Isa POV

"Ready?" I ask.

Temi doesn't answer, doesn't nod. She doesn't even look at me as she walks past me, out of the apartment. I expect nothing more and I follow behind her at a slight distance.

Her book bag is slung over her shoulder, and it bounces against her back as she walks. It looks heavy and for a moment I want to volunteer to help her carry it, but I know that she'd turn me down, so I don't even bother.

Before long, we are on the college's main campus, and just like the day before, I am in awe as I take in the university's beauty. It is large, filled with elegant looking buildings and structures. All around, there are students bustling around. Catching up with friends and lots of laughter. It's beautiful.

I glance ahead at Temi. She doesn't seem to take any of this in. Instead, she walks hurriedly past groups of people with her head down, clutching tightly onto her bookbag.

I stop tailing Temi and watch as she goes into the building where she has her writing class. She doesn't turn to look back at me. Just walk straight ahead as if I am not here at all. I wait a few moments after Temi disappears out of view before I turn on my heels to do some exploring of my own.

I figure I might as well get adjusted to the campus since I will be spending a lot of time here. For a while, I walk around, looking at all the unique buildings. I watch a group of students talking to each other and laughing at the top of their lungs.

For a moment, I wonder if this would have been me if I had ever gone to college. But then again, my family didn't have the money to send me to college. And even if they did, being very traditional, they most definitely would not have let me go to college to do art. As far as I am concerned, if I'm not going to college to do something I love, then there's no point at all.

I settle down on a patch of grass with my back against a tree and take out my sketchpad. I am facing a building with a sign stating 'school of Architecture'. The building is large with intricate structures, and I start sketching it.

This is what I do for the next few minutes. It's unusual for me to have time to make sketches while working. My art is something that I had solely ever done between jobs. Although this job differs vastly from any other job I have ever worked, the upside is that I actually have more time for myself.

I am standing in place when Temi gets out of her last class for the day. It is only late afternoon and the summer sun is still pretty high in the sky.

"Hey," I say, once Temi is within earshot.

She glares at me.

I don't pursue a conversation further, but follow behind her steadily as she walks toward her apartment. To be honest, being inside the cramped apartment is not something I want to do at the moment.

"We need to buy groceries," I blurt out, "we're out of food.."

This isn't entirely true, but I need any excuse to get Temi out of the apartment for a little while longer. Not just for my sake, but also for hers.

Temi doesn't reply for a while, but she stops in her tracks and slowly turns around. Her signature glare etched onto her face.

"I don't see why you can't just go buy the groceries by yourself. Isn't that your job?" Temi crosses her arms over her chest as she speaks and its actions like these that make her appear like a thirteen-year-old throwing a tantrum rather than the adult that she is.

I know better than to tell her this, but I will be lying if I say that I am not quickly becoming sick of it.

"Firstly, that is not my job. It's something that I choose to do," I state, matching her glare with a stern look of my own. "Also, I do not know where the store is, so you need to come with me."

For a moment, I think Temi is going to argue with me on this, but to my surprise, she just turns around and starts walking in a direction that I assume to lead to the grocery store. I follow silently behind her.

The grocery store is about ten minutes away and I immediately grab a grocery cart, as it's apparent that Temi is content on just sulking in the corner.

I walk down the aisle, putting things in the grocery cart, watching Temi follow behind me from the corner of my eyes. I cross check the list of groceries before turning to look at Temi.

"I've gotten all the basic grocery stuff...is there anything else you want to add? I don't know what type of snacks you like."

"I thought you knew everything about me," Temi says, looking at me warily, her arms still folded.

I know she is referring to the night before and I smirk despite myself.

"I just know the basic stuff, unfortunately. Memorising favorite snacks isn't usually something on my job description."

I don't know whether Temi is satisfied by my reply, but she disappears down an aisle and returns a few moments later with packets of Famous Amous cookies, which she throws into the shopping cart. I have to bite my lip to hide my smile.

We pay for our groceries and are about to leave the checkout when a light-skinned girl with short hair appears out of nowhere.

"Temi?"

I watch as Temi turns around to face the girl that called her name. I see a hint of surprise in her eyes as she looks at the girl before her.

"Melody..."

"Temi," the girl called Melody says, "I heard what happened and I'm sorry about Grace. I texted you but I don't think you saw it."

"Oh," Temi says, "I didn't see your text."

There's an awkward silence, and it's so obvious that Temi is lying. I watch the exchange between the two girls and, from the tension hanging in the air, it's clear to see that there's something that existed between them.

"Temi, it's getting late. We should start heading back," I say.

Temi looks up at me and for a moment, I see something that appears to be gratefulness in her eyes.

"I'd see you around, Melody," she quickly says before walking past the short-haired girl as we make our way out of the grocery store.

The walk back to the apartment is completely silent. Not the usual silence filled with Temi glaring at me, but she walks next to me throughout and from the corner of my eyes, I can see her staring into the distance. She appears to be lost in thought.

"I'll make dinner and come get you when it's ready," I say once we get into the apartment.

Temi doesn't verbally acknowledge what I say, but I make out the slightest of nods and she disappears into her room.

I prepare a quick dinner of pasta and tomato sauce, laying our plates on the table before knocking on Temi's door to call her to dinner.

A couple of minutes later, Temi emerges from her room. She has changed and is wearing a pair of baby pink pyjamas. I study her appearance for a while: her usual dark circles below her wide eyes and her hair that is braided back in two large messy cornrows. It's moments like these that I can see the sadness radiating off from her.

I say nothing but settle down at the dining table. Temi does the same.

Once again, we eat our dinner in silence.

We eat in silence for the first few minutes. Silence. This is something that I am quickly becoming accustomed to from being around Temi.

"Why are you even here?" Temi suddenly asks.

"Excuse me?" I say, confused.

"Why are you here?" Temi repeats. She is staring down at her food, refusing to look at me. "What are you even doing here?"

I take a drink of water, trying to buy myself some time as I try to process Temi's question.

"Well, it is my job," I simply reply.

Temi frowns into her food, which she has hardly even touched. She is clearly dissatisfied with my response, but I don't know how else I am to answer her question.

"Don't you have something better to do? People you'd rather be with?"

I am about to put a fork of food in my mouth but pause, letting the fork drop back onto my plate.

"Well, seeing as I just ended a relationship with my ex-girlfriend, and I work too much to have friends... no, not really."

"How about your parents?"

I glance up to look at Temi. This is possibly the most talkative she has ever been with me. And I'm not sure if I like it or not.

"Well, they don't like how dangerous my line of work is. I don't see them much."

"Hmm," Temi simply mumbles, and goes silent once again.

This is the last thing I want and I quickly scan my brain for something to say.

"So... that girl at the store, is she your friend?"

I instantly know this is the wrong thing to say from the way Temi's expression hardens. Her hard eyes fix on mine for a few minutes.

"Is not minding your business also part of your job?"

Temi does not wait for me to reply. She rises from her seat and storms off into her room, leaving her half-eaten pasta behind.