I almost ran my way downstairs, "Oh-god, oh my god."
"Wha-tt happened?" I stuttered half way through the stairs.

"My mum is going to kill me. I didn't call her to inform that I was going to stay over."

Save me

I laughed at the hysteria she was throwing about.

"What are you laughing at, huh? Do you know how protective mumma is? I won't be surprised if she has already reported me as a missing person."

Do parents still do that ? I wanted to ask her.

"Don't worry, Clary. I called Kai yesterday as I didn't have your parents' phone number. I told him you had stayed over and asked him to inform your parents as well."

"Oh London, you are the best. You have saved my life. I owe you one." She said throwing me in her tight hug.

"Okay then, the breakfast is on you!"

"You will surely die if she cooks." Cherry laughed.

She would know that of course.

"Let's have waffles today, I know a great place. You are gonna love it." Clarice said as she ended the call. She must have called her parents.

I had asked Kai to send me their numbers so that I could inform them.
They seemed pretty chill to me.

"Okay then let's get freshen up and head out. We must be having some spare toothbrush, I'll get them for you."

We then headed out to the waffle place, that both of them had praised so much. It was indeed a pretty setting.

This small city kept surprising me

We sat around the table and Cherry went to place our orders. Clarice had asked for chocolate. While I asked her to buy whatever she was having.

"How can you guys bail on chocolate...weird?" Clarice said munching on her waffle.

"Umm...what kind is this?" I asked Cherry who got me the same topping as her.

"Ahh...it's Coconut cinnamon. It's a speciality of this place." She brightly went on saying as though she did not just got Cinnamon on my waffles.

"How's it? Good? Awesome?" She looked at me expectedly.

I could hear Clarice's snorting giving the background music on my Cinnamon situation.

"Good...it's go-" I inhaled the powerful essence of Cinnamon which made me sneeze,"so good!"
It wasn't bad, but it just didn't fit to my taste.

Actually I didn't want that baby-face creased

"I am going out with Kai today and also I have to go home and show mumma my face so that she knows her daughter is truly alive," Clarice told us after our little brekkie.

Oh man the drama she threw sometimes-

We all laughed at that as we left the waffle place, Clarice going her own way leaving me and Cherry alone, together.

"So, do you wanna go somewhere? We don't have any important lectures today anyway. And also I have this great place I wanted to show you."

"I would love to. Let's just go home and get my bike. Fine?"

~¤~

"I'm not sitting on this death machine!" Cherry looked pale.

She did not just call my Harley a-

"It's really safe," I told her soothingly. "And you are going to wear a helmet!"

After a lot of convincing Cherry got on the bike, holding my sides with a strength, I never thought the little girl had, she held onto me like her life depended on it.

"You need to give me the directions Cherry."

Soon she started to relax as she lead us to the little place of hers.

She got off from the bike and walked to a small opening between the trees. I parked my bike alongside a Red Maple at the edge of the road and tailed behind her.

"Wait up! How can you walk that fast?" I panted trying to keep up.

"Come here and have a look."

She showed me her hiding spot which she had since her childhood. It was a beautiful place by a small stream and surrounded by trees on all sides, hidden.
"My sister and I used to come here all the time when in school," she laughed.

"You know this place is so soothing and well hidden that while playing hide-and-seek no one could find us," she said as we struggled to come out of the little place, shrinking.

"Sounds fun."
Maybe having siblings was not so bad.
"What year's your siste-"

"Hold up-" Her ringtone went off.

"Yeah mum?"

"I'm with Edwards...what, now?

"Okay...okay, I'm sorry it slipped my mind. I'll be home in a while."

"Take care mum, see you."

"Yeah?"

"I had promised mum to help her with the baking. And I totally forgot about it." She told me.

"Oh okay...c'mon then hop up I'll drop you." I told Cherry while mounting my bike.

"No, you get going, I'm good." She gave me a reassuring look.

"Oh okay, I'll see you then."

"See you." And she started towards her house which was just a quarter mile from her secret niche.

~¤~

After my little reverie I got pulled back to the present, I realised I had reached home after my hour long ride from the cafeteria, all the way to the top of the dam and back, through the dirt track I had followed.

Parking off my Harley in the garage. I opened the front door with my keys which mum had left under the showcase vase in the line of the threshold.
I smiled at the thoughts running through my head as I rushed upstairs towards my bedroom to dig myself into the pile of classical poetry, preparing for the test on the following day.

Something unexpected had happened to me, I thought I won't like it here, the people might not be friendly or I might get considered as some outsider. But I suppose it was all in my heart. My heart which was still in Boston didn't want to come out of it's comfort zone, where I thought my life was all sorted. But I realised it was not the placed that mattered, it didn't matter where I was to begin a new chapter of my life. I just had to get things done the way I had been doing for eighteen years.Going to the cafe was like visiting a friend.
The new feeling of ecstasy was overwhelming, but I enjoyed every second of it.

I was memorizing my poetry notes when I heard someone calling out my name from the backside of our courtyard. I popped my head out of the sliding glass window, and seeing who it was I ran out.

"Hey Coco, how are you boy?" I said brushing the retriever's fur.
"You know I'm here too!" Joshua muttered

Joshua was our neighbour, he often went for walks with Coco, his cute dog.

"But you are not as cute as Coco! Ain't I right boy?"

I had always wanted a dog for myself but mum never allowed it. One day Coco showed up in our backyard followed by Joshua.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry he broke out of his leash!" He had said, expecting me to lash out at the dog as well as the owner. But I was pretty much enjoying my time talking to the beautiful golden retriever. And that's how me and Joshua met.

