, like sleeping on the table to be exact.

Cassian's seating position became relaxed, his arm draped over his chair and his back leaned behind with his tilting head. He scratched his arms once in a while.

"Sure."

"Can I know the benefits of being immortal?" I asked cautiously. This must be a sensitive question, but he agreed on this. Might as well be responsible.

He let out a sigh.

"There are no benefits. It's painful and only a deranged person could handle it." He drank the milk tea more and wiped his mouth with his shirt. Well, at least he was honest.

"So, you're deranged?" Idiot question there, Rheanne.

"You think?" He averted my gaze.

"Er, I don't know. You look perfectly normal, you're hiding your emotions aren't you?" I wrote his answers in my small notebook. I prepared every single day for this interview.

"You could say it like that. Let me think of one benefit... I guess, meeting some higher-ups counts?" His index finger was on his jaw, like he was thinking of an answer that he hardly could answer.

"What do you mean?" I scribbled down his reply.

"I get to know influential people and gain more knowledge year by year. I can also meet grand-grand-grand-grandsons or daughters of someone I knew. That's it, time out." Cassian scratched his jaw and small, blotchy red spots were covering his skin. He was vomiting right now.

I could only think of one thing.

"Are you by any chance, allergic to milk or tea?" I panicked and helped him calm down. I didn't know how to help.

He clutched the chair's stool, "It's fine, I could heal by myself." He smirked, hiding the fact that he was hurting from the allergy.

"You clearly don't have the time to sneer, idiot. I should call the ambulance-"

Cassian's hand grabbed mine. A warm, buzzing feeling washed my body, I looked at him and he was panting from the pain.

"No, no ambulance. Do you want me to be their lab experiment? Absolutely no."

I didn't understand, but I followed his words. We waited until his symptoms subsided and he ran home when I was buying water for him. Asshole. I cursed several times because of him, screw you immortal. But I needed him for my inspiration. Ugh, I hate this.

I went home and dived on my bed. I pulled out my things and I noticed something was lost when I rummaged through my bag again. Great, my notebook. I had to go back there again. I ran to the minimarket with my oversized jacket draped on my pajamas. The weather was quite cold and I shivered when goosebumps hit my entire body.

I met Cassian again at a different time and the same place. And he was in a different state. He was wasted and embarrassed himself. I almost yelled at him to not run away earlier, but I sighed heavily with my palm raking over my face. Cassian bumped into a lamp pole and his forehead was scratched. Droplets of blood rolled down like tears. His powers made his injury healed fast, I ran over to him and brought out a tissue to suppress and wipe his blood. I brought him over to the chair we sat earlier and he grumbled some incoherent sounds as if he was hurting.

The seat across him was vacant, so I sat while waiting for him to speak.

Cassian's eyes raked over me, it was intense but I wouldn't take it to heart because he was drunk.

"Why are you drinking when I told you not to?"

Cassian scoffed, "It's my body and my business."

I snapped.

"Yeah well, even if you're immortal, you still have to protect your body." It was nonsense, but I had to fight him. Immortals were supposed to be healthy, but they were fragile inside because of their eternity.

He snickered.

"I've never met a human like you, Rheanne."

That was the first time he called my name sincerely. It was a nice feeling.

"Wait, have I ever told you my name?"

And there we go, he was sleeping now.

I blurted, "And I have never met an immortal, until you."

I carried Cassian in different ways throughout his way home. Piggyback, failed. Bridal style, failed. So I just dragged him like a sack and he may have hurt his knees on the pavement. He was heavy so that was all I could do. It was a relief I knew his house by that one time I stalked him all the way from school. I left him at the gate and let him wake up by himself tomorrow, his black dog wagging its tail recognizing its owner.

Cassian should be fine by the morning, I couldn't bring him in because I didn't have his house' key.

I met Cassian twice, what an abrupt day.

I hoped the mosquitos gave him mercy.

***

AUTHOR'S NOTE

hi again! so what do you think about the overall of this book after reading through seven chapters?

i hope you drop some comments or votes to keep me writing on this story! thank you for reading and it will be amazing if you guys share my book to any social media platforms that you guys have!

enjoy,

ariella