Chapter 7: There's No Taking Back Words

XINCERE CALLIOPE'S POINT OF VIEW

"Xincere, look how elegant it is with me." Geli let me see the silver necklace she was wearing with its tiny moon pendant. One of the gifts she received from Justice yesterday. She handed me her phone and started to scroll on its screen and let me see the numerous pictures of them that were taken yesterday. She looked so blooming with her coal-black hair tied back in a ponytail with a pair of thin tendrils framed her face.

"It really is. As if it was made just for you." I touched its pendant and smiled as I saw unexplainable happiness in her eyes. My attention was diverted to someone who throws me a hoodie.

"Zachary!" I exclaimed and hissed at him while trying to comb my hair using my fingers. We got the attention of some students who were on the other bleachers since we were in the open field right. I saw him frowning and did not even take some time to smile at the girls who gave him a bar of chocolate and probably a love letter. How rude!

"You guys looked so cute! I won't wonder if the day will come that you are the one who will share about Zac." Geli whispered as she teased me and tickled me in my side.

"Stop it, Geli. It won't happen! If that day come, I will make sure it's not him I am with." I took a glance at him as I was saying the last line. I should stick to my word no matter what. I slightly nodded my head as I convinced myself with the thought of never falling for this guy.

"I'll bet my life, you're gonna take back your words!" Geli was laughing, as if she was too confident in the words she just uttered.

"There's no way I would!" I just shook off my head, trying to get rid of the train of thoughts that just came to my mind.

"What will you bet?" She raised her eyebrows, seemed like waiting for my answer. I just chuckled a bit.

"Geli, there's no need for that, I am sure with it." She grimaced and gave me a side glance of disgust.

"You're so killjoy! What you can bet? It should be worth my life, Xincere." We both laughed as we realized how nonsense was her thought really was.

"I know, girl!" She stood up before facing me as if she had finally remembered the difficult terms to memorize she had forgotten during a pop quiz in the Theories of Personality course that was really overwhelming due to the sheer volume of information that needs to comprehend.

"If that happened, you are about to have a piercing on the upper left ear. Deal?" I burst into laughter as I saw a girl who just passed by who looked like in a rock band with the guitar she was holding and her thick eyeliner and a lot of piercing in her both ears.

"You mean, your life is worth just a piercing?" I was half-laughing at her idea. I casually folded my hand crossed my chest as if I was really confident that I will win against her.

"Yeah. I want to see you with it. That's a deal, okay?" She was smiling and laid her hand for a shaking hand. I stood up and face her.

"You're full of the joke, Geli. As if I'll be able to kill you. That was so tricky! Let just have a real deal. You are going to cut your hair at a shoulder-length level and dye it in blonde." I know how she loves having coal-black-straight hair, so she probably back-off this nonsense deal for she will surely be lost.

"Deal." Her lips curved upwards and the corners of her eyes wrinkled.

"Are you serious? A deal is a deal, Geli. Don't blame me for not warning you. There's no taking back words, okay?" She nodded her head three times as a response. I snorted before taking her hand.

"Do you still have no plan to go home?" I failed to notice his presence as I was busy negotiating with Geli. He was a bit irritated. I actually did not talk with him the whole day. He was too busy preparing for the task that was given to him by our department dean. And based on what Geli told me earlier, Beatrix was tailing after him the whole day. She used to take advantage of her dad being the dean in our department in order to come near him.

"You, guys, can go home now. Since Justice is already on his way here. He texted me that his class just dismissed." Geli looked at her wristwatch, which made me look at mine automatically. It was already past 6:00 PM. I actually forgot the time whenever I was with her. Maybe because we both become too busy this past few days, so we rarely have time to have a girl talk like this.

"Can't wait to see you with your shoulder-length-blonde hair." I was laughing and raised my brows for some time to tease her.

"I don't think so, I just felt that you are about to have an additional piercing first. It sounds cool, right?" I just shook my head and laughed along with her as I put my bag on my shoulder.

"Want excess earrings?" He asked while directly looking at the road and rubbing his lower lip using his index finger while his elbow was rested on the window of his car.

"No. I mean, never!" I abruptly answered in rebuking the thought of me being defeated in that ridiculous bet.

"It was just a bet, you know Geli, she always teases me to you. If that stupid thing happens, I'm going to have a piercing in the upper part of my ear..." I stop as I saw a curve in his lips, seemed like he was trying not to laugh at what I just said.

"But I know I will win, and we will see her cut her coal-black-long hair into a shoulder-length one and dye it into blonde." I smiled back at him, realizing that it was the first time I saw him smiling today. He shook his head as he turned back his attention on the road.

"I guess this would be the first time I will not stand on your side." I gave him a soft punch on his right arm which was holding to the steering wheel as I heard him mutter.

"That was 'ew', Zac." I gave him a side glance of disgust as I saw him laughing and stopping me.

"But kidding aside, how was your day?" He was excused the whole day to all of our classes, as he was the one chosen by the dean to make and prepare the presentation on behalf of the department. No one wonders since he was a well-known top one and handsome guy in the department. But Geli told me that it was the dean's daughter who planned it all along, that was what she had heard from Beatrix this morning while she was in one of the cubicles, she heard her talking with her gang in the restroom.

"Boring," he simply answered and turned to the right, and a feeling of nausea suddenly came over me.

"But it seemed like you enjoy the company of Beatrix." I looked away as I felt his eyes were on me.

"Of course not! Wait, did you come to see me earlier?" He smiled and faced me, trying to meet my gaze, which looked like teasing me. But I hardly closed my eyes and leaned on the other side to avoid his question. But actually, I was about to come into the office of our dean after our two hours class in Clinical Psychology, after lunch. I was about to give him food, but I bumped into Beatrix and saw her having a tray of food probably for the both of them, she was on her way to the office of Mr. Paisley, so I decided not to go. I met Geli instead.

"Do you think your mom is already at home?" He suddenly muttered.

"I got a call from her earlier. They still have a meeting with some clients tonight, so they may probably get home late. Why is there any problem?" I asked him back while I was digging into my bag to find my phone.

"I'm hungry. I forgot to eat the whole day." He answered deadpan. The tone of his voice was monotone.

"Are you out of your mind? Why did you not have your lunch? I thought she had prepared for your lunch, that was she told me, so I didn't give you the food that I bought earlier." I realized that I was sounded like his mom whenever he got scolded by her when we were in grade school due to not eating the food she always prepared for him every lunch.

"I did not eat because I was waiting for you." He gave me a quick glance before turning back his attention on the road. I saw a tranquil smile etched on his face that somehow made me feel guilty even though, it was not really, why would he wait for me though, I never asked him to wait for me. I hissed, trying to get rid of that train of thoughts.

"You can sleep in the guest room tonight, I'll cook for you," I said in a very low tone of voice, but I guess he heard it, as I saw him smiling.

"Thanks for always feeding me, you are really like my mom." He chuckled a bit before he runs his fingers through his hair. I hissed, and a sarcastic smile immediately etched on my face. 

"Your mom won't add poison on your food, but on mine, we are not sure anymore." He laughed as I rolled my eyes against him. Xairo already got home and as usual, they were playing video games in his room. While I was busy watching videos on how to properly cut the carrots but ended up getting two packs of instant noodles instead. Zac and Xairo wanted the spicy one, but I hate it, so I chose two different flavors for us. I used to help mom and Zac's mom whenever they were here in the kitchen whenever we had a gathering, especially every Sunday after church, but my role was the one who handed them some ingredients and sometimes the one who was assigned to boil the water for the pasta. I tried, but I was scared of the oil in the pan, so I never attempted to fry anything. I decided to make my way upstairs since it will be useless if I will shout over here to call them, they were not able to hear me because of the loud volume of the aliens in the video games they often play. They were too close as brothers, maybe because Xairo was looking for someone who was having the same interests as his, we have a lot of differences that tend us to clash. But Zac was the only child, so that was maybe the reason why he used to enjoy the company of others. 

"Xincere, the next time you'll cook, don't put the noodles when the water is not yet boiling!" Xairo did not like it overcooked, but that was exactly what I liked. I snorted and rolled my eyes at him. 

"You, guys, must be thankful and stop complaining! Just finish on your food, dad and mom seem to be coming home tomorrow. You have no choice but to bear with my instant noodles." I took a glance at Zac who was smiling while shaking his head. I grimaced. 

"Don't force yourself to eat those. I'll cook another one." But even before I stood up they both grabbed my wrist and pulled me back to sit as I was sitting in the middle of them. I heard Xairo's hissing before he devoured the noodles on his plate.

"Your marshmallows are already as hard as stone, get it out from the freezer." He uttered as he stood up to put his plate on the sink. I smiled as I realized how he always chose to show this side of him by giving me the things that I like. I gave him a quick peck on his cheek before I open the fridge and saw a large pack of marshmallow in it. 

"Stop acting like a child, Xincere!" He rolled his eyes before making his way upstairs. I looked at Zac who was still eating the noodles I prepared. 

"At least it was edible." I joined him at the table and stared at him as if trying to convince him how good my instant noodles were. 

"Xincere, don't ask me about these instant noodles. I don't wanna hurt you!" He answered deadpan as if it was the worst noodles he has ever tasted. I just grimaced and started eating the noodles on my plate. 

"This would be the last time I will cook for you!" I couldn't believe that I felt sorry for him earlier and now, this was how he act. It made me regret cooking for them. 

"If that so, I hope I would be the last person who will taste this." I just hissed as I saw his wry smile, seemed like teasing me. Ungrateful human beings!