"I gotta go, got a big test tomorrow. Bye Coco."
I paused just to see Joshua's expression as he faked hurt.

"Goodbye to you too."
I waved and punched his shoulder jokingly.

"Hey Josh! What's up?!" I heard a familiar high pitch voice as I turned to walk inside the house.

Clarice approached to where me and Joshua were standing.

"Long time Clary bear!"

"I know! So what have you been up to? Ryan was just talking the other day about having a small reunion with you guys." Clarice stated in her usual upbeat way.

"Yeah, the guys have been going about the reunion in the group chat for a while. I haven't checked all the tex-"

"Guys, hello! Can either of you'll enlighten me about how you guys know each other? And who's Ryan anyway?" I waved bringing their attention towards me.

"Ahh! I didn't realise Josh was your neighbour when I came here last."

"So how do you people know each other again?"

"Clarice's brother Ryan and I were in the same year in college. The same major actually."

Clarice had mentioned about having an elder brother but she didn't say anything about his name or how old he was. Now since he was Joshua's batch mate, he must be around three or a bit over than that older.

"Right. And many times Josh and the guys used to hang out at our place. And you remember he dragged you out to fetch me from school as well a couple of times?"

They both burst out laughing recalling the old times.

"That was just an excuse for a company. Honestly, we all knew why he did that."

As soon as he said that both of them felt silent. It was their inside joke so I didn't mean to intrude.

"Umm, so Clarice you came all the way here?" I decided to change the topic and get myself involved in their conversation as well.

"Oh yeah, about that. My mum had made these Rasogullas and you had this family dinner thing tonight. So I though why not get you people try out some Indian desserts." She held out a glass jar with white dumpling-like balls.

"Family dinner?" Joshua asked looking between me and Clarice.

Shit shit shit.

I was feeling so guilty about lying to her. And now Joshua as well.

"Umm, yeah. My dad said that he'll be home early tonight. So like we wanted to make this a weekly thing or something." I tell him cussing myself inwards.

"Oh! Sounds like a plan. It's a good thing to spend some time on lunch or dinner with your family, you know." He sounded pleased.

"Wow! These dumplings are syrup dipped. My mum's Asian as well but she's never made this kind."
I took the jar from her hands and looked closely.

"Dummy, she just said it's an Indian dessert and not dumplings." Joshua laughed over my slow-witted self.

"Yeah, right. Sorry."

"I'll get going then, Edwards. See you Josh." Clarice waved and walked out of our courtyard.

"See you tomorrow, Clary bear!" I yelled mockingly.

"You're not calling me that Edwards!" I heard her audible enough even though she was out of sight.

"Now, I really must get going. I don't know why I even took up British Lit."

"Kay then, good luck." He laughed and went off with his retriever wagging behind.

~¤~

Our bungalow is towards the upper hill of the city so not many people live around here as neighbours. But it was weird to see Clarice and Joshua knowing each other so well. It's like the world can't get any smaller?
I was feeling so guilty lying to them about such a silly thing. I don't even know why I did that.

My cell phone buzzed.
"Hello mama! How are you?"

"How are you kiddo? Had dinner yet?"

"Oh no, it's still time for dinner? Did you have anything yet?"

"I will; in a while. Are your parents home or still working late? "

"Yeah, both of them are working late...oh don't worry mama I've got it!"

"Visit me soon, okay. My flat here seems empty with you being all alone there." Her voice cracked.

"I miss you so much! I promise I'll visit soon."

"Do well in college and start going out more, London." I could sense her smiling on the other end.

"Yeah, I'll try...take care of yourself well okay. Love you."

I ended my call with mama which made me wanna rush to Boston to cuddle in her lap.

I hated being away from her

From elementary school she practically raised me as her own kid. My grandmother. I called her mama. She was more like a mother figure to me than my actual mother.

It's not that I blamed my mother for taking up an exhausting job

But I never felt the void that my own parents weren't around much. She took care of me. She still does. I missed her.

Our doorbell rung and I welcomed Joshua's mum whom anyone could make out from their resemblance. Except she had a fruity thin voice and seemed young to parent a twenty-one year old.

"Hi sweetie! Why are you sitting in dark here?,"she asked looking in from the threshold.

Cause I was depressed I wanted to tell her.

" I got these for you," she said handing me two white parcels.

"Hello, Mrs. Sheridan. Come in please."
It was getting so awkward as I didn't know how to attend guests.

"No honey. I just dropped by to meet you and got you some home cooked dinner."
I've no clue as to how she knew about my cravings for home cooked meals but her warm smile gave me a homely feeling even more.

"Where are your parents? Joshua told me you guys have a dinner planned."

Oh shit

"They're still working. They should be here in a while.Wow! It's braised chicken and salad. You didn't had to go through all the trouble really."

"It's no trouble at all," she gave her pleasant smile,"tell them I came by, okay then."

"See you, thank you so much for the chicken." I closed the door behind her.

It made feel even worse thinking about how kind Joshua's mum was to me. This guilt thing was doing me no good.

I rushed upstairs to get on with the task I had been procrastinating about and avoid feeling bad any further.

~¤~

(A/N: Hi! People. Hope everyone is keeping well.

Just like our London here I should be studying for the test I have...but here I am. Okay, I don't know if lying to your friends about it is a good idea.
But good luck to the both of us...I hope we pass😔.

Also, don't forget to vote y'all!

Love- Maads